Name one book you've read that really change your perspective of reality.

Reality? What is it exactly? My reality compared to your reality, or Queen Elizabeth's reality or Simon Cowells reality, is all different. I'm not quite sure what book really changed my perspective on realtiy because all the books that I read or not real; The stories are fake, the characters are fake, the problems are fake. Even if they stemmed from a real person or a real situation, it is all fake so, how do I answer your question without it being superficial?

The fantasy books, like Twilight and the Immortal series are not good answers because they just simply aren't real and aren't realistic. Sad, romance books have changed my perspective on love, in a way, but not so much that I would praise them even more, because, even though love in books seem so much more passionate and real as your reading them, they aren't. They break my heart and make me want more in guys that just isn't there. Books about sick children, or poverty aren't my greatest subject because I've only read one book about a sick child and that changed my perspective on Cancer and the love between a mother and her daughters, but that's about it. Books about suicide have changed my perspective on life; Life is important and it is worth living but it also makes me think that some people who do commit suicide have terrible, horrible lives and the only way they can get out of it is by killing themselves.

To answer your question, I would say that books really, actually aren't a big reason for changing my perspective on reality because I am around so much telivision, books and movies that are fantasy based, that real life situations are the best way to change my reality, my life.

posted over a year ago

Yes your question of reality do hold substance, I’m fully aware reality is relative to each own experience and learning. I’m not sure what genre you to choose to favor but whichever it may be, it does influence your reality. The fact is when you read a book, your subconscious doesn’t ask for permission on what to retain, remodel, or strengthen. What you see before your eyes, (your reality) is shape everyday through what you do. So yes a book can have major effect on your reality. You devote a lot more energy into reading a book . your perspectives are not carved in stone it can be molded, that’s why it’s important to mind what you choose to read because we all know all books are not made equal.

wood101 posted over a year ago

I love to read & am always reading & I feel that it does tinker with my perspective on realtiy but I still know what is real from what is obviously not real. There are things; Characteristics, plots, problems and stories that I wish could somehow happen, but I know that it is simply impossible for one to act such a way. I see what your saying that what you read is never "carved in stone" but it can be to some people.

CullenProperty posted over a year ago

If reading didn't tinker with my brain it would not worth my while. I’m aware of my own ignorance and lack of influence of fruitful environment, so I put a lot of faith in my books to reshape the way I think and feel about many things. I don’t absorb everything like a sponge, but each book read left me a mean of been more critical, a new perspective and new sight to see unseen .

wood101 posted over a year ago

Yes of course, reading does that to me too; I just couldn't think of a book when I wrote this & frankly I still can't, that changed my perspective on life. But your absolutely right about what you've said.

CullenProperty posted over a year ago

XDRoseLuvsHP said:

Hmm... there have been quite a lot. I'll just list a few:

Harry Potter by JK Rowling
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Dancing on the Edge by Han Nolan
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

AND MORE XD

posted over a year ago

what was it about this books that have evolve your view and in what way?

wood101 posted over a year ago

Harry Potter has widely broadened my imagination and I've had the urge to be as brave as Harry since I've read it. Neverwhere broadened my imagination a lot as well. Interview with the Vampire made me view life itself differently, it brought new questions to my mind. Dancing on the Edge gave me a whole new perspective on life, and an interest in psychology. The Phantom Tollbooth made me more adventurous, it gave me more of a need to fill in my boredom.

XDRoseLuvsHP posted over a year ago

wow! it kinda makes me wonder what your life is like to find such great influence in Harry Porter...

wood101 posted over a year ago

Faith-Rulz said:

Hmmm....interesting....ah, have to say The Diary of Anne Frank, what a deep story that i just couldnt put down! Harry Potter series...and I was quite impressed with The Mystique Trilogies by Traci Harding...with combinations of realism/fantasy (higher concisousness/spirits or whatever) mixture of several genres into one: scifi for example(alternate realities/past lives...etc)..i like books that make me think and question everything: themes, issues, etc...

posted over a year ago

what was it about that book particularly, that reflect reality as you see it?

wood101 posted over a year ago

Hiding 9 comments... click to show.

yeah I still have 750 pages to go lol. it must be a good book for you to read it twice...ussually when I read a book , it kinda lead me in a path and give some sort of idea on what book I should read next. The name Eragon, isn't there a movie and a game to this book?

