Books that have changed your life?

[Elanor the Fair]

"Cry, The Beloved Country", by Alan Paton

I read this book when I was a teenager and it opened my eyes to the injustices of the world.

(And of course, "The Lord of the Rings" must rate a mention as the most life-changing book since it has kept me occupied for thousands of hours )

[Nurvingiel]

I agree Adonai, "Of Mice and Men" was a very, very sad book. But it was good. It reminds me that I also want to read "The Grapes of Wrath".

And since people seem quite fond of this book in this thread... I'm going to put "Till We Have Faces" on the list.

Now... I read this great book ages ago, in which a high school is made to play a large-scale game for social studies class. Every student in the class draws a coloured strip of cloth from a bag. There were about four colours, and each represented a "class". The higher classes got certain priviledges in the school.
Soon, there were disagreements between the different classes, even though the poeple in them were randomly selected. Finally, some of the people got sick of the game, and staged a protest with the different colours of arm bands sewn together. Some people from the highest class opposed them.
I thought this book was "The Color Purple", but it is not. Has anyone read this book? I loved it, and I want to read it again.

[Lotesse]

"Makes Me Wanna Holler", by Nathan McCall

[Nurvingiel]

That one looks great! (Makes me Wanna Holler). I love biographies about interesting people.

So many books, so little time... (Now I want to read Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale").

[Lotesse]

"Kafir Boy", by Mark Mathabane. You'll never think the same way about buying diamonds again.

[Adonai Dragonwagon]

I had the opportunity to read The Grapes of Wrath earlier this year for an English literature circle, (in a group... oh, how I hate group work!) but I missed the opportunity in favor of Flowers for Algernon. That is also a very good book, but an easier one that it's not really necessary to do an in depth literary analysis on. Of course, I only chose the book I did choose because of a certain blonde uber-nerd at my school who is literally a virtuoso violin player, and incurably shy, in an attempt to make friends. However, he left the group before we even started reading the book, which I suspect was because of my precense, and I was stuck with a lazy group that made me do everything, but without Grapes of Wrath. I need to read it, though; it looks really good, and I'm going through a phase where I'm into depressing realistic books like that.

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

I have thought of another great one:
James Herbert's Fluke and also The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy(all 5 books) by Douglas Adams, so my list now reads:
__________________________________________________ ______________
1984 - George Orwell
Animal Farm - George Orwell
The Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx
My Life - Leon Trotsky
War and Peace - Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy
The Silmarillion - J R R Tolkien
The Book of Wisdom - Tenzing Gyatso XIVth Dalai Lama
Hitler's Legacy - David Alexander
The Andromeda Strain - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Fluke - James Herbert
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams
Life, the Universe and Everything - Douglas Adams
So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish - Douglas Adams
Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams

[Lotesse]

Have you read "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"?

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

Originally Posted by Lotesse

Have you read "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"?

no yet, it is on my "to read" list, along with terry pratchett's 'discworld' books

[BeardofPants]

I don't see enough people reading Frank Herbert's Dune.

[Beren3000]

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

I don't see enough people reading Frank Herbert's Dune.

Hello, Bop! I understand you've been away for a while (I haven't been around that much either, so I wouldn't know); in that case, welcome back
You know, I've heard you recommending Dune before, and I'm kinda looking for a new fantasy series to read. Care to elaborate on why these books are worth reading? (If it sounds OT in this thread just post in another thread or PM me)

[Spock]

With regards to the topic of this thread mine would be: "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountain Head".

[Beren3000]

A book that really changed the way I think is Herman Hesse's Demian.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

I don't see enough people reading Frank Herbert's Dune.

Maybe you should visit more often and make us.

[BeardofPants]

Originally Posted by Beren3000

Hello, Bop! I understand you've been away for a while (I haven't been around that much either, so I wouldn't know); in that case, welcome back
You know, I've heard you recommending Dune before, and I'm kinda looking for a new fantasy series to read. Care to elaborate on why these books are worth reading? (If it sounds OT in this thread just post in another thread or PM me)

Read 'em, cos if ye don't, I'll kick yer in the nuts?
Okay, seriously - the books are a good read. The first one can be a stand-alone if needs be. The characters are unforgettable. The concepts of the storyline are/were unique, and it's a page-turner. What more could you ask for?

[Lotesse]

Spock - I'm so glad you mentioned those Ayn Rand books, I'd forgotten all about them over these last few tumultuous years and have been wanting to read them for ages & ages - gonna try to buy them today. Plus, BoP- I've heard good things from others, as well, about Dune. Hmmmm, looks like my reading tasks are set before me.
Anyone read Charles Bukowski? Try the book Hollywood - good stuff.

[Beren3000]

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

Okay, seriously - the books are a good read. The first one can be a stand-alone if needs be. The characters are unforgettable. The concepts of the storyline are/were unique, and it's a page-turner. What more could you ask for?

Thanks!

[Elenwen06]

I've read a lot of books that helped change how I lived my life. They include the following:

The Lord of the Rings (obviously) (Tolkien)
Animal Farm (Orwell)
Little Women (I don't remember right now)
Peter Pan (Barrie)
The Secret Garden (Frances H. Something or Other)
The Little Princess (Same as above)
The Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck) (but in a much different way than you guys are probably thinking... goodness knows how much I hated that book)
Tuesdays With Morrie (I don't remember right now)
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (Twain)
1984 (Orwell)
And, more than anything, The Holy Bible (God)

I don't know why these books influenced me so much (except for the Bible), but they did. I mean, who would think that Little Women or Peter Pan would change someone's life, right? But they did, and that's all that matters.

[Spock]

I'd have to add The Hobbit and the LOTR Trilogy....indeed most of us would or we wouldn't be here IMO

[katya]

The Holy Bible... just kidding

Douglas Adams books have not necessarilly changed my life, but they have changes a little how I see things. It's not that I see things in the same way all the time but now I *can* and that makes a difference.

Lord of the Rings didn't change my life in the same way, it has certainly changed the way I've spent a lot of time so I guess that's a change in my life.

I think pretty much every decent book changes my life for a couple days. The most lasting effect though has come from a lot of Japanese books and things. Before, I didn't really have much of a sense of pride or honor, now I'd say my pride is one of the most important things to me.

The "Marvelous Pit of Procreation" book (not the real title, just a temporary joke title) is a book I'm writing myself now, and it's changing my life. Because of time, because it changes my opinion on writing itself, and because it makes me thing about things.