To ask what the best book you've ever read is?

[AtlasShrugged]

As above really. Inspired by the worst book thread running at the moment. What's the best book you've ever read? And why?

@ShutUpBaz 1984, but I hate it as much as I love it - interesting comment, how do you mean?

I love Orphan X and the sequels for guilty pleasure binge reading

I'm also interested in seeing a lot of the same names popping up on both threads (best and worst)!! Goldfinch being one of them (haven't read yet so I wonder should I to see what my opinion will be)

We Need To Talk About Kevin

The Time Traveller's Wife

The butterfly box by Santa montefiore
It's just beautiful

Another vote for The Goldfinch . Classic has to be Jane Eyre. Also love anything by John Steinbeck .

1984 is a masterpiece of literature in terms of how it is written but it has terrifying implications. I've read it numerous times as a teen, at university and in my thirties and the dystopian aspects always give me the willies.

I'm loving the fact that so many of these were on the worst book thread

The goldfinch was one of my favourites when it came out. Prefer it to the Secret History and the Little Friend.
Wolf Hall & Bring up the bodies
Anything by Jane Austen or Nancy Mitford
The Eyre Affair is a hoot if you want a smart but light read.
Soft spot for Ben Aaronavitch novels too.
I loved the Time Travellers Wife
David Copperfield my favourite Dickens

I loved Captain Corelli’s Mandolin & would recommend it to everyone. More recently The Goldfinch - would feel jealous if I saw someone else reading it & they were near the beginning !
Have just finished Jonathan Strange & Mr.Norrell - very long, but I am really missing that world.
This year though, my favourite book was Lincoln in the Bardo.

Rebecca,
The Hobbit
Wyrd Sisters - and most other Pratchett but this is my favourite
The time travellers wife, now I’ve been reminded of it
So many others, I should go and look at the bookcases and remind myself!

Wives and Daughters.

The Poisonwood Bible. The narrative voices are so strong and distinctive, and it’s heartbreakingly beautiful.

Rebecca, secret history and Northern lights for me

Sorry but one of my fav reads was Bridget Jones Diary !!

Rebecca for me too, and The Shadow of the Wind.

Beamur yy wolf hall and Mitford and Time traveller! can't stand Dickens tho.

Cannot believe Goldfinch was rated the worst book, i so do love it. Did tell a mate to get it tho and she hated it lol.

The Goldfinch.

Impossible question.
Agree crime and punishment, I loved Anna Karenina, The crystal Singer , the alchemist and the time travellers wife.. also gonna throw in les mis and the ya ya sisterhood

The secret history.... just started to read it again

PrivateParkin, I read The House on The Strand about 30 years ago and was blown away by it. Re-read it a couple of years ago, didn't seem like the same book and couldn't imagine what I'd ever seen in it. My faves are The Far Pavilions by MM Kaye and The Last Time They Met, by Anita Shreve. Somehow I've never managed to read Rebecca, so that's my current book.

I loved The Loop and The Horse Whisperer (both by Nicholas Evans)

Also liked Gone Girl - thought it was very clever

Impossible to choose one, but I highly recommend all of these:
The Countess Conspiracy, Courtney Milan
The Cricket Term, Antonia Forest
Middlemarch, George Eliot
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte
Snowkissed, Laura Florand

The most engrossing book I ever read was The Day of the Jackal.

Favourites are either Game of Thrones or Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson.