32 Books That Will Actually Change Your Life

4/10/2014 32 Books That Will Actually Change Your Life

http://www.buzzfeed.com/erinlarosa/books-that-will-actually-change-your-life#ronxvq 1/31

1. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Via andreamenendez.com

This heartbreaking memoir, written by Jean-Dominique Bauby, follows the life of anarcissistic editor turned ward of the hospital after a sudden stroke leaves himparalyzed and unable to communicate. It’ll make you realize how important thepeople in your life are, and how precious every moment really is. Did I mention youmight weep through the whole thing?

2. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

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Via designrelated.com

Need a little more impetus in your life?

Read this philosophical novel, and Robert Pirsig will help you realize how importantit is to actually care about what you’re doing. In other words, if you’re fixing amotorcycle, then really fix it. Don’t listen to music, or do something elsesimultaneously. Do what you need to do, and take pride in it.

3. Cat’s Cradle

http://designrelated.com/portfolio/rawshock/entry/57210



Via cargocollective.com

Of all the Vonnegut you could possibly read, this is the one that will raise the mostquestions — in a great way. Jonah, our narrator, wants to write a book about theinventor of the atomic bomb, Dr. Frank Hoenikker.

This book will make you question whether or not there should be a limit to thepursuit of knowledge. And it’ll get you to think about the power of weapons, andhow even the most competent people can make mistakes with them. Plus, with all ofthat science comes the exploration of religion, or the futility of it, really.

4. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

http://cargocollective.com/whitneypeek/cat-s-cradle



Via billleonebookseller.com

This book is special because it gives voice to a type of person that often isn’t writtenabout in fiction. That narrator is a 15-year-old boy named Christopher John FrancisBoone, and he’s a brilliant mathematician who also happens to suffer from abehavioral disorder. (Some say Asperger’s, others suggest autism, but author MarkHaddon is adamant that it’s not about any one specific disorder.) Either way, this willhelp you think about prejudices and preconceived notions.

5. One Hundred Years of Solitude

http://www.billleonebookseller.com/



Via chamberfour.com

Because it’s so wonderful to get sucked into the world of Macondo, it’s easy toforget that One Hundred Years of Solitude isn’t just a masterpiece of magicalrealism. It’s an allegory for colonialism, the human condition, and the political strifein Latin America.

6. Invisible Monsters

http://chamberfour.com/tag/read-this-book-now/



Via whatculture.com

Full disclosure: This book is disturbing. Like, a model gets shot in the face with arifle and goes on a journey to find out who did it kinda disturbing. That being said,the writing and structure, much like the story, proves that nothing is ever as itseems. And ultimately, this is a lesson and exploration of what it is to really lovesomeone.

7. White Oleander

Via offbeatmama.com

Life will make or break you, and when Astrid’s mother is sent to prison for murderinga former lover, Astrid is put into foster care in Los Angeles. That’s enough to breakanyone, but what we see is that she manages to survive, and relies on her innerstrength to do that. (Inspirational much?!)

8. In Cold Blood

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Via dailyfoolishness.com

This nonfiction novel revolves around the murder of the Clutter family in 1959, andwhy the murderers, Perry and Dick, committed their crimes. Author Truman Capoteleads us in without judgment, and in doing so lets us come up with our ownconclusions about the penal system, justice, and the nature of violent crimes.

9. Middlesex

http://dailyfoolishness.com/2012/06/25/reading-in-cold-blood/



Via forthesomedaybook.wordpress.com

This stunning novel revolves around Calliope Stephanides (or Cal), and it’s a greatread for anyone interested in gender and taking a closer look at how family andbiology shape your identity.

10. Play It As It Lays

http://forthesomedaybook.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/book-review-middlesex/



Via martinanewhook.com

Play It As It Lays is a story about Maria Wyeth, a Hollywood actress who has lostcontrol of her life and identity. It’s a tragic read that will force you into deep self-reflection, as it exposes the fact that we live in a culture where nothing is quite goodenough.

