As a writer, I find it's very important to read also. In fact, even if you aren't a writer I think you should read. It will expand your mind, expose you to different situations and cultures, and broaden your vocabulary. Not to mention you get to have a break from reality. It's impossible to choose a single favorite book or a single favorite author, but a few of mine are as follows.
Right off the bat, I have to talk about JD Salinger. Never has another author made such a huge impact on my life. From age 11, The Catcher in the Rye was my favorite book. Of course it's still ONE of my favorites, but I can't narrow it down to just one anymore. I was affected by this book--as were many people--because of how relatable it is. I went through many of the emotions that Holden goes through in the book and struggle with depression also. The way that Salinger writes is very conversational and familiar, and he has influenced my writing voice a lot.
Another piece of work by Salinger is his compilation of short stories called Nine Stories. I'm an avid short story reader and writer, so I really enjoyed reading this book. I love the way that he doesn't wrap up the endings with nice pretty bows, but rather leaves them ambiguous and realistic. Of course I love A Perfect Day for Bananafish, and I also loved Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut, Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes, and Teddy. These are all primarily written and expressed through dialogue. I enjoy stories that are based off of human interactions and conversations.
Salinger's last two published novels were fun for me to read, but they may not be for everyone. Raise High the Roofbeam Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction as well as Franny and Zooey are both books about the fictional Glass family. I liked reading these because I'm a fan of Salinger, so I was interested to read more in depth about this family he created. The short novella Franny in Franny and Zooey was especially compelling to me because I have also experienced a breakdown like the one that Franny goes through. Seymour: An Introduction was probably my least favorite (although still very good) because some of the things written are just plain old boring to me. However, all of Salinger's works are very relatable because everyone will have experienced these emotions, and he's very good at translating thoughts to page.
One book I had a lot of fun reading was another book of short stories called Palo Alto written by James Franco. Again, I loved how realistically Franco wrote these stories. I feel that teenage years are a great time to write about because of the raw emotions teenagers feel. Constantly, whatever teenagers feel, they feel it intensely. I would be reading the book and think to myself, "Oh, I know someone who talks exactly like that!" or "I've done something so similar to that!" I'm not sure if Franco and I had resembling high school experiences, but I think he nailed high school and teenage lives to a tee.
An all-time favorite novel of mine is Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. I am a very curious and deep thinker, and I love to have spiritual and profound conversations. This book was extremely relatable for me because many of the things Siddhartha feels I have felt also. Plus, these feelings are unexplainable to some people, so I was very comforted to know that someone understood my thoughts. Siddhartha is a classic, and I truly think everyone should read it.
I have so many other favorite books and authors (John Steinbeck, Beowulf, The Bell Jar, etc.), but I will end this post here. I'm always reading a book--right now it's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King--and I would love to have suggestions. Comment some books or short stories you think I should read!
Another piece of work by Salinger is his compilation of short stories called Nine Stories. I'm an avid short story reader and writer, so I really enjoyed reading this book. I love the way that he doesn't wrap up the endings with nice pretty bows, but rather leaves them ambiguous and realistic. Of course I love A Perfect Day for Bananafish, and I also loved Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut, Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes, and Teddy. These are all primarily written and expressed through dialogue. I enjoy stories that are based off of human interactions and conversations.
Salinger's last two published novels were fun for me to read, but they may not be for everyone. Raise High the Roofbeam Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction as well as Franny and Zooey are both books about the fictional Glass family. I liked reading these because I'm a fan of Salinger, so I was interested to read more in depth about this family he created. The short novella Franny in Franny and Zooey was especially compelling to me because I have also experienced a breakdown like the one that Franny goes through. Seymour: An Introduction was probably my least favorite (although still very good) because some of the things written are just plain old boring to me. However, all of Salinger's works are very relatable because everyone will have experienced these emotions, and he's very good at translating thoughts to page.
One book I had a lot of fun reading was another book of short stories called Palo Alto written by James Franco. Again, I loved how realistically Franco wrote these stories. I feel that teenage years are a great time to write about because of the raw emotions teenagers feel. Constantly, whatever teenagers feel, they feel it intensely. I would be reading the book and think to myself, "Oh, I know someone who talks exactly like that!" or "I've done something so similar to that!" I'm not sure if Franco and I had resembling high school experiences, but I think he nailed high school and teenage lives to a tee.
An all-time favorite novel of mine is Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. I am a very curious and deep thinker, and I love to have spiritual and profound conversations. This book was extremely relatable for me because many of the things Siddhartha feels I have felt also. Plus, these feelings are unexplainable to some people, so I was very comforted to know that someone understood my thoughts. Siddhartha is a classic, and I truly think everyone should read it.
I have so many other favorite books and authors (John Steinbeck, Beowulf, The Bell Jar, etc.), but I will end this post here. I'm always reading a book--right now it's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King--and I would love to have suggestions. Comment some books or short stories you think I should read!