This is, predictably, a tough list to make. After all, I’ve been reading for a while, I have a tendency of obsessing with authors, and my taste and interests have been changing over time (and they continue doing so). But here we are.
So, in chronological order (in which I read them), here are the first books that popped into my mind after I thought about this month’s blog prompt.
There might be some spoilers, so keep that in mind.
How did I make the selections? By choosing the books that have stayed with me (for the right reasons) and that I go back to time and time again (or their adaptations).
The first is actually a shared spot: Death on the Nile and And Then There Were None. I’ve already written about Agatha Christie and why I love her stories so much, but among the standouts, these are two of my favorite picks. Death on the Nile makes it so obvious and then so impossible and then it ends up being true. As for And Then There Were None, I really like the flow of the story and how the tone shifts. I remember being shocked with each revelation, and the final explanation also makes sense for the character behind it all.
For a significant shift, my second pick is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. I read it in high school for a literature class, and I loved it. Yes, we had a character guide because there were so many shared names (and complicated relationships, to say the least), and over 20 years later (where does time go?), I still think about it. There’s a Netflix adaptation coming up (at time of writing), so we’ll see how it goes. Plus, One Hundred Years of Solitude gave way to a deeper dive into García Márquez’s novels, and with Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Of Love and Other Demons (thank you, C!), and many more, it’s easy to see how he earned the Nobel Prize in Literature (and many more awards and recognitions).
Third would be Pride and Prejudice because, well, all of it. I won’t rehash my Jane Austen post, but I’ll just say, I like rereading this novel (and Persuasion) the most. It’s a tough pick between these two, but because of the adaptations, and because of that opening line and many, many quotes, I’m choosing it. Also, this novel put my romantic expectations through the roof as a teenager (and as an adult).
Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes made an impact because it was the first time I encountered contemporary women’s fiction with a very serious and real conflict. If I could ever dream or fantasize about writing like someone, it would be Marian, and it all started with Rachel Walsh.
Last but definitely not least, Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. Oh, to be able to create such a tone, such ambience, such complex and well-rounded (and not necessarily likeable) characters, and the twist…It’s difficult for me to sometimes not anticipate some things (mostly because I read so many Agatha Christie novels and stories growing up), and to remember so clearly so many things about it, really says something. Plus, the adaptation is as close to perfect as it gets.
So, these are the five(ish) books that have impacted me the most. Either because they opened my eyes to new literary styles, because they made me fall in love with characters or authors, or because they completely exceeded my expectations.
What are the five books that have impacted you the most, and why?
