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?

Hamnet for me too. It is a long time since I was so completely immersed in a book.

More literary: An Equal Music by Vikram Seth. There's a couple of his others already on this thread, but this one is the most to my taste - lovely writing and a bittersweet story. Not entirely dissimilar to Brideshead Revisited in feel, which is also very much worth a read.

More comic: Playing the Moldovans at Tennis by Tony Hawks - very funny true story, with some serious moments thrown in.

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. I picked it up off a hostel shelf back in 2009 and still think about it. It follows the life of a young white boy in South Africa in the late 1930s. The reviews will sell it much better than I can.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122.ThePowerrofOne

Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson. About the relationship between an older father and his young son. A unique, quiet, gentle but achingly moving tone pervades the whole book. Unforgettable.

I came on to say East of Eden, but am really happy that it's already been mentioned. So, Rebecca or Gone With The Wind.

Not a novel or fiction - short poetic reflective advice and ideas - something easy to dip in to.

Keep Moving by Maggie Smith
www.amazon.co.uk/Keep-Moving-Notes-Creativity-Change-ebook/dp/B0891WDHZW/ref=sr_1_1?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I've started working through my list from this thread.

Night Circus - loved it. Felt like I could smell the popcorn and the circus at night

What Alice Forgot - excellent! Listened to the audiobook which was narrated very well.

Its put me on a "Liane Morarty" route so I've also done Big Little lies and am halfway through Nine perfect strangers.

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Have previously read these - loved them.

@Bigoldmachine

Please, please, I beg you to read We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. It is an absolutely incredible book. I had always struggled to choose a favourite book but not since reading this. It’s incredible. It’s only short too so won’t take too long! It’s just so so wel written, the characters feel so viscerally real - and it’s so refreshing to read what feel like real women! - and the way she reveals the plot is just a masterpiece.

Yes!

I love books, read at least a hundred a year and would struggle to even get down to a top ten of favourites.....but would absolutely put this first without question.

I'd never heard of Shirley Jackson, and came across this book whilst browsing in Hatchards in Piccadilly where they had a little table with 'secret classics' on it, the sort of things bookshops are meant to do and you just won't get once amazon have seen them all off, and....its just a masterpiece.

I feel envious of anyone reading it for the first time.

The library at mount char

It completely defies description but it's so good

I just ordered we have always lived in the castle because of this thread !

@CalmConfident

I just ordered we have always lived in the castle because of this thread !

LOVE Shirley Jackson

Where the crawdads sing

Oh please report back when you read it @CalmConfident

I haven’t RTFT, it has probably already been mentioned - Bad Science

@RelentlessForwardProgress I will do