Books That Changed My World
In tandem with the Twitter trending topic, #booksthatchangedmyworld, created by author Susan Orlean, vote for the books that have majorly impacted your life and world view. Vote for a book on the list or search for a new book to vote for in the right-hand column
101 The Iliad
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3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 126,594 ratings
102 Dracula
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3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 281,950 ratings
103 Outlander (Outlander, #1)
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4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 avg rating — 197,425 ratings
104 Eating Animals
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4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 22,613 ratings
105 The Adventures of Huckleber...
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3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 avg rating — 702,206 ratings
106 The Ultimate Hitchhiker's G...
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4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 avg rating — 115,533 ratings
107 Man's Search for Meaning
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4.31 of 5 stars 4.31 avg rating — 58,169 ratings
108 Memoirs of a Geisha
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4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 784,263 ratings
109 The Perks of Being a Wallfl...
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4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 avg rating — 271,342 ratings
110 Mere Christianity
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4.26 of 5 stars 4.26 avg rating — 84,851 ratings
111 Of Mice and Men
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3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 avg rating — 797,685 ratings
112 The Secret Life of Bees
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3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 578,813 ratings
113 Alice's Adventures in Wonde...
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4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 196,028 ratings
114 On Writing
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4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 avg rating — 65,605 ratings
115 Bridge to Terabithia
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3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 avg rating — 164,786 ratings
116 Hamlet
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3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 avg rating — 276,347 ratings
117 A Tale of Two Cities
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3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 avg rating — 403,765 ratings
118 Anne of Green Gables
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4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 avg rating — 263,226 ratings
119 Water for Elephants
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4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 avg rating — 631,596 ratings
120 The Fault in Our Stars
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4.52 of 5 stars 4.52 avg rating — 230,298 ratings
121 Heidi
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3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 81,046 ratings
122 Fried Green Tomatoes at the...
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4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 avg rating — 95,829 ratings
123 Illusions: The Adventures o...
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4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 avg rating — 22,527 ratings
124 Where the Wild Things Are
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4.26 of 5 stars 4.26 avg rating — 275,510 ratings
125 The Five People You Meet in...
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3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 avg rating — 245,481 ratings
126 Redeeming Love
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4.48 of 5 stars 4.48 avg rating — 63,468 ratings
127 Guns, Germs, and Steel: The...
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3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 93,846 ratings
128 Stranger in a Strange Land
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3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 avg rating — 140,884 ratings
129 The Women's Room
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3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 avg rating — 3,200 ratings
129 My Sister's Keeper
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4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 avg rating — 446,107 ratings
131 The Road Not Taken: A Selec...
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4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 140 ratings
132 The Golden Compass (His Dar...
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3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 avg rating — 492,475 ratings
133 Zen and the Art of Motorcyc...
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3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 avg rating — 75,383 ratings
134 The Invention of Religion
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4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 avg rating — 164 ratings
135 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya...
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3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 avg rating — 311,699 ratings
136 The Sun Also Rises
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3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 avg rating — 160,354 ratings
137 Way of the Peaceful Warrior...
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4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 15,437 ratings
138 The Power of One
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4.32 of 5 stars 4.32 avg rating — 30,933 ratings
139 The Lion, the Witch, and th...
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4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 632,400 ratings
140 Mountains Beyond Mountains:...
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4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 avg rating — 29,086 ratings
141 Little House on the Prairie...
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4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 avg rating — 100,749 ratings
142 Women Who Run With the Wolv...
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4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 avg rating — 11,292 ratings
143 Einstein's Dreams
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4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 avg rating — 13,233 ratings
144 Extremely Loud and Incredib...
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3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 avg rating — 160,715 ratings
145 Thirteen Reasons Why
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4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 145,856 ratings
146 The World According to Garp
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4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 100,814 ratings
147 Franny and Zooey
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3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 91,096 ratings
148 The Secret Garden
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4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 avg rating — 322,053 ratings
149 The Complete Poems
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4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 avg rating — 35,394 ratings
150 Walden
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3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 avg rating — 55,167 ratings
151 The Jungle
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3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 avg rating — 55,027 ratings
152 The Call of the Wild
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3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 avg rating — 111,126 ratings
153 The Girl with the Dragon Ta...
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4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 787,143 ratings
154 The Origin of Species
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3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 avg rating — 27,023 ratings
155 The Book of Mormon: Another...
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4.47 of 5 stars 4.47 avg rating — 47,018 ratings
156 The Art of Racing in the Rain
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4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 avg rating — 156,960 ratings
157 The God Delusion
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3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 72,477 ratings
158 A New Earth: Awakening to Y...
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3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 48,863 ratings
159 What Is the What
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4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 avg rating — 40,514 ratings
159 Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dov...
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4.41 of 5 stars 4.41 avg rating — 59,058 ratings
161 The Pillars of the Earth  (...
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4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 avg rating — 227,801 ratings
162 The Metamorphosis
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3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 avg rating — 162,921 ratings
162 Lolita
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3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 avg rating — 285,426 ratings
164 In Cold Blood
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3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 232,124 ratings
165 Foundation (Foundation, #1)
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3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 avg rating — 146,684 ratings
165 The Shack: Where Tragedy Co...
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3.61 of 5 stars 3.61 avg rating — 200,224 ratings
167 The Scarlet Letter
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3.3 of 5 stars 3.30 avg rating — 274,130 ratings
168 For Whom the Bell Tolls
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3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 93,850 ratings
169 Tess of the d'Urbervilles
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3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 avg rating — 83,022 ratings
170 Candide
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3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 avg rating — 78,195 ratings
171 Of Human Bondage
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4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 avg rating — 19,977 ratings
171 Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
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4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 59,230 ratings
173 Number the Stars
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4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 avg rating — 183,331 ratings
174 The Fountainhead
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3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 avg rating — 145,386 ratings
175 The Cider House Rules
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4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 69,577 ratings
176 A Midsummer Night's Dream
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3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 avg rating — 180,336 ratings
177 The Thorn Birds
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4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 126,775 ratings
178 City of Bones (The Mortal I...
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4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 314,036 ratings
179 Uncle Tom's Cabin
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3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 avg rating — 72,336 ratings
180 Oh, the Places You'll Go!
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4.31 of 5 stars 4.31 avg rating — 117,919 ratings
181 The Temple Of My Familiar
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3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 avg rating — 7,784 ratings
182 Moby-Dick
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3.36 of 5 stars 3.36 avg rating — 258,257 ratings
183 A Thousand Splendid Suns
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4.28 of 5 stars 4.28 avg rating — 389,772 ratings
184 Death Be Not Proud
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3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 avg rating — 5,584 ratings
185 Invisible Man
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3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 avg rating — 62,509 ratings
186 A Guide to The Present Moment
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4.44 of 5 stars 4.44 avg rating — 16 ratings
187 Persuasion
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4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 avg rating — 182,374 ratings
188 The Shining
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4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 382,761 ratings
189 Interview with the Vampire ...
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3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 241,600 ratings
190 The Power Of Positive Thinking
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4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 18,712 ratings
191 The Power of Now: A Guide t...
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4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 avg rating — 42,089 ratings
192 Slaughterhouse-Five
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3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 avg rating — 472,140 ratings
193 Little House in the Big Woo...
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4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 avg rating — 78,808 ratings
194 The Tao of Pooh
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3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 38,769 ratings
195 The Shadow of the Wind (The...
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4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 avg rating — 136,410 ratings
196 The Prophet
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4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 avg rating — 77,638 ratings
197 Grendel
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3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 avg rating — 14,364 ratings
197 White Oleander
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3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 avg rating — 135,278 ratings
199 Go Ask Alice
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3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 avg rating — 104,121 ratings
200 Hiroshima
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3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 avg rating — 17,718 ratings
1,385 books · 1,452 voters · list created June 30th, 2010 by Jessica Donaghy (votes) .
 · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 500 seconds.


