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Leithia Juarch's avatar

Inspiration, i kind of stumbled into writing. I don't know, i think every child writes and i was just one that didn't stop, mostly because i wanted to make stories for some reason. I think, in a way, i get inspired by all the books i read, both those i like and dislike, for different reasons.

Galileo Wordsmith's avatar

Wow I loved your list and am pleasantly surprised to discover another Alcott book besides the obvious. I will see if my library carries it immediately.

In all honesty, the one of the top books which inspired me to write was actually The Hunger Games trilogy. When I read it as a young and aspiring author, I saw so much truly lovely writing in it. I probably read the trilogy a good three times in a year and a half after finishing it the first time. That's how good I thought the prose was. I enjoyed the imagery, the characters, and the POV, which all added to the unique reading experience.

Aside from that though, I was very inspired by The Milana Legends by Anna Travis (a book series I personally think everyone should read at least once) and The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella.

Thanks again for a great post (sorry I'm a little late to the comments, this only just popped up on my home page!) and I look forward to reading your next articles!

Lydia Matlock | The Open Book's avatar

Thanks for the super thoughtful comment!

I’m so glad that you were inspired, even if it was by a book I personally dislike. Good luck on your writing journey!

MeltMasterFresh's avatar

Great recommendations! The Narnia series is my favorite fantasy by far! Its a really good palette cleanser too for the usual extreme horror books I review. Keep it up! And you like bluegrass!? I used to play bluegrass at homeless shelters with my parents

Emilia Nessuno's avatar

I love this! Great picks. I so agree that the only way writers can learn to write well is by reading well (I am so passionate about this actually). This a great introduction into some fantastic works and what we can learn from them.

Lydia Matlock | The Open Book's avatar

Thank you so much!!! I am so glad you think so too!!!

Noah Ballard's avatar

I was definitely instructed a lot by The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. If you're trying to write something scary, that book has a ton of great methods built in. Even if you're not a horror novelist, the book is pretty short, gripping, and actually quite Christian.

Noah Ballard's avatar

Oops. Forgot to answer the question. A book that really inspired me to write was The Hobbit. I still love that book. My favorite parts---and most inspiring ones---are the parts that happen in the Shire.

Lydia Matlock | The Open Book's avatar

Yes, I love both those books!! Did you know that Stevenson had a night terror about the story and was angry when his wife woke him up? He proceeded to write the dream out as the story we know today 😂

Noah Ballard's avatar

No way!! That's awesome! I'll have to tell my dad. We're both vibing about that story and my sister is just like "It's not that good." All I can do is shake my head. That was my #1 read for 2024.

Lydia Matlock | The Open Book's avatar

Yess convince her to try it again!!

Viola Kate's avatar

And my TBR grows...

I love this list! Thanks for sharing it.

Lydia Matlock | The Open Book's avatar

Of course!! I’m so glad that they’re helpful!