To ask which book changed your life?

[SunshineYello]

I'm after some inspiration, as I realised I haven't read a good book in so long, mostly due to being glued to the same old rubbish on my 'smart' phone. Coupled with lockdown, I think my brain is grinding to a halt.
I will offer up Wuthering Heights; bit of an obvious one, but I love how my perception of it changes year to year, from 'how romantic' (impressionable teen) to 'dysfunctional much'?!

I loved Fay Weldon as a teenager too!

Absolutely hated the Go Between but suspect it has a deeper meaning which I completely missed.

My life changers were Tales of the City, which led me to a life long friendship with my best gay mate, and Lonesome Dove, which I reread every year and obsess over. It's opened up new reading worlds to me.

The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer.

Biggest impact ever seriously was my mum reading the original, dark version of The Little Mermaid to me when I was about 4 years old. It turned me into a feminist :D I was distraught that she gave up everything - her voice, her family, her tail and had to walk in agony just so some tosser of a man could go, sorry love, I'm marrying someone else. It made me decide even at that tiny age that that would never be me. No man would ever be that important and cloud my judgement that badly.

The Great Gatsby. You can't beat the advice in the opening lines of the book, or Nick as an invisible hero next to Gatsby with all his beauty, passion, charisma and mystery. Also it showed me what great writing is.

Practically, Feel The Fear was a massive influence on me. I went almost overnight in my twenties from being unhappy and lost in life to knowing what to do about it.

Another practical book was one about how to get out of debt, which I followed to the letter and got rid of years of debt in six months. Can't remember its name but it was so good.

Really excited that several people have mentioned Women Who Run With Wolves. I bought it a few weeks ago but have not read it yet. I'll bump it up the list.

Lovely thread OP.

He's just not that into you. Saved me from a few frogs!

He's just not that into you came a few years too late for me! But I used it to 'counsel' my best mate :)

I had a book called 'get rid of him' which empowered me to get rid of my ex. He was a highly intelligent guy but he didn't even notice me reading it, it had GET RID OF HIM in big letters on a pink background. Fkin muppet.

When I was 14, I bought the F Plan diet at a jumble sale. I've eaten a high fibre diet ever since and consider All Bran to be a comfort food.

Not changed my life as such but changed me from always reading true life/autobiography books to fiction....
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. It was so well written that you could feel, see, smell etc, everything they were writing about iyswim

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I can't say it changed my life but it certainly changed the books I read. Not that there's anything wrong with reading any kind of book but I think it made me appreciate good writing rather than just looking for a story with a twist and an ending (if that makes sense!!) from there I went onto read A Little Life which just destroyed me and after that A secret history. I was bereaved after each of those books and couldn't pick up another book for a while Have now started on Charles Dickson's books (A Christmas Carol to start) and am loving it

Place marking! Also loved WH as a teen.

The Highway Code.

George Orwell: Animal Farm, The Road To Wigan Pier, 1984. All were like an electric shock to the brain....

More practically, Be A Free Range Human

I loved this too, but didn't really do anything about it. What did you take from it @hilariousnamehere ?

"Coming up for Air" by George Orwell.

First read it at 12. I've read it maybe twice a year since and as I've got older I've related more and more each year.

I'm now almost the same age as the protagonist and Christ, it's hitting hard. Especially in these times (it's set just before the Second World War).

It's a wonderful book.

A Country Child, by Alison Uttley.
The first ‘proper’ book I read as a child. I still keep a copy.

@BatleyTownswomensGuild I am huge Orwell fan.

A Country Child, by Alison Uttley

I read and re-read it obsessively as a child. I can still see the illustrations by CF Tunnicliffe in my mind's eye.

Tuesdays with Morrie. I've re read it several times over the years.
Made me appreciate every day normality.
Not to take things for granted and how giving our time gives us good feeling and fulfillment.

The curious incident of the dog in the night time. Read it when i was in my half 20s.
Life changing in the way that i realised how amazing it would be to be a writer and write about anything and anyone. It made me a blogwriter for years after that and boy the hapiness it brought. ..😊

Place marking!

Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman.

Affluenza by John degraf. A real eye opener about consumerism

I will offer up Wuthering Heights; bit of an obvious one, but I love how my perception of it changes year to year, from 'how romantic' (impressionable teen) to 'dysfunctional much'?!

I thought 'Wuthering Heights' the moment I saw the thread title, @SunshineYello.

But I'm afraid my reasons are a bit more mundane. It was the first non-abridged 'classic' I was able to read as a young teenager that I didn't find a slog.

ohhh the Outsider by Camus is a good easy short one (especially good for those who had difficult relationships with their mother)

@echt "A Country Child, by Alison Uttley" - what is this about? I'm intrigued!

He is not that into you- I used to fall for the shit ones until I read it.

Found the DSM iv (mandatory text book for clinical psych) so entirely fascinating and inspiring I quit the law degree I was on for the full psych degree..life changing..