Books that Spark the Imagination

As a child, visiting my grandparents, who lived within walking distance of my parents' house, I read a book. A magical book that captivated me.  


This is what I remember: the main character of this chapter book was a girl and the illustrator depicted her as a stick figure wearing a ragged dress with unkempt black hair. She hung out--literally--with black crows, sleeping in their nest and talking to them. 

I can't remember the title of the book or the author. I don't even remember the plot line. But those illustrations of the main character, whom I can't even remember her name, stick in my memory. 

I was fascinated by this book and despite remembering only scant details about it, I attribute it as great inspiration. 

Similarly, I read an author as a teenager, although I don't remember the author's name in this instance either. Her books were historical romance set in the Gulf States during the early 1800s--either before or just after the Louisiana Purchase. 

This was the "bodice ripper" days of romance. But one detail, despite not remembering her name, is that she explained in her author's biography that she began writing romance because she thought she could do better than the romance authors she was reading at the time. She planted a seed in me that slowly grew into a desire to write, particularly in the romance genre. 

I borrowed Nancy Drew books from my aunt Judy. Jane Austen is one of my all time favorite authors in the entire world, although it took me awhile to warm up to her wit and irony. Margret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind. I could go on. (And on and on...)

What books or authors have sparked your imagination? Leave a comment below.