Several times in my life, I’ve been in social, get-to-know-you situations where a group of us were supposed to tell, as individuals, which person or persons in our lives had influenced us the most. We were supposed to talk about elementary-school teachers or grandparents or pastors, but I always thought of…writers.

This is because 1) I am an introverted book nerd who generally prefers a good book to, you know, real-life social interaction and deep, influential relationships; and 2) Because much of who I am has evolved due to books I’ve read that have changed me, challenged me, and inspired me.

Last week, my sister Micha (inspired by Helen Lee) asked her blog readers “What books have shaped you?”
The conversation that ensued was fun, revealing, and became a great
little thread for talking about books and discovering new authors. I love talking about this kind of stuff.

So I thought I’d steal her excellent question and pose it here, to you:

Which books have had the most impact and influence in your life…and why?