Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I’m still busy trying to complete Cat and Bones #6, which has a tentative title finally, but I can’t share it yet. No surprise, look for the word “grave” in it, heh. This post doesn’t mean I’m back from blog hiatus, but recently, I did a post for Audible.com talking about the ten books that influenced me most as a reader and a writer. For kicks, I thought I’d also repost my answers here. I don’t pretend that these are (or should be) the most influential works of fiction for everyone, but as you’ll see in my commentary, each book impacted me in a big way.
1. Skye O’Malley, by Bertrice Small
I swiped this from my parent’s bookshelf when I was twelve years ago, and it launched me into (a) a lifelong love of the romance genre, and (b) becoming an avid reader instead of an occasional one. The novels that were considered “age appropriate” for me at the time weren’t interesting enough for me to make that jump from watching TV to reading. Once I started picking books from my parent’s collection, I stopped regarding reading as boring and thought of it as an exciting glimpse into alternate lives/places instead.
2. The Bourne Identity, by Robert Ludlum
I’m sure someone read my response to #1 and thought, “Of course you liked your parents’ books if they were filled with sex scenes!” but while Mom liked romances and family sagas, Dad was into spy novels and mysteries. Robert Ludlum was a master at dialog, and the characters of Jason Bourne and Marie were memorable enough to make me sputtering furious at Hollywood’s altered retelling of their tale over twenty years later (don’t get me started on that. Really).
3. Chances, by Jackie Collins
Sexy, violent, snarky, and mesmerizing, this novel introduced me to the morally ambiguous mob hero, Gino Santangelo. Gino probably fostered my love of lethal, complex heroes that you really shouldn’t root for, but do anyway because they’re just so enticing.
4. The Other Side of Midnight, by Sidney Sheldon
Sheldon expertly weaved together the stories of several vastly different characters into a stunning conclusion in this novel. My favorite was Catherine, the smart, lovely, brave heroine – and due to my love of this book, it’s no accident that the heroine of my Night Huntress series is also named Catherine.
5. Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
I’d seen the movie several times before I felt brave enough to tackle this huge book, but I ended up reading it again as soon as I finished it. A lot of valid criticism can be lobbed over the distinctly Confederate bias in the author’s retelling of the Civil War, but it’s the vibrant, flawed, and unforgettable character of Scarlett who made this novel for me.
6. The Far Pavilions, by M.M. Kaye
This novel had so many things that stuck with me – lush visuals that made me feel like I was in the setting, rich characters, and lines that I remember even over a decade since my last re-read (“Thou art everywhere, but I worship thee here” and “she had the best kind of courage, for she was always afraid”).
7. Watchers, by Dean Koontz
One of my first forays into horror fiction instead of just watching horror movies had everything I love; action, mystery, darkness, romance, and a supernatural undercurrent. With all the above, you wouldn’t think it’s a character-driven plot, but it is. Dean Koontz is brilliant with characterization. One day I hope to write characters as well as he does.
8. Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
This novel introduced me to first person point of view narrative, and what a strong, funny, complex heroine to tell this story through! To this day, Claire and Jamie are still one of my favorite literary couples. I’ve loved how their relationship grows and changes over the course of the series, not to mention my mad envy over Gabaldon’s ability to seamlessly mix first and third person points of view in the same book.
9. Guilty Pleasures, by Laurell K Hamilton
I’d been a fan of vampires since long before they were ever the leading man or woman. It might be hard to believe now, but yes, there once was a time when vampires were only portrayed as the creepy monster in film and fiction. This was the first book I read that showed vampires how I pictured them – as heroes as well as villains, depending on the choices of the individual. And LKH’s vampires didn’t need to kill to feed, something that had always bothered me about the vampire mythos before. Guilty Pleasures felt like LKH had read my mind about vampires.
10. Wicked Lovely, by Melissa Marr
This book shattered two of my long-held, preconceived notions: one, that YA equated to “juvenile” (remember I stopped reading YA before I even became a teen because the quality pickings were slim back them), and two, that faeries were all of the Disney-eque, Tinker Bell variety. If anyone else doubts that today’s YA is just as layered, relevant, and complex as the adult genre, or that faeries can be sexy and scary, read this book. You’ll change your mind.
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Anyone who wants to chime in with the top ten (or five, three, etc.) books that influenced you most as a reader – or writer – please do! Maybe one of yours will turn out to be my next favorite book :). Now, back to writing about Cat and Bones. They were in hot water last time I left off…
1.) Gone With the Wind – This book showed me that I could actually get a romantic read that had a lot of depth, and it was my gateway into searching for books with the romance as the main theme (before I actually tackled romance novels). It was wonderful and vivid and Katie Scarlett O’Hara is a heroine that you just can’t beat.
