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Five Books That Rocked My World by Alisha from My Need To Read + Giveaway
Filed in 1000 follower celebration , Giveaways , Guest Post , The Geeky Lover Posted on October 11, 2011 @ 11:00 am
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Today our special blogger guest is the wonderful Alisha from My Need To Read. She is a wonderful and heartfelt person who always brings a smile or two to my face. She is a wonderful reviewer too. (you really should check out her great blog). Alisha will tell us about 5 books that rocked her world and well I have to agree with her choices. Be sure to leave a comment for her and you might win a sag pack. Detail at the end of the post. So now, take the mic Alisha!To even glance at my book blog, it’s fairly obvious that I’m all about the genre fiction. ^_^ These days I’ll read just about anything that has an element of the fantastical, surreal, or absurd, but that varied taste was developed over time, with a small handful of specific books completely to blame for most reading choices I now make. I’d love to share with you guys five of those reads, along with a little context as to how, when, and why they rocked my socks off. ^_^
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
There I was, a scrawny little introverted eight-year-old girl who’d just lost a parent over the summer, starting third grade at a new school, as lost as a little kid could possibly be. I’d just tested into a special educational program (G.A.T.E., or Gifted and Talented Education program), one that afforded the chance to meet in a small sub-group of students for intensive instruction. The first book we read together—and indeed, the first “novel” I’d ever read—was A Wrinkle in Time. Looking back, the science-fiction/fantasy novel made more sense to my little kid mind than some of the real-life events did at the time. Sure, there were somewhat wacky tales of eccentric scientists and inter-dimensional travel, happy-go-lucky centaurs and sentient clouds. But I think my overwhelmed brain was looking for an escape, and this book provided that and more. Thus began my true need to read…
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
The day I was allowed to have my own library card at the Richmond Public Library was great for me yet perhaps annoying to the parental unit (because every week, I needed to be driven there to check out more books! ^_^). This novel, the first in the five-volume epic fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain, sucked my brain into the life of a lowly assistant pig-keeper who literally changes and saves the world he lives in with his compassion and bravery—and a motley crew of three. My first taste of high fantasy irrevocably steered me toward valuing the gallant and worthy nature in the least of us. Every kid has role models, and mine became the humble hero. Thus began my love for fantasy fiction.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
By the time I was introduced to this book by my high school honey, I was neck-deep in R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike, having read dozens upon dozens of the middle-grade and young adult horror books (hey; it was either that or things like Sweet Valley High and The Babysitters Club…and I was so not that girly back then). So I was not expecting to be knocked sideways by a science-fiction novel with a very real and brutal strategy of basically training and manipulating children to be merciless soldiers. As far as I can remember, it was the first time a book had me all out crying—I mean bawling—from its strong emotional developments. Thus began my love for science fiction.
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
In my AP Language class, this was by far the most enjoyable A I’d ever gotten for a school project. As I mentioned before, I was not a girly girl by any stretch…and so my reading selections never reflected the more…romantic, “Barbie & Ken 4Eva” attitude that I noticed in some of my classmates. But Elizabeth Bennett’s combination of strength and vulnerability allowed me to understand some of the complexities of the heart. Sorry Charlotte Bronte and Mark Twain…I thought Jane Austen rocked. Thus began my love for romances, chick-lit, and historicals.
1984 by George Orwell
Another high school read, this book scared the living daylights out of me. Seriously, with all those YA horror books, I thought I was tough stuff, and yet I’d never before been so spooked…all because of the note of truth that was laced throughout this book. This was a version of the world that was full of just enough realism of the sort I’d never want to see to literal effect. And guess what? I still read it again, and again, and again. Thus began my love for dystopian fiction.
…and the list goes on from there. Every once in a while there’s a new book that whacks me across the head and has me salivating for not just more of that specific world and characters, but more books of its type—and ultimately, an even deeper love of reading.Places to find Alisha:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~*Giveaway*~*~
Thanks to Has aka our Smutty Lover we have the following swag pack for one lucky commenter!
You’re also getting an extra entry for the main giveaway if you entered our Big 1000 Followers Giveaway here.
All you have to do is leave a comment for Alisha or tell us about one of the books that rocked your world.