wood101 posted over a year ago

theres a movie based on the books but i dont know if there is a game....i know theres Dungeons and Dragons movie based on the games :)

Faith-Rulz posted over a year ago

whitelion said:

Anna Karenina, it was such a deep and complex book, it changed how i look at a lot of things

posted over a year ago

like what for example?

wood101 posted over a year ago

shiriny said:

sara crewe(a bit)
the secret

posted over a year ago

The secret... the name is intriging, but how what makes you hold it at such a high standard?

wood101 posted over a year ago

the secret is a cross of a self-help book and inspirational. i like it as well.

venicebd posted over a year ago

cool!

shiriny posted over a year ago

jem_ said:

-brave new world
blew my mind :P

posted over a year ago

You know I've come across that book few times, but I'm reluctant to give it a go. it's a classic story is it not? tell me about it.

wood101 posted over a year ago

Huxley's great, I love his work :) The story's about a dystopia set in the future and is meant as commentary on trends in social values towards sex, idolizing consumerism/capitalism, and the opiates of the masses.

SwarlsBarkley posted over a year ago

Hiding 2 comments... click to show.

The republic! I that is really something I read it, I love it so much that I went ahead I read the entire dialogues of Plato... a very thick book lol. But yes, that happens to me too, it was really enlightening reading experiance. This book " Uthopia by Sir Thomas More" has your name on it. You would love this book.

wood101 posted over a year ago

dustfinger said:

The Outsiders

It made you think how hard it is to be in a gang.

posted over a year ago

isn't there a movie to this book?

wood101 posted over a year ago

omg i love the outsiders!

PrincessGurl posted over a year ago

Hiding 3 comments... click to show.

It's not a mystery and it is so much better than that! Such a heart-wrenching story that really makes you feel!

AnnaKay19 posted over a year ago

arianaggs said:

well i had so much chnage in mind after reading evermore by alyson nole
it was so much fun to read
and the other books that gose along with it
blue moon
shadowland
i love the books

posted over a year ago

evermore? is that a fiction or non fiction? what year was it published? what it made you think about?

wood101 posted over a year ago

SwarlsBarkley said:

Fiction - Flat Land
The story of A Square going about life in his 2-dimensional world never imagining the possibility of anything other than what he can see until one day he meets a sphere and learns there's other dimensions out there. Got me thinking about how little we really know about the universe.

Nonfiction - A People's History of the United States
There's always more than one side to any story, even the ones they tell children are facts. Taught me the importance of thinking for yourself and not taking any information blindly, even when it comes from your teachers or your government.

posted over a year ago

it brought a big smile on my face to read your comment because it reflects my own thoughts and interest about science and philosophy. Flatland... I'll surely check it out. what other physics books have read?

wood101 posted over a year ago

The Universe in a Nutshell and Science & Hypothesis. I'm looking for a book that concentrates on space-time but haven't had much luck.

SwarlsBarkley posted over a year ago

Hiding 2 comments... click to show.

Read it and call me in the morning lol

wood101 posted over a year ago

PrincessGurl said:

the diary of Anne Frank, i'm more grateful for my freedom here in the states
and deep down popular, it taught me that ppl can be fake and theres more to life than bein popular

posted over a year ago

There's so much more to life than we canculate to know. Popularity is a speck in the fiel of theories of what life is about. Nevertheless, life is about something, the name of the game is staying afloat in the sea of truths and lies...

wood101 posted over a year ago

Could not say it better than you wood101 - "We all have to be born and we all have to die - what's in between is for us to create" - LuvAlwaiz♥Jj9

juicyjossy9 posted over a year ago

yes there is truth in what you say, that's also what makes it sad. look at the world as it is today, chaos, murder, terror, rape, we have the power to ?create what's in between" and this what we created?

wood101 posted over a year ago

yes u guys are very right

PrincessGurl posted over a year ago

Book_freak said:

uuummmm,
1) Animal farm (just amazing)
2) Harry Potter (not the story so much as that it started my passion for literature)
3) The 'Wicked' series (so different to the musical it's scary)
4) The Hunger Games (one of the best sci-fi's i've ever read)
5) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (fantastic, but it was the last few lines that really shook me. Read it, you'll find out)
6) walking naked (A fabulous book, the ending was a bit predictable, but no less tragic, plus i love the parallels drawn between high school and nazi Germany, quite funny)

posted over a year ago

wow! those are some tittles... now Animal Farm, there's nothing about that name that screams... "amazing" what is it about? and why you find it so amazing?

wood101 posted over a year ago

Hiding 21 comments... click to show.

our class just got done with animal!

