The focus of your eyes

Daily writing prompt: list 3 books that have had an impact on you. Why?

Books. They dictate a story. Whether or not it is the story we want to hear, we don’t know until we read it. The matter is, you cannot ensure the results from your intentions. The books you read reflect your focus on life.

There are always books that stick with you because their stories were memorable. Maybe it was a roller-coaster of emotions, perhaps it was deeply personal, even possibly: it called you out.

For me, one book that stands out to me is The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I read this a few years ago and it depicts a harrowing tale of academic elitism, distrust, and morality. All of these topics are of particular interest to me. The connection between scenes, the subtle foreshadowing, and the tragic topics captivated me into reading further. I like psychology. It studies the why of our actions, our motives and how we form them. Tartt describes an extreme case of psychological trauma in this story with an enticing plot, shifting from joyful to dark.

Another book that was memorable was The Arx, by Jay Allan Storey. This book also touches on psychological trauma, in the form of recollecting after a traumatic event. It depicts a character clawing to resolve his emotions and regain his stability. The novel also describes that information should be shared when it is necessary and when you can ground it in evidence; otherwise, you just seem crazy. My groundless, structureless claims were less prominent after reading this story.

I’m going to leave this unfinished. It’s not that I don’t have a book that have impacted me; rather, it’s the opposite. Everything you “consume” affects you. Everything changes you—whether your opinions are affirmed or refuted, it still impacts you. Everything you read, or even choose to read, will shape who you are. Be wary of that.