The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett. Follett is one of my favourite authors and this is the first of his books I read and in my opinion the best. It is a mammoth medieval saga based around the building of a Gothic Cathedral. It's like an historical soap opera with so many twists and turns and the most brilliant villains and heroes. (In my head I always see the twisted Bishop Walrean as Alan Rickman as he is often described in a very Snape-like manner) I'm extremely excited at the moment because the sequal "World Without End" has just been released and if it's even half as good as the first I will be very happy.

The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory - Another favourite author of mine and this is just a fantastic read. Anyone interested in Tudor History will love Gregory's books. The characters are superbly written and even though we know how the story is going to end I found this completely absorbing and full of tension.

The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S Lewis Aside from Harry, this is by far my favourite children's fantasy series. I first read all 7 books between the ages of 6 and 10 and have re-read them all countless times. They are very old fashioned and the tone can seem a little preachy but the Land of Narnia just completely captivated me. I think my favourite of the seven would have to be The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I love Prince Caspian, the infuriating Eustace, and all the adventures they have on the Islands east of Narnia.

Murder mysteries - Agatha Christie Ok this is a bit of a cheat as this isn't technically a series of books, they are all individual stories in their own right but I couldn't choose just one. I just love a good murder mystery, I can never tire of Agatha, she catches me out almost every time with her cunning murders! I love the Hercules Poirot stories set in exotic locations such as Death on the Nile ,and And Then there were None is actually one of the most chilling stories I've ever read.

Godnight Mr Tom - Michelle Magorian This is a heartbreaking story but ultimately it leaves you with an enormous sense of hope and renewed faith in humanity. The only book I have chosen that I have only read the once but it stays with you for a very long time.

Wow, it was hard to choose just five. I really enjoyed reading everybody else's favourites and have added a fair few of them to my list of books to read soon.

I love this thread. So many good books out there.

Like so many others have commented, it's so hard to choose just 5 novels, however, here are 5 favourites of mine.

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte . This is a book I read recently and wish I had done so when I was a teenager. I think it would have helped me understand that my feelings and confusions are common to many and, in this book, they are eloquently expressed which makes them easier to uinderstand.

A christmas carol - Charles Dickens. My tradition every christmas is to read this book and watch the film "Scrooge" with Alistair Sims as Scrooge. It is perfect christmas fayre for me. I just love it.
I could submit other choices by Charles Dickens, and while they aren't as easy as others books to read, as they can take some time, the rewards - for me anyway - are tremendous. His descriptions of London are wonderful and they way he exaggerates the characteristics of ordinary people and keeps them believable is a real treat.

To kill a mockingbird - Harper Lee. Isn't Scout wonderful? I haven't been to the southern states of America, but to me this is what it was like- I hope this doesn't offended anyone . A perfect novel - I can't add anymore to what has previously been said by other posters.

North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell. I read this book after moving from the north of England after 4 years living there. Mr Thornton is perfectly brooding and masterful, with a sensitvity that is brought to the surface by an independant southern lady. For me, he is my Mr Darcy *swoons*

Persuasion - Jane Austen. . A hearbreaking romance all the way through the story, but being Jane Austen, the author doesn't let us down at the end to ensure all ends well. My favourite Jane Austen.

Syd x

edit: I forgot to mention that as I love North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, I plan to read her stories that make up"Cranford". The BBC did a wonderful adaptation last year. Has anyone read the books and are they as delightful as the were on the television? Syd x

In no particular order, here are my five favorites.

The Jungle- Upton Sinclair A story about a Lithuanian immigrant who came to Chicago in hope of a better life. Instead, he ends up losing half his family, his house, and gets blacklisted so he struggles with finding a job. I don't know why I love it so much, because it's so sad and depressing. When you think his life can't get worse, it does!

