I’ve read many books through the years and a few of them have stuck with me and deeply influenced my writing. When I read – genre fiction, literary fiction, non-fiction, and even magazine articles – they all seep into my writer’s brain. Ideas from books of the past remain in my mind as if etched in stone and current readings get stored under the heading: Don’t Forget.

Times change. Books and stories evolve to stay relevant and to grab and hold onto new readers. I consider myself a writer of modern love stories with old fashioned twists because my writing voice has been slowly and steadily developed through time while remaining comfortable with vintage quirks.

Any book with romantic elements draw me in emotionally. I get to stand up and fight for the protagonist and root for a happy ending. This phenomenon does not really exist in 21^st century life, but I’m a poor scrappy city girl who had a loving family and ultimately found love. Being so fortunate, I will always cheer on the underdog…love.

August is Read a Romance Month, so I gathered my list of the books that have most influenced my writing.

Here’s a selection of 20+ books that you might enjoy.

They have shiny golden nuggets of ideas that have kept me happy and may do the same for you!

When Reading Books Became Fun Again After College:

The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher (FYI, Rosamunde is a name that appears in To Sense A Passion)  

The India Fan by Victoria Holt

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Read During Raising Three Boys and Kept Me Sane Books:

Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Two book’s that I LOVE and highly recommend, yet can’t understand why they haven’t been made into movies…

The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

Books that Inspired Me to Think that I Might be Able to Do This Writing Thing:

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani

Books that CONVINCED me to become a WRITER:

Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie

Perfect by Judith McNaught

Match Me if You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Jane Eyre by Charotte Bronte

Taking stock of my reading has been so rewarding. It’s nice to re-visit those books that have influenced my life for many years. I’m not a re-reader because there are plenty of good books out in the world and not a whole lot of time. But I am big believer in second and third chances, so I won’t DNF (Do Not Finish) a book until after I’ve picked it up for a third time and still decide it’s not for me. Maybe one of these books will tickle your fancy. If so, let me know!

Happy reading,

Audrey