I read quite a few amazing books last year, and can't decide which is the best. Can I recommend them all?
Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck): classic, quite short, beautiful, humane.
The Return of the King (JRR Tolkien): classic, decent length
Sandman: The Dream hunter (Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Yoshikata Amano): Gaiman never fails to come up with strange stories.
Heir of Novron (Michael J. Sullivan): the last of Riyria Revelations (trilogy, fantasy). Satisfying ending. Sullivan has a way to make you care for the characters.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Muriel Barbery): great story about people and appearance.
All Quiet on the Western Front (Erich Maria Remarque): a classic about WW1 from a German soldier's pov.