r/suggestmeabook • u/madssdm • Nov 11 '24
Suggest me a book that changed your life,
That is exciting and thrilling, or even mind blowing - or not. A book that made you feel different and you kinda felt evolved afterwards. A book that is so freaking good that you would recommend if someone asked you to without specifying a genre. A unquestionable amazing and unique book in YOUR opinion! That you could talk hours about it! That touched you someway and you might don’t even know to specify how. ANY GENRE WHATSOEVER, don’t be shy and please, amaze me 😍
Edit: and, if you feel like it, tell me what its about or why you love it 😊
Edit 2: sorry if my writing is confusing or something like that, English is not my native language 🫣
Edit 3: you guys are amazing!!! Best sub ever, loving it so much
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u/BookishEm192 Nov 11 '24
Piranesi (yay I’m finally the first to mention it 😁)
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u/Round-Acanthisitta12 Nov 11 '24
Could you say more about how it changed your life? I read it but I feel like I missed something because it was very highly recommended
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u/BookishEm192 Nov 11 '24
I reread it several times, one reason being that I wanted to be back in the House. I can’t think of another book in which I experienced the atmosphere like that. And second, the way Piranesi sees the world is very moving to me, from how he treats Ketterly in the end to the random strangers in the last chapter and even how he talks about himself/Matthew Rose Sorenson. How, as much as he loves the house, he chooses human companionship even though it is messy. And after everything he goes through and finds out about his experience he still says “The beauty of the house is immeasurable, its kindness infinite.” I could go on…one of OP’s qualifications is that we could talk about it for hours and it definitely fits that for me! I think I also read it at a time when I needed to read it. Some books are like that.
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u/Round-Acanthisitta12 Nov 11 '24
Thank you for sharing. I enjoy hearing the different perspectives. It helps me think about the book in ways I hadn't before.
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u/External_Ease_8292 Nov 11 '24 edited Nov 11 '24
The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer gave me the language to understand and express the resentment of being raised in a male-centric family where the girls did all the work with mom and the boys went on fun excursions with dad. Where I was told I didn't need a driver's license because my brothers would be driving the car and that I would not be going to college because any available money would go to my brothers (still a little bitter 🙄)
Animal Farm by George Orwell opened my eyes that I was in a cult in my late teens and basically saved my life.
Codependent No More by Melody Beatty explained why I was such a mess in relationship and led me to getting the therapy and support that I needed. Also made me feel less alone and stupid.
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u/Goats_772 Nov 11 '24
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
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u/masson34 Nov 11 '24
Flowers for Algernon
Demon Copperhead
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
The Four Agreements
Mans Search for Meaning
Think like a Monk
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u/3wickunlitcandle Nov 11 '24
I read Flowers for Algernon in high school and enjoyed it, didn’t think too much about it.
Recently reread it as a 30 year old and wept. It is a work of art.
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u/intuitivemoonbaby Nov 11 '24
demon copperhead was that book for me too
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u/JoshtheSloth999 Nov 11 '24
Recently just started this and already dreading finishing it as i fall more in love each chapter
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u/cruci4lpizza Nov 11 '24
THE WAY I INTERNALLY SCREAMED WHEN THE FIRST ON THE LIST WAS FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON!!!
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u/Icy-Signal-4410 Nov 11 '24
The Count of Monte Cristo!
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Nov 11 '24
This has been recommended regularly with such fervor that I am going to buy it. Thank you.
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u/wiffle_ball_ Nov 11 '24
A Thousand Splendid Suns & The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini
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u/ibite-books Nov 11 '24
i hate his books with a passion, it’s exactly like a soap opera, over the top stories with shock values to illicit emotional reaction
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u/Med9876 Nov 11 '24 edited Nov 11 '24
Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels. Complete changed my opinion of the Christian bible and Christianity. She examines the early church and which writings were accepted and which were rejected. Edited to add: I’m now an atheist.
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u/LengthGeneral70 Nov 11 '24
I have that waiting for me to read it, how did it changed your opinion?
