Recently, I’ve been thinking about the impact books can have on our lives. Books can make us feel so much and invoke such profound emotion. They can open open our eyes to new ideas and make us question social norms. They can take us to different worlds, show us magic and time travel, all while reminding us how important it is to believe in ourselves. They ask us existential questions and help us realise what’s important to us.
Simply put, books can change our lives. The series that’s changed mine is A Darker Shade of Magic. V. E. Schwab’s magical tales about four different Londons captured my imagination like no other. The world and characters stunned me; I fell in love with how brilliantly the books were written. They changed my life by making me feel such depth of emotion and uplifting me with hope and optimism at a time when I needed it. And to top it all off, reading this series not only reminded me of why I want to write – to create those same feelings of hope in others – but made me put pen to paper again.
While thinking about this, I tweeted my followers asking which books had changed their lives. What I received were some brilliant, moving, and thought-provoking responses.
Charlotte @Charl_Selby chose The Upside of Unrequited.
Alyce Hunt @everythingalyce also chose a Becky Albertalli novel, Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda.
Vicky @hunguponbooks suggested Anna and the French Kiss.
Katherine @writinghideout said Harry Potter (and I think we probably all echo that sentiment).
Bex @myshelfmyself went for The Mortal Instruments.
Becca @beccasbookrealm had a couple of different choices!
Lizzy @littlebookblog1 chose The Last Lecture.
Hannah @hannschofield said Gilead, but then also went for Harry Potter!
Lauren @ACityOfBooks went for an epic sci-fi tale.
And Shaun @BigGayShaun offered a great LGBTQIA+ choice!
There are some wonderful and diverse choices here, reflecting how we’re all influenced by books differently. It’s apparent that every single reader was passionate about their book (or books) of choice, and each person found a connection with the novel, or something that truly spoke to them written within the pages.
I got so many wonderful responses to this poll, that I couldn’t fit them all in one post, so I’ll be posting a Part II in a few days.
I’d love to know which book has changed your life and why? Has a book made you think differently about the world, or simply given you hope when you needed it most? Drop me a comment and let me know!
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I love that you did this! That’s amazing! So much emotion and impact in this post. I love it!
Aww thanks so much Tiana! I’ve been wanting to write a post about life-changing books for ages, and I really wanted to highlight some of the books that have changed other bloggers and readers’ lives, not just my own, so I’m thrilled you like it! ❤
Its amazing how diverse our answers were! It proves, just because we said we didn’t like a book doesn’t mean it can’t mean a thousand worth to another.
Yes! That was one of the things I loved most – seeing how everyone’s reasons for choosing their books differed. And yeah, you’re exactly right. 🙂
I loved this! I find it so interesting to see what books have influenced people, and for what reasons (plus, your description of reading ADSOM is awesome, and making me want to read the series even more)! X
Aww thanks Bex, I’m so pleased you like it! Also ngl it gave me a super boost that you liked reading about the way I described ADSOM *blushes*. That series means so much to me, so I’m glad I could put my feelings into some semblance of sense! I really hope you pick it up soon – it’s just stunning. ❤
Oooo, this is such a cool idea! I would have to say a book that changed my life would be The Percy Jackson series because it really made me fall in love with books and reading when I was younger.
Aww thanks my lovely! That’s great to hear – there’s nothing better than finding a book that sparks your love of reading! 🙂