That’s really weird! Well, by Matthew Dicks or Matthew Green, it’s a great book! I thought it sounded weird, but it isn’t at all! It’s different but in an awesome way!
It depends on who you ask. Some people say yes, other people (like me) just start screaming oaths against Peter Jackson and his sons into the seventh-seventh generation.
That’s a hard one, there are so many. But I’d have to go with Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, followed by A Gentleman in Moscow and The Heart’s Invisible Furies. Sorry! Just can’t name one. ?
@Lyndsey it’s so good. My challenge for the year is a book set in every state and I’m doing PoT for SC. It’s funny bc the last time I read it I didn’t live in SC and now i do, about an hour from where the book is set, so it’s more vivid this time!
The question is like asking what is the best piece of fruit you ever ate. That said, the first one that came to mind was Water for Elephants. Which may or may not be the best, but I did so love it.
I dont know if I would call it the best but it is the book I always think had an impact on me 50 years ago as a 12 year old. It was a little book called The Silver Sword. Cant remember the author
Especially to a young person just getting into reading. My next book was To Kill a Mockingbird. Pretty dour reading for a kid huh? But they started my love of books
@Nicole, I have. I’ve read all of Jane Austen. The only one that I still can’t learn to love is Emma, I just want to give her a good shake and tell her to mind her own business ?
I identified really strongly with Quoyle(sp?) from the shipping news despite being a female high school student from America who had been to the beach like three times in her entire life and did not actually inherit a place in a dreary, cold maritime community.
Clearly I’m in the minority, but The Shipping News about killed me. I pushed and pushed to finish and finally decided that was time in my life that I can’t get back.
I doubt you’re in the minority, I can see how the book would have been a slog. I personally hate the Lord of the Flies, and I gather I’m in the minority for that.
Phew. Sometimes I’ll remember the name when I hear the name but not the story line. I know I’ve read a couple Kristen Hannah ones but can’t tell ya which off the top of my head. ?
“The Da Vinci Code”…”The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” … “The Rosie Project” … “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” … “Behind Closed Doors” … “Where’d You Go Bernadette?”
I love the hobbits, elves and wizards, I love the rhythm of the names. The Ents, I love the tree people. I love Sam and his sturdy practical self. Really, it’s all amazing and probably it’s time to read it again.
@Beverly have you read The Wheel of Time Series.? Kind of a cross between LOTR and Outlander. Quickest series Ive ever read. 14 or 15 books done and dusted in 2 months.
One?? So many good ones and so many already named. I’ll put down two that I’ve read this year — or reread: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, and Cape Cod by William Martin, the latter not well known but an excellent multi-generational story — Michener-like. So far, I’ve seen neither of these titles nor their authors mentioned in SBC.
I just loved The Curious Incident of The Dog…….have a nephew with Aspergers and gave it to him to read. It helped him to realise other people like him were out there
Captain Blood, Rafael Sabatini, 1924, gets me every time. Pirates! Romance! Unspeakable unfairness! Sea battles of epic proportion with no hope for success! Then… Tables Turned! ? Re-reading The Charwoman’s Shadow, Lord Dunsany, out loud to Hubby who takes turns reading to me. We stop every couple of sentences and marvel at the images and feelings he evokes. We had some weird moment last night where we talked about, what if everyone in town was reading this at the same time, what kind of change would occur in everyone’s consciousness? There is something indescribable that begins to seep into your foundation of being that floods it and suddenly you see differently and life seems richer. Ok, that got a little flowery!
@Samantha you do!! So good! Amazon has it on Kindle, I believe. I had an old copy that was lost, (tears) and then my daughter, Bron, searched out an old hard cover to replace!
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks
One of the most imaginative stories ever
thats a must read. the title seems interesting. i commit to read it
Its on my TBR list
That’s really weird! Well, by Matthew Dicks or Matthew Green, it’s a great book! I thought it sounded weird, but it isn’t at all! It’s different but in an awesome way!
Just one? Haha
The one that popped into my head just then is A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
Oooh good one
Blindness by Saramago.
Omg that book was amazimg
It’s not very original, but I can read Pride & Prejudice again and again, so…
a classic masterpiece
The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern
Loved it
@Beverly I think I’ve read it 3 times and am on the lookout for something similar.
@Lesley haven’t read anything like it so if you find something let me know please
Will do!
Probably 1984. But The Trial and Catch 22 aren’t far behind.