PrincessGurl posted over a year ago

what did you think?

Book_freak posted over a year ago

juicyjossy9 said:

Loads of books went through my eyes, my heart and my soul through the years, but those I’ve nicknamed ‘mirrors’, after being read at least 5 times:

L’ART DE LA GENTILLESSE (French translation of ‘Essere Gentile’) – Piero Ferrucci
THE PROPHET – Khalil Gibran
THE CELESTINE PROPHECY – James Redfield
THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON MUSIC – Daniel J. Levitin
OSCAR ET LA DAME ROSE – Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
THE ALCHIMIST – Paulo Coelho
BLINK – Malcolm Gladwell
À LA FAVEUR DU SILENCE – Guy Gervais
THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS – C.S. Lewis
WHO ARE YOU? – Malcolm Godwin
HISTOIRE DE PI – Yann Martel
A PEACOCK IN THE LAND OF PENGUINS – BJ Gallagher Hateley & Warren H. Schmidt

LoveAlwaiz♥Jj9

posted over a year ago

interesting list, I've read 3 of those books mention, but of all you mention "the Alchemist" was really what sets me off, now here's a great story... at least that what I thought back then until I strarted reading some classics and found out most of those stories you think are original are not. For example the Alchemist is awfully simmilar to "candide" by vaultaire.

wood101 posted over a year ago

a peacock in the land of pigeons, that just makes me smile : )

CullenProperty posted over a year ago

Hiding 4 comments... click to show.

lol it is an interesting name. I wonder what it's about...

wood101 posted over a year ago

A PEACOCK IN THE LAND OF PENGUINS (UN PAON AU PAYS DES PINGOUINS) : I knew the title would make you smile and giggle. I did too when both the English and French versions were given to me as a gift when I was studying for my master’s degree in psychology in 2001. I am since happily involved in human resources for a law firm employing over 600 people, including 250 lawyers. Over 600 very different human beings with very different ways of thinking, but 600 very different human beings all living for the same purpose: make the best out of everything life gave to each and everyone of them – creativity and courage – and on top of all, their will to team work, TOGETHER. Hence the analogy of the peacock evolving with penguins. This book was first on the market in 1991, and exclusively destined for ‘corporate purposes’. It soon became internationally acclaimed by many major companies, and was reedited for the public in 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2006. It is definitely one of the few reference works I constantly rely to, to find solutions to untie delicate situations involving internal relational disagreements. And an average of 9 out of 10 are settled with smiling hand shakes. For me, it was and still is a “mind opener” and an “anti-waste” of positive energy. Something I deeply believe is the key we need to succeed in team-working, despite all our differences, by heightening each individual’s self-esteem, and ultimately make frustrations die behind us. Good human relations always begin with a smile, and this book helps me do my job … almost perfectly! If you still have doubts, the universally credible Amazon describes it like this: “A Peacock in the Land of Penguins brings new insight to an important topic - workforce diversity. Written in a charming, engaging style, it is a contemporary "corporate fable" - a tale for our times. This story echoes one that is unfolding each and every day in organizations all across the country - how to manage the increasing diversity of the workforce and capture the talent, energy, and commitment of all employees.” Since you are now aware of what this simple and beautiful 172-page book with the funny title is all about, maybe you will be interested in buying it. I bet you this will be one of your most interesting investments. Here is the link if you wish do so through Amazon: linkIf you remember correctly, you made this comment to PrincessGurl on her love to The Diary of Anne Frank: “There's so much more to life than we canculate to know. Popularity is a speck in the fiel of theories of what life is about. Nevertheless, life is about something, the name of the game is staying afloat in the sea of truths and lies...” I made this comment: "Could not say it better than you wood101 - We all have to be born and we all have to die - what's in between is for us to create". And you answered this to it: “yes there is truth in what you say, that's also what makes it sad. look at the world as it is today, chaos, murder, terror, rape, we have the power to? create what's in between" and this what we created?” Now you have your answer on MY way to create a better world in between. You wanted me to name one book I’ve read that really changed my perspective of reality? Mission accomplished. I wish you a good reading! Can’t wait to hear from you – LuvAlwaiz♥Jj9

