This giveaway is now closed. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your favorite reads with me! Now I have a permanent list of great books to take with me to the library. The winner of the $100 visa card and a copy of Jane Green’s newest book is Allison! Please contact me ASAP to claim your swag. allison AT petitelefant DOT com. Congratulations!
— Who wants to win a $100 visa gift card and win a new release giveaway? You? You in the corner? —
I love literature, a lot. My house is stacked with books from wall to wall on shelving we keep buying to contain all of them. You could say we’re literature aficionados around here. But I’ll fully, happily, disclose that I’m a big fan of chick-lit, beach reads, easy breezy novels. There’s just something so great about a book with a predictably safe ending and outrageous characters.
The whole genre makes me happy just thinking about it. It’s so easy to pick up and read one of these books in one sitting. Oh man, I need a trip an ocean with a good beach read in hand. I can almost feel the sand in my toes.
Jane Green, arguably one of the leading authors in the chick lit genre has just published a new novel: Another Piece of My Heart, {which hit the shelves yesterday} and today I’m giving a copy away. Oh, and a $100 visa card. Maybe you can buy some flip flops and a beach towel to go with your fancy new novel.
YAY.
Giveaway details below:
- Loot includes: a $100 visa card and a new release copy of the book for one reader.
- Leave a comment {only one or your comment will be deleted} telling me your favorite book of all time. Make it a good one, I always love book recommendations.
- Giveaway ends Sunday March 18th at Midnight MST.
Good luck!
— This giveaway is sponsored by St. Martin’s Press. It’s how I pay the bills, yo. —
Allison
Hello there! I'm Allison Czarnecki, founder + editor of Petit Elefant, a blog all about style on a budget for every part of your life: style / home / travel / family. I do a lot of how-to beauty + style tutorials, travel posts, easy recipes, home remodel projects, and cool DIY crafts you totally want to try. I'm super happily married (to a hot Polish immigrant) and am the mother of two kids, a daughter and son, all of whom are featured here on the regular. We live in the country but we're a little bit rock + roll. Welcome!
Might seem a bit silly, but ever since I was in middle school, my favorite book (and series) has been The Giver. By now I’ve probably read that same copy at least fifty times and I never get tired of it. I’ve always loved dystopian novels, and it is one of the best.
Pride and Prejudice…read it every year. My husband is always mystified by how I can read the same book over and over but I just love it.
I love The Long Walk by Stephen King
I remember reading The Hot Zone when I was a kid on a beach vacation and wanting to be a scientist- guess what I became when I grew up?
My favorite book is A Night to Remember, about the Titanic disaster. It’s non-fiction but reads like fiction — dramatic and compelling. Very timely this year on the 100th anniversary!
One of my favorite books is The Bridges of Madison County.
One of my favs is The Shack by William Young.
I have too many…. “tree grows in brooklyn”, anything Tolstoy, and now that I have a two year old my newly rediscovered fav books “gruffalo” and anything from Sandra Boynton.
For serious literature, my favorite book is probably East of Eden by John Steinbeck. For beach reads, I’m generally happy with anything by Nora Roberts.
Favorite Book of All Time is a tie between Gone with the Wind and The Help.
Who doesn’t want a sassy Southern Belle in their life?
Best book of all time = impossible to pick
However, I just finished reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and loooooved it. It’s set in a wildly fantastical circus around the turn of the 20th century, where real magicians compete against one another. It’s gorgeous, dark and fanciful. I adored it.
The Bet by Jennifer Crusie. One can never go wrong with Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton, Kay Hooper or Diana Gabaldon. :)
I love jane green! My current favorite is Molokai by Alan Brennerant. So captivating!!!
My Dream of You by Nuala O’Faolain. I read it three times on a vacation in 2002 to Jamaica-the vacation I used to process my filing for divorce from my husband, also on the vacation. I loved it SO much that I tried forever to find ahardcover copy. Last year, I went to a bookstore close-out sale (a cute store-so sad :( )and there was a FIRST edition, signed hardcover copy! For $5-I literally cried. Nuala died a few years ago from cancer, so it is a treasure to me. Love your site!
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn!
I love Jane Green!
I have to say that one of my favorite books is The Five Love Languages. I was introduced to this book in my marriage preperation class and it has done wonders for my marriage, not that we had any problems before :). This book allowed my husband and I too realize we love differently and how to make sure our “love tanks” are always full :).
I have so many favorite books, it is hard to narrow it down! My all-time favorite might be Catcher in the Rye. I have read it dozens of times. Also, Sophie Kinsella’s “Shopaholic” series. :-)
Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. She takes forever to write, but I love her books so. =)
Sarah’s Key is one of the best books I have ever read. Tatiana de Rosnay is such a talented writer. It’s so well written.
For the lighter stuff, I have to agree that anything by Sophie Kinsella is fun. All of her books are ridiculously fluffy :)
i can’t pick my favorite of all time, so i’ll just tell you my favorite of 2011 – Miss Peregrine’s Home For Unusual Children. the first book written by this author, it’s YA fiction and AMAZING. i already want there to be a second book, for it to be a series. hooray!
