Reading group collections

Paganini's Ghost by Paul Adam

This is a contemporary European thriller about Paganini, Catherine the Great of Russia and the search for a long, lost priceless treasure.

The Outlander by Gil Adamson A mysterious young women flees alone across the Canadian wilderness, one step ahead of her pursuers. Mary Boulton is 19 years old, half mad and widowed by her own hand. Tearing through the forest, she is desperate and she is certail on one thing only - that her every move is being traced. We are never told why she murdered her husband but can only guess she hit breaking point after being under seriel control by a depressive father.

Half of a yellow sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Set during the Biafran-Nigerian war of 1967-1970 this story follows the lives of ordinary families during that time. An interesting read!

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie The story of a young girl, Kambili, growing up in Nigeria with mother, father and brother, Jaja. Affluent, but suppressed because her fatheris deeply, fanatically religios. Kambili and her brother go to visit their Auntie Ifeoma and then see a different life, Auntie Ifeoma and her family are very poor, but rich in ways of happiness and freedom. This book is a tragic story, but also offers a great insight of Nigeria.

The Journey by H.G. Adler Author H. G. Adler, a survivor of Theresienstadt and Auschwitz.

Written in 1950. Depicting the Holocaust in a unique and deeply moving way, and avoiding specific mention of country or camps even of Nazis and Jews The Journey is a poetic nightmare of a family’s ordeal and one member’s survival.

The Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom Eddie was brought up on Riley Pier and ended up living and working there all his life. The story starts with Eddie’s death. He then goes to heaven where he meets five people individually who affected Eddie’s life or who Eddie affected in some way. This is a light book with a moral. If you have ever seen and loved the film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, you will love this book

For one more day by Mitch Albom

A wonderful short book about what would happen if you had one more day to spend with a loved one long gone. This is a story of love and loss and the blows life can give us. Really uplifting for me!

Olivia’s Luck by Catherine Alliott When Olivia's husband Johnny announces that he is leaving, Olivia is devastated and left to cope on her own with builders working on the house, a ten year old daughter with attitude, and a neurotic neighbour with relationship problems.

The Letter Bearer by Robert Allison The Rider has no memory of who he is, or how he came to be lying dying - in the brutal heat of the North African desert. Rescued by a band of deserters, the Rider begins to piece together his identity.

The Letter Bearer is unlike any other novel of World War Two. It asks profound questions about trauma, warfare and the experience of desertion. This gripping story asks us to consider how men build hope when they have nothing left - not even a name.

Deadly Code by Lin Anderson Another Rhona MacLeod goody! This one takes us to Skye, where a decomposing human foot is found in a fishing net, but also on to USA and a sinister society, with a keen interest in scientific experiments. Why are MOD trying to disrupt her investigations? We come back to Skye for the finale. Plenty of issues for discussing at book group, as well as an exciting read.

Driftnet by Lin Anderson An easy read and unputdownable! The story of forensic scientist Rhona Macleod, who is helping the police trace the murderer of a young rent boy. A paedophile ring is discovered and Rhona is closer to the investigation than she might think. This is a tense, high paced novel, which keeps you turning the page to find out what happens next. It is also set in Glasgow and Loch Lomond side, so scenery descriptions are familiar.

The Auschwitz violin by Maria Angels Anglada Imprisoned at Auschwitz, Daniel feels his humanity slipping away.

Then a visit from a mysterious stranger changes everything, as Daniel's former identity as a crafter of fine violins is revealed to all.

Interspersed with chilling Nazi documentation, this novel is a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

Once in a house on fire by Andrea Ashworth Andrea Ashworth's father died when she was 5 leaving her, her 3 year-old sister and mother to fend for themselves. A succession of stepfathers, some violent and an itinerant life of poverty were her lot but reading was her escape route out of misery.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood A futuristic story of Gilead, where women are protected, but used.

In this city, no demeaning literature is allowed and women are protected, but this is a disturbing tale all the same. Women can’t smoke or drink, they have to wear habits and they are forbidden from looking each other or men in the eye.

The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster A gentle, funny and optimistic novel peopled with a cast of characters who get right under your skin. Auster can be quite harsh and depressing in his stories but this time you feel life is worth living and can be lived really well. I really warmed to this one.

The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw This is the story of Johnny Lim, principally during 1940's in Malaysia.

It is told in 3 very different parts. One, through the eyes of his estranged son, part memory/part research, one in the diary of Johnny's wife Snow, who died in childbirth and the last is told by Englishman, Peter Wormwood, who was probably Johnny's best friend, until he committed the crime for which he never forgave himself.

The Olive Readers by Christine Aziz

I bet this book causes lots of heated discussion. I think you will either love it or hate it. I was intrigued by the plot and thought it reminded me of Margaret Atwood’s kind of science fiction stories.

Africa junction by Ginny Baily

Adele is in a mess. On her own with her young son, struggling to cope with her job as a teacher, and stuck in a disastrous affair, her life is unravelling. The sharp contrasts and certainties she experienced during the years she spent as a child in far-off Senegal have faded to a distant blur. Then, one night, when she looks in the bathroom mirror, she sees the face of Ellena, a girl she knew in those carefree days, staring back at her from the glass.

The guilty one by Lisa Ballantyne

A little boy is found dead in a children's playground. Daniel Hunter has spent years defending lost causes. But his life changes when he is introduced to Sebastian, an 11-year-old accused of murder. As he plunges into the muddy depths of Sebastian's troubled life, Daniel thinks back to his own childhood in foster care.

The crow road by Iain Banks The story of Prentice, growing up in a small Scottish west coast village. An uncle of Prentice is a traveller and a writer, but has been missing for a few years. Prentice finds an old manuscript of his and sets out to find out what has happened to him. So the mystery unfolds. A wonderful story switching from rural Scotland to Glasgow. The scenery is described perfectly and the humour is good too.

Matter by Iain Banks This is Ian Banks writing as his alter ego, the Sci-Fi author. (Watch out for that tell-tale “M”.) If you know the ”Culture” novels you will know what wit and invention goes into this sort of Sci-Fi writing. We had to wait five years for Ian M. to write this and I, for one, reckon the wait was worth it.

The elegance of the hedgehog by Muriel Barbery A really “French” story of a concierge in a block of Parisian apartments whose spiky isolation is broken into by a quirky twelve year old determined to kill herself before life becomes” too boring” at thirteen! You may have to persevere to begin with, but this book will steal your heart in the end.

Border crossing by Pat Barker As Tom Seymour wades into a river to save a young man in danger of drowning he cannot know that he is about to be drawn back in to the life of the young murderer that he helped to imprison some years previously. Pat Barker’s book is deeply unsettling but gripping.

At its end you, the reader, may be left with some hard questions to answer for yourself.

Regeneration by Pat Barker Craiglockhart War Hospital, Scotland, 1917, army psychiatrist William Rivers is treating shell-shocked soldiers. Under his care are the poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, as well as mute Billy Prior. Rivers job is to make the men in his charge healthy enough to fight. Yet the closer he gets to mending his patients' minds the harder becomes every decision to send them back to the horrors of the front. Classic exploration of how the traumas of war brutalised a generation of young men.

The Shining Girls by Lauren J Beukes Chicago 1931. Harper Curtis, a violent drifter, stumbles on a house with a secret as shocking as his own twisted nature - it opens onto other times. He uses it to stalk his carefully chosen 'shining girls' through the decades - and cut the spark out of them. He's the perfect killer. Unstoppable. Untraceable. He thinks. Chicago, 1992.

They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Tell that to Kirby Mazrachi, whose life was shattered after a brutal attempt to murder her.

The story of forgetting by Stefan Merrill Block This is an incredibly touching story about Alzheimer’s. Seth, the young narrator is such a believable character that you heart aches for him as he loses his mother to an early onset of the disease. Read it and you won’t fail to be moved.

A history of loneliness by John Boyne

Odran Yates enters Clonliffe Seminary in 1972 after his mother informs him that he has a vocation to the priesthood. He goes in full of ambition and hope, dedicated to his studies and keen to make friends. 40yrs later Odran’s devotion has been challenged by the revelations that have shattered the Irish people’s faith in the church.

When a family tragedy opens wounds from his past, he is forced to confront the demons that have raged within a once respected institution and recognise his own complicity in their propagation.

The boy in the striped pyjamas: a fable by John Boyne Told through the eyes of a nine year old, with all the innocence of that age, I couldn’t put this book down until it reached its devastating end!

The sweetness at the bottom of the pie by Alan Bradley England, 1950. At Buckshaw, the crumbling country seat of the de Luce family, Flavia is plotting revenge on her older sisters. Then a dead bird is left on the doorstep, and a body is found in the garden.

As the police descend on Buckshaw, Flavia decides to do some investigating of her own.

Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders Oscar Wilde, celebrated poet, wit, playwright and raconteur is the literary sensation of his age. Yet when he chances across the naked corpse of 16-year-old Billy Wood, he cannot ignore the brutal murder. With the help of fellow author Arthur Conan Doyle he sets out to solve the crime.

You don't have to be Good by Sabrina Broadbent Middle aged women often feel invisible to the rest of the world and in this story that’s exactly what happens. What follows is a sharply observed novel as each person involved with Bea looks back on how much their lives were affected by her presence and, how much more, by her absence. Wry and witty initially, but with a great deal of substance to make you think long after you have closed the book.

The brief history of the dead by Kevin Brockmeier The story of Laura trapped in the Antarctic fighting for her life – a city of inhabitants in a strange different world. What’s the connection? Read on to find out in this fascinating and unusual story.

All fun and games until somebody loses and eye by Christopher Brookmyre Another Black Comedy in Christopher’s inimitable style. He has the ability to put his characters in strange situations in a hilarious fashion!

I loved it!

Jane Eyre Laid Bare by Charlotte Bronte Everyone is familiar with Charlotte BrontÍ's passionate, but restrained novel in which the plain, yet spirited governess Jane Eyre falls for the arrogant Mr Rochester. It’s a novel that simmers with sexual tension but never quite reaches the boiling point. Which is to be expected. After all, the original was written in 1847. That was then. This is now. Author Eve Sinclair writes between the lines to chart the smouldering sexual chemistry between the long-suffering governess and her brooding employer

Blood Wedding by P.J. Brooke

Max Romero is asked to help investigate the death of Leila. The prime suspect, Hassan, has links to a supposed terrorist group but the police's insensitive handling of the case leads to his tragic suicide. As a result, Max gets co-opted into the anti-terrorist operation based in Granada, which is destined to go terribly wrong.

March by Geraldine Brooks Mr. March, an abolitionist and chaplain, is driven by his conscience to leave his home and family in Concord, Massachusetts, in order to participate in the war. During this time, March writes letters to his family, but withholds the true extent of the brutality and injustices he witnesses on and off the battlefields. He suffers from a prolonged illness stemming from poor conditions on a cotton farm in Virginia.

Tell the wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt There's only one person who has ever truly understood 14-year-old June Elbus, and that's her uncle, the renowned painter, Finn Weiss.

Shy at school and distant from her once inseparable older sister, June can only be herself in Finn's company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend.

The life and times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson This is a superb book, full of warmth, wit and wonderful anecdotes from the author's life! Hilarious!

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck For anyone who loves Chinese history this book is a must! Told through the eyes of a peasant farmer, the Good Earth outlines the turbulent history of pre-revolution China and what it meant for one family.

A commonplace killing by Sian Busby On a damp July morning in 1946, two schoolboys find a woman’s body in a bomb site in north London. The woman is identified as Lillian Frobisher, a wife and mother who lived in a war-damaged terrace a few streets away.

Belonging By Ron Butlin This book tells of two destructive relationships which Jack has, one with Anna, a self-harmer with a great deal of problems and Therese who also has problems of her own. All he is searching for in these relationships is to belong.

The children's book by A. S. Byatt As always with A.S .Byatt, this is no light read but it’s complex characters and story are well worth the effort. The beautiful cover refers you to the Arts and Crafts movement of the turn of the century and this novel covers that period up to the Great War. Stick with it and you will have an absorbing read.

The shape of water by Andrea Camilleri Picking his way through a labyrinth of high-comedy corruption, delicious meals, vendetta firepower, and carefully planted false clues, Inspector Salvo Montalbano can be relied on, whatever the cost, to get to the heart of the matter.

This is where I am by Karen Campbell

So we walked in the freezing night air, my daughter weeping into my neck, and me trying to shelter her inside my own thin coat. Glasgow.

A city of colour and contrast. A place where two worlds collide, and are changed forever when the Scottish Refugee Council assigns Deborah Maxwell to act as Somali refugee Abdi's new mentor.

In cold blood: a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences by Truman Capote A real classic it is a “non-fiction” novel which draws the reader into a dark world of violence. Capote wanted to use this story as a case against capital punishment, but at no time does he paint a rosy picture of his main characters. The really stand out thing about this book though is, the way Capote writes. This really is a tremendously stylish piece of writing, a modern classic.

A land more kind than home by Wiley Cash

One Sunday, nine-year-old Jess Hall watches in horror as his autistic brother is smothered during a healing service in the mountains of North Carolina. Wiley Cash uses this haunting image - inspired by a horrific true event - to bring us this story about cruelty and innocence, and the failure of faith and family to protect a child.

How to be a good wife by Emma Chapman Marta and Hector have been married for a long time. Through the good and bad; through raising a son and sending him off to life after university. So long, in fact, that Marta finds it difficult to remember her life before Hector. He has always taken care of her, and she has always done everything she can to be a good wife as advised by a dog-eared manual given to her by Hector’s aloof mother on their wedding day.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua This is a story about a mother, two daughters, and two dogs. It was supposed to be a story of how Chinese parents are better at raising kids than Western ones. But instead, it's about a bitter clash of cultures, a fleeting taste of glory, and how you can be humbled by a thirteen-year-old. Witty and provocative, this is a unique book that will transform your perspective of parenting forever.

A house of light by Candida Clark This is a book of secrets and how they affect the present, the future and grab at you from the past. As a young woman returns to her family home to attend the second wedding of her father she is unaware of all the secrets held by the guests and how they will come to affect her and her relationship with the past.

An Arsonist’s guide to writers’ homes in New England: a novel by Brock Clarke Sam Pulsifer has come to the end of a very long and unusual journey. The truth is, a lot of remarkable things have happened in Sam's life. He spent ten years in prison for accidentally burning down poet Emily Dickinson's house and unwittingly killing two people in the process.

The other hand by Chris Cleave The story of Little Bee, who has landed in Britain as an illegal immigrant. She is from Nigeria and has an awful tale to tell. The story is also told from Sarah’s viewpoint. Little Bee and Sarah met two years ago in Nigeria on a fateful day.

Grey Souls by Philippe Claudel The placid daily life of a small town near the front seems impervious to the nearby pounding of artillery fire and the parade of wounded strangers passing through its streets. But the illusion of calm is soon shattered by the deaths of three innocents…

Finding Tess by Vicki Clifford In this, the second of the Viv Fraser Mysteries, catch up with fastmoving hair-cutting sleuth Viv Fraser as she wrestles with the deceits of people she thought she knew. She goes in search of a missing girl, while tackling the consequences of a case of missing jewellery. An old friend finds himself professionally compromised and seeks Viv's help. And how is she getting on with Sal, and Mac? Or is there somebody else on the scene?

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

When Rachel Verinder is given the Moonstone - a large Indian diamond - on her 18th birthday, she is delighted to show it off at her celebrations. But that very night, the jewel is stolen from her bedroom. As suspicion falls on each member of the party, the curse of the diamond strikes and ill-luck threatens to destroy them all.

Academy Street by Mary Costello Academy Street is the heart-breaking and evocative story of one woman’s life spanning six decades. Tess’s childhood in 1940’s rural Ireland is defined by the sudden death of her mother. Later, in New York, she encounters the ferocious power and calamity of love, and the effects of catastrophic fate. The novel resonates with the rhythms of memory and home as well as those of America’s greatest city.

Letters from the Great Wall by Jenni Daiches 33 year old Eleanor seems to have it all: professional job at Edinburgh University, good looks, intelligent, with a fiancé who can't wait to get married and start a family. But she severs all work and personal ties and goes to China on a voyage of self-discovery. Might sound a bit self-indulgent at first, but she really pulls you in. It was a different kind of book for me, but very engrossing nevertheless. The book ends as tanks pull into Tiananmen Square.

The taxi driver's daughter by Julia Darling A mother sent to prison, a family falling apart. How can that become a “feel good� read? Read and find out the charm of this book, then go and look for the shoe tree for yourself....

Summer by Tom Darling When teenager Grace Hooper and her 9-year-old brother, Billy, are left orphaned at the beginning of a long, hot summer, they find themselves cast adrift from their old life and numb with grief. Sent to stay with their estranged grandfather on a remote farmstead, they must try to uncover a new understanding of the world and their place in it.

My Gun Was As Tall As Me by Toni Davidson High in the Alps, Tuvol, the son of a great European humanitarian crawls into a snow hole in an attempt at death. Saved from suicide, he leaves his family to try and help those whose lives have been shattered by war.

A deadly deception by Margaret Thomson Davis Quite a change of style here for the writer of family sagas! A thriller set in Glasgow in a tower block, this has some uncompromising storylines but as always, Margaret Thomson Davies proves herself a masterful storyteller.

Scissors, paper, stone by Elizabeth Day As Charles Redfern lies motionless in hospital in a coma, his wife, Anne, and daughter, Charlotte, are forced to come together to confront their relationships with him and with each other. A story of abuse and domination through the life of a family. Disturbing.

The hare with amber eyes by Edmund De Waal De Waal tells the story of his family, the Ephrussi, once a very wealthy European Jewish banking dynasty. They lost almost everything in 1938 when the Nazis ransacked their property. Even after the war, the family failed to recover most of its extensive property, including priceless artwork, but an easily hidden collection of 264 Japanese netsuke miniature sculptures was miraculously saved.

Two kinds of wonderful by Isla Dewar Roz committed the ultimate sin of motherhood - she left her children behind when she couldn't stand another day living with her obsessive husband Matthew. This story tells of how she rebuilds her relationship with her children, now grown up and one unforgiving.

Lightning Rods by Helen Dewitt Failing salesman Joe has a dream - or rather an outrageous fantasy.

Holed up in his trailer, Joe devises a jaw-dropping plan that will stamp out sexual harassment in the workplace and make his fortune. As he turns his life around, 'Lightning Rods' takes us to the very top of corporate America.

Great expectations by Charles Dickens An unknown benefactor provides Philip Pirrip with the chance to escape his poor upbringing. Aspiring to be a gentleman, and encouraged by his expectations of wealth, he abandons his friends and moves to London. His expectations prove to be unfounded however, and he must return home penniless.

Andrew’s brain by E L Doctorow

Speaking from an unknown place and to an unknown interlocutor, Andrew is telling the story of his life, his loves, and the tragedies that have led him to this place and point in time. And as he confesses, we are led to question what we know about truth and memory, brain and mind, personality and fate, about one another and ourselves. Written with psychological depth and great lyrical precision, this suspenseful and ground-breaking novel delivers a voice for our times - funny, sceptical, mischievous, profound.

Fup by Jim Dodge Set in the coastal hills of northern California between 1880 and the present, this story revolves around three characters - two humans and a duck. Jim Dodge's other novels include Not Fade Away and Stone Junction.

Room: a novel by Emma Donoghue

The story of Ma who was kidnapped when she was 19, kept in a garden shed, raped and incarcerated. And also the story of Jack, the result of the rape. An amazing tale of how a mother will survive to keep her baby going, the games she invented to teach him and to keep him fit inside the four walls that were ‘Room‘. The second half of the book is set outside ’Room’ - an even harder struggle for Jack.

Hieroglyphics and other stories by Anne Donovan I loved this collection of short stories. I laughed out loud at some and wept for the women in others. Uplifting, funny, poignant and even, in one case, a sharp warning about the dangers of texting!

Gone are the leaves by Anne Donovan Deirdre has lived in the castle all her short life. Apprentice to her mother, she embroiders the robes for one of Scotland's finest families. She can capture, with just a few delicate stitches, the ripeness of a bramble or the glint of bronze on a fallen leaf. But with her mother pushing her to choose between a man she does not love and a closed world of prayer and solitude, Deirdre must decide for herself what her life will become.

Paula Spencer by Roddy Doyle This book is a follow up to the story in ‘The woman who walked into doors’. Paula Spencer is ten years older and is a recovering alcoholic.

Her years of drinking have left as much of a mark on her family as the years of abuse from her husband have left on her.

Gardens of water by Alan Drew Gardens of Water' is a debut novel about a family's struggle following a devastating natural disaster in a town on the outskirts of Istanbul.

