Seven Books in Seven Days #4

This series will be running for the next five Saturdays, where I talk a bit about the seven books (or series) that most influenced me growing up. See previous entries in this series here: day one, day two, day three. This will not be in any particular order, as it's hard to put these seven in any sort of favorite to least favorite order.

I spent my freshman year of high school in an old (built in the 60s with no upgrades that I'm aware of), cramped (there were only two high schools for the whole district at the time) school in middle of nowhere North Carolina. I didn't have many friends and spent what time I wasn't in class outside (we had open campus lunch) or in the library. The library was one of the musky, dim affairs with old books jamed everywhere. Nice librarian, though I cannot remember her name. I checked out a LOT of books. It was there that I found this book called Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice. Thus started my brief, but intense love of vampires.

I really dug that book, though I later figured out it was the 4th book of then I think 8 books? It's still my favorite book in the series (though I admit I haven't read the newer Lestat ones) and led me a bit down a rabbit hole with vampire lore and Anne Rice herself.

My parents had a lot of books when I was growing up. Really, a very large variety as my dad bought up a lot of history books and occasionally fantasy - every Stephen King - and my mom was more a thriller, police procedural type reader. A few other books snuck in and I was surprised to find my dad had purchased a few Rice books, just random ones out of order of the series with their paperback spines not cracked - they hadn't been read. (Growing up, I found that was the case with a lot of the books my dad purchased... they were decorations for the most part. He read the Kings, but that's about it. I see that particular habit in myself. Tons of unread books languish on my shelves.) I read those and digging around the stacks found these three slim hardbacks. They looked interesting and a brief glance inside gave me that reaction I'm sure you've had of looking up to see if anyone is watching and quickly tucking whatever it is away. Except, I snuck them into my room as I was a curious 13/14 with only limited internet access.

I looked up and found that A.N. Roquelaure was Anne Rice. And that's how I got introduced to BDSM. So. Yeah, it was a trip going from lovely little Lestat to whips and chains and whatnot. It's strange - I'm not really into BDSM and don't read anything like that, but I can definately see some of that Sleeping Beauty trilogy in the world building of my fantasy series. But, I made it more grimdark and less sexual fulfilment, but that's just always where I take things.

What's a series or book you sneaky read growing up?

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