For people who read a lot of books it’s almost impossible to pick just one favourite.  Anyone who asks me what my favourite book is will usually get a blank stare followed by an explanation of how much I actually read in a year.  It’s nearly impossible to pick a favourite book, especially if you’re put on the spot.

All-time favourite books are slightly different from just ‘favourite books’ for me.  An all-time favourite is one that had the largest effect on me at the time, the one that I read over and over again, etc.  All-time favourite books have staying power, whereas favourite books can change in a couple of months if you read a lot.

I can pretty much guarantee that I’ve read more than 1,000 books at this point in my life.  Out of all of these books I’d have to say that my absolute favourite is Inkspell by Cornelia Funke.  I read it as a pre-teen and it taught me a lot about love, life, self-esteem and the beauty of losing yourself in a magical world.  Harry Potter is definitely my all-time favourite series, but on an individual basis Inkspell (the second book in the Inkworld trilogy) will always hold a special place in my heart.

I still have my old beat up copy of Inkspell and even though the binding has almost totally fallen apart and the pages are yellowed from being out in the sun so much, I refuse to throw it out and get a new version.  Memories live on in the pages of books and there are so many good memories for me in Inkspell.

What I want to know is this: If you had to pick an all-time favourite book, what book would it be?  Why?