The Sword of Truth series- Terry Goodkind It's a book series about a woods guide named Richard who discovers he's a wizard by his best friend, Zedd. (Who turns out being his grandfather.) There's so much in these books and I don't want to give out too much information in case anyone ends up reading these books. But Richard ends up on a mission to stop a group of people, The Imperial Order led by Ja' Gang, from taking over the lands. What I love about these books is how Goodkind protrays all the characters and makes most of them so likable. He tends to make the villains look brutal and hateful.

The Catcher In The Rye- J.D. Salinger It's about a kid named Holden who gets kicked out of school and roams around on his own. I enjoyed reading this in High School and loved how simple and humorous Holden told the story.

No More Dead Dogs- Gordon Korman This is a kid's book about a football player whom never lies. When he wrote an honest book review on how he hates "Old Shep, My Pal," his teacher puts him on detention until he writes a good review. Meanwhile, that same teacher is putting on a play based off that book and attacks keep happening on the play and everyone thinks it's him. This book is just a childhood favorite of mine. The first time I read it, I was really surprised by the ending.

Animal Farm- George Orwell A book based off the theory of communism. A bunch of farm animals run humans out of the house. They come up with their own rules and start a peaceful, carefree life until a pig turns on them. I love how this book easily symbolizes what happens in a communist society.

1.Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman - The whole series is so passionate and amazing! In a racist world, the blacks (crosses) rule over the whites (noughts) and things can get personal and discrimination is a part of everyday life. When Sephy, daughter of the Prime Minister, a cross, falls in love with childhood friend Callum, a nought, things start to get out of hand. With hangings, a kidnapping and a sharp shot of what real life can be like, the story is gripping and thrilling all the way through!

2.Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman - The Sequel to Noughts and Crosses is as thrilling and exciting as the first, as Sephy comes into adulthood badly, struggling to raise Callums' baby.

3.Checkmate by Malorie Blackman - Yep, you guessed it! The final book in the trilogy! These three books are honestly my favourites! This final book tells of Callie-Rose (Sephy and Callums' daughter) and her struggles with growing up and a passionate hatred of her mother. The ending is as thrilling and fantastic as the beginning! The whole series is a definate read for everyone! It's brilliant!

4. Pirates by Celia Rees - a novel set in the days when pirates roamed the seas. When two young women are driven to a life of piracy, they must fight for their lives, prove themselves to their crew, search for their loves and evade the man hunting them down. This is the story of Nancy the daughter of a rich merchant and Minerva a runaway slave as they try to survive in the new life they've chosen.

5. The Hobbit by Tolkien - this entertaining book about Middle-Earth is the perfect story! It seems pretty popular on here and has everything - action, suspence, humour and songs - a perfect combination!

Ebony

xxx

Thought I posted here. Oh well. Here we go!

Lord of the Rings: Two Towers: Although I love all of them, something about this part in the epic journey really gets me going! It's a great fantasy book, which I love because anything can happen. It's rich in detail and is full of adventure. Plus it seemes to be a classic!

The Land of Elyon: Beyond the Valley of Thorns: Again, great fantasy. Reminds me a lot of J. R. R.'s writing style- very descriptive and emotions are displayed well. Also, there are great plot twists! Alexa is hardly a teenager when she sets out on a quest that will determine the fate of her whole world. On the way she meets many allies- animal allies too!

The Rangers Apprentice: The Burning Bridge: Confession: I started this series because it had the word "Ranger" in it and I was thinking of Lord of the Rings, Aragorn type Rangers; which it is like. Just before a war begins, Will becomes a apprentice Ranger- and is trained in the art of stealth and agility. His friends must stop an evil plan that is going on in Arluen or else it could destroy the entire kingdom.

That's all I can think of for now. I shall edit here when I think of more!

Why haven't I ever seen this thread before?!

I haven't really into reading for very long. When my aunt introduced me to the Harry Potter books, I read through the whole series starting with PoA (I could already quote the SS and CoS movies) and fell in love with them immediately. After that, The Chronicles of Narnia sparked my intrest so I read them all the way up to Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and stopped because I didn't think any other book in that series could rival Voyage. So anyways, here they are.

Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis - I love all of the ones I've read in that series, but my all-time favorite in there is definitely The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It is, of course, about an amazing voyage that Prince Caspian sets off on by himself and his crew but joined by a former queen of Narnia and other characters. The whole series has humor, action, and a bit of suspense, and yes, it can be a bit preachy sometimes but they are definitely worth the read!

Eragon, Christopher Paolini - Paolini was only fifteen when he wrote this book. It's the first book of the Inheritance Chronicles and is about a boy who discovers a mysterious blue rock in a shifty mountain range. He becomes a Rider and gets into all kinds of trouble and situations that really make the book awesome.

Eldest, Christopher Paolini - This is the sequel to Eragon, and we learn a bit more about Eragon and another character called Brom. He travels to Elven country to learn the tricks of his trade, yet he still get into all kinds of trouble. The last book in the Inheritance Chronicles/Trilogy is Brisingr, which will be released September 20 of this year.

I've also read The Hobbit and found it to be a bit of a bore, but I was 7 when I started reading it so I couldn't really follow it. Nonetheless, I got really into it at some points.

Frank Peretti's books are really good Christian detective/suspense books. He has books out called Hangman's Curse and Nightmare Academy. Even if you aren't a Christian, you can't help but admire his work.

I would really like to read some of Agatha Christie's books! She's supposed to be brilliant when it comes to murder mysteries, so I'll have to check those out some day.



Pawprint

Only five? I agree with everyone else on this thread, that's not possible, but these are the first five to pop into my head (not counting Harry Potter, by far my favorite).

The Ink Trilogy: I'm not sure if the books are actually a trilogy, I could be wrong, but I think that there are three of them. Anyway, a 12 year old girl's father can read characters out of books. Among these are a Voldie-type bad guy, a couple of his henchmen, and a fire eater that can't decide where his loyalties lie. The series is awsome. Written by Cornelia Funke. (That may not have been spelled right. One thing I cannot be depended upon is spelling, so sorry.)

Maniac Magee Yes, it's a children's book. But, it's really well written. It's the story of a homeless kid in a segregated town. Far too great to be decribed in words, but I highly reccommend it. Written by Jerry Spinelli. (there's my awful spelling again.)

Holes It's just plain dang awsome. A kid with really bad luck finds himself falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit. Why the bad luck? A curse put on his family a hundred years ago by a fortune teller, Madame Zeronie. After he is accused, he is given a choice for his punishment. Camp Greenlake, a correctional camp for boys, or jail. Written by Louis Sachar. (this is much better than most of his work. Also, if you've ever seen the movie, you know the poem that Sam and Kate were reading in the classroom? It's called "Annabell Lee", and it's a fantastic work by Edgar Allan Poe. Read it if you like somewhat creepy, but wonderful poetry.)

The Tiger Rising You know those books that you get from the school library because you have to read something, and then you wind up loving the book, but you can never remember the name of it? This is one of those. A misfit from Kentucky moves to the deep Southern swamps of Florida where he meets a girl that begs for trouble no matter where she is, and a majestic beast of the cat kind. Written by Kate DiCamillo. (I had the book with me that time; I know it's spelled right!)

The Inheritance Cycle It's a cylce!!! It won't end with Brisingr! Thank you Chris!!! *ahem* Er, several people have mentioned this, and they're all right. The books are fantastic, about a 15 year old boy finding a dragon and chasing down the beasts that he owes some revenge to. *checks for spoilers* *finds none* Sorry, almost let something slip there...

Well, that's all that I'm allowed to put, I suppose. And there are so many more...

ooh...I'm only allowed to choose 5? *pouts* hmm...let's see...
1.) The color purple by Alice Walker
I really don't know how to really describe this book. It's fantastic. It's beautiful. It has the power to make anyone cry at times. While it's targetted at a more 'mature' audience, it is hard to put down.