Jessica
Jessica
853 books
296 friends
Ken-ichi
Ken-ichi
700 books
118 friends
Patrick
Patrick
502 books
527 friends
David
David
204 books
310 friends
Otis
Otis
678 books
1606 friends
Susan
Susan
0 books
0 friends
Stacey
Stacey
492 books
32 friends
Stacy
Stacy
1316 books
7 friends

More voters…


Comments (showing 1-21 of 21) (21 new)

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message 1: by Evan (new)

Evan Brandt Like the movie list, an interesting exerchise.


message 2: by Julie (new)

Julie I know it's almost cliche now, but Twilight changed my world. It introduced me to reading and now it's my passion! (and no, I'm not a teenager...)


message 3: by Janelle (new)

Janelle Julie (Rumour) wrote: "I know it's almost cliche now, but Twilight changed my world. It introduced me to reading and now it's my passion! (and no, I'm not a teenager...)"

I agree, and I'm not a teenager either. Sure they may not have been the best literary books ever, but since I've read them I can't stop reading. I'm reading books of all sorts, classics, memoirs, historical fiction...the list goes on. I have Stephenie Meyer to thank for motivating my reading to 50+ books a year now. Sorry to all the haters who cringe when seeing this book on the list!!


message 4: by Sarah (new)

Sarah Im not a teen either and I also found after reading the twilight books iv been a book worm...:) thank you stephanie meyers


message 5: by Linda (new)

Linda Hufana I haven't done very much reading in years, hopefully I will find a place to start here.