juicyjossy9 posted over a year ago

you would make a great salesperson lolwith a discription like that, how can I not tread it? :)

wood101 posted over a year ago

Actually, the last thing on earth I would do for a living, is being a salesperson. I work with lawyers remember. I work with facts and results. But I'm also intuitive and honestly want people to feel good in their skin, at work and everywhere in their lives. I happen to be very convincing when I believe in something. txs for the cmment. i really look forward to hearing your comments on this book - and from the others of the list I posted earlier. I wish us a happy sunny day to the big chunk of our lives devoted to reading what others have to say. By the way, I read your comment at the beginning. Knowing what you know of me now, I wonder what you have to tell me about my age, my values and awareress... - LuvAlwaiz♥Jj9

juicyjossy9 posted over a year ago

Hi beautiful friend! I was just wondering if you had a chance to take a look at this one... txs - ♥Jj9

juicyjossy9 posted over a year ago

bubbly_making said:

the uglies series by Scot Westerfeld have completly changed the way i see so many things. If you haven't read these books you haven't lived(!)

posted over a year ago

wow that's a bold claim! " haven't live until you read these book" lol are they really that good? when was it published?

wood101 posted over a year ago

the first in the series was published in 2005 :D And yes, they ARE that good!

bubbly_making posted over a year ago

Hiding 2 comments... click to show.

Amazing books! I love these! :D

XDRoseLuvsHP posted over a year ago

MasterOfFear said:

"The gift of fear" by Gavin De Becker
"Evil serial killers" by Charrolate Greig
"The Butterfly effect"by James Swallow
and "Needful things" and "Carrie" by Stephen King

I have always been closely aware of humanity's faults, but these books opened my eyes further to the disgusting nature of man. Reality is a fragile thing, but being oblivious to the abhorant side of it is as much a curse as ignorance. These great examples of literature provided me with sobering inlightenment and rare deliverance.

posted over a year ago

I like the fact that you use the word “deliverance” for it’s what I expect when I read a book. I know something is wrong society and the so-called “reality” we’ve been trained to see. That’s what I read a lot classic histories, philosophies, and some fiction, because they are more honest in value and some are the genesis of thoughts that revolutionize the way people think, for example Plato Herodotus etc. Originality live and died with the classics. I read to be wiser than I was at star. I expect to get wisdom to deliver me from darkness of ignorance and myself. That’s why I’m very selective on books I choose to read because I’m not reading for entertainment, that just side effect of a greater goal.

wood101 posted over a year ago

Germany-ftw said:

The "Harry Potter" series really hooked me on reading. Amazing storyline and incredible characters, especially Snape. This is probably what has inspired me to become an author and what made me enjoy writing.

Also, "What Happened to Lani Garver" really just makes you sit down and think about things. I can't explain it, but I thought of nothing but that book for months afterward. It teaches you to really look at people for who they are, not what you expect or perceive them to be and to respect every moment of your life and enjoy it.

If you ever do find "What Happened to Lani Garver", I cannot even express in words my want for you to read this book. It is amazing.

:]

posted over a year ago

Wow! The book was that deep? You know what, I’ll order it an put it on my “book to read” pile it’s a small pile lol. It most be amazing to have you think so much afterward. I’m not to much into current bestseller, but I heard good reviews about the Harry potter sagas. But I be sure o checkout the other book you mentioned.

wood101 posted over a year ago

That's the impression I got from the book! I hope I don't let you down with it!! If you get to finishing it, I'd be very interested to see what you think!! :D

Germany-ftw posted over a year ago

Hiding 5 comments... click to show.

True, I'm gonna do that too!

