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Original poster

What are your "must read" books?

116 replies

kunoichi · 30/01/2013 11:41

Having read through the BBC and Guardian top 100 books lists, I must admit that I find some of them boring or difficult to read. Many seem to be books people feel should be read, rather than those we may want to read because they are so enjoyable.

This year I'm taking part in the 50 books challenge and I'd love to know which books Mumsnetters would most heartily recommend across all genres, both contemporary and historical.

Some of my own all-time favourites are:

Shadow of the Wind
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Time Travellers Wife
The Lovely Bones
A Little Princess

I'll probably read The Snow Child next, but would welcome any suggestions for what I should put on my Kindle to read this year!

OP posts:
Cooroo · 08/02/2013 07:36

Oh my, no time to read through all these so will just add my ideas, off the top of my head:

Emma by Jane Austen
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushie
Cloud Atlas/anything by David Mitchell
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Anything by Mary Renault

Mentioned above that I loved:
Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Attwood
Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Tales of the City - lovely to revisit these

and lots that I can't think of now.

Snowfedup · 08/02/2013 03:04

Oh good this just reminded me I read A discovery of witches and loved it then waited impatiently for the second book then promptly forgot all about it? Has anyone read it ? Hopeing it's as good as the first (it's the all souls trilogy)

mailwoman · 08/02/2013 03:02

Pointythings The Woodcutter is fantastic. You're the first person I've known to have read it apart from DH, I gave it to him and then relived the book by making him tell me which part of the plot he'd got to!

Some really good suggestions for my next read in this thread

anonymosity · 08/02/2013 01:45

Tortoise - I feel like I should read it entirely because of the depth of artistry in its writing, the beauty of it all. Its phenomenally layered and poetic and clever. But it takes a lot out of me to read what I have read of it - and usually I opt for something a little easier. It doesn't have to be total schlock, but a bit easier is what I'd naturally go for.

TuftyFinch · 07/02/2013 22:51

lots already mentioned but
Radcliffe Hall: The Well of Loneliness
Barry Hines: A Kestral for a Knave (Kes)
John Osborne: Look Back in Anger
Shelagh Delaney: A Taste of Honey
Kurt Vonnegut: Welcome to the Monkey House
and of course
Catcher in the Rye
Tess of the D'Ubervilles

pointythings · 07/02/2013 22:27

mailwoman -I love The Woodcutter. I think it's possibly one of Hill's best. I've read pretty much everything he's written, and on the whole I think that his Dalziel and Pascoe novels unfairly overshadow the rest of his work. I also love The Stranger House.

And I have to mention Minette Walters - she has written some great books. My favourites are The Dark Room (fabulous main character who doesn't take shit from anyone), Acid Row (which really should be dramatised for TV, the tension is incredible) and he Chameleon's Shadow.

ShirleyB25 · 07/02/2013 20:51

So many fantastic books to read! I've enjoyed many already listed and would agree with reading anything by Rohinton Mistry who is an amazing author. I'd like to add:

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

Kate Atkinson - Any books by her - superb thrillers

Trainspotting - Irvine Welsh

Mill on the Floss - George Eliot

Stepford Wives - Ira Levin

Patricia Highsmith - Great books of their time!

I'll keep an eye on this thread, as always looking for new authors/ ideas for which book to read next...

mailwoman · 07/02/2013 17:18

The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill.

Strong theme and messes with your head about how you feel about the main character, I loved it.

WhichIsBest · 07/02/2013 17:15

I hated three of the books on your list of ones you liked OP, and haven't read the other two, so I won't recommend any for you!
We must be book-enemies. ;)

daddyorchipsdaddyorchips · 07/02/2013 17:11

East of Eden - John Steinbeck (my all time favourite)
Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout (if you haven't read her, do!)
Wonder - RJ Palacio
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
The Hundred Year Old Man... - Jonas Jonasson
His Dark Materials Trilogy - Philip Pullman
Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel

I could go on and on...

