Today I'm in the Amazon Rainforest...

Have you ever read a book that you really, really enjoyed then years later tried to recall the title/author of that book and been unable to do so? Back when I was in middle school and struggling to, more or less, teach myself to read, I picked up a book in the public library. It was a big thick book and with a little bit of fear I checked it out, determined to read it cover to cover.

And I did it. I devoured all 360 pages of that book in less than two weeks. That might not seem like much of a feat but considering that I was- as a 8th grader- reading at about a 2nd grade level, it was quite an accomplishment for me. I read that book and I loved it. It was one of the first books that I truely enjoyed and it opened up for me a love for books and words and reading. My reading level improved very quickly after that.

Because I enjoyed this book so much, I wanted my daughters to read it but I, for the life of me, couldn't remember the name or author of the book. I searched Ebay, Amazon.com, public library sites, and finally I mentioned to someone that I was trying to remember this book and they blurted out the title and author! I was sooo excited. I went on Ebay and found a few copies but they were going for quite a bit more than I was willing to pay for a book- up around $40/copy. Ouch! So I went to www.paperbackswap.com and put the book on my wishlist. Last week I was notified that the book was just listed and did I want it?

OF COURSE I wanted it! It arrived today in near perfect condition and I'm settling in for a good read of an old favorite.

And in case anyone is interested the book is called Savage Journey by Allan W. Eckert. It was published in 1979 and it's about a 13 year old girl who travels to the jungle with her archaeologist father. Her father dies in a freak accident and the girl is forced to find her way back to civilization on her own. Powerful imagery, a wonderful, frightening, bittersweet adventure.

So, with that said, what book(s) have made an unforgetable impact on your life?