Germany-ftw posted over a year ago

brokenheart2828 said:

Kissed by An Angel by Elizibeth Chandler.
evidence:
it let me belive that letting go of someone can be har and u should never give up on love. Belive always as strongly as u can. i fell in love but the guy didn't love me back. i read the book and it told me that its ok to let go. never judge a book by is cover cause humand have much deeper internal feelings. letting go is perfectly fine. i might be rambling but its really hard to explain...

posted over a year ago

This sounds like a book I've got to read!! :]

Germany-ftw posted over a year ago

thank you for opening yourself to such extent, I very much appreciate your input. I’m sure most of us can relate to your experience about love and letting go. I myself spent two years feeling sorry for myself after my relationship ended, but it turns out being alone is exactly what I needed. The thing about “heart” is, it’s crowning jewel of being human, at the same time it can be the source great grieve. Believe it or not what got me over my depression is reading up on neurophysiology, learning about different aspect of the working brain, synaptic network, plasticity etc. What that did for me was it demystify emotion and place it in the light of fact and logical soundness. Once you understand the chain of causes behind those “emotion” you can learn to control it or ignore it. Understand the brain, is freedom, letting go would be easier, rejection would just brush off you and love will the thing you give instead of the thing you fall victim too.

wood101 posted over a year ago

Hiding 3 comments... click to show.

did you get a chance to read the book?

wood101 posted over a year ago

justinfoeva said:

A Child Called It

posted over a year ago

If u like sad books then read this if u dont u will cry so much it wont even b funny

justinfoeva posted over a year ago

lol is that right?

wood101 posted over a year ago

Hiding 5 comments... click to show.

this isa really touching book.dave pelzer grew up in daly city and i went to school in dalycity he comes to Westmoor High school and talks about the book and his life experiences.

topazEYEs91 posted over a year ago

booklover13 said:

two books:

-she said yes
-walk two moons

walk two moons is so touching and makes you really appreciate your family, and teaches youi values lots of books dont

she said yes really touched my christian side- it was about a girl who was killed in a school shooting, and when the gun was pointed at her, she was praying to god, and one of the shooters asked her if she believed in god, and she said yes, then they killed her. if you are a christian, i highly reccomend reading this book!!

posted over a year ago

That is interesting, because if you are a Christian, the idea of death should not be a dark cloud above your head. You should receive it like receiving a gift. I won’t go into soul body imprisonment, but worth thinking about.

wood101 posted over a year ago

Both of the above books are great! Love "Walk Two Moons" and "She Said Yes" is always a book that makes me reevaluate myself. You should definitely check it out wood101. ;0

AnnaKay19 posted over a year ago

venicebd said:

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry

posted over a year ago

Why that book? please don't hold back I don't mind reading :)

wood101 posted over a year ago

life_rehab said:

well, i would say "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak - it's the story of a young girl during the WWII and, obviously, Holocaust and how this affects her although she's just a child and she's not Hebrew. it is a great story, beautifully written (Zusak is one of the most talented contemporary writers, if you ask me) and it had a deep impact on me as it completely and irrevocably changed my view on humanity.

obviously i already knew what happened during WWII but reading the book was like finally letting my thoughts and feeling have their own shape.

i came to realise that men are more than cruel animals but also that our so-called superiority and intelligence is just a silly mask we like to wear trying to convince ourselves that we're actually not pure evil...and we aren't because all those acts of kindness during the war prove that this rancour and perverseness in some may reveal the best in others.
but still, the question that troubles me: What if - actually - we're all capable of such horrible, terrible things? -- because, after all, those German soldiers were just like you and me and not cold-blooded criminals...

anyway 'The Book Thief' definitely changed my view on life by making me take a closer look at things i thought i knew but didn't actually understand and give the right importance.

posted over a year ago

Yes the existence of humanity, human behavior, and the essence of good and evil is truly a remarkable topic that has debated for millennia. Most question are left unanswered rather left shroud of clouds of theories and shortsightedness. The fact that we are all capable of these act of evil, but what keeps us from being tainted? That’s a question that’s been on my mind recently, and I had indeed puzzled me. Civilization itself is a shame, its remains in unstable states that even the slightest push tumble’s it down to chaos and anarchy look at Alexander the great conquest, Xerxes ; these men unites nations, and it only takes the death of one to send millions into chaos. It is a mask wear and we all contributors to that illusion. There are more we are aware of the true nature of things, the brighter the hope for the next generation.

wood101 posted over a year ago

life_rehab - I love the Book Thief too!! :)

EalasaidWooster posted over a year ago

Hiding 2 comments... click to show.