2.) The catcher in the rye by J.D.Salinger
I read this first soon after some serious life problems. In some ways, I could empathise with Holden Caulfield. Like the color purple, it is hard to put down, but the plot is completely different to that of the former.

3.)Cold Mountain by Charles Frasier
After painstakingly studying this book which I first loathed, I began to see the true beauty of the story unfold. Frasier encapsulates an age that seems so far from our own modern world that it embraces the reader into its own unique culture.

4 & 5.) POA and OOTP, of course! Do you even need to ask why?

Oh wow! This is a really nice topic ... I was actually looking for recommendations for new books

Well anyway, here are my top five, although, like Tarafina said, there are around a hundred in my head, all equally loved! Okay so excluding the Harry Potter series ...


1) War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy: Translated from Russian, this story follows the French invasion of Russia, back in ... er ... well it follows Napoleon's campaign in Russia at least - and it's the sheer enormity of the book that impressed me I think. Tolstoy wrote hundreds of characters, and switched from pov to pov, sometimes letting us know what Napoleon might have thought when trying to capture Moscow, and sometimes letting us know what a peasant must have thought when he had to leave everything behind. But this is the backdrop, the main story still focuses on four or five characters, members of the upper class, as their lives are turned upside down because of the war - it's kind of like Gone With The Wind, only a lot bigger. Argh! I suck at commending anything, but this was one beautiful book, and it was wonderful how the characters interacted with each other and with the rest of the world. Definitely worth a read, if you have a loooot of time on your hands


2) Leave it to Psmith, by PG Wodehouse: This was the last book in the Psmith series, and it's a perfect embodiment of everything I liked in all of Wodehouse's books!! There's a bit of mystery, a bit of romance, and a loot of humour! Well actually, I pretty much liked all books by Wodehouse, they're all perfect for light entertainment, but I suppose for people who like to read 'heavy' philosophical stuff it's going to come across as pretty shallow! The story involves a forgetful Earl, his crabby sister, and her weak husband, who can't help out his step-daughter financially because she married against his new wife's wishes. And so, together with his nephew, he devises a plan to steal his wife's necklace so that he can help out his daughter and save some for himself ... and the man called to do the job is his son-in-law's best friend. Only there's a bunch of real-life criminals after the necklace, a moralistic and suspicious secretary, and a detective to reckon with ... all leading to a hilarious end!


3) The Lord of the Rings: *Sighs* This book needs (thankfully) no introduction ... my favourite book was the Two Towers, and Eowyn was my favourite character ... the best fantasy book I've come across until now. The Hobbit and the Silmarillion, by the same author, were equally good, but I just loved the trilogy more than anything else.


4) Persuasion, by Jane Austen: The story of a girl who turned down true love, after being persuaded by people who she thought knew better than her. She later meets the guy again, and she realizes her feelings for him are all but gone, only this time she's not sure if he's even forgiven her, and as their statuses have changed in society dramatically, it leads to a lot of confusion in love. Again, I've liked all of Austen's works, but Persuasion somehow stood out for me ... maybe it was because of the whole concept of love enduring through the years, or the reconciliation, but it seemed mature, and that combined with the irony she usually replies and the funny or sometimes emotional situations, really made it a big favourite with me. I also really liked Emma, mainly because of Emma and Frank's characters, and Pride and Prejudice.


5) Ok I initially only wanted to put in the Artemis Fowl series (by Eoin Colfer) here, but I really needed to tie it with Gone with the Wind (written by Margaret Mitchell) and To Kill a Mocking Bird (Harper Lee) ... the first is a story about a young boy who also happens to be a criminal mastermind, bent on stealing fairy gold. The second is a story on the Civil War in America, seen through a Southerner's eyes. And the third is again a book set in the Southern USA but deals with racism. All three books are really close to my heart, for very different reasons, but all three have characters that compel you to love them and respect them, despite all their flaws (in case of Artemis and Scarlett O'Hara I meant) and the books, well they're wonderfully written. Atticus Finch, one of my biggest favourites, was in fact the guy who inspired me to study law.


