I was in Sussex spending the weekend with my Dad and Step-Mum when I came across it in a charity shop the title rung a bell and, thinking I’d seen it on the Top 100, my doting dad bought it for me.ĭespite having read throughout most of my childhood and my entire adult life, I had not yet read any of John Irving’s many published novels, though I have watched the wonderful Cider House Rules, the film starring Charlize Theron that was adapted from his book of the same title. A Prayer For Owen Meany was an exception. As I work my way through the Top 100 BBC Reads, fewer titles are familiar, thus I go to friends, family and fellow bloggers for suggestions that they might think I’ll enjoy.

Since beginning my blog, I’ve begun to rely heavily on others for book recommendations. A Prayer For Owen Meany is one of those rare finds. And for me, there are few things better in life than reading an utterly, utterly amazing book, which stays with you a long while after the final page. There have been low points as well as high I certainly haven’t enjoyed all of the books I’ve read as part of the challenge, but the positives of such a challenge certainly outweigh the negatives. I’ve previously spoken about the many books I may never have read, were it not for the fact that I was working my way through some of the best novels ever written. When I first challenged myself to reading the Top 100 BBC Reads, little did I know what was in store.

Author of a prayer for owen meany