The 10 books that changed us (and still do)

Accepting death as part of life, that growing up is painful, and that love is often what saves us are just a few of the lessons these stories bring, through tears and laughter. For those of you who have been lucky enough to read these gems, this is a chance to rediscover them. For those of you who have yet to encounter some of these books, here are the powerful lessons they offer.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is a classic 1960 novel by American writer Harper Lee. It is a coming-of-age story set in Alabama during the Great Depression. The plot follows a young girl named Scout, as her lawyer father, Atticus, defends a Black man who is falsely accused of a crime.

The book has many powerful lessons, and moral courage is key. The story shows how racism and unfair judgment can hurt innocent people. The mockingbird is the symbol of innocence, since Atticus teaches his children that they must never kill one because these birds don’t harm anyone; they only make beautiful music.

"The Catcher in the Rye" is a 1951 novel by American writer J.D. Salinger. It follows Holden Caulfield, a troubled 16-year-old who is expelled from boarding school just before the Christmas holidays. During this time, he wanders the streets of New York alone, searching for a real connection as he deals with growing up.

The core message centers on how teenagers really think, through everyday slang, while reflecting on the adult world, which Holden considers full of "phonies" who fake it to fit in. The angst of feeling lonely and like an outsider is central. Holden also wants to protect the innocence of children and imagines being the "catcher in the rye" who saves children from falling off a cliff while they play in a rye field.

"The Outsiders" is a 1967 novel by American author S.E. Hinton that defined the young adult (YA) literary genre. It is a story about a group of teens divided by class. It follows two different groups: the "Greasers" (poor kids) and the "Socs" (rich kids) living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the 1960s.

The plot centers around Ponyboy Curtis, who is 14 years old and discovers that people are much more than their social labels. The story is an iconic representation of the raw emotional challenges, social divides, and search for identity that occurs during adolescence.

"1984" is a 1949 dystopian novel by English writer George Orwell. It is set in a totalitarian regime where the Party is led by the omnipresent figure known as Big Brother, who exercises extreme control over everyday life, including "thoughtcrime" (questioning those in power is already a crime) and "newspeak" (the destruction of old words so rebellious ideas are impossible).

It remains one of the most important novels of human history. It is a horrifying warning about what happens when a government has too much power, including control of truth, language, and even privacy. Its message is considered by many a crucial reminder to stay vigilant and protect our personal freedoms.

"Animal Farm" is another novel written by British author George Orwell in 1945. It is an allegorical novella that puts farm animals center stage, as they seek to overthrow their tyrannical human farmer. The aim was to create an equal society, but the revolution ended up being betrayed by the pigs that led a dictatorship as ruthless as the humans'.

It is a satire of the 1917 Russian Revolution, alongside the rise of Stalinism in the Soviet Union. Each animal represents different leaders and groups, such as the Pigs who signify Stalin and Trotsky, the loyal, hard-working Horse who symbolizes the working class, and Mr. Jones, who represents the dethroned monarch, Tsar Nicholas Romanov II.

"The Great Gatsby" is a 1925 novel by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. It is set in the 1920s in New York, and it's told by Nick Carraway, who moves next door to an intriguing, newly rich man named Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is completely obsessed with reclaiming his long-lost love, Daisy Buchanan, who is trapped in a marriage to Tom, by throwing lavish parties to win her back; this pursuit ends in betrayal and death.

Throughout the story, themes such as love and greed are explored, exposing the dark side of the Roaring Twenties and the pursuit of wealth. To this day, it remains a warning that the limitless desire for money can corrupt even our deepest dreams.

"Pride and Prejudice" is a novel first published in 1813 by British author Jane Austen. This romantic story follows sharp Elizabeth Bennet and wealthy, quiet Mr. Darcy. Each of them must overcome their personal flaws of pride and prejudice to stand a chance at falling in love and getting married.

It has become a cultural touchstone by showcasing something that affects us all: how people misjudge others based on first impressions, wealth, and social status. As each character faces family drama, social rules, and personal mistakes, they learn to look past their flaws to find true love.

"Little Women" is a novel by American writer Louisa May Alcott, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. Set in the 1860s in Massachusetts during the Civil War, it follows the lives of four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March, as they learn about love, loss, poverty, and the importance of family.

It’s considered a timeless coming-of-age classic because, for many readers, it is a realistic portrayal of what growing up is about. The March sisters are far from perfect, and each one makes mistakes that they then learn from. It is also a foundational text on female ambition, giving a voice to young women and showing that their daily lives, feelings, and dreams matter too.

"Jane Eyre" is a classic 1847 novel by British author Charlotte Brontë, written under the pen name Currer Bell. This story centers on an orphan named Jane and her experiences. The school she goes to is harsh, and she faces a cruel childhood. Later on, she begins to work as a governess (teacher) at a mysterious estate known as "Thornfield Hall", where she falls in love with her moody boss, Mr. Rochester.

