There are few better feelings than being in the middle of a good book, finishing a chapter, and realizing that you don't want to put it down.
Be it Howards End, Catcher in the Rye, or any mystery by James Patterson purchased at Hudson News. That moment you realize you have found a book that might be your favorite, if not the all-time best book you've ever read.
It's a sensation similar to, if not better than, falling in love.
Discovering your favorite book introduces you to characters you wish you knew in real life, hits on themes or experiences you can relate to all too well, and perhaps most deliciously, enrages you when you see how they ruined the story or botched the casting when it is adapted into a film.
Resulting in your going back to read your favorite book all over again, and discover elements which somehow escaped you the first five times you read it.
Redditor AechTMS was eager to learn the best books people have ever read bibliophiles and merely occasional readers alike, leading them to ask:
The Book Thief
"The Book Thief."
"It made me laugh and it made me cry, but most importantly it made me view life very differently."
"How easy the world is when you don't have to worry about the war /world of war around you."
"I've heard equally Thousand Splendid Suns and Kite Runner are very good and both are on my TBR."- LanternCove3
The Lies Of Locke Lamora
The Lies of Locke Lamora."
"That book just hit all the right notes for me."
"Fantastic prose, developed and atmospheric setting, drama that pulled me in, humor that had me laughing out loud, great pacing, incredibly charismatic and charming characters."
"It just had it all."
"I might even like the sequel more, the only thing it did worse was the pacing."- Corey_Bee
The Things They Carried
"The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien."
"I had just lived abroad for a couple of years in a highly regimented experience that kept me at some distance from the local population."
"There were a lot of similarities that I appreciated, and a lot of difference due to his experience being military in nature."
"But a lot of his thoughts regarding home nailed how I felt, and the idea of 'real truth' getting in the way of 'story truth' feels especially poignant in today's society."- mourningdoo
Endurance
"Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, Albert Lansing."
"The fact that it's true allows it to hit that much harder."- JimJamYimYam
East Of Eden
"East of Eden."- mojojojo_joe
"East of Eden."
"One of those books that I simply adored from beginning to end."- KimDShortt
Hyperion
"Hyperion by Dan Simmons."- Warlornn
Me Talk Pretty One Day
"Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris."
"Stupid me keeps letting people borrow it and I've bought it 3 times now."- ATXKLIPHURD
The Pillars Of The Earth and The Passage
"The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follet is quite good, as are its prequel/sequels."
"The Passage, by Justin Cronin is also one of my faves."
"Even the tv adaptation with the 'Saved By the Bell' guy was pretty good."- Ecstatic-Appeal-5683
The Picture Of Dorian Gray
"The Picture of Dorian Gray."
"Such a compelling read!"- FlyPrudent4292
It's easy to understand why people question the fact that Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and Great Expectations seem to get film or television adaptations every two years.
When these same people actually read the novels for the first time, however, they will likely stop complaining.
As a truly good story can be told over and over in a myriad of new ways.
