King, Stephen. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. New York: Scribner, 2000. Print.

On Writing is both a memoir of Stephen King’s experiences in becoming a writer and a guidebook for aspiring writers. He talks about his exposure to the world of writing and his first attempts to get published. He also covers his fame as a writer and his relationship with his wife and with alcohol and drugs. In addition to the autobiographical aspect, King also offers advice on grammar and developing plots and characters.

I read this book during the summer before my junior year in high school as part of the required reading for AP English Language. Long before high school, I had dreamt of becoming a writer one day. But as I got deeper into my schooling, I abandoned that idea as being too impractical.  Somewhere in the transition from middle school to high school, I also left behind my passion for reading. So when the time came for me to read this book, it felt like a hit to my heart. When King talked about his passion for writing, it recalled the bright dreams I once held dear to my heart. There were so many lines about writing that made me go, “Aha!” It opened my eyes to understanding how writing should work and why good writing works so well. In the end, it made me question why I had abandoned reading and writing in the first place. It rekindled my desire to read and write again and gave me tools with which to improve my skills. Even today, random grammar tips from this book influence my style of writing.

Babbitt, Natalie. Tuck Everlasting. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1975. Print.

Tuck Everlasting is a children’s fantasy novel about a girl named Winnie who meets the Tucks. The Tucks are special in that they have discovered the Fountain of Youth and therefore do not age. As a result, the live in seclusion for fear that their secret will be revealed. In the end, Winnie is faced with the decision to drink from the spring and join the family or go back to living a normal life. The book deals with life and death and the concept of immortality.

I read this book while I was in elementary school and thus, it left a strong impression on me. I was at an age when every idea seemed so new and captivating. The idea of immortality was one that particularly shined to me, especially in Natalie Babbitt’s treatment of it. When I was younger, the idea of living forever seemed grand. But as I read about the Tucks’ suffering with not being able to truly live, I was confronted by the less glamorous side of immortality. By the end of the novel, when Winnie has to choose whether to become immortal or not, I already knew that I would not choose a life where I watched life pass on around me while I stood at the sidelines. I wholeheartedly agreed with this book. However, in the past few days, a friend and I have discussed this idea again. Do you need to know pain to realize happiness? And thus, does death need to be inevitable for you to understand that life is precious? These are questions that still plague my mind even today.