Cunt: A Declaration of Independence by Igna Muscio
or
Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters

"The Perks of Being A Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky. I read it when I was fifteen and it's still one of my favorite books of alltime. You can read it at that age and identify with the protagonist, then you can read it in your last year of high school and identify with some of the other characters, and after that it's the perfect way to remember what it was like to be those ages. It's wonderful.

Also, anything by Christopher "Hey Chris" Gutierrez (that Fall Out Boy song "Grenade Jumper" is about him). He writes this inspirational memoir-based stuff that's amazingly inspirational. His Web site is deadxstop.com

I loooooooove The Perks of Being a Wallflower, it's one of my favorite books of all time!

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay was pretty damn substantial for me. My friend let me borrow it once. Her brother gave it to her and said it changed his life. I read it and was pretty blown away. It basically has a message of finding your inner strength and the ability to move above obstacles and come out on top. There are a lot of good metaphors and the story itself is pretty good.

Ooo that was a great one. It's been a long while since I read it, but I do remember it being excellent.

Yeah, after my friend begged for her book back I went bought my own copy. I get it out and re-read it every once in a while.

"are you there, God? It's me, Margeret!" written by Judy Blume..

Extreme Encounters: How It Feels to Be Drowned in Quicksand, Shredded by Piranhas, Swept Up in a Tornado, and Dozens of Other Unpleasant Experiences by Greg Emmanuel. It has made me afraid of everything. :)

Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia By Jean Sasson. There are in total 3 books about this woman. Her name & the names of others have been changed for the safety of Princess Sultana Al-Saud {at least that was what my college teacher told me}. It is amazing. I haven't read the other 2 books but I'm looking forward to finding them & reading them. Here's part of the Princesses personal letter:

"Dear Readers of Princess:
As I write these words, I am smiling with contentment that you are about to read the story of my childhood and early marriage. Since I was a young girl, unloved by my father, and tortured by a cruel older brother, I longed for the opportunity to tell the entire world how too many young Saudi girls live lives clouded by sadness or anger that their brothers are greatly loved while they, as females, are merely endured.
I have lived my life as a princess, and still I have had few options. My father only loved his sons. I wanted to be loved by my father, but nothing I did or said made the slightest change in his indifference toward me."
"I can scarcely imagine how other young Saudi girls abide their lives. I know of young girls who are forced to become the 3rd or 4th wife of old men. I know of young women who have been instantly divorced when diagnosed with serious illnesses. Some of these women are mothers and their terrorized children are taken from their arms to be raised by another woman. I know of young girls who have been put to death by members of their own family, often for nothing more then perceived misconduct."

Ahh I got recommended that book on Amazon after buying The Islamist, which I'm sure is good but I got bored half way through ;D
I will have to check Princess out.

They didn't change my life, but the only really introspective books I have read are:

1984 - George Orwell. It's just such a powerful story, and really makes you worried for the future!

Flowers For Algernon - Daniel Keyes. I randomly picked this up when I worked in Waterstone's as it had a bright pink cover. And I instantly fell in love with it. It's such a sweet, sweet book, and I think it makes you have more faith in humanity.

My fave books are 'The World According to Clarkson' series by Jeremy Clarkson. They are just collections of all his columns from The Times, but they are brilliant. He says what everyone else is too frightened to say, and he says it in such a way that makes you cry with laughter.

Oh oh, and the Adrian Mole books!! You have to read them when you're at least in your late teens, because then the books make so much more sense. They reminded me so much of how dramatic I used to be when I too was 13. They are so bloody funny!

i think i had to read 1984 in high school. never did. could not get into it

Yeah I'm surprised I got into it, since I have such problems getting into books normally. I think it always makes a difference if you have to read them... you never want to!

thats what i liked about one of my college professors. she gave you a list of books you had to read & you chose your top 3 and you got one of those 3 to read. thats how i ended up reading princess

i can say ive read A LOT of books, but nothing "changed my life."

lol >.>

Wouldnt say it changed my life, but I had a bit of a different view on life, death and religion after I read Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice.

Ya know... I can't say a book ever changed my life.

They're...books.

A confederacy of dunces by John Kennedy Toole.

A confederacy of dunces by John Kennedy Toole.

"In Search of Satisfaction" by J. California Cooper. Really good book.