To ask you for your all-time favourite life-changing books?

[frogsoup]

Now my kids are getting older I'm finally getting the chance to start reading again. I'm at a bit of a crossroads in life and career terms and I'm feeling the need for books that are so amazing that they make you rethink life, the universe and everything. Any suggestions?

My starter for 10: Primo Levi's 'The truce', about his journey home from Auschwitz. One of the most astonishingly life-affirming books I've ever read.

[aaatozedd]

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

[MissClareRemembers]

The Member Of The Wedding by Carson McCullers. I read it in 6th form and was blown away by the line, “you are the we of me”. I spent ages trying to explain that concept to myself!

It led me to her other books. All brilliant.

[frogsoup]

Is 'A fine balance' by rohinton mistry? I'm assuming it isn't the cutthroat business manual of the same name

[JemAppelleLafayette]

Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor E Frankl is an amazing book. The author describes his experience in Auschwitz, and how he and his fellow inmates maintained hope in such hopeless circumstances.

I recently read Ghosts Of The Tsunami by Richard Lloyd Parry. It’s about a particularly catastrophic event during the 2011 tsunami. It is one of the saddest books I’ve ever read, but the strength and dignity shown by the subjects was inspiring.

[Moominfan]

The third life of grange copeland. Trauma through generations.

[TulipsInAJug]

The God of small things. Outstanding writing, creative, innovative, beautiful. A heartbreaking, unspeakably powerful story.

[frogsoup]

This is great, these will keep me going a good while!

I keep thinking of more. Alexandra Fuller Don't let's go to the dogs tonight, about growing up in 1970s Africa, is breathtaking. All her books are worth pouncing on but that's her masterpiece.

[Furrycushion]

Not really life changing but two books I loved & remember well (I tend to forget what happens!) are Sky Burial & The Five People you meet in Heaven. Not particularly high brow but I loved both of them. Also Tuesdays With Morrie.

[Laquila]

Yes OP - it’s Rohinton Mistry.

I don’t know if it actually changed my life, but Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow was eye-opening for me. And Barbara Kingsolver’s books, collectively, were a big deal for me.

The worst book I ever read was Shantaram by Gregory someone. Christ. That reinforced for me the importance of having the courage to just cut your losses and not waste your time on rubbish!

[Laquila]

Also The Psychopath Test and Them: Adventures with Fundamentalists, both by Jon Ronson, were a pretty big deal.

[user1486076969]

HesterLee - Some Other Rainbow - Jill Morrell and John McCarthy....I had completely forgotten about this one, excellent book!

[user1498549192]

I agree with A Fine Balance and The Poisonwood Bible.

On a different note: Quiet by Susan Cain. It's all about the subtle power of introversion in a world that largely favours extroverts. Life affirming for a quiet introvert!

Also Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre. A horrifying read about the pharmaceutical industry; made me incredibly righteously angry!

[MissusGeneHunt]

Playing for Time, by Fania Fenelon. An incredible book about the orchestra in Auswitz. A story of bravery, and not giving up.

[frogsoup]

Barbara Kingsolver is the business. Reading 'animal vegetable mineral' right now, it's fantastic.

[haverhill]

The Women Who Walked Into Doors is astonishing. And Rachel’s Holiday, which, despite looking like typical chick-lit, is the best examination of addiction I’ve ever read.

[frogsoup]

I just entered 'the woman who' into Google, and before I could type 'walked into doors' it autocompleted with 'cooked her husband'

[Ohyesiam]

@pumpkintree how did A Child Called It change your life? Just interested.

[Stickerrocks]

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is another great read. You know what the outcome must be, but you turn each page with a feeling of fear in your stomach.

[BlueKittens]

So mine is “You are a baddass: how to stop doubting yourself and live an awesome life”.

It came along at a crossroads for me. Maternity leave, first child. I did think it was a bit silly to start with but thought “what have I got to lose!”.

I ended up ditching my job, getting another job, then another one. A 80% salary increase, promotion up two levels. More respect. But mainly I’m happier- I have better work life balance and feel empowered.

I’m forever indebted to this book for giving me the confidence to ask for much more. I think it just helped me reach inside and believe in myself. It was really me that made the changes not the book, but it was the catalyst for sure.

[OrlandaFuriosa]

Obv To Kill a Mockingbird

For me it was The Periodic Table by PL.
Christ stopped at Eboli.
A Kind of Loving, Kes, both 60s misery,
A Time of Gifts, young man walks across Europe in 1930s
The Plague or The Stranger, Camus, existentialist
Simone de Beauvoir , anything
Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte.
The Wide Sargasso Sea ( the story of the first Mrs Rochester..)
The Color Purple
The Discovery of France

[OrlandaFuriosa]

Agree anything by Jon Ronson
Malcolm Gladwell, most things.

[BlueKittens]

I also agree Barbara Kingsolver is brilliant - really enjoyed La Lacuna

[LorelaiVictoriaGilmore]

Any Human Heart by William Boyd.

[adayatthebeach]

The Catcher in the Rye

[frogsoup]

Orlando based on that list I'm busy adding anything I haven't yet read to the top of my list, as we are kindred reading spirits! Periodic table and Christ stopped at Eboli were all pretty foundational for me, room of one's own too.