Has A Book Changed Your Life? Tell us about it.
Julie:
I have a really hard time with this question because so many people ask you “what is your favorite book” or “what book changed your life” and honestly, there isn’t one be all end all book that I can name. There are many books that have wowed me or shocked me and maybe some that have played a role in my life somehow. I think it is that last part that might help answer this question.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B009CUTC7G” locale=”US” tag=”chapbrea05-20″]Gone with the Wind[/easyazon_link] played a big role in my life as it introduced me to my first love and later ex, and also to my best friend. I was a choir geek and it was just one of the movies that were featured in our production, and yours truly got to be Miss Scarlett.
[easyazon_link identifier=”0316015849″ locale=”US” tag=”chapbrea05-20″]Twilight[/easyazon_link] played a big role in that it helped give me back my love of reading after a really long break during high school, college, and part of my “adulting” life. It reminded me why I used to gobble up books like candy and got me back into reading YA, which is still my favorite genre.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00AQ3K8IU” locale=”US” tag=”chapbrea05-20″]Hopeless[/easyazon_link] brought me Rose (hi friend, we miss you, are you reading this?). It wasn’t the first book we met through, but it was the one we bonded over and obviously played a role in naming this blog. Rose’s book club is where I met Lynn, so it is all connected.
I’m sure there’s lots more I can list, but I’ll stop at 3.
Lynn:
Julie is always stealing my ideas! I was totally going with Hopeless as well. So instead, I’ll go with [easyazon_link identifier=”0425266745″ locale=”US” tag=”chapbrea05-20″]Easy[/easyazon_link]. With Easy, as well as Hopeless, I discovered that romance, even YA romance, could have an emotional component. Sure, I had read romances before these books, but those books never pulled me in like Easy.
The [easyazon_link identifier=”0545162076″ locale=”US” tag=”chapbrea05-20″]Harry Potter[/easyazon_link] books changed my life for sure. I didn’t read these until 5 or so years ago, as I didn’t really think I would enjoy them. How wrong I was. I feel like there is a whole community around the Harry Potter books. And movies for that matter. And that if you are ever in need of a conversation starter with a stranger, you always have a topic in Harry Potter.
When I was probably 13 or 14, I discovered the [easyazon_link identifier=”0553593455″ locale=”US” tag=”chapbrea05-20″]Clive Cussler[/easyazon_link] books. Because both of my parents read them. It was a connection that between us during those “turbulent” teen years. Something that we could share and discuss together.
[…] week, Chapter Break posted an interesting discussion about books that changed your life. I’m not sure I have a defining book that changed my life in a dramatic way, but I definitely […]
First of all, I’m sticking to fiction here. I don’t even want to go into non-fiction. I have a lot of favorites, but I can actually choose one fiction book that changed my life. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers forever redefined real love for me. I actually made my husband read it before I would even go on a first date with him so we’d be on the same page! (In retrospect, how did he not run away screaming???!! I was a little intense back then.) 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful list at Booknificent Thursday this week!
Tina
Twilight did the exact same thing for me – I think it actually brought a lot of people back to reading, which is kind of funny considering how much flack it gets. I just read another post about Easy a minute ago, believe it or not. I plan to read that one VERY soon!
Yes Easy is one of those awesome books that everyone has to read too.
[…] Lynn & Julie @ Chapter Break discuss books that changed their lives […]
So I think I can actually answer this one kind of easily! (YAY!) I mean, it’s got to be The Hunger Games (how NOT surprised are you by this answer?). If I had not read that book, I would not be typing to you. I don’t know that I ever would have gotten back into reading (and certainly not with as much enthusiasm as I did), and who knows if I ever would have picked up YA? I mean, yes, it is also my favorite series of all time, but it also stands the test- I am on my 10th reading of the series, and it is just as good now as it was when I read it 4 years ago- perhaps even better, because every time I read it, there’s just something extra that I had missed, or hadn’t thought about in a certain way.
Yea totally not surprised by that answer 😉 I love when a great book turns people back onto reading 🙂
This is hard for me as well…but I will say that Twilight certainly expanded my horizons in reading, so it’s definitely on my list. 🙂 Hopeless and Easy…*sigh* Yeah, both made impacts. HUGE impacts. Judy Blume would also probably fall on this list since I spent a lot of time with her when I was young. 😀 Great post, ladies!
I love seeing Twilight mentioned because despite all the haters out there, it was such a meaningful book for so many of us.
This is like making me choose my favorite movie!
The Ramona the Pest and Little House books bring back wonderful memories of being read to as a kid. The Island of Blue Dolphins is one of the LAST books I remember being aloud in school in 5th grade. We didn’t finish it and I went to the library that summer to find it and finish it.
Outlander got me back into reading as an adult and reminded me I love history and historical fiction.
A Taste of Blackberries is the first book to make me cry. And Code Name Verity showed me that listening to books can be just as powerful as reading them.
See, I can’t choose just one!
I agree, Terri! Choosing just one is too difficult!
All excellent for their own reasons! We definitely don’t expect you to choose just one. I couldn’t heh.