10 Nostalgic Books That Made a Deep Impression on Readers

By Maya Capasso

Those of us who have been reading since we were young undoubtedly have a list of books that have left inedible marks on us. These books linger, profoundly shaping our lives long after we close the cover.

Margaret Atwood’s Cat Eye was that book for one reader. “It’s not one of her most famous books,” they shared on social media, “and it wasn’t the first adult book I ever read, or even the first Atwood, but the experiences of the main character were presented so vividly and were so familiar to me that it was like the book was written for me alone.”

In this list, we explore ten books that made deep impressions on readers.

1. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

On an online forum, one reader shares their nostalgic book, The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams. The reader remembers reading the book repeatedly, the emotions it made them feel (pain, sadness, and happiness), and knowing that the book will stick with them forever.  

2. James and The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

One reader says that he told his teacher that he hated reading in middle school. So, the teacher suggested he read James and Giant Peach. Now it is his favorite book.

The reader adds that the book lit a fire in his head and heart to love reading. He remembers being mesmerized by the book and never looked back.

3. The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper

A forum user shares that the two books that got to her head and taught her about the world’s magic as a child are The Dark Is Rising (Susan Cooper) and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

4. The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis

Someone states that they remember reading the whole series by CS Lewis when they were about 12 years old. Now, thirty years later, every time they see a puddle, they want to twist their ring and jump into it, a possibility of magic that still thrills them..

5. Watership Down by Richard Adams

A contributor shares that at the age of 10, Watership Down was their first meaningful encounter with heroic quests and fictional belief systems.  The story has stayed with them, and they occasionally re-read it.

6. Hatchet by Gary Paulson

A forum member answers Hatchet by Gary Paulson, the first novel they read, because it has so much depth and doesn’t feel like reading a simple children’s book.

7. The Ranger’s Apprentice Series by John Flanagan

A person comments that there won’t be any books better than the ones that got them started reading in the first place. So, they’ve been reading John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series repeatedly “for years.”  This person states that nothing will ever be as good, so they don’t want to start anything else.  They know the books so well they could probably quote them but never tire of them.

8. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Someone writes that as an angsty teen, Siddhartha started their journey of self-reflection.

9. Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight

Lassie Come Home was the book that got one contributor hooked on reading. Lassie was her favorite TV show, and she watched it every week. She borrowed the book from the library and cried as she read about the brave dog’s struggles to find her way home.

10. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

But for some readers, the books that fill them the most nostalgia are ones they’ve aged out of. Somebody shared that their favorite book as a child was The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. She found it too juvenile when she tried to read it later, but she won’t forget how it made her feel as a kid.

Source: Reddit.

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This post was previously published on Wealth of Geeks.

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