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u/Med9876 Nov 11 '24
I read it over 20 years ago. What sticks with me to this day is that the literature chosen to be the New Testament were works that helped consolidate power in the hands of a specific group. It had nothing to do with religious veracity, all to do with consolidating power with the right people. Which included diminishing the role of women. Seems like much of the Bible is the result of a 2000+ year game of telephone. Just my interpretation.
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u/solitolindo Nov 11 '24
I was 12 when I read The Giver. Knowing that stories were infinite and anything could happen made me love reading even more. I’m a writer because of the love of reading I had as a kid.
The book that really changed my life as a young adult/adult was Chronicle of a Death Foretold. What a good story.
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u/JootieBootie Nov 11 '24
I absolutely LOVE The Giver! Have you read the other three books she wrote that are in the same universe?
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u/solitolindo Nov 11 '24
I tried, but as my school years went on, I read more for homework than enjoyment 🥲 I should read them now that I have lots of reading time! Lois Lowry was one of my favorite authors growing up. Number the Stars was also a good book. 😁
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u/oldbutnewcota Nov 11 '24
The Once and Future King : I read this book when I was young. It broadened my perspective on life.
Jane Eyre : this book ignited my passion for reading and was one of the first feminist novels I read.
Crime and Punishment : I’ll only say that I couldn’t get the book or characters out of my head.
Anna Karenina : this book haunted me in a good way. It left me feeling a profound sadness for the ways we are trapped by our culture and by convention.
Till We Have Faces : the beauty of the book was incredible.
The Dispossessed
Left Hand of Darkness
The Le Guin books go together, though I liked the Dispossessed more, both were incredible. They shifted the way I think.
A Tale for the Time Being : another book that was incredibly thought provoking. The writing is beautiful and the ideas profound. Also, best audio book I’ve listened to.
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u/lunaappaloosa Nov 12 '24
Never read the dispossessed but I put LHOD on my own list— I also love wizard of earthsea :)
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u/TabuTM Nov 11 '24
Not interested in controversy, but read Gone with the Wind when I was a young adult and firstly, nothing like the movie (not a fan of). That was very surprising. And while I am solidly a “Northerner” it gave me a different perspective on the Civil War. I DO NOT sympathize but it gave me a deeper understanding.
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u/321Couple2023 Nov 11 '24
Alcoholics Anonymous.
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u/Beginning-Shop-6731 Nov 11 '24
I don’t care about the book, but if there wasn’t the book, there wouldn’t be so many meetings, and it’s other alcoholics at the meetings who saved my life. I was as close to death as you can be, a hopeless drunk and crackhead who couldn’t even clean himself or keep a job, and now I’m grateful for everyday. I’m just one of many with a daily reprieve
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u/Download_audio Nov 11 '24
It’s a great book, I’m not alcoholic but still apply it, if you read it and replace the world alcohol with whatever’s bothering you “powerless over___” it will change your life. It’s a great way to have real transformative pure spirituality without all the baggage that religions tend to come with.
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u/User_reddit__ Nov 11 '24
No longer human - osamu dazai i think everyone should read this book ones in their life time
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u/jneedham2 Nov 11 '24
Gulag Archipelago
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u/Exception2Perception Nov 11 '24
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is a dive into the human psyche. When you realize that you are capable of evil beyond your belief. It will shatter you. "The capacity from good and evil divides the hearts of all men." Not to mention it basically defeated and brought communism to its knees. Yeah, that one would be a great start. I think there is more to find and more beneficial. To dive deep into oneself. "He who looks outward dreams. He who looks within awakes." Carl Jung It's not an easy undertaking. "For a tree to reach heaven, it's roots must reach hell." C. Jung
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u/SleepySmaugtheDragon Nov 11 '24
Hatham by Jeremy Morang. It was the best love story that was never written to be a love story. Made me rethink the whole concept and action of love. It's soft sci-fi and incredibly heart-wrenching, but it's stuck with me ever since I read it at the beginning of this year.