One of my favorite books of all times is Eat, Pray, Love. It took me notonly to different countries but also all the emotions Elizabeth Gilbert went through. I’m passionate about personal growth and enjoyed the spiritual lessons she shared. Highly recommend it!
Just came across your website and love it! Your writing makes me laugh.
My favourite book is Watership Down. Bunnies. Death. It doesn’t get any better than this, my friends. Thanks for the giveaway!
It is too hard to pick a favorite but here are a few that I love “Jane Eyre” and “Here Be Dragons” and “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” and “Before I Fall”
I love the books that the True Blood books series is based off of. They are just great, and probably a little bit of a guilty pleasure!
A favorite book for me is Anne of Green Gables. There is something about the timeless appeal of the book that I enjoy.
Life of Pi – the end is a but much to handle, but I was emcompassed by the storytelling feel of it.
Stones from the river by ursula hegi.
One of my favorite books is Little Women. I do love to read books by Mary Higgins Clark too.
My all time favorite is Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy.
Everything I’ve read from Jane Green has been great.
I love all things Pride and Prejudice! One of my newest likes of this classic is Austenland.
I could never pick one book as my favorite…I just have too many and I love them each for different reasons. It’s kind of like kids, they are different individuals but you love them all!
I just finished the 5th book in the Song of Ice and Fire series. One thing that shocked me but also drew me in was that this author wasn’t afraid to kill characters that I loved or that seemed to be semi-leads. The story is realistic even though there are knights and castles, kings and queens.
So now I’m caught up and anxiously awaiting the next book to find out what happens to these characters. The right decision is not always the one chosen and what “should” happen doesn’t always. I loved that I could never guess what would happen in these books because he took all of the fairy tale predictability out of them.
The Secret Garden…one of the books I most remember from my childhood. I have an aunt that fostered and nurtured my love of reading growing up. And to this day we share book recommendations back and forth. She gave me “The Secret Garden”…and I’m forever grateful.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
It’s an oldie but a goodie… “To Kill A Mockingbird” Seriously – classic stuff!
I have a few favorite books, all time classic would be gone with the wind. Favorite beach read would have to be valley of the dolls. My favorite book of 2012 so far is the dove keepers by Alice Hoffman, it is right up there with the red tent for fantastic books!
For vintage chick-lit that is also classic literature, try “Precious Bane” by Mary Webb. It is SO wonderful.
My favorite book is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Disutopia here I come!
Pride and Prejudice is a classic.
I can’t really pick one book, but some of my favorite authors are Stephanie Laurens, or Eloisa James in historical romance, and anything from Lynsay Sands. If you’ve never read any of them but are looking for fun books with strong female leads and wonderful supporting friends Lynsay Sands is a good choice. She has an awesome vampire series but has also written quite a few historical romance novels as well, most of which have several laugh out loud moments.
Ooh! I would love to win! My favorite book of all time, how can I choose? I love most! But I have to say, besides the Bible, The Shell Seakers by Rosamonde Pilcher!
It’s so hard to pick a favorite, mainly b/c I read so many but have a memory like a sieve. I did fall into Mists of Avalon in high school and remain immersed, in my room, reading, until I finished the book. That kind of immersion doesn’t happen often, so maybe that was a favorite?!
I have always loved the sci fi classic “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card
Hands down, it has to be Pride And Prejudice! Thank you for the great giveaway!
Mmm, my favorite book… That’s a hard one. To Kill a Mockingbird is wonderful, I love Karen Kingsbury’s books, and of course, The Bible. Love Harry Potter, too! Great giveaway!
My favorite childhood book of all time would have to be A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Haven’t completed too many books all the way through since having kids but my favorites are: The Thornbirds, I Was Amelia Earhart, and Old Man & The Sea….
It’s so hard to pick a favorite! One of them is Neverwhere. But anything by Anne Rice or Michael Crichton is on my fav list. Along with a bunch of other things.
Well, as an English teacher, I have a ton of faves… but the one book I adore that no one seems to know is Harry and Catherine by Frederick Busch. I read it in college and have re-read it several times since (and I don’t often re-read books).
Perfume by Patrick Suskind or House of Spirits by Isabel Allende :)
Favorite book of ALL time. I don’t think I could choose! I love to read, I have boxes and boxes of books and my kindle is so full, too! I read and re-read books over and over again.
One of the first books to make me cry, The Power of One – I read it in AP English in High School and ripped out my heart.
Another one from childhood that I could still read – The Secret Garden and Little Women.
I LOVE Jane Green and I’m a total chick lit fan, especially for the beach or the airplane ;-)
I don’t really have a favorite but I like several authors…JD Robb and Harlan Cobin to name a couple. Of course, the Bible is my all time fav!
What perfect timing! I’m headed to the beach in a month (woohoo!!!!!!) and need some suggestions for reading. My favorite book from young adulthood is The Mystery of the Haunted Mine by Gordon D. Shirreffs. As far as more adult-oriented favorite books, a few people have mentioned Pride and Prejudice, and I have to concur. Also To Kill a Mockingbird. But if I were ever trapped in a bookstore by myself for a few days, I’d go straight to the steamy romance novel section and read anything by Linda Howard, Lisa Kleypas, Teresa Medeiros, Judith McNaught, and a few others.
