The most influential books to you

I'm still young in my reading journey as I only started at the beginning of last year as a new year's resolution. Prior to that, the last time I read a book for leisure was when I was 17 (I'm now 28). Since then, I have finished 68 books ranging from the classics, religious texts, Nobel/Pulitzer/Booker Prize winners, and even just some random recommendations from bookstore employees.

Recently I've found myself wanting to dive more specifically into what might be considered the "most influential" books in history. I've been scouring different lists of what might be the most "influential" books in history, and for the most part they have the same 80 books and then maybe 20 others that are a bit more unique. That being said, to say how influential a book is can be very subjective and dependent on the individual. Along with that, the meaning of influential can be somewhat different from person to person. But this had me wondering to myself and made me want to pose a question to you all.

What are the 3 most influential books to you and why are they influential to you?

For me personally from the limited selection of books I have so far:

1. The Road – By Cormac McCarthy

This was the first book I read to start out my journey in reading, so it has a special place in my heart. It was recommended to me by a buddy of mine who knew that I was starting out the resolution. I figured he was a good source to glean book recommendations from considering he was an English teacher. I found this book to be pretty profound. It was brutal and dark, yet it was beautiful. I remember finishing this book with a tear rolling down my face.

1. A Grief Observed – By C.S. Lewis

I sort of picked this book up on a whim, as I had just finished the Chronicles of Narnia and wanted to read more by C.S. Lewis. I could never have imagined how important it was for me to have picked it up when I did. I read this a week before my best friend died and unexpectedly it prepared me a lot more than I could have ever imagined. This doesn't mean that it eliminated the emotions or things I was feeling, but it did help me process what was going on. In this book, C.S. Lewis gives a very personal account of his own experience dealing with grief when his wife died. I don't want to give too much away, but I would say that if anyone is going through a period of grief (especially if you're Christian), this would be one that I would recommend.

1. The Old Man and the Sea – By Ernest Hemingway

I think the best way to read this is to read it straight through in a single day, which is not difficult since it's less than 100 pages. I still don't fully grasp why I felt the way that I did when I read it, but it invoked such strong emotions in me when reading this. For me it captured the essence of the human spirit with its depiction of man vs nature and perseverance overcoming adversity. I think that this is the perfect book to venture into reading Hemingway, I also really loved For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Honorable Mentions:

I chose not to list any of the books in Tolkien's arsenal as I felt that those would be too easy of choices even though The Return of the King is my favorite book. Along with that, I refrained from putting the Holy Bible on my top three considering, I am biased due to my faith. A few others that could have been placed up there for me are No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai, Demian by Herman Hesse, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Anyway, I look forward to your thoughts!