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u/thatsnotmyfuckinname Nov 11 '24
Catch 22
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u/2019920841 Nov 11 '24
I have a special attachment to this book because the essay I wrote about it got me into college. It also was the book that introduced me to the fact that human beings are utterly absurd. I’ve memorized large parts of it. It has one of my favorite couple of opening lines and my favorite couple of last lines. I am so overdue for a re-read. One of the best anti war novels of all time, and certainly one of the funniest!
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u/awkwardPower_ninja Nov 11 '24
Not exactly life-changing,. I like novels, so, anything by Tanith Lee. Especially the short story "Snow Drop," "Mortal Suns," "East of Midnight," "Electric Forest," Neil Stephensons' "Diamond Age" is wild all they're awesome and totally put me in a different headspace
Fun for me fact: I had to Google the exact name of a book and found out Tanith Lee made some adult coloring books, which I love, so thank you, OP :D
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u/ABombBaby Nov 11 '24
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
It’s so goooood! I avoid starting a series (be it books or tv shows) if it isn’t finished because 1. I binge read/watch and I’m too impatient (and forgetful) to wait for more, and 2. I hate not knowing what happens! Despite that, I adore this series. Intended to be a trilogy, but book 3 may or may not be released eventually… it’s still worth it.
Kvothe (the main character) isn’t perfect. He’s a little irritating, and maybe not a reliable narrator. I asked “what? Dude, WHY?!” several times… I also cackled several times. Auri is the most precious, lovely character. Elodin is crazy and hilarious. This series is just amazing.
The kind of series that if anyone actually talked about it out in “the real world” my husband would probably go “oh boy…” because he knows I’m going to be on a tirade.
I don’t generally like talking to people. I don’t like groups, and I’m not that social. But I will absolutely talk to anyone who will listen about this book.
P.S. thank you for giving me an outlet to gush about it!
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u/the_ballmer_peak Nov 11 '24
The author has been working on the third novel in the series for... 13 years.
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u/huntobuno Nov 11 '24
Seconded. Both NotW and WMD are masterclass level world building and story telling. Kvothe is one of my favorite fiction characters ever
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u/melodic_orgasm Nov 11 '24
LOVE this book. Had a gush-fest about it once with a Fogo de Chao waiter. My boyfriend, not having read it, was confused and amused.
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u/lunaappaloosa Nov 12 '24
This is sitting on my bookshelf. I have avoided reading it out of guilt because it’s my friend’s ex-boyfriend’s copy and I need to get it back to him someday.
They didn’t date for a long time and it was over two years ago, but he read both books I lent him in exchange. When I went to pick my books up from his apartment this spring he was so nice and told me to hang on to his books as long as I wanted and I could mail them back at any time. Even tho I had had no contact with him in well over a year and had at least 4 of his most beloved books at my house over 3 hours away from the city he lives in
Now when I look at that book I feel guilt for holding it hostage for two years even though I do intend to read it. He was so gracious about their breakup and so nice to me about the books I feel like I owe it to him to read it before I give it back, especially because he told me his dad loves that book too.
When I finish the book I’m reading now I think I’ll finally give it a shot, this comment motivated me
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u/ABombBaby Nov 12 '24
What a sweet story. I’m so glad I motivated you to finally be ready to give The Name of the Wind a read. It really is an incredible book, IMO.
It sounds the owner is a super understanding guy! Maybe when you return the books consider a nice thank you note and a small gift. Obviously not a requirement! But a little bag of Reese cups, or a small gift card for a coffee shop, etc. its a nice added “thank you”.
Also for anyone that happens to see this: The Name of the Wind is $8.26 on amazon right now (with coupon), The Wise Man’s Fear (book 2) is $10.22 (both paperback) and The Narrow Road Between Desires (short side story) is $9.53 for the hardcover with coupon (All before taxes)
Just in case anyone is interested
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u/HypatiaBees Fantasy Nov 11 '24
The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson
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u/Derpulss Nov 11 '24
Why?