Oh wow, I couldn't write a short post if my life depended on it!

I'm sure a few of my favorites have been said before, but I'll say them again anyway. I love LOTS of books - these are just a few, in no particular order.

1) Inkworld Trilogy - I see someone else mentioned these books earlier on this thread. Oh my God, this series is simply beautiful. It's right up there with Harry Potter for me. Hehe, I don't even know how to describe how amazing the series is. It's very well written, with an intriguing and intricate plot, and wonderful, realistic characters. (If anyone cares, my favorite is Dustfinger....he has such an incredible journey from the first book, when he cares about nothing, to the last, when he cares a lot more. :P)

2) Fellowship of the Ring - Well, I suppose you can guess from my username that I like LotR. Fellowship's my fave. It's the start of it all, it's not quite as dark as the other two, and you've just got to admire Tolkien for pulling this series off. Also, I think this book is the only one in the series that never slows down or gets boring at parts.

3) Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - At first glance, it just seems like another piece of "chick lit" but it's actualy a surprisingly deep series and deals with some big themes - all while keeping it funny, entertaining, and fun to read. The characters are generally all likeable, and I think everyone can find something to relate to in at least one of the four girls.

4) Septimus Heap: Magyk - This is a series, but my favorite is the first one, Magyk. It's about a girl who discovers she is a princess and must run from the people who killed her mother, the Queen, along with her father, one of her adopted brothers, and a boy known as Boy 412, whose true identity is unknown until the end of the book. One of the things I LOVE about this book is that even though it's this huge fantasy adventure, it's really meant for kids, and there are parts in it that have me giggling out loud when I read it - and there's not a lot of books that can make me do that. XD

5) A Series of Unfortunate Events - This series really makes you think and wonder. And, of course, by the end, you'll be screaming in frustration, because the end is terrible. Nothing is resolved. However, the first twelve books are quite good in my opinion - they kind of make you think, and everything's connected in some weird way. It's cool to read it and try and figure out how the pieces fit together, and how it can be that everyone is connected.

Just a few of my faves that I thought of off the top of my head.

Oh, Sirius fans are also book lovers--how delightful! I'm sure whichever five I pick, I will immediately be like, oh I should have put...but here goes in no particular order:

1) Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar--Tara, do you even remember picking that in like 2005 when you began this thread? Because I still agree. I read this book about 15 times in Jr. High--the WORST time of my life. All you suffering through middle school--what doesn't kill you only makes you tougher. Anyway, I love Plath's poetry too, but this book captures so many moments of dismay at the world, shock at adulthood, and just plain beautiful despair, I cannot put into words.

2) William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury--You must read it at least twice to take in the whole story, told from four painstakingly-represented points of view. Love, anger, prejudice, incest, beauty, the monster that is time--it's all there. This book is what made me decide to become an American historian, and here I am, half regretting, half loving the new understandings that have come with that choice of profession. But really, you cannot understand the post-Civil War American South without reading this book.

3) Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse--A stunning investigation of a marriage, the human infatuation with knowledge and analysis, modernism at its best. "Life as it is when we have no part in it," Woolf once explained--a feeling I have too often identified with. You probably shouldn't read this if you really love a narrative arc, but do read it if you are fascinated by the human psyche and how words can mirror the subconscious.

4) Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five--About the fire bombings of Dresden during WWII. Again, time is a theme here, as the main character is unstuck in time. The novel brilliantly captures the mayhem and horror of the war in a way you may not have considered before.

5) Oh no! It's here already and I didn't mention Roald Dahl's short stories for adults? Fine then, since James Joyce's The Dubliners has already been mentioned, Roald Dahl, The Collected Short Stories--Though I love his children's lit, this is no James and the Giant Peach, folks. Stories about Hitler's birth, sneaking into your neighbor's bed, a fragrance that makes people wildly randy...these stories are simply the best out there!

