Out of the thousands of books I have read, I can't pinpoint one that changed my life. But if you were to ask what is the best book I've ever read, the answer would be Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson.
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I haven't finished it yet, but I've found it almost impossible to put down. I have never felt so motivated to work hard and achieve in my life as I have in the past few days of reading this book.
Last edited by freshmanweightorbust; 03-13-2009 at 12:10 PM.
Reason: Edited to correct a typo :)
20 Something, 20 Everything by Christine Hassler. It made me realize that my "early life crisis" I had experienced after leaving my job was perfectly normal, and it explained the things I needed to do to get my life together.
For general life stuff, it's "Understanding" by Jane Nelson. It was published in the 80s and was a really good book about how to handle inner turmoil that I was experiencing at the time.
For weight-loss issues, specifically, it was "Thin People Don't Clean Their Plates" by Jill Fleming.
The Red Book - by Sera Beak.
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Girl of the Limberlost - Gene Stratton Porter
The Babysitters Club series- Ann M Martin
The Dogs of Babel- Carolyn Parkhurst
The Kitchen Gods Wife- Amy Tan
For all sorts of random reasons these are the ones that I can think of off the top of my head that have had an impact on me at some point in my life that was pivotal. It is by no means all the books though. I am a big reader and I try to take away as much as I can from each book that I read.
little moon rabbit- I really like the book 20 something 20 everything. i helped me a lot too, what i've read so far. I stopped about half way through and haven't gone back to it yet. but i will. it's great.
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I was reading it when I travelled to Nepal to partcipate in a health mission. I just couldn't put it down. The main character's evolution was spectacular, touching, funny, smart...
When I finished the book I was leaving London after an overnight and did not want to carry the big heavy book as I had already finished it. I left in in the room with a note to housekeeping to read it or give it to someone who likes to read.
there are many others but I thought I'd mention this one first.
Oh, Ender's Game. Something about that book really captured the feeling of being alone/separated in school...I read it in middle school and have probably read it once a year since, I love that book.
Square Foot Gardening, by Mel Bartholomew may well change my life, if his gardening method works as easily/well as it appears to be so far. If I get a yield anything like what he predicts, it will certainly change this summer.
Wow - difficult decision - I love to read and usually have several books going at once. Let's see...
As a teenager I connected with 'The Cat Ate My Gymsuit' by Paula Danzinger
As an adult I would have to agree with 'Five People You Meet in Heaven' by Albom, 'Hiding Place' by Corrie Ten Boom and 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee' by Dee Brown.
The book that truthfully led to a big change in my life is 'Undaunted Courage' by Stephen Ambrose. I have always been interested in history, but that book sparked a real passion in the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery expedition. I now own over 3 dozen books on the subject not counting the magazines and miscellaneous articles and in April will be giving my first lecture on the member from my hometown. (First paid I should say, because I'll lecture anyone that wants to listen on the significance of the expedition - ha ha). My family is even willing to spend vacations in places like Monticello, St. Louis and Montana to allow me to research and further fuel the obsession. Yeah, they love me like that.
OMG, I can't believe I forgot 'Mister God, This is Anna'. That book was so incredible. I don't know how many times I've read it.
Every woman should read this, whether or not you ever plan on having kids or even having sex. There's just so much valuable information about our bodies. It was incredible. Now I can answer every question my friends ask.
Charlotte's Web was the first book I ever bought for myself, when I was very young. Such a great book!
Also, in the line of children's/young adult books, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle is a book I keep returning to, over and over. There's something profound, mysterious and eternal about it that makes me keep going back to it every year or so.
"the Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Beagle. I know that sounds like a strange choice! But it really is as profound as you choose to make it. For example, the skull says some pretty good things like
"It's really not so good to have time. Rush, scramble, desperation, this missed, that left behind, those others too big to fit into such a small space--that's the way life was meant to be. You're supposed to be too late for some things. Don't worry about it."
This helps me remember not to panic when i am running late or somethings just dont get done.
I also liked this one also from the skull:
"When I was alive, I believed--as you do--that time was at least as real and solid as myself, and probably more so. I said 'one o'clock' as though I could see it, and 'Monday' as though I could find it on the map; and I let myself be hurried along from minute to minute, day to day, year to year, as though I were actually moving from one place to another. Like everyone else, I lived in a house bricked up with seconds and minutes, weekends and New Year's Days, and I never went outside until I died, because there was no other door. Now I know that I could have walked through the walls."
The magician, Schmendrick, also has some classics:
"Be rary of wousing a rizard's wrath - rousing a rizard's - Be wary of making a magician angry!"
Its just nice
Last edited by Iconised Ghost; 07-10-2009 at 05:17 AM.
