Mary Ross | Site Director and Emma Keeling | Contributor
I’m a firm believer that words can deeply affect anyone who reads them. The right person just has to find the right words or the right story. Then they are forever changed. In this blog post, I will be discussing authors and their books that forever changed my life along with Emma Keeling who discusses how Stephen King changed hers.
Inspired by Mitch Albom | Mary Ross
The first time I remember interacting with a Mitch Albom book was when I was in eighth grade. My English teacher at the time was moving to a different school with younger kids, so she was giving away her more advanced classroom books if we wanted them. A book I had been eying for a while, being really involved with my faith at the time, was The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. It was a book that you could tell had been loved by many, with the cover starting to come off and an evident coffee spill on the top of the book. I took it home and put it on my bookshelf and forgot about it. Come a few years later, probably my sophomore year of high school, I pick it up and read it finally. I loved it.
Quickly, with the paychecks I started making as a lifeguard, I started buying more Mitch Albom books. And I stumbled across one that remains my favorite book to this day, Tuesdays with Morrie. This book is an autobiographical read about Albom reconnecting with his favorite college professor, Morrie Schwarz who is dying of a degenerative disease called ALS. In Morrie’s final months, Mitch goes and talks to him about all sorts of topics ranging from careers, to having a family, to death.
For me, it’s not only moving, it’s grounding. When I read it around Christmas time each year, it helps me refocus on what I think is important in life after an entire year of working and forgetting the person I am growing to be. In fact, Mitch Albom and his books, especially Tuesdays with Morrie, have had such an influence on me that I give my copies of books away just so they may have the chance to be changed just like I have. But don’t worry — I always go and get one or two more copies right after so I always have them on hand to keep giving and spreading the love and faith held in each one of his books.
Inspired by Stephen King | Emma Keeling
I have read many different kinds of genres, authors, and series throughout my reading career, but there is only one author that I have the urge to read over and over again, and that author is Stephen King. I read my first Stephen King, The Shining, when I was around 14 years old and haven’t stopped reading King since. My dad, who has been a fan since King started writing around the 80s, always had his novels lying about, and after reading some, I know why. King’s storytelling abilities are among the best I’ve ever read, and I can still relate to so many of the well-developed characters of my past King reads. His attention to worthwhile detail and ability to capture and keep your mind on the story is something I feel is unique to Stephen King. He has expanded my love for the horror and mystery genres and I always look forward to rereading a King classic or opening a newly published novel.
Inspired by R.H. Sin | Mary Ross
I found R.H. Sin after a really bad breakup to say the least. You know those relationships when your whole life is contained within the other person? It was one of those. I came out of it lost. I didn’t have the slightest idea who I wanted to be and what I valued. And so I started doing what some people do when they are lost and empty and need to feel some semblance of happiness. I starting online shopping. One day in my Amazon recommended list, I came across this poetry book called i hope this reaches her in time. It was only a few books and I liked poetry so why not? When I read this book a few days later, I felt like someone was speaking directly to me in the pages because many of the poems are validating. It felt like they tell me what I feel is okay, but there is growth to be had yet. It was intentional that R.H. Sin wrote this way, to make it feel like each one of his readers has a friend in the poetry. And so in a time when I felt lost and alone, I was able to pick this book up, and quite a few of his other ones, and have those affirmations. I started reading his poems so much that eventually all the affirmations in the poems positively affected the way I spoke to myself and helped me be a friend to myself. A few years later, I’m doing better than I was then. But R.H. Sin’s poems helped me be a friend to myself, something that has allowed me space to grow in love and support of myself.
Emma Keeling is a third-year student at BGSU studying Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Her favorite genres of book include mystery and horror and her favorite author is Stephen King. She can usually be found curled up on the couch studying, reading, or watching movies. To easily contact Emma, email her at emmamk@bgsu.edu.
Mary Ross is a third-year English major at BGSU. She enjoys all types of books, with a special love for historical fiction, poetry and Mitch Albom’s books. When she is not reading, you can find her taking care of her plants, writing content to hopefully publish her own book one day, or studying for her classes, always with a coffee nearby. Any questions about her thoughts or opinions in these blog posts can be sent to her email, mkross@bgsu.edu.
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