Powerful Reads

I've been having a bit of fun on Facebook this Saturday morning with a link to a story from BuzzFeed: 32 Books That Will Actually Change Your Life I agree with most of my friends who have commented that the list is a good one, but we're not sure they're really "life changing."  Which set me to wondering whether I'd claim that any book I've ever read (other than the Holy Bible) actually changed. my. life.

I honestly don't think so.

But some books have definitely influenced my view of life and/or the world.  Some by opening my eyes to new ideas and possibilities.  Some by confirming my already held philosophies and ideals.  Many by giving eloquent voice to my own thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Here is my list of:

Two Dozen Good Books I'm Glad I Read

1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
2. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll
3. All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren
4. All the President's Men, by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
5. Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt
6. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
7. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
8. Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
9. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, by Fannie Flagg
10. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
11. The Hawk and the Sun, by Byron Herbert Reece
12. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers
13. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
14. The Long Home, by William Gay
15. Night, by Elie Wiesel
16. Other Voices, Other Rooms, by Truman Capote
17. Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi
18. A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
19. The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien
20. The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell
21. To Dance with the White Dog, by Terry Kay
22. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
23. Why We Can't Wait, by Martin Luther King, Jr.