What is your favorite book? I have to give "my favorite" to a friend for her 50th.

[Anonymous]

I would not overthink this. I don't have a favorite book. I really liked The Help, The Tenth Justice, but also really liked Chelsea Handler's books. I have very varied taste and would just pick something I've read and enjoyed, wrap it in wrapping paper that has books on it, and call it a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Book Thief is my go to recommendation. It's technically a young adult book, but it is so beautiful.

It was summer reading for my teen but I'm afraid to read it because I think it will be sad. Is it sad? My teen has said death is a character and I won't like it.

NP. It takes place in Germany in WW2, so definitely sad. Death is the narrator which I thought was pretty clever but otherwise the writing style really grated on me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A friend's husband is collecting books for her 50th birthday as she is an avid reader.
I've been asked to send along my favorite.
I don't have an immediate title and I'm trying to remember books that I really liked.
I thought by asking on here I might remember some that I've read over the years but forgotten about.


What is your FAVORITE book? (Especially a title that you might give to someone else to read).

Thank you!!

My ABSOLUTE favorite is Stephen King's The Stand.

Other recent favorites include Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" and Emily St. John's "Station Eleven." I also recommend "Fahrenheit 451" by Bradbury.

As you can see, I'm into the post-apocalyptic genre.

If you're going for more literary, Raymond Carver's collection of short stories, "Where I'm Calling From" is exceptional.

Mine is “the earth abides” -seeing yours you might like it too

[Anonymous]

Aphrodite- Isabel Allende

It’s a cookbook memoir

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aphrodite- Isabel Allende

It’s a cookbook memoir

Sort of. The main topic is aphrodisiacs. It would be different and fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.
The book that came to mind for me is "On Beauty" (Zadie Smith). I loved it.

Then I scrolled down and saw the NYTimes top 100 of the century and saw it's on there.

So give her this one! If she already has any of the books, she can donate them to other people who will enjoy them, but she'll still share that connection with you of a shared book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not overthink this. I don't have a favorite book. I really liked The Help, The Tenth Justice, but also really liked Chelsea Handler's books. I have very varied taste and would just pick something I've read and enjoyed, wrap it in wrapping paper that has books on it, and call it a day.

The Kitchen House (and its sequel, Glory Over Everything: Beyond the Kitchen House)
Nightingale
West with Giraffes

"Lighter" fare:
Lessons in Chemistry
Before the Coffee Gets Cold

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not overthink this. I don't have a favorite book. I really liked The Help, The Tenth Justice, but also really liked Chelsea Handler's books. I have very varied taste and would just pick something I've read and enjoyed, wrap it in wrapping paper that has books on it, and call it a day.

The Kitchen House (and its sequel, Glory Over Everything: Beyond the Kitchen House)
Nightingale
West with Giraffes

"Lighter" fare:
Lessons in Chemistry
Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Oh! and if she likes Dickens:
Mr. Dickens and his Carol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These books always immediately come to mind but they’re also popular or classics, so I’d worry she has already read them or owns them.
“Wolf Hall”
“The Poisonwood Bible”
“Possession”
“The Secret History”
“The Snows of Kilimanjaro”
“The Namesake”

There are more recent books that I’m not sure are my favorite book ever, but I enjoyed them and think they should be commended as strong works:
“Great Circle”
“Annihilation”
“The Heart’s Invisible Furies”
“North Woods”
“Trust”

It’s supposed to be an easy simple gift idea. If you are “worrying”, you’re putting too much thought into it - just buy the book. if she has it, she would gift it or do something else with it. That’s on her.

[Anonymous]

I can’t pick a favorite book, but the following are ones I’ve returned to again and again over the years:

The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford

Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian (plus the 20+ books that follow)

The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery

Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen

[Anonymous]

Liane Moriarity came out with a new book just a few days ago. She is one of my favorite authors.

[Anonymous]

All the Light you Cannot See
Cloud Cuckoo Land

[Anonymous]

If I told you Once - by Judy Budnitz.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lonesome Dove. Nobody talks about it but it's got everything. I recommended it to a book club once and got so many weird looks but then EVERYONE loved it.

That was a great book! Read it decades ago!

[Anonymous]

I'm going to throw something way out there:

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. I think it's a good book for someone who likes books.