To celebrate one month of MyBookRemarks being live I decided to do a little competition among the amazing Bookstagram community I found. I was lucky enough to have incredible accounts participating and then 8 lovely winners have taken the time to share their favourite book of all time with us (it is really hard to pick, so some of them send me more than one!), they also took the time to share a little bit about themselves, so please take the time to read all their amazing thoughts!

Thank you again to all of you, I definitely added some of these I haven’t heard before to my TBR!

Laura – (@winealittlereadalot)

It’s so hard to narrow down my all-time favourite book or my all-time favourite author since I do have a few. But, one book that has really stuck with me over the years has to be It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover.

I read this book a few years back already and yet I always catch myself thinking about it. It’s definitely a tough read, so don’t pick this one up if you’re looking for something light and fluffy and there are some major triggers in this one.

Going into it I had no idea how powerful this book would be. I remember reading it from cover to cover in a day, I couldn’t put it down. I don’t want to give away too much as I don’t want to spoil anyone, but Colleen Hoover just sucked me right in with her words and this emotional story. I think this is the only book that has actually made me cry. It is such a raw, emotional, and very important read. It brings to light some extremely important topics that I feel every woman needs to read about.

If you haven’t read any of Colleen Hoovers books, definitely give them a shot! They’re totally worth it.

A little bit about me:

My name is Laura and I’m from Ontario, Canada! My love for reading started at a very young age. My earliest memories are of me going to the library with my mom when I was 2 or 3 and wanting to bring home every single book I could get my hands on. I remember constantly begging my mom to take me to the bookstore or library every day.

When I’m not reading, I enjoy drinking wine, watching movies, spending time with my friends and family, and playing with my dog Milo. But most evenings when I’m FINALLY finished work for the day, you’ll find me with a book in one hand and a glass of red wine in the other. Check out my bookstagram page @winealittlereadalot.

Holly – (@Bookofchoice)

My name is Holly and my book account is @bookofchoice. I currently work as a 999 call handler for the ambulance service which I love. It’s an extremely rewarding job and very difficult at times being involved in, sometimes, the worst day of someone’s life. But when you help deliver a baby then that’s the best day! In my spare time, I escape to other eras, countries, and worlds through books.

Choosing a favourite book of all time is rather difficult when I love so many in a variety of genres. One book that has always stuck with me is Never Greener by Ruth Jones. It was her debut novel about a young woman who meets and falls in love with a married man. Throughout the years they keep bumping into each other and have short affairs but the timing isn’t right to be together. It’s a story of unrequited love and what-ifs, what if she’d met him sooner? What if he’d been younger? From a split household family myself, it truly grasped how complicated life is, that love does not always come easily, and sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

A childhood favourite of mine is The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. It is a classic children’s novels and for any parents out there that want to get their children interested in reading, I’d start with this. The Faraway Tree is a magical place filled with fairytale characters. At the top of the tree is a route to other worlds, which changes daily and a new world then sits at the top. I’ve not read it since I was younger purely because I haven’t wanted to erase the loving memory I have of reading it for the first (few) times back then.

Isabelle – (@world_ofwordsblog)

Of all the texts I have read in my life, there is one that always springs to mind when I hear ‘What is your favourite book of all time?’, and it is ‘Small Island’ by Andrea Levy. It is a historical novel exploring themes of racial identity, education, isolation, and relationships warped by love, war, and prejudice, as well as the psychological and physical casualties of conflict. Fashioning the novel using a dual time setting, Levy introduces Hortense and Gilbert, characters of Jamaican heritage, and Queenie and Bernard, a stereotypical English couple, all of which have suffered the effects of the Second World War. This novel is the masterpiece that was behind my desire to become a Literature student, driving my passion to study literature that tackles historic events on a personal level and educates on the devastating treatment of marginalised groups.

And a little about me…

I am an 18-year-old emerging writer studying English Literature at University College London. I have become an opinion columnist for UCL’s Pi Media, in the hope of transferring her skills into a career as a journalist. I also run my own blog, World of Words, which aims to encourage creative expression.

Link to her blog: https://www.worldofwords.co.uk

Olivia – (@livsreadingcorner)

New York has become a city that poses itself upon glamour, fame, stardom – it is a city for those with big dreams and I think that’s why I often fall in love with every book that is based here.

Now, combine New York with the 1920s and you have already got my attention but add in a heartbreaking love story and well, you have got me sold. That’s why my favourite book of all time is the classic, The Great Gatsby.

I studied this book for English Literature and the more times I read this book, the more I uncover and that to me stands out as a classic read. I love this book for allowing me to be completely submerged into a lifestyle of glamour, partying, impulses, and love. The love of money, the love of others, the love of rebellion.

The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald will forever be my one way ticket to a place I adore.

That’s something I have always admired about books, is that it can transport you literally anywhere. Back in time, to a new country, to the future. When I started my bookstagram account just 3 months ago, I had no idea of all the fascinating stories I would find and it has been amazing.

It’s that very reason why I created this account, to share these stories and spark imagination within others. To do so with a community as kind as the Bookstagram community is one of the greatest things I could have ever asked for.

