Readers share what books had an impact on their life

Poll question: As adults, most of us have settled into certain genres when we read for entertainment. Some are mystery fans, some enjoy historical fiction, some autobiographical, and some enjoy the classics. But when we were in high school, much of our reading choices were made for us by teachers. Sometimes we read the book begrudgingly. Sometimes we were surprised by how much we enjoyed the teacher’s selection. 

 

Comments: How did those reading assignments impact your future book choices?

 

• I was an avid reader with or without teacher recommendations. When I went to school in the ’60s we were given wide choices for summer reading. Books read during the school year included authors from Hemingway to Lee to Orwell.

 

• I think that when I had to read for school it broadened my choices and helped me read all kinds of books.

 

• It led me to my favorite genre, historical fiction because I loved all of the historical books I ever had to read.

 

• I gained an appreciation for classics.

 

• I am not sure that the reading assignments I received had much impact on future book choices, but they did give me an appreciation for reading across a wide range of subjects and genres, and it is something that I still do today.

 

• Our assigned reading for some reason was different than the rest of the people I’ve encountered in my life, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the books we were assigned and have continued with those authors.

 

• The reading assignments opened up my mind to a variety of genres and authors. If a book had an impact on me, I read other books by the same author such as Betty Smith, JD Salinger, and Robert Frost. High school assignments led me to be an English major in college and later an English teacher. I started also reading nonfiction especially biographies which I still enjoy reading now

 

Comments: What book did you read in high school that surprised or influenced you in some way? 

 

• The Hate U Give

 

• I read Angela’s Ashes and it really helped me to open my worldview. It helped me gain empathy for everyone. It made me think that no matter how someone may appear to be doing poorly through my worldview, they could actually be doing so much better than they used to. We’re all trying to do better for ourselves and our families, and we should extend that grace to everyone.

 

• A Separate Peace

 

• A book that had a tremendous impact on me was The Ugly American by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer. Reading that book convinced me that I should become a diplomat and work in the U.S. Foreign Service. It also influenced my decision to attend Miami University (Ohio) because they had a liberal arts major dealing with international relations. As it turns out, I did not follow that career path, but I have, throughout my life, maintained an interest in international relations.

 

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