This was a very interesting book to read. I've thought a lot about books that I have read and that have changed me in some way, so it was interesting to discover what books changed well-known authors. The 31 authors are all published, and well-known, but the book is geared toward mostly Australian and English writers, many of whom American children not be familiar with. That is the only drawback for me. I would love to see a similar book done with American and Canadian authors, including authors who had immigrated here as children.

Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we’re going to review a really cool anthology which was provided by Candlewick Press, and was released on September 1, 2016. This book features authors from/living in New Zealand & Australia, & as the name suggests, consists of short essays that explain what book had a profound affect on the author’s writing and/or life. As always this review will be spoiler free & completely honest, also this is the 1st time we’re reviewing a non-fiction book so let’s see how it went. Ready? Ok, let’s go!



Usually I would give a quick plot summary here but we can’t really do that this time because the whole book is essays following a similar theme so we’re going to skip straight to the review. Personally I knew that I would enjoy this book because I’m a giant book nerd & this collection is about other giant book nerds talking about books however, I also know that this book won’t necessarily be for everyone. In this anthology you’ll find stories about author’s who recount how a book changed their perception of themselves or where they came from, inspired them to become an author through the book’s ability to entrance them, or inspired them to become an author because they didn’t like the book in question. If you think that this is the sort of anthology you’d enjoy reading then this collection has some really interesting stories for you. Now you’re probably wondering what I thought. Well although I did enjoy this book, I honestly had to give it a 3 out of 5 smiley faces because some of the stories were more interesting than others. I’m glad that I read this book, but because of the fact that every story isn’t totally gripping I can’t really give it a higher rating.

This helped remind me of all the books that made ME a reader.

A look at the power of books through the memories of different writers. There are many familiar titles mentioned and some not so familiar that I've added to my ever growing list.

I loved be able to see what book shaped each author and how it changed them so much. Makes me feel not so alone when it comes to being truly moved by a book. #bookloversunite

I really enjoyed hearing from all the different authors in "The Book That Made Me" by Judith Ridge. This book is a collection of essays by 31 authors on the books that impacted their lives and helped them fall in love with the writing profession. If you love books this is for you. If you want to know what inspires authors this book is for you as well. If you want inspiration on your own writing journey, I'd recommended this book. I absolutely loved it.

Before reading this book I had only heard of three of these authors. However, I love the glimpses into their childhoods. There is a common story that links us readers together: That magical moment when we find the right book. The one that turns us into lifelong readers. This anthology celebrates that. I recommend it to everyone.

This was a fun book to read. Even though I only recognized one of the authors that contributed to this book, I enjoyed reading what books inspired these authors as children. I was delighted to see some of the same books I loved reading as a kid. It definitely made me want to re-read some of these childhood favorites. There were also a couple books mentioned more than once by Roald Dahl that were some of the authors' favorites so I had to go and read them. I would love to read a book like this with more authors I recognize but it was still a great read. A bonus was that at the end of the book, there were short bios about each author and there was a list of all the books mentioned.

I've always been fascinated by listening to stories of the influences that shaped people's career trajectories, especially the paths of writers. In The Book That Made Me, Judith Ridge brings together over thirty writers (from Australia and New Zealand) who share their early influences. At first, I wondered if I would be interested in unfamiliar writers, but this proved not to be a problem. Each essay was honest, poignant, and showed again and again how books can take us out of our everyday lives, help us feel understood, and give us courage. I know that books made a difference in my life; read how they made a difference in the lives of these successful authors.

The Book that Made Me

Thirty-one authors with essays on the books that made them who they are sounded too enticing to pass up. The Book that Made Me with these essays collected by children’s literature expert Judith Ridge was published first in September in Australia and this month by Candlewick in America. While the writer names from New Zealand and Australia were largely unfamiliar to me, their ideas and passions rang a recognizable tune.

