Friday 15 May 2015

5 Books that Changed my Life

1. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis


When I was little under the age of 6, my dad began to read C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe to me. The book enthralled me as the fantastical land of Narnia formed in my young mind. I was hooked from the get go. I loved every minute of it and as my dad started to read more and more of it each night (he wanted to get to a certain part of the book so that I wouldn’t cry when we saw the film in the cinema) I was certainly not one to complain.

 As a child I adored the idea of talking animals that could laugh and talk as if they too were human; the centaurs and talking lions and beavers amazed me and I honestly wanted Mr. Tumnus as my best friend.

2.  Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone


I have a lot to thank J.K. Rowling for. I think it was chiefly her books that got me into reading and started my love of books. It was she who sparked my love for storytelling, for punctuation, for language and for the written word. Her skills taught me some of the most valuable lessons in life and I genuinely don’t know who I would be today had I not been such an enthusiastic Potterhead growing up. 

I have learnt so much from these novels – these novels that seem like child’s play to so many, yet mean a great deal to many more. As she has passed down so much of her knowledge to people like myself, I feel that I am indebted to J. K. Rowling, for helping shape my personality and inspire me to be passionate about the things that I love.

3. Girls are Best by Sandi Toksvig


I can’t remember when or how this book first came into my life, however, I know that I first read it when I was about 10 or 11. With the history books being dominated by male figures this book opened my eyes to some of the incredible things women have achieved through the years. Whether it is the invention of the bra or some badass and unknown queen, I can tell you they’re probably mentioned in here. 

So many women with notable and outstanding achievements have not had their story told and this book tells them. As it is truly a book for someone of that age it did not take me too long to read, however its impact lasted a lot longer. 

This was the book that gave me inspiration to do what I wanted to do with my life, having gained the knowledge that my gender should never hold me back. It sparked a feminist attitude in me at a young age; an attitude I am glad to say hasn’t ceased yet.


4. Elizabeth I and her conquests by Margaret Simpson


While we’re on the subject of badass queens: most of you won’t know that I have held a love for history (and the Tudor era in particular) for years. This love, I believe, first grew when I read this book. A book bought for me by my grandparents at a village fete. A funny, but also factual account of Elizabeth I’s life, it intrigued me as a young reader and I was eager to learn more. It started something in me that I hope will never leave: an adoration for history and the knowledge of what happened in the past.

Margaret Simpson’s Dead Famous series has included many people, and although I have not read any more of them, I hope that I will in the future.


5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen


So we’ve had the first biggie (Harry Potter) and now we’re onto the second - and I don’t quite know where to start.


A few years ago, my parents gave me a kindle for my birthday. They had already put on some books that they thought or knew that I would enjoy, or, in some cases, already loved to pieces. A few of Jane Austen’s novels were featured among those and soon enough, I fell in love with her writing (or maybe that was Mr. Darcy…). I began to read more and more of her books, some of them over and over again, until my family diagnosed me as obsessed. This book was, in a way, my stepping-stone into classic literature – opening up a whole new world of fictional lands to me


What books books have changed your life? Please tell me in the comments - I'd love to know!



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