This story revolutionized literature as it is the first novel to focus on the moral and spiritual growth of a young woman who wasn’t rich, passive, or traditionally beautiful. The main character, Jane, finds purpose in becoming a governess after all the hardships she endured and fights for her dignity and independence, refusing to settle for anyone who doesn’t see her as an equal, prioritizing herself over love.

"Charlotte’s Web" is a 1952 children’s novel by American author E.B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams. It tells the story of a sweet pig named Wilbur who is saved from slaughter and befriends clever Charlotte, a spider who writes words in her web to save his life. In doing so, this book explores universal themes such as friendship, loyalty, and the inevitable cycle of life.

It is a timeless masterpiece that stands out for its simple prose, offering deep lessons about life and loss, including how simple acts can save the world, and Charlotte's words show how the way we speak about others matters. Wilbur once asked Charlotte why she did all of this for him, and she replied: "By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a bit of that."

Tango, Bravo

Codewords decoded: How many did you know?

In situations where clear communication is paramount, especially when lives are at stake, professionals often rely on standardized codewords and phonetic alphabets designed to prevent confusion. Either from movies or from personal experience, it's probable that you've heard at least some of these before, and many have found their way into everyday conversation. Let's find out how many of these code expressions you can recognize.

Mayday is the international distress call used when the sender is in immediate, life-threatening danger. Pilots and mariners use it to signal that they require urgent assistance due to situations such as engine failure, fire, flooding, or medical emergencies.

The word was introduced in 1923 by British radio officer Frederick Stanley Mockford, who based it on the French phrase m'aider, meaning "help me," in an attempt to make it internationally recognizable. Hearing this transmission immediately alerts emergency responders that every second counts.

Not every emergency is severe enough to warrant a mayday call. When a crew faces a problem that is urgent but not immediately life-threatening, the appropriate codeword is Pan-Pan.

Like mayday, it comes from French: it derives from panne, meaning a breakdown or mechanical failure. A Pan-Pan call might be used if an aircraft loses an engine but can still fly safely, or if a ship experiences equipment problems while remaining under control. It tells responders that assistance is needed, but that the situation has not yet become critical.

Few emergency signals are as universally recognizable as SOS. Contrary to popular belief, the letters do not officially stand for "Save Our Ship" or "Save Our Souls." It was adopted in 1906 because SOS is an extremely simple, easy-to-transmit, and unmistakable pattern in Morse code.

SOS remains one of the world's most enduring distress signals, and it's still recognized by rescue organizations all around the globe.

In the NATO phonetic alphabet, each letter is assigned a unique word to eliminate confusion when radio transmissions are distorted by noise or poor reception. If you've ever heard someone spell a name as "Mike Alpha Romeo Yankee," you've encountered the NATO phonetic alphabet.

The system was officially adopted by NATO in the 1950s and is now widely used by militaries, airlines, emergency responders, and many police departments worldwide. Using it greatly reduces the chance of misunderstanding important information over radio.

Roger dates back to the early days of radio communication, when the letter R stood for "received." Before the adoption of the NATO alphabet, the US military used Roger instead of Romeo to represent that letter_._

Although modern communications systems have changed and the US military has fully embraced the use of the NATO alphabet, Roger remains standard aviation terminology, and it's one of the best-known radio acknowledgments in the world. It conveys a very simple but important meaning: "I have received and understood your message."

Although many people assume Roger and Wilco mean the same thing, they actually convey different messages. Wilco is short for "will comply." In other words, it tells the sender not only that the message was received and understood, but that the instruction will be carried out.

Saying both Roger and Wilco is technically redundant in proper radio communication, since complying necessarily implies understanding, but the combination is often heard in movies and television.

In the NATO phonetic alphabet, Tango simply represents the letter T. However, US military personnel have also adopted it as a shorthand when referring to a target or a hostile.

This secondary meaning became widely known through military operations in the twentieth century and has since appeared in countless books, films, and video games in phrases like "We've got one Tango moving north."

Oscar Mike, NATO for the letters O and M, is military shorthand for "On the Move." It's a quick way of reporting that a unit has begun moving toward its objective.

The expression is especially common in the US military and has become more familiar to the general public through documentaries, memoirs, and films. It's finding its way into civilian life, meaning simply "I'm heading out."

Ten-codes were developed during the 1930s to allow for brevity and standardization of message traffic in radio communications. They were widely adopted by US public safety departments and by radio enthusiasts.

While the system is being slowly phased out in favor of plain language communications, many local police, fire, and sheriff departments keep using it, and it is still strongly associated with radio culture by the general public. One of the most famous ten-codes is 10-4, meaning "received and understood."

Hospitals around the world use color-coded announcements to communicate emergencies without causing unnecessary panic among patients and visitors. Perhaps the best known is Code Blue, indicating that a patient is experiencing cardiac or respiratory arrest and requires immediate medical assistance.

While some hospitals use their own custom color codes, Code Blue has become so widely recognized that it now appears frequently in television dramas and everyday conversation whenever someone refers to a life-threatening medical emergency.