Grainne – (@thereaderignites)

I love to read so to pick my favourite book of all time is so hard to do. I’m not sure that I can just pick one so I’m going to choose a few. 

I have been a huge fan of Kate Mosse as an author, especially of her Labyrinth trilogy and have rushed to read all of these as soon as they were published. I’ve loved them so much that this summer I was going to visit the part of France, Carcassone, where the trilogy is set! However Covid has got in the way and we’ve had to postpone. Her upcoming novel ‘City of Tears’ is part of the collection and I cannot wait to start it later this year. 

Another favourite of mine has to be The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Set in the 1950s, it follows an American Missionary family who move to the Congo. This novel was so well written, it stays forever in my top five favourites and is a definite must for fans of contemporary literature.

Lastly I cannot leave out Donna Tartts three novels- The Secret History, The Little Friend and The Goldfinch, are all definite favourites. I couldn’t choose between them. Her prose is astounding and they are so well written, I found myself not wanting to finish them.

Kate – (@whatpurdyread)

There’s so many amazing authors out there, so when asked my favourite author, it’s hard to decide. With so many in mind, my ultimate favourite would have to be Agatha Christie.

The original “whodunnit” author who got me into thrillers. She brought us Poirot and Marple as well as her stand-alone stories. Her books have twists and turns, she always writes endings that you don’t see coming, each story being so unique! My favourites would be Lord Edgware Dies and The Body in the Library as their characters are so inspired and the story so well imagined. I can’t see anyone who enjoys books not enjoying an Agatha Christie! 

I first got into reading when I was young. The Harry Potter series has always captivated me but I love how much I enjoy different genres. Romances by David Nicholls, Sophie Kinsella and Milly Johnson, thrillers by Gillian Flynn, A J Finn and Alex Michaelides, classics by Emily Bronte and Jane Austen. I think reading is such a gift, and everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy books!

Claudia – (@thebookables)

I think one of the hardest questions a person can ask a bookworm is “What is your favorite book?” It is impossible for me to choose only one, but always two come to mind first ” Atonement and “The Nightingale”. That was until I read ” The fountains of silence” In this book, we get immersed in a love story between an American rich boy and a working-class Spanish girl during Franco’s dictatorship in Spain. It is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I grew up in Cuba during a dictatorship so maybe relating so deeply to this book makes it my new favorite.

A quick note before the next one, I am so happy that I found a fellow Colombian girl in the Bookstagram community, not only we are from the same country, we are from the same city! I’m so pleased she decided to do her bit in Spanish as I have no posts in Spanish yet.

Gracias Pau! 🙂

Paula – (@pauacmereads)

Libro: The Book Thief – Markus Zusak

Siempre que leo un libro tengo en cuenta dos cosas para que entre en mi lista de favoritos, la historia y la forma en cómo está escrito. Este libro está en la cima de la lista. Para mi es una obra maestra, un clásico y un libro que todos los amantes de la lectura deberían leer.

The Book Thief cuenta la historia de Liesel, una niña huérfana de nueve años que debe lidiar con la muerte desde temprana edad durante los tiempos de una Alemania Nazi. Es acogida por una pareja de alemanes en donde empieza su nuevo hogar.

Lo que hace este libro único es que toda la historia es narrada por la muerte. ¡Es una idea extraordinaria! Markus Zusak logra contar la historia de una forma tan hermosa que a pesar de todas las tragedias no es algo mórbido, es algo poético que te atrae desde la primera página. Llena de frases que te llegarán al corazón, The Book Thief es un libro que te hará apreciar más la vida, de amar más a tus seres queridos y amigos, que te dará esperanza incluso en los momentos más difíciles. Es un libro que te hará reír, llorar y soñar.

Sin duda este libro ha sido uno de los que más ha marcado mi vida, siempre recuerdo la sensación que tuve durante y después de leerlo, y sin importar las veces que lo lea siempre se siente como la primera vez.

Mi nombre es Paula Natalia Acuña Medina, tengo 26 años y soy de Bogotá, Colombia. Actualmente vivo en Qatar.

Soy comunicadora audiovisual, guionista y editora. Amo contar y crear historias, por la misma razón amo leer. Mis géneros favoritos son romance, misterio, suspenso y YA, pero me considero una persona muy diversa en mis libros así que leo de todo. Uno de mis más grandes sueños es publicar una novela, seguir escribiendo guiones y tener mi propia biblioteca personal. 

Juanita (me) – (@mybookremarks)

Thought I can get in the fun and share a little bit about one of my favorite reads of all time. As everybody has already said it is sooo difficult to pick your favourite book.

I have read so many books that I adore, but for this post, I decided to put the first book, that I think I actually read. It is the first one I remember loving and enjoying. Isn’t there a saying that you will always remember the way something made you feel? Well, this is the case for me and this book. I strongly believe that this book is one of the reasons I love reading so much, so I always recommend it.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is a classic that relates a series of murders that took place in Kansas in the late 50s. It is a non-fiction book that captivated me when I read it for the first time 15 years ago. I have only read it in Spanish (A Sangre Fría), I hope I can read the original version soon.

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