Best book you've ever read, that you absolutely couldn't put down?

[PollyPocketLucyLocket]

I'm looking for suggestions. Inspired by another thread about getting love of reading back.

I would rather like something that made you feel some emotion. I'd love one that is so chilling, it keeps you stuck to your chair over fear

Sad ones would be good too. Just to balance it out, which books have made you laugh, or feel positive?

A thousand splendid suns, Half of a yellow sun, The colour purple, Under the dome.

@SutterCane - yes! I loved that book! It’s chilling. Also Cujo and The Rose Madder - any Stephen K really

The art of racing in the rain. Has me in floods every time. Ignore the fact that it says it's about motor racing- it really isn't. That's just the setting.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, picked it up on a whim, hands down the best book I’ve ever read.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanighara made me cry so much I thought I’d never stop

Everyone's taste is different re books, but it's great to hear others faves.

I have to say for me my book of the year was "The Hearts invisible furies" by John Boyne. OMG I was so fed up when I finished it, because, well, I had finished it!

What a read!

Margot you are my type of people, Jeeves and darling buds of may are absolutely my go to feel good gentle humour books.

I just finished Swan Song as recommended on another thread and couldn’t put that down, chilling dystopia.

I like the Lee Child books for gripping action. Also Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series (the novels not the graphic books).

A suitable boy, Rebecca, Watership down, Duncton wood (no body has ever heard of last one but it's a bit like watership down)

These is my words by Nancy e Turner.
Was/is just incredible.

Dracula
Home Fire
Birdsong
The Secret History
The Interestings
Madame Bovary
Ghost by Robert Harris
Rebecca

are all ones I remember not being able to put down.

For funny I loved Marian Keyes This Charming Man (which also has a serious storyline).

Blackforest The guy who wrote the Duncton Wood chronicles has written an amazing book about disabled people called Skallagrig. I thoroughly recommend it.

I am Pilgrim, a spy thriller which I could NOT put down. Chilling in an “oh fuck me this could actually happen” way.

@EnthusiasmIsDisturbed Yes to Dark Matter, really scary. Her second one, Thin Air is just as good. Have you read it?

Obviously (see my username) I second/third anything by P G Wodehouse (the Psmith books are genius, as well as Jeeves & Wooster and the Blandings Castle books). Also Jo Nesbo, very chilling although I found the later Harry Hole books a bit formulaic. The first two were fantastic.

The Bernie Gunther books by Philip Kerr are really great if you like detective novels / novels set in the 1930s and 1940s. Anything by Robert Harris and John Le Carre who just gets better and better.

Classics-wise, I love Madame Bovary, anything by Jane Austen, Emile Zola, and A Tale of Two Cities and Little Dorritt by Charles Dickens.

I am Pilgrim
My lovely wife
Price and prejudice

Duncton wood (no body has ever heard of last one but it's a bit like watership down)
@TinklyLittleLaugh @Blackforesthotchoc
The guy who wrote the Duncton Wood chronicles has written an amazing book about disabled people called Skallagrig. I thoroughly recommend it.

Also wanted to recommend Skallagrig. I've recently downsized and got rid of about 500 books (only read on Kindle now). I've only kept my full Terry Pratchett collection and Skallagrig as fiction books.

I also loved Susan Howatch The Starbridge Chronicles. - 6 in the series. She also wrote Penmarric which I think had a television adaptation.
Also loved the the Winston Graham, Poldark novels years ago before the TV version.

Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides. Amazing book

@Khione - I've thought about doing this hit getting rid of the books seems somehow personal in a way that getting rid of other things doesn't. I know I should do as most of them won't actually be read again...

I second A Little Life. It hurt my heart to read it! All The Light We Cannot See is a wonderful book too. I also really enjoy Patrick Gale as an author. Very tenderly written. I love these threads.

@Blackforesthotchoc

I know, i hated it, but it had to happen, downsizing meant I just had to get rid of them all - but I just couldn't quite do it. I have 2 shelves now. One for fiction and one for non fiction. I used to have well in excess of 500 books. I did it bit by bit. Grouped them into similar tastes and gave them away as freebies through Facebook. So at least I felt they were going to a good home

Couldn't let my Pratchett's go though.

Belgravia by Julian Fellowes

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

A Tree grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Any Human Heart
The Heart's Invisible Furies
Tall Chimneys

I loved Middlesex too although I didn't read it for ages as I thought it was about the county.

Second Middlesex - not read it for a while but it is definitely compelling and keeps you reading.

Anything by Kate Atkinson, but maybe starting with the Jackson Brodie books (Case Histories is the first one).

Half of a Yellow Sun - by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche

For chilling and page turning any of Lisa Jewell’s recent books, especially Then she was gone and the most recent ‘The Family Upstairs’.

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

Also agree about Home Fire for something that makes you cry, another one is Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.

So many replies! Thank you lovely MNetters

Going to have a browse through, with my notebook.