Listmania!
Books Everyone should have read atleast once..
The Crimson Petal and the White (Harvest Book)The Crimson Petal and the White (Harvest Book) by Michel Faber
Buy used from: £0.94
An astonishing bit of writing, couldn't put it down and have never been quite the same since. The craft of writing is truly put to the test here, and Michel Faber does it in fine style.
Jane Eyre (Collector's Library)Jane Eyre (Collector's Library) by Charlotte Bronte
Buy new: £4.76 / Used from: £2.98
One of those books that simply changed the face of literature forever. If you had to read it in school and didn't like it, give it a go as an adult. An asbolute masterpiece.
The Liveship Traders 1: Ship of MagicThe Liveship Traders 1: Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
Buy new: £6.46 / Used from: £0.75
One of the series of books I love most - a late commer to fantasy fiction this series opened it's world to me and it's characters so masterfully crafted I will remember them fondly for many years.
Watership Down (Puffin Books)Watership Down (Puffin Books) by Richard Adams
Buy new: £5.24 / Used from: £0.01
If you haven't read Watership Down, then stop what you are doing - right this second - and go get it. No one should go through life with out having been on this adventure.
In the Empire of Genghis Khan: A Journey Among NomadsIn the Empire of Genghis Khan: A Journey Among Nomads by Stanley Stewart
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £0.01
One of the most simply stated and unpretencious travel books it's ever been my pleasure to read. It takes you for a wonderful ride, and isn't the slightest bit smug about it. A Wonderful read.
Life of PiLife of Pi by Yann Martel
Buy new: £5.59 / Used from: £0.01
Read it - it's as good as everyone says it is. I went into this book not knowing what to expect and found myself calling in sick to work the next day to finish it.
The Bookseller of KabulThe Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad
Buy new: £4.81 / Used from: £0.01
I was astonished by the clever honesty of this book - no where does it push you towards any opinion. You have no doubt how the author some times feels, but this is purely observatory, a Great read.
Mother Tongue: The English LanguageMother Tongue: The English Language by Bill Bryson
Buy used from: £0.01
Is it really possible to read a book that is practically a text about the English language, and laugh all the way through? This book proves you can, in fine style. Every page is delicious.
The Holy Blood and the Holy GrailThe Holy Blood and the Holy Grail by Richard Leigh
Buy new: £6.96 / Used from: £3.00
Hoever contraversial the topic, this book is clean and concise in it's observations and mind bendingly packed with historical information. I read it with the enthusiasm of a detective story.
The Poisonwood BibleThe Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Buy new: £15.79 / Used from: £8.00
This is novel writing at it's best. Wonderful story following three lives of child missionaries in Africa. I can't say enough good things about this book, just read it.
ChocolatChocolat by Joanne Harris
Buy new: £5.08 / Used from: £0.01
It may be true that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover - but this one proves the theory wrong. What a delightful and sumptuous book.
The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring v.1: Fellowship of the Ring Vol 1The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring v.1: Fellowship of the Ring Vol 1 by J.R.R. Tolkien
Buy used from: £0.01
What list would be complete with out the Lord of the Rings? They're great, simply put. A bit wordy and over descriptive, true, but still beautiful.
Wuthering Heights (Pocket Penguin Classics)Wuthering Heights (Pocket Penguin Classics) by Emily Brontë
Buy new: £3.84 / Used from: £1.70
dark and passionate, this book changed the way I felt about classic literature. Some of the most powerful characters I have ever encountered in the world of fiction.
The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow & Thorn)The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow & Thorn) by Tad Williams
Buy new: £6.96 / Used from: £0.01
Another near perfect work of fiction. This series belies all that you may have thought about fantasy fiction. Stunningly written, beautifully crafted - rarely have I been so involved with an outcome
Seabiscuit: The True Story of Three Men and a RacehorseSeabiscuit: The True Story of Three Men and a Racehorse by Laura Hillenbrand
Buy used from: £0.01
What a pleasant surprise! I started this expecting a cheaply written story 'from screenplay' and found myself in a beautifully written story I couldn't get enough of.
Misery (King Classics)Misery (King Classics) by Stephen King
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £0.53
In my opinion the best of Stephen King. In work that can be sometimes hit or miss, this is a dead on bull's eye. Read it with the light on....
The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics)The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics) by Alexandre Dumas
Buy new: £6.46 / Used from: £2.15
Even if you don't often enjoy classic literature - this is a story than can appeal to just about anyone. Incredibly well written, and a magnificent story.
The Old Man and the SeaThe Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Buy new: £4.02 / Used from: £0.40
A perfect book. That is all that can be said.
Angela's Ashes: A Memoir of a ChildhoodAngela's Ashes: A Memoir of a Childhood by Frank McCourt
Buy used from: £0.01
I am simply baffled that a book could be so upsetting and full of misery - and yet I finished it feeling uplifted and contented. A masterpiece of story telling.
The Hunt for Red OctoberThe Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £0.01
There's a reason this guy is often on the top of the best seller list. A staggering amount of knowlege of the subject along with great story telling ability makes this a fantastic book.
Jurassic ParkJurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Buy new: £4.73 / Used from: £0.01
I think Michael Crichton must be a genious. This is a very, Very good book. The story is excellent, and the information packed into it incredible.
Gone with the WindGone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Buy new: £6.47 / Used from: £0.01
Its not just the film that is a classic, passed on from generation to generation. This book is the foundation of that amazing film, and an excellent read.
A Grief Observed (Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis)A Grief Observed (Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis) by C. S. Lewis
Buy new: £5.01 / Used from: £2.11
Anyone who has lost someone should read this book. The confusion of thoughts that plague us all at these times are stunningly relayed in CS Lewis's delicate observations.
A River Runs Through it and Other StoriesA River Runs Through it and Other Stories by Norman Maclean
Buy used from: £0.21
A beautifully captured time and place, you are taken to Montana in this book, and carried through the history of the Maclean family.
To Kill a MockingbirdTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Buy new: £4.30 / Used from: £1.22
If you made it through school with out reading this, you should rectify this immediately. A heartfelt story, wonderfully written.