Ten Books You Have To Read Before You Die

A year or so ago, my sister tagged me in a challenge called "Ten Books Ten Days". The aim was to post the picture of a book cover every day for ten days. A book you loved. No review, no explanation - just the cover.

I had mixed feelings about it. Now, on the one hand, a challenge that gets people talking about the books they feel passionate about is right up my alley. On the other, not being able to rave about the books I love? Pish on that.

Whittling it down to just ten is hard (try it and tell me I'm wrong) - and garn it, we need to process that shish.

Now, I was supposed to nominate someone else to do it as well, but eff that noise. I didn't do it then, and I'm not doing it now. I'm a rebel, I'm breaking all the rules, I'm not copy and pasting or tagging or measuring my washing powder with the plastic scoop provided.

If you see this and fancy joining in, by all means consider yourself tagged. Please do let me know in the comments so I can mosey on over to your page and read your piece. I would be more than happy to make a pact with you. You read one of mine and I'll read one of yours. Just link me to your Book Bucket List in the comments, and tell me which off my list you're going to dive into.

Here we go - in no particular order: my ten books you must read before you die. Keep in mind you may get hit by a bus as early as tomorrow, so I hope you don't have too much planned this afternoon.

#1 Good Omens (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman)

Fair warning: I rave about this one quite a bit. But after that, I mostly keep it short and sweet. As I am, as aforementioned, breaking all the rules, I jolly well am going to include a review. That's what I'm here for. To tell you that you'll laugh, you'll cry, it'll change your life.

Why you should read it: Because it's incredible. It's quite possibly my second favourite book of all time, written by my two favourite authors.

My favourite bit: It starts somewhere around page 1 and finishes on the last page. I love the Them, especially their use of the ducking stool (cut from the series due to health and safety) and their conclusion about health food. I love the Horsemen! I love the pub quiz.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you've watched the series, no it doesn't count. They did a good job. The casting was superb. Tenant and Sheen are an inspiration together. But no, it still doesn't count. Sorry. There are so many little in-jokes and nods-and-winks-to-the-reader which you miss out on if you haven't read the book.Do yourself (and me) a favour and just read it. Please.

SECOND IMPORTANT NOTE: You are not allowed to buy this book on Kindle. I am not here to piddle on e-readers. I think they are a wonderful invention, and they have allowed me to continue expanding my book collection long after my bookshelves could no longer take another volume, not even a single slim solitary novella. But this book is one that you need to hold in your hands and love it properly.

This is for two reasons. One: Neil Gaiman sometimes stealth signs books and buying one is like winning the book lottery. You never know!

And two: the BEST thing about this book is that you will own several copies throughout your life. Some will be given to loved ones and some will be loved and read over and over again, until they disintegrate from repeated handling and the sheer pressure of your gaze searing into the pages.

“DON'T THINK OF IT AS DYING, said Death. JUST THINK OF IT AS LEAVING EARLY TO AVOID THE RUSH.”

In conclusion: This book ABSOLUTELY deserves a spot on your bookshelf. If you do not own a bookshelf (are you a psychopath?) then this book is the book worth buying a bookshelf for.

#2 Flashman (George MacDonald Fraser)

Why you should read it: This book is worth reading for the footnotes alone. You'll also learn a lot, and laugh a lot.

The stories are fictional, although I heard that some people thought it was a true story. You might laugh at that, but the thing is, it's well-written enough to be believable. It's also peppered with plenty of non-fiction. Many of the settings, characters, events and orders given are absolutely real. Sometimes the bits that you feel for sure must have been made up because they are so absurd, turn out to be factual.

My favourite bit: The protagonist, Flashman. This, in spite of (or possibly because of) the fact he's not a pleasant character. He's an absolute... [a moment, please, while I search for a polite word that doesn't rhyme with "brass stud"...] Let's go with rogue. Even that isn't quite right. It makes him sound almost loveable, and he's not. He's a coward and a womaniser. But he does feel real - much more believable than your traditional hero. After a while you can't help but start to like him.

This myth called bravery, which is half-panic, half-lunacy (in my case, all panic), pays for all; in England you can’t be a hero and bad. There’s practically a law against it.

In conclusion: I will be forever grateful to the chap who gave me his copy because the whole series (the Flashman Papers is made up of 12 books, and they are all worth reading) has happified me immensely.

#3 Witches Abroad (Terry Pratchett)

Ahh, my very own graveyard book. I'm only on book 3 and I'm already on the second Pratchett novel. I'm pretty sure it wont be the last either.

Why you should read it: Sir Terry did plenty of good books and this one stands out as a masterpiece.

My favourite bit: I love it all. Nanny's postcards home, how she can't stop spelling "banana(nanananana), the infamous Strawberry Wobbler, Casanunda (the passionate dwarf with his own ladder), GREEBO!!!!!! The Thing With The Bulls, Granny playing Cripple Mr Onion with card sharps, the familiar fairy stories turned topsy turvy... (If you know me at all, you know that sort of thing is my happy place). I also love the cover art. Josh Kirby and Terry Pratchett went together like.... like..... Well, like two things that went very very well. As Sir Terry himself might have said.

