Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 lhockee Sep 16, 2009 9:51:45	I have always enjoyed reading as a pastime, and to this day I still enjoy picking up a good book over watching the TV or playing a video game, though I still enjoy either. I'm curious as too the different tastes and genres the general population has towards those old-fashioned paper-things, instead of those finagled iPods and minicamera's. So, I'll start things off: As a child I was always interested in fantasy literature, so I began my quest by reading The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. As I progressed I eventually moved on to Lord of the Rings and other Tolkien works, and those of his associates. His works have always held a spark in my heart, bringing to light stories and ideas of my own that I loved so much. Within this fantasy world of elves, hobbits and orcs, you feel as though reading a part of forgotten history, an epic tale of companionship and overcoming adversity. I became very interested in military novels in my teenage years, and developed a fondness for Tom Clancy and his in-depth look at military (and later, political) adventure stories. I first read Red Storm Rising, a book off-level with the main series (the Jack Ryan-verse), but I loved the novel enough that I've read every piece of military/political work Clancy has done since. I'm not a fan of his insistent pro-American themes and superiority, but considering where he hails from and his upbringing, I don't blame him for the viewpoint. All in all my favorite military/political thriller novelist. As I was entering high school, I was introduced to Harry Potter through the wonderful JK Rowling, and whom I spent a great deal of my high school and early adult years with. A wonderful world of magic, sorcery and tales of pure evil versuses good, with characters I grew up with and came to love as though they were my own friends. The Harry Potter books inspired me further during those rough years, that with persistence and faith in those whom loved me I could conquer my years and overcome any obstacle laid down to halt my progress. A fourth author of my admiration is the oft-debated Anne Rice. I began first, not by reading the novel, but seeing the movie Interview with the Vampire. Interested in the characters and story of Louis, I journeyed out and picked up an older copy of the first novel in the Vampire Chronicles series. I've read every book in the main VCseries since, and I felt a pain of regret when the series finally came to It's final end. While contested by those who either love her work or disdain it (I've rarely met anyone who was both ways), I always enjoyed the sheer undead emotion of the characters, and the depictions of thoughts as simple as descriping a door with vampiric eyes. Or feeling the beating of the human heart with unnatural senses. I attribute Anne Rice to my love of reading about the supernatural and the occult to her wonderful series, including the Witchunter series as well. I owe a great debt of gratitude to those authors as I grew up, and continue to grow up. I have many authors that I admire and read, but those four are the biggest and more influential of my life. In time I'll list off some more admired authors, but for now I leave the floor open to you, the user. What tales of woe and intrigue do you read? Which author (or authors), do you admire the most? Please, share with us.
#2 zombie_babies Sep 16, 2009 13:14:26	Hmm.  I'll try to keep this brief. As a lad, I started with the usual - stuff like the Peanut Butter Hamster, Indian in the Cupboard, etc (though I do recall 'reading' Dr Seuss and Where the Wild Things Are with my mom from an even earlier part of my life) and choose your own adventure books.  After that, I read Lord of the Flies.  I guess that was my first exposure to a 'real' book. As a teen (and slightly before), I read fantasy novels.  All the cheesey D&D stuff I could get my hands on.  And that's all I read that wasn't something assigned in class.  After that, my reading (and my life) entered a sort of Dark Age. Once recovered, I began reading again to pass the time during my hour long lunch breaks at work.  I eat really fast. ;) Anyhoo, I'd have to say that the authors I most enjoyed were pretty varied.  The list would include Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy.  It would also include Brett Easton Ellis and Chuck Palahniuk.  I'd crossed the pond for Richard Adams, Anthony Burgess and Koshun Takami and I'd come back for Joey Heller, Vonnegut and Hemingway (though he spent quite a bit of time across the way himself).  And there was Dr Hunter S Thompson, Vladimir Nabokov and Cormac McCarthy mixed in as well.  Recently, I've decided to explore Faulkner and Joseph Conrad (for Heart of Darkness, primarily).  Once I've finished Faulkner, I'll move on to someone I've not yet read.  Or maybe I'll go back to a Russian classic.  I don't know.  It's even possible I'll try out some fantasy again as I've had several authors recommended to me.  Who knows. If I had to pick authors from that list that inspired me in some way, I'd have to say they all did in one way or another.  All of the following are examples of inspiration found outside of what can be learned from the works of the authors mentioned. The most notable would be Heller because I so enjoyed his love of wordplay.  Writing was more of a game, it seemed, when he was doing it.  And more fun, too.  Ellis and Palahniuk showed me that even the darkest parts of my mind were ok to write about - and that humor can and should be found anywhere.  Hemingway.  Well, he showed me that I'm not the only person that feels the way I do about certain parts of life.  And reading him showed me that a few, simple words can be more powerful than any lengthy, flowery presentation.  And all of these bring me to McCarthy.  What reading him did for me was ... well, it's hard to explain.  I learned - again - that simple is best and that the darkest places are often the most interesting.  I learned that you don't need a happy ending and that many, many stories are best off without them.  He makes things feel real in a way no one else I've read even comes close to.  And that's why, after reading him, I felt it utterly useless that I ever attempt to write anything again.  I may yet try, but I have no illusions about whether or not it'd compare to something as perfect as The Road.  But hey, if you're outlook isn't a bit bleak after reading McCarthy, you're probably missing something. ;) Well, that's the shortest version I could come up with.  I could go on and on about how book X by author Y inspired/taught me in way Z, but what point would that serve?  I've alleviated my boredom enough for now and, undoubtably, added to the boredom of others enough as well.  Fin.
