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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
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31

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55

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58

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60

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61

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81

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84

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,872,132 ratings
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93

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95

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98

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3,292 books · 3,297 voters · list created June 30th, 2010 by Jessica (votes) .
204 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Jessica 1364 books
352 friends
Ken-ichi 1280 books
137 friends
Patrick 816 books
632 friends
David 323 books
458 friends
Otis 1648 books
2012 friends
Susan 0 books
0 friends
Stacey 850 books
49 friends
Stacy 2522 books
8 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-25 of 25 (25 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

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; .


message 22: by Kane (new)

Kane S. The theoretical heat death of the universe seems to me a kind of favorite boogieman of science and the media, very marketable because fear and nihilism sell, possibly as much as sex. This book shows how the often misunderstood second law of thermodynamics, and its ultimate projection of an eventual heat death of the universe, actually facilitate evolution and life.
Could a "Heat Death" be Necessary for Life?


message 23: by Shirley (new)

Shirley First Night of Summer A gritty, must read psychological thriller/ mystery. Disturbing yet relevant---and full of emotion. Not for the faint of heart. I found it to be a touching story where good triumphs over evil. Great ending!


message 24: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman what a great idea for a list. And one that would be presumably very different from person to person. every book on my list is a story - some shorter some longer - in some way I was a different person after reading an item on my list - and not in a small way.


message 25: by Kathryn (last edited Mar 11, 2022 08:03AM) (new)

Kathryn Jackson Hear Yourself by Prem Rawat is now among my 'keep forever' books and a book I will gift to friends and family. Pleased to find this list to add it to. So pleased to hear the book debuted on the New York Times Best Seller List. As each chapter unfolded I became more intrigued with the down to earth approach the author has for life subjects I really care about.


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