To ask what book you could not put down?

[Anonynony]

I'm heading away tomorrow (and I've had a million threads about it, thank you MNers for sorting my life out!) and I want to bring a book that I absolutely won't be able to put down! Just me and DD so I'll be in relatively early in the evenings so a really good book is essential!
I've packed The Help as I've heard it's great?

So what book could you just not put down?

As soon as I read the thread title I came on to say The Help so I'm glad you have it already OP.

I couldn't put it down and read it within a few days.

How is this unreasonable. Grr at topic

The interestings by Meg Wolitzer.

I think Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis is my favourite fiction book of all time. I can't really say it's exciting - nothing much precisely happens (er, I'm not selling it here) but it's a small story of a middle-aged businessman which sort of turns into a whole psychological world. The use of language is great, if you are into such things - it's from the 1920s - and the main character, you try to work out what he's all about. You end up realising that you and he are alike in many ways, which is horrible at first then vaguely reassuring then horrible again.

I knew I would do a bollocks job of describing this but it's really hard to describe. I like nearly everything Lewis had written but Babbitt was the one where I lost interest in everything else to finish. (My second would be the more famous Elmer Gantry, I think it's cleverer but less involving). I read it when I lived abroad and all I could afford was cheap English paperbacks, and I took a chance on this because it was reduced. I wandered about with my head in it for days.

Out of the book, I liked the peculiar hideousness of Chum Frink's poetry and the tragedy of his existence, the uneasy relationship of Babbitt and his mate Paul, the contrast between Babbitt and Doane - none of this makes any sense until you read it. I still quote it to people who have no clue what I am on about. There are bits of writing in Babbitt that catch in your head.

You can get it for 70p on Amazon, so if you have a Kindle, go for it.

Susan Lewis' No Child of Mine and then the sequel Don't Let Me Go - a harrowing subject matter but so well written.
If you want something a little more easy going, then anything by Carole Matthews!

Me before you, before I go to sleep, and under your skin. Can't remember the authors though!

sounds intriguing shockinglybadteacher, I've downloaded a sample!

I've an insatiable appetite for books but find few works of fiction unputtdownable, currently reading Lionel Shriver 'big brother' but for me nothing of hers comes close to the 'Kevin' book.

The Kite Runner
The Red Tent
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Shadow of the Wind

Now you see me, Sharon Bolton (one SJ Bolton), first in a Detective series. Now on number 4 which I picked up from the library this morning and can't wait to get to bed to start!

I loved The Help, and I have just reread Year of Wonders in one go, at one point I was stirring with one hand at the cooker and had the book in the other!

It's been way over a decade but the best all-time holiday book I ever read was "The Alienist" by Caleb Carr. A sort of Sherlock Holmes style mystery set in Victorian New York where the protagonists utilize what becomes modern profiling techniques to catch the killer.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. It is very long, but absolutely incredible.

I always say this on these threads, but I absolutely love, and can't put down even on rereading, Keri Hulme's 'The Bone People'.

I enjoyed The Help too.

My most recent unput-downable author discovery has been Helen Dunmore. The Siege (set in Leningrad in WW2) and its sequel, The Betrayal set about 10 years later had me completely captivated from the first word. House of Orphans (turn-of-the-century Finland) has been another favourite. They're not historical romances or anything like that, just cracking good stories and you pick up quite a bit of history along the way should you be interested.

And I agree with Kite Runner which has been suggested by a few folk up-thread. A gripping read if ever there was one, and much better than the film!

Bogey Isn't Year of Wonders brilliant! I love People of the Book by the same author too.

Haven't read thread, just your posts.

The Kite Runner and Wild Swans have both caused me to develop sunburn due to getting so engrossed I forgot to put more cream on!

Another one for A Thousand Splendid Suns, I have never read a book which has had such a powerful effect on me.

Martin Harbottle's Appreciation of Time - hilarious!!

YY to Eleven Hours by Paulina Simons. I had to go off alone, in complete silence to read the last chapter, just absolutely gripping - couldn't breathe! Awesome book.

Another Helen Forrester fan here. Her autobiograhical series, as well as her fiction, are wonderful. "Yes Mama" is one of my favourites.

YY to "Welcome to the World Baby Girl" (must read it again). I also really enjoyed "The Future Homemakers of America" by Laurie Graham (although I couldn't get into her other stuff)

Bill Bryson's "Made In America" is my holiday book (every time!) Not unputdownable in the usual sense, but I find it totally fascinating. I've read my current copy so many times it is literally falling apart! Its all about the development of language in America (which may not be for everyone I know)

Yes to anything by Paulina Simons and Sisan French. I found all their books in the local library.

Susan Lewis that should be