5 Books That Changed My Life

Books have a magical power to reach into your soul and grab a part of you that you didn't know was there. For women especially, reading was an essential part of lives. Then motherhood takes hold and the daily interaction with that book you can't put down gets replaced by feedings, diaper changes and all of the things that being a mother does to a woman.

But, there's always that book that's calling your name. Maggie Mason wants to know, how have you found time to read again? And she asks the question that is one of the great conversation starters, "What 5 books changed your life?". Join the Momversation by commentng in text or video and tell us the books that changed your life.

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Showing the Latest of 33 Comments

GrannyPants
2 yearss ago

As a writer and literature hound, I am grateful I am able to read more now that I am not working so much and now that the kids are grown. When they were little, I would read in the evenings before bed. Hands down, one of my favorite books for jumping into a world unlike my own is The Hummingibrd's Daughter by Alberto Luis Urrea. His use of language is filled with surprises, somewhat crude at times, but always amazingly inspiring. The story is set in Mexico pre-revolution, covering the life of La Santa de Cabora, a young girl destined to be a healer, often against her will. There are so many others, I cannot list them right now, but this book is the only one that has a taste that has forever changed my palate. Reading is such a delicious getaway from the details of every day life. It is wonderful and necessary for our children also, to see their parents reading. It is a good habit that benefits everyone! I don't think I could live without reading in my life!

frecklefrocks
2 yearss ago

Ok when I read What Our Mothers Didn't Tell Us basically it took my brain out and ran it through a blender...in a good way. I highly urge you to read it, it's not too long but great for putting things in perspective. My other choice though childish and not all that popluar to brag about is the Harry Potter series. Love it. Read the whole series now about 5 times. I'm a nerd, so sue me :)

JoeAnne10
2 yearss ago

I have a few books that changed my life as well and I want to mention one I enjoyed the most and is entitled "The magician". My father is doing some ebook services so he provided me all those books I always loved and I also have to say that I read a lot o my life. I also enjoyed the Lord of the Rings very much as well as Harry Potter. This are the books that changed my life.

MomDot
2 yearss ago

mcummings
3 yearss ago

Ok, so a late post to when the commenting began, but I am catching up!! I worked in a book store in my pre-fam days and I have always been a voracious reader (a book a day not uncommon - not sure I had much of a social life, but I was well read!). Wow - so many good books listed (Pillars of the Earth, Red Tent, DaVinci Code and The Shack - which my 7 year old son almost asked me to quit reading b/c it made me cry so much). My fave authors would have to be: -John Irving ("Prayer for Owen Meany" top pick - I can't watch the movie based on this one b/c I am afraid of what they may have done to it) -Pat Conroy ("Prince of Tides" top pick - hate the movie, curse "Babs" for what she did to that film!) -Tom Robbins ("Still life with Woodpecker" top pick) -Edith Wharton ("Age of Innocence" top pick - and I love the movie too!) -Anne Lamott ("Operating Instructions" top pick, but I also love her inspirational books). I have little time to read these days with 2 little'uns in the house (a 7 yo son and a 2 yo daughter), but get by most of the time with mags and blogs (LOVE Alice Bradley and Rebecca Woolf - yo!). I did just buy one new book and hope (!) to get to read it by end of the month!

lissak
3 yearss ago

I have a really hard time picking favorites because I go through phases where it'll all be light fiction, or sci-fi, or sometimes more literature -- and if I try something else during those phases it just won't work for me. AM I reading 17 months after baby? Yes. As much? Not nearly. It's why I've gotten into the blogosphere -- short and to the point and my brain is getting at least SOME exercise. I don't know that any of the below books changed my life, but all were good reads for various reasons. Loved My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (and pretty much anything else she writes) Good in Bed by Jennifer Wiener (funny AND Smart may re-read soon) Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro -- Seriously almost wet myself! Very Recently read The Hindi Bindi Club by Monica Pradhan Just read Bookseller of Kabul -- interesting, informative and sad

lisabelle
3 yearss ago

The most important book I have ever read and the one I am mostly likely to give at a baby shower is Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn. Other important reads for me: ** anything by Douglas Coupland ** One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love In the Time of the Cholera ** The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston ** someone above mentioned The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov--YES! I'm not a religious person at all, but I found the story of Jesus and Pontius Pilate woven through the novel to be very affecting.

Summer
3 yearss ago

Kelly
3 yearss ago

Great topic ladies, if for nothing else than to hear that its so common to get out of the relationship of reading something other than "Duck in the Truck" (Jes Alborough) or "Love you Forever" (Robert Munsch). I do not read fiction any more since kids were born, and the non-fiction as of late has been project management / financial analysis for work, and even that is slim pickings. I maintain a subscription to a parenting mag and may treat myself to an Oprah mag 7 times a year and that provides some snips of info and connection to reading. At the recommendation of a friend/coworker, I read this winter (the only thing read this winter) "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv http://richardlouv.com/ -- an interesting non fiction piece about children's need for nature and growing alert kids and not sheltering so much... a little dry in places, but it is totally a push to your brain about helicopter parenting and environmental needs of a community. Fodder for a momversation topic I think, especially the different ways rural and urban parents approach parenting. Really great conversations, keep up the top notch work ladies.

CurlyQ
3 yearss ago

The 5 books that changed my life: To Kill a Mockingbird ~Harper Lee The Alchemist ~Paulo Coelho Living Downstream ~Sandra Steingraber The Giving Tree ~ Shel Silverstein dooce.com ~Heather B. Armstrong (I realize that the above is not a book, but I only came to know about her blog a few months ago and read it from beginning to now...like a book...and it has changed my life immensely!!) Two other great book that I love so much: A Short History of Nearly Everything ~Bill Bryson A Year in the Merde ~ Stephen Clarke (If you have spent any length of time in France, you must read this!)

5 Books That Changed My Life

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