11. Ada, or Ardor

http://martinanewhook.com/2011/10/06/catharsis-like-no-other-didions-play-it-as-it-lays/



Via billleonebookseller.com

Don’t get me wrong, I love Lolita — it’s an absolutely perfect novel. But Ada, orArdor is so much more complex. Amidst the romance plot of Van Veen and hiscousin Ada is a larger theme on the nature of time — and how it can changeeverything and nothing.

12. Beloved

http://www.billleonebookseller.com/



Via npr.org

This suspenseful novel follows Sethe, who was freed from slavery but never reallyescapes her memories. It’s an unflinching look into the horrors of slavery, but evenmore than that, it will fill you with hope.

13. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3912464



Via education.wisc.edu

Junior grew up on a Spokane Indian Reservation, but he’s also a budding cartoonistwho dreams of getting off the rez. This book is funny, smart, and heartbreaking, butbecause of all that, it will make you question the idea of destiny.

14. Push

http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailBook.asp?idBooks=2329



Via tinkabellia.wordpress.com

You don’t know a thing about the power of redemption until you meet PreciousJones. This book is gut-wrenching and horrifying, but it will ultimately inspire anyoneto feel like they can overcome the odds.

15. It

http://tinkabellia.wordpress.com/page/2/



Via shachza.deviantart.com

Granted, this is Stephen King, so it’s going to be a scary read. That being said, thisstory about a group of children being terrorized by some anonymous entity goesbeyond surface-level horror. It opens up a dialogue about childhood trauma and thepower of memory, as well as the unspoken ugliness that hides in small-town values.

16. Under the Banner of Heaven

http://shachza.deviantart.com/art/Stephen-King-s-quot-It-quot-Book-Cover-277303683



Via laurahird.com

The amazing part of Krakauer’s nonfiction novel is that while it’s incrediblycomprehensive — encompassing the early foundation of the Mormon church to thepresent-day scandals — it’s also a complete page-turner. This book will make youquestion your own faith as it examines the faith of a relatively new religion.

17. Me Talk Pretty One Day

http://laurahird.com/showcase/mfriasmay4.html



Via library.astblogs.org

David Sedaris is hilarious, period. But in Me Talk Pretty One Day he manages toweave all of his funny and true stories with the idea that humans have a problemwith communication. His strange experiences with people will make you questionhow you communicate on a daily basis. (And he manages to pull it off with thereader barely noticing. How’s that for improved communication skills?!)

18. World War Z

http://library.astblogs.org/2013/02/04/book-review-me-talk-pretty-one-day-david-sedaris/



Via blogofmanly.com

Yes, believe it or not, a book about zombies can change your life. That’s becauseit’s not just about eating brains, it looks at cultural divides, politics, war, and conflictsthat seem petty once the fate of the world is at stake. It’s an eye-opener that justhappens to also be filled with awesome zombies.

19. The Giver

http://www.blogofmanly.com/2013/05/22/world-war-z-book-review/



Via literarytreats.wordpress.com

This book takes us into Jonas’ world, where there is no pain and everything iscontrolled. Until he turns 12, which is when he learns that there is pain, and fear, andpassion, and emotions that he’s never experienced before.

Ultimately, this book has the gift of reminding you that life is pain, but that is whatmakes life so wonderful. We make choices that may be the wrong ones, but theygive our life purpose.

20. The Fault in Our Stars

http://literarytreats.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/review-the-giver-the-gift-edition-lois-lowry-illustrated-by-bagram-ibatoulline/



Via npr.org

Warning: This book will make you weep and weep, until there’s no more weepingleft to do and all you’re left with are the characters, story, and beautiful languagethat will inevitably inspire you to live life and really enjoy every moment.

21. A Brief History of Time

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/17/145343351/the-fault-in-our-stars-love-in-a-time-of-cancer



Via randomhouse.com.au

Being that this is a book by Stephen Hawking, it isn’t the easiest in the world toread. That being said, it’s incredibly smart, and if you can manage to get past thefirst few chapters, you’ll start to see that the big message here is all about time, andthat it has a clear direction. If anything, reading this book will make you feel a littlecloser to understanding the universe (i.e., it’ll make you smarter!).

