Books And Introspection

I saw this question posed in a friend's journal, and thought about just replying there, but it was an interesting enough topic that I decided to just poach it and write about it here, mostly because it touches on one of my favorite topics - namely, books.

I'm a junkie for the printed word, as I'm pretty sure most of the folks reading this are. I'm typing this on my lunch break at work, while I've got a journal open on the desk next to me and a paperback stashed on top of that - my emergency spare paperback, which I stuffed in my purse yesterday in case work was slow and I finished the hardcover I was halfway through (which I did, so thank heaven for the spare). So when I saw the question of what book changed your life, I had to think about it.

There are so many possible answers to that. The first book I ever read by myself ('Frog and Toad Are Friends'). 'Gone With the Wind,' which is my touchstone and comfort read whenever life gets to be too much for me to handle. 'Arrows of the Queen,' which, in spite of being mushy adolescent Mary Sue fantasy, at least taught me what being an empath meant, and gave me a frame of reference for survival. The James Herriott novels that I snuck to read while we were at my cousin's house, since I was... strongly discouraged from reading them at home.

But... if I had to pick one book that changed my world more than anything else, I think I'd finally have to say 'Dragon's Blood,' by Jane Yolen. It's just a standard, run-of-the-mill YA fantasy novel, but it made a huge difference to me.

When I was a kid, I was a mystery fan. I mostly read classics and Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew books. My best friend tried to get me to read her F&SF novels, but... well, I thought they were kind of dumb. I had no real interest in that kind of stuff.

But being the giant nerd I was, and having poor parents who couldn't keep me as well supplied with novels as I wanted, I set up a book swap with her and another girl in our class. Once a week we'd each bring in two books, and trade. It gave us all new reading material, and plus it was kind of reassuring to know other kids who were bookworms. And being the sneaky and persistent person she was, after stringing me along for a few weeks with mysteries and kiddie lit, my friend stuck me with a copy of 'Dragon's Blood.'

I didn't want to read it. I wanted nothing to do with it, and honestly felt both tricked and cheated. But after a few days of going on a literary hunger strike, I gave up and started glancing through. And within a chapter or two, I was hooked. On the book, and on the genre.

I'm not saying that being a non-genre reader would suck; I'm sure I'd have a perfectly happy life reading murder mysteries and living in the mainstream. But falling into genre-love led me to almost everything I love about my life right now. Roleplaying, which led me to my husband. Working at the library, which led me to the SCA. Dabbling in writing. Almost every friend I've found. It showed me a face of the world I had never seen before, and spurred me on to be more creative myself, and without it I'd be.... someone else completely.

So thank you, Ms. Yolen. And thank you, joannahurley, for being an amazing friend and convincing me to read it. I still owe you, twentymumble years later.

So. What about you - what book changed your life?