Essays / Good Books for Personal Essay Writing? [5]

Does anybody know any good novels that I could read that would give me good thoughts & vocab/prepare me to write a good personal essay ? (You know, a kind of nostaligic one that begins with an anecdote)

I have a test in 2 weeks where we will be writing an essay on a topic given on the day, therefore i can really prepare anything specific, but I was thinking reading a good book up until then may put me in good steed :)

Grammar, Usage / Get in The Right Frame of Mind for Essay Writing [3]

Hi,
I am doing my finals next week and I have been practising personal essays. We must write one from a given title on the day.

I have been told that my discursive personal essays in the past have been good. (anecdotes, philisophical material about youth etc.) This is when I am in the right mood (Relaxed, and thinking the right way to be philisophoical)

But when I am under pressure I can never be this good (I write utter garbage :( )

I know I am going to feel under pressure during an exam, so how would I try to get in this creative, personal-essay frame of mind in that environment? Any tips?

thanks