2.) Memoirs of a Geisha – This book was an awesome take on Japanese culture, and reminded me why I bothered with adult literary fiction at all. Teenagers don’t normally read this stuff, but this book was so worth the time and effort.
3.) Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey and Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught – Gentle Rogue was my first historical romance romance, and I adored it so much. It had action and adventure and pirates and hot sex (even if it wasn’t gay) and made me fall in love with the romance genre. Recently, I read Whitney, My Love and felt it had the same qualities I originally loved in Gentle Rogue. Two books I’ll reread eventually, both for memories and for pure enjoyment. 🙂
4.) The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd – Probably one of the best (though not the best) YA novels I have read, it is romantic and lovely and was one of the first LGBTQ YA novels I found and actually managed to buy without my parents noticing. Great book, great writing, and does the YA genre justice.
What a list! The ones that have inspired me are I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings and To Kill a Mockingbird in addition: Anne Perrys’ Face of a Stranger, along with your Ludlum, Kaye, Koontz, Hamilton, Gabaldon and
Great list Jeaniene! As I looked over my list I realized that my reading roots are firmly in gothic/historical romance. The books that inspired me to read, and to even write a little…
1) anything by Anya Seton, but in particular, Green Darkness… gothic, romantic, and mystical. Just beautiful
2) anything by Victoria Holt (and any of her other 4 or 5 pennames)
3) Susan Howatch: The Wheel of Fortune. A lovely historical romance based on the Plantagenets..
4). Mary Stewart’s Merlin Trilogy
5). anything by Kathleen Woodiwiss.. just pulled out my fav, The Wolf and the Dove for a re-read this weekend!
1) Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost- I love all your books but this one was my favorite out of all of them maybe it was because Bones died and undied or becasue thats when Vlad came in the picture.
2) Kate Daniels seriesby Ilona Amdrews- Kate and curran what can I say I can read that series over and over again and still laugh.
3) Lor of The Underworld by Gena Showalter- I love that series all the Lords are supper hot and funny.
4) Anything from Patricia Brigg I love all her books but my favorite series is the Alpha and Omega charles is just something else.
5) Richelle Mead is the only good YA author worth mentioning in my opinion.
I love Richelle Mead…Vampire Academy series is absolutely fantastic! And I love Lords of the Underworld…a very engaging series
1. Sword series by Jennifer Roberson (Sword Singer, Sword Dancer, Sword Maker, Sword Breaker, Sword Born, Sword Sworn) 1st person male perspective with a strong heroine.
2. Hollows series by Kim Harrison – strong heroine that doesn’t require a man.
3. Night Huntress books by Jeaniene Frost – complex hero that compliments his equally complex heroine
4. The Paladin series by Alexis Morgan – there’s just something about modern men that aren’t vamps and yet come back from the dead to fight, knowing that each death will carry them closer to insanity.
Okay those are more series than books – but I like series.
I love the Jennifer Roberson Series too – that was the 1st series (that I read) that had such a quirky male perspective with such an intense heroine. I still re-read that series!
1. The Witching Hour series by Anne Rice. The first set of paranormal books I read. Scary, gothic and awesome.
2. A Knight in Shining Armour by Jude Derevaux.
3. Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton.
4. The Dark Days series by Jocelynn Drake.
5. The Night Huntress Series by Jeannine Frost.
6. Midnight Bayou and Divine Evil by Nora Roberts.
7. Plantation by Doretha Benton Frank
I like Jeannine have been reading adult books since I was 12. So many to choose from but these are my favorites.
These books swept me off my feet and made me feel I was part of the story, watching the events unfold and making feel the emotions of the wonderfully drawn out characters.
1.) The Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost has to take the number one spot for me. The main reason is her character feels so real that you feel every emotion that the characters are feeling. As well this series has helped me through a difficult time in my life and provided (and still does) the escape I needed from reality and made me at peace.
2.) The Nancy Drew series was probably the first series I read as tween and bought every single copy that came out. It was the first time where reading for me wasn’t boring and allowed me to escape into world of the excitement and illusion.
3.) Anything by Jane Austen for the gothic romance, chivalry and being swept up to a different time period
Your books are truly some of my most favorite but before you there were….
1) Gone With The Wind..in my opinion the greatest book ever written! I named my beautiful daughter Katey Scarlett..
2) The Great Gatsby…do I need to explain. Its a beautifully tragic love story!
3) Lord of the Flies….Just a fabulous tale of survival and friendship
4) Romeo and Juliet…star crossed lovers! enough said.
5) Twilight Saga…its just a beautiful story.
My all time favorites are (in no particular order:
The Kadin by Bertrice Small
Anything by Robert Ludlum
The Secret by Julie Garwood
Saving Grace by Julie Garwood
The Jane Whitfield Series by Thomas Perry
Warprize, Warlord, Warsworn by Elizabeth Vaughan
Then the greats I reread often: Cat and Bones, Riley Jensen series, The Psy/Changling series, Weather Warden series, Sazi series and J.D. Robb.
These authors are always great in my opinion: Iris Johansen, Catherine Coulter, Victoria Laurie, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, Vince Flynn and John Sandford, among many others. I’m a reading holic…lol
I like the reason why you picked your first choice. I was the same way with reading. i enjoyed it but it wasnt until i started reading book that were “too hard to read for a girl my age,” that i really started to devour them 😉 Its funny because reading one of Laurell k Hamiltons books was what really spurred me into creating vampire characters that weren’t killers and characters that were sexy lol.
Love your books!
I love that two of yours are Bertrice Small and Jackie Collins. They are two authors that really began my love of reading as a tween as well! I own every book that both have written and they have a permanent home on my all time favorites shelf beside my beloved Harry Potters and Mists of Avalon. And of course your books will be there as well as soon as I collect them all. I remember reading Skye O’Malley and Chances the first time and being quite shocked at the…..well, suffice it to say I was a bit unprepared!
I started your Night Huntress series just this year on audio and I LOVE them. I want to finish them all on audio first but they are already on my Christmas wishlist as books that I want for my permanent shelf.
I, too remember Beatrice Small, and the Sidney Sheldon book as well as the Outlander series. At 50+ years, it started w/ anything Victoria Holt or Phillippa Carr. Once I got thru the various eras and all the kings and queens of Europe I could find, I was in college – then Tolkien, David Eddings, Terry Brooks and others opened up the world of sci-fi. My first vampire series was about 5 years ago with Guilty Pleasures as the first and I’ve been a voracious reader of so many great paranormal authors. But on my Christmas list are actually a few autobiographies, including – A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America by Stacy Schiff. I just love to read!
I love all of the night huntress series…i also am in love with Lynsay Sands..i have read all her books and cant wait for the next one that come out nov 30th…both of you are great writers and cant get enough
I’ve loved reading ever since I learned how. It’s hard to choose favorites since I had so many as a child and now it’s just grown.
1. Cornelia Funke – the Ink series, love the idea of characters coming to life (hated the movie). Good YA series.
2. Kristin Cast – another YA series, the House of Night. Different take on how vampires are made/born and very exciting.
3. Patricia Briggs – LOVE Mercy and the Alpha and Omega series, looking forward to more.
4. Jeaniene Frost (of course) – Pulled me in right from the start and can’t go to bed until the book is done.
5. Yasmine Galenorn – Sisters of the Moon series, loving the adventures and how they are all different.
I could go on and on and on but I would have to say my last favorite would be Nora Roberts. I love the fact that her romance novels have a wonderful story that if you took out the sex they would still be awesome.
Oooh, this is tough! There are so many great reads on the shelves upstairs!
The Scarlet Letter will always be a favorite.
To Kill A Mockingbird, also. They changed my thought process and challenged me to really think while I read.
My first really scary vampire story was Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. Still a favorite. And I really believe he is more of a dark fantasy writer than a horror one. I don’t claim to have been in love with all his books, but they’re always a good story. Sometimes the flavor is just off for me.
My dad introduced me to LKH’s Anita Blake series. They’re not the same sort of story that she used to write, but I’ve come to enjoy them still.
Oh, and when I was, say younger than ten, I read One Hundred and One Dalmations. It is so well loved that the binding is falling off. Same goes for Charlotte’s Web.
And I’ll never turn down a steamy bodice ripper. 🙂
i love your books, and i was hoping that the next night huntress world would be Vlad’s?
It will be :). Read this: https://jeanienefrost.com/2010/10/new-book-news/
Thanks!
I don’t check-in as often as I would like but this is such great news!
I LOVE Cat and Bones, and Vlad is an absolute fave character of mine.
How about Ian does he get a book? He needs someone fierce to put him in his place.
Isn’t that right Poppet?!
Can’t wait…can’t you write any faster??? : )
Seriously, thanks for the awesome news. I’m working late tonight and this just made it a bit more bearable.
Wow – I think you and I were in parallel reading universes! LOL I read the books you mention and they did infuence me tremendously! My book obsession began when I was 4! I was a first born, and my mom was determined I would be able to read prior to kindergarden….
