I don't like reading at all but as a teen the first book I read that I couldn't put down was Far from the Madding Crowd, closely followed by Tess of the D'Urbervilles - gave me a lifelong love of Hardy, have read all of his. Also couldn't put Lord of the Rings down either but that's it. I probably read a book about once every 3 years thee days.
When I was young, Little Women...with the follow-up novels Joe's Boys and Little Men.
Villete, a lesser know work by Charlotte Brontë. Absolutely adored it and wanted it to go on and on.
To continue Eleenas history theme, anything by the historian Lisa Picard. Full of detail, facts and seemingly minor details that all add up.
Finally, several books by Susan Hill...A Kind Man, and In the Springtime.
Somewhat bizarrely tho my uncle I’ve it heard from for months rang out of the blue yesterday to ask me if I’d read it. Possibly because he knows I’m from NI. Odd tho !
// Pickwick Papers, the only book I have read where I was laughing out loud.//
when it came out 1837 it was immediate success
( different printing tecnics, no stamp duty, and basic reading ability of the general public, cheap issues so the business model was OK) AND SO
an observer reported that delivery boys who were reading it whilst pedalling and delivering ( ! ! ! ) were falling off their bicycles in the street !