5 ONLY books that MUST be read.

[Hullygully]

Any era, any genre.

No crap.

Go.

A dark adapted eye - Barbara Vine - the characterisation of Vera is wonderful, it shows that genre fiction can exceed its bounds

The Women's Room - Marilyn French - to remind us

The Road - Cormac McCarthy - the language, the words

Lord of the Rings. Because Harry Potter and the Dark Materials and even Narnia pretty much stands gaping in awe by comparison.

All the Jeeves and Worcester books. Because they are hilarious and moreish and will brighten your day.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Because it's tragic and beautiful and yet also interestingly sci-fi-ish and futuristic. It's this century's 1984.

Room by Emma Donoghue. Because it's heartbreaking and wonderful and also an incredibly gripping page turner.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Because it's amazing and heartbreaking and wonderful and also interestingly futuristic and an incredibly gripping page turner and horrifying and possible and scary and fucking brilliant.

Jane Eyre. Because it's a classic for a reason.

Oh good idea for a thread! I'll be back….

Hitch hikers and his dark materials because both make you think while being entertaining and enjoyable.

Lord of the flies should never be read by anyone ever, because it's depressing, tells you what you already know (that humans are a deeply unpleasant lot) and is neither entertaining or enjoyable.

Animal farm, should be read my everyone who is too young to remember the fall of the Berlin Wall.

I thought it was utterly predictable and pretty pointless, DD1(15) really enjoyed it because she hasn't had wall to wall communist Russia on her TV and in the books she reads.

Now look here.

There are RULES, people

Agree with Wodehouse. Yes!

I also want to add every single 'Just William' book as a cheeky sixth selection. I read them even now and I'm 48. Timeless and VERY funny.

Pascha - you made me laugh, especially Thats Not My Tractor - A searing commentary on modern farming machinery

Gosh you are strict Hully

I loved the Faraway Tree too, onestep, but I'm not conviced Moonface and Silky really added a great deal to the grappling with existential questions we must all do at 3 in the morning.

not convinced either

The Shadow of the Wind- Carlos Ruiz zafon. Loved it since I was 17

Room- one of the few books to make me cry

The Kite Runner- it's amazing.

Harry Potter- not for style or anything but purely for the adventure and the anticipation of waiting for the next one.

The railway children- it's been my favourite since I was 6 and first read it.

My choices lighten my heart and make me marvel at what can be done with words. If I am on a desert island I want to be entertained. If I want to be informed I'd take a survival manual.

Trying not to get defensive, breathe and .

Sneaking in a sixth, I'd take The Womens Room too. Or Susannah Moores' Sleeping Beauty because of its tropical setting (Hawaii) and lush, dreamy like prose.

Also Black Beauty because it's just so simple and so complete a story. Rich, poor, kindness, cruelty all of life is there.

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nihm, because it is simply the only other children's book I ever bothered finishing.

(Except twins at st Clair's and they don't count.)

Again it is, superficially a very easy read, but like Black Beauty, it encompasses a whole life time of events and choices. It even has an ecological twist for today's youngsters.

If you have never read it Do!

Hmm, now see I loved Birsong, it was just one of those books you read and savour every word. The Kite Runner as well, War House is a lovely book as well, made me weep.

Thats 8, I cant choose.

I think we should be able to have different criterias tbh, one for what 5 books moved you, what 5 books made you question life, what 5 books you just loved just because you did etc etc.

Yes Banana, none better and none funnier. I have so far (owing to life's vicissitudes), bought the entire collection of William twice. One of my favourite bits is William teaching the frog to know and love him, and to jump.

Unfortunately the frog showed a much greater aptitude for jumping..makes me weep.

That should be Sleeping Beauties....

No one needs be defensive, you must stand your corner and fight your ground and wave your choices aloft with a proud and happy heart.

In no particular order

Lord of the Rings
Rebecca
Jamaica Inn
Madame Bovary
Any of the Jennings series by Anthony Buckeridge. If I had to choose one, Jennings' Little Hut would be my choice.

I'm making a wish list for my kindle from everyone's suggestions

I've never read an Austen. I've tried. I've bloody tried but I can't get into them. I've never admitted that before

Love it when I bump into a fellow William appreciator. It's the illustrations too. Just perfect.

Fanrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury
Under the Skin - Michael Faber
World War Z - Max Brooks
King Lear - Shakespeare
1984 - George Orwell

^^fahrenheit

Can I add The Picture of Dorian Grey?

I wrote about William in my masters' thesis