First books I remember reading were biographies of girls/women in history…and then Nancy Drew…then I got into my family library – “Catherine the Great” was first from the non-kid section, Shakespere’s Complete Works (okay I was a geek!) then I found “Gone With the Wind”. Scarlett changed my life LOL…
then I found Stephen King “The Stand” and “The Shining”…and Robert Ludlum…ahh heaven! And then Anne Rice and her Vampire books…
Have to say that your Night Huntress series and World are some of my favorite reads…along with Karen Moning Fever Series,Diana Gabaldon Outlander, and Karen Chance.
Fables is AWESOME! And Good Omens. I loved that book, too. And Cinder for that matter was a great read. I am in the same boat with Ilium. It has been on my TBR foeevrr. I really want to read Huntress and Hex Hall, too, but the library doesn’t have any of them. 🙁
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Back in my freshman year of high school I used to hate reading because of all the novels that were mandatory were never interesting to me. Then we were given a listof books to choose from and I picked this one. I absolutely fell in love with the story. Everyone suffers now and then due to being prideful or prejudiced, and in the end it was what Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy had to overcome to be together. I have read this book countless times and is one of my personal favorites.
2. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris – I had been reading YA books for years, finding a book here and there every now and then that struck a chord with me, but found most of them lacking substance. This was the first Adult novel I read, and I immiediately fell in love with Sookie and Eric. I had always liked vampires from the time I was little, but the only book I had ever read had been Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and You Suck by Christopher Moore. The Sookie Stackhouse series opened my eyes to a whole ‘nother aspect to the traditional/YA outlook.
3. Inferno by Dante Alighieri – This was actually one of the few mandatory readings from English Lit class that I enjoyed. I loved that Dante took you through his idea of what Hell would be like, each level devoted to someone who committed an unredeemable sin his eyes. Up until this point I had lead a sheltered life, Hell being something you simply didn’t talk about in my family. This piqued my interest and only made me that much more of an avid reader as I searched for more content that had been taboo to me up until that point.
4. Dark Lover by J.R. Ward – This series I actually read recently, but it was extremely intriguing to me. I had been getting tired of every vampire romance novel following the same kind of cookie cutter plot line. J.R. Ward brought a completely different spin off the classic theme, making it completely her own. I am addicted to these books, and immensely pleased that she has signed on to write so many more of them.
5. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost – Originally I came across this novel by accident. I was wandering around Barnes and Noble searching through the books and saw this one on the shelf. It looked interesting but I wasn’t sure I could handle it, I had never read an Adult Romance novel before. I ended up finishing it in one day and then kicking myself for not buying the 2nd-4th. Being the first Adult Romance I read, it opened my eyes to a whole new genre I never would have known about had I not taken the plunge. I frequently lend these books out to friends who are looking for a good book to read. My friends jokingly call me the book dealer, because after they read one, they get hooked. 🙂
6. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs – A friend of mine was completely obsessed with werewolves, where my interest fell more towards vampires. She practically forced me to read this series, saying I wouldn’t regret it. She was right. Mercy Thompson is one of the most witty and bad-ass heroines I have ever read about. This series opened my eyes to a fact that there is more to the fantasy genre than just vampires.
7. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare – Cassandra Clare brought my interest back to YA novels. Hers was the first I had read in 3rd person perspective in a long while, and I found it refreshing to read all the detail available when its not all from one chracters point of view. I fell in love with Jace (I think this is where my penchant for falling for bad boys began) and I loved the idea that there was a whole new race of demon hunters called “Shadow Hunters” added to the typical fantasy species.
8. One Bite With a Stranger by Christine Warren – I only have one thing to say. “WOW!” After reading this book I found there was absolutely no way I could go back to reading sensored fluff novels like before. This novel was so intense and completely taboo that it changed the way I viewed romance novels immensely.
9. A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole – Although I didn’t realize until recently that this was actually the second in the series, I was completely taken with it upon reading it. Lachlain, the Lykae King, was so sexy and enticing, as well as everything having to do with the Lore. I knew I was going to become a huge fan of her work from the first chapter on. I couldn’t put it down.
10. Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas – I fell in love with the story, even though I read he unabridged copy and it was over a thousand pages long. The fact that he lost everything when people he thought were his friends double crossed him, taking his lover, his wealth and his house. He escaped his prison and ended up returning, seeking revenge on each of the people who turned their backs on him and regaining his life. I love the idea that what goes around comes around, its a saying I personally live my life by.
Sadly, I haven’t read any of your top ten. But as a fun reading challenge, I have set a goal for myself to read them all.
Thanks for the inspiration.