Mike (the Paladin) There are multiple versions of the Bible here, I didn't notice if that is true of other books. That will dilute their place on the list.


message 7: by Karyn (new)

Karyn Same top books as all the lists = boring. I love those books, too, but, really, did Harry Potter change your life? How shallow.


message 8: by Mike (the Paladin) (last edited Jul 07, 2010 10:05am) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) May they had a very "sheltered life" up to that point??? I find it interesting that Twilight changed someone's life....wow.


message 9: by Alex (new)

Alex Perry I absolutely hated Twilight, I thought it was an awful book. HOWEVER any title which encourages people to read more, or even in some cases at all should be allowed a place in a list of books which changed peoples lives. Same with Harry Potter (although I must admit to having a soft spot for ol' Harry)- surely a (albeit not brilliant) book which had a tangible positive influence on someone deserves a place more than a wonderful well written book which only left you with a happily satisfied appreciation? Just a thought.


Mike (the Paladin) Ya, but the idea that some of the books here changed people's lives I still think deserves a sort of understated "wow". I find myself wondering what was different the day after they read (for example) "The Shining"? I mean don't get me wrong, it's an individual thing and that's great.... But I'm still, slightly "flummoxed" I suppose is a good word. :)


message 11: by [deleted user] (last edited Jul 13, 2010 08:01pm) (new)

Julie (Rumour) wrote: "I know it's almost cliche now, but Twilight changed my world. It introduced me to reading and now it's my passion! (and no, I'm not a teenager...)"

Me also! I am 61! I think about it all the time! Its almost too hard to even admit it on goodreads anymore as there are so many nasty tacky comments!!! I have read hundreds of love stories....hundreds and its the best one I ever read. I notice that in general women like it more than men. I think we read more love stories. As a teenager I was very influenced by Gone with the Wind and it made love seem totally hopeless. Scarlett was always in love with someone who didn't love her. When she finally woke up it was too late.


message 12: by [deleted user] (new)

Mike wrote: "There are multiple versions of the Bible here, I didn't notice if that is true of other books. That will dilute their place on the list."

But so many prefer one over the other. My fav is The Living Bible but I own about 5 of them. Should I vote for them all?


message 13: by [deleted user] (new)

Mike wrote: "Ya, but the idea that some of the books here changed people's lives I still think deserves a sort of understated "wow". I find myself wondering what was different the day after they read (for examp..."

Maybe its the ESP. I remember when I read it how fascinated I was by the ESP that saved the little boy. I just read Wesley the Owl and there was also a connection that was hard to understnad. Its hard to find a word that can explain that kind of connection.


message 14: by Xenophon (new)

Xenophon Hendrix For good or ill, Robert A. Heinlein has had a major influence on me.


message 15: by [deleted user] (new)

Xenophon wrote: "For good or ill, Robert A. Heinlein has had a major influence on me."

My husband also and me a little. Osler's Web had even more impact on me. I think the earlier we read a book the more impact it has altho I just read Osler's Web about ten years ago.


message 16: by Baiba (new)

Baiba Bērziņa Sarah wrote: "Im not a teen either and I also found after reading the twilight books iv been a book worm...:) thank you stephanie meyers"

yeah, me to :D


message 17: by Alice (new)

Alice I'm not going to lie... no offense, anyone, but I find Twilight dreadful. But, you know, this list doesn't specify that the voters found the content life-changing. It was the books themselves that changed the content. And for some people, Twilight really has changed people's lives, the same way Harry Potter has, because it got people into reading. And even if I find a lot of the messages Twilight delivers objectionable, I think it's a wonderful thing that people who weren't interested in reading before are now seeking out books. Personally, I voted for five books that are favourites of mine because they altered how I thought about things pretty dramatically, have influenced my life, and introduced significant new ideas to me.


message 18: by Laiba (new)

Laiba I don't really like Twilight either.


message 19: by Kyle (new)

Kyle Nicholas Twilight: setting back women's rights to the 1860s; teaching girls that the only purpose in life is to be a subservient and slavering, mindless thing without a personality looking up to godlike supernatural beings; and that all your problems in life come down to two hot teenage testosterone-filled boys fighting over your body. How can this rubbish possibly be regarded as "world-changing"? This is what's wrong with America today. We're so bloody desperate to get people to read that we'll urge the illiterate to pick up any bit of word-sodden rag and cheer when they get past the first page.


message 20: by Cassie (new)

Cassie Its accually quite funny to hear that im not the only one who got hooked into books after twighlight! Maybe its because its not the greatest literature but it has a catchy story that makes you want more!


message 21: by Ashwin (new)

Ashwin Gracias VENDETTA WAS MY FIRST LOVE STORY NOVEL, THAT I READ, SINCE THEN IT WAS NONE STOP, IN HINDI N MARATHI,TOO. SO KEEP ON READING N IT WILL ENRICH YOU, AS I SEE IT NOW THAT MY CHILDREN LOVE TO READ GOOD BOOKS TO THE IDIOT BOX, TV; .


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