12 People Talk About the Books They Read That Made Big Impacts on Them

I read To K**l a Mockingbird in eighth grade and that book left a huge impression on me.

And out of all the books I’ve read in my life, it still stands out.

What a classic!

What book you’ve read still stands out to you?

Let’s hear from folks on Buzzfeed and see what they had to say.

“The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.

This book resonated with me on such a deep level. Even though I’m Mexican and not Indian like the characters, I could still relate strongly to the main character’s inner conflict over his cultural identity.

Not to mention Lahiri is an incredible writer. It’s such an unforgettable book.”

“Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner.

My heart broke in so many ways when I read this book.

Zauner is an incredibly talented writer.

The relationship with her mother is deeply moving.”

“We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.

It’s been two years since I read this book, and I still think about the twist.

It’s really well-written and gut-wrenching, ultimately leaving you with the question: Is a parent’s love truly unconditional?””

“The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker is my personal favorite.

The story tore my mind and my heart apart and pieced both back together numerous times, and I loved the journey.”

“The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

This big boy sat on my bookshelf for years intimidating me. I mentally set aside a couple months to work my way through it, planning to read some other short novels simultaneously.

But I couldn’t put this book down. The length turned out to be the best part cause I never wanted it to end! There is so much that happens over the course of this very clever plot. I just loved it.”

“100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.

It’s magical, enlightening, tragic, and serene. It’s everything.”

“A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.

It’s funny, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s the only book I’ve read in my adult years that I have kept thinking about every so often even a long time after finishing it.”

“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I first read it at age 10 and have re-read it every couple of years since.

It’s like an old friend now, but I wish I could go back to the beginning and re-experience that moment when I realized the main character was basically me, and that being a book-mad misfit wasn’t necessarily a bad thing to be.”

“Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman.

I wish I could read it again for the first time. I came out later in life (I had known for a long time before I admitted to myself or anyone else that I was gay), and it was that book, especially Mr. Perlman’s speech at the end, that had me sobbing at 2 a.m.

It finally made me realize that I needed to speak my truth no matter the consequences.”

“The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

It was the first time I ever read about mental illness in a way that I connected with.

I finally felt like there was a voice out there that went through the same struggles that I have.”

“The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

I recommend literally everyone I know to read this book. It’s the best storytelling I think I have ever read and ever will read.

I think about this book every day — that’s how impactful it is.”

“The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

There is no experience akin to reading that for the first time.

You suspect a lot of things throughout the story, only to find out that the details are so much wilder than you thought!”