DS8 reading books far too easy - should I bother pushing him?

Each to their own. Our approach worked. DS is doing really well and his English skills came on leaps and bounds. The school reading lists are by age group. The discipline of reading time also helped.
Now things are much easier with pleasure reading and English study books in between, increasingly advanced as DS grows up.
English exams require a lot more these days than they used to. Being well read by age 12 has helped a lot.

If he likes Tom Gates, Middle School series (by L Pichon) might appeal. Also, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which I don't think anyone has mentioned.

Try having a really good reader that actually hates reading. Now that's frustrating and feels like a waste.She's not particularly fussed about me reading to her either, and if she agrees to it it's her "baby" books.
Even when she picks books herself because they sound/look interesting,it's a few pages and forgotten.

I've learned to accept it. She's a good reader,has a vast vocabulary and reads when she has to (for school). I still grumble about it,just not to her.

We just listen to audio books in the car, not in the house. However, DD is an only child so we don't have to 'vet' them for suitability for a younger sibling. It might not suit you but was just a thought :)

OP, I do understand where you're coming from (as well as agreeing with the general gist of the comments, which you've obviously happy to take on board).

My DD is also aged 8, also end of Y3 and also an advanced reader. While she reads what she wants to read (with the occasional gentle recommendation from me!) I am also keen for her to develop her vocabulary and be exposed to a variety of writing styles / genres. It's really great that you read to him every day and can broaden his perspective that way: DD does like to be read to but has a habit of reading over my shoulder and getting ahead, which I find frustrating!

Have you tried audio books? DD got into Michael Morpurgo that way and now loves reading his books, but you can get a David Walliams box set quite cheaply from The Book People, as well as 'classics' such as Wind in the Willows, and no doubt loads more. We find these to be a fun way to introduce new/longer books.

OP, a question for you. When you read something yourself,do you always choose Dosteovsky or some other literary classic, or something that is challenging or teaches you something you don't already know? Or do you, quite a lot of the time, just choose a favourite author or something that doesn't require much thinking about?

Building up speed and stamina for reading is vital if they are to enjoy longer complex books in future. Even books like Tom Gates have a few bits of demanding vocab in them.
I'd leave it but maybe get some Asterix and Marcia Williams to widen his cultural references.

What about horrible science/horrible histories? Work on the comprehension questions too, is he listening words and concepts he doesn’t understand?

I tend to let dd chose, i spent ages trying to get her to read the little princess, princess and the suffragette, nada, but she’s read all of Cressida cowell over and over.

Some books were chores

Goodness - why? What on earth is the point of making a book a "chore"? Authors write books to be enjoyed.

Did you never HATE something you had to study at school? I did, and only came to appreciate them in later life (or sometimes not at all).

Reading is a pleasure. There is absolutely no benefit at all to 'stretching' a child's reading ability. None. I feel really strongly about it!

Wow enforced reading is a way to kill a child's love of reading....

We insisted on an hour a day of DS reading a 'classic' book as a way for DS to earn time doing what he wanted (gaming).

As a reader I cannot imagine anything worse than being forced to read a book because someone older than me deemed it to be a classic.

It sounds like you are doing a great job in encouraging his love of reading OP. However as other have said he's at an age now where its fine to leave him to make the decisions and discover reading books simply for the joy of having a book in his hands. Even the most able of adult readers often like to curl up with a book that might be perceived as too easy.

We insisted on an hour a day of DS reading a 'classic' book as a way for DS to earn time doing what he wanted (gaming). We offered a choice of two from a school reading list as a stretch read. Bottom line - it worked and we still use this approach. Some books were chores, others were enjoyed. It also helped with English skills.

So, yes, I would follow a similar approach to develop a child's reading age. They can still read for fun as well if they want to.

I have 3 dc who were good readers, all got 4a s at the end of year 3 and progressed rapidly upwards.

Dd1 read ahead and once she'd moved on to the next level never went back. Her favourite book in year 4 was Watership Down.
Dd2 read a mixture. She's 15yo and I may still find her reading Rainbow fairies, which she first read over 10 years ago. In year 3 she read every level from Rainbow Fairies through to books like Anne of Green Gables series and What Katie did etc.
Ds liked to read factual books to himself. He was not interested in fiction if he had a choice, but when he was looking for a book in his interests he would go through the adult books because the children's ones were boring. However we read together various fiction books of all levels. As long as it interested him he'd keep up.

Now dd1 reads the least. Dd2 still likes to read. If you get no answer from her, she's probably stuck in a book. Ds still likes his evening story, but doesn't often read at other times.

I think actually rereading familiar books with simpler language is great. It teachers them to love reading. That the pleasure of curling up with a familiar book is greater than anything else. I love to curl up with a book I enjoyed when I was 8yo come to that.

What I found with dd2 and ds is reading the first bit to them works/ed quite well. With dd2 she got easily scared, so we'd often have "that's too scary". I'd read the first chapter, and usually by the end of the second page I'd be holding tight so she didn't wrest it off me to go and read herself. With ds, a sign he's really enjoying it, is finding that he's read ahead-or even finished it.

Don't try the Cherub books yet. He may be able to read them, but they're not for 8yos unless you want them to read about drugs, smoking, drinking and sex (for example one of the books includes trafficking of a young girl for sex) . Mine read them around about 10-12yo with supervision (and I did read the books first, and some were definitely left until later!), so I could discuss and answer questions.

If he's interested in that sort of story, the Alex Rider are far more suitable for that age, and the worse you get in those are "Alex swore"

Take him to the library and let him choose some, and perhaps suggest one. Ask him to see what he thinks. If he doesn't like it, then don't force him. If the library's got too many other things, then take time to let him do both.

I've never stopped them reading "younger books" but occasionally I have removed an older one-usually for a specific reason.

He's 8! Of course Morpurgo seems dull. Understanding the words and comprehending the emotion /having the ability to read between the lines are very different things. He's enjoying books for his age. That's great! (Speaking as a parent whose youngest refused to open a book until y2 and has never enjoyed reading

I do agree as well that he’s reading perfectly at the right ‘level’ for Year 3. Walliams, HTTYD, Tom Gates, Spiderwick - all perfect for his age.

Please take a step back, some of the books your suggesting are year 5 and above books. The fact he is reading some again and again means he’s improving his comprehension. Comprehension is very important.

He’s getting pleasure out if the re-reads - my extremely advanced reading DC1 still enjoys rereading ‘younger’ stuff even now and I hate it when her dad pushes her into trying things she’s just not bothered about just because she ‘could’.

If he likes illustrated stuff, try comics and graphic novels. They are a very visual way of reading that stretches them in different ways.

Oh, try the Robert Muchamore Cherub books. They sound like they'd be right up his street and are aimed at around 10/11 year olds but he sounds pretty advanced

Michael Morpurgo has written some great books.