I have always loved to read.
Of the thousands of books that I have read, The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert is the most important book that I have ever read.
The books that have influenced me the most are The Teachings of Don Juan, A Separate Reality, Journey to Ixtlan and Tales of Power, all by Carlos Castaneda.
My favorite, stranded on a desert island with just one book to read book, is The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice.
Rounding out the top five would be Tai Pan by James Clavell, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, Magister Ludi by Herman Hesse and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.