Can you name 5 books that changed or had a big impact on your life?

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   karengibsonrocposted 13 years ago

   
   
   I recently wrote a hub about the 5 books that changed my life
   and got some great feedback...
   i thought maybe by posting the subject here we could share and exchange these book ideas...i would love to explore some of the books other people cherish and consider life changing!!

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   1. 65

      NateSeanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      1: Charlotte's Web when I was in third grade. It showed my teachers that I wasn't an idiot and that I actively read of my own volition.
      
      2: Interview with the Vampire when I was in tenth grade. It was the first truly adult book I had ever read. Only seconded by:
      
      3: Memnoch the Devil that same year. I had never read anything so explicit before that day and it opened my eyes to different kinds of writing.
      
      4: The Beach in my senior year of high school. A story that, to this day, makes me think about the path my life is taking. About how certain decisions and a need to be free of the confines that surround me can lead into even bigger and more restricting confines. How scars form only when you step outside the safety zone.
      
      5: Most recently it was Jodi Piccoult's House Rules. It challenged my belief system in how autism and Asperger's syndrome really works. About how different people can be effected by things at varying levels, but it takes the people around you to define who you are.
      
      I hope that's what you had in mind.

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      1. 67

         karengibsonrocposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         awesome!!! thanks for sharing...i love your reasons for choosing these books as books making an impact on your life!!!

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   2. 61

      qwarkposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I can only name 2:
      1. the dictionary
      2. my first set of the encyclopedia
      Ohhh! and alota comic books about superman, the flash, batman, capt marvel, submariner...on and on and on!
      Then the 150,045 science fiction books I read under the covers at night with a flashlight.
      oh jeez...hmmm lets see.....
      Awww, too many to list.
      Qwark   :

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2. 62

   Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

   The one that comes to mind first for me is "The Miracle Worker", which I read in grammar school. I was incredibly inspired by Anne Sullivan's role in Helen's life.
   
   The other one (and this is going to seem really weird, I'm guessing) was a big, unabridged, dictionary.  When I was a kid, whenever I'd be looking for something to read I'd often just browse/study the dictionary.  I loved it.  It wasn't just for the definitions.  The dictionary had all kinds of extra information in it.
   
   Oddly, maybe, I didn't end up with one of those vocabularies that includes all the really "bizarre" words.  It's just that I credit the dictionary for my spelling skill, but also my appreciation of words in general.     At the time, it just felt to me as if I had access to "every word in the world", which was appealing to me.  ("Oh, the power of it all, for a grammar-school kid")      

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3. 61

   katiem2posted 13 years ago

   1) The Little Princess
   2) Little Women
   3) The Alchemist
   4) The Last Lecture
   5) The Dream Giver

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   1. 67

      karengibsonrocposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I haven't read the Dream Giver...i will make it my next read!! thanks thanks thanks...karen

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4. 61

   paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

   "Can you name 5 books that changed or had a big impact on your life? "
   
   I would prefer one.

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5. 77

   brimancandyposted 13 years ago

   Not really. I can only think of a couple.
   
   1. Boys and Sex. (More of a mental health, medical book)
   I read this when I was 15. Seems like it didn't help me at all!!
   
   2. Consenting Adult. (Later made into a T.V. Movie)
   I also read this when I was a teenager. Good book for a gay kid.
   
   3. The Cat Ate My Gym Suit. (Book for teens)
   I really connected with this book. I was 14 when I read it.
   
   Books about movies and stuff like that, really don't have that much of an effect on me, although I did read "Burnt Offerings", and, that really sparked my interest in writing science fiction and horror.
   
   I also want to add "The Woods Are Dark." Kind of a creepy book about people who end up trapped in a town that is feeding it's visitors to aliens. It was a really strange and creepy story.

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6. 85

   rebekahELLEposted 13 years ago

   hmm,
   
   1) The Diary of Anne Frank - it made evil very real and the strength of the human spirit.
   
   2) The Little Prince- On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.*
   
   3) Walden- life is explained in nature and we discover only when we are aware and present
   
   4) Shakespeare - life is both tragic and beautiful
   
   5) it's a tie, but I think I'm going with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy
   
   *One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.

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   1. 67

      karengibsonrocposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Walden wasn't in my top 5 but is definitely one of those that did leave an impression!! thanks for sharing..peace and light..kgr

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7. 62

   Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

   I must have been immune to having my life changed  because I've always been a compulsive reader but can't think of any books (other than those I mentioned) that have changed my life.     For me, only people and events have changed my life, I guess.

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8. 80

   ahostagesituationposted 13 years ago

   I like this idea.  I'm not sure these are really my top 5, but I like the idea behind the post anyway. In no particular order:
   
   1.  Night--Elie Weisel
   
   2.  Hard Times--Charles Dickens
   
   3.  Under the Banner of Heaven--John Krakauer--discussion of the detriment of religion in our society
   
   4.  The Color Purple--Alice Walker, blend of music and written word, very musical style
   
   5.  The Holy Bible

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   1. 85

      rebekahELLEposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I almost posted Night also.. I think it's a must read book.
      
      I've never read The Color Purple, but I loved the movie.

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         PrettyPantherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I have not read Night, but it is now on my list.

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      PrettyPantherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I was really moved by The Color Purple.  The movie does the book justice, too.  I always cry no matter how many times I watch it.

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9. 0

   PrettyPantherposted 13 years ago

   I'm not sure that any books have changed my life, but many had a hand in shaping my views of humanity and culture.
   
   Sophie's Choice
   The Grapes of Wrath
   To Kill a Mockingbird
   The Confessions of Nat Turner
   The Painted Bird

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10. 77

    Penteposted 13 years ago

    1)Atlas Shrugged
    2)Psychology of Self-Esteem
    3)Zen of Motorcycle Maintenance
    4)The Bible - but a very negative impact on my life!
    5)Encyclopedias - They opened my mind to the world as a child.

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