What is the best book you have ever read?

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I think mine has to be (at least at the moment) The House at the End of Hope Street because I grew up not far from there.

Which is your favourite book and why?

Black Hunting Whip - Monica Edwards set in the beautiful Devils Punchbowl in Surrey (which is also well worth a visit)

Been my favourite since a child and still readable.

Lord of the Flies
The Secret Garden
Flambards
To kill a Mockingbird
Rivals

utahgirl I LOVE Into the Wild too. Saw the film after I'd read the book, it really did the book justice. Fab! Thanks for reminding me!!

Thank you all of you. I have a hospital stay approaching and am writing all these down - really appreciate this thread!!

Jane Eyre is my most beloved book and I re-read it each year.

Neil Gaiman is probably my favorite writer. He's magical

I have just ordered The Goldfinch due to the load of recommendations on this thread. Thank you all!

Loved The Beach.
Was so disappointed by the film.

curly good choice - loved The Goldfinch and hope you do too.

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, plus many already mentioned like A Suitable Boy and A Fine Balance.

and yy to moving this out of chat to somewhere we can keep it. Ta!

So many have already been mentioned but I don't think anyone has mentioned Barbara Pym and my particular favourite, Excellent Women. It is such a very comforting and funny book. Barbara Pym is often compared to Jane Austen and I think Excellent Women has much in common with Pride and Prejudice.

The jean de florette saga has stuck with me.
Anything by Patricia highsmith
A secret history
Bonjour tristesse

Agree with a lot of the choices - but my favourite read is the Rabbit series by Updike (plus anything by Graham Greene, Hilary Mantell or Llosa plus Sabbaths Theatre by Roth). Mistry is a great writer - but still traumatised by A Fine Balance!

Shamelessly following for ideas for my personal "book a week" challenge in 2017

I'm reading land of the giants...I think it's called that by ken follett
Not the best books I've read but enjoying them
Used to love Susan Howatch's penmarric books and the religious ones like glittering prizes.

Lilian beck with...the hills is lonely...life on a Scottish island. Used to howl with laughter.

All creatures great and small, vet books...Alf wight. Loved them.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. So many emotions. Outstanding.

My fave as a child / young teen was little women
Heidi and what Katy did next

mrsmuddle Excellent Women is brilliant!

Enjoyed water for elephants by Sara gruen
The girl on the train ?

Beloved by Toni Morrison
Carter beats the Devil by Glen David Gold
Wise Children by Angela Carter
Rivals by Jilly Cooper (bit of highbrow there )
Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies, I've read both 3 times.

Forgot Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson. She really is the most extraordinary writer I think.

curlyshabtree yay, another Into the Wild fan! Have you read the book by Christopher McCandless's sister about him? The Wild Truth by Carine McCandless....a fantastic read!

The winter of our discontent - john steinbeck
the wasp factory - iain banks
rivals - jilly cooper
crime and punishment - dostoyevsky
the barchester chronicles - anthony trollope

My family and other animals by Gerald Durrell- so makes you want to live on a small, sunny island with an eccentric family!

The Poisonwood Bible and anything by Barbara Kingsolver. Though there are a lot of books l could mention.