24 Books That Changed My Life by Idalmi Acosta

24 Books That Changed My Life by Idalmi Acosta



I chose to write this post because I was thinking about how much I love reading and how literature has influenced and shaped me into the person I am today. I have learned so many life lessons from books, changed my perspectives or had my heart filled with hope. I want to share that with people- share the good things in my life. Maybe one of these books can impact you like they impacted me.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand



I learned from this book that fulfilling your goals is hard work even when you're talented. Also that you should stay true to your goal and not give it up for anyone or anything.

Favorite quotes: 

“To sell your soul is the easiest thing in the world. That's what everybody does every hour of his life. If I asked you to keep your soul - would you understand why that's much harder?”

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky



I read this book when the word "woke" was not a trend it came to explain things I was feeling but couldn't understand. My social consciousness had begun to be shaped  at the time I was reading this and I was coming to terms with how difficult that made life specially for someone as empathetic as me. This awareness of our systems of oppression is a huge weight that we can only survive through compromising our ideals as hypocritical as it is. You can't boycott every single company or refuse to participate in every single system that oppresses not without ultimately destroying your own life. This book is about what happens when you don't compromise your ideals to live a semi decent life- what becomes of you then.

Favorite Quotes:

• “I swear to you gentlemen, that to be overly conscious is a sickness, a real, thorough sickness.”
• “I've never been a coward at heart, although I've always been a coward in action;”
• “I could not become anything; neither good nor bad; neither a scoundrel nor an honest man; neither a hero nor an insect. And now I am eking out my days in my corner, taunting myself with the bitter and entirely useless consolation that an intelligent man cannot seriously become anything, that only a fool can become something.”

The First Circle/ One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn




I read these books back in college and I was going through a dark time then. I learned how universal pain is beyond race, gender and time period. Pain transcends everything and it's the one unifier of all humanity.

Favorite Quotes:

The First Circle

Someone that you have deprived of everything is no longer in your power. He is once again entirely free.”

“If one is forever cautious, can one remain a human being?”

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

“A genius doesn't adjust his treatment of a theme to a tyrant's taste”


White Nights (short story) by Fyodor Dostoevsky



My takeaway is that not every relationship is meant to last forever and the things we learn and the experiences we gain from a relationship can be just as valuable as the relationship itself.  There was also a Bollywood film adaptation of this short story called "Saawariya" and I watched this film and got introduced to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is now one of my all time favorite directors. More importantly I got introduced to Ranbir Kapoor as this was his breakout role and he is now my favorite actor of all time. So yea there's also that.


Favorite Quotes:

“I don’t know how to be silent when my heart is speaking.”

“I like revisiting, at certain times, spots where I was once happy; I like to shape the present in the image of the irretrievable past.”

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

My take away from Crime and Punishment was that you may escape the justice of men but you will never escape the guilt of the injustices you've committed from yourself even if you feel they were justified at the moment.

Also, this was the first novel I read that was written in such a way that I experienced the same emotions as the reader did while reading them.  I was in that world and I felt the same guilt, turmoil and pain as Rodion. This book opened my world to Dostoevsky and he's now my favorite author of all time because I have found in his books things that I have thought and felt all my life but I thought I was alone in those feelings or didn't even have the words to explain them but he does.

Favorite quotes:

“Power is given only to him who dares to stoop and take it ... one must have the courage to dare.”

“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart.”

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez




They say that we need to learn our history so we don't repeat it and this book is our history and if we want to honor the sacrifices that our Dominican heroes made for our freedom and country then we cannot forget what they died for. 

Growing up in the United States my views of gender, sexuality, politics, education, and religion don't always align with the way things are done on the island. Particularly when I think about the role of women in our country it hurts me to see the abuse and victimization that they experience at the hands of our men. Reading about Minerva, in particular, reminded me of the strength and revolutionary spirit that runs through my veins. Meeting Patria reminded me of the strength in fighting for our family and in having faith in something greater than ourselves and finally, Maria Teresa is the artistic spirit- the dreamer in all of us. 

Favorite Quotes:

• “Everything is for sale here, everything but your freedom”
• “It’s about time we women had a voice in running our country.”
• “Then one day you are out of here, free, only to discover you’ve locked yourself up and thrown away the key somewhere too deep inside your heart to fish it out”

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Representation is so important and this book was so important to me because I felt represented. Oscar is a nerd and so am I. Reading about a nerdy Dominican character was empowering because I feel like I stand out within my culture  since no one in my family is much of a reader and growing up they were always confused by my love of books. Also being Dominican growing up seemed to be about the food, the music, the beach and partying and having good times not about reading or being an intellectual. Diaz is the first Dominican author to win the pulitzer prize and I feel so much pride every time I think about that. I remember at the time traveling a lot for work and always looking for this book in the airport newsstand shelfs and feeling pride. It gave me hope as a Dominican that I too could become a successful writer.