For a long time my favorite book was “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.” It’s been a long time since I’ve read it though, and I hardly remember why I liked it so much. Guess it’s time for a re-read. More recently, I loved everything about the Harry Potter series. In college I enjoyed “Caucasia,” and in high school it was “A Tale of Two Cities” that stole my heart.
I really love to read Jane Green’s novels but my favorite books of all time are The Song of Ice and Fire series. Yes, The Games of Thrones and all the others. When I first dated my husband in 2005 I told him he had to read it or I wouldn’t keep dating him.
Favorite of all time is Pride and Prejudice, but a close second is The Brothers Karamazov. Definitely not a quick, easy read, but so great! I love reading teen fiction for fun: The entire Hunger Games series took me 3 days :)
all time favorite book is A Separate Peace, John Knowles
This was my childhood favorite, still sits on my nightstand.
It’s been a long time since I was 15, but the book “Prep” by Curtis Sittenfeld brought me back to those awkward teenage years – it was like the scene in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy walks into that Techni-color world. It’s a coming-of-age novel that struck so many chords in my heart. Those strange, wonderful, bumbling interactions between Lee and whoever she had a crush on were written in such a way that I probably blushed and looked down at the ground for a minute, wishing the moment would pass. This book was a great find.
The Harry Potter series is one of my absolute faves- I am in awe of J.K. Rowling’s imagination and detail. “Maniac McGee” and “Where the Red Fern Grows” were faves of mine in elementary school (I still love them)! As for my most savored reads of 2011, “The Help” and “Eat, Pray, Love” come to mind immediately. :)
‘A walk in the woods’ by bill Bryson. Favorite read. I had read it at Least. 5 times. Other book would ‘into the wild’.
I love a walk in the woods, too! so funny, and reminds me of home (from SW Virginia)
Yeesh. So hard to pick! But I would have to either pick Gone With the Wind or The Chosenby Chaim Potock. Read in it high school and re-read it every couple years and find a new level.
I can’t possibly pick one… my favorite is always the one I’m currently reading (if indeed I do love it). The one I’m reading now and LOVE is “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” by Jamie Ford. Very very very good.
My favorite book of all time: The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian.
I have so many favorite books, I really enjoy Sloane Crosley’s books, “I was told there would be cake” and “How did you get this number?” They are short, quick reads and they are absolutely hilarious!
Thanks for the chance to win! :)
Favoritest (is it a word?)/best is too hard — but…. “Belong to Me” by Marisa de Los Santos is awesome. Loved the whole Wedding Series by Nora Roberts (love me some chick lit). So many books, so little time. “The Pull of the Moon” by Elizabeth Berg, too. (Really I just read some of these the last couple of weeks, so that’s what’s in my moment).
Favorite book is “All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten”
so hard to choose, so I’ll choose one of my favs from lasr year, The Help, such a good read
“Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison. I can read this book over and over and over and find something new and intriguing every time!
“The Count of Monte Cristo” or “Phantom of the Opera.”
I have a different favorite book for every mood! LOVED Pride and Prejudice over and over and over~
My favorite book of all time is Gone With The Wind. But for a beach read it is usually an John Grisham novel.
My favorite book of all time? Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. The book is just so much more. It’s beautiful.
I love The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I’m always looking for new books though so this post is great!
I’d have to say my all time favorite book would be The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving…love that I can never guess what’s going to happen next. With that being said though, I still prefer to read the general chick lit genre because its such an easy and breezy for of entertainment.
Clara: The Pug Who Ruled My Life
It isn’t going to win any awards but it always makes me laugh and I need a book like that
If It Was Easy, They’d Call the Whole Damn Thing a Honeymoon: Living with and Loving the TV-Addicted, Sex-Obsessed, Not-So-Handy Man You Married by Jenna McCarthy – is one of my lightest, most recent reads, and it was soooooo funny.
She. is. awesome.
OK, my favorite book of ALL TIME – is Bridge to Terrabithia, by Katherine Paterson. It’s YA literature, but it inspires me every time I read it to be true to myself!
Thanks for the Chick Lit recommendation :)
Brideshead Revisited is my absolute favourite.
The Passage by Justin Cronin is my new fave!
There is no way to pick one favorite! When I was a kid I really loved The Balloon People, Little Women & Little House on the Prairie series. Some more recent favorites are James A. Michener novels, Augusten Burroughs memoirs, James Patterson…I could go on and on!
Willy wonka and the chocolate factory by ronald dahl
The Red River Series. Snelling! LOVE!
Absolutely no book compares to The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood for me. If you’ve only seen the movie, don’t judge the book, its a billion times better! And an old favorite from childhood is Anne of Green Gables….my grandma and I’s favorite because we were “bosom buddies”.
My favorite book is Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Thanks a lot for the giveaway.
Going through all these comments I have now built my summer to-read list! Thanks. I, like some other fellow readers, turn back the clocks and re-read one of my all time favorites each year…Where the Red Fern Grows. Each year the selfless love that is portrayed in that book makes me cry harder and laugh out loud even more! Worth the read if you haven’t yet! Enjoy and thanks for the posts and for the book list! ;)
I found my new favourite book this past year. It’s called “All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Secular Age.” I saw one of the authors on The Colbert Report, and was really impressed by him and what he had to say. The book absolutely blew my mind. The concepts were dizzying and connected with me on such a personal level.
I loved “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer. The book is about an island in the British isles during World War II. It is a light hearted story about how the residents of this island made it through World War II.
The Secret Garden!! My mom used to read it to me and my brothers when we were growing up and I’ve read it a thousand times since! It’s a perfect read for just about anywhere…rainy day, day at the beach, escaping the reality of too-often-visted Dr’s office.:/ I recently obtained a very old copy of the book and I’m excited to pass it on to my daughter!!
My favorite book of all time is Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
My favorite ‘serious’ book of all time is still THE KILLER ANGELS. I read it when I was younger and I definitely credit Michael Shaara with helping build my love for history.
But when I just want something fun to read? Meg Cabot. Anything Meg Cabot, but I’m partial to her Heather Wells Mysteries.
Just one book?! Just too many to choose from. I love series books like Janet Evanovich and Sue Grafton. And mystery writers like James Patterson. I never read books until I picked up a Sue Grafton book at work. It was the spark for me after that book I found the first book in the series and read everyting that was out at the time. I couldnt do without having books now.
Two favorites ~ To Kill a Mockingbird and The Book Thief. Both wonderful reads!
my favorite book series are the Stephanie Plum, one for the money, etc.. They’re a good light funny read..
Too many favorites to count, but for something to pull off the shelf when I need a guaranteed good read…”The Secret Garden”. Yes, it’s for kids, but there’s just something about it that gets me every time.
Now for something more current, I always look forward to the latest Cara Black mystery. Smart and sexy female detective in Paris??? Yes, please!
One of my all-time favorites is Gone With The Wind. Classic!
Christopher Plummer’s autobiography ‘In Spite of Myself’ is AMAZING!!!
Heaven Is For Real! Great Stuff!!
I love so many books! A Brave New Worlds or We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. I recently read the Hunger Games trilogy and they would have to be in my top 10. I’m also lucky to have kids so I get to read Dr. Seuss books all the time too :)
My favorite book of all time would have to be Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Sooooo goood!
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Love it!
My favorite book of alltime is currently The Blue Train by Agatha Christie. My dad and I are re-reading all 66 so it is top of mind!
I love The Poisonwood Bible. The fact that it follows the three sisters throughout their lives was very interesting to me, maybe because I’m one of three sisters myself! Such a good read!
Haroun and the Sea of Stories – it’s a children’s book but full of adult issues. And any Ian Fleming James Bond novel!
i have read so many books . . . as a child i was addicted to “Sweet Valley Twins”, and upon graduation from that series came, “Sweet Valley High”. my nose was always in a book; so-much-so that i started to develop migraines from eye strain. i digress, my favorite book, one i can’t get out of my mind (you know that sadness you feel when a book is through?) is . . . “A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY” (it’s actually the first book in The Gemma Doyle Trilogy-so i recommend all three). this book could probably be compared to any Harry Potter or Twilight series novel. Here is why: though they are categorized as youth or young adult fiction, lots of adults have read them with reckless abandon and not an ounce of shame. it is also of the same mystical, magical realm. pick me! pick me! and read these books!!!
All time favorite is hard. Probably Jane Eyre or to Kill a Mockingbird. So cliche, what can I say? But my favorite chick lit right now is What Alice forgot by Liane Moriarty. I think you’d like it! It even takes place in Australia.
My favorites are American Gods by Neil Gaiman or The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Please, please don’t make me choose! I’m loving seeing all of the books people are commenting on. I need to make a list of what is recommended!
The novel that came to mind immediately was “The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” Junot Diaz had written only one other book, “Drown,” a GORGEOUS collection of short stories that I found in the bargain bin of a dusty little mom-and-pop bookstore. I think I was fated to buy that little book; it was one of those soul-shifting books, truly. Eleven years later, he won the Pulitzer for “Oscar Wao”–and I just learned that he’s due to publish another book of short stories this summer! I LOVELOVELOVE him.
My favorite book of all time has to be the 21 Balloons. I know it’s children’s lit, but I love the mystery of the book and all of the inventions!
Yikes just one! I recently read “the checklist” by atul gawande, not my all-time favorite, but a good read if you are interested in healthcare.
ooh, I’ll have to resist the urge to name my Favorite Three (tied for first) books of all time: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. OK FINE, it’s tied with John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany and Jane Eyre.
Favorite book of all time is A Room with a View by E M Forester. Love it!
My all time favorite is Pride and Prejudice! I read it every few years and love it more each time.
My favorite novel is the Kite Runner. Reading the book was so emotional for me; I cried so much throughout it.
There are alot that I like to read. The one’s I like to read are insperational. It makes me a better person to take of myself.
This may sound really silly, but one of my favorite childhood books has to be Anne of Green Gables. I have many found memories of reading all about how a family receives a little orphan girl instead of the boy they were expecting. It has been 15+ years since I have read it, but your post has inspired me to go back and re-read it!