Misinterpretations of emotions are often the roots of violence and war. I viscerally hate the notions of violence and war. I never actually understood the very meaning of their existence. Did you ever question the fact that the government of each country has its own ‘War Department’, but where you will never find a Ministry of Peace? Why is that? Is that such a ‘loser’ image to want to live free of war as a way of life? Is it because it is competition-free? War and violence are so much inlaid in our every-day lives, like a dull comment on the weather (even in this area, it is not dull anymore, it’s frightening!), that we can now even play games of war and even laugh and enjoy it! It baffles me.A beautiful and wise friend of mine told me that ‘There is a war that forever rages in my mind over circumstance in demand of meaning and value. Ignorance certainly is bliss, for the ignorant man can take comfort in the appearance of the world before them, but the man who digs for wisdom must keep digging, for if he should stops without truly acquiring the truth set out for, he would have only have dug his own grave in confusion.’ I could not agree more.The only war we should be into is the one against the webs weaved by a society subtly trying to weaken our freewill by numbing us comfortably. Words are there for us to understand each other, reach peace and enlightenment, to help us to stay strong, not being brain-washed. We should never forget that our equilibrium comes from within and should always outweigh personal vendettas. – Make Love Not War – LuvAlwaiz♥Jj9

juicyjossy9 posted over a year ago

Wood101 and juicyjossy9 – I totally agree with you. In my opinion, our society is built on wrong ideas and with the wrong heroes. There are so many things I do not understand, that I don’t agree with but with which I have to live every day. Think a little about our history – wars after wars, people hating, fighting, dying, massacres, genocides, entire nations destroyed and I could go on forever. Where’s the greatness, where’s the superiority? Where are our important values that make humanity so big, so imposing? Why is it that we only admire and remember the worst events in our history? Why do we see good and salvation in death and crimes, or look at murderers as heroes? You’re right - wood101 – our entire humanity IS a shame. As Twain put it, "Of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel. He is the only one that inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it." And not only we act so but we also inoculate our children with these ideas, these false principles and views. How is a 10-year-old supposed to form his character when we (including school) tell him how great Bonaparte, or Alexander, or Churchill were because they – literally - led millions of people to death and because all they wanted was to conquer and gain more power? What is great in this, why don’t we let our children figure out themselves what is important in life? Isn’t life itself already complicated enough? And anyway, how about our daily behaviour? I don’t understand why we are so mean to each other every day, every single day – lies, fighting, backbiting, and all that. To quote from ‘Into the wild’, a film that also changed my perspective on life, “I don't understand why people, why every fucking person is so bad to each other so fucking often. It doesn't make sense to me. Judgment. Control. All that, the whole spectrum.” We don’t act as fellow beings at all – we’re not free, or equal or at least friendly with each other – I mean, if someone approaches you on the street just to say hello, or to get acquainted with you, there’s a great chance you’ll find them bizarre and go away. Should things be this way? Anyway, maybe these are questions without answers because, whether we like it or not, human nature is an incomprehensible mystery but I am certain they are not in vain. As long as we have questions, as long as we refuse to obey the stupid unwritten rules that make us care only about ourselves and – sometimes – our family, there are still hopes for better humans– the real meaning of better. Humanity IS overrated.

life_rehab posted over a year ago

OMG, yes! I love that book! I used it as a related text for my HSC (end of school exams)

Book_freak posted over a year ago

SabrinaZaltana said:

Posion Study by Maria V Snyder.
Best book i have ever rad and will allways be, its packed with action, adventure, romance, exitment, magic..everything

I read it in 8th grade and its the only book i can read multiple times (best trilogy)
I will never for get it

posted over a year ago

poison study...I don't ever see myself reading a book more than once, it must really be extraordinary, but beside being entertaining, has it impact your perspective in any noticeable way?

wood101 posted over a year ago

EalasaidWooster said:

"The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer. Here's the blurb:

"This devastating first-hand story of a young German soldier trapped in the lethal machinery of total war on the Eastern Front in World War II captures the real experience of modern war in all its shattering terror.

This is one man's story of the bitter, killing cold of the Russian winter, of vicious combat against Russian partisans, and of the carnage of battles against a desperate but merciless Red Army with its mind-numbing artillery attacks and endless waves of infantry and tanks.

Posted to the crack Grossdeutschland division, with its tough training, the soldier enters a violent and remorseless world that relentlessly destroys any hope and ideals and where all that matters is brute survival fighting a relentless enemy."

Sajer was only 2 years older than I am when he joined the Wermacht, so I found him easy to relate to. Reading about the things he saw and how he dealt with them was truly fascinating.

