One of the best books I've ever read (3 times) is The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton.

review: http://yourehistory.wordpress.com/2007/05/21/historical-novels-the-winthrop-woman/

My favorite was "Hawaii" by James Michener.

My all time favorite is The Color Purple by Alice Walker.  

I still love Vikram Seth's "Golden Gate."  It's a funny (and now somewhat dated) tale of life in the SF Bay Area....written in iambic pentameter!

Of course I also enjoy Armstead Maupin's "Tales of the City" series.  I, too, loved Michner's "Hawaii", and there's Follet's "Pillars of the Earth" which I still reread from time to time.  And Judity Rassner's "August."

Marguerite, I loved Pillars too, and have read it at least 3 times. Some readers object to historical inaccuracy, but What problems there were didn't detract from the story for me.

Linda

Just one???  Queen of Dreams by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

One that I first read as a teenager, "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton. I've read it 7 times over the years. I passed my old, weathered copy on to my teenage son and he loved it, too. I ran out and bought all of the S.E. Hinton books I could find and he read them all and loved them. In all the years since I first read "The Outsiders"  the only other one that has come remotely close is "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom.

I have many near and dear, but still have to go back to 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn' as one of my all time favorites.

it may sound wierd but Dr Mr Henshaw is one of my all time favorite books, along with where the heart it, and i know why the caged bird sings, and where the red fern grows lol

Kym,

I love Dear Mr Henshaw even tho I cry at the end every time!

Linda