What are your top five favorite books and why? How have they influenced your writing?

Chris Dietzel Thanks for the question!
5. Slaughterhouse-Five - Vonnegut's humor and cynicism are executed masterfully. I aim for the same blend of sci fi and literary in my writing.
4. The Catcher in the Rye - Love the casual voice and the feeling of the narrator against the world. I attempt to make my writing as accessible to readers.
3. Disgrace - Amazingly stripped down writing and a brutal story that is told so well you feel sick to your stomach. Coetzee taught me that a book doesn't have to be a certain length; it can be done when the story has been told.
2. The Road - I was blown away by McCarthy's vision of a bleak end for mankind. I love his 'less-is-more' approach to dialogue.
1. East of Eden - Just a perfect book in every way and my favorite book of all time. Steinbeck said it took all of his tools as a writer to produce this masterpiece and you can see that in the story. A great blend of morals, epic story-telling, and making the reader feel like they are learning about life as they read.

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