I love Cold Sassy Tree. I also love Rebecca and Emma, which happen to be the names of my two daughters. I didn’t even realize it until later! In fact, my husband chose the name Emma.
My favorite chick lit is Bridget Jones’ Diary.
What a great giveaway…..totally love Jane Green’s work and a visa gift card is awesome for so many reasons!
Picking a favorite book is so tough! There are so many I love. The Bell Jar and Blindness by Jose Saramago are definitely a couple favorites!
You are asking an impossible question – how can I pick just 1 favorite?! I’ll tell you about a recent great read that falls in the chick-lit category though – What Alice Forgot. So good and really thought provoking, too. Made for great book group discussion.
My fave book is Victor Hugo Les Miserables
Favorite of all time is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It is about love, intrigue, murder and the plague all set back in the 1100’s. I have read it multiple times and it gets better each time.
It’s hard to pick a favorite…
but I really like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and The Phantom Tollbooth
Thanks for the giveaway!
I love love love Jane Green!
My favorite book of all time is Love in the Time of Cholera.
My favorite book of all time is the Secret Garden. I read it every couple of years and just love it!
Wow, favorite book of all time… that’s a hard one! I love the old classics (Dracula and the Lord of the Rings trilogy are among my top favs) but some of the newer literature is wonderful, too! I’m sure you’ve read the Hunger Games trilogy – I couldn’t put it down! If you’re looking for non-fiction, “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall is excellent and Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods” is hilarious!
Ahh, how do you pick just one. I have seen many of my favorites already mentioned, Les Miserables, The Giver, and of course The Secret Garden.
I also LOVE Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner, so super long but beautiful!!
and I will throw another great one out there, the Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski, very interesting story told from the perspective of a dog……. ah this makes me want to curl up and read right now :)
My favorite chick-lit is “Something Borrowed” by Emily Giffin, but my favorite book of all time is “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie. If you haven’t read them, you should. So good!
I’m a herd nerd and love reading fantasy. My current favorite it the Mistborn trilogy. So good!
My favorites for a little guilty pleasure are the Stephanie Plum Series. After a long day of hubby out of town, toddler girls, and full time job – a laugh out loud moment is always needed! :)
Kids book? A Little Princess. Grown up book? East of Eden.
It would have to be a tie between Bridge to Terabithia and The Secret Garden.
Both represented the same kind of nature-magic that I loved as a kid and it’s something I’d love to get back as a jaded adult. While I read books now, nothing quite sticks with me as well as those books did then.
I absolutely love Jane Green books, I think out of her entire collection I’ve read all but maybe 2. I would love to get my hands on a copy of her latest and greatest. Ok, so if you want a great long time, serious read, I would highly recommend Rain of Gold by Victor Villasenior. Its a great story. Now, for a great girly read as I like to call them, I just finished Forget about it by Caprice Crane. Its a fast and fun read. Now off to scan the rest of the comments for good recommendations!
I love Jane Green… and hundred dollar Visa gift cards! My favorite chick-lit is Jemima J., but my favorite book of all time is Tuck Everlasting (NOT the movie).
At Mesa’s Edge by Eugenia Bone is my current favorite!
She tells her engaging story and includes recipes too – –
Really want to tell you the only book that I have read twice but am resisting this ; )
Something your question has made me think about – how do our book choices/favorites reflect who we are . . .
One of my all-time favourites is The world according to Garp. It’s never far away. I laugh a lot, cry a lot too, and this is probably the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read on fatherhood. Never found a book about motherhood that moved me as much.
To Kill a Mockingbird. I love it I just read one called Divergent which was great (kind of like The Hunger Games).
Hard to pick a favorite, but a couple that come to mind are “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan and “Inkheart” by Cornelia Funke.
A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks….so good, so sad….
The Power of One by Bryce Courtnay. I re-read it every few years and it is always amazing and stays with me for such a long time after every reading.
I don’t know if I could say I have a fav book of all time but I would def recommend Book Thief!
The Little Prince is my favorite book of all time.
I will always love your sense of humour. I really will.
It’s hard to narrow down my favourite books, there are a bunch that stick out in my mind. But one that I could read over and over again is “Incompetence” by Rob Grant. I’ll give you a little snippet.
“Article 13199 of the Pan-European Constitution:
‘No person shall be prejudiced from employment in any capacity, at any level, by reason of age, race, creed or incompitence [sic].’ ”
It’s described as a novel of the ‘far too near future’ and is hilarious and intriguing.
My favorite book of all time is “The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America ” by Erik Larson. I could re-read it anytime, any place. Thank you for asking!
I have read too many amazing books to pick just ONE favorite! It really depends on my mood. I had to go to my goodreads page and see what I’ve given five stars to. So, from that list I give you “The Thirteenth tale”, “The Book Thief”, “Three cups of Tea”, and “Seven Daughters, Seven Sons”. If you read any of them I’d love to hear what you think of them! The last one would be a fabulous one to read with your daughter.
“An Abundance of Katherines” by John Green is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Who can resist a book with characters named The Other Colin and Jeans Are Too Tight? Every time I read it, I laugh out loud like a crazy person. It’s about a child prodigy who graduates high school and realizes he has dated 19 girls named Katherine and not really achieved anything else. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a good laugh!
