Blogspiration is a new weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA and Saz101. Where inspirational quotes/pictures/videos are posted to bring a little creativity or conversation into the blogging world.
Alanna: The First Adventure is not a particularly difficult read, but it's the excitement and mystery that drove me wild. And it may have also made me obsessed with Knights (who doesn't love a good man in armour, sword fights and a little magic every now and then?)
This week's Blogspiration is a little different. Sarah and Kristin have given as a task; an epic question. While we're not obligated to follow their lead, I wanted to answer the question for my post.
What book inspires you?
Turns out answering this question was slightly harder than I thought it was going to be. There are so many books that I've connected with over the years and the idea of sharing something so important as what *inspires* you in terms of books, needed a lot of thought. I finally managed to narrow it down to one book series that has touched me for years. Check it out.
My choice for Blogspiration this week is one that I discovered as a young teen: Alanna: The First Adventure - Tamora Pierce (Book #1 in the Song of the Lioness Quartet). The reason I picked this book, and why it inspires me, is because it sparked my obsession with books.
Before Alanna (and Tamora Pierce) I was a casual reader. A couple of books a month, no big deal. Alanna made me hungry for more of the written world. I couldn't stand the thought of being without a book, to be lost within the pages of something so magical and gripping, something created from the mind of one person. It was really moving.
Alanna: The First Adventure is not a particularly difficult read, but it's the excitement and mystery that drove me wild. And it may have also made me obsessed with Knights (who doesn't love a good man in armour, sword fights and a little magic every now and then?)
I wanted to be the secret Knight. I wanted to have her adventures in far away countries and to be super powerful. I wanted so much more than we get from her story. It was this need for more adventures - not just Alanna's - that got me reading more as a teen.
I can't thank Tamora Pierce enough for inspiring me to become a reader.
Kim
OMG this was one of my favourite series when I was younger. I loved the Keladry books alot more, but I loved all of the Tortal books. They were all so exciting. They were my first examples of really strong female characters and it's a love that has only grown the more I read.
ReplyDeleteI love all Tamora Pierce books, but Alanna and Tortal will always be my faves. Yes, you're so right; amazing female leads in these books.
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
Kim
I had a book that did that to me too. I was just a casual reader a couple years ago, then this one book made me realize books are way better than reality. lol.
ReplyDeleteMine: http://readingandwritingurbanfantasy.blogspot.com/2012/02/blogspiration-6-guilty-pleasures.html
Isn't it just fantastic when you find that one book that makes everything change? You can't help loving it forever.
DeleteKim
I like knights too :) :) I haven't heard of this book before but it looks so good :) Thanks so much for sharing :) ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only knights fan. I think it's why I love Prince Arthur in BBC Merlin so much. That's one sexy knight!
DeleteKim
Fantastic post! I have this book on my TBR pile, I'll have to dig it out and give it a read! I must say, my post for this week is pretty similar; I also talked about the book that made me a reader and it was also high fantasy :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI thought what better way to express what book inspires me than the one that got me reading? I'll have to go check out your post now :)
DeleteKim
Oooh, I kind of feel bad it was hard to answer... kind of >:D
ReplyDeleteOooh, I LOVE your answer, Kim! And I don't think you're alone. I haven't read anything by Tamora Pierce, but I know a lot of people (my best friend, Lauren, who commented above, for instance?), and who she's really touched. I LOVED your answer, and I loved hearing how this really stoked the spark of passion in your reading! eee! *hugs*
It was only hard because there were so many books that could have been used to answer the question. I kept thinking of Melina Marchetta books and Vampire Academy, but Tamora Pierce won.
DeleteKim
Ooooh, you do know that Kristin is a EPICALLY obsessive Melina Marchetta, right? If you had have posted MM, you may have had to beat her off with a stick. hehe *hides* (please don't kill me when you read this Kristin, you know I love you ♥)
DeleteSeriously, this was such a WONDERFUL answer. I'm glad you chose it :D
Lol, good thing there was no stick beating necessary then :P
DeleteKim
I'm adding Tamora to my authors list and reading her stuff! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI hope you like her, she's definitely one of my favourite authors.
DeleteKim
Aaaah!! I love that books can make us want to live these extraordinary lives!! There's NOTHING better than a book that can transport you to faraway places :)
ReplyDeleteI know! They're the ones you want to keep, and read over and over again. But form of reading escape.
DeleteKim