Books That Made Me Think About Life Differently

Reading books is one of the most enriching experiences that a person can have. It allows us to explore new worlds, meet interesting characters, and gain knowledge about a variety of subjects. I’ve read many books over the years, but there are a few that have stayed with me long after I finished them.

📖 The Novice: A Story of True Love by Thich Nhat Hanh

This is a heartwarming tale that tells the story of Kinh Tam, a young girl who disguises herself as a novice monk to escape an arranged marriage. As she studies with the master, she falls in love with another novice monk, and together they face a number of challenges and obstacles in their pursuit of true love.

What I love about this book is the beautiful way in which Thich Nhat Hanh weaves together the themes of love, mindfulness, and the search for inner peace. There’s a gentleness to Thich Nhat Hanh’s writing that I’ve always appreciated. The story carries Buddhist teachings without feeling like it is trying too hard to teach you something, and beneath everything is this exploration of what it means to truly love.

📖 The Five People You Meet in Heaven and The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

The first book follows the journey of Eddie, an elderly man who dies and is taken on a journey to meet five people who had a significant impact on his life. The sequel follows the story of Annie, a young girl who is saved by Eddie’s sacrifice and is taken on her own journey to meet five people who will help her understand the importance of forgiveness and the power of love.

This book made me think about how interconnected our lives really are. We don’t always know the impact we have on another person, and sometimes the moments that seem insignificant to us become important pieces of someone else’s story. That’s what I carried with me from these books: the idea that our lives touch one another in ways we may never completely understand.

📖 The Stars Shine Down by Sidney Sheldon

The novel tells the story of Lara Cameron, a self-made millionaire who rises to the top of the real estate industry through her intelligence, hard work, and determination.

This book is very different from the others on this list, but perhaps that’s exactly why I remember it. Lara Cameron’s ambition, determination and rise in the world of real estate fascinated me. Her story made me think about success. Not only what it takes to achieve it, but what it can cost us along the way. I love stories with complicated characters who aren’t simply good or bad, and Sidney Sheldon has always been good at giving me characters I want to keep reading about.

📖 Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

This book is a memoir that chronicles the author’s experiences visiting his former college professor, Morrie Schwartz, who is dying of ALS. Through a series of conversations, Morrie imparts his wisdom and insights on a variety of topics, including love, death, and the meaning of life.

This is one of those books that makes you think about what actually matters. Through Morrie’s conversations about love, death, relationships and the meaning of life, I found myself reflecting on how easily we become consumed by things that may not matter nearly as much in the end. It’s a simple book, but perhaps that’s why its message lands so well.

📖 By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho

This a novel that tells the story of a young woman named Pilar who reunites with her childhood sweetheart after many years apart. stayed with me for a different reason.

Pilar’s journey isn’t simply about romantic love; it’s also about rediscovering parts of herself and opening herself to something greater. Maybe that’s why I was drawn to it.

Looking at these books together now, I realise there is a pattern I probably didn’t notice when I first read them.

They are very different stories, written by very different authors, but I seem to return to the same questions: What makes a life meaningful? What do we sacrifice in pursuit of the things we want? How are our lives connected to other people? What does it mean to love? And how do we become more ourselves? Maybe that’s what I look for in books without consciously knowing it. I don’t necessarily need a story to give me an answer. Sometimes I just want it to leave me with a question I’m still thinking about years later. And these are some of the books that did exactly that.