7 Fiction Books That Change the Way You Think

Editor's Note: Like me, Darius Foroux is an avid reader. I got into reading books after years of poring over magazines and journals related to my role as a communications teacher and administrator. Now, my habit is to browse the new books section at our local library, which had led me into a wide variety of topics and perspectives in both fiction and nonfiction. Thus, I resonated with a piece listed in the Pocket feature on my Firefox browser home page (another good way to discover a variety of content). Darius Foroux mentions 7 fiction titles worth adding to your reading. We'll present the first four here, then provide a link to his full article.

Over the past three years, I’ve read more than 200 non-fiction books. I’ve dived into Philosophy, Marketing, Productivity, Evolution, History, Biographies, and many other books you read to learn something.

Because that’s the main reason most of us read non-fiction, right? You read a book to get something out of it. And after reading a lot of similar books, you start noticing patterns.

One thing I’ve noticed is that non-fiction books of the past ten years are not boring to read. I think Malcolm Gladwell played a huge part in that development. His book The Tipping Point, published in 2000, also seems like a tipping point for non-fiction books.

Non-fiction books of today are equally entertaining to read as fiction books. That’s also because they’re forced to be more interesting — books have a lot of competition these days.

We live in a world where we all expect to be entertained all the time. Entertainment is everywhere. Just look at the options you have: Movies, tv shows, funny cat videos, Snapchat Stories, articles, you name it.

But to me, reading a good book beats everything. Also, books can truly change the way you think. Especially fiction books because you don’t expect them to change your life or anything.

I’ve made a list of 7 fiction books that have inspired me. You won’t find the cliché books on this list. We all know The Catcher In The Rye, Lord Of The Flies (I really hate that book, it’s so obvious), To Kill A Mocking Bird, and so forth.

No, I’ve tried to create a list with less familiar books. I hope you pick up at least one of them.

1. Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
   This book was recommended to me by a reader. It’s not something I would stumble upon myself. But I’m glad I read this book. Where’d You Go, Bernadette is an entertaining and creative novel about weirdoes in Seattle. Maria Semple wrote for Arrested Development (one of my favorite tv shows). And that’s something you can tell by her style. ‘Dudes’ probably call this chick lit. But grow up man, and read this.
   
   
2. Naïve. Super by Erlend Loe
   Another funny and entertaining book. Loe is from Norway, and I like his minimal style. It’s a story about a young kid who’s searching for meaning in life. Way better than all the corny self-help parables like The Alchemist. This is book down to earth and fun to read.
   
   
3. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
   Let’s get a little serious. This book is an examination of human suffering. If this book doesn’t change the way you think about people, nothing will. And if you think it’s a lengthy and hard to read novel, you’re wrong. It’s actually a very light read. Just don’t get stuck on all the characters and continue reading. It will make sense along the way.
   
   
4. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
   The only very familiar book on this list. I’ve referred to this book more often and I still enjoy it after all these years. It never gets old. And if you’ve never read it, drop whatever you’re doing and get this book. You’ll change after reading it.

Have any idea what else Darius might recommend? See the rest of his list and a few closing comments, though we'll close with his final words:

So, grab a book. Sit back. Turn off your phone. And READ. Not because it will improve your life. But because it’s food for your mind.