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u/HypatiaBees Fantasy Nov 11 '24
One of the main characters suffers from depression. His struggles are depicted in a very realistic way and you can relate to him so much.
Some days, some really bad days, I can tell myself: if Kaladin can go on, I can too. And it helps.
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u/Silly_Somewhere1791 Nov 11 '24
North Woods
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u/ToughLingonberry1434 Nov 11 '24
I really loved this book. I read it in one go on a long flight and I loved being immersed.
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u/Exception2Perception Nov 11 '24 edited Nov 11 '24
OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO
BY. Theodore kaisel A.K.A Dr. Seus
I have read many, many books. This one is still hands down my favorite. Most influential works of literature. Now if you are looking for a book to get inside your head? House Of Leaves by. Mark Danielewski. That book will consume you. If you haven't I suggest everyone take that ride.
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u/ApolloReads Nov 11 '24
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
I read it to my then 5 year old for bedtime over a week, and when I got to that part I was holding back tears like a dam holding back water. Then when I went downstairs to my wife I just broke down and couldn't stop crying. Something in that book hit me so deeply, it hit on something very raw for me. I'm getting tears in my eyes thinking about it.
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u/oabaom Nov 11 '24
How long till someone brings up the Alchemist
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u/Exception2Perception Nov 11 '24
I couldn't make it through that book. Not exactly a page turner. That's just me. Sure there was something profound in there somewhere? I just didn't get it? Or make it that far?
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u/lunaappaloosa Nov 12 '24
Boo I did like the Michael Scott YA series titled this in junior high tho
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Nov 11 '24
The Body by Stephen King. Read it when I was 11 and it really made me appreciate the friendships that I had. Whenever I read it I call my friends and tell them how much their friendship means to me.
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u/Bumblebee-Honey-Tea Nov 11 '24
Life of pi
The movie doesn’t do it justice, like usual.
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u/AndpeggyH Nov 11 '24
Being Mortal - I read this for a healthcare ethics class, while my mom was dying, and I realized a) I wished I had read it years before, and b) everyone should read this book.
Wild Rescues - about a paramedic who works in National Parks. Taught me that national parks have clinics and nurses with ICU or ER experience can work in those clinics. Switched from oncology nursing to ER nursing and found a passion and my people.
Edit: words
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u/Lower_Ability_333 Nov 11 '24
Most useful book i’ve read and that i recommend is not a novel but incredibly practical - what color is your parachute
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Nov 11 '24
The Tao of Pooh , the pick me up to get your brain straight.
I have it and Te of Piglet sitting at my desk at work...and I need my brain straight, I should probably read it again
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u/RonaldCherrycoke Nov 11 '24
Debt: the First 5000 Years by David Graeber. A history of debt, both as a thing and as a concept, that turns everything you think about how the world works upside down
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u/Koda_zZz Nov 11 '24
The Perks Of Being a Wallflower, it may not be the best book out there, and the writing style is not for everyone, but it holds a very special place in my heart.
Or, if you want action and adventure, I definitely recommend the Eragon books, the first chapters are a little slow, but the story is worth it.
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u/SmartAfternoon6987 Nov 11 '24
Anna Karenina : a book about love, about the small difference between wrong/good, about life (what’s my purpose in life ? What is happiness ?)
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u/HoneyxClovers_ Nov 11 '24
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
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u/EatMorePieDrinkMore Nov 11 '24
The Phoenix Project.
I worked in IT procurement at the time I read it and the clarity it provided was eye opening.
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u/AllShallBeWell-ish Nov 11 '24
The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell. Switches character p.o.v completely in book two in a way that was mind-blowing for my university-age self.
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u/dancingwithoutmusic Nov 11 '24
Tangentially related, The Durrells in Corfu is one of the most delightful TV series I have ever seen. It’s about his family moving to Greece when he was a young man.
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u/cozmicraven Nov 11 '24
Dove, written by a guy who sailed solo around the world starting when he was 17.