(You can read our full giveaway policy here)
Please leave us a way to contact you.
(Email or twitter name – no way to contact you – no entry).
This giveaway is open worldwide!
Giveaway ends on 22 October and we will announce the winner on Sunday.
Good luck!
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I think the first book that comes to mind for questions like this is the first book I read for my own enjoyment. I was 16 years old *yes, I know I got a late start in reading for my own pleasure* and the book was Cujo by Stephen King. after reading that I gobbled up all the Horror I could find and then my mom gave me a romance book when I was in my 20's and I've been reading them ever since.
miztik_rose@yahoo.com
A book about an assistant pig-keeper? Sounds like a book for me.
I will have to mention 'Rolan's Keuze' It's the Dutch translation of Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey. It's the first book in a trilogy and the only one of them that ever got translated to Dutch. I loved it so much that I decided to try to read the other books of the trilogy in English even though I didn't read much English at the time. Without that book it might have taken me a lot longer to start reading novels in English.
I remember when I was in grade 7, we had moved to a small town and I found the local library. The selection of middle school/YA books at the time was not nearly as good as it is today. I discovered Agatha Christie and And Then There Were None. This completely rocked my world! I read everything I could get my hands on by Agatha Christie after that.
coreenamcburnie at gmail dot com
I totally agree with you on 1984 by George Orwell.Also for me it was reading Aldous Huxley.
But I have to admit that I have never really wanted to read anything by Jane Austen . I admitted that in public and haven't been struck down by lightning yet 🙂
irgl7(at)bonzo15(dot)plus(dot)com
I agree about Pride and Prejudice– that book totally rocked my world, too! 🙂
justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Thanks for this great giveaway ! Oh it's difficult to pick one book… I think it was the first Anita Blake by Laurell K hamilton, it was my first urban fantasy book.
ellana_(at)hotmail(dot)fr
I love books and several that have strongly affected me come to mind.
One is Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones. I read it when it came out in 2002 and was mesmerized by the views of Heaven, the expression of emotion in the Salmon family, and the selflessness and acceptance of so many of the characters. It is a remarkable novel.
Thanks for your column, Alisha.
Oops–sorry–forgot my email:
Mochfly(at)swbell(dot)com
My world has been rocking for years now and the thought of just one book making me tilt is just too hard LOL I am a series junkie and love for stories to continue like meeting up with a friend every time there is a new release 🙂 I think one of the most moving book have I read recently was Megan's Way by Melissa Foster – it is definitely worth picking up and offered for a wonderful price. Than you for the treat of a giveaway and lovely post 🙂
dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com
Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart absolutely blew me away. I had never experienced anything like it before. The characters, geography, storyline….oh, such an amazing piece of writing! Thanks for the giveaway.
+1 1,000 member giveaway
jepebATverizonDOTnet
Haha! My mom could probably get together with your parental units to bemoan the trials and tribulations of having a voracious reader in elementary school. I maintain my biking privileges were only extended so I could get to the library on my own. 🙂
I actually know the one book that rocked my world. As in completely freaked out my tiny mind and turned me in a political and social activist. Children of the Dust by…..I have no idea who. But I could find it with my eyes closed in that old library. It was a YA book about a post-nuclear apocalypse and terrified me to such an extent that I started reading adult fiction just to avoid seeing it on the library shelf.
cas at sigmadog dot com
I would have to say Twilight. That really rocked my world. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
The first book I read that really rocked my world was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon! I can read that book over and over and never get tired of it 🙂
jwitt33 at live dot com
Ooo I loved Lloyd Alexander books as a teen! I discovered a lot of great fantasy authors a bit later, like Raymond E. Feist and Maggie Furey. A world opened for me, starting my love for paranormal romance and urban fantasy years later.