And I think that all children (and adults!) should read everything by Roald Dahl.

ripsishere · 06/02/2013 04:52

A fine Balance
We need to talk about Kevin
The kite runner
Time travelers wife
The woman in black
Down and out in London and Paris - in fact all Orwell.
Those I've disliked include
The lovely bones
The life of Pi
Wolf Hall. i tried three time very hard to read it and failed.

BlueyDragon · 06/02/2013 04:44

Try Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It's sci-fi, but beautifully written and the themes it deals with are universal.

The Last Battle, by CS Lewis. I love the end, I know it's a Christian allegory but I love the sheer joy in the writing.

Tortoiseonthehalfshell · 06/02/2013 04:34

Why do you feel you should read it, anonymosity?

I have heard that the best way to deal with that book is a) devote a whole day to it and read it in one sitting, and b) read it aloud to yourself. Personally couldn't think of anything worse

anonymosity · 06/02/2013 03:40

There is only one book that I genuinely feel I SHOULD read, to be honest. I've read excerpts / chapters for close study (years ago) but never the whole thing. Ullysses by Joyce.

sooperdooper · 05/02/2013 15:13

Lol, Pi - not Pit!?

sooperdooper · 05/02/2013 15:11

My all time favourite books...

Beloved, Toni Morrison
Alias Grace, Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood
Wind Up bird Cronicles, Haruki Murakami
Life of Pit, Yann Martel (must see the film)
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

CoteDAzur · 05/02/2013 09:21

I'm asking because OP says "Many (must-read lists) seem to be books people feel should be read, rather than those we may want to read because they are so enjoyable."

So are we talking about books everyone should read or is this another thread about books we have enjoyed?

CoteDAzur · 05/02/2013 09:19

Is this thread about books everyone has loved the most?

VerySmallSqueak · 05/02/2013 09:15

I need to add another-

"Aftermath" by Roger Williams.

If you remember the Cold War,give it a go,but don't complain if it gives you nightmares.....

pointythings · 04/02/2013 22:04

How many am I allowed? Grin

Anyway, here goes:

T.H White - The Once and Future King
Tim Powers - The Anubis Gates
Louis de Bernieres - The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts
Stephen King - Duma Key
Daphne du Maurier - Frenchman's Creek
Sylvia Plath - The Bell Jar
J.R.R. Tolkien - The Lord of the Rings
Keith Roberts - Pavane
Jack Vance - the Demon Princes series (5 books)
Dorothy Sayers - Busman's Honeymoon
Diana Wynne Jones - Hexwood
Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre, but also
Jean Rhys - Wide Sargasso Sea (these two should be read as a pair, IMO)
Terry Pratchett - Night Watch
Tanith Lee - Night's Master

I know it's a weird mix...

notnowImreading · 02/02/2013 23:31

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Possession by A S Byatt
Persuasion by Jane Austen
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Howard's End by E M Forster
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I think I read them all before I was 16 and have been re-reading them ever since. Nothing quite overtakes the books of your youth.

Sallystyle · 02/02/2013 23:19

The Stand- Stephen King
The Magician's Assistant- Ann Patchett
11/22/63- Stephen King
Wool- Huge Howey
Life as we knew it- Susan Pfeffer
Daddy Long Legs- Jean Webster
Lolita

VerySmallSqueak · 02/02/2013 20:51

I ordered mine years and years ago through a bookshop - and I can't even remember which bookshop it was.

So I'm no help there,I'm afraid minsmum. Sorry.

I tend to look on e-bay generally for hard to track down books,so perhaps keep trying that?

minsmum · 02/02/2013 20:45

Very small squeak do you have any idea where I can get a copy of If this is a man. I have been trying to find one for ages

pootlebug · 02/02/2013 20:37

If anyone is feeling strapped for cash, Life of Pi and The hundred year old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared are both great reads and both 20p for the kindle edition.

Also love most things by Barbara Kingsolver. And Ben Goldacre's Bad Science and Bad Pharma.