Here are some books/short stories that have shaped me. Feel free to loathe every single damned one:

1. Griffin and Sabine by Nick Bantock (prepare to foster your extremely odd inner life with this one)

2. Cowboys are My Weakness by Pam Houston

3.Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz, art by Stephen Gammell

4. Barrel Fever by David Sedaris (pretty much anything by D.S)

5. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

*And I would like to (cautiously) recommend Stephen King: A Memoir of the Craft

**This, of course, will not be my last post of recommendations. I have sooooo many. Prepare. Get some paper. A pen, too.