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
The Stand by Stephen King
I agree!
The World According To Garp, by John Irving.
The Hobbit, I think
Or maybe American Gods. Or good omens. This question is too difficult
is hobbit movie inspired by the novel?
It depends on who you ask. Some people say yes, other people (like me) just start screaming oaths against Peter Jackson and his sons into the seventh-seventh generation.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
Dean Koontz “Vision”
That’s a hard one, there are so many. But I’d have to go with Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, followed by A Gentleman in Moscow and The Heart’s Invisible Furies. Sorry! Just can’t name one. ?
a gentleman in moscow’s been recommended for the umpteenth time. going for it right away
Love Sarah Waters! Fingersmith is an amazing book!
three Men In A Boat by Jerome K.Jerome
Things fall Apart Chinua Achebe
chinua is an african legend sir. I read things fall apart 3 times
I read it at school many years ago.
To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Tie between The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen and Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
We would get along.
1Q84
I have that. It’s good?
@Nicole if you already read another novel of murakami and you like it, I think it will be good. His works are a little bit different
To Kill a Mockingbird
TFIOS
Is that supposed to be The Fault in Our Stars?
Yup?
Les Miserables
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I’ve read it several times.
Got it. Haven’t read it. I’ll remember you liked it.
Just want to say ~ I appreciate these lists so much! Great affirmations and recommendations and a healthy dose of “so many books, so little time.”
Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson and Reminiscences of a Stock Operator (forgot the author).
The Stand
true.. so many books, so little time. recommendations appreciated
Prince Of Tides by Pat Conroy
Reading right now!
@Lyndsey it’s so good. My challenge for the year is a book set in every state and I’m doing PoT for SC. It’s funny bc the last time I read it I didn’t live in SC and now i do, about an hour from where the book is set, so it’s more vivid this time!
The Green Mile! A work of art! I usually hate sad novels but it’s still my favourite.
A Tale of Two Cities, the Picture of Dorian Grey, The Good Earth, The Thorn Birds, The Historian. The Lord of the Rings, The Prince of Tides.
a tale of two cities.. mmmh awesome
The question is like asking what is the best piece of fruit you ever ate. That said, the first one that came to mind was Water for Elephants. Which may or may not be the best, but I did so love it.
a catch 22 situation right? at least you narrowed down to one fruit Priscille.. i’ll look for it ASAP
Swan Song
Atlas Shrugged, The Mists of Avalon, Pillars of the Earth.
Wow.. good people, you have fine tastes I must admit
A thousand splendid suns
The Glass Castle
That one was so amazing, right!
Have you read anything else by her? I have loved all her work. Even loved the movie
Cloud Atlas
I am Pilgrim by Hayes.
Eye of the Needle by follet
Dracula, The Prince of Tides, The World According to Garp, A Man Called Ove, I Robot. are just a few of my favorites.
Illusions by Richard Bach.
Haha
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie
The Goldfinch
Jane Eyre
The Stand by Stephen King, East of Eden by Steinbeck, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
Beach Music. Pat Conroy
So many! But right now it is
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
am reading potato peel pie society
I read it yesterday. Six hours of loveliness, wonderful book
Loved the book. It is now a tv series
Loved that one too! That totally rocked!!!
The notebook by Nicholas Sparks… Othello, Macbeth, and a lot more
well.. shakespear fan I see
all
I dont know if I would call it the best but it is the book I always think had an impact on me 50 years ago as a 12 year old. It was a little book called The Silver Sword. Cant remember the author
It was Ian Seraillier (I think that’s the correct spelling). I read this a few years ago, it really is a lovely story.
Especially to a young person just getting into reading. My next book was To Kill a Mockingbird. Pretty dour reading for a kid huh? But they started my love of books
Thanks @SamanthaOliver.I might just see if I can find it. I love to keep books
Your welcome, happy to help ?
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes. A gripping novel about the Vietnam war
All The King’s Men
I still go back to Persuasion by Jane Austen. It just feels like a part of me now ?
Have you read Sense and Sensibility?
@Nicole, I have. I’ve read all of Jane Austen. The only one that I still can’t learn to love is Emma, I just want to give her a good shake and tell her to mind her own business ?
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Just one…?
list all
3-way tie between The Shipping News (Proulx), Peace Like a River (Enger), and Centennial (Michener)
I identified really strongly with Quoyle(sp?) from the shipping news despite being a female high school student from America who had been to the beach like three times in her entire life and did not actually inherit a place in a dreary, cold maritime community.
