[Zeronewbury]

I'm looking for some sort of list, or at least input from the well-read members of this forum, of the Books That Changed Your Life.

It seems like we might all benefit from something like that. I'll admit to my personal top five


The Lord of The Rings Okay, it almost cliche now, but in 1970 I was an impressionable teenager in a broken home. Tolkien's Catholic Church influence rings strong in these novels and I found great inspiration in the tale of personal integrity and sacrifice. No Kindle version available


Johnny Got His Gun Amazing writing that will wrench your mind. No Kindle version available.


Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Hell, I went out and bought a motorcycle. But that was 1976.


James and the Giant Peach I read this to my young siblings and two sets of children. I'll read it to any children who ask. No Kindle version available.


Tales of Mystery and Imagination Here is where I found my personal dark side. Nice to know everyone has one. I'm pretty sure you can find a Kindle version on feedbooks.


The Book Cracked open the door of self-awareness. No Kindle version.

Heck, how are people supposed to read these things if there are no Kindle versions available? Maybe a life changing book needs to be a DTB held in the hand and smelled and touched. I hope not.

 

[chynared21]

Any of S E Hinton's books...I can't even remember how many times I have read her books but my favorite is The Outsiders. I can't say whether or not it or any of her books changed my life but this is still one of my favorites. I actually bought another copy last year and if it was Kindleized, I'd snap it up. Unfortunately none of her books are available for the Kindle.

 

[Thumper]

The books that changed my life did it at a very early age; a kept few cemented my love of reading and planted the seeds of wanting to be able to write the stories I loved so much.

Henry 2 and ...And Now, Miguel by Joesph Krumgold; John Christopher's Tripod series...those are books I'll never forget, and are a big chunk of why I headed off in the direction I did.

 

[RJ Keller]

WOW what a great topic!!! Five for me:

The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery. My all-time favorite book.



Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery.



Candy, by Luke Davies. I'd written my book and was quite pleased with myself. Then I read "Candy." The writing was so poetic, yet so honest, so raw. It made me realize how much I'd held back in my own writing, and I was compelled to completely rewrite my book. It's not available on Kindle, unfortunately, but here's the link to the dead tree version.



Right Ho! Jeeves. P.G. Wodehouse was an absolute genius with words.



Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut.

 

[Kindle Convert]

Any of S E Hinton's books...I can't even remember how many times I have read her books but my favorite is The Outsiders. I can't say whether or not it or any of her books changed my life but this is still one of my favorites. I actually bought another copy last year and if it was Kindleized, I'd snap it up. Unfortunately none of her books are available for the Kindle.

Any of S E Hinton's books...I can't even remember how many times I have read her books but my favorite is The Outsiders. I can't say whether or not it or any of her books changed my life but this is still one of my favorites. I actually bought another copy last year and if it was Kindleized, I'd snap it up. Unfortunately none of her books are available for the Kindle.

I loved S.E. Hinton...it's a shame none of her books are on Kindle.

 

[ak rain]

I was a kid with reading problems and just seeming to catch up in High School. The SPED teacher convinced me to read my first long book. I still remember it and it got me over the fear of long books.
Watership Down by Richard Adams

sylvia

 

[KindleKay (aka #1652)]

Hmmmm...so many to choose from!  I don't know about "life changing" but these books helped to shape me, I think.  And I bet the list will grow as I think more about it...

Stephen King "The Eyes of the Dragon" because it was my first "adult" book that almost made me scream out loud when I was a teenager reading until 2am!  It amazed me that a book could do that: I mean cause that kind of reaction.

The Flowers In The Attic series by V.C. Andrews was cheesy but made me think.  It probably started my lifelong fascination with "train wrecks" (ie: America Next Top Model, American Idol, etc)

The Mitford series by Jan Karon.  That series is like comfort to me.  I love everything about it: the writing style, the characters, the plot, the spirituality, and the feel good feeling I get whenever I read them!!!

 

[meljackson]

Flowers in the Attic changed my life too. I was about 10 when I started reading it and my mom took it away from me. It taught me to hide my books better lol.

Melissa

 

[KindleKay (aka #1652)]

  Mel, my Mom didn't know much about it....I was safe.

 

[egh34]

Watership Down was the first "adult" book I read, and I remember being so proud. I think I was nine. Accomplishing that task opened up a world of books for me, I knew I would never settle again for "kid chapter books'.

 

[Kathy]

In high school my civics teacher had us read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. It was the first time that I realized what poor working conditions that existed.

 

[Mike D. aka jmiked]

Lvevels of Knowing and Existence, by Harry L. Weinberg. I reread it every few years and it never fails to inspire/inform me. Not for Kindle yet.

Mike

 

[Maxx]

When I read Anne Frank Diary of a Young Girl, I couldn't believe that a kid could write a book like that and go through those experiences. It has never left me.



Another book that I was influenced by is Little Women

 

[Leslie]

I was a kid with reading problems and just seeming to catch up in High School. The SPED teacher convinced me to read my first long book. I still remember it and it got me over the fear of long books.
Watership Down by Richard Adams

sylvia

Watership Down is truly a life changing book. I read it for the first time in the summer of 1975 when I borrowed it from a camper. I wish it was on my Kindle. I would like to sit down and do a complete re-read.

L

 

[Britt]

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen... I was going through a rough time in high school and when I read that book I identified with so much that she was feeling.

And Harry Potter, before which I don't think I was truly able to grasp the definition of "obsession"

 

[Leslie]

This came up in an earlier thread today. Given the fact that I can quote huge chunks of this book, I guess that is life changing. This is a picture (taken this morning) of my original first edition copy that I bought in 5th grade.

 

[CegAbq]

A Wrinkle in Time (L'Engle) (Kindle) (6th grade)
The Metamorphosis (Kafka) (Kindle/mobipocket) (9th grade)
Johnny Got His Gun (Trumbo) (could not find any ebook format) (9th grade)
Atlas Shrugged (Rand) (could not find any format) (10th grade)
I Never Promised You A Rose Garden (Greenberg) (Kindle) (10th grade)

 

[drenee]

I have spent the last two days trying to determine what book changed my life.  I can't seem to come up with just one.

There is one book that I read when I was younger about a boy on a ship.  He was not treated very kindly.  I believe they were pirates.  I can see the cover, but cannot remember the name.  I am constantly looking in used book stores to see if I could find it.  I think I was about 3rd grade.  So it definitely was a memorable book since I'm still looking this many years later.

 

[ak rain]

I have spent the last two days trying to determine what book changed my life. I can't seem to come up with just one.

There is one book that I read when I was younger about a boy on a ship. He was not treated very kindly. I believe they were pirates. I can see the cover, but cannot remember the name. I am constantly looking in used book stores to see if I could find it. I think I was about 3rd grade. So it definitely was a memorable book since I'm still looking this many years later.

"Castaways of the flying Dutchman" by Brian Jacques ??

 

[Mike D. aka jmiked]

Levels of Knowing and Existence, by Harry L. Weinberg comes closest. I reread it every few years and it never fails to inspire/inform me. Not for Kindle yet.

Mike