Books are a haven that help us escape the harsh edges of our lives, but every once in a while, we come across one that hurdles us into a state of self-reflection and completely revamps our perspective. Life-changing books are hard to find, but completely impossible to forget when we do.
From classics like Toni Morrison's Beloved to transformative self-help reads like Don Miguel Ruiz's The Four Agreements to cult-favorites like Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, and even recent releases, we rounded up some bestsellers that have left their mark on millions of readers. Below, find 20 of the best life-changing books of all time.
Life-Changing Classic Novels
If you try to highlight all the phrases in The Alchemist that are quotes to live by (like I did!), you’ll leave half the book lit up in color. The fantastical story follows the quest of an Andalusian shepherd boy as he chases a prophecy that states he will find treasure and fortune at the Egyptian Pyramids. But it's the lessons that Santiago learns on the journey that will stay with you long after you finish the book. As he realizes his "destiny" and wages on despite the fear and uncertainty, you’ll be inspired too.
Toni Morrison's fifth book, Beloved, is about an enslaved woman who escapes from Kentucky to Ohio, but remains unfree while confronting the trauma of losing her unnamed baby. The novel was inspired by a true story, and a 1987 National Book Award finalist.
Get ready for the glorious glut of teenage angst that is Holden Caulfield. You were probably assigned this coming-of-age book in high school English class and were surprised it passed the curriculum, thanks to its overwhelming amount of slang and blasphemy. But Holden’s unfiltered first-person prose is why this book stays with you; he comes across as an authentic and hilarious voice (or arrogant and selfish, depending on your perspective) as he endures the ups and downs of adolescence.
Have you ever tried to justify something you did that you know was wrong? Well, in Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov does it for a whole novel. This book follows the trials and tribulations of an ex-student in Saint Petersburg who decides to kill a pawnbroker for her money. Although the student tries to defend himself by saying the world is better off without a selfish and evil woman, and that he can do better deeds with that fortune (this is where utilitarianism was born, BTW), he forgets to account for the power of human conscience that plagues him after what he’s done.
James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room was a groundbreaking book for its time, and it remains a classic in the literary world for its representation of the LGBTQ+ community. The book's protagonists are an American expat named David and his ex-lover, Giovanni, an Italian immigrant.
It's rare for young women to see themselves represented clearly on the page, but Louisa May Alcott did it so perfectly with her depictions of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March. Her story of their teens and early 20s—filled with war, heartbreak, death, and plenty of love and joy sprinkled throughout—still resonates with readers, and remains shockingly relatable, more than 150 years later.
Life-Changing Contemporary Classic Novels
This novel will make you feel on a deep and visceral level. It’s about two boys—Amir, a boy from a wealthy family, and his best friend Hassan, who works in his house. Khaled Hosseini beautifully captures the sacred bond of friendship and how it can persevere even when society tries to rip it apart.
Technically, this book is about a young man who gets into a boating disaster and tries to survive with a bunch of animals. But inside these pages, you’ll find a brilliant and deep-rooted idea about religion that will make you fundamentally question your personal beliefs.
This Colson Whitehead novel is an unsparing depiction of the horrors of life as a runaway former enslaved person. However, it's tinged with hope as he reimagines the Underground Railroad as a literal railroad. It will change how you think about the U.S., while empowering readers to continue fighting to make it different—and better for everyone.
Brit Bennett’s second novel follows two identical twin sisters over several decades. Though both grew up in Louisiana as light-skinned Black girls, their paths diverge as teenagers after they run away to Washington, D.C., and one sister chooses to begin passing as white. They intersect again years later when their daughters happen to meet in L.A. It’s a powerful story about racism and colorism, raising important questions about the identities we craft for ourselves and those crafted for us, and you’ll definitely want to give it a read before the Issa Rae-produced adaptation debuts on HBO.
Life-Changing Essay Collections
Soon to be adapted into a television series, Cathy Park Hong's Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning remains an essential read. The essay collection dives into the racial consciousness of America and Cathy Park Hong's theory of "minor feelings."
It's hard to choose the most impactful work from author Joan Didion, but Slouching Towards Bethlehem makes its way to the top of the list. Among the essay collection's very best is her landmark "Goodbye to All That." If you've ever fallen in and out of love with a city, you'll be able to relate to this deeply.
Each of the nine essays in this collection from Jia Tolentino discusses a facet of our current culture that’s changing the way we live, act, and see ourselves. One, for example, takes a (truly haunting) look at the mindset of constant “optimization” that plagues our society and specifically seeks to tame and shrink women. Tolentino classifies the essays as more of the conversation-starting than solution-offering type, and indeed, they’ll give you plenty to think about long after you’ve turned the final page.
Life-Changing Memoirs
Italy. India. Bali. Elizabeth Gilbert's beloved memoir Eat, Pray, Love has encouraged women everywhere to book the ticket and leave behind the life society tells them to, instead opting for an unpredictable, messy, beautiful journey.
Tara Westover’s memoir is an exposé of her former Mormon life, but it serves as a universal coming-of-age story that emphasizes the importance of education. It's also an inspirational ode to anyone who comes from a dysfunctional family. Read: You don’t have to remain trapped in your circumstances.
This gut-wrenching memoir follows neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi as he deals with a cancer diagnosis and records his musings on life, death, illness, and humanity. A few months after finishing the autobiographical book, he died from stage IV metastatic lung cancer. But this book is more about living than dying, and how one can transcend tragedy and make life meaningful in the time you’re given.
Life-Changing Nonfiction
If you ever find yourself feeling anxious or sad about the state of the world, this book is for you. Written by Swedish physician Hans Rosling, it examines 10 common “-isms” we think we understand about things like poverty, global education, and the environment. The book presents statistics, science, and firsthand insight that contradict these seemingly doomed narratives. Less a solution and more a call to action, this book will change how you see the world around you.
Ibram X. Kendi's How to Be an Antiracist is a masterclass on the conversations America isn't having about racism, showing us how to confront our nation's dark history and what the path towards true equality looks like.
Based on a series of lectures given by the author, Yuval Noah Harari, this book uses anthropology and social science to span all of human history, from the spark of consciousness to now. Its central thesis—that we succeed as a species because we can work together—is a nice reminder for our troubled times.
