Reading in Public No. 6
The books that made us English Majors--and the ones that kept us away
I always enjoy hearing other book lovers talk about the books that made them readers. Those stories often involve memories of reading under the covers with a flashlight, a character who made them feel seen for the first time, or writing that completely transported out of their humdrum lives into a far-off magical world. Of course, I have those books too. Ella Enchanted was magical, funny, imaginative, and taught me the importance of not always following the rules. Sharon Creech’s books broke my heart and made me fall in love with expansive writers who create expansive webs with their book characters. Tuck Everlasting haunts me to this day.
But the books that made me want to be an English major are different. They’re the ones that made me fall in love with thinking, talking, and writing about books. They’re the books that made me want to dig a little deeper and read between the lines and the ones that generated passionate responses in me. Some of these books inspired me to want to study English because I hated the way my English teacher explained them. I thought my own interpretations were better and I wanted to prove it 😂
Today I’m sharing three books that inspired this type of reading for me. I’m also sharing the (pretty epic) list of books that made you want or not want to be an English major—as gathered on Instagram. It was pretty fun to see such strong reactions to the books you studied in school. In ways both good and bad, these books have stuck with you!
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