22. Sophie’s World

http://www.randomhouse.com.au/



Via martadlugolecka.blogspot.com

“Who are you?” and “Where does the world come from?” are the two questions that14-year-old Sophie Amundsen is faced with. So begins this outline of Westernphilosophy set in a fictional story. It’s an incredibly accessible path to thinking aboutphilosophy, and it sheds light on the importance of certain discoveries andadvances in our society.

23. Crime and Punishment

http://martadlugolecka.blogspot.com/2010/10/sophies-world_1662.html



Via newtonboothblog.wordpress.com

This is a heavy book, but it’s also an amazingly detailed look at the inner workingsof the human mind and the repercussions of committing a crime.

24. Life of Pi

http://newtonboothblog.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/ooley-theatre-brings-dostoevsky-to-the-neighborhood/



Via saltmanz.com

Much as the book cover suggests, there’s a tiger, and this is the story of a youngboy from India who’s stranded at sea in a lifeboat with said tiger. Yikes. Somepeople might mistakenly think that this is about religion, but what it’s really about isjust that you should believe in something — whether that be God, the world,goodness, or yourself. The end message is that life is filled with possibilities, if youlet it be.

25. Invisible Man

http://www.saltmanz.com/pictures/Cover%20Scans/Book%20Covers/Life+of+Pi.jpg.php



Via penguin.com.au

The great thing about this book is that it seems like it’s about one unnamedprotagonist dealing with race issues. But underneath all that, it’s about humankind,and how we’re all stumbling along, trying to find ourselves. This book will teach youthat actions really do speak louder than words. And what’s true for you isn’t true foranyone else.

26. Joy of Cooking

http://www.penguin.com.au/



Coming from someone whose finest moments happen in front of a microwave, I cansay that this book is a lot different than most cookbooks. The tone is conversational,and it’s filled with recipes, tutorials, and short pieces that actually convince you totry out some new things. Everyone should read this, because it will actually makecooking fun!

27. Catch-22



Via heathcates.com

First of all, Catch-22 is just plain funny, and that makes it wonderful all on its own.But it’s also a really great read, because it skillfully points out the absurdity of war.

28. The Train

http://heathcates.com/2012/book-of-the-week-catch-22/



Via timeoutchicago.com

This novella is brief, but t manages to encompass the terror and horror of the Nazisinvading a bucolic suburb in France. Our unlikely hero is Marcel Ferón, who has anaffair after the invasion leaves him separated from his pregnant wife. It explores theidea of living in the moment and will make you question whether or notdisassociating from your responsibilities is ever OK.

29. The Artist’s Way

Via fengshuidana.com

The Artist’s Way is almost more of a course book than an actual book, but if you

http://www.timeoutchicago.com/

http://www.fengshuidana.com/2013/02/25/creative-lifestyle-must-have-the-artists-way/



need to unlock your creative side, then this will do exactly that. By following thebook, you are choosing to turn on your creativity.

30. The Beautiful & Damned

Via sternrarebooks.com

More money, more problems. Or so it goes for the novel’s protagonist, AnthonyPatch, and his wife, Gloria. This book deals with extreme wealth and the devastatingeffects alcoholism can have.

31. Prodigal Summer

http://www.sternrarebooks.com/



Via hmcbrayer.blogspot.com

In this book, we meet three different characters whose stories eventually intertwine.It all takes place in southern Appalachia and deals with their relationships towardthe balance of nature around them. It will make you question your own relationshipwith evolution, and put into perspective what a small part of that we really are. Thenovel also explores the ideas of life and death, love, and the importance of thecommunity around you.

32. Never Let Me Go

http://hmcbrayer.blogspot.com/2011/05/things-im-loving-lately.html



Tagged: book, books, geeky, jeffrey eugenides, joan didion, lis, list, nerd, truman capote, vladimir nabokov

Via read-irresponsibly.com

There’s nothing easy about reading Never Let Me Go, because it has an honestythat will make you question so many things. Like the social alienation of specificgroups of people, and the painful fact that love can be lost or missed, all because oftiming. It’s beautiful, haunting, and complex. Did I also mention it’s science fiction?Yeah, go read this.

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32 Books That Will Actually Change Your Life

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