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This is a hard decision but I will go with Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I can still remember reading it for the first time and it has stood the test of time and I have enjoyed rereading it many times.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe - Just such a great story - read it as a kid countless times and after my child read it recently, I reread it myslef - utterly timeless!

Just finished reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy - what a powerfull read. Cant get it out of my head. Was hoping until the last that it would have a happy ending. You were left wanting to know what happened next. This is the sort of book I enjoy but I am now finding it hard to move on to another book.

Perdido Street Station is a fantasy book & completely terrifying, with strange winged beasts and a vein of horror and darkness.

Village Christmas Miss Read

Old-fashioned values, slow country living,
Less selfish taking, more joyful giving!

The herb of grace by Elizabeth Gouge.
I met it when a medical student and found it gave me a sense of peace.
I still read it if stressed

it's Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel l love historical fiction and you don't get more historical than pre-history. Made all the more apt as my grandson when asked how old l am he says 'you're nearly a 100' ha ha

Very hard to choose but one of my favourites has to be Ender's Game as I've re-read it many times, and read all the books in the series afterwords.

I like the Harry Potter books

Persuasion by Jane Austen! This is the novel that made me fall in love with English literature! Jane Austen is a genius when it comes to building up her characters. I read it at least once a year, and each time I love it more.
The 2007 BBC adaptation of Persuasion keeps me happy throughout the rest of the year.

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult - never has a book engaged or made me think as much as this. I can empathise and see the points of view of every character (the brilliant writing) and the ended knocked me out, as I was so not expecting that, after all the trials & tribulations to get to that point. A gripping novel!

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. I recommend it being read in paper form! Trust me, you'll understand why when you read it!

There are many many favourite books that I love, all for different reasons. If I have to choose just one that I feel is perfect in every way (and I feel with this book it has to be read as a physical copy to get the most out of it) I would have to choose The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.

Sorry - that was over 140 characters. I'll try again

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
The strength of the characters and Ellis's dilemma makes this book compulsive reading. The characters stay with you after the book has ended.

(exactly 140 characters now!)

it has to be "Brooklyn" by Colm Tobin. When Ellis comes to her dilemma 2/3 of the way through I wasn't able to put the book down. It was my bed time but there was no way I could go to sleep until I knew what her decision would be. Such powerful writing! I read it 5 years ago when it first came out but I can remember it if as if it was yesterday. Can't wait to see the film!

My favourite book is Atonement I could just read it all day. I love it

Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernieres. An epic heartbreaker and a must for all politicians contemplating going to war.

Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome - good and wholesome, promoting great values throughout - as valid and worthwhile today as it was when it was first published.

I love adventure, so the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown did it for me as one of my many favourites!!

I'm going back to my childhood, What Katy Did. I even named my daughter Katy.

My favourite recent read is The Woman who stole my Life by Marian Keyes. I choose it at the airport as a lightweight holiday read as I don't have a lot of reading time in my life at the moment.
What I loved about the book was the wonderful characters that were wholly believable. The humour also came through, and although it may be classed as 'Chick Lit ' this is inaccurate ( and a little insulting) as there were much deeper treads and story lines interwoven throughout.
A great read!

My favourite book is Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge. We studied it at A level many years ago and I still love reading it because the characters are so well drawn and the story about the evils of alcohol still resonates today!

My fave book has to be this years The girl on the train by Paula Hawkins. It was a gripping thriller and had me guessing from beginning until the end. Top read, was very addictive and would definately recommend.

Reading To Kill a Mockingbird should be compulsory! I didn't read it until I was 50, and was totally wowed - there couldn't be a better way of teaching young adults about injustice, prejudice and hypocrisy. The story has love, compassion, good, evil, mystery, a little humour, and although it can be a dark at times it's positivity shines through. Told through the eyes of a little girl, the story is very powerful as she tries to understand what's happening in the world around her - I love the relationship with her father as he tries to help her understand what is happening, and strives to right the wrongs of a time in history none of us can quite imagine nowadays. The relationship between the children and the mysterious "Boo Radley" is quite charming too. Definitely one to keep re-reading

The Hobbit for me - an old favourite since childhood. Read it at school and loved the adventure. The first book that enabled me to experience the feeling of escapism