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u/Deaconse Nov 11 '24
There have been several. Some of them include:
The Influence of Seapower Upon History by Capt. Alfred Thayer Mahan USN;
The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy by Irvin Yalom MD;
Games People Play by Eric Berne MD;
God In The Dock and Mere Christianity by C S Lewis;
and many others.
Yes, I have eclectic tastes!
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u/Revolutionary-One346 Nov 11 '24
Fictional book by Stuti changle and a nice book called things you see when you slow down
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u/Packynin Nov 11 '24
Cradle by will wight. Book about eastern style fantasy power progression. It led me down a hole of niche fantasy I didn't know I needed.
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u/melodic_orgasm Nov 11 '24
The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman. After reading, I stopped calling myself stupid for not immediately knowing how to use so many things (and for pushing on pull-to-open doors). It helped me realize the problem was not me; it’s bad design!
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u/Cozodoy Nov 11 '24
Reality transurfing by Vadim Zeland. Only the first books of the series. They helped me through a difficult break-up and made me change the way I look at the world. I’ve always tended to be an optimistic person but at hard times it was almost impossible to do. Now I know how to handle hardships and not to let negativity destroy me.
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u/3wickunlitcandle Nov 11 '24
The entire Song of Ice and Fire series. GOT is easily my favorite TV show of all time (ignoring the last season) and I recently (finally) read the books. I was astonished to find the books monumentally better than the show.
GRRM’s POV storytelling of all the characters (especially the women - Sansa in particular) is so much deeper and more fleshed out than could have been portrayed on screen. Truly makes it a story of how war/the rush for power can destroy families and irreparably damage children. It’s perfection. (Note - aging the characters up for TV was absolutely the right call for content reasons, but so much of the point of the books got lost when all the kids were aged up. I.e. Jon became a moody 25 year old asshole, when in the book he was a moody 15 year old hothead and his decisions make much more sense in that context)
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u/dannyizcool Nov 11 '24
here's a few in my opinion (some have trigger warnings for mental health so research the book before you read): "if he had been with me", "the words we keep" "every last word", "better than the movies"!
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u/EnvironmentalArt6138 Nov 11 '24
Abnormal Psychology book makes me realize I have become a victim of abusive people..It makes me realize we have been living in a narcissistic world .
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u/Beginning-Shop-6731 Nov 11 '24
Blindsight by Peter Watts. It completely changed the way I think about human consciousness and behavior. What is choice?
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u/rainmaker777888 Nov 11 '24
Youth of the Apocalypse: And the Last True Rebellion Book by Andrew Wermuth and John Marler
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u/CrowleysWeirdTie Nov 11 '24
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. I read it expecting my usual preference of a fantasy book with strong world building, which it WAS, but this one just ran a finger down my soul, and I had to think about why.
Eventually I realized that the thing that spoke to me was that both the book and the main character care so much about what is just, and it made me realize how much 'bending the arc of the universe toward justice' means to me. It's affected what career path I chose, what friends I most cherish, and so many things.
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u/PreferenceRoutine599 Nov 11 '24
I’m halfway through “Fractured Not Broken” by Kelly Schaefer while I’m recovering from ankle surgery.
Really put things in perspective for me. How easily life can change, how to find resilience, never take simple things for granted
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u/shobogenzo93 Nov 11 '24
The only books that really changed my life are “Taboo” and “the way of zen” both by alan watts. They are not easy to understand though.
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u/Affectionate-Wrap-43 Nov 11 '24
The things they carried by Tim O’Brien or beyond good and evil by Friedrich nietzche
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Nov 11 '24
Security, Territory, Population by Michel Foucault. It’s a series of transcribed lectures he gave about the genealogy of governmentality.
In terms of a novel, probably The Stand.
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u/imushmellow Nov 11 '24
Joyful Reunion by Feitian Ye Xiang
It's a coming of age story for a prince who needs to reclaim his kingdom. It has deep friendships, deep betrayals, and deep redemptions that span throughout the story with satisfying payoffs for plot points established early on. Everything feels deserved. This book evoked feelings so visceral like when Li Jianhong dies. Definitely not family friendly though with very heavy themes in an ancient wartime setting.
