Books that have changed your life

jenny_pest · Books that have changed your life

A friend of mine had an interview today and this was one of the questions she was asked.. I really don't know what i would answer to that especially on the spot... maybe I'm not as cultured as you lot!

magpie nic

Wow, what a question to be asked in an interview- I cannot think of any that have changed my life but a cuple have had a massive impact on m Saul by Rosemary Kay, Of Mice and Men, To kill a Mockingbird and Twopence to cross the Mersey by Helen Forrester have lived with me for a very long time after I read them. There must have been others, especially as a child but I cannot think of them now!
In a shallow way, Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes changed my reading habits because it was the first chicklit book I read.
What a tough question to answer when you are in a nerve wracking situation!

Sniggle

Oh dear - I'd never be able to answer that in such a stressful situation.

I don't think I could say that a book has changed my life but the 3 that stand out that made me think were To Kill A Mockingbird, 5 People You Meet in Heaven and A Quiet Belief in Angels (although less so for this one)

tui

Diet for a small planet by Frances Lappe Moore catapulted me into being a vegetarian. I wanted to stop eating meat but didn't know quite how to go about it and the book also gave me the political reasons for doing so. (this was 30 years ago)

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson started my interest in environmental politics in the 70s

Radical Reflections-Passionate Opinions on Teaching, Learning and Living by Mem Fox inspired me to love teaching again at a time when rules and regulations were threatening to suck all the spontaneity and joy out of the job. I still love reading it. It mainly deals with teaching the language arts.

i can remember discovering eastern religion and philosophy as a teenager. Being brought up in a strict christian family I had no idea of other philosophies and it opened my thinking. It all linked in with reading the metaphysical poets and mythology.

smallholder

A very hard question I think Jenny. I have read a lot, but would have found it incredibly difficult to answer. All sorts of books and poetry have affected me deeply but as for changing my life...hmmm.

One of the books that I read early on in my training and that I have re-read in later years is 'Dibs in search of self' - I suppose it sort of got me into working with children with special needs.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dibs-Sear...onality-Development/dp/014013459X

tui

i loved Dibs. I read it many years ago.

sal 26

I don't think any one book as such has 'changed my life' but my life would be very different indeed and in many different ways without my love of books which has been a constant since I was about 9.

smallholder

I think that's a really good answer sal - you get the job!

Louiw

I can remember the first time that reading a book made such a impact on me. It was when Aunt Izzie died in 'What Katy did'
I can remember how devastated I felt, I'm not sure how old I was but quite young. I can remember being feeling completely shocked.

sal 26