Books That Shaped Me
Pick the 9 books that shaped you — the childhood favorite, the book that changed your mind, the one you still recommend — and share them as a 3×3 grid.
You get a page with your image, a link and forum code. Not listed on Google.
Book data and covers by Open Library
My 9 Books
What is a Books That Shaped Me grid?
A Books That Shaped Me grid is a 3×3 image of the nine books that helped make you who you are. People also share it as “my 9 books”, “books that made me” or “9 books that shaped me”. It is more personal bookshelf than canon: childhood books, school reads, comfort rereads, craft books, poetry, memoirs and novels all belong.
Search by title, pick the edition that looks right, and the maker turns the covers into a shareable 3×3 image. If Open Library has a book but no cover, the tile still shows the title so the pick does not disappear.
My 9 Books
The 9 Books That Shaped Who I Am
How it works
How to make your My 9 Books grid
01
Search 9 books
Tap a tile and type a title, author or translated title. The author and first publication year help separate editions.
02
Arrange the covers
Drag books into the order you want: life timeline, shelf order, most personal first or whatever makes the grid feel like you.
03
Create and share
Tap Create to get your image, a link and forum code, then post it with #My9Books on X, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit or Bookstagram.
Where the book data comes from
My9Maker is a free browser tool by My9Maker. Book titles, authors, first publication years and cover images are searched through Open Library for identification only. Book titles and cover artwork remain with their respective owners.
By My9Maker. Published 2026-09-28; updated 2026-10-01.
01What does “books that shaped me” mean?
It is a trend where you share the nine books that influenced your taste, values, imagination or habits. They do not have to be the nine “best” books, just the nine that feel most yours.
02Can I search books in Japanese or other languages?
Yes. Open Library includes many translated and non-English records, so searches such as “ノルウェイの森” can work. If a title is hard to find, try the author name or an English title.
03What if my book has no cover?
The result still appears after books with covers. If you pick it, the downloaded image uses a clean title tile, so your choice stays in the grid.
04Can I mix novels, nonfiction, manga or poetry?
Yes. A My 9 Books grid can mix any books that shaped you. Manga volumes also work when Open Library has the record.
05Is it free, and where is my grid saved?
It is free and needs no account. Your grid is saved only in this browser, so you can come back and finish it later on the same device.
06Where do the book covers come from?
Titles, authors, years and cover ids come from Open Library. Covers and book data are used for identification only, and rights stay with their owners.