5 ONLY books that MUST be read.

Owen Meany - too long, too silly, too predictable. Would have made a good short story.

First they must be read, then we must provide justifications as to why, then they must bring something to humanity's dark and weary trudge etc, then They should be universal in the manner of FR Leavis' Great Tradition. They should speak to us all.

Gawd it's hard, innit??

Yes Hully. Yes it is. When someone keeps CHANGING THE SODDING RULES.

But no matter. I am still having Lord of the Rings.

Hullygully - which was my choice that you honed out?

Haven't read any of your choices, though have read Gore Vidal before.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Because it makes you think about the effects that technology and science might have on humanity.
East of Eden. Biblical, most evil character ever written but in the end a celebration of humanity.
Sophie's Choice by William Styron. The most haunting, harrowing story of war.
Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham. The best book ever written about growing up.
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.
These are the 5 that made me think the most and I think everyone should read but not necessarily my 5 favourite desert island books.

Oh The Fifth Child, not read that in years!

No they are bloody not hully I agree.

WHY can't i download To kill a mockingbird on my kindle????

The Cider House Rules is great, Blindness is great, Owan Meany is great, a Thousand Splendid Suns is great, the Fifth Child is great.

Agghhhhhh!!!

This is making my brain hurt.

Oh fucked up my bold

Rebecca-fantastic twist, dark,I can read and re read it and never tire of it.

The Poisonwood Bible-just wonderful, reads like a film the writing conjures up such amazing imagery.

An Inspector Calls-read it at school and stayed with me.

Sleeping Beauty-yes really

Bit stumped for number 5, The Cider house Rules possibly, The Bell Jar...

definitely NOT The Secret History, good Lord that's an overrated book imo

The Fifth Childis wonderful.

Can I have more, please?

Wild Swans
The Good Earth
Disgrace
A Prayer for Owen Meany
A Thousand Splendid Suns

Together they embrace the latest era around the globe. All are beautifully written and say something important about humanity. It suddenly occurs to me that 4 of them are woman centric, so that must be my taste.

Great thread.

The Snow Child

I am so glad someone else loves this.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving - such a marvellous tragicomedy
news from Tartary by Peter Fleming - one of the first travelogues, great stuff
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy - just tragic
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - the novel they has it all
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg - wonderful characterisation and brilliant story.

I would recommend any John Irving novels to the unitiated

Hmmm . . . . I have been thinking and thinking about this.

Pride and Prejudice - because it's funny and clever and the characters are written so convincingly. And I have read it over and over again.

Witch Light by Susan Fletcher. A story that sucks you in and so beautifully written.

Then I'm less sure.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy because I got sucked into that story?
Something by Sue Townsend because she makes me laugh?
A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving because the characters felt like my friends?
Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud?
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I loved it but I'm not sure I totally got it?
Kipper's Beach Ball by Mick Inkpen for the language in a kids book?

I dunno

The Bloody Chamber - Angela Carter
Sublime writing, wonderful images and strong female characters. Fairy tales rewritten for today, just fantastic.

The world according to Garp - John Irving because it's hilarious and touching and eccentric.

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen No explanation or justification required.

Maus - Art Spiegelman Devastating, unforgettable, immense. This is one of the books I urge everyone I know to read.

How to be a woman - Caitlin Moran This takes my closely-fought last spot simply because it's a funny, chatty reminder that feminism is important. It's not perfect but it's a much easier read for my nieces (& nephews) and children than a more academic study of feminism.

To Kill A Mockingbird (seems a given - for obvious reasons)

The Great Gatsby (I love a bit of tragic love, but it's a wonderfully written book.)

I Capture the Castle (because it made me understand unrequited love at a time I really needed to when growing up and introduced me to a heroine who I wanted to be.)

His Dark Materials (Just captivating and thought provoking and exciting and moving. Everything a book/s should be).

Harry Potter (Because yes, they got swathes of children reading and are just wonderful, immersive and exciting reads, even if technically not great, but who cares?)

ps, everyone should read Jilly Cooper because she's amazerous.

I'm thinking ...

So many books, how can I pick only five?

Definitely got to have The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing, because I hadn't read anything like it before and it shocked me, I was pregnant at the time, so it scared me, but I was also fascinated .

I loved, loved, loved The Magician's Nephew by C S Lewis, because it made everything in TLTWATW fall into place.

One of the Bill Bryson books - not sure which is my favourite ... probably Neither Here Nor There.

A Brave New World, I loved the concept of this book, we read it at school and I'd hated everything we'd been given up to that point, but this was completely different and the first scifi/futuristic thing I read.

Anne Frank's diary - my heart aches every time I read it.