CONTEST: The Book that Changed Your Life!

Recently, teen librarian Amy suggested hosting a "Books that Changed Your Life" event at the library for next year's Ontario Public Library Week. It would be a big affair, but I really love the idea and cannot resist asking you if you have a book that made any major impact on your life (e.g. how you saw the world, your identity, a new perspective on a relationship).

Some people argue that time is a critical factor in whether a book will "speak" to you or not.

For the record, the three books that changed my life as a teen are

Dune by Frank Herbert
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

The first is epic in scope, philosophical and action-oriented, and shaped my idea of the kind of novels I would like to write one day--the female characters are strong and intelligent and every bit the equal of the men. They fight with their heads and their brawn.

The second captured my particular type of dreaming--the devil and his retinue come to Moscow and shake things up. It is funny but underlying it all is the sadness of the wise fool. I feel an affinity with wise fools.

Hamlet (I was 19 when I got to this one) captured every fear I had about the world. I felt, at the time, that I was Hamlet and knew exactly why he could not act and why he could not kill himself either.

THE CHALLENGE:

Tell me about the Book that Changed Your Life and there will be an awesome prize for the winner! This contest will be judged and awarded at the END of this blog on MONDAY AUGUST 16. Remember that we are interested in WHY this book is important to you. We can be swayed by the thought, care and quality put into a response.

Aliki ;)