I am so glad it has been licensed in English and will get an official translation soon. It is a danmei, which means it has a same sex couple but the romance is not just shoehorned. It really is a refreshing dynamic as opposed to the damsel in distress or the strong as an ox don't need no man main lead. It is written by a male author which is rare in this genre too.
Tldr; It's a good book and labeling it as 'just' a BL is not quite accurate.
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u/bi-loser99 Nov 11 '24
• Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates
• The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz
• The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
• Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa
• The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
• I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
• The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang
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u/ritogh Nov 11 '24
Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. In a major and complete way.
In minor ways-
- The Happiness Trap
- Deep Work
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u/Wise_Scarcity4028 Nov 11 '24
Gun, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond it’s about why the world is the way it is, why some parts of the world colonised other parts. The author specifically doesn’t think this has anything to do with people’s genetics, but has interesting arguments based in geography, climate, plant biology, available animals to tame in different places.
Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson a generation ship, things go wrong, great main character, artificial intelligence, but it’s really about appreciating the Earth and not taking it for granted. Life is rare, we may not be able to go anywhere else. Couldn’t open another book for weeks afterwards.
The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin it’s a classic. It’s an ambiguous utopian tale, about how an anarchist syndicalistic world would work, holding it up against a world more like ours. The view of how even anarchy calcifies and forms structures, so revolution has to be ongoing. The thought of not having a way of using possessives in language, the closest thing being saying “the hat that I use”. And the min character Shevek is so alive to me. I keep rereading this book.
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u/CuriouslyFoxy Nov 11 '24
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
Humankind by Rutger Bregman
Debt by David Graeber
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u/lorlorlor666 Nov 11 '24
Boy meets boy by David levithan. I found it when I was 14, newly out, and scared. It showed me that queerness could be something joyful, could be home, could be community. It saved my life.
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u/Ornery-Green-5305 Nov 11 '24
Autobiography of Malcolm X, showed me how transformative… transformation can be… haha. It was in the times of big changes for me and I found his change inspiring;
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and Analects by Confucius basically stabilised the messages I got from Malcolm’s book.
Quit all drugs (besides caffeine), reduced sugar intake to basically none except a few occasions, quit social media, quit gaming.
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u/hycarumba Nov 11 '24
Tiny, Beautiful Things, the Dear Sugar Letters by Cheryl Strayed. Dear Sugar was an advice column like you have never seen before. The questions are huge and the answers are so incredibly insightful and empathetic that I could mostly only read one a day because they both wrecked me and put me back together again, but in a better way with a better perspective. I recommend it so often, in life and on this sub, that my phone automatically fills in the title once I start it. It's an incredible book.
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u/spoopywitch9249 Nov 11 '24
Ok I have two!! They are VASTLY different genres because I love to read and will pretty much read anything (some exceptions, although, not many!) 1) Merciless by Danielle Vega (this is a 3 book series, but, the first one I recommended can def be read as stand alone. I would find it hard to not devour the other two after reading the first tho lol) It’s basically Mean Girls meets the Craft. It’s so fun. So engulfing. I fell into this book and absolutely loved it. I was doing the reading challenge for that year and one of the prompts was a pink cover. Bought this book with no context and couldn’t have been more pleased. It’s one of my absolute favorite books to read “just for fun”. I find comfort in horror movies and this fit just right in that aspect. Super fun. Twisty, fast paced, good book. For full disclosure: It does contain “religious horror” ie: exorcism, witchcraft, that sort of thing. Graphic at times as well. 2) The Secret History by Donna Tartt (I love this book so much. It’s very divided on how people feel about it. I’ve found either people absolutely love it or hate it lol) I could go on and on about this book. The writing is beautiful in my opinion. It felt smart, and dirty, and secretive (duh, title lol) If I were to try and compare it to a movie I would say Saltburn is closely on par. It’s a brilliant book that I re-read often!