I think the most inspirational thing about this book is the friendships Sajer manages to forge with the other soldiers, especially another young soldier called Hals. They really stuck together and looked after each other, in a way that is unique to war. I almost envied this relationship, as I realise I can never that kind of friendship.

Also, I found some of the other soldiers really amazing, particularly an older veteran, who sacrificed himself to save the other soldiers in his squad because he felt that he was too mentally damaged to re-enter society.

This book really challenged me and changed my outlook on life - I can honestly say I'm not the same person I was before I read it.

I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoy history!! :)

posted over a year ago

narniahp14 said:

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

posted over a year ago

NCISLuverjk93 said:

A Child Called It </3 It made me cry while reading it& really changed my view on my parents, I havent taken them for granted since

posted over a year ago

I've heard of that book before. What is it about?

wood101 posted over a year ago

Its about this little boy who ends up being Severely abused by his mother, and no one does/can do anything about it... its really sad but an amazing book

NCISLuverjk93 posted over a year ago

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Most definitely makes it all the more horrifying! You're totally right. :/

AnnaKay19 posted over a year ago

AnnaKay19 said:

Soooo...I can't name just one, but I can name a few. "The Outsiders" by: S.E. Hinton because it made me feel like I wasn't the only one feeling looked down upon like trash, and wanting something more for my life. "Tuck Everlasting" by: Natalie Babbit because it was the book that REALLY made me think about the problem with living forever. "Bridge to Terabithia" by: Katherine Paterson because it was the first book I read that dealt with death in way that was real to me. "Ordinary People" by: Judith Guest and "Girl, Interrupted" by: Susanna Kaysen, and "The Giver" by: Lois Lowry because they all gave me another perspective into the difficulties of assimilating yourself to the realities of the world around you. Lastly, "Anne of Green Gables" by: L.M. Montgomery, because it gave me a wonderful imagination and a dreamer's heart. All of these are also movies, but I'd recommend reading the books first, cause they're so much better! Out of these my favorite at the moment would have to be "Ordinary People."

posted over a year ago

dollyrox said:

well first off, reading in general changed my life in a big way. ive been an avid reader since i was in the 3rd grade. ive read countless books so its kind of hard to single certain ones out as more important than another, because i believe that they have each brought me something different, but i will try.
the hunger games- its a popular pick from what ive seen. it really does make you reassess what is important in life, the struggle is epic, and the characters are amazing
how i live now- this is a haunting story about a young girl who lives through a traumatic experience and comes out on the other side more changed by her experience than she ever could have imagined. i would recommend this book to anyone who likes to be kept up thinking deep into the night.
the his dark materials trilogy- these three books are some of the deepest books ive ever read. they are so interesting, and the complexities make it so that even reading them for the 5th or 6th time, you can still find something new and compelling to think about. it simultaneously explores a young girl growing up and journeying through many worlds of obstacles to find where she belongs, and subtly explores the religious world, everything from its purest symbolism to its most corrupt corners. can you tell i like this series?
im running low on time, so ill just throw a few more out there for consideration: the inkworld trilogy, the knife of never letting go, and the chronicles of narnia.

posted over a year ago

Some great books on here! I also love the book "How I Live Now" because its such a good war survival story. Plus Daisy is so real. ;)

AnnaKay19 posted over a year ago

Sorry, AnnaKay19, but I thought that "How I live Now" was perhaps one of the worst books I have ever had the misfortune to read :/

LilyCullen108 posted over a year ago

LilyCullen108 said:

Hey. Hmmmm...books that have really changed my perspective of reality...? Perhaps Twilight, Harry Potter...and many more. But something that I have discovered recently which has completely changed my view on LIFE, and I'm not sure if you could say reality...perhaps my view of everyday life, which seems similiar to me. This includes a book called "Dear John" by Nicholas Sparks, which I was so stunned by, and I have also read "Private Peaceful" by Michael Mopurgo which I found absolutely amazing, and I couldn't help but feel very lucky for what I have and what I do not have to watch. By this, I mean like people dying before your eyes, people being blown apart before your eyes...etc, etc. If you ever read something which is in first person and about a soldier in war - whichever war that may be - I think that perhaps you could completely relate to what I am saying. Thanks :D

posted over a year ago

Yarrgh said:

a lot of novels that i have read have changed my view on this messed up world.though one which really moved me was the novel 'winter' by john marsden. its a really realistic novel.♥

posted over a year ago

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