#3 idhriniel Sep 16, 2009 13:31:16	When I was really, really little (like 2 or 3), my favorite book was Johnny Appleseed. ;) In first/second grade, I was really into Magic Tree House (which, believe it or not, is still going). I also liked Nancy Drew at that point. It wasn't until fourth or fifth grade that my love affair with fantasy started. In fourth/fifth grade I read the Dragonlance Chronicles, and I got the Icewind Dale Trilogy for Christmas in the year of 2004 or 2005. I didn't read it until summer of 2006 I think. I never truly got into D&D/FR until seventh/eighth grade. I read nearly every Drizzt novel in probably 2 months, considering I was in school at the time. After doing that, I expanded to some Douglas Niles and more Weis/Hickman novels. I had to buy a new edition of the Dragonlance Chronicles, because I had "lost" (meaning "accidentally misplaced the books where they can't be found") the original six books that my dad had (sadly). Which sucks. In ninth grade I decided to start reading The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings - which I have in a box set. I stopped halfway through The Two Towers to read The Pirate King (yes, I interrupted Tolkein for Salvatore). And now, I'm doing multiple things: 1) rereading the Transitions trilogy; 2) trying to get back into reading The Lord of the Rings; 3) maintaining my status as one of the top ten kids in the class of 2012 at my school; and 4) feeling like I'm going to shoot myself waiting for the next R. A. Salvatore book, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed II, and Dragon Age: Origins. Oh, wait, there's a fifth one: writing a book! Aside from books, I've played: Everquest, Everquest II, Dark Age of Camelot, Neverwinter Nights (expansions included), Neverwinter Nights 2 (epansions included), and World of Warcraft. And that's only PC games. Don't make me rant about the 360.
#4 Shiftkitty Sep 16, 2009 14:53:51	Fave book types: Sherlock Holmes, King Arthur, Robert Cormier's "The Chocolate War", enjoying Salvatorre's Drizzt series, "The Fearful Master", fairy tales in general, had an absolute stranger thrust a copy of Miyamoto Musashi's "The Book of Five Rings" into my hands saying only "You're going to need this.", loved the Harry Potter series. I also enjoy historial biographies and contemporary political analysis.   Favorite Author: Richard Zacks. No kidding, he can drop you right into the scene! His writing is playful as well as factual, he and the Naked Archaeologist would be my two favorite people to have had as teachers!
#5 toastedamphibian Sep 17, 2009 1:28:10	When I was young (elementary school and such) i didn't really read entertainment books, prefeering to read my older sisters math book, books on roman military strategy or archetecture, and classical mythology. As I got older, I started raiding my moms collection of old books, sorting out the non-romance novels. As such I read alot of Ann McCaffrey sciencefiction [Crystal singer series, Brain/Brawn series, ect, skiping the Dragon Rider stuff], Issaic Assimov [Foundation triliogy, that robot series] Steven King [His novels tended to bore me, But that one about the bull/abusive husband was good, as well as the Dark tower series and his short stories, and Elrond Hubbard [Battlefield earth series] around the same time I also got interested in the Dune series [when I discovered to my young delight that it was a book not just a game] and tolken [through having seen the old hobbit cartoon, and wondering what my uncle was always mutter about.]
#6 idhriniel Sep 17, 2009 5:04:29	oh my god you saw that too??? i thought i was the only one that watched the cool cartoon versions of the hobbit/the return of the king when i was little....
#7 Shiftkitty Sep 17, 2009 8:56:09	I preferred The Hobbit cartoon. Rankin/Bass did some of the best animated specials that I recall from days long past. "Return of the King" not so much. The unfinished Ralph Bakshi "Lord of the Rings" was decidedly not on my list of faves. I do like Bakshi's work, with "Wizards", "Fritz the Cat", and "American Pop" being my top picks.