I store the following information strictly for a trivia night or hipster conversation:

1. Herman Melville’s first two books were Typee and Omoo
2. Golden Earring sings “Radar Love” (and now we all know there is a +9 min live version–you’re welcome)

Watching Matilda, based on the novel by Roald Dahl, caused my canon guilt to resurface.

I want to believe great works of recognized literature shaped my young mind, but I’ve got to give the credit to Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Language, The Secret Garden, and Harriet the Spy. I did love The Twits by Roald Dahl, and The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank hit me pretty hard; however, the other books were more influential and captivating.

I can thank my friend, Noelle, for summarizing Moby Dick in a way that makes me feel less guilty for not reading it as a young girl:

This dude finds a beautiful, one of a kind white whale, and murders it.