No regrets coyote by John Dufnesne On Christmas Eve in Eden, Florida, Wylie "Coyote" Melville, therapist and forensic consultant, is summoned to a horrific crime scene. Five members of the Halliday family have been brutally killed. Wylie's rare talent is an ability to read a crime scene, consider the evidence seen and unseen, and determine what's likely to have happened.

The police are soon convinced that the deaths were a murdersuicide carried out by a broken and desperate Chafin Halliday, but Wylie's not so sure.

Submarine by Joe Dunthorne Meet Oliver Tate, 15. Convinced that his father is depressed ('Depression comes in bouts. Like boxing. Dad is in the blue corner') and his mother is having an affair with her capoeira teacher, 'a hippylooking twonk', he embarks on a hilariously misguided campaign to bring the family back together.

The name of the Rose by Umberto Eco The year is 1327. Franciscans in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate. When his delicate mission is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths, Brother William turns detective. He collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts, and digs into the eerie labyrinth of the abbey. This is not only a narrative of a murder investigation but an astonishing chronicle of the Middle Ages.

After life: answers from the other side By John Edward As he journeys through Australia and all over the US, medium John Edward demonstrates that grief, healing and hope are eternally intertwined and universal. He also answers the most often asked questions about how the mediumship works.

The black dahlia by James Ellroy The tortured body of a young woman was found drained of blood and cut in half 5 days after she went missing in January 1947. The newspapers called her the Black Dahlia and the cops investigating get caught up in the dead girl's troubled story.

Mr Toppit by Charles Elton Spanning several decades, from the heyday of the British film industry after the war to the cut-throat world of show business in Los Angeles, 'Mr Toppit' is a tale of the unexpected effects of sudden fame and fortune.

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng In the lush highlands of Malaya, a woman sets out to build a memorial to her sister, killed at the hands of the Japanese during the brutal Occupation of their country. Yun Ling's quest leads her to 'The Garden of Evening Mists', and to Aritomo, a man of extraordinary skill and reputation, once the gardener of the Emperor of Japan.

When she accepts his offer to become his apprentice, she begins a journey into her past, inextricably linked with the secrets of her troubled country's history.

The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan

Anais Hendricks is once again off to The Panopticon, a prison so constructed that it allows the inspector to see each of the prisoners at all times, without being seen. Looking up at the watchtower that looms over the residents, Anais knows her fate - she is part of an experiment, and that experiment is now closing in.

The unwitting by Ellen Feldman One bright November day in 1963, the dazzling young president arrives in Texas and Nell receives a phone call that overturns the world as she knows it. In the shocking aftermath, whilst America mourns, Nell must come to terms with both a tragedy and a betrayal that shatters every illusion of the man she thought she knew better than anyone else.

The Cry by Helen Fitzgerald When a baby goes missing on a lonely roadside in Australia, it sets off a police investigation that will become a media sensation across the world. Lies, rumours and guilt snowball, causing the parents to slowly turn against each other. Finally thinking the unthinkable: could the truth be even more terrible than once suspected? 'The Cry' is a dark psychological thriller with a gripping moral dilemma at its heart and characters who will keep you guessing on every page.

I still dream about you by Fannie Flagg Though her friends think Maggie has the perfect life, she's actually perfectly miserable. The former Miss Alabama is worried about how her life has turned out - she's given up on her dream of living in a beautiful home like Crestview, and instead is a real estate agent making a living selling that dream to others

The Captain’s Daughter by Leah Fleming The secrets in a woman's heart are deeper than the ocean. For May Smith, travelling with her husband and baby girl Ellen, stepping foot on the Titanic marks the start of an incredible journey, one which is destined to take her from the back streets of Bolton to the land of opportunity: the United States.

Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock Determined to save her younger sister from their drunken and abusive stepfather, eight-year-old Carrie makes preparations for them to escape their violent home, but before they can leave, a random act of brutality forever changes all of their lives.

Travels with Macy by Bruce Fogle Follow the footsteps John Steinbeck made in his Travel with Charley in this wonderful new travel adventure. Sit back and enjoy the ride across America with Bruce Fogle and Macy. This book is unputdownable for travel fans or animal lovers!

Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet by Jamie Ford

Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.

Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford How could a mother leave her child behind? William Eng, a ChineseAmerican boy, has lived at Seattle's Sacred Heart Orphanage for five years. Ever since his mother's listless body was carried from their Chinatown apartment, William has been wondering what happened to her. So when, during a trip to the movie theatre, William glimpses an actress on the silver screen, he is immediately struck by her features. Because Willow Frost is many things - a singer, a dancer, a movie star - but most of all, William is convinced, she is his mother.

The quickening maze by Adam Foulds Based on real events the story is set in and around the High Beach Asylum in 1840. The asylum, built within Epping Forest, is a place of disorder and unpredictable dramas. Its varied cast of characters together with Fould’s beautifully poetic writing makes this novel a real page turner. It’s no wonder it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize!

Billy Lynn's long halftime walk by Ben Fountain 19-year-old Billy Lynn is home from war and on a 'Victory Tour' to reassure the folks at home. Today, during the final hours of the tour, they arrive at Texas Stadium, guests of honour as the Dallas Cowboys take on the Chicago Bears in a nationally broadcast Thanksgiving Day game. But tomorrow they must go back to war.

Diary of a Young Girl by Ann Frank Anne Frank kept a diary from 12th June to 1st August 1944. On 4th August 1944, eight people, including Anne, hiding in the secret annexe were arrested and Anne’s diaries were found strewn all over the floor. The diary traces Anne’s thoughts and hopes to become a writer, her circumstances and her relationship with the others confined in the annexe.

In the woods by Tana French

This story, set in Dublin, follows Detective Rob Ryan as he investigates the murder of a twelve year old girl in the woods. Rob’s particular interest in this case is revealed as he tries to uncover both the mystery of the case in front of him and one that lies in his own shadowy past. This was an excellent book that will keep you thinking about it well after you’ve finished reading it but be warned, don’t expect thing to be neatly tied up in a bow at the end.

Moab is my washpot by Stephen Fry Stephen Fry takes us on a journey through his childhood and adolescence in this humorous, emotional and heartfelt autobiography. This candid account of his ups and downs is told with the wit and wisdom that he is so famous for, making this book a delight to read. It does contain some rather colourful language at times so possibly not for the easily offended.

The ocean at the end of the lane by Neil Gaiman

It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond this world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed - within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it.

The cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

Based around the true story of a cellist who played Albinoni’s Adagio in a street in Sarajevo every day for twenty two days in memory of 22 innocent civilians killed during the infamous siege despite the danger to his own life from a sniper’s bullet, this book shows how grace and courage can exist in the darkest of situations.

The sun hasn’t fallen from the sky by Alison Gangel Seven-year-old Ailsa Dunn's Ma is prettier than all the other mothers, her Da is the most handsome man in the world. They're made for each other... But the grown-up world is more complicated than that, and when alcohol intrudes, violence becomes the norm and unpredictability reigns - and the ground shifts beneath Ailsa's small feet.

Sunset song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon A classic of Scottish fiction set in the bleak north of Scotland at the turn of the twentieth century. Despite its literary qualities, what lights up this book is it’s deeply human storyline. Moving descriptions and the pathos of those who were scarred in so many ways by the First World War make this an engrossing read.

The thousand Emperors by Gary Gibson Archivist Luc Gabion has finally achieved his life's goal — of bringing down Winchell Antonov, head of the Black Lotus terrorist organisation, and the scourge of the Tian Di’s stellar empire for countless years. But instead of feeling victorious, the encounter has left him scarred. Forcibly implanted with a technology far in advance of anything he's encountered before, Luc sees and hears things he knows he's not supposed to. Worse, the technology is killing him, slowly.

The Third Key by W G Graham Glasgow 1958, a bank robbery goes terribly wrong and criminal boss Big Mick McCafferty is not pleased. It was his men who were involved but he’s more worried about the stolen money gone missing than being linked to the crime. Whoever has stolen the money is in big trouble. He sends his henchmen to scour the city in search of the loot. The trail leads them to, brothers Alan and Tom caught up in it all despite themselves, and to Detective Sergeant Robert Black who might have an agenda all of his own.

Preferred Lies: a journey to the heart of golf by Andrew Greig Golf isn't life," explains Andrew Greig" It is just a small, radiant corner of it, like a chip of mirror-glass, If you can’t imagine a book about golf being describe as “poignant, warm and uplifting” then try this book and be surprised!

The confidant by Helene Gremillon Camille one day receives a letter that isn't signed. She reads this narration of events from pre-war France certain that it was sent to her by mistake. Then more letters start to arrive. They tell of a friendship between a young village girl and Madame M., a bourgeois lady

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham No hint of crime in this light hearted and witty tale of the Krank family, desperately trying to get away from all the paraphernalia that surrounds an American Christmas

Kill Clock by Allan Guthrie

Pearce's ex needs to pay back 20 grand by midnight - or she's dead.

Unless Pearce can stop the kill clock. A fast and furious underworld thriller by a master of Scottish Noir. Part of the Most Wanted series aimed at emergent reader adults with a reading age of 8 plus. The series are shorter than Quick reads between 9000 and 15,000 words

The gravity of birds by Tracy Guzeman How do you find someone who wants to be lost? Sisters Alice and Natalie were once close, but adolescence has wrenched them apart.

Alice is a dreamer who loves books and birds; Natalie is headstrong, manipulative - and beautiful. Alice falls under the thrall of a struggling young painter. Natalie, however, seems strangely unmoved, tolerating sittings for a family portrait with surprising indifference. But by the end of the summer, three lives are shattered.

The Colour of a Dog Running Away By Richard Gwyn Set in the Gothic quarter of Barcelona, Gwyn’s tale is fuelled by drugs and alcohol, in fact as one reader writes; “If you've ever had a rough night on the town, ever fallen in love or ever not really known how it all fit together, this book has something for you.”

Waiting for an angel by Helon Habila In this novel, set in Lagos Nigeria, the awaited angel is, sadly, one of Death. Celebrating the heroism of those who choose to fight for freedom, this is no light read but repays the reader with glimpses of real human dignity and spirit.

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon The story of a boy with Asperger’s Syndrome who is caught up in a little detective work. This story will take you inside the head of a boy whose view of the world is very different to most of us. A wonderful heart-warming book without being too slushy.

De Niro's game by Rawi Hage Bassam and George have grown to adulthood together in Beirut.

Each resolves in his own way to escape from their present. One in exile, and one rising to power in the shady underworld of this ravaged city. This book brings 1980s Beirut alive in all its war torn harshness.

The humans by Matt Haig One wet Friday evening, Professor Andrew Martin of Cambridge University solves the world's greatest mathematical riddle. Then he disappears. When he is found walking naked along the motorway, Professor Martin seems different. Besides the lack of clothes, he now finds normal life pointless. His loving wife and teenage son seem repulsive to him. In fact, he hates everyone on the planet.

Everyone, that is, except Newton. And he's a dog‌

Speak by Louisa Hall A young Puritan woman travels to the New World with her unwanted new husband. Alan Turing, the renowned mathematician and code breaker, writes letters to his best friend’s mother. A Jewish refugee and professor of computer science struggles to reconnect with his increasingly detached wife. An isolated and traumatized young girl exchanges messages with an intelligent software program. A former Silicon Valley Wunderkind is imprisoned for creating illegal lifelike dolls.

A heart bent out of shape by Emylia Hall For Hadley Dunn, life so far has been uneventful - no great loves, no searing losses. But that's before she decides to spend a year studying in the glittering Swiss city of Lausanne, a place that feels alive with promise. Here Hadley meets Kristina, a beautiful but elusive Danish girl, and the two quickly form the strongest of bonds.

Yet one November night, as the first snows of winter arrive, tragedy strikes.

The raw shark texts by Steven Hall I defy you not to be gripped from the opening lines! Eric Sanderson wakes up with absolutely no recollection of who he is. As he pieces together his personality he finds out...well read it for yourself!

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid At a cafe table in Lahore, a Pakistani man converses with a stranger.

As dusk deepens to dark, he begins the tale that has brought him to this fateful meeting.

Little face by Sophie Hannah Alice’s husband, David, was supposed to be looking after their twoweek old daughter. But when Alice walks into the nursery and discovers the baby in the cot is not hers, the ordeal begins. David insists Alice is either mad or lying and Alice desperately tries to make the police believe her. Gripping to the end!

The Wonder House by Justine Hardy Set in Kashmir on a boat house this novel catches the beauty of Kashmir without closing its eyes to the troubles abroad in the land itself. An evocative read that makes you want to pack up and go and visit the country for yourself.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy It tells of Tess Durbeyfield, the daughter of a poor and dissipated villager, who learns that she may be descended from the ancient family of d'Urbeville. In her search for respectability her fortunes fluctuate wildly, and the story assumes the proportions of a Greek tragedy. It explores Tess's relationships with two very different men, her struggle against the social mores of the rural Victorian world which she inhabits and the hypocrisy of the age.

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris A big fat book that you will race through! As someone describes it “An Absolute Belter”! Stock up on coffee and stay up all night to finish it

The observations by Jane Harris If you like the idea of peeking into someone else’s diary, this ones for you! This story of Bessie Buckley, who takes on a new job as a maid in a Scottish country house, is full of menace and intrigue. It will have you turning the pages!

Blueeyedboy by Joanne Harris A social media murder mystery that has you hooked to the end. A mother dresses her three boys in different colours so that washing is easier. Blue-eyed boy has a web persona, an Avatar. He looks back at events in his life via a web journal. Very creepy story.

Peaches for Monsieur le Cure by Joanne Harris When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she has no choice but to follow the wind that blows her back to Lansquenet. But returning to her old home, Vianne is completely unprepared for what she is to find there. Women veiled in black, the scent of spices and a minaret on the bank of the river.

Plainsong by Kent Haruf Set in Holt, Colorado, a small town east of Denver, this tale brings together the stories of a high school teacher raising his two boys alone, a pregnant teenager with nowhere to live, and two elderly bachelors farming on the outskirts of town. Originally published: New York.

Across the nightingale floor by Lian Hearn Imagine silently tiptoeing over a wooden floor to assassinate a tyrannical warlord and then finding the floorboards beneath your feet singing out a warning! You are crossing a nightingale floor! Set in Japan, this tale, the first in a trilogy, may remind you of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. If you liked that... you’ll love this!

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse Despite being written nearly one hundred years ago, this novel deals with timeless themes of finding oneself and what sort of spiritual journey one can take as one goes through life.

The promised land by David Hewson

Yes it’s far fetched and yes it reads like a film script but its gripping from first to last! All through the book you never know if are you reading the story of a cold blooded killer or a victim of an unfair murder charge Whatever else it isn’t this book is certainly a thriller!

The devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson It's 1727. Tom Hawkins is damned if he's going to follow in his father's footsteps and become a country parson. Not for him a quiet life of prayer and propriety. His preference is for wine, women, and cards. But there's a sense of honor there too, and Tom won't pull family strings to get himself out of debt - not even when faced with the appalling horrors of London's notorious debtors' prison: The Marshalsea Gaol.

The ice queen by Alice Hoffman A woman with a heart of ice, cut off from human emotion is struck by lightning and from that moment on begins to thaw. Alice Hoffman weaves a mystical magical tale of love and hurt and beauty round this wounded character. Compelling.

The archivist's story by Travis Holland Imagine you are told by your masters to destroy the works of a great but dissident author. Would you do it to save yourself, or save the writings whatever the cost? Read this archivist’s

Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper This is a love story that spans fifty years, three lives, two continents and an ocean. It tells of school teacher Etta, who settles in the Canadian prairies during the Great Depression and of the two pupils who fall in love with her: Russell, a city boy who takes to farming despite his twisted leg, and Otto, who struggles in school but always tries hard - even when he's sent to fight a war in a distant land. It is a story of love and joy, pain and passion, memory and forgetting - and one incredible journey

The kite runner by Khaled Hosseini Read it first here. It is the story of two boys growing up in 1970s Afghanistan, before the Russian invasion. A story of friendship, betrayal and forgiveness. It gives a completely different view of Afghanistan and the culture and customs of this country. It moves from Afghanistan, to Pakistan and then to the Afghan community in San Francisco and follows the struggles and upheavals these moves cause. A very sad and sentimental story, so have hankies at the ready.

Oranges and Sunshine by Margaret Humphreys As a social worker in the 1980s Margaret Humphreys had to investigate one woman’s claim that she had been put on a boat to Australia when she was four. She discovered that this was only one case of 150, 000 cases of children being deported to start a new life.

The children were told their parents were dead and the parents had been told their children had been adopted. In actual fact they were subjected to a horrific life of physical and sexual abuse in distant parts of the British Empire.

Everland by Rebecca Hunt 1913: three men bound not by friendship, but by an intense dependence founded on survival - will be immortalised by their decision to volunteer to scout out a series of uncharted islands in the Antarctic.

2013: three researchers - set out on a field trip to the same ancient lumps of rock and snow, home to nothing but colonies of penguins and seals, they unknowingly begin to mirror the expedition of 100 years ago Brave new world by Aldous Huxley

As chilling as when it was first published, Huxley’s bleak take on a society doped and duped into a seeming Utopia. Ultimately, Huxley lets us have hope for the future, recognising that all the things which make us human are all the things which make life worth living!

Carry me down by M. J. Hyland 11 year old John Egan has an astonishing ability to detect people’s lies, is obsessed with the Guinness Book of Records and lives in a cottage with his Gran in Ireland. Only two of these three statements are definitely true...

This road is red by Alison Irvine Spanning five decades this book is based on the true stories of some of the residents of Glasgow's Red Road Flats, which are scheduled for demolition in the summer.

Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro This was my favourite book of 2006, I didn’t want it to end. It is an imaginary tale about a world where clones are brought into the world, to provide donations for everyone else. Centred around Hailsham School, where the creative side of the clones are developed. Kathy, who tells the story, is a carer and Ruth, her friend and Tommy, the love of her life, are donors. This is the story of friendship, memories and is so beautifully written, I didn’t want to let it go!

The missing manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James Samantha cannot believe her eyes or her luck when she discovers, tucked inside a 200 year old book of poetry, a letter almost certainly written by Jane Austen. The letter offers a clue to what could be one of the most important literary events of modern times: an undiscovered. Discovering the manuscript in the old home of the handsome yet stern Anthony Whitaker, Samantha finds herself immediately absorbed in the story of a woman on the verge of discovering the bittersweet truths of life and love.

The Summer Book by Tove Johnsson A wonderful story, full of description, about a grandmother and granddaughter living in a summer cottage in Finland. The little girl’s father is there too but it is essentially the wisdom of the grandmother passed down to the little girl. A gentle ramble!

Grandmothers will particularly relate to it!

Wasted by Mark Johnson An inspiring book about a childhood gone wrong. Mark goes right down to the depths and back up again. This book shows me that there is hope and that we can all change despite our past.

Hit and Run and Doug Johnstone Driving home drunk from a party, Billy Blackmore accidentally hits someone in the night. In a panic, he decides to drive off. It turns out the dead man was Edinburgh's biggest crime lord and, as Billy struggles with what he's done, he is sucked into a nightmare of guilt, retribution and violence.

The hundred-year-old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson.

On his 100th birthday Allan Karlsson makes his escape from the old people's home and embarks on an unlikely and momentous adventure.

The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Tyn Joyce When Harold Fry leaves home one morning to post a letter, with his wife hoovering upstairs, he has no idea that he is about to walk from one end of the country to the other. He has no hiking boots or map, let alone a compass, waterproof or mobile phone. All he knows is that he must keep walking. To save someone else's life.

The Resurrection of Tess Blessing by Lesley Kagen After she's diagnosed with breast cancer, Tess goes on a mission to complete her to-do list before her impending death. Tess is aided on her quest by narrator, Grace, who lends the story its most brilliant elements. Is Grace an imaginary friend, guardian angel, or a part of Tess that knows better than she? The Resurrection of Tess Blessing is by turns poignant, gritty, spiritually uplifting, and hilarious as hell.

Mo said she was quirky by James Kelman James Kelman tells the story of Helen - a sister, a mother, a daughter - a very ordinary young woman. Her boyfriend said she was quirky but it was more than that. Some things were important. You had to fight for them. Only Helen wasn't as strong as people thought.

Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman

With equal fascination for the local gang - the Dell Farm Crew - and the pigeon who visits his balcony, 11-year-old Harri absorbs the many strange elements of his new life in England. But when a boy is knifed to death and a police appeal for witnesses draws only silence, Harri decides to start a murder investigation of his own.

Temptation by Douglas Kennedy A real page turner, this is the story of a writer who rises from obscurity to the glittering heights of Tinseltown and how he deals with all the temptations that money and success bring with them.

Plainsong by Haruf Kent In Holt, Colorado, Tom Guthrie is struggling to bring up his two young sons alone. In the same town, school girl Victoria Roubideaux finds herself pregnant and homeless. Whilst Tom’s sons find their way forward without their mother, quiet and gentle Harold and Raymond McPheron agree to take Victoria in, unaware that their lives are about to change forever. It explores the grace and hope of every human life and mankind’s infinity capacity for love.

The white bird passes by Jessie Kesson Much of this story is autobiographical, with the young heroine being born in poverty and brought up in an orphanage in North East Scotland. Jessie Kesson movingly describes the young woman’s fight to be her “own person”.

The secret life of bees by Sue Monk Kidd A lovely story of Lily, beaten by T Ray and cared for by Rosaleen, the black woman looking after her since her mother’s death. When Rosaleen gets put in jail and beaten for trying to register to vote, Lily breaks her out and together they head for the Honey Farm at Tiburon. A feel good story but oh so sad!!

The Devil I Know by Claire Kilroy “The Devil I Know' is a thrilling novel of greed and hubris, set against the backdrop of a brewing international debt crisis. Told by Tristam, in the form of a mysterious testimony, it recounts his return home after a self-imposed exile only to find himself trapped as a middle man played on both sides

Lisey’s Story : a novel by Stephen King The story follows Lisey who was the great love of Scott Landon's life.

With Scott six feet under and Lisey all alone and mourning, along comes one of King's truly evil characters in the shape of Jimmy Dooley. Be prepared to be thrilled!

Different Season by Stephen King

A collection of four novellas. The first is a rich, satisfying, nonhorrific tale about an innocent man who carefully nurtures hope and devises a wily scheme to escape from prison. The second concerns a boy who discards his innocence by enticing an old man to travel with him into a reawakening of long-buried evil. In the third story, a writer looks back on the trek he took with three friends on the brink of adolescence to find another boy's corpse. The trip becomes a character-rich rite of passage from youth to maturity The Shinning by Stephen King Danny is only 5, but in the words of old Mr Hallorann he is a 'shiner', aglow with psychic voltage. When his father becomes caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, Danny's visions grow out of control. As winter arrives and blizzards cut them off, the hotel seems to develop a life of its own. It is meant to be empty. So who is the lady in Room 217 and who are the masked guests.

The wind through the keyhole by Stephen King Is a stand-alone novel, and a wonderful introduction to the series. It is a story within a story, which features both the younger and older gunslinger Roland on his quest to find the Dark Tower. Fans of the existing seven books in the series will also delight in discovering what happened to Roland and his ka tet between the time they leave the Emerald City and arrive at the outskirts of Calla Bryn Sturgis.

Misery by Stephen King Misery Chastain was dead. Paul Sheldon had just killed her - with relief, with joy. Misery had made him rich; she was the heroine of a string of bestsellers. That's when the car accident happened, and he woke up in pain in a strange bed. But it wasn't the hospital. Annie Wilkes had pulled him from the wreck, brought him to her remote mountain home, splinted and set his mangled legs. The good news was that Annie was a nurse and has pain-killing drugs. The bad news was that she was Paul's Number One Fan. And when she found out what Paul had done to Misery, she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all. And now he had to bring Misery back to life. Or else . . .

Carrie by Stephen King Carrie White is no ordinary girl. Carrie White has the gift of telekinesis. To be invited to Prom Night by Tommy Ross is a dream come true for Carrie - the first step towards social acceptance by her high school colleagues. But events will take a decidedly macabre turn on that horrifying and endless night as she is forced to exercise her terrible gift on the town that mocks and loathes her.

Under the Dome by Stephen King On an entirely normal day in Chester's Mills, Maine. The town is suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighbouring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when or if it will go away.

Out by Natsuo Kirino Japanese fiction is always startling original and often disturbing…this is no exception! You won’t put it down…and even if you do it won’t leave you alone!

My best friend's girl by Dorothy Koomson What would you do for the friend who broke your heart? Best friends Kamryn and Adele thought nothing could come between them, until Adele slept with Kamryn's fiance, Nate. Worse still, she got pregnant and had his child. When Kamryn discovered the truth about their betrayal she vowed never to see any of them again.

The namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri Gogol is named after his father’s favourite author, but hates the name. He does not find out the real reason for his name until years later when it is too late to make any difference to him. The story of a family moving from India to America and the changes they had to make there. This siory is just really a ramble, but its one you want to read to it's conclusion.

In Darkness by Nick Lake In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, a boy is trapped beneath the rubble of a ruined hospital, thirsty, terrified and alone. Shorty is a child of the slums, a teenage boy who has seen enough violence to last a lifetime, and who has been inexorably drawn into the world of the gangsters who rule Site Solèy; men who dole out money with one hand and death with the other.

Capital by John Lanchester The residents of Pepys Road, London - a banker and his shopaholic wife, an old woman dying of a brain tumour, a family of Pakistani shop owners, the young football star from Senegal and his minder all receive an anonymous postcard one day with a simple message: we want what you have. Who is behind it? As the mystery of the deepens, the world around Pepys Road is turned upside down and all of its residents' lives change beyond recognition.

Rush Home Road: a novel by Lori Lansens This has to have been the book of 2009. I couldn’t put it down!

Starts off as Sharla’s story, but it is really the story of Adelaide- Addyand what happened to her in the little town of Rushholme.

The girl with the dragon tattoo by Steig Larsson 40yrs ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island woned by the poweful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder - and that the killer is a member of his own family. He employs financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disapperance to a number of grotesque murders they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history.

To kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee Set in the 1930s this story is about a lawyer defending a black man charged with raping a white girl. The title comes from the lawyer’s advice to his children ‘shoot all the blue jays you want if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’.

The golden notebook by Doris Lessing The story of the inner and outer life of Anna, a young writer, single mother and member of the Communist Party, struggling with crises both in her domestic and political life, this book was hailed as a landmark by the Women's Movement.

The secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen Mary Bowser was born a slave. She was freed and educated. But as the American Civil War looms, Mary gives up her independence and returns to her home state. There she poses as an illiterate slave in the Confederate White House and spies on President Jefferson Davis.

Small Island by Andrea Levy The small island is Jamaica and this is the story of Hortense and Gilbert from Jamaica and Queenie and Bernard from England.

Mainly set in 1948, it tells the story of the aftermath of the war and how the Jamaicans settled and tried to get jobs after the war. This is a very funny book. I loved the characters, they were very warm and endearing.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka If you want a light read that is hilarious, try this book. The story of a glamorous, blonde, Ukrainian divorcee who explodes into an 84 year olds life, much to the horror of his two daughters. Don’t be put off by the cover or the title of this book, it is fun!

The snow child by Eowyn Livey Alaska, the 1920s. Jack and Mabel have staked everything on a fresh start in a remote homestead, but the wilderness is a stark place, and Mabel is haunted by the baby she lost many years before. When a little girl appears mysteriously on their land, each is filled with wonder, but also foreboding: is she what she seems, and can they find room in their hearts for her?

Sister by Rosamund Lupton What a first novel this is‌I read it so fast that I need to read it all over again! A thriller and a story of sibling tensions and, of course a twist in the tail!

Transatlantic by Colum McCann Emily Ehrlich watches as two young airmen, Alcock and Brown, emerge from the carnage of World War One to pilot the very first non-stop transatlantic flight from Newfoundland to the west of Ireland. Among the mail being carried on the aircraft is a letter which will not be opened for almost one hundred years. 1998.

Senator George Mitchell criss-crosses the ocean in search of an elusive Irish peace.

The road by Cormac McCarthy Father and son walking across America to reach the coast. We don’t know their names and the other characters are either good guys or cannibals looking to stay alive in the desolate world. I found this book an analogy for life! A compelling read!

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight Single mother and lawyer Kate Baron is in the meeting of her career when she is interrupted by a call. Her daughter Amelia has just been suspended from school. When Kate eventually arrives at Grace Hall , she is greeted by the news that no mother ever wants to hear. A grieving Kate can't accept that her daughter would kill herself. But she soon discovers she didn't know Amelia quite as well as she thought. And so begins an investigation which takes her deep into Amelia's private world .

Trick of the dark by Val McDermid When Charlie Flint is sent a mysterious package of press cuttings about a brutal murder, it instantly grabs her attention. A groom was battered to death just hours after his wedding. As Charlie delves deeper into the case, she realises there is much more to this crime than meets the eye.

Saturday by Ian McEwan A story set in just one day. The day did not start well for Henry Perowne, a neurosurgeon, who woke early to see a burning plane heading towards Heathrow airport. A day of anti-war protest in London post 9/11. This book is really well written, four pages dedicated to a game of squash, a chapter to the making of a fish stew. A wonderful thought provoking story.

A Lost Wife's Tale By Marion McGilvary Edith Lutz doesn't want to be found. She's left behind a comfortable home in a flurry of hastily packed bags, fleeing for an anonymous life in the city. With a new look, new name and new job as live-in housekeeper to wealthy publisher Adam, she's hoping to outwit her past and build herself a new life.

If nobody speaks of remarkable things by Jon McGregor A terrible event shatters the quiet of a summer evening on a street in the North of England and no one who witnesses it will ever be the same again. The opening chapter of this book is pure image inducing. It was like reading a painting. Once I had made up my mind that I would not find out what happened until the end of the book, I really settled to enjoy the writing.

That they may face the rising sun by John McGahern Kate and Joe arrive in Southern Ireland from London to set up a life for themselves. Across the lake are new best friends.

Jamesie and Mary. This is a wonderful snapshot of time in a quiet rural community.

Whisky Galore by Compton McKenzie It is 1943, and the war has brought rationing to the Hebridean Islands. It looks like the end of the world when the whisky is about to run out, and the locals are about to despair when a ship with a cargo of whisky is wrecked. Originally published: London: Chatto & Windus, 1947.

The land of decoration by Grace McLeen Grace introduces an unforgettable heroine in ten-year-old Judith, a young believer who sees the world with the clear Eyes of Faith.

Persecuted at school for her beliefs and struggling with her distant, devout father at home, Judith finds solace in a model in miniature of the Promised Land that she has constructed in her room from collected discarded scraps - the Land of Decoration. Where others might see rubbish, Judith sees possibility and divinity in even the strangest traces left behind.

This Is How It Ends by Kathleen McMahon Bruno, an American, has come to Ireland to search for his roots.

Addie, an out-of-work architect, is recovering from heartbreak while taking care of her infirm father. When their worlds collide, they experience a connection unlike any they've previously felt, but soon their newfound love will be tested.

Autumn journal by Louis MacNeice Written between August and December 1938, 'Autumn Journal' is still considered one of the most valuable and moving testaments of living through the 1930s by a young writer. It is a record of the author's emotional and intellectual experience during those months, the trivia of everyday living set against the events of the world outside.

The incomers by Moira McPartlin Mission-raised Ellie Amadi expects to live a dream life when she and her son Nat leave home in West Africa to join her white, estate factor husband James in the Fife mining village of Hollyburn. But Ellie soon witnesses the villagers' ignorance to outsiders.

What to look for in winter: a memoir in blindness by Candia McWilliam Candia McWilliam was once the darling of literary and fashionable London society. A blonde beauty she was seen in all the “in” places.

Her life story charts her childhood, marred by the suicide of her mother, her youth, marred by her insecurity and ultimately alcoholism and her beauty itself, marred by a condition which forces her eyes shut for up to 20 hours a day. Be warned though, have a dictionary handy…

The first true lie by Marina Mander Luca keeps to himself and his cat. One morning his mom doesn't wake up. Luca - decides to pretend that his mom is still alive. Luca gets for school, feeds Blue and manages to avoid nosy neighbours.

He and Blue camp out in the living room and have imaginary expeditions to outer space. Soon, however, the laundry starts piling up, the fridge emptying - and the smell of Mama's decaying body begins to permeate the apartment.

The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus Both morally engaged and wickedly entertaining, 'The Flame Alphabet' begs the question: what is left of civilisation when we lose the ability to communicate with those we love?

Only strange people go to church by Laura Marney The story of a group of adult learners with physical difficulties as well as learning difficulties. Maria is the key worker who has to tick the inclusive initiative box. So she comes up with a community show in a church with hilarious results.

Love in the time of Choleva by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Fermina Daza rebuffed hopeless romantic Florentino Ariza's impassioned advances and married Dr Juvenal Urbino instead.

During that half-century, Flornetino has fallen into the arms of many delighted women, but has loved none but Fermina. Having sworn his eternal love to her, he lives for the day when he can court her again.

Life of Pi: a novel by Yann Martel A sixteen-year-old boy is shipwrecked with a hyena, a zebra an orang-utan and a tiger. I wondered how a story could develop from this scenario, but it did. And you will either love it or hate it! I loved it!

Trespass: a novel by Valerie Martin Toby and Salome attend the same college, live in the same neighbourhood, and have the same political views. But their pasts, and the stories of their families' lives, are worlds apart. When they decide to spend their lives together, they must find a way to reconcile their two families. It becomes a tragically difficult task.

The glass room by Simon Mawer High on a Czechoslovak hill, the Landauer House has been built for newlyweds Viktor and Liesel Landauer, a Jew married to a gentile.

But when the storm clouds of WW2 gather, the family must flee, accompanied by Viktor's lover and her child. But the house's story is far from over, as it passes from hand to hand, from Czech to Russian.

The black house by Peter May A murder mystery that explores the darkness in our souls, and just how difficult it is to escape the savagery of the past.

The people's act of love by James Meek Based on historical fact, this book is set in Siberia. An escaped prisoner arrives in a small village and claims a cannibal is pursuing him. As the story unfolds, horrific revelations emerge.

A book you must read – fascinating.

The red road by Denise Mina Rose Wilson is fourteen, but looks sixteen. Pimped out by her 'boyfriend' and let down by a person she thought she loved, she has seen more of the darkness in life than someone twice her age. On the night of Princess Diana's death - a night everyone will remember Rose snaps and commits two terrible crimes. Her life seems effectively over. But then a defence lawyer takes pity and sets out to do what he can to save her, regardless of the consequences.

These foolish things by Deborah Moggach This is a very funny, but thought provoking tale of what happens when parents get old and siblings are trying to get on with busy lives.

Running a nursing home for Brits in India, Ravi Kapoor’s brother learns to deal with Ravi’s obnoxious father-in-law Norman.

The hundred foot journey by Richard C Moiras The Hundred-foot Journey is the story of Hassan Haji, a boy from Mumbai who embarks, along with his boisterous family, on a picaresque journey first to London and then across Europe, before they ultimately open a restaurant opposite a famous chef, Madame Mallory, in the remote French village of Lumie re. A culinary war ensues, pitting Hassan's Mumbai-toughened father against the imperious Michelin-starred cordon bleu, until Madame Mallory realizes that Hassan is a cook with natural talents far superior to her own.

The dead room by Chris Mooney When Special Investigator Darby McCormick is summoned to search for a missing teenage boy, she has no idea the case will come to haunt every waking moment. The boy had been in the care of a man whose fingerprints reveal him to be long-dead gangster, Frank Sullivan, killed by the FBI some 20 years earlier.

How to be a woman by Caitlin Moran Part memoir, part rant, 'How To Be A Woman' follows Caitlin Moran from her terrible 13th birthday, through adolescence, the workplace, strip-clubs, love, fat, abortion, Top Shop, motherhood and beyond.

The taste of sorrow by Jude Morgan The author of the acclaimed 'Passion' tells the story of the Bronte sisters. In this panoramic novel we see with new insight the members of a close-knit family whose tight bonds are the instruments of both triumph and tragedy.

The Roundabout Man by Clare Morrall Who is the Roundabout Man? He calls himself Quinn, the name of a boy in a world-famous series of children's books. What he hopes no one will discover is that he's the real Quinn, immortalised as a child by his mother in her entrancing tales about a little boy's adventures with his triplet sisters.

The last weekend by Blake Morrison Set over a long weekend in East Anglia, Blake Morrison's novel is a taut, atmospheric, brilliantly chilling story of a rivalrous friendship and of the green-eyed monster that eats the soul.

The bluest eye by Toni Morrison Pecola wants blue eyes more than anything else in her life. This is a sad story of black children and Pecola, who in particular, thinks herself so ugly that blue eyes would make everything all right and make her beautiful. A harrowing read!

The horse dancer by Jojo Moyes In a hidden corner of London, Henri Lachapelle is teaching his granddaughter and her horse to defy gravity, just as he had done in France, fifty years previously. But when disaster strikes, fourteenyear-old Sarah is left to fend for herself.

Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro These are dazzling, provocative stories about Svengali men and radical women who outmanoeuvre then, about destructive marriages and curdled friendships, about mothers and sons, about moments which change or haunt a life.

Don't wake me at Doyles: the remarkable memoir of an ordinary Irish woman and her extraordinary life By Maura Murphy The story of an ordinary woman with an amazing story to tell.

Moving from Ireland to Birmingham this story follows Maura from her childhood through her marriage to the present day. If you liked Angela’s Ashes, you will love this.

The search by Maureen Myant With Europe in the throes of war, a ten-year old boy embarks on a personal journey to reunite the family he has been violently torn from. The experiences he goes through and the horror he faces will change his life forever. A haunting read!

John the revelator by Peter Murphy Stuck in a small town, John Devine yearns for change. When James Corboy - a self-styled Rimbaudian boy wonder - arrives in town, John's life suddenly seems to be full of possibility. But together their nose for trouble may be their undoing and, as John hides from the reality of his mum's worsening health, he is soon faced with a dilemma.

Then by Julie Myerson It was 9.22, the moment when everything stopped. First there was the burning air, then came the darkness, the fire, and finally the frost. Now, in a frozen, wasted London, a woman - uncertain of her own name - is fighting to stay alive.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A memoir of book by Nafisi, Azar A wonderful book for anyone who loves reading. This tale gives a good account of Iran in the late 90s and the struggle to meet and read forbidden Western Literature.

Twelve bar blues by Patrick Neate An epic tale of fate, family, friendship, and jazz.

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky This book is set during the year France fell to the Nazis. It evokes the domestic lives and personal trials of the ordinary citizens of France during this occupation. All the more evocative given that the author died in Auschwitz in 1942 so never saw this book or the subsequent two sections published.

The snowman by Jo Nesbo Yes it’s a Scandinavian crime thriller, written by THE Scandinavian crime thriller writer! Taut, suspenseful and genuinely chilling you may NEVER be comfortable near snowmen again

The time traveler's wife by Audrey Niffenegger A story of love, waiting and longing. Henry is a time traveller and first encounters Clare when she is six years old. Their relationship starts then and comes to fruition when Clare is eighteen. A great story, unusual, unlike anything I have ever read.

The Young Wan: An Agnes Browne Novel by Brendan O'Carroll In The Mammy, star Irish comedian Brendan O'Carroll introduced fans to the earthy and exuberant Agnes Browne, a fiesty young widow struggling to raise an unruly, high-spirited brood in The Jarro, the gritty tenement heart of 1960s Dublin. Over the course of two subsequent novels, The Chisellers and The Granny, fans accompanied her through all her children's escapades and the other adversities that challenged her starch, street smarts, and wit. Soon there was a movie, Agnes Browne. But hungry fans wanted more.

Star of the Sea: farewell to Old Ireland by Joseph O'Connor

This story has everything history, romance, mystery and a gripping ending. There is a host of colourful characters in this tale. A twenty six-day journey set aboard a boat from Ireland destined for America.

This is a page turner which will keep you on the edge of your seats.

The death of bees by Lisa O'Donnell Glasgow, Christmas Eve 2006, and 15-year-old Marnie and her little sister Nelly have just finished burying her parents in the back garden. Only Marnie and Nelly know how they got there. As the year ends and another one begins, the sisters' friends, their neighbours and the authorities gradually start to ask questions.

The hand that first held mine by Maggie O'Farrell When the bohemian, sophisticated Innes Kent turns up by chance on her doorstep, Lexie Sinclair realises she cannot wait any longer for her life to begin, and leaves for London. There, at the heart of the 1950s Soho art scene, she carves out a new life for herself, with Innes at her side.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. But then, with only 95 days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable!

Nineteen eighty-four by George Orwell Newspeak, Doublethink, Big Brother, the Thought Police - the vocabulary of George Orwell's classic political satire, 'Nineteen Eighty-Four', has passed into the English language, symbolising the horrors of totalitarianism.

Down and Out in Paris by George Orwell Written when Orwell was a struggling writer in his twenties, it documents his 'first contact with poverty'. Here, he painstakingly documents a world of unrelenting drudgery and squalor - sleeping in bug-infested hostels and doss houses of last resort, working as a dishwasher in Paris's vile 'Hotel X', living alongside tramps, a stargazing pavement artist and a starving Russian ex-army captain.

Exposing a shocking world to his readers, Orwell gave a human face to the statistics of poverty for the first time - and in doing so, found his voice as a writer.

A tale for the time being by Ozeki, Ruth L. Ruth discovers a Hello Kitty lunchbox washed up on the shore of her beach home. Within it lies a diary that expresses the hopes and dreams of a young girl. She suspects it might have arrived on a drift of debris from the 2011 tsunami. With every turn of the page, she is sucked deeper into an enchanting mystery.

The Saint-Florentin murders by Jean-Francois Parot This work tells of the difficult times for Nicolas Le Floch: Louis XV is dead and Nicolas's boss Sartine has been promoted to Minister of State for the Navy. Le Noir, Sartine's successor as Lieutenant General of Police, distrusts Le Floch. This book features serial crimes and a bizarre murder weapon.

State Of Wonder by Ann Patchett There were people on the banks of the river. Among the tangled waterways and giant anacondas of the Brazilian Rio Negro, an enigmatic scientist is developing a drug that could alter the lives of women for ever. Dr Annick Swenson's work is shrouded in mystery; she refuses to report on her progress, especially to her investors

Tell me something by Adele Parks Elizabeth has wanted two things her entire life - an Italian husband and lots of rosy-cheeked babies to keep her happy and fulfilled. The first is ticked off, thanks to handsome Roberto, the second is proving a little harder to achieve.

I Curse The River Of Time by Per Patterson

It is 1989 and all over Europe communism is crumbling. Arvid Jansen is in the throes of a divorce. At the same time, his mother is diagnosed with cancer. Over a few intense autumn days, we follow Arvid as he struggles to find a new footing in his life, while all the established patterns around him are changing at staggering speed.

Far to go by Alison Pick

Pavel and Anneliese Bauer are affluent, secular Jews, whose lives are turned upside down by the arrival of the German forces in Czechoslovakia. The Bauers flee to Prague with their 6-year-old son, Pepik, and his beloved nanny, Marta. When the family try to flee without her to Paris, Marta betrays them to her Nazi boyfriend.

The fates will find their way: a novel by Hannah Pittard 16-year-old Nora Lindell is missing. And the neighbourhood boys she's left behind are caught forever in the heady current of her absence. As the days and years pile up, the mystery of her disappearance grows kaleidoscopically.

The bell jar by Sylvia Plath This is the story of Esther who is suffering from depression and is slowly going mad. She ends up in an asylum, where amongst other remedies she receives electric shock treatments. Quite a depressing book, but one which illustrates to readers the process of depression and the depths to which we could all go.

An anthology of poetry chosen buy the men in Barlinnie Prison and including the work of the Scottish Makar Liz Lochhead

State of Wonder by Ann Pratchett

There were people on the banks of the river. Among the tangled waterways and giant anacondas of the Brazilian Rio Negro, an enigmatic scientist is developing a drug that could alter the lives of women for ever. Dr Annick Swenson's work is shrouded in mystery; she refuses to report on her progress, especially to her investors.

Mort by Terry Pratchett So, Death takes a holiday, nothing unusual in that surely... and, obviously, DEATH needs an apprentice to keep things going in his absence. This is Terry Pratchett at his Discworld best. Read and enjoy!

The demonologist by Andrew Pyper Professor Ullman is a leading authority on Christian religion and myth but he sees what he teaches as nothing more than fiction. It's why when he's offered a trip to Venice to be a consultant on a case study based on his expertise as a 'demonologist' he accepts. But what he witnesses will change what he believes forever.

Mongol by Uuganaa Ramsay Uuganaa is a Mongol living in Britain. When her son Billy is diagnosed with Down's Syndrome, she has to face all the taboos associated with the term 'mongol'. In this powerful memoir, Uuganaa skilfully interweaves the extraordinary story of her own childhood in Mongolia with the short life of Billy, who inspires Uuganaa to challenge prejudice.

Resurrection men by Ian Rankin Rebus is in the bad books so has been sent back to Scottish Police College for re-training. This doesn’t stop him though. He is given an old case to work on and as usual, no stone is left unturned. A gripping read!

Burning Bright by Ron Rash Jacob and Edna have fallen on hard times. They haven't lost everything the way others have, but they have lost enough. When one of their hens stops laying eggs, it seems like the final straw.

The Cove by Ron Rash

Laurel and her brother Hank live in a little cabin set in the shadow of a deep cove. The locals whisper about the cove being cursed. One day Laurel happens upon a stranger hiding in the trees. The mysterious Walter is soon drawn into life in the cove. But then a secret is uncovered that threatens to shatter their newly found happiness.

Read Around Books - Scottish Fiction (various)

Mice by Gordon Reece One night, Shelley and her mum's fragile peace is shattered when Shelley wakes to hear a creak on the stairs - someone has broken into the house. In the shocking, chilling events that follow, Shelley's world is turned on its head, as the women find themselves tested as never before.

Hunted by Emlyn Rees Danny Shanklin wakes up slumped across a table in a London hotel room he's never seen before. There's a faceless dead man on the floor and he's got a high-powered rifle strapped to his hands. He hears sirens and stumbles to the window to see a burning limousine and bodies all over the street. The police are closing in. He's been set up.

The song of lunch by Christopher Reid Lunch in Soho with a former lover, but Zanzotti's is under new management, and as the wine takes effect fond nostalgia gives way to something closer to the bone. A mock elegy for the heady joys of old-time Soho, 'The Song of Lunch' displays the full range of Reid's wit, craft and human sympathy.

The Hourglass Factory by Lucy Ribchester The suffragette movement is reaching fever pitch but for broke Fleet Street tomboy Frankie George, just getting by in the cut-throat world of newspapers is hard enough. Sent to interview trapeze artist Ebony Diamond, Frankie finds herself fascinated by the tightly laced acrobat and follows her across London to a Mayfair corset shop that hides more than one dark secret.

The hourglass factory by Lucy Ribchester The suffragette movement is reaching fever pitch but for broke Fleet Street tomboy Frankie George, just getting by in the cut-throat world of newspapers is hard enough. Sent to interview trapeze artist Ebony Diamond, Frankie finds herself fascinated by the tightly laced acrobat and follows her across London to a Mayfair corset shop that hides more than one dark secret.

At Risk by Stella Rimmington Liz Carlyle, an MI5 Intelligence officer, receives a report from MI6 which will test her to the limit and put her life in jeopardy. As she sifts the evidence and gets reports from her agents she realises that there is an imminent terrorist threat.

Random by Craig Robertson Glasgow is being terrorised by a serial killer the media have nicknamed The Cutter. The murders have left the police baffled.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason behind the killings and nothing that connects the victims, except for the fact that the little fingers of their right hands have been severed.

And the land lay still by James Robertson An absolutely fascinating history of twentieth century Scotland, but so much more. A human story that involves your heart and your head. You may have lived through some of the period covered but, even if you are too young to remember any of it, James Robertson brings it all vividly to life.

Joseph Knight by James Robertson A gripping, shocking story of history, enlightement and slavery. Sir John Wedderburn was exiled to Jamaica after the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and made a fortune, alongside his three brothers. In the 1770s, he returned to Scotland to marry and re-establish the family name. He brought with him Joseph Knight, a black slave and a token of his years in the Caribbean. Joseph Knight, however, did not want to be slave. Based on true facts, this is a book for anyone interested in their Scottish History and courtroom dramas.

The 15 minute psychologist by Anne Rooney The 15-Minute Psychoanalyst introduces the reader to universal aspects of psychology which affect our day-to-day lives and relationships and offers insight into many of life’s dilemmas. Written in a style that’s amusing and easy to understand, The 15-Minute Psychoanalyst lets you in on the secrets of your own and other people’s minds and helps you get the most out of life.

How I live now by Meg Rosoff A haunting tale of present day occupied Britain. It really brings home how we would cope without our everyday amenities. I have never felt so chilled since reading Raymond Briggs ‘When the wind blows’.

The blackest bird: a novel of history and murder by Joel Rose In the New York City summer of 1841, 'Segar Girl' Mary Rogers is brutally murdered. Popular amongst the city's journalistic and publishing elite, the task of finding her killer falls to High Constable Jacob Hays, already embroiled in establishing law and order over the gangs who run rampant through the Five Points.

Orkney by Amy Sackville On a remote island a curiously-matched couple arrive on their honeymoon. He an eminent professor of literature, she his star pupil. Alone beneath the shifting skies of this untethered lansdscape, the professor realizes how little he knows about his bride. But what is it that constantly draws her to the sea.

Winter in Madrid by C. J. Sansom How much do we know about the Spanish Civil War? Before this book, in my case very little, but this story drew me right into the heart of the conflict. And gave me a love story and a thriller into the bargain

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi This text tells the story of Marjane Satrapi's life in Tehran from six to 14, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. Satrapi paints a portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life.

The Skinning Tree by Srikumar Sen Set against the Japanese advance on India during the Second World War, 'The Skinning Tree' centres on the nine-year-old Sabby, who lives with a Calcutta family where sophisticated British habits such as bridge and dinner parties co-exist with Indian values and nationalism.

The bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak One rainy afternoon in Istanbul a women walks into a doctor's surgery and announces that she wants an abortion. She is 19 years old and unmarried. What happens that afternoon is to change her life, and the lives of everyone around her.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer Set in Guernsey just after the war. Juliet is a writer looking for inspiration. She finds it when someone from Guernsey writes to her after the war to thank her for a book they had picked up with her name and address on it. So begins a correspondence and a story unfolds of the Book Group set up as a cover to meet and eat together during the occupation. A great insight into the island (I now want to go there!)

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare A young boy and girl meet by chance and fall instantly in love. But their families are bitter enemies, and in order to be together the two lovers must be prepared to risk everything. Set in a city torn apart by feuds, 'Romeo and Juliet' is a dazzling combination of passion and hatred and tragedy.

The girl with the glass feet by Ali Shaw Strange things are happening on the remote & snowbound archipelago of St Hauda's Land. Unusual winged creatures flit around icy bogland; albino animals hide themselves in the snowglazed woods; jellyfish glow in the ocean's depths - and Ida MacLaird is slowly turning into glass.

Please look after my mother by Kyung-Sook Shin Combining a unique setting with universal themes, 'Please Look After Mother' is a tear-jerking, beautifully rendered novel about sacrifice, guilt, and the ties of family love.

We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver I would never have picked this book up if it had not been recommended to me. This tale is told in a letter from a mother of a child mass murderer to her estranged husband. In this letter she asks the same questions of herself we would in the same situation. A very harrowing read!

The day is dark by Yrsa Sigurdardottir When all contact is lost with two Icelanders working in a harsh and sparsely populated area on the northeast coast of Greenland, Thora is hired to investigate. Is there any connection with the disappearance of a woman from the site some months earlier? And why are the locals so hostile?

