What is the best book you have ever read?

[Toni2011]

I'd love to know which books really stick in people's minds. Any genre, any author.

just recently re read dd'd gcse 'of mice and men'......loved it all over again!!

The Woman In White
Wilkie Collins

or

David Copperfield

Recently I LOVED Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

Anything by Barbara Comyns. I would be happy to just re read her books over and over.

I am reading Hons and Rebels again and loving it.

I have read Too many mothers by Roberta Taylor a good few times. I was really amazed at how well written it was. I was expecting a badly written, actors east end upbringing cliche. IMO its much more than that (though I dont claim its the best book ever)

The Unconsoled

The Wasp Factory and Unconsoled are two of my favourite books too!

I also love The Grapes of Wrath, especially chapter 25.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. The last few pages had a physical effect on me, I was a jittering ball of excitement and couldn't sit down, let alone still, as I read the last few paragraphs. So, so clever.

yeah, sorry Unconsoled
'The' Unconsoled sounds like a band

can I have 2?

A Small Island

The Blind Assassin (is it double s?)

actually 3 'cos i also loved the Famous Five and sort of remember the plots

My Antonia by Willa Cather.

Harriet, I loved that too. I would be hard-put to decide which of the Cather's I liked best though. Quite something when you can be sitting at Durham railway station in the middle of winter and feel like you are sitting in New Mexico... Amazing author

ooh must try Willa Cather one of DD1's favourites

It IS The Unconsoled, I just missed out the the.

Either

Hawkesmoor by Peter Ackroyd

or

Restoration by Rose Tremain

For years I thought my favourite book EVAH was Zola's Therese Raquin, which I read at about 16. I re-read it recently and it's pretty bleak.

SO . . . now my favourite book is probably Possession by AS Byat. Either that or any Marian Keys

Complete works of William Shakespeare

Really difficult to narrow it down to one! Toni Morrison 'Beloved' maybe, or Virginia Woolf 'Mrs Dalloway'?

Willa Cather sounds good, just had a look on Amazon and it sounds like a grown up Little House on the Prairie! I'll give My Antonia a try, it's available for Kindle as well :)

Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy. I love all his novels and short stories. Find a lot of his poetry hard going, though.

the greengage summer by rumer godden. and daddylonglegs and i capture the castle (suspect i am hankering after my youth!)

The Stars my destination - awesome

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood

This is a great thread cos I'm always looking for good books. Must make a list of all the posts. Note to any more posters - could you give both the title and the author if you know it?

Speaking of Virginia Woolf, Orlando is stunningly well-written. Put me off ever trying to write a novel!

The first book that ever really captured my imagination was the Lord of the Rings. I remember racing home from school to read it. I am not sure I have ever felt quite so passionate about another book, although I have read many brilliant ones.

If I had to make an adult choice it would be Bleak House - Dickens.

Exodus by Leon Uris

Holocaust - can't remember who it was by, can't find it on the net - read it as a teenager it is was very powerful.

Lord of the Rings by Tolkein

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon.