Queen Camilla has a deep passion for reading, describing books as a means to escape and experience a range of human emotions. In a video shared by The Queen's Reading Room, she expressed her desire for others to enjoy reading as much as she does. To promote this love, she established The Duchess of Cornwall Reading Room in 2021, which was renamed The Queen's Reading Room after Queen Elizabeth II's passing. Camilla curates a selection of four books each season, drawing inspiration from her father who encouraged her reading habits.
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Based on Goodreads ratings, here are her top 15 favorite books:
15. **Hamnet** by Maggie O'Farrell - Rated 4.20, this historical fiction inspired by Shakespeare's "Hamlet" focuses on the impact of Hamlet's death on his mother, Agnes.
14. **Les Misérables** by Victor Hugo - With a score of 4.22, this classic novel follows Jean Valjean's quest for redemption and the struggles of 19th-century France.
13. **Horse** by Geraldine Brooks - Rated 4.23, this novel intertwines the life of a racehorse in different timelines with themes of racial injustice.
12. **Girl, Woman, Other** by Bernardine Evaristo - This contemporary fiction, with a score of 4.25, showcases the interconnected lives of twelve Black British women.
11. **Rebecca** by Daphne du Maurier - This Gothic mystery has a Goodreads score of 4.25, telling the story of a woman overshadowed by her husband's late wife.
10. **Lessons in Chemistry** by Bonnie Garmus - With over 1.9 million ratings and a score of 4.28, this historical romance highlights a woman's battle against sexism in the 1960s.
9. **Pride and Prejudice** by Jane Austen - Rated 4.30 with 5.02 million ratings, this classic explores themes of love and social status in 19th-century England.
8. **A Gentleman in Moscow** by Amor Towles - With a score of 4.31, this novel follows a Russian aristocrat navigating life in a hotel after being sentenced to house arrest.
7. **Left You Dead** by Peter James - This crime mystery has a score of 4.34 and involves detective Roy Grace investigating a woman's mysterious disappearance.
6. **Half of a Yellow Sun** by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Rated 4.34, this novel narrates the Biafran War through the experiences of its characters.
5. **Pachinko** by Min Jin Lee - This multigenerational saga about Koreans in Japan has a score of 4.34, highlighting themes of resilience and identity.
4. **The Kite Runner** by Khaled Hosseini - With a score of 4.36, this story delves into friendship and betrayal amid the backdrop of a war-torn Afghanistan.
3. **Where the Crawdads Sing** by Delia Owens - This coming-of-age novel has a score of 4.37 and follows the life of a girl in isolation, exploring themes of loneliness and nature.
2. **The Book Thief** by Markus Zusak - Set in Nazi Germany, this book, with a rating of 4.39, tells a unique story narrated by Death, focusing on the power of words.
1. **The Mirror & the Light** by Hilary Mantel - Topping the list with a score of 4.41, this historical fiction concludes the "Wolf Hall" trilogy, chronicling Thomas Cromwell's complex life in the court of Henry VIII.
These books were chosen based on their ratings from Goodreads, with a minimum of 10,000 ratings considered for inclusion.