1. House of leaves because it taught me that you don't need to make a book like a book for it to be a good book 2. Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy Which taught me that there can be Comedic Science Fiction 3. John Dies At the End It taught me that there can be unorthodox ways of telling a story and learning there are other takes on events 4. Snow Crash Which gave me a better way to look at the ability words have on a society as well as showing how two different worlds can be 5. Enders Game Taught me how to think like a kid who is able to understand adults but still have an imagination
I tell this to everyone who likes Ender's Game. Do yourself a favor and read Speaker for the Dead by the same author. Follows the same character several thousand years in the future, very interesting story about human nature. The concepts of the book I find absolutely fascinating.