Many of the lists and memes I’m doing are from The Artsy Reader Girl, so if you want to do her other memes, you should. I don’t do her memes in order, and I do the ones that I like, because that’s how I roll. The original meme was to write about books that were linked to specific memories, but that’s difficult because I remember where and when I’d read those books and enjoying them very much. Instead of them being specific, they remind me of the person I was back then. I wonder if that makes sense. Here we go:
- Matilda
Previously, I wrote an entry about how much this book has shaped my life. I think I’ve read it a total of five times as a child, and many times as an adult. It’s always there when I needed something comforting to read. I know how it begins and what happens along the way almost by heart. I remember going to the study room as a child and spending the entire afternoon reading this. It was fun and empowering. -
Illustrated Book of Myths
As a child, I had both The Illustrated Book of Myths and The Illustrated Book of Fairytales, but I was drawn to the book of myths a lot more because there wasn’t always a happy ending. I was a pessimist as a child (and still am, to be honest,) and I was so fascinated that these myths could be grisly, gory, and also utterly magical at the same time. This was also the book that also introduced myths from other cultures to me, and before that, I had only known Greek and Chinese myths. Because of this book, I chose to read more myths and folktales from other cultures because they were all so fascinating.
- Holes
I’d read this book as a teenager and I was struck by its simple prose, its use of foreshadowing, and how the mystery of the protagonist was revealed at the end. It’s an incredibly well-crafted book and I remember reading this in the quiet of the library and then in my own room. But it didn’t feel like I was in my own room. It felt like I was in the desert with these people, which is not hard to imagine, considering that Singapore is so hot. For me, it represented hope. It showed that underdogs could achieve great things, and that I, by extension, could too. - Stargirl
A friend recommended this book to me and I liked it so much that I saved my money to get it. This was when I was a teenager and was no longer allowed to buy books. Back then, I was trying to fit in and reading a book about someone who was unabashedly different and didn’t care was so comforting. I would read this book again and again throughout my teenage years, especially after falling out with friends. - Speak
I picked up this book on my own and was drawn to how the protagonist was depressed and shunned by her peers because of a reason that she doesn’t talk about. Through some clues and foreshadowing, we learn that she was raped. The author, Laurie Halse Anderson has always campaigned for rape victims and has spoken out about the cause. Now, more than ever, we need to read this book and realise how damaging rape is. More importantly, we need to believe rape victims and victims of trauma. Again, this book struck a chord with me because I was dealing with similar issues, too. This book made school a lot more bearable.
Feel free to use this list and write about some the books that have shaped your childhood.