Some lessons I learned : That the things that truly matter in our lives are risky but without risk there is no reward. Is better to have loved and lost than to not have loved at all. If we don't learn our history we are bound to repeat it.

Favorite Quotes:

• “It's never the changes we want that change everything.”
• “But if these years have taught me anything it is this: you can never run away. Not ever. The only way out is in.”
• “Nothing more exhilarating ... than saving yourself by the simple act of waking.”

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie




This book and I have a complicated history but I will focus on what it's given me in this post. It gave me the opportunity to expose my students to perhaps their first novel by a Native American author. It pushed me to learn about Native American history and culture and to study and understand the ways in which Native American people have been oppressed. This book put me on a journey to elevate and support Native American people however I can. 

Favorite Quotes:

• "I draw because words are too unpredictable./I draw because words are too limited."
• "We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child."
• "The world, even the smallest parts of it, is filled with things you don't know."
• "You have to dream big to get big."

Enrique's Journey By Sonia Nazario



As an 8th grade English teacher in a predominantly Latino middle school I was looking for a book that my students could relate to. After weeks of looking I stumbled into Enrique's Journey. This is the story of a 17 year old boy from Honduras who goes on a journey to find his mother whose in the United States by traveling through central America and Mexico to get there and all the challenges he faces along the way. My students could relate to this book especially at a time where the border wall was a big topic and the immigration policies were becoming more and more aggressive. It also helped build empathy in those that weren't latinos. It took me on a journey as a teacher because I didn't know much about how people travel to the United States when they are coming in undocumented and reading about Enrique's Journey was grueling especially because it's a true story. More importantly I had to go out and educate myself about why were so many people emigrating here? What were the historical and political  conditions that have created this exodus and what role did the United States have in creating these conditions in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. It's put me on a journey to learn more about the politics and history of Central and Latin America. Just bought Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano to help me with this journey. 


Favorite Quotes:
“There is a clear pattern in U.S. history: When we need labor, we welcome migrants. When we are in recession, we want them to leave.”


The Autobiography of Malcolm X  As Told to Alex Hailey- Malcolm X



To me Malcolm's story is a story of transformation. Malcolm X is in a continuous cycle of change throughout his life. Malcolm had such a difficult childhood  because the questionable death of his father and his mother's issues with mental illness lead him into a difficult upbringing that pushed him into getting involved in organized crime and his arrest and sentence to 6 and a half years in jail. During that time he goes through his second transformation and joins the nation of Islam and becomes the social justice activist we know today. While Martin Luther King Jr was preaching about coming together while Malcolm was focused on equality through an approach that preached separatism. The book ends with his trip to Mecca where he realizes that perhaps cohabitation between the races is possible and then unfortunately his life is cut short. I think he was in the cusp of a new transformation.

I was a 19 year old highschool student when I read this novel and was a believer that whoever you were early on was who you were going to be for the most part and that truly large scale character transformations weren't truly possible. Change made me uncomfortable also because it gave me a sense of fear because I did not like things I could not control. This book destroyed all of that. It change the way I see people and the concept of change. Change is inevitable but also change can be a good thing. People can truly be transformed and it gives me hope in humanity.

Favorite quotes:

• “I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being, first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.”
• “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”
• “People don't realize how a man's whole life can be changed by one book.”
• “If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe



It really helped me understand what global colonialism is and its impact on Africa in the past and how that history has impacted and molded the African continent into what it is today. It changed my perception of Africa as a continent because it dispelled notions that  everyone in Africa lives in extreme poverty. Tribes were very well organized and had complicated hierarchies. I don't agree with all the practices and beliefs of the tribes but it wasn't a thoughtless existence as we have been lead to belief.  It also introduced me to the richness of African Literature. Chinua Achebe is one of my favorite writers and I've read other works of his.

Favorite Quotes:

• “There is no story that is not true, [...] The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.”
• “There was a saying in Umuofia that as a man danced so the drums were beaten for him.”

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom




This book just really made me realize the importance of proactively loving and staying connected with the people I love. After reading this book I started calling my family more and even reconnected with an old friend. It has changed the way I am in relationship with people. 

Favorite Quotes:

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• “So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”
• “The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.”
• “It’s not just other people we need to forgive. We also need to forgive ourselves. For all the things we didn’t do. All the things we should have done.”

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis



This is the first book series I ever read back in 6th grade. I loved the idea of being able to escape until a completely different world one where I could potentially be a queen. This series got me through some difficult times back then and created a world in my mind that brought me a lot of joy and beauty. It encouraged me to be an avid reader and grew in me a love of reading that I carry with me today.

Favorite Quotes:

• “Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch. I was there when it was written.”
• “If things are real, they're there all the time.”
• “We have nothing if not belief.”

El Ahogado Mas Hermoso del Mundo (short story) By Gabriel Garcia Marquez



I know this isn't one of his novels but it's a short story that I have loved for many years because it really displays the power and love that is created when a community comes together. 

