For me, currently, it is Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors. There is a lot of hate about this book. I don’t know why, the book for me is awesome. First few pages and I’m already hooked. Some chapters got me guessing on the relevance of it in the story but it all made sense at the end. Though it’s a debut novel by Mellors and some writing needs to be improved. Looking forward for her future books.
LORD OF THE RINGS like goddamn did I get fully sucked into Tolkien’s intense, emotional, epic adventure in 7th grade… I remember reading Fellowship at Thanksgiving dinner (cuz I couldn’t put it down even to stuff my face lmao)… my mom and dad were fine with it cuz they both adored LOTR too.
I burst into tears when Gandalf said, “Fly, you fools!” and was dragged to his death by the balrog. Like full on devastated sobbing.
Then Mom said with a twinkle in her eye, “Just keep reading.”
I also cried my ass off when I finished the last chapter of Return of the King, because I didn’t want the story to be over. I’m an avid lifelong reader; but nothing has ever topped that literary experience.