What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

I totally agree. The snobbery on here is astounding sometimes. If a book or piece of music makes you feel something, then its perfectly acceptable to call it your favourite book / song.

My favourite book is the Nightingale by Kristen Hannah. I dont care if this is deemed worthy or not

I love getting lost in books too, and "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern completely swept me up. If you're looking to discover even more captivating books, I recommend checking out Ventura County Library’s digital resources. Discover new book recommendations at VCLib.org. They have a great selection of e-books and audiobooks that are super easy to borrow.

If I had to pick one, probably The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West ( or really the whole trilogy).

I can never pick a favourite, but I have just finished reading the Neopolitan series by Helen Ferrante, starts with 'My Brilliant Friend', there are 4 books in total about a friendship set over decades, set in Naples. I have really enjoyed all of her books.

I go on mn 50 book challenge for that though not everyone rates their book

I ended up browsing https://tellebook.com a lot because it keeps everything in one place and makes it easy to spot new titles and cheap finds. The daily picks and quotes actually helped me choose quicker instead of scrolling endlessly, and the mix of genres kept things fresh. It’s been handy whenever I need a new read without overthinking it.

Why has nobody mentioned Marilynne Robinson?

Yes, me too. I absolutely love all RHJ's books (so wish she'd written more) but WSNT is my favourite.

Arraminta l loved We Speak No Treason, it made me a Ricardian!

Love it. I have a copy of every book she wrote.

@Arraminta I'd forgotten Mary Renault! The Charioteer is an astonishing book.

Almost impossible to choose, but...

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. I've never read anything quite like it.

The Passage by Justin Cronin. An extraordinary page turner, such a shame the other two books in the trilogy weren't as good.

We Speak No Treason by Rosemary Hawley Jarman. Her prose is exquisite.

I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles. Written as Elizabeth I's autobiography. It's a glittering jewellery box of a book.

The Persian Boy by Mary Renault. Beautiful, just beautiful. No one has ever written better books about classical Greece/Persian.

Need to add to my list.

Finally got round to reading Any Human Heart by William Boyd and Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro this summer.

Any Human Heart was extraordinary - I felt like I actually knew Logan by the end of it.
Never Let Me Go - although simply written - was the most heartbreaking of all the dystopian books I've read. I think I would even rate it above On The Beach which I LOVED.

I love that we can read the same books and have wildly different opinions, that's why recommending a book is so difficult!

For me, like many a PP, the mark of a great book is one that I still get excited about re-reading:

Shogun
The Godfather - not a single dull page in this book
Mr Vertigo
IT
The Stand

And I really enjoyed The Goldfinch fwiw but wouldn't read it again

The good mother by sinead moriarty.

I should also mention the few books that i have read so much i actually wore them out and had to replace them : ballet shoes, the story of tracy beaker, 101 dalmations.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. What Henerietta went through was unbelievable, however her contribution to medical science is outstanding. It's thought provoking and will stay with you forever.

I love Stephen King- The Dome is incredible also It; The Stand and every thing else he’s written

All time favourite - Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

Favourite children’s book - I Capture the Castle.

Recent favourite - The Elementals by Michael McDowell.

Favourite author is probably Neil Gaiman, even though he is now cancelled.

I've also ordered a copy for myself! 💗

The Count of Monte Christo
By Your side by Ruth Jones. The only book I have ever read where I have laughed out loud.

My all-time favourite book has to be Watership Down, but recent faves have been:

Isaac & The Egg - Bobby Palmer. Loved, loved, LOVED it!
Bunny - Mona Awad. Kind of a "what the fuck have I just read??" Brilliant.

This will probably prove unpopular but I really didn't like To Kill A Mockingbird. Also, Yellowface - totally overhyped.

My favourites which I’ve reread multiple times are not what you’d call literary fiction (which I also read a lot of) but they bring me joy anew every time are Lord of the Rings and the Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. For the one I think might be the best I’m torn between Middlemarch and Foucault’s Pendulum.

To the PP who chose The Master and Margarita you are way cleverer than me as I did not get that book at all! 😁

Top ones so far this year :

quicksilver by Carrie fisher - fantasy

binding 13 series (I absolutely loved this , even though I was convinced I was ‘too old” but I absolutely encourage anyone to read the first one- by Chloe Walsh

for a cozy read - the spell shop by Beth durst

ya read - the lux series by j armentrout (if you were a twilight fan - it’s for you ! )

pure spice - Ryan rules series by Sadie kinkade

favorites this year

@Beachtastic oh I'm glad you liked it! It's so good. Yes he really was.

East of Eden