I sort of dreaded writing this homework, because I knew it would bring up so many emotions, but ultimately, I decided it would be therapeutic, thanks @missy , @charmaine , @rambo , @lyxzen .
This was so tough because each book I've read has a very special place in my heart and has helped me through some rough patch in my life one way or another (thanks, escapism)! But most recently, Lisa See's books have been very important to me. Her books are beautifully depressing, and for someone such as myself who has lost so many people I hold dear in my heart, I feel especially close to each character's struggle.
Originally my grandma (who used to give me books every week) left me Snow Flower and the Secret Fan on my door step and I fell in love. Since then, she slowly gifted me all of Lisa See's books. When my grandma passed away from a long battle with cancer in 2013 and my family started falling a part, I didn't have many shoulders to cry on, so I looked to books. Peony in Love was my best friend. Instead of focusing on my own depression, I was thrown into a story where I cried not for me, but for the characters. We comforted each other and although it may seem silly, these fictional characters helped me through one of the toughest and lowest points in my life.
On top of writing incredible stories, Lisa is also extremely knowledgeable about the era she writes about and her stories draw inspiration from her own grandmother who grew up in China. Though her books are fiction, they contain a lot of historical accuracy and delve into the religious, spiritual, superstitious, and cultural normalcy of that time. Oh, and the cherry on top is that Lisa is very active and sweet toward her fans. In a panic when I had run out of her books to read, she even personally recommended me some of her own favorite authors and books.
(Even the cover art of her books bled into my modeling. Here's a photo from January 2013, just a few months before my grandma passed away.)
Notable other authors that have impacted my life are: Chuck Palahniuk, Stieg Larsson, Koji Suzuki, Natsuo Kirino.
