Ten (10) Books that have Affected Me, Pt. 1

So, there's a bit of a meme going around where you are supposed to list ten books that have affected you in some way. No one's tagged me yet, but it's too good of an exercise to pass up. The rules are simple: "Don't take more than a few minutes and don't think too hard. They don't have to be the 'right' books or great works of literature. Without further preamble, here is part one of my top ten list:

1. The Bible - For better or worse, the Bible has to be on the list. I grew up in a Christian household (Baptist on my mom's side, Catholic on my dad's). The Bible has always been part of my life, still colors how I perceive the world and everything in it, and perhaps always will shape my outlook on many things.
2. The Lord of the Rings - The Lord of the Rings kindled my love for the fantasy genre. The book attempts to capture the awe-inspiring, epic feeling of stories like Beowulf and King Arthur. I loved reading the book in school, and I still do. As I got deeper into the genre, I realized, though, that Tolkien was an awesome world-builder but a mediocre storyteller.
3. Dune - What love The Lord of the Rings kindled in me for fantasy, Dune did for the "science fiction" part of "Sci-Fi/Fantasy." Frank Herbert's world was - in many ways - more epic, sprawling, and mysterious than Tolkien's Middle Earth. Herbert was a master world-builder and a gifted storyteller. The Dune series always has something different to show me each time I read it, despite the rather meandering nature of the final books, Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune.
4. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Siege - This is not my first exposure to Peter David's works, but it is my most memorable. This came out shortly after DS9 premiered. The first several episodes left me cold on the series. This book convinced me to give DS9 a chance.
5. The Mists of Avalon - This was recommended by a former co-worker at Huntington Bank. This tale of Arthurian legends from the point-of-view of Morgaine sparked a desire to find alternate perspectives of different mythologies. It also served as a reminder to keep an open mind when interacting with people of different backgrounds and faiths.