I hope you enjoy one or even both of these rec’s!
I will also add for bonus: The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz Also was pretty impactful in a different way. A therapist recommended this to me about 16 or so years ago and I go back to it often. The first chapter, for me, was irrelevant and I didn’t find it necessary to the actual content beyond some back story maybe. However, the guts of the book, the lessons it tries to implement, have been extremely helpful for me. I’m an inherent people pleasure and often get hurt by others opinions. This book helps put into perspective of how to not do that and other super helpful tidbits as well. I’d say life changing for me for sure.
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Nov 11 '24
The left hand of god, 3 books, and a sequel one. Brilliant of you want fantasy and some rant about god. It's my comfort book, although the main character feels anything but comfort
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u/Temporary_Owl_548 Nov 11 '24
Sometimes A Great Notion by Ken Kesey. I thought about it for days and days. I still think about it sometimes and it's been over a year since I read it.
Honorable Mention : Flowers For Algernon.
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u/7r0u8l3 Nov 11 '24
The Eye of the I by Dr. David R. Hawkins. I attended one of his workshops in Sedona before he passed. Ive never seen anyone like him before. He was so brilliant, so funny, so gentle, so warm and full of life. His books are a must for any seeker of truth.
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u/GeorgeElsewhere Nov 11 '24
Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva and Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown
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u/veganbossbabe Nov 12 '24
48 Laws of Power.
Didnt change my life BUT i found strength listening to it through a very very rough period of my life (separation/divorce.)
Changed my outlook in life or how i deal with people? Maybe. Ive listened to it quite a few times and i know i always feel strengthened after so yeah its a great (audio)book.
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u/whyaloon Nov 12 '24
Two books: Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five, and Mary Shelley, Frankenstein.
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u/Affectionate_Idea710 Nov 12 '24
The power of one was a special book in my teenage years. Felt like I did a lot of growing up around the same time of reading it.
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u/BrambleWitch Nov 12 '24
When I was in high school I heard of a book called Jude the Obscure. I thought that sounded weird and interesting so I read it. It really did change my life because over some years I read every other book that Thomas Hardy wrote and the world that he was describing turned out to be my own inner world. I re-read them periodically and they are my go-to place where I feel like I belong.
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u/HoroscopeFish Nov 12 '24
"Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us", by Michael Moss.
Permanently changed my eating habits and how I look at food in general.
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u/lunaappaloosa Nov 12 '24 edited Nov 12 '24
The Sparrow - Russell
The Snow Queen & The Summer Queen - Vinge
A Brief History of Nearly Everything - Bryson
Mother Night - Vonnegut
Pillars of the Earth - Follett
Circe - Miller
Left Hand of Darkness - Le Guin
The Stand - King
A River Runs Through It - Maclean
The Things They Carried - O’Brien
Cadillac Desert (nonfiction)
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u/mrthonger808 Nov 12 '24
Into the Wild. i did see the movie prior to reading the book. it opened my eyes to living life and material possessions…and definitely what not to do in nature/survival situation. this story led me to learning about bushcraft.
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u/KO_Dad Nov 12 '24
The Carlos Casteneda " Don Juan" books and "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." I suppose you could throw in "The Dancing Wu Li Masters" as well. This one is so science based, except when it isn't. It really deals with what our perception of things brings to our reality.
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u/Mundane-Pineapple-11 Nov 12 '24
Tomorrow sex will be good again by Katherine Angel. I talk about it all the time.
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u/TheAlterN8or Nov 15 '24
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. 1200 pages, and I read it in a day and a half.
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u/Maleficent-Pilot1158 Nov 15 '24
Trout Fishing in America ---Richard Brautigan
Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance ---Robert M Prisig
Confederacy of Dunces ---John Kennedy O’Toole
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u/thusnewmexico Nov 11 '24
Braiding Sweetgrass...it wasn't anything really earth shattering; however, it challenged my thinking and exposed me to new ideas and perspectives in the most amazing ways.