TRYING TO PICK FAVOURITES

A few weeks ago I was challenged on Facebook by a childhood friend of mine to name 10 books that have impacted you the most. 
Thus began my dilemma...
The problem is, I'm not so sure I can name 10 and I'm likely to bleed into authors. As much as I enjoy books, I enjoy how they are written too. Writing is a hobby of mine so I'm fascinated in the writing process and how people come up with and write down their thoughts. 
So, Billy, sorry I'm so late at answering your challenge. I have not forgotten, I simply did not know how to proceed. I will take a stab at it, more or less!
1. The Bible, for sure. This is a book I've read almost daily for about 30 years. I particularly love Proverbs and the verse that kept me afloat when things were (and are) dark is Proverbs 3:5,6. 
2. My world opened up when I learned to read and I can thank Dr. Suess for that! What a wonder! What a sense of understanding and clarity! Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Suess' ABC, The Cat in the Hat - boy I went through the school library like a candle in a dry forest. 
3. When Marnie Was There - this is also a childhood book but I just loved it! For years, I would wander in second hand book stores trying to find a copy to no avail. Then one Christmas, my good friend Denise surprised me with a copy that she had hunted down from somewhere in England. 
4. Speaking of children's books, Four Puppies was a book I read to my kids often. "Leaves as crisp as cornflakes" - love that!
5. Pride and Prejudice - classic. Writing perfection. 
6. Not My Will - not sure what to say. This is a cheesy book from the 50s or 60s but for some reason was the catalyst for me writing my own book....guess I thought if she could do it, so could I.
7. I'm bleeding into authors here - I Love Elizabeth Goudge - love the way she writes, love her novels. So I could rhyme off about 8 books here but let's just say, Elizabeth Goudge.
8. C.S. Lewis- the whole Narnia series and almost anything else the man has written. He's a genius who can see around corners while the rest of us walk blindly until we turn the corner and things start to come into focus. 
9. J.R.Tolkien - another genius who takes me into worlds full of fantasy and detail so I can forget all my troubles and live vicariously with the elves. 
10. L.M. Montgomery - wrote the Anne of Green Gables books and one of the only Canadian authors I enjoy and appreciate. For some reason, Canadian authors are inclined to be somewhat macabre and miserable. But not L.M. Though her real life was difficult and quite unhappy - her books are pure joy.
So there you have it - there are so many more, authors and books but I'm keeping it down to 10. 
Winter is coming. I suggest you find a good book, blanket, cat, and a cup of wine or tea and escape.