This article is a prime example of how reading can open up your world — something we believe everyone deserves to experience. To that end, we’ve partnered with Reading Is Fundamental to help support childhood literacy initiatives across the U.S. Click here to learn more about the organization and donate.
“The whole world opened to me when I learned to read,” 20th-century American educator Mary McLeod Bethune once said. The same holds true for countless people today, and many of us find that the world continues to open the more we read.
We put out a call to Nice News subscribers — a famously bibliophilic bunch — to tell us about the books that changed their lives. The responses spanned genres and time periods, topics and languages, from ancient teachings like the Tao Te Ching to modern classics like To Kill a Mockingbird, which numerous people said taught them about equality and justice.
More recent titles like Theo of Golden, the 2023 debut novel of a writer in his late 60s, also got multiple mentions. Readers shared rave reviews of poetry and essay collections, memoirs, works of philosophy, self-help titles, and quite a few children’s books as well (shout-out to Harold and the Purple Crayon!). There were far too many responses to include them all, but we hope this sampling helps bulk up your own TBR lists. Happy reading!
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
“I had a very hard time learning to read. But in seventh grade it somehow clicked and I read Jane Eyre. The book sparked my lifelong love of reading and I even became a librarian. Sometimes it takes that one right book!”
– Robin, Vermont
Last of the Breed by Louis L’Amour
“It taught me to be more in tune with the natural world and less taken in by the noise of Western society.”
– Kristi, Minnesota
The Birth and Death of Meaning by Ernest Becker
“He explains why people do what they do from sociological, psychological, and anthropological standpoints. The book changed my life by explaining why we worry about others’ expectations when they spend so little time thinking about us. He also explains how what we think is caused by both evolution and society’s expectations over time. It is very difficult to do justice to the book in a short format. It is a dense read, but worth the effort!”
– Mike, Washington
Deciding to See by Nathan Vass
“Written by a filmmaker, author, and Seattle bus driver. He drives a night shift bus route through some struggling parts of Seattle where many of his passengers are homeless or struggling. He forms relationships with people the rest of us turn away from. I look at people differently now and wonder about their story and their humanity.”
– Mary, Washington
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
“A fascinating look at how breathing affects everything in our body — from our teeth to our sleep, our body posture to our anxiety levels — and how most of us are doing it wrong.”
– Sharon, Ontario, Canada
Jingo by Terry Pratchett
“This is a book I wish were universally required reading. Not just for its humor, which he always delivers, but also for its capacity to help us see the similarities more than differences in each other and guide our actions to a more peaceful world.”
– Tina, India
Die With Zero by Bill Perkins
“My husband had been trying to communicate that he didn’t feel like he had much time left and wanted to retire early. It wasn’t until I read this book that I understood where he was coming from. He meant he didn’t know how much healthy time he would have left to spend with me, with our kids before they left home, to do some things on his life bucket list. It also helped me realize that leaving an inheritance later in life to my kids wasn’t as helpful as giving them money when they are younger. We plan to pay for college so they come out with no debt, help fund retirement accounts up to a certain amount, and help with down payments on houses. We will hopefully set them up for success in that way.”
– Amy, Colorado
Bogtrotter: Notes From a North Country Cabin by Richard Coffey
“An urban Minneapolis couple move to a northern Wisconsin bog area and eke it out in a small, no-amenities cabin with just a wood stove. They hauled water and chopped wood every day to survive their first winter. I thought that was cool and decided to do the same. I’ve lived in the wild woods of northern Wisconsin for over 35 years now.”
– Rochelle, Wisconsin
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
“It helped me look at the many biases I have.”
– Steve, New York
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
“The immigrant experience across three continents. Beautiful tale of love, loss, and devotion. I will never forget first reading it.”
– Naomi, North Carolina
How We Named the Stars by Andres Ordorica
“I was expecting a college love story, but got something closer to a genealogy. Daniel arrives at an elite university carrying a scholarship, his family’s hopes, and the name of an uncle who died at 22 (the whole book turns on the fact that he doesn’t know who that uncle was). Every chapter opens with a fragment of the dead man’s diary, so the reader holds the answer for 300 pages while Daniel doesn’t. I grew up loving the Greek myths, where inheritance is usually a curse handed down. This was the first time I’d seen it work the other way: a name that turns out to be a gift, if you can get to the bottom of it.”
– Richard, Colorado
“It is full of history, shows the path to life, and teaches how to be full of love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith.”
– Dana, California
The Warmth of Other Sons by Isabel Wilkerson
“As a lifelong Floridian, I had no idea of the blatant racism in my backyard. Also, I thought cities with large Black populations like Washington D.C. and Detroit were founded that way … I had no idea of the Southern migration. Made me question all the history that I learned in the ’50s and ’60s.”
– Susan, Florida
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
“I’m fascinated by mountain climbing. Whether it’s a hobby or a profession, I’m amazed by these people who, for whatever reason, want to go higher. Admittedly, I was drawn not only to the incredible story of survival, courage, and resilience but to the tragedy as well. Many tragedies have a lesson to teach. What it helped to re-instill for me is to never give up, pursue your passions to the fullest (while always using sound judgment), and get comfortable outside your comfort zones. Pushing yourself further than you think possible is, for me, the key to living life — instead of life living you.”
– William, Ohio
Quiet by Susan Cain
“It taught me not only to accept my introversion, but to recognize it as a superpower. It gave me permission to set social boundaries in an extroverted world.”
– Juliette, Arizona
Demian by Herman Hesse
“Have always been an ardent reader! In junior high I read two Herman Hesse books in one weekend: Demian and Steppenwolf. The books seriously wrinkled my teenage cortex! Haven’t been the same since!”