My favorite book (rather trilogy) is Francine River’s Mark of the Lion series. I get shivers and tears just thinking about it. Love this give away! You’re the sweetest!
I love books too! My favorite of the year would be The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green- John Green is such an amazing author and interesting person, and while this book is sad (it’s about two teenagers with cancer) it’s funny and incredible, too!
Read it!
My favorite book of all time is Possession by A. S. Byatt. I think I tried to look up the protagonists in the Encyclopedia Britannica 3 times just to make sure they weren’t real. It’s an adventure with history, literature, nature, a mystery, and two romances. A wonderful book.
“The Blue Castle” by LM Montgomery…it just spoke to me when I thought awkward girls like me never had a shot at romance.
Still Life With Woodpecker by Tom Robbins. It’s been my favorite since I was 15. I’ve probably read it 20 times, easily.
My Antonia. Willa Cather.
I’m excited to look through all the other comments with favorite books.
I know that his books are the exact opposite of a “feel good breezy read”, but anything by Cormac McCarthy holds my attention unlike any other author. His stories strip my emotions to a bare minimum and leave me feeling blessed and thankful for everything I have in this world. Again…not an easy read.
“Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” by ZZ Packer is a heartwarming group of short stories. It will forever be one of my favorites.
I love love love (times infinity) the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon! The main characters of Claire and Jamie are just magical, and I don’t know any female readers (and some males) who have read these books and not fallen in love with Jamie.
According to Diana Gabaldon’s website, her books contain “history, warfare, medicine, sex, violence, spirituality, honor, betrayal, vengeance, hope and despair, relationships, the building and destruction of families and societies, time travel, moral ambiguity, swords, herbs, horses, gambling (with cards, dice, and lives), voyages of daring, journeys of both body and soul…”
Great Stuff!
I’ve love to read as long as I can remember, and I read LOTS of different types of books. If I have the sniffles or am really tired, though, the book I always consider my “comfort” book is “Rebecca”. As soon as I read the phrase, “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again” I feel the tension begin to leave my body.
My favourite book of all time has to be, hands down, Good Omens, by my favourite authors: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. A very close second is Neverwhere by Gaiman as well. These are the books I will re-read if I happen to see them on the bookcase, and have to be hidden to give the other books a chance!
Hard to pick just one!
A favorite from childhood: Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright & it’s sequel. It’s about a couple of siblings that go to spend the summer in the country with their cousin, where they “discover a ghostly lakeside resort”. Entertaining stories with charming illustrations!
Snow flower and the Secret Fan
My favorite book of all time is The Great Gatsby!
The Book Thief is great along with the Hunger Games triology… ;D
I really love Jen Lancasters books. Bitter is the new black, Such a Pretty Fat, bright lights big ass….all of them.
I would tell you my real favorite that I read when I was young. But I mainly read Christian fiction these days. And in keeping with my convictions, I’ll share my more recent favorite. It’s actually a series, The O’Malley Series by Dee Henderson. :)
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer saved me from a really grumpy newborn!
My favorite book is Einstein’s Dreams!
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmushka Orczy. I read this for the first time about eight years ago and fell in love with it.
I love The Scarlet Pimpernel…a classic with so many moments of pure romance.
Little Women. I’ve read it a bilion times and can’t wait for my girls to read it.
Hi I lurk quite a bit, but I love your blog. A couple of my all time favorites are The Westing Game (for a kids book) and Amy Hempel’s Reasons to Live, a collection of short stories. In the Cemetary Where Al Jolson is Buried breaks my heart every time.
My favorite is “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”.
“Pride And Predjudice and Zombies” is a close second.
One of my favorites is Gone With The Wind, I also loved the Game of Thrones series, so imaginative! Thanks for the contest, and I agree, the beach is a wonderful place to read. We are fortunately headed to VA beach this weekend, love the boardwalk!
My favorite book of all time is Little Women.
My very favorite book is Jemima J by Jane Green. Can’t wait to read her new one!!
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin is prolly may fav right now… I devoured it adn then found the rest of his books and didn’t stop till I finished them all!
I enjoyed The Book Thief…. very different.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay! The plot is so absorbing, I couldn’t help but feel like I knew everyone personally.
I love love love The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, in the way of recent releases. It’s sad though- thought I’d warn you!
ahhhhh this book is amazing.
Thank you for the giveaway! My favorite book is “Homage to a Broken Man”. Each time I re-read it, something new, a revelation, dawns on me. It’s a gem.
My favorite book is “girl meets God”.
One of my all time favorites is “The Kitchen House”. Usually not a fan of historical anything, this I LOVED!
If Tomorrow Ever Comes… By Sydney Sheldon is my all time favorite. But I love love love Chicklit too. I have three small kids in the house, and not much brain capacity for anything heavy or thought provoking at the times I have available for reading :-)
I love Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher. It just transports me to a different time and place and I love it. It’s like a cosy sweater that I keep coming back to.
One of my favorite books is The Great Gatsby.
My favorite book of all time is Harriet the Spy. I recently retrieved all of my books from my childhood from my mom’s house and re-read my incredibly tattered copy, I still love it as much as the first 100 times.
Favorite book? Hmmm. Nearly impossible to choose. But I’m going to have to go with Les Miserables. I read it in college and loved it!
I’ve always loved Watership Down by Richard Adams. A great classic!
These Is My Words by Nancy Turner is the best book ever!
A favorite book? Is that even possible? Some I go back to over and over again are Sherlock Holmes stories. And I’ll always love A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers :)
It’s a toss up between Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera. I love them both!
My favorite book is always the last book I finished. I’m always so sad to get to the end of a book. I finally caved and read the Hunger Games Trilogy. I was hooked. Shocked that when I looked it up online that it was only a 7th grade reading level. Maybe that was one of the things I liked, virtually clean book that I would let my older children read without a second thought. And the ending. . . oh my, it captured my heart. Currently looking for a new series, since I love reading, series are best!
My favorite all-time book is David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. If you are looking for a little “lighter” (and shorter) read, by all means read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer. This was a wonderful read. Not necessarily a “chick book” but there is romance and history. I’m not a big fan of history but it really made a difference in this book!
I have always loved Matilda since I was young. But, Lemon Tart is a good one too, and it even has some recipes scattered throughout.
My favourite book is Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins. It’s funny, bizarre and delightful. It covers hitch- hiking, whooping cranes, cowgirls and polkas. I love it!
I’m biased since I published it and a friend wrote it, Exploring The Warm Castle by Aqua Jade. It’s a “choose your own adventure” style short story.
I have two:
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
All time favorite book? A catcher in the rye!!
Most captivating and engaging read this year so far is “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand. Not usually a history reader, but this was amazing!!
Thanks for all the reading suggestions, love it!!
Usually my favorite is the one I’ve just finished reading. Just finished The Litigators by John Grisham. Loved it. Am trying to read Stephen King’s The Stand right now. Pretty good.
I love books! My favorite of all time is still A Wrinkle in Time. I read it in third grade and it made me realize the power of a great story. I re-read it every couple of years.
Jen Lancaster- Bitter is the New Black
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak (who I would totally marry in a heartbeat but he lives in Australia and he’s like thirty and also married). It’s good, man.
Also: The Fault in Our Stars, Jellicoe Road, Blue Like Jazz, Bird by Bird, and the Perks of Being a Wallflower. Sorry, telling people my favorite books makes me happy. :)
I love Little Women! Some other great more recent reads include The Night Circus, Hattie Big Sky, The Book Thief, and Still Alice. I spend a way too much time looking for new book recommendations and love being able to place almost unlimited online holds at the library.
For a lighter book, I really enjoyed The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.
The Bridge to Tarabithia.
Read it for school…middle school. Moved me.
I have read many books and yet this one is the one I say started me on the LOVING to read path.
Couldn’t possibly pick a favorite of all time – too hard – but a current favorite is Night Road by Kristen Hannah. Fab read!
I love the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, the 2nd one was a bit too long though.
The Great Gatsby. I rarely re-read books, but this is one I’m always able to read over & over again.
To Kill a Mockingbird. Love it!
Favorite book of all time has to be To Kill a Mockingbird. I never tire of it. Harper Lee knew what was up. I need a good beach read for my cruise this fall– pick me!
too many favorite books but of the beach read variety, definitely the Shopaholic series.
I loved Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult. :-)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is my favorite book — I read it every year!
My favorite book of all time has to be P.S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
A great book club discussion book is Journal of the Dead by Jason Kersten
I’ve got to go with one from childhood – Little Women always makes me smile. :-)
Wow, picking an all time favorite book is hard! My current favorite author is Francine Rivers with her Redeeming Love book as my favorite.
Great blog–I just found it today! My favorite book of all time is “Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers.
Hunger Games! I love pretty much all books, but right now I have Hunger Games on the mind!
Fave book of all time: Charlotte’s Web, EB White :)
One book I go back two year after year is “I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith. The author is better known for “101 Dalmatians” but this is a lovely, bittersweet, quirky romp for adults. But my favorite novel of all time? Hands down, “The Blue Sword” by Robin McKinley. I’ve read it ragged!
Argh. Tried to fix the spelling mistake in this one and instead double posted! Oops…
One book I go back to year after year is “I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith. The author is better known for “101 Dalmatians” but this is a lovely, bittersweet, quirky romp for adults. But my favorite novel of all time? Hands down, “The Blue Sword” by Robin McKinley. I’ve read it ragged!
These is my Words is my current favorite. YOU MUST READ THIS! But my favorite book from my youth is Cry the Beloved Country. Kind of a les mis type set in Africa.
I also loved the help, I know thats ‘in’ to say, but it was a wonderful book.
Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck & The Outsiders by SC Hinton will always be on my fave list. I go back to them a lot. I read too much to give a great answer. Right now I am reading 2 books (Devil in the White City & Mockingjay- last of Hunger games series) along with the usual Bible reading. The Bible is on that list because no matter how many times you read it you always find something new in the same words you have already read. You could say we are literature aficionados in our household as well- we can’t keepp them out of our hands in one form or another!
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle.
So hard to choose, but I’m going to say Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult.
Two of my favs are The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger & Same Kind of Different As Me by Denver Moore & Ron Hall. I am reading the Bible through for the first time and really enjoying it!
The Hunger Games trilogy is great! Very enjoyable read. But my favorite is a tie between The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Animal Farm by George Orwell.
Id probably say.. Death Be Not Proud!
My favorite book? “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Loved it at 14 and continue to love it at 45.
The two books I’ve read the most (besides the Bible) are Little Women and The Stand. I re-read them both every few years. Thank you for such a lovely giveaway!
Stones by the River is my favorite book of all time. I haven’t read anything by Janet Greenm but I will have to check her out.
My favorites are all written by Jane Austen, the original author of the chick lit. I have read all of her finished work at least once, even Lady Susan, but the novel I cherish the most is Persuasion. It is about Anne a quiet and intelligent woman who is past her prime and has come to terms with missing her only opprotunity at true love, or so she thinks…
My favorite book would be North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.
My favorite book is Jane Eyre- not only is it a timeless classic, but theres a strong female character/heroine and a good love story! Who can resist?
peace like a river by leif enger. so. good.
This is one of my favorite books of all ALL time.
The Great Gatsby, definitely. (But I’m glad to see someone admitting that a little chick lit is not a bad thing!) :-)
One of the most haunting, sad, yet so perfectly written books I have ever read is The God of Small Things. I haven’t read it in over 6 years and yet it’s still on my mind!
I love Secret Life of Bees, with Pillars of the Earth a close second. Love a good book!
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – She’s led me on a merry adventure reading the Outlander series over the years.
I can’t really pick a fave…I love them all, the ones I’ve read anyway. Love Dean Coontz, Stephen King, Mary Higgins Clark, Patricia Cornwell…pretty much anything creepy, mysterious, who done it kinda books. :)
A favorite book is like picking my favorite child. ONE of my favorites, a classic love story…Jane Eyre.
For chick lit, the best book I’ve ever read is Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella. It’s absolutely hilarious, and anything using british terminology the whole time is a keeper as far as I’m concerned.
Trafficked by Kim Purcell
I may be a bit biased since Kim’s my cousin:)
The best thing I’ve read recently is The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy.
Am I too late to enter? I have loved the Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde. The first one is called The Eyre Affair.
Favorite book of all time = To Kill a Mockingbird. And also the Harry Potter series. And also the Scarlet Pimpernel. I really love books too. :)
Tough question! One that I can pick up again and again is Elinor Lipman’s The Inn at Lake Devine. Looking forward to checking out what everyone else loves.
My absolute favorite book of all time is the Bible. After that I’d have to say the Little House series. Loved reading that with my kids.
Some may call me a book whore, but it like Lays potato chips, who can stop at just one? Ok, I pick….. Life of Pi.
i recently read ‘room’ & it was amazing.
and the kid in my will always melt for the bernstein bear books.
My favorite book of all time is The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst.
I literally just walked into a bookstore and picked it off the shelf not knowing what it was about. It has to be one of the most touching stories I have ever read.
My absolute go to favorite book is She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. If you haven’t read it, it’s a phenomenal book. Wally Lamb writes this girl do well she sucks you into her crazy life. The book has sad parts and happy ones. I have read this book at least once a year. My copy is old and tattered now. I hope you like it, if you choose to read it!
Jane Austin reminds me how much I love books…and my husband!!!
My favorite is David Sedaris’ Me Talk Pretty One Day…or anything by David Sedaris!
My favorite chick-lit is Mr. Maybe.
tough question – my fav is a toss up between the giver or marley and me
I love, love love the Secret Life of Bees.
favorite book of all time? so, so hard. i love “the poisonwood bible” though.
It’s impossible to choose just one. When I was young, it was the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In my teens, I was all about Anne Rice’s series. The past 5-10, it’s been Anita Blake:Vampire Hunter series and books like The Power of Now and A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. I tend to venture into the non-fiction categories more often, but an occasional fiction book will catch me off guard from time to time and I’m always glad when it happens. Thanks so much for this giveaway (and all of the great books now on my to-read list)!
I know this is so high school but my all time favorite book is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger. Makes you feel like a kid again every time you read it!
Asking to pick a favorite book is like picking a favorite child! My very favorite guilty pleasure is Butterfly by Kathryn Harvey. It follows Beverly’s life story and how one event can shape and drive your life. The characters are fully developed and the twists and turns are unexpected and unpredictable. And it all started with a tattoo of a butterfly. Seriously, even if I don’t win, you should check it out.
My favorite book of all time….I will NEVER EVER get tired of reading To Kill A Mockingbird…however as a book recommendation I will say that Brida by Paulo Coelho is one of the most amazing books I’ve read this year.
My favorite book of all time is Little Women. Love!
Loved The Book Thief!!
It’s a tie, although both are Ray Bradbury novels – The Illustrated Man and The Martian Chronicles. I remember reading them when I was about 8 and I read them several times a year.
My favoirte beach read of last year was Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren and my favorite vacation read of last year was Greg Iles’ Black Cross. That is what you all eclectic taste.