"It Changed My Life And My Perspective" – These Books Really Changed The Lives Of The People That Read Them

    "I had that book for YEARS until it finally disintegrated."

    Benjamin Dzialdowski
    by Benjamin Dzialdowski

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Reading a book can bring us all sorts of emotions, but some well and truly stay with us.

    Nickelodeon

    Well, we were recently discussing the books that changed our lives, and well, we thought why not share a few more? So here are 14 more books that changed people's lives:

    1. Lad: A Dog – Albert Payson Terhune

    Cover of the book "Lad: A Dog" featuring an illustration of a Collie and the author's name, Albert Payson Terhune
    A Terhune Book

    "I cried each time I read it but I loved it so much that I didn't return it to the book mobile. I had that book for YEARS until it finally disintegrated."

    —happyhawk891

    2. The Jungle Book – Rudyard Kipling

    Cover of "The Jungle Book" with a boy, bear, panther, orangutan, and other animals in a jungle, illustrated by Migy Blanco. By Rudyard Kipling
    HarperCollins

    "The first book I remember falling in love with was a copy of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book I found rummaging through an old, abandoned school building in 1958 with my third grade friend. Mowgli, Baloo, Shere Khan, and other characters fired my imagination and filled me with wonder about foreign places. 

    —happyhawk891

    3. Watership Down – Richard Adams

    Cover of "Watership Down" 40th Anniversary Edition by Richard Adams, featuring an illustration of a hare with trees and two smaller hares in the background
    Penguin

    "I read it originally when I was about 12 years old and have re-read it six more times since. I'm now 56 and plan on buying a new copy to read it again."

    —comfypony20

    4. My Son, My Son – Howard Spring

    A man in a suit relaxes in a canoe on a lake. The text reads: "My Son, My Son" by Howard Spring
    Apollo Library

    "The book that made a huge impression on me was My Son, My Son by Howard Spring. I read it as a teenager about 60 odd years ago."

    —crispyhouse71

    5. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Mildred D Taylor

    Book cover of "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" by Mildred D. Taylor, 40th Anniversary Special Edition, features an illustration of a serious girl standing with arms crossed
    Dial Books

    "It was eye opening, powerful, and full of pain and beauty. That novel taught me a lot".

    —radpumpkin62

    6. Be Here Now – Ram Dass

    Geometric design featuring a white chair at the center of intertwined circles. Repeating text around the design reads "Remember Be Here Now."
    Crown Publications

    "It changed my life." 

    —kellye49cd5daca

    7. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

    The Hunger Games book cover by Suzanne Collins. Black background, text says "Constant suspense... I couldn't stop reading" by Stephen King.
    Scholastic

    "It taught me to fight for what's right."

    —boringbubble19

    8. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

    Cover of Aldous Huxley's book "Brave New World," with stylized text and a globe in the foreground. Margaret Atwood's quote, "A Masterpiece of Speculation."
    Vintage Classics

    "It certainly features a lot of themes relevant to today."

    —donnellaw2

    9. Imogen, Obviously – Becky Albertalli

    Book cover of "Imogen, Obviously" by Becky Albertalli, depicting a girl with long hair holding a book, with a park scene in the background
    HarperCollins B and Blackstone Publishing

    "It was Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli that did it for me! It changed my life and my perspective of myself and who I was, that I was valid and that I didn’t have to question myself anymore."

    —empresspenguin

    10. Anne of Green Gables – Lucy Maud Montgomery

    Cover of "Anne of Green Gables" by Lucy Maud Montgomery. It shows a young girl with red hair in braids, holding an open book, dressed in an old-fashioned blouse
    Macmillan Collector's Library

    "I talked way too much as a kid, would often daydream 5-6 hours a day, play outside with nothing more than a stick and my imagination. So you know when I read Anne of Green Gables for the first time when I was 11, I felt so safe and SEEN.

    I fell in love with everything Anne. I would read that book over and over and over and still do as an adult. I have a very rare copy, but I am on copy number five, that's how worn out they become. 

    I've read the others, but the OG AOGG is my favourite book of all time and I never get tired of it. I'll read it as an old bitty and mourn my youth, then probably go outside with my stick and hat and play witches again."

    —morgan_le_slay

    11. The Midnight Library – Matt Haig

    Cover of the book "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig, featuring endorsements by Zoe Ball and The Sunday Times
    Canongate Books

    "It taught me not to dwell on the 'what ifs'."

    —normalpersonperson

    12. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 – Sue Townsend

    Book cover of "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4" by Sue Townsend, featuring a character hiding his face behind a green book
    Penguin

    "It taught me so much, and us one of the funniest things ever written."

    —blahblahonions

    13. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

    Book cover of "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown featuring a cryptex device and the Louvre Pyramid in Paris
    Corgi

    "I was raised as a devout Catholic. It turned me agnostic."

    —lazgreglam

    14. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – Mark Manson

    Cover of the book "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life" by Mark Manson
    Harper Paperbacks

    "That book changed my life and perception of situations for the better."

    —matthewbinfield

    What are the books that inspired you or changed your life? Let us know in the comments below!

    Thumbnail credits: NBC, Warner Bros. Pictures

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