What's yours?

Aurelia, thank you - loads to think about here.
I haven't read a single one of these books so you've given me an instant reading list.
I'm trying to think what I'd put on a similar list but have difficulty remembering titles!( Not an age prob, have always forgotten them.) My list would have to be something like
1. That one about the girl who met a lad on a train to somewhere...
2. The one with the man who was working somewhere abroad...
3. There's a house which some people used to live in...

Ah well. This is going to take a while!

What a nice idea! I'll have to think about this one too but off the top of my head, there are lots of books that I've recommended to friends and I've read a good number that friends have recommended to me. My list will also include books that made me change the way I appraoch life or the way I think on certain issues. There has been a smattering of those, e.g:

The Great Cholesterol Con by Anthony Colpo

The Resilient Earth by Doug L Hoffman and Allen Simmons

The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis by Elaine Morgan

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Thanks for the kind words BaggytheCrust and Twobabes.
These meme are usually extremely popular on Book/Reading Boards, as they give an interesting glimpse of other members and their favorite reading, and often provide a starting point for future discussions.

Aurelia

I love doing these memes. :-)

A book you would read again:
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

A book that made you laugh
Neither Here Nor There - Bill Bryson (His description of buying a loaf of bread in Paris had me in stitches.)

A book that made you cry
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Zoer

A book that taught you something
On Hitler's Mountain - Irmgard Hunt (I learnt how it was growing up under Hitler's rule.)

A book you would recommend to a friend
The Tapestry of Love - Rosy Thornton

A book you have always meant to read
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

What a super reply Cath, crammed with ideas for future reading.
'Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell' captivated me completely. The plot is full of tension, and the multi layers of history and fantasy create an atmospheric whole, which is a wonderful read.

Aurelia

Twobabes your reply really made me laugh out loud - I'm in the same boat I'm afraid. Fortunately books that have really made an impact are often ones that I've bought and kept (though if a book's really good I often lend or give it away to friends) so I'm usually able to scan the bookshelves for the title.

I loved A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry and Andrea Levy's Small Island (they both made me cry)

I also cried at Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (i'm sure you meant to type Jonathan Safran Foer for anyone confused!)
and I also completely loved Jonathan Strange - completely hooked although the size of it meant it was a struggle to carry around to read on the bus!
Loving all the recommendations!

Aurelia: My pleasure... I enjoy doing these kinds of things.

effblinder: Ooops yes I did. I get him and Carlos Ruiz Zafon thoroughly mixed up (middle-aged, addled brain)... I don't know why... and can't seem to remember it's 'Foer' not 'Zoer'. I'd be dangerous if I had more than one brain cell.

It seems I really must get to Jonathan Strange, I need to stop prevaricating because of its size.

SalJB: A Fine Balance is another one I really must get to as all who read it seem to love it.

And Star of the Sea as recced by Aurelia. I've owned it for years... Do others have these huge 'to be read mountains' at home like me?