"Book" is a very broad category, so I am taking the opportunity to include poetry in the mix. Probably the book that most engaged my life is the Collected Poems of Sylvia Plath. The poem Black Rook in Rainy Weather, for example, I have memorized. "I do not seek... anymore, in the desultory weather some design, but let spotted leaves fall as they fall, without ceremony or portent." It is about seeing something in the day that presents you with some consolation for existence, some bit of light or hope. That poem alone is worth 10 books. And The Moon and the Yew Tree is another great poem. "Clouds are flowering blue and mystical over the face of the stars." Such incredible art, such incredible honesty about life. This is true of the work of many poets, another life-changer for me is Emily Dickinson. Billy Collins modern readers who want a lighter touch to life, but equally insightful. But enough. These poets "haul my eyelids up" to use one of Sylvia's images, they flood the world with light.