Enjoy!

1. Discworld series by Terry Pratchett.

They're hilarious, intelligent, interesting... I've reread all of them for 10 times or so. It's one of those very rare things that will never bore me, I'm sure I'll be reading new and rereading old Pratchett's novels for the rest of my life...
My favorite characters are Death, Granny Weatherwax, Greebo (in his human form... aaaarghffsosexy...), Nanny Ogg, Mr. Teatime... But my fave book is Interesting Times, with Rincewind the "Wizzard" as the main character, and it's an allusion to the ancient China, Conan Barbarian, Chinese Revolution(s) etc...
What the cynic inside of me likes is how TP criticizes all those flaws and illogics of the human society that you've probably already noticed yourself but never thought much about them, and he does that in such a funny way that always makes me laugh my head off.


2. Cien años de soledad del Gabriel Garcia Marques.

An amazing book about the Buendia family, which is a symbol for the whole Latin America and its struggle for keeping up with the modern world, while dealing with many problems which were tearing these countries from the inside. Civil wars, poverty, countless cultures sharing the same problems and similar history and still trying to keep their own identity. This is my all-time favorite novel.


3. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

I've read it last week for the first time, and although I hate dramas and romance, I really loved this novel! Thanks to Scarlett, Rhett and Melanie for being such interesting characters. *applause*
For the first 2/3 of the novel I loved Scarlett for being so much like me (although much more unintelligent and narrow-minded) but, as I kept reading, her stupidity irritated me more and more and more... Culminating in the end when she loses Rhett (and Melanie). I mean, he was perfect!!! Stupid Scarlett. *grumpy face*
Why else do I like this book so much? It has taught me (or at least I hope so...) that I should think more about what I'm saying to others and pay attention about how they feel, before I lose someone who loves me. I should try to be less Scarlett and more Melanie. But that's tough for my fiery nature. Pathetic, isn't it... Oh, well, what the heck...


4. Eight and The Magic Circle by Catherine Neville

Catherine Neville is my favorite modern writer after Terry Pratchett. I've read only two books of hers, Eight and The Magic Circle, Eight being my very favorite.
The books are begging to be filmed, and one of my dreams is to direct Eight and play the main role - Cat, computer expert caught up in the middle of the ancient chess game. I'm already hatching plans for making the movie... It will be finished in some 70 years...
One part of the book is Cat's story during the 70's, an exciting thriller placed mostly in NY and Algeria, and the other story is set in the middle of the French Revolution and it follows Mireille as she tries to hide powerful relics a.k.a Charles the Great's magical chess figures.
I love the characters, e.g. handsome, young, mysterious Russian chess genius, x2 (the second one is not that handsome but he's so adorable); Cat's friend Lily - another chess meister and her crazy chihuahua and snobbish family... Then we've got Mireille and her famous friends and enemies: Talleyrand, Jacques-Louis David, Marat...


5. Agata Christie's novels

Murders, puzzles, conspiracies, detectives, Brittish aristocracy, 30's, 40's, etc, Poirot... 'Nuff said...

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
Romeo and Juliet - Shakespeare
Ps I Love You - Cecelia Ahern
Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

These novels are really very nice to read and i really enjoy them...

Wow! we are quite a well-read group, aren't we!?! So here goes:

Martha Grimes' Richard Jury series fills my quota for mysterious goings-on and wild, quirky, completely loveable characters! Great, unexpected plots! Brilliant!
Harper Lee' To Kill a Mockingbird- A MUST!
Jasper Fforde's books-Thursday Next is a superhero inside literature! If you love the classics, these books are nessesary to your life!
Jane Austen- all, enough said.
Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series. Egypt, romance, danger, heros and villians!
Midi

"Candide" by Voltaire
"A Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger
"Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
"The Book of Fate" by Brad Meltzer

No special reason to love them... I just enjoy while reading it...