Favorite Quotes:

“Miren allá, donde el viento es ahora tan manso que se queda a dormir debajo de las camas, allá, donde el sol brilla tanto que no saben hacia donde girar los girasoles.” 

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and The Awakening by Kate Chopin



These novels changed my perception of women's role in society and what it means to be a woman. We are expected to be wives and mothers and serve and take care of others but what about us? What about our dreams and our desires? Then when we pursue our dreams without thought for husband and children we are seen as selfish but men do it all the time. At first I looked down on these women as selfish cold hearted people but now that I'm older myself and have felt the way they did alone and judged for simply wanting to live freely and pursuing my dreams everything's changed for me. I empathize with them now. I want to believe that a pursue of this kind of life doesn't have to end tragically.

Favorite Quotes:

Anna Karenina

“Love. The reason I dislike that word is that it means too much for me, far more than you can understand."

“I've always loved you, and when you love someone, you love the whole person, just as he or she is, and not as you would like them to be.”

“Sometimes she did not know what she feared, what she desired: whether she feared or desired what had been or what would be, and precisely what she desired, she did not know.”

The Awakening

• “The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander in abysses of solitude.”
• “but whatever came, she had resolved never again to belong to another than herself.”
• “She was becoming herself and daily casting aside that fictitious self which we assume like a garment with which to appear before the world.”
• “The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings.”

San Manuel Bueno Martir (Nivola) by Miguel De Unamuno



This nivola brings up so many questions. Is it always right to tell the truth? Is it ok to sacrifice the individual for the whole? There is no right or wrong answer necessarily but it's about asking yourself these questions that will help you better understand who you are.

Favorite Quotes:

"I cannot abandon my people to save my soul"

The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo



This book taught me that I should follow my purpose in life and fulfill my dreams. It also talks about the kinds of challenges you will face in achieving your dreams but to continue moving forward and never give up. Even though I'm not sure if I believe in fate it is a comforting thought that the universe conspires to help us achieve our dreams. This book gives you hope in the face of uncertainty it is a beautiful dream. Who doesn't want to live in their dreams when they're good?

Favorite Quotes:

• “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
• “One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.”
• “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
• “Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”

Pay it Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde



The concept of paying forward is something that was life changing. It changed my perception of what it means to change the world. Doesn't have to be a huge historical act we can be changing people's lives everyday.

Favorite Quotes:

“There is no wrong way to perform an act of kindness.”


The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger



This book came at the right time into my life. I was in high school and I was beginning to see life for what it really was I wanted to remain a dreamer then I wanted to remain jaded. This book had the words to express what I was feeling.


Favorite Quotes:

“Among other things, you’ll find that you’re not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behaviour. You’re by no means alone on that score, you’ll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now..."


The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway



Imagine being in love with someone but they cannot have sex- would you give be willing to give up that part of yourself for love? That is the question that Hemingway poses in The Sun Also Rises. It is a question that has been haunting me because I'm a hopeless romantic but how far would I go? Sometimes I think it won't be an impediment for me other times I think it's too big of a sacrifice. Good books are those that leave you questioning yourself and that's what's made this book unforgettable.

Favorite Quotes:

• “you can't get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.”
• “Don't you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by and you're not taking advantage of it? Do you realize you've lived nearly half the time you have to live already?”
• “Everyone behaves badly--given the chance.”

20 Poemas de Amor y Una Cancion Desesperada by Pablo Neruda



Growing up poetry seemed so difficult for me and part of it was because I was an English language learner and I had to work extra hard to gain meaning but also sometimes I wished that poets would just say what they meant in a way I could understand it. Neruda was music to my ears he could say things with so much detail and beauty yet his message was clear. I love poetry because Neruda taught me to love it. His poems " Puedo Escribir Los Versos Mas Tristes Esta Noche" and "Me Gustas Cuando Callas" are two of my all-time favorite poems and when I think about great poetry I think about Neruda.

Favorite Quotes:

• "Es tan corto el amor y tan largo el olvido"
• "Mariposa de sueño, te pareces a mi alma, Y te pareces a la palabra melancolía.

Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone By J.K. Rowling



This is my favorite book series it made me dream again and gave me so many happy moments. 

Favorite Quotes:

• "If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." 
• "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends."
• "Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress? All of them realize that, one day, amongst their many victims, there is sure to be one who rises against them and strikes back!" 

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Sebastian Bach



Fulfilling your true purpose requires a transcending from the expectations of society
to a heavenly plane another dimension but in that dimension, you'll find an enlightening joy that is incomparable. Freedom is living to fulfill your true purpose. 

Favorite Quotes:

• “We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly!” 
• “Your whole body… is nothing more than your thought itself, in a form you can see. Break the chains of your thought, and you break the chains of your body, too…”
• “…freedom is the very nature of his being, that whatever stands against that freedom must be set aside, be it ritual or superstition or limitation in any form.”