Have you ever Read a life changing book ?

Room by Emma Donoghue.
It didn't change my life, as such, but it is a book that stayed with me long after I finished reading it. It's very well written from the perspective of Jack. Its starts on his 5th birthday. Some parts may be a bit hard going to read, but it is one that you definitely can't put down once you start reading it.
My favourite childhood book that fuelled my love of animals is Charlotte's Web. I still live this book today.

The Woman’s Room and The Female Eunoch confirmed my decisions about changing the direction of my life

On The Beach had a profound effect on me as a teenager.

Not a deep and meaningful book but life changing to me at the time was Shirley Conran's Superwoman. It was published when I was kneedeep in babies, pets, sick parent's in law and living in a big house with a husband working really hard.

It gave me 'permission' to slack off a bit and not care that I wasn't living up to my mother's high expectations.

Smintie

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. It’s why I read the subject at university and then taught it for many years, long before ‘green or eco’ were fashionable.

I was lucky to be inspired by it and have had the chance to inspire others.

Definitely this for me too.

I loved Wuthering Heights! A fantasy book about a fantasy man. Excitement every day!!!!!

Swallows and Amazons. Iread it ,aged 10, and fell in love with sailing, so as soon as I got to university I joined the sailing club. There I met my DH and that meeting led to marriage 6 years later and my life ever since. Truly life changing

The Bee Keeper of Alepeo
a good read

The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle. This book helped free me from legalistic religion and started a process of opening my mind and the road to peace within.

A Kind of Loving by Stan Barstow, we read it at school and it was the first book I ever read with adult content, looking back, it was quite surprising our school chose it, I heard it on the radio a few years ago, and still felt it was a really good book.

Then, of course, like so many of you, The women’s Room, my first taste of feminist writing, I remember reading it on the beach when my older children were little, I couldn’t put it down. My copy, which I still have says on the cover ‘This novel changes lives’
I probably wouldn’t go that far, but it certainly made me think, and sent me out to search for similar writing, which was how I discovered Fay Weldon.

I read a book based on a story during World War 11.
I took my English A level late in life. There was a choice of various symptoms that one c ould write about.
As the story that I had read based on World War 11 fitted in I decided to cheat and write about the story giving me top marks and with positive remarks!

You can heal your life by Louise Hay. Briliant book,helped me at a very stressfull time in my life.

Frogs

The Way Out by Alan Gordon.
It’s about how to relieve the symptoms of chronic pain - worked for me, although I didn’t expect it to.

Thanks. I've just suggested it to a good friend of mine who has been living with severe pain for years now. I know it's bothering her a lot - as a comment came out the other day (with her being just a few years younger than me) of not being able to face the risk of having a long life still with the pain going on.

Knowing she doesn't think the same way as me on that (ie I wouldnt even contemplate whether to put up with it or no - I just wouldnt do so) = that felt like a pretty strong statement if the pain goes on much longer - as it's showing every sign of doing permanently.

So - fingers crossed it will be helpful to her...

Never read a life changing book. But moving to the north west 6 years ago changed my life completely. And living my life to the full. And not existing like I was.

RosieandherMaw

Not quite answering the question but this made me laugh this morning

🤣🤣🤣

Not quite answering the question but this made me laugh this morning

The Way Out by Alan Gordon.
It’s about how to relieve the symptoms of chronic pain - worked for me, although I didn’t expect it to.

The Female Eunuch - Germaine Greer.

fancythat

Not whole perspective, but
Men are from Mars was a bit of an eye opener
So was Mean girls[cant remember rest of title].

The Mean girls one I happened to buy around the time one of my daughters realised she was on the outside of a clique without meaning to be, if you see what I mean.
She got out when she realised what was happening.
I gave her the Mean Girls book. She was astounded.
It described her group of frineds.
She even managed to put her friends' names to each Character.

The book was Queen Bees and Wannabees. I read it and recalled with horror the nasty little psychopath who made my primary school days hell. She really was a vile piece of work. Many of us came under her awful control-freak spell. Terrifyingly, she went on to become a head teacher. Those poor children.

Parsley3

In my early 20s two books had a real impact on me because they were the first feminist texts that I read.
Fear Of Flying by Erica Jong 1973 was groundbreaking for its time raising discussions about women's rights and sexual freedom.
The other was The Women's Room by Marilyn French 1977. This is about a housewife who undergoes a profound transformation after her husband leaves her.
I read Fear of Flying again a few years ago and thought it was so dated.
These days it is 1984 that is having an impact on me as it has now become more of a prediction of the reality of 2025 than a work of fiction.

Yes Parsley3 Marilyn French's book wete my choice too among others

Not life changing but made me think ,The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing . If I read it now I wonder if I would feel the same.

Witness to Hope The Biographyof pope John Paul 11 by George Weigel

Andrea Dworken. Pornography. Men possessing women. I hadn't realized that men hate women. Or some men, perhaps I should say. And the intensity and violence of that hatred. Not for a particular woman. But for all women. It shocked me. Made me see the world was different than I had thought.

The Healing Power of Mind Tulku Thondup. It made me realize one could be happy even when experiencing deep suffering.

When my sister died suddenly on Christmas Eve 2023 I read about ‘I Can Hear The Cuckoo’ by Kiran Sidhu in the Countryfile magazine, so bought a copy and read it almost in one go. I don’t think it actually changed my life - but I was devastated at losing my sister and I felt like it really spoke to me about my bereavement - it still helps me now. I think it’s such a beautiful book that I’ll always treasure.

Not life-changing but took me right back to my childhood and much happier times "Say Kangaroo" written by Five Sisters - anyone trying it bet it does the same for you?