Books everyone should read before they die

[Terracata]

I've just finished the last of my collection of books on my bookshelf (banned myself from getting any more until I'd read them all!). Now going to buy books one by one and need some suggestions. I'm not going to tell you what I like usually as I'd like to delve into lots of genres. What's your favourite, and why?

Not what you asked but I've recently started a new strategy.

I buy lots from a charity shop all at once. Then if I don't like them within the first couple of chapters I just ditch them without guilt.

What are you going to do if you don't like the only book you have?

I think this is a crazy plan.

I'll stop reading it, take it to charity shop and buy another one?

'The overstory' by Richard Powers, or 'Bewilderment' by the same author are beautiful books.

My favourite ever book is Cider with Rosie, by Laurie Lee.

These kind of threads are annoyingly full of posters giving the title and the author with no accompanying information about what its about or why they like it. I have been reading Enid Blyton as her stories are well written and exciting

I'll give you A Gentleman in Moscow and the entire Slow Horses series.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - changed my perspective on life! Beautifully written and helps you see another perspective.

There are various lists like this on Goodreads along with some very thorough reviews

The dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin. Because it made me think so much after I read it, and ever since. And also because she's a fabulous writer.

The Outsider (L'Etranger) by Albert Camus. It's the book that changed my view of the world the most. Hard to explain in a quick post, but raises so many questions about justice, self-definition, social pressure and expectation, the human condition, etc. The only book I've read that reminded me of it was Milkman by Anna Burns.

@ZanyPombear

not sure if you've heard about this crazy thing called Google??

Haha thanks for writing this. Hopefully have changed the direction of the thread! The last thing I read was the radium girls which I thoroughly enjoyed. Found it completely fascinating but awfully sad knowing what was coming.

I always recommend Steve Cavanagh, particularly his Eddie Flynn series. Eddie is an American hustler turned lawyer, who gets involved with the most intriguing cases. The books are full of twists and turns and genuinely keep you guessing.

A wonderful book I could barely leave to sleep!

I loved Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. It follows several characters through time and space, from 14th century Turkey to space travel in the future. It's a wonderful book, IMO.

I also loved A Gentleman in Moscow.
My other favourites are The Heart's Invisible Furies, and The Star of the Sea, which is a novel about people fleeing the Irish potato famine for the USA and is based on real letters, songs etc of the time but is also a murder mystery set on board the ship of that name.

Just looked up Radium Girls, looks interesting

I could write a list of a hundred wonderful books. However I'm going to go for one: Beloved by Toni Morrison

Beloved is set just after the American Civil War and tells the story of former slaves whose home is haunted by a malevolent spirit.

I'm not going to tell you the story, but it is so beautifully written that I had to keep stopping to reread passages.

The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld. Fiction, but the author searches for missing people in real life having lost a family member. It is so dark and gritty but so beautifully written - not a nice topic but my god it’s stayed with me.

The only book I've read that reminded me of it was Milkman by Anna Burns

Oh good choice. A hard read though.

An autobiography by Sabrina Cohen-Hatton called The Heat of The Moment. She started out homeless and worked her way up to the Chief Fire Officer of Sussex. She is a fire officer who then studied Psychology and the book is based on her experiences as an officer and then later working with firemen to make sensible decisions with dangerous scenarios they may be faced with. It was a fascinating book.

Some of my favourites:

The Song of Achilles, Madeleine Miller
Earthsea (series), Ursula K Le Guin
His Dark Materials trilogy, Philip Pullman
Howl’s Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones

A view from a male reading enthusiast: Anthony Trollope the Parliament based stories, one is Phineas Finn. Nothing changes!
The Irish RM stories, A beautiful fictional setting of SW Ireland written by Anglo Irish cousins, Somerville & Ross. It does have it's harder edges.

These are about to go on my re-read list. Good for Winter by a log fire and sipping a glass of port. (Well; we are talking fiction).

Agree, and it's rarely mentioned, usually if anyone mentions a book by her it's Earthsea!
But The Dispossessed is brilliant.
I may have to re-read it now!

It’s easier if they just say what it’s about so I know if it’s worthwhile searching for or you’re just going searching loads of random titles

I have recently finished All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker and was blown away.