The concept was for the authors to name the one book that was the greatest inspiration in their life or their work. James Roy summarizes the theme in his essay, “Everyone knows that often the best books are the ones that speak to us, the ones we truly relate to. The ones that make us go, ‘I know that feeling.’ ”

As you might guess with thirty-one writers, variety ensued. Some seemed not to understand the concept of one book and gave a list. Some leaned more to what formed them as writers and some to how the book(s) had changed them as people. One cited oral lore from the Palyku people of western Australia rather than a book. One leads into a long paragraph of general parenting advice.

Writers got these cherished childhood books from a variety of places – their library, their family bookshelves, or as gifts. One was pretty sure she stole hers. Expected titles of Chronicles of Narnia, a variety of Dr. Seuss titles, Nancy Drew, and The Book Thief were interspersed with Australian and New Zealand titles unknown to me.

Shaun Tan’s cartoons threading their way through the book along with photographs of the authors in their youth add fun and charm. I enjoyed comparing their choices and the ways they were influenced with my own relationships with books. (In case you are wondering, I would have chosen Little Women.)

I would agree with a line from Ambelin Kwaymullina’s essay, and I think those writers would, too. “Every story matters, and we all have the power to influence the future.”

I was excited for this title because I have my students write about their reading lives and I thought this book might offer some mentor texts. I don't think my students would find many of these stories accessible.

This will go live on my blog on March 2. Kellyvision.wordpress.com


This is an anthology of stories from Australian authors, detailing the book (or books) most responsible for making them who they are as readers, authors and people.

This is the kind of book that every reader will be able to identify with. We all have books that we can point to that make us US. (Matilda is one of mine, as I'm sure thousands of others will agree.)

The stories are both incredibly familiar to me and incredibly foreign. I haven't read many of the novels mentioned, which is awesome (I plan to hit the library!) but the authors' feelings for them? I do know all of them.

Recommended.

Authors are most often also avid readers - and as such the books they read usually influence their lives. Thirty-one authors write about the books that inspired them, changed them or just made them happy. From first childhood reads to books read in middle age, every reader knows the thrill of finding a book that stays with you.

There are a wealth of different stories in this book, along with comics interspersed throughout. The Book that Made Me captures the feelings all readers know of connecting with a specific book and knowing that you have been forever changed. The stories do start to feel a little blended after a while with ones being slightly too similar to distinguish.

Perhaps the most interesting stories are those written by authors of colour. Through these authors stories the importance of diversity in literature is clearly showcased. Several of the authors struggled to find people of their gender, religion or race in books when they were young. Some write because they want to see themselves in stories now in a way they were not able to as a child.

The stories are poignant, funny, touching and in general very well brought together. The childhood photos of the authors bring an incredible power to the stories that follow making it easy to picture the children they once were. However, too may of the stories felt similar to me - of course everyone’s experiences are unique but a few seemed to hit many of the same notes.

I do feel that this anthology will be better received by older readers who might have read more of the books mentioned (I felt very little connection with most of the life-changing books if I’d read them at all) or for fans of any particular author listed. It’s thrilling to read about other people who love books you also love deeply, or to dive into the mind of your favourite author.

The book is interesting either way, and a short read, but because the authors are strangers to me and the books were not ones I adored, it didn’t quite hit a home run. I still deeply enjoyed several stories, but many of then run together already.

Perhaps it was my unfamiliarity with these authors, but I just couldn't get through this book. I wanted to. I tried. Several of the essays I read I did find interesting, mildly. There's something fun about an author promoting or discussing his or her favorite authors to read. It was neat to learn a little about who and what inspired them to become writers themselves. Aside, however, from not knowing who most of the featured authors were I also didnt recognize many of the authors or books they drew inspiration from. This left me with not much to relate to from a reader's stand point.

Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for this review opportunity.

This is a really great read for anyone who loves books. It is full of essays by writers about the one book or books that influenced them the most. It is sooo good. I am not a highlighter of books but I have highlighted all throughout this book. As an added bonus, I now have a list of authors and books to check out! I highly recommend this book for all booklovers.

I liked the idea of this book but I didn't realize it was mainly focused on Australian authors. However, I did find the premise wonderful and I loved that it gives back to the community.