books that have changed my life

Ok, so these books haven't changed my life. I mean, i'm still plodding along on towards the same destination as I would have been had I not read these books, but they've definitely done something. Maybe I should have titled this post: books that have made a dent in my life.

(in no particular order)

Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume. Aside from the dozens of Choose Your Own Adventure books I read as a child (and being kia-su I used to go back and choose all the different options to make sure I had experienced the best outcome), this is the only book that stuck in my mind. I read it in Year 5, when I was 10, and when my teachers found I was reading this book, confiscated it because there's a sex scene in the book, where heroine sleeps with the guy while she has a period, so they do it on a beach blanket to hide the mess. I have no idea why I remember that! This was probably my first inkling into grown up fiction.

Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown. Either Dan Brown had magnificent timing, or he secretly planned the assassination of the millenium. This book was released in 2005 and I read it literally just before the death of Pope John Paul II. Reading this book taught me about the processes of conclave, and the meaning of the white or black smoke. This book also taught me about Rome's architectural history, and fictitious or not, provided me with an enormous amount of appreciation when I finally made it to Rome in 2009. PS - not so crash hot on the movie.

The Bride Stripped Bare, anonymous. Wow, I don't even know what to say about this book except that it clearly left a mark because I've recommended it everyone (except my mother) and it has left the same mark on them. A fictitious story based around the concept of the discovery of a journal belonging to a woman who hurled herself off a cliff, this novel details (and when I say detail I mean detail) her most intimate and explicit feelings, leading up to her mysterious death. Every woman should read this book.

Night, by Elie Wiesel. The true story of Elie Wiesel and his Jewish family, and their experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald through the second world war. Slim book, but heavy. Heavy.

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyers. Need I say more? I had to force myself not to place this book on the top of this list, because it is afterall meant to be in no particular order. This book made me fall crazily, shamelessly in love with a fictional character like I have never done before. It made me inhale all four books in the series within a week, it even made me pre-order the movie on bluray, and consequently watched it too many times. It's now made me download the preview to the sequel and secretly watch it whenever Panu walks out of the room. That's dedication!

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. The protagonist of the book is indeed not the Kite Runner of the title. The Kite Runner refers to his best friend and servant, who has the most profound impact on his life - childhood and adult. This book had me in the first paragraph, and I was glued to the very last sentence. It's written so richly that I was so sure it was non-fiction, but it's fiction... and the most colourful humanitarian story I have read in my life... from his privileged childhood in Kabul to his struggle in America, you really do believe Amir is real.

The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls. The complete opposite of The Kite Runner, this book chronicles Jeanette Walls' astonishingly impoverished childhood to her building a successful like in New York. And this story is real life non-fiction. Sure it might be embelished for artistic credit, but the story of her childhood is amazing, tear jerking, and really makes you appreciate what you've got.

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. I don't think this book so much changed my life, nor did it dent it. It did however, throw a complete curve ball at me - I have never read such a bizarre book, with such crazy imaginative authoring... and this is a serious book, tackling the very real issue of modernisation vs religion. If this ever gets made into a movie, I'll be the first in line. Amazing, original, mind-boggling, addictive stuff.