@Emma He was a great character ?
Loved that book.
Though i probably need to read it again.
Clearly I’m in the minority, but The Shipping News about killed me. I pushed and pushed to finish and finally decided that was time in my life that I can’t get back.
I doubt you’re in the minority, I can see how the book would have been a slog. I personally hate the Lord of the Flies, and I gather I’m in the minority for that.
@Gwen I couldn’t do it either
“The Baroque Cycle” by Neal Stephenson.
A prayer for Owen Meany, The Potato Factory, Lonesome Dove
Clan of the Cave Bear by Jane Auel
the catcher in the rye, J.D. Salinger
…at the time Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon
This is turning into a great TBR list
Grapes of Wrath
Am I odd? All titles I have EVER read escape my brain when this question is asked.
“Do you read?”
“Yup, I do. Lots.”
“What have you read?”
…..
?
The only thing I can think of is self help books, educational books, Amish novels, young adult books, moving books…..
Oh. I will say my entry level economics text book was one of the best books I ever read. True story!
I buy books and it takes me a chapter before I realize that I’ve already read it.
its not odd. i also forget till someone mentions the book!
Phew. Sometimes I’ll remember the name when I hear the name but not the story line. I know I’ve read a couple Kristen Hannah ones but can’t tell ya which off the top of my head. ?
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.
“The Da Vinci Code”…”The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” … “The Rosie Project” … “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” … “Behind Closed Doors” … “Where’d You Go Bernadette?”
Little Women
The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings trilogy, I’ve lost count of the times I’ve reread them.
11 times the Hobbit. 3 times LOTR. Lol
I love the hobbits, elves and wizards, I love the rhythm of the names. The Ents, I love the tree people. I love Sam and his sturdy practical self. Really, it’s all amazing and probably it’s time to read it again.
@Beverly have you read The Wheel of Time Series.? Kind of a cross between LOTR and Outlander. Quickest series Ive ever read. 14 or 15 books done and dusted in 2 months.
It took years to read that series as I had to wait for each one to be published. I reread the series while waiting for the next book.
I quickly grew bored with Outlander and the Game of Thrones.
Have you read the Disc World Series? Terry Pratchet is brilliant, I often laugh out loud and reread his brilliant sentence structure.
And Tom Robbins.
@Beverly not a fan of toms but might try Terry. Will look out for him
One?? So many good ones and so many already named. I’ll put down two that I’ve read this year — or reread: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, and Cape Cod by William Martin, the latter not well known but an excellent multi-generational story — Michener-like. So far, I’ve seen neither of these titles nor their authors mentioned in SBC.
The Light Bearer by Donna Gillespie
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
I just loved The Curious Incident of The Dog…….have a nephew with Aspergers and gave it to him to read. It helped him to realise other people like him were out there
I love it too and after reading it, I tweeted the author who tweeted back!
Captain Blood, Rafael Sabatini, 1924, gets me every time. Pirates! Romance! Unspeakable unfairness! Sea battles of epic proportion with no hope for success! Then… Tables Turned! ?
Re-reading The Charwoman’s Shadow, Lord Dunsany, out loud to Hubby who takes turns reading to me. We stop every couple of sentences and marvel at the images and feelings he evokes. We had some weird moment last night where we talked about, what if everyone in town was reading this at the same time, what kind of change would occur in everyone’s consciousness? There is something indescribable that begins to seep into your foundation of being that floods it and suddenly you see differently and life seems richer. Ok, that got a little flowery!
I think I need to find me a copy of Captain Blood…
@Samantha you do!! So good! Amazon has it on Kindle, I believe. I had an old copy that was lost, (tears) and then my daughter, Bron, searched out an old hard cover to replace!
Gotta love a woman what loves pirates!!!
epic sea adventure novels are brilliant
“The Once and Future King”
T. H. White
Behind closed doors by B.A. Paris. It kept me on edge the whole time
Great book. Couldn’t get into her new one, THE BREAKDOWN.
Don’t tell me that I can’t wait to get it, I also preordered her new one
Middlemarch.
The Cairo Trilogy by Mahfouz,
Waiting by Ha Jin, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The ladies of the club
All time: Little Women. Just since adulthood: The Witching Hour by Anne Rice.
Crime and Punishment, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance