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

[rosie79]

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?

2 books that blew me away:

Hanif Kureshi - Intimacy - a fantastic opening, just coincided with a crash with a certain time of my life

Ayn Rand - The Fountainhead - i'll never look at architecture in the same way again and I fell for Howard Roark

The 5 people you meet in heaven - got me thinking but at our bookclub it wasn't for everyone.

Ooooh yes Missy, The Fountainhead is fab

It is on the bookshelf behind me, one of my "must read that again soon" books!

I should add, I too never understood what was so fantastic about the Alchemist. I read it with a 'hmpf, is that it?'

Also, I never understood the fuss with Little Women. I wish I had read it much earlier in life.

i was lent it blackmagic - I'd never heard of it and was shocked at how damn good it was! need to buy it and read it again; enough years have passed to give me the energy to read it again!

Greensleeves Thanks so much for letting me know about the Land of Far Beyond

I loved The Five People You Meet In Heaven too (and Tuesdays With Morrie) but the only other person I know who's read it, hated it.

I couldn't bear to even open the pages of American Psycho.

Dr Sears - my first glimpse of attachment parenting. After the usual diet of parenting books, including you-know-who's, his views were very liberating.

I've had 5 people you meet in heaven sat on my bookshelf for about a year now!! I really must read it.

to kill a mockingbird???????
O heard about this movie, not the book, but was under the impression it was about an american child that was a so called Feral child....am I maybe confusing things?

Little women, to me in a way is special, I love the movie, prefer teh old katherine Hepburn version, but still like the Wynona Ryder one....but little women was the 2. proper book I read in english and actually understood, lol.....my first being Daddy Long legs, again based on a old film with leslie caron this time....I read Little women by candlelight for most of my labour wiht es, in the bath, just lovely and so relaxing

wome who love to much - for abused women.

women

AS a girl I loved all the Judy Blume books - made you fell it was ok to be you.
As an adult - bit of a cliche but The Colour Purple by Alice Walker and have to agree about T Kill A mockingbird - which tackles racism, disability, parent- child relationships, everything, superb.
But have to thank Enid Blyton for getiing me into reading as a small child read all famous 5/ secret 7/ St Claires and Malory Towers.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. I think by Judith Kerr. It made a huge impression on me and probably got me fascinated in ww2 - particularly the social rather than political aspects.
Jane Eyre - always read it when I was ill. I loved the recent drama on TV, brought it all back to me..

The Five People You meet in Heaven is definately a great book, wouldn't say it changed my life though.

Hey Sheraz, I too read Judy Blume as a child and it helped me get through the turbulent pree teens!

'Three in a Bed' on co sleeping with your baby. I read it when pregnant with my first and didn't realise at the time what a big impact it would have on my parenting.

As a child I loved Enid Blython Books, mainly her Boarding school ones...always thought what a cool life...well, reality is probably rather different, lol, but ykwim!

"to kill a mockingbird???????
O heard about this movie, not the book, but was under the impression it was about an american child that was a so called Feral child....am I maybe confusing things?"

oops checked it out, the movie I meant is called "Mockingbird don't sing"

To Kill a Mockingbird is about a girl in pre-Civil Rights Alabama whose mother died when she was about 2 and who is brought up by her widowed father, an attorney.

Who represents a black man accused of raping a white woman.

Can't say there's anything 'feral' about Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch, the novel's little heroine.

Rosie - I agree "The Five People" isn't strictly life-changing but it's certainly thought-provoking and as a paid up atheist, it certainly made me at least consider my mind-set!!

Janeite- yes it is thought provoking and can see how it could help change people's mind-sets. Wasn't belittling other people's views by saying it wasn't life-changing, it just wasn't for me as by the time I read the book I was already thinking a lot in this area and so mind-set had already changed.

Sorry, I think I am rambling, it's late and past my bed time!

To Kill a mockingbird

All I needed to know about life I learned in Kindergarten

Of Mice and Men

In Cold Blood/Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote (my favourite author since i was a teen....named our lil un after him).

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson

A to B and back again - Andy Warhol (a collection of his telephone conversations to strangers from the 60's/70's)

Modesty Blaise - Peter O'donnell - as a teen she was (and still is alongside Holly Golightly!) the perfect woman!....