Books

I've been thinking about the books I've read early in my life that have had a profound and lasting affect. I'm sure we all have read a few - or more then a few. Here are some of mine:
Huckleberry Finn - Leaving town life for high adventure on the Mississippi River. My mother gave me her copy, the one she received as a Christmas present from her parents in 1936. I still own and cherish this copy and the love for this book still lives in my heart thanks to my mother. As a matter of fact my love of books is due to both my parents and their early encouragement.
Which brings me to my next (3) books -
Betty Zane, Spirit Of The Border, The Last Of The Plainsmen (The Borders Series) - when my dad got tired of seeing me re-reading Huckleberry Finn for the who knows how many times he gave me a copy of his childhood favorite - Betty Zane. A true (for the most part) tale of early frontier adventure during the border war of the American Revolution. Zane Grey wrote three books in this series and they remain favorites. These first two (and more to follow) really fueled my early love for the outdoors and the adventure it offered. After Zane Grey I later moved on to reading (and re-reading) every Louis L'Amour paperback I could get my hands on to - sometimes reading two or three at a time. I still return to these books as "easy reading" pleasures for flights or anything that may involve a long wait. The adventures still ring true.
A note on Zane Grey - he seemed to be a family passion as I have books that belonged to my father as a child and great uncles on both sides of the family. All loved the outdoors.
I no longer remember the title but I read a biography of Dan Beard - founder of the American version of the Boy Scouts that really helped grow my love of camping. Along the same lines I read a biography of Samuel Colt (Sam Cold And His Gun?) that sparked an interest in science and experiments that got me in a little trouble - especially my homemade gunpowder testing. Adventure stories (Frontiersmen, Mountain Men, Cowboys, Indians) and biography of scientist all were part of my pre-teen reading. I lived for weekly trips to the library and then getting out to relive these adventures on my own.
In middle school I read Roots, Centennial, Rich Man Poor Man, The Holocaust and my first Stephen King Novel (Salem's Lot) and have re-read all in later years with equal enjoyment. It amazes the lasting impact a great story can have. That's just a few - I'll share more ad feel free to share your own list!

Eric