OK, some Tuesday fun.  You can only recommend ONE.  That's it.  No, "I just couldn't decide so here are two...." or "For fiction X, for non-fiction, Y......".  Life's full of tough choices!  =)  You can either tell us why, or not.  It doesn't have to be on your bookshelf or available on the system.....just your absolute must-read, either because you adore it, because you think it has something important to say,  because you want an unknown author to gain greater prominence....whatever! 

I'm not going to select what first popped into my mind, because I'm sure someone else will say it.  I'm going to go with THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood.

The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins

Space Cat Visits Venus:

www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/t/ruthven-todd/space-cat-visits-venus.htm

I think it's pretty obvious why.

Shardik, by Richard Adams.  An engrossing story of the actions of only a few people causing national upheaval. I dragged out this read as long as I could, so it wouldn't be over.  Whether you are pro- or anti-religion, you will never see it the same way again.

Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park.. a childrens book set in australia. I loved this book as a kid and recently got it from here to read again.  Not many people have read / heard of this book and it is great, they even made a movie of it.

The Year Of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs.  I love it!

An Instance of the Fingerpost, by Iain Pears. It's a murder mystery of sorts, set in 16th-century Oxford, with the same story retold from four different points of view. The first version of the story is somewhat bland, but stick with it - it's worth it.

Love, Medicine, and Miracles by Bernie Siegel. 

If you are southern ( like me) you got to read :  We're Just like you , Only Prettier - Celia Rivenbard - Very funny book and everything is so true in this book .

Possession - A S Byatt. Well written, characters to love and hate, underdogs to root for, a literary mystery and a light sprinkling of romance. Such a great book - I stayed up until 4am to finish it the first time I read it then got up and went to work. Could not put it down!

Lonesome Dove - everyone should read at least one Western, and this one is it.  This is a wonderful book and even if you think you hate westerns,  you won't hate Lonesome Dove.

To Kill a Mockingbird - everyone should read at least one Southern Novel, and this is the best, imho.

Rebecca or Wuthering Heights - everyone should read at least one sick and twisted Gothic Romance, so pick one, lol.

Jane Eyre - Everyone should read something set in this time period written IN the time period by a person who lived in the time period, rather than a modern novel set in that time period - which always introduces the author's opinion about the time period rather than being authentically about the period, and besides, everyone should carry around a little of Jane. 

Uncle Tom's Cabin - everyone should read a book which precipated a war, and this one is the only one that I know of.  If more of us knew uncle Tom, the world would be such a better place. 

One book kind of off the beaten path is Confederacy Of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.  It is very funny and the characters are larger than life.

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson.

Cheryl

This is a tough one.  I'm gonna go with Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  It teaches you about eating right, and that getting fat and staying home can make you beautiful.

Angela's Ashes. It makes you appreciate what you have.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, its a mystery so its easy & fun to read, but its also full of dark imagery, foreboding and drama.

Into The Wild-Jon Krakauer 

I loved this book!! I do not know if any of you have read it, considering you are all probably a bit older than me.  And I was told it was a popular book.  It came out in '97 and I was only 10 yrs old at the time.  I recently heard about it because of the movie trailer and was told it was a book so I wanted to read it.  I read it in one day, I could not put it down.  It has been a month now since I read it, and it's still in my mind.  This book really moved me, and made me look at modern society in a very different way.  I got major respect for Chris considering he had the balls to travel all over the world and live day by day.

The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss... it's an environmental parable whose time has come. (And it always makes me cry at the end).

I have to say, another Dr. Seuss.  The Butter Battle Book.

Anything by V.C. Andrews. The very first in the series is best, "Flowers in the Attic!" Even though she has been dead for quite some time family members are carrying on her legacy and putting out great books...

Night by Elie Wiesel.

Oh, the Lorax makes me cry too...I thought I was the only one!!

hehe had to laugh at the first two posts (the bible and the god delusion) ^_^

to each their own.

Best historical fiction: Girl with a pearl earring

Best semi-historical fantasy fiction (lol) : Helen of Troy. (This took me ages to finish but was worth it.)

Best twisted memior: Running with scissors.

Best empowering memior: The glass castle.

Best historical memior: Waiting for snow in havana.

Best prose: Wasteland (although this can go for anything by francesca lia block)

Best historical novel writen in the time period: The awakening.

Best distopia: 1984 (although I'm currently reading brave new world and this could change.)

Best childrens book: Rebeccas world (although nearly impossible to get a hold of, its worth it.)

I could go on...but I'l stop now ^_^