The corner: a year in the life of an inner-city neighbourhood by David Simon The crime-infested intersection of West Fayette and Monroe Streets is well-known - and cautiously avoided - by most of Baltimore. David Simon and Edward Burns tell the chilling story of this desolate crossroad.

Jane Eyre laid bare by Eve Sinclair and Charlotte Bronte When an eager and curious Jane Eyre arrives at Thornfield House her sexual desires are instantly awakened. Who is the enigmatic Rochester whom she instantly feels attracted to, what are the strange and yet captivating noises coming from the attic, and why does the very air she breathe feel heavy with passion? Only one thing Is certain. Jane Eyre may have arrived at Thornfield an unfulfilled and tentative woman, but she will leave a very different person.

Blood City by Douglas Skelton Davie McCall has a troubled past. Under the guidance of Glasgow's Godfather, Joe the Tailor, he hopes to rid himself of the demons that fuelled his father's murderous rage.

The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer whose cancer cells became one of the most important tools in medicine. Rebecca Skloot takes the reader on an extraordinary journey in search of Henrietta's story.

One City By Alexander McCall Smith, Irvine Welsh, Ian Rankin, These three humorous stories by entirely different authors are all linked with one theme – tigers! If you want to sample some of Scotland’s finest, this book is the one to dip into.

The accidental by Ali Smith The story of the Smart family, Astrid, Magnus, Eve and Michael, all charmed by a young woman called Amber. A wonderfully written story, which has you turning the pages until all becomes clear.

Nothing ever does become clear however, but by the end of the book it doesn’t matter.

Elaine's world By Elaine C. Smith Best-known as the feisty wife of Rab C. Nesbitt, Elaine C. Smith is one of Scotland's most popular actresses. In Elaine's World, she charts her career so far, telling the story of her rise to fame and the trials and tribulations along the way.

Bruar's rest By Jess Smith The story begins in the Highlands at the turn of the 20th century as the wife of the wild gypsy Rory Stewart dies giving birth to their second son. Years later, during a winter storm, the Stewart boys save another travelling family and Bruar, the elder, falls in love with the spirited Megan.

Sookin' berries : tales of Scottish travellers By Jess Smith Acclaimed for her autobiographical trilogy, 'Jessie's Journey', Jess Smith is on a mission to pass on the stories she heard as a girl to the young readers of today.

The Inquisitor by Mark Allen Smith Geiger's business is extracting information. A meticulous torturer, he will stop at nothing to get the job done. He only has one rule: that he will never work on a child. So when a client presents him with a 12-year-old boy, his instinct is to walk away. But the alternative is too awful for him to contemplate.

A simple plan by Scott Smith In a snowbound valley a small plane is found. In the pilot's seat is a dead man, his eyes pecked out by crows, and in the back is a duffel bag containing 4.4 million dollars. So starts an inevitable and doomed spiral of events.

The Unseen by Alexandra Sokoloff

After experiencing a dream that shatters her engagement, psychology professor, Laurel MacDonald decides on a fresh start and takes a job at Duke University. She soon becomes obsessed with the long-buried files from the world-famous Rhine parapsychology experiments, which attempted to prove if ESP really exists.

Armistice By Nick Stafford Nick Stafford helped write “War Horse for the stage and this murder mystery set just after 11th November 1918 is as atmospheric as the play. You really want the characters to work out together in the end!

The kindest thing by Cath Staincliffe When Deborah reluctantly agrees to help her beloved husband, Neil, end his life, she is arrested and charged with murder. As the trial unfolds, Deborah, still reeling with grief, fights to defend her actions in committing a crime that divides social opinion and creates painful schisms in her own family.

The grapes of wrath by John Steinbeck Shocking and controversial when it was first published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer prize-winning epic remains his undisputed masterpiece. It tells of the Joad family who travel West in search of the promised land, and find only broken dreams.

A traveller's life: the autobiography of Sheila Stewart Sheila Stewart is the last in the line of the Stewarts o'Blair, a travelling family who have made a unique contribution to the musical and oral traditions of Scotland. This, her long-awaited autobiography, is graphic in its depiction of the sometimes harrowing circumstances of her life.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Aibileen is a black maid, raising her 17th white child, but with a bitter heart after the death of her son. Minny is the sassiest woman in Mississippi. Skeeter is a white woman with a degree but no ring on her finger. Seemingly as different as can be, these women will come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk.

More than it hurts you by Darin Strauss A gripping tale where doctors try to save babies from their parents, police use the law to tear a family apart and the people you think you know best surprise you the most.

The Earth hums in B flat by Mari Strachan Gwenni Morgan is not like any other girl in this small Welsh town.

Inquisitive, bookish and full of spirit, she can fly in her sleep and loves playing detective. So when a neighbour mysteriously vanishes, and no one seems to be asking the right questions, Gwenni decides to conduct her own investigation.

The suspicions of Mr. Whicher, or, The murder at Road Hill House

by Kate Summerscale In the village of Road in Wiltshire during the summer of 1860, a family awakes to discover that a gruesome murder has taken place in their home. The guilty party is surely still among them. Jack Whicher of Scotland Yard, the most celebrated detective of his day, has the unenviable task of conducting the investigation.

The garden of evening mists by Twan Eng Tan In the lush highlands of Malaya, a woman sets out to build a memorial to her sister, killed at the hands of the Japanese during the brutal Occupation of their country. Yun Ling's quest leads her to 'The Garden of Evening Mists', and to Aritomo, a man of extraordinary skill and reputation, once the gardener of the Emperor of Japan.

When she accepts his offer to become his apprentice, she begins a journey into her past, inextricably linked with the secrets of her troubled country's history.

Truth by Peter Temple Villani's job as the head of the Victoria Police Homicide Squad is bathe d in blood and sorrow. Incapable of constancy as a father and husband, damaged as a son, his life is his work. Now, over a few summer days, as fires burn across the state and his superiors and colleagues scheme and jostle, his soul is about to be laid bare.

The tin-kin by Eleanor Thom When her aunt Shirley dies, Dawn finds herself back in her claustrophobic hometown of Elgin in Scotland. In an attempt to avoid contact with anyone from her former life, Dawn busies herself cleaning Shirley's flat, until one day she comes across the key to a cupboard that she was never allowed to open as a child.

Fear and loathing by Hunter S Thompson 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' first appeared in Rolling Stone in 1971. Highly acclaimed, it is a fictionalised account of the author's drug-induced rampage in Las Vegas whilst on a long weekend trip with his attorney.

The legacy by Kirsten Tranter Julia is hopelessly in love with her best friend Ralph, who in turn is tormented by desire for his cousin Ingrid. Ralph is devastated when Ingrid leaves to start a new life, marrying a much older art dealer in New York. On September 11, 2001, she has an appointment in Manhattan and is never seen again.

Sex and Stravinsky By Barbara Trapido From far and wide, the different characters are all drawn together.

In its mix of people from different spheres, the story throws up the complexity, cruelty and richness of the global world while, as a sequence of personal stories, it is a masquerade in which things are not always what they seem.

The road home by Rose Tremain

The story of Lev, making his way to Britain from Eastern Europe.

Sharing his journey to a new life with Lydia. The book follows their story as they arrive in England with no jobs and not nearly enough money. Lev works hard to send money home to his mother and daughter, his wife is dead. A wonderful story following Lev’s dream.

The slap by Christos Tsiolkas A harmless domestic incident as seen from eight different perspectives. The result though is a critical look at our lives today, the modern family, and values.

Salmonella men on planet porno by Yasutsui Tsutsui This collection of marvellously off-kilter short stories – the American debut of acclaimed Japanese writer Yasutaka Tsutsui – portrays the consequences of a world where the fantastic and the mundane collide and throw the lives of ordinary men and women into disarray.

Cutting for stone: a novel by Abraham Verghese

The unforgettable story of twin brothers born in Ethiopia of the secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a British doctor, and the choices each of them must face as they grow to manhood.

Alarm girl by Hannah Vincent When Indigo and her brother arrive in South Africa, they find a luxury lifestyle that is a world away from their modest existence back in England. But Indigo is uneasy and confused by the family's silence surrounding her mother's recent death. Unable to find solace, she begins to harbour violent suspicions in place of the truth.

This keen and touching debut seamlessly interweaves the voices of Indigo and her mother, and beautifully captures the human desire to belong: in a family, in a country, in your own skin.

Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin The story of Charley Thompson 15 and left on his own after his father is killed in a brawl. Charley befriends a race horse Lean on Pete at a local horse track where he seeks work. When it appears the horse is in danger, Charley steals a truck and trailer and the horse to set off on a journey of hope to find his Aunt up in Wyoming.

I found this story quite disturbing.

Never coming home by Evonne Wareham

When Kaz Elmore is told her 5-year-old daughter Jamie has died in a car crash, she struggles to accept she'll never see her again. Then a stranger comes into her life and offers her hope. Devlin witnessed the accident and says he isn't sure Jamie was the girl in the car. The police aren't interested, so Devlin and Kaz investigate themselves.

The legacy of Elizabeth by Kirsty War Born just before the First World War, Elizabeth Pringle has been a familiar yet solitary figure on the Scottish island of Arran. A dutiful daughter, an inspirational teacher, a gardener. But did anyone really know her? When Elizabeth dies, her will contains a surprise. She has left her home and her belongings to someone who is all but a stranger, a young mother she watched pushing a pram down the road more than thirty years ago.

The financial lives of poets by Jess Water A few years ago, small-time finance journalist Matthew quit his day job to gamble everything on a quixotic notion: a Web site devoted to financial journalism in the form of blank verse. When his big idea and his wife's eBay resale business - ends with a whimper, they borrow and borrow. One morning Matt wakes up to find himself jobless, hobbled with debt, spying on his wife's online flirtation, and six days away from losing his home.

The night watch by Sarah Waters This story starts at the end of the war and moves backwards through the war years. Fantastic characters in Kay, Helen, Viv and Duncan! I couldn’t put this book down trying to find out how the story would unfold.

Miss Pettigrew lives for a day by W F N Watson Miss Pettigrew is a down-on-her-luck, middle-aged governess sent by an employment agency to work for a nightclub singer rather than a household of unruly children. Over a period of just 24 hours, her life is changed - forever.

Duende : a journey in search of flamenco by Jason Webster Jason Webster sets off to Spain in search of Duende in this true tale.

He has always wanted to learn how to play Flamenco guitar, so travels through Spain playing with groups, meeting strange and interesting people on his journey. Join him as he chases his dