Best book you’ve ever read...

[Beautyschooldropin]

Wanting ideas for summer reading really. What’s the best book you’ve ever read? Do you have a book that you go back to and read again and again? Do you listen to audiobooks? Would you recommend them?
TIA!!!📚

Ever, ever is asking a bit much but the best book I read over the last year was a modern classic - Abigail by Magda Szabo (I think).

🙄 ‘ever’ is a big ask... thanks for the suggestion!

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is still my favourite book - I have never enjoyed anything as much.

I tend to listen to more challenging books on audiobook when driving and read lighter stuff in bed before going to sleep. I always buy a hard copy of any book I listen to as well (providing I enjoyed it).

Best book in the last year, which has shot straight into my favourites of all time is Betty by Tiffany McDaniel. Too hard to choose a best ever!

My favourite book ever is Time Traveller's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger.

To Kill a Mockingbird is probably my all time favourite.
A more recent book I've loved is The Sealwoman's Gift by Sally Magnusson.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is the one I can happily reread over and over. I read it very differently now I'm older than Maxim, though!

Bleak House by Charles Dickens Is my all-time favourite.

But if I'm being honest, I'd probably go for a Sophie Kinsella as a holiday read. I can't cope with much sadness since having DC.

But Bleak House is awesome.

And for your second one, I am not an audiobook person. Love all spoken word radio except drama - I just find it full of overacting and heavy breathing.

The one I found the most interesting is probably "The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde (which I thought was quite fun and creative - it's part of a series so if you enjoy the first there's more). Part of the appeal for me is that it uses "Jane Eyre", which is one of my favourite books as well, for part of its plot-line as well as lots of other literary references that I'm fond of.

I also really love the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman - one of those series that I can't stop re-reading.

A thousand splendid suns

Harry Potter 🙈 I had never read them and my husband (then bf) brought me the set and said I'd love it and just try it. Was absolutely hooked! I'm such a book lover but I hate hyped up books so I never gave them a chance.
Sorry I know people will have better suggestions but they're my ultimate comfort book

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, without doubt one of the great books of recent times.

My favourite book is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It's the incredibly well-written first book in a fantasy trilogy. Amazing world-building. Unfortunately we're (still) waiting for the final book in the trilogy!

My favourite book of all time is Middlemarch by George Elliot because it's a brilliant story about humanity, and history and life.
But yeah it's not... a fun summer book.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, but it’s a terribly sad book.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. Just beautiful!

The book thief! Such a good unique book! I also recommend anything by Jasper fforde or Jeffery deaver!

Don't know about ever but I read a lot of Jenny Eclair's books last year. Excellent summer reading. Was surprised at how good they were.

I’ve really enjoyed both Stuart Turton books “The seven deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” and the recent “The Devil and the dark water”. My favourite audiobook this year is “Blood and Sugar” by Laura Shepherd-Robinson, read by Ben Onwukwe.

I’ve also loved A Gentleman in Moscow

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.

Lanark by Alasdair Gray

@AdaColeman

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, without doubt one of the great books of recent times.

I remember reading this 27 years ago when travelling around Europe after working for the summer during university.

Dear God. I hated it. This huge book that felt interminable. Every city we got to, I was still reading it 😂

I remember one of our group, a very gorgeous boy, reading the title, and asking me 'have you found one yet?' (Not sadly as a come-on, and I could think of no witty riposte, so just smiled gormlessly)

It's funny how different people's opinions on books can be.

Hard to think of 'ever' either but I really really loved Eleanor Oliphant.

So much so I sometimes go into a reverie thinking of where the character is now.

I also really love almost everything Maggie O'Farrell writes. Also Wally Lamb, bar hus most recent, which I'm just picking up to try yet again, as I'm convinced I have to love it, I just can't get into it.

If you like thrillers with an amusing/witty protagonist, my favorite book ever was Gone For Good by Harlen Coben. It’s a standalone novel outside of his Myron Bolitar series and was the only book I’ve read that made sit up and say “holy fuck” when I got to the plot twist at the end.

Easy reading but sincerely enjoyable!