Five books that have shaped me as a person:
1. The Odd Thomas Series by Dean Koontz:
My mom suggested I read these books and I am so grateful that she did. The protagonist, Odd Thomas, illustrated the type of person that I aspire to be like. He is kind, compassionate, and always willing to do what is right even though it put himself in danger. He taught me a lot about what it means to be a good person and that personal connections is the most important thing in life. Odd Thomas is and most likely will always be my favorite protagonist, the adventures that I was able to go on with him have stayed with me long after I finished the series.
"Life , Stormy says, is not about how fast you run or even with what degree of grace. It's about perseverance, about staying on your feet and slogging forward no matter what."
2. One Door Away From Heaven by Dean Koontz:
This is another book that has helped shape me as a person by Dean Koontz, my favorite author. I read this book the summer before starting the fall semester here at UF. Once I picked it up I could not stop reading it and I finished it in a couple of days. This book highlighted having strength in adversity as the three protagonists have to overcome their own hardships in order to help each other. The idea that nothing in life is by accident or coincidence still lingers with me still after reading this particular novel. How each individual person is one piece in the mosaic that we call life, and I can always find comfort in that concept. I have always loved reading Dean Koontz because in every story that I have read by him, Good always triumphs evil. This is a reoccurring theme in most of his books and I always find a newfound sense of hope every time I read a book by him.
"Even in the darkest moments, light exists if you have the faith to see it. Fear is a poison produced by the mind, and courage is the antidote stored always in the soul. In misfortune lies the seed of future triumph"
3. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy:
I had to read this book for class my senior year of high school and it was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and it gave me a different outlook on life. This book follows a family in living in India and the hardships they go through as their life is dictated by "love laws". This book taught me a lot about how small things can end up having a huge effect on your life later down the road and that everything I will do in life will have an effect on me one way or another. This book really opened my eyes to how lucky I am because I have the freedom to make my own decisions. There are other people in the world who do not have this freedom and everything from who they can love to other things such as what they can wear are dictated for them. A lot of what the characters went through in this novel paralleled with the Author's life. Often throughout the story she would insert her opinions on the ridiculousness of the way the Indian culture treated women and class separations. This contributes to the concept of why do authors write literature because this particular author chose to write to shed light on the conditions that people in this culture and lifestyle had to face.
"Little events, ordinary things, smashed and reconstituted. Suddenly, they became the bleached bones of a story."
4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte:
This was another book that I had to read in high school that gave me a new outlook on myself. When reading the novel, at first I never understood why she left Mr. Rochester in the first place because I feel that I never would have. Now, though I understand her need for independence and to seek more for herself and not to just settle in life. She was treated unfairly her whole life, yet she still showed compassion to the people who did her wrong and that is something I hope to be able to do. It's hard to forgive people sometimes, but it is always better to forgive then to hold on to the past because it is an added weight on your shoulders. I respected Jane's character and her independence and she taught me what it means to be true to yourself and to find the courage to do things to better yourself.
"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will"
5. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
This novel is unlike anything I have read before. I thought that writing it as a comic book was such an interesting and unique way to convey Satrapi's autobiography. Through the illustrations the reader is able to gain a different understanding of the storyline which I thought was really cool. This novel has given my a new perspective on the hardships some cultures face. Marjane goes through so much in her life from bomb threats to living away from her family at 14. This novel has also taught me how important it is to stay true to yourself and to your values. And even if you stray away from your values or do not act like you usually do, you can always find a way back to your true self. Marjane's independence inspired me because I feel that I would not have been able to handle leaving my family at such a young age. She always stood up for herself and her culture even though she did not necessarily agree with every aspect of her culture. The author wrote this novel to tell her life story and how everything she went through made her into the person that she is today.
"I finally understood what my grandmother meant. If I wasn't comfortable with myself, I would never be comfortable."
