Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

Original poster

A book that changed your life (or at least your mindset...)

91 replies

rosie79 · 27/10/2006 22:53

I'm sure this has been done before but an curious to hear about what book or books people think helped changed their life or the way they view the world, or helped them in some way. For me it has to be:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho when I was 20

The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck (first discovered a few years ago but have read it four times now!)

What about you?

OP posts:
Original poster
rosie79 · 28/10/2006 19:36

A book called 'Confident Children' by Gael Lindenfield had a very big influence on my parenting and especially how I interact with children (both my own and my pupils). Has anyone else read it?

OP posts:
Flamesparrow · 28/10/2006 14:13

American Psycho is the one and only book I have ever parted with because I knew that there was no way in hell I would read it again.

sallystrawberry · 28/10/2006 14:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

skanger · 28/10/2006 14:03

Walking on water by Anthony De Mello

3andnomore · 28/10/2006 14:00

Awakenings by Oliver Sacks a fascinating Book, read it whilest I was a Student Nurse and things like illnesses and discovery of how to heal them or at least make them better just interested me!

Greensleeves · 28/10/2006 13:46

Pale Fire is better than Lolita IMO. But I'm not a big fan of Nabokov

skanger · 28/10/2006 13:42

lolita is a wonderful book

maggiesmama · 28/10/2006 13:29

discovering nabokov (sp?) as a fifteen year old who grew up in ahouse wehre the required readin was jackie collins. was a revelation - just didnt know words could do that, be like that, make me feel so very... sure it directed me towards acadaemia.

skanger · 28/10/2006 13:29

sorry didnt mean to scream the Sylvia bit!

skanger · 28/10/2006 13:27

The Bell jar by SYLVIA plath

zephyrHellcat · 28/10/2006 13:27

When I was about 18, my best friend at the time gave me Jonathan Livingstone Seagull and that changed my outlook on things for quite a long time.

Flamesparrow · 28/10/2006 13:24

Grapes of wrath too

jodee · 28/10/2006 13:19

As a child, the book that probably got me hooked was The Wind in the Willows. Sorry, just been reminded of one of my favourite lines - Mole has just been on Rat's boat for the first time and Rat says:

'What?' cried the Rat, open-mouthed: 'Never been in a ... you never... well I... what have you been doing, then?'

Angela's Ashes and To Kill a Mockingbird also struck me profoundly as an adult.

chonky · 28/10/2006 12:44

Before I Say Goodbye by Ruth Picardie

skanger · 28/10/2006 12:36

to kill a mocking bird is an excellent book

QuootieSpookypie · 28/10/2006 12:28

Brother in the Land, at school about 13. Just made me so aware of how the world could go, and still scares me.

skanger · 28/10/2006 12:26

Green eggs and ham is another very good book

skanger · 28/10/2006 12:01

anyone read A long long way by Sebastian Barry-its not life changing ,but it is very good and very sad too

Crotchety · 28/10/2006 11:33

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Flamesparrow · 28/10/2006 11:27

The Chrysalids - REALLY got me into reading everything in sight.

The Light in the Window - About a catholic unmarried mothers place... My gran was in one similar and although it was very painful to read and think of her, I felt I should know.

Greensleeves · 28/10/2006 11:18

iris66 - The Land Of Far-Beyond. Very haunting book!

skanger · 28/10/2006 08:53

Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance by Robert M Pirsig

lucy5 · 28/10/2006 08:47

A book called Mischling [sp] second degree, about a Jewish girl during the war. I won't say it was life changing but it had a great impact on me when I read it as a young child. With hindsight I was probably too young to be reading it.

northerner · 28/10/2006 08:42

Same as Joolstoo, Little Women - Louisa M Alcott. As a girl my mum gave me her hard backed copy and I fell in love with the story. Still love it to this day.

Have had my head stuck in books ever since.

aDadOnMumsnet · 28/10/2006 08:39

On The Road - Jack Kerouac

Gave me the travel bug

Swipe left for the next trending thread