Kiki Strike Blog Tour: Guest Post with author Kirsten Miller

I'm thrilled to be apart of Bloomsbury Teen's Kiki Strike blog tour. Today author Kirsten Miller stopped by to talk about 5 books that got her interested in reading as a child. First, here's a little bit about her newest book (which releases tomorrow).

Published by: Bloomsbury Teens
To Be Released on: January 22nd, 2013 (Tomorrow)
Series: Kiki Strike #3
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

First they ventured deep under New York to save the city itself. Then things got personal as the Irregulars ventured into a haunted mansion in Chinatown to uncover an evil twin. Now, in the third installment of bestselling author Kirsten Miller's Kiki Strike series, this delightful group of delinquent geniuses jump feet first into a fast-paced international pursuit, going underground in Paris to pursue a pair of treacherous royals who have killed Kiki's parents. With a dash of romance, a fresh take on good manners, and loads of butt-kicking bravery, Kiki, Betty, Ananka and the other Irregulars sharpen their amazing skills in this highly anticipated new adventure.

Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp by Mercer Mayer

I adore this picture book. I read it to my four-year-old daughter all the time. (As someone who grew up south of the Mason-Dixon line, it’s a joy to read something written in syrupy Southern-speak.)

I must have discovered Liza Lou when I was around six or seven years old, and it’s influenced my work (and imagination) more than just about any other book I’ve read since. It’s the tale of a clever, tough, wise-cracking bayou girl who singlehandedly rids the Yeller Belly Swamp of monsters, witches and haunts. The writing is superb. The illustrations are spectacular. And I love the way Mayer hides little creatures in all of his pictures. He turns every page into a scavenger hunt.

Half Magic by Edgar Eager
Throughout my life, I have always kept a copy of this book close at hand. I’ve probably read it more than 100 times. (And tonight, I may make it 101.) The story, when summarized, sounds quite ordinary. Three siblings discover a magic coin. The problem is—it only grants half a wish at a time.

What makes Half Magic so . . . well . . . magic, is Eager’s refusal to talk down to his audience. And he doesn’t attempt to teach his young readers any important “lessons.” He seems to understand children in a way that most authors simply don’t. Eager know kids can be horrible little monsters (his three characters certainly are), and he’s one of the rare adults who thinks that is absolutely wonderful.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The day I write something as good as the first paragraph of this book, I will happily retire. The Westing Game is another YA title that I will re-read for the rest of my life.

The Shining by Stephen King
I read quite a few horror novels when I was a kid. (Starting with The Amityville Horror at age seven.) I loved scaring myself senseless. But this was the first novel that I found truly terrifying. I read it when I was twelve—and decades later, I still sleep with the lights on when I’m home alone.

I’ve been thinking of writing my own ghost/horror story. But when I recently tried to re-read The Shining, I found it too disturbing to finish. It wasn’t the horror or gore that really got to me. It was the relationship between Danny and his dad. The Shining may be one of the best horror novels ever written, but it’s also incredibly sad.

The Book of Lists (Volumes 1 – Who Knows) by David Wallechinsky, Irving Wallace and Amy Wallace

My father and I are two of the world’s greatest collectors of useless information. These books were tailor-made for us. My father owned the entire series, and I’d read them all, cover to cover, by the time I was eleven or twelve. As a matter of fact, I consider these books an essential part of my education.

Here’s the sort of thing I was reading about in grade school . . .  

8 Almost Indestructible People
15 Famous Events that Happened in Bathtubs
The Worst Places to Hitchhike
People Suspected of Being Jack the Ripper

Is it any wonder I’m a little bit nuts?

Thank you for Kirsten for stopping by today!! 
You can visit Kirsten via her: Blog | Website | Twitter | Facebook