What one book, fiction or non - fiction, would you make everyone read if you could?

[OnlyFangs]

I think mine would be Edith Eger's The Choice.

It felt like it profoundly altered the way I viewed my life after leaving a DV relationship. Powerful stuff both personally and on a broader level too.

I also absolutely loved North and South which I read recently and can't believe I hadn't got round to reading it sooner. And same for Middlemarch.

The spirit level

Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauzia Kasindja.

Although The Choice, If This Is a Man or Night are close contenders. Ultimately I choose the one I said because no one has heard of it, and most people have read at least one of the others.

Pet Sematry by Stephen King

Yes I would love new suggestions,. definitely, thank you! I shall look that up
If this is a Man is definitely a must read too really, I am annoying myself by limiting it to one book now

Im going to add Artificial Wisdom by Tom Weaver as a non-fiction must read.

A thousand splendid suns

The Five about the Jack the Ripper victims - brilliant social history that really educated me and gave a voice to women who have been marginalised in the whole JR story - despite being the victims

The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson

Yes I agreed with this book

The Diary of Anne Frank.

Fab book!

Austerlitz by W G Sebald. Is it fact or fiction,

I haven’t read it but it does sounds very interesting.

None. I know you don't mean it this way but being 'made' to read a book is my idea of hell.

Yeah I really didn't mean it that way. I guess maybe it was poorly expressed but I think most people got the gist. The book you wish everyone would read I guess. Or the book that had the most profound impact on you

I have read that book. Probably 20+ years ago and I still remember it vividly.

I love The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. No deep reason, just I love it and it’s a great read.

Echo the Diary of Anne Frank, and also To Kill a Mockingbird and the Grapes of Wrath

Bad Science

Some of the science myths it very politely shows to be nonsense are very pernicious and everyone should understand them.

Oh thank you, will add that to my list!

Bill Bryson: ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’. A chatty, gossipy history of science, full of fascinating facts and wonderful anecdotes.

But if I could I’d also have everyone try ‘Right Ho Jeeves’ by P G Wodehouse. The world would be a much happier, kinder place if everyone read Wodehouse. Once you enter his beautiful world you see life differently.

Same goes for Patrick Fermor’s travel books, especially ‘A Time Of Gifts’. Like Wodehouse, he changes the way you see the world (for the better).

1984, Orwell.

The Interestings by Meg Wollitser, just because I loved it. Also following.

I think it's been mentioned ... But Primo Levi If this is a man.

Nothing better has been written on the importance of bearing witness, and the depths of both inhumanity and humanity.

Oh thank you, I love Wodehouse and Bryson so shall try Patrick Fermor's books.

Word of warning on Patrick Leigh Fermor. I adored A Time of Gifts as a (marginally pretentious) teen but struggled rereading it as an adult. I found that I had to stop to look up references to things he assumed everyone knew. But yes, a glorious read once you get into his groove.