Thanks for the give away, I absolutely love bookmarks and swag. 1000 followers giveaway contender.
auriansbooks at gmail dot com
Oh, I totally loved Lloyd Alexander's Book of Three series as well! I loved that the heroine wasn't a crying damsel but a mouthy strong girl – I think that's where my love of kick-butt heroine's came from! 🙂
Mel S
notanotherbookblog(at)hotmail(dot)co(dot)uk
well a book that i've read and still think about is a series: harry potter ^^; i just love the books. i love the world in it and the characters.
but it didn't "rock my world". i have never read a book that changed me or anything. but the harry potter series really hooked me.
sorry i forgot my email address ^^;
witchvela at web dot de
Great books! And because voracious readers like recommending books to other readers – have you read The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold? I suspect you'd love it. Fantastic worldbuilding, and characters that will make you cry. Excuse me. I have some re-reading to do suddenly…
Mickie T
mdturett at juno dot com
is it horrible that i havent read ANY of these??
i dont know that many books that have affected me deeply.. i know i laugh, cry, and get scared reading any of JD robbs books (well okay, i dont cry for EVERY one… lol) i like reading lighter reads.. one that did i did love and hate was One flew over the cuckoos nest!
alainala AT hotmail DOT ca
Excellent picks! I've had Ender's Game recommended to me many times but haven't gotten around to it yet – may have to move it to the top of my TBR mountain 🙂
smaccall AT comcast.net
I remember being in high school and reading To Kill A Mockingbird and absolutly falling in love! Can't get my daughter to read it to save her life!
mmafsmith at gmail dot com
I second Jen B. Kushiel's Dart totally blew my 14 year old mind! I still love it. A recent book series that blew my mind was the Fever series by Karen Moning. It opened up both the romance and UF genres to me. Wow…I had been missing out on so much by not exploring those two genres!
ssosborn at gmail dot com
I've yet to read Ender's Game, I'm currently reading Pride & Prejudice and I've only read one title of Orwell's- Animal Farm- but since both the unread titles are on my to-read list and I'm still looking up A Wrinkle in Time (which I've heard a lot about) I think your selection is basically awesome!
Thanks for the giveaway:)
Sarah @ Random Thoughts
sarah.setar@gmail.com
I've yet to read Ender's Game, I'm currently reading Pride & Prejudice and I've only read one title of Orwell's- Animal Farm- but since both the unread titles are on my to-read list and I'm still looking up A Wrinkle in Time (which I've heard a lot about) I think your selection is basically awesome!
Thanks for the giveaway:)
Sarah @ Random Thoughts
sarah.setar@gmail.com
The book that really rocked my world was Crime and Punishment.I was young when I read it and I still remember everything about it!I love how everyone gets a different feeling out of this book!
Thanks for the giveaway!I have also entered the 1000 followers.
anniech85(at)gmail(dot)com
Great selection of books! (though that Twilight-fied P&P cover really annoys me lol)
Here is a quick list of books that rocked my world because picking one (the ever dreaded question of a book lover!) is well, INCONCEIVABLE!
The Hobbit (which in turn lead me to LOTR), Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned (where I started the series and introduced me to vampires in a way I'd never seen them before), Diana Gabaldon's Outlander (the rest is history in this one lol) Sara Douglass's Enchanter (gave me a new fantasy author to love) and more, much more lol
midnite dot fantasy at gmail dot com
Great books…. for me the first book i read ( that terrified my teacher because afther that i refused to read baby book ^^;;)was " Le cri du sang " ( shout of blood) i was 6 and it was the first book i found in my grandmother house^^ ( not horror by the way)
And the one who really kept me ready was bilbo the hobbit and the lords of the ring the same summer ( as you can understand now why i hated reading at school when the other were just learning and the thema to childish for me)^^
isabelle(dot)frisch(at)gmail(dot)com
Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book and I, also, love A Wrinkle in time.
I haven't actually read any of the books listed but I know Pride & Prejudice made a pretty decent movie. =) Pretty cool swag pack prize for the giveaway! Thanks for the chance to enter!!
Valerie Long (Scorpio1974 on GFC)
just.val.1974@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/just.val.1974
Jewelry Creations by V.S. Long – https://www.facebook.com/vsl1974
Pride and Prejudice was one of the first books that I've ever read. I loved it! But the first book that rocked my world was A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libby Bray. It's an amazing YA book set in the late 19th century in a boarding school. Gemma is a special girl and Kartik was… well, I was in love with him! I started to read more and more because that book got me! 🙂
mikki-mano@hotmail.com