– Kathy, Massachusetts
Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
“After all the hoo-ha around it, I picked it up, starting to read again after a long stint of not reading. I loved it and fell into Ana’s world. Not only was my love for reading rediscovered, but I found a desire to write, penning and publishing a spicy romance trilogy of my own.”
– RK Ryde, Australia
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
“The fact that this man kept his humanity under the most horrific conditions touched me and made me realize that every life should stand for something.”
– Kathryn, Massachusetts
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
“It made me realize how deeply important kindness is.”
– Heidi, Hawaii
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
“It had so much simple wisdom that just resonated with me. It helped me to get unstuck, to see the world differently, and I changed my path. Interestingly enough, my now-husband also read the book about the same time that I did, but we didn’t know each other then. After meeting some time later, we were talking one day. I asked him how he came to be where he was and he said, ‘I read this book and it changed my life.’ I asked him, before he could say more, if it was The Alchemist and he said, ‘yes, it was.’ Reading it helped him to change his path and then … our paths crossed. We’ve been married for 23 years now.”
– Sandi, Florida
Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road by Neil Peart
“In January 2020, I was asked to join a men’s book club called ‘Ales and Tales,’ as we meet at different brewpubs to discuss the selection. Ghost Rider was the first book we read and honestly, I don’t recall if I even finished it. Our first meeting was on the eve of the COVID lockdown. Prior to joining the club, I maybe read one or two books a year. The club has given me the incentive to read more, and last year, I read 32 books and am on pace to surpass that number this year!”
– Keith, Colorado
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
“While reading this book and picturing the beauty of Positano, I knew I had to visit. My husband had been asking me for a while where we should go on our next trip and I suddenly knew! We went on a seven-day cruise and spent a day in Positano, seeing and going to places that the character Katy had visited and that the author had described so beautifully. I felt chills and tears at the same time. This book made for the trip of a lifetime and truly changed my life!”
– Mary, Georgia
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
“My favorite book as a kid. It showed me how creative and inventive writing could be. I loved how a book could create and open a new world that vividly sparked my imagination. I have reread it numerous times as an adult and it still takes me back to childhood — but I see different things each time I read it. I’m waiting to get the audiobook version right now to see how a narrator can bring a different perspective to this book. It’s just fun.”
– Mike, California
Bulfinch’s Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch
“I was in the library one summer day looking at the fairy tales section. Next to that section was mythology. I put down the book I was holding and picked up Bulfinch’s Mythology. I am now 81 years old and I not only love mythology but archaeology as well. Side note: I was 16 when I met my future husband. He loved mythology and had his own copy of Bullfinch’s! We had 45 years of marriage before his death. I miss him every day.”
– Leslee, Louisiana
Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children by Angela J. Hanscom
“This book made me a better parent and led to a full, adventure-filled childhood for my son. It was truly life-changing!”
– Jen, Illinois
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
“It changed my life because it caught the wonder of summer, youth, family/friends, growing up in the Midwest, and a sense of imagination that anything is possible. I think what really struck me is his writing spoke to me to always remember and hold on to that childhood wonder, how you saw the world through the eyes of a child, to keep a part of that feeling inside you as you become an adult and throughout your lifetime.”
– Jim, Iowa
Samuel Morris: The Apostle of Simple Faith by W. Terry Whalin
“This is the only book other than the Bible that I have read many times and given copies of to so many people. It teaches how one uneducated young person can have a lasting influence on so many people.”
– Amy, Virginia
Memories, Dreams, Reflections by C.G. Jung
“It began my inner exploration of finding who I really am.”
– Virginia, California
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
“I read it as a young teen (1980) and it made me literally laugh out loud, of course, but it also showed me that I wasn’t alone. There were other people like me out there — a lot of them! It convinced me to strive for and attend a good university so that I could be around smart, funny people. I still read it every few years, and I still laugh.”
– Brad, California
The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris
“It made me realize that we humans are just another species of animal and it’s no wonder we mess up.”
– Dea, Mississippi
Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
“It changed my life as a person who fancied themselves an extrovert. It turns out, I was just participating in the way I thought I was supposed to, not as the genuine human I am. The quote, ‘we accept the love we think we deserve’ broke and remade my heart, as I both grieve the love I accepted and am grateful for the love I have today.”
– Sarah, Virginia
My Antonia by Willa Cather
“When I was in the eighth grade, my grandmother gave me My Antonia by Willa Cather. While I was an avid reader as a child, and always read above my grade level, this was the book that truly anchored me as a lifetime reader. An old paperback copy remains on my bookshelf to this day. I am 69 years old.”
– Ann, California
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
“This book taught me more about being a good human and living a meaningful life than anything else I’ve ever read. I first read this in seventh grade, as an excerpt in a literature textbook — and then immediately asked for a copy so I could read the whole book. I am now 41 years old and have reread Algernon probably 10 times. This book teaches so much about privilege and prejudice, about what it means to love, and, ultimately, what matters in our precious and singular lives.”
– Jenn, New York
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
“You have more control than you realize.”
– Bill, South Carolina
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
“My favorite teacher, Mr. C, read this to us in sixth grade. We all had our own copy to follow along. He read a chapter or two every day. The story is amazing, but not just that; it also was the way he read. His voice and tone made this such a memorable experience for everyone in the class. I read it to my sixth grade students years later. Thank you, Mr. C.”
– Jennifer, Washington
When you buy books through our links, Nice News may earn a commission, which helps keep our content free.
Share to:
