I have always loved to read. Beyond just a pastime, books have been my friends, an escape, solace. But there are 2 that have left lasting impressions above and beyond the others. As a child, it was King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry. As an adult, it is The Good Soldiers by David Finkel.
I’ve enjoyed so many books over the years and most have stuck with me. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why these 2 surpassed the others because many books tell great stories, have great characters, and are beautifully written.
They’re obviously very different books but emotionally they are the same. They affected me so deeply and the memories are so rich, I feel I’ve actually lived them both.
The follow up to Good Soldiers, Thank You for Your Service, is more well known because it was made into a movie with Miles Teller. I have read it and it’s wonderful, but The Good Soldiers transported me to Iraq, put a rifle in my hand, and killed my friends.
I am looking for books like this. Any genre, any age group. Any book that is so ingrained you feel like it’s a part of your life story.
Stranger In A Strange Land - Robert Heinlein
Had me fall back into love with reading after a long hiatus. I have always enjoyed sci-fi and there were so many cool concepts in that book that you really needed to use your imagination to appreciate them. When the Martian man is told to go hide in the bottom of the pool, while they are being invaded and he discovers he can astral project was one of the coolest scenes that I have ever read.