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Original poster

What is the best book you have ever read?

189 replies

Toni2011 · 01/02/2011 22:31

I'd love to know which books really stick in people's minds. Any genre, any author.

OP posts:
Jajas · 06/02/2011 16:01

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BelligerentGhoul · 06/02/2011 15:58

Thanks Jajas.

He bought me 'Room' and instructions to go and buy whichever others I want!

I really liked, 'Half Of A Yellow Sun' and really (really!) hated, 'Never Let Me Go' although most people on here rave about it. I hated 'The Remains Of The Day' too.

ByTheSea · 06/02/2011 15:53

The Book Thief is definitely worth it.

I love many of the books mentioned here. One of the best though, that is not yet mentioned here, but was compeletely engrossing is The Autobiography of Malcom X by Alex Haley.

Jajas · 06/02/2011 15:44

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bigbeagleeyes · 06/02/2011 15:35

All of Kate Atkinsons but Behind the scenes at the Museumm definately a favourite.
And To Kill a Mockingbird - son had it for school and I read it again, as good as I remembered.
And as a teen, The Once and Future King by TH White - beautiful book.

Jajas · 05/02/2011 23:58

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Caz10 · 05/02/2011 23:56

Ok will go back to it tomorrow! Have never heard a bad thing about it, then was a bit taken aback when I didn't immediately love it!

Jajas · 05/02/2011 23:54

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Caz10 · 05/02/2011 23:46

So Book Thief fans, is it worth persevering with then? I just got it from library and am now on mn rather than reading it as not taken with 1st few pages!

I know it's a bit sappy but I do love the Time Traveller's Wife. Also I'm having a mental block with the author,female, but the book is The Falls.

Jajas · 05/02/2011 23:33

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AspieDad · 05/02/2011 23:31

I read so much that to pin it down to one author let alone one book is difficult.

I went through a John Steinbeck phase after "Of Mice and Men" cropped up on the BBC Big Read.

A Prayer for Owen Meany was something I've recommended to a number of people.

To Kill A Mockingbird, definitely in my top 10.

I've read Terry Pratchett to rags, now my sons, nephew and brother-in-law are into them as well. Terry's Altzheimers just hammers home what this awful disease can take away.

I must dig out my collection of James Herriot books to share with my teenagers.

The list just goes on and on, a bit like me really.

Perhaps we should have a Mumsnet Top 100 where we all vote for 5 books!

Jajas · 05/02/2011 23:30

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Marlinspike · 05/02/2011 23:26

My choices (sorry- can't limit it to one!)

behind the scenes at the museum
kite runner
the help
lord of the rings trilogy
we need to talk about kevin

and... the harry potter books! (sorry, I love them1)

BelligerentGhoul · 05/02/2011 23:20

Nothing. I went to the library today and didn't like the look of anything at all. :( It's my birthday tomorrow though, so am hoping that dp might have bought me some reading material, or that I can get something in town when we go for lunch.\

What should I look out for?

Have just had a big re-reading of Stephen King fest. Oh and of Bill Bryson. And read the latest CJ Sansom a few weeks ago.

Jajas · 05/02/2011 23:14

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dearprudence · 05/02/2011 23:11

Rivals - Jilly Cooper, and I don't care who knows it Grin

And Pride and Prejudice

BelligerentGhoul · 05/02/2011 23:04

I hated The House At Riverton - read it on holiday a couple of years ago and only finished it because I was desperate. I took a dozen books for a fortnight and still ended up having to read stuff that other people had left behind at the apartments - this was one of them.

I did like The Book Thief though. :)

Jajas · 05/02/2011 22:59

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curiouscat · 05/02/2011 17:28

The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureshi

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing

We Need to talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver

The Post Birthday World - Lionel Shriver

Original poster
Toni2011 · 05/02/2011 17:26

Wow! What a great response. Special thanks go to LightShinesInTheDarkness for putting it all together!

It's fascinating how many of the books here come up on the 'books you've never finished' thread too. I love books that have the 'marmite' effect. Cloud Atlas is one that comes up lots on both threads - I'm going to read it asap.

I am also really pleased to see 'Of Mice and Men' and 'To Kill a Mockingbird' come up so many times - I have taught both of these books to GCSE students in the last few years.

As with many of you, I could not choose just one book (notice the lack of my own suggestion in the opening message!) and can only offer a few instead:

Titus Andronicus (Shakespeare) is fantastic.
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Stevenson).
Lolita - a book I could never read again as it really made me cringe, but one I have to acknowledge as very well written and extremely effective.
Terry Prachett's Discworld series.

Hmm I had better stop there or I could be here for some time!

OP posts:
onwardsandupwardsnow · 05/02/2011 17:21

ohhh and The Bell Jar Grin

onwardsandupwardsnow · 05/02/2011 17:20

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
The Time Traveller's Wife
Wuthering Heights

thunderbird69 · 05/02/2011 17:11

Great thread - lots of ideas here and new books to look for Smile

Already on the list, my vote would be for All Quiet on the Western Front.

ipredicttrouble · 05/02/2011 15:49

Catch 22. Absolutely love it.

Thank you for the list, will be looking into some of these.

KenDoddsDadsDog · 05/02/2011 15:18

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
La casa de Bernada Alba - Federico Garcia Lorca
Como agua para chocolate - Laura Esquival