If you could recommend one single book to read, what would it be?

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

I've set myself an annual readingoal, having lost the wherewithal to read like I used to, pre kids.

I'm flying through the books on my list, and also want a new target to aim for next year.

So.

I need more on my list. I'm literally open to any genre. Any length etc.

if you could only recommend one single book, what would it be? And why?

The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass. Amazing book on so many different levels

Also
Lord of the rings

Also
Aunt Julia and the Script Writer

Also
Illywhacker

@Livingmagicallyagain

The Last Unicorn. Stunningly beautiful writing.

I don’t know if it’s based on the book but I saw a cartoon version of The Last Unicorn when I was an exchange student in Germany “Das Letzte Einhorn” and even though I couldn’t understand all the dialogue I got the general gist of the film and both and me and my German counterpart were both in tears.

@SpikeWithoutASoul
The Fortnight in September by R C Sherrif, Someone At A Distance by Dorothy Whipple, Lissa Evans’ WWII trilogy or The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton.

I was going to say The Fortnight in September - I loooved it by am in my 60s and thought younger people wouldn't enjoy it as much. It has just been on Radio 4 in 10 episodes.
Also loved Dorothy Whipple books.
These are writers from the early -mid 20thC. Republished by Persephone books.
R C Sherriff wrote Journeys End, a play set in the WW1 trenches, it was used in schools as a history lesson in the past - I found it on audiobooks but doing a search on google find it is a film from 2017?!
It is brilliant but very sad, be warned.

Oh I love The Prince of Tides!

Me too!

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. A really beautiful book about our deep connection to nature. I eeked out the chapters as I never wanted it to end. Still have a couple left.

Sold

It's fantastic

@EarringsandLipstick

Oh I love The Prince of Tides!

Me too!

You can't go wrong with any Pat Conroy, to be honest - my favourite author by a country mile.

Following

Three Women, by Lisa Taddeo. It reawakened my passion for reading. Incredible book, made all the more interesting by the fact that the characters are real and the stories are true.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

It’s not my favourite book but is so interesting, sad, uplifting it’s beautiful book

I love The Kite Runner too

Following

Following

All Quiet on the Western Front

Would love some more recommendations for easy novels.. romance chic flick stuff. Books I could easily pick up and put down whilst taking care of two babies!

The Stand - Stephen King
Stark - Ben Elton
Both as relevant today as when they were written.

Loving this thread and ow have a really long list of books to read that look fabulous. Am hoping the library has most of them!

I’m adding a second recommendation Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. It’s a tome - but you get completely sucked in. Loved it!

I really enjoyed the Kingsbridge series of books by Ken Follett - The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, and A Column of Fire.

Also:
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (the "prequel" to Jane Eyre, and about Mr Rochester's first wife)
The Daughter's of Eden trilogy by Michelle Paver
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
all the Game of Thrones books by George RR Martin
anything by Anne Cleeves, Peter May and Philippa Gregory

Shantaram for me - read it years ago and it's the one book I always think of whenever im asked about my favourite book. Thanks for starting this thread - am happily adding to my never ending list of books I want to read

Great thread, OP... I've made a big list of things to read.

Not feeling able to contribute yet... having yrouble narrowing it down to one!

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Many on here I love. Will add 2:

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.

And

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

Hamnet

I didn’t expect to enjoy it but read it because a good friend recommended it to me. I couldn’t put it down!

Lisa See. Island of Sea women.

The Shack. 100%
Beautiful and life affirming.

@Rainbowqueeen

The Night Circus.

Amazing novel