Progress just means bad things happen faster.

In conclusion: Another book shelf worthy book

#4 The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)

I love Arthurian legend, and Mists of Avalon is my favourite re-telling of it. Beating out Monty Python, Stephen Lawhead, Mary Stewart and Nancy McKenzie.

Why you should read it: It's one you can really get your teeth into, spanning almost the entire life of Morgaine (Morgan le Fay). Bradley's writing is rich with detail, and her take on the familiar characters - Galahad, Lancelot, Merlin, Nimue, Viviane - is intriguing. Most tales about Rex quondam Rexque futurus are told through the eyes of men. Arthur, Merlin, the brave knights. This one is through the women in the story. Arthur's sister, Morgaine. His mother, Ygraine. Queen Gwenhwyfar, Queen Morgause. The Lady of the Lake. They all feel incredibly real.

My favourite bit: The story about the deer utterly captivated me.

In conclusion: Beautiful. Really beautiful.

#5 Paint Your Dragon (Tom Holt)

Why you should read it: Because it's laugh out loud funny.

My favourite bit: It does that "turn a concept on its head" that I enjoy so much. Also, dragons.

Good guys is just a fancy way of saying Us. Bad guys is only ever Them

In conclusion: If you like satire and the challenging of long-held assumptions, this is the book for you.

#6 The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Attwood)

Why you should read it: I can't think of a better spot of social commentary. Not off the top of my head, anyway.

My favourite bit: Not sure if "favourite" is the right word, but Attwood has said she didn't make stuff up for this book. She took atrocities that have actually happened to real people. This was inspiration to me. I've had a go at it, (admittedly in a slightly ham-fisted way) here and here.

Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia, is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will. It will become ordinary.

In conclusion: This is one you can get on Kindle. Or possibly from the library. I might never read it again, it disturbed the eff out of me.

#7 Dragon Stew (Steve Smallman)

Why you should read it: It's fun to read aloud, the characters are wonderful, and the pictures are detailed and will make you smile.

My favourite bit: The "pointy dragon poking stick"

Then they started to attack him, and to poke him and to whack him, and the dragon said, "Oh, really, what a NASTY thing to do!"

In conclusion: Whether you have kids or not, get this book and read it. Out loud. It will bring you joy.

#8 Agent Z and the Penguin From Mars (Mark Haddon)

Why you should read it: Just because it's fun. The first time I read it, I started again as soon as I finished it. The author is probably best known for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (good grief, only 99p?) If you enjoyed that, I think you will enjoy this. It's aimed at kids, but so what?

My favourite bit: The actual heist/prank. I saw it all play out on the inside of my eyeballs. Brilliant.

Dennis Sidebottom is...

In conclusion: Pure fun. It will make you crave Battenberg.

#9 Hogfather (Terry Pratchett)

It had to be another Discworld book. Death is my favourite character, what with his white steed (Binky), his love of cats (CATS ARE NICE), and his penchant for curry. That made it a toss up between this one, Mort, Reaper Man (Death is missing, presumed, errr, gone) or Soul Music. It was ALMOST Soul Music, for Death on the cover with a guitar and riding a motorcycle (SOMEWHERE IN THIS TOWN THERE IS A HORSE I CAN RIDE), and all the references to Elvis, and The Beatles, and the music industry. But this one pipped it, because its about not-Christmas, gods, the nature of belief and honestly it's just really funny.

Why you should read it: To find out what the Tooth Fairy does with all the teeth, of course.

My favourite bit: Possibly the bit with the Real Pigs.

It was nice to hear the voices of little children at play, provided you took care to be far enough away not to hear what they were actually saying.

In conclusion: Everything starts somewhere, although some physicists disagree. But the second part of your life begins when you read this book.

#10 Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone

Why you should read it: This is the book that galvanised a generation of children into reading. It is literally iconic, in the truest sense of the word. It's informed the culture of an entire generation. It has inspired 11 films, dozens of video games, multiple attractions, countless fanfics and an upcoming TV series. My best suggestion is to read the version illustrated by Jim Kay - worth it just for the pictures. It's truly beautiful.

My favourite bit: The Weasley twins chucking snowballs at Voldemort's face.

It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.

In conclusion: There is little original here - all the mythical creatures (unicorns and goblins etc) already "existed" in folklore before Rowling weaved them into the Potter series. This isn't the first series about kids going to school. It's not the first story about magic. Heck it's not even the first story about a magic school, or even the first story about a bespectacled boy-wizard with an owl familiar. But it's easy to read. It's fun. It's about bravery. It's like coming home.

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Thank you for reading! Please comment so I can reciprocate.

Minor edits made to tidy it up a bit and fix the wonky numbering.

If you aren't reading anything much at the moment, I can't over-emphasise it's importance!