88 Books that Shaped America...

...according to the Library of Congress, who offered this caveat:

“This list is a starting point,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “It is not a register of the ‘best’ American books – although many of them fit that description. Rather, the list is intended to spark a national conversation on books written by Americans that have influenced our lives, whether they appear on this initial list or not.”

Here's their list.

And here's their blog post asking for your life-changing reads. (Mine, as I've mentioned here before, have mainly been children's books. It was less about the specific stories or mind-blowing writing for me, and more about realizing that there were a lot of other kids out there who were experiencing the same stuff. It sounds like a small thing, but it isn't. Realizing that you aren't alone? Pretty freaking huge, actually.)

Relatedly, the NCAC has created a short slideshow highlighting some of the titles on the LOC list that were banned at one point or another:

Great American (Banned) Books [slideshare id=13423894&style=border: 1px solid #CCC; border-width: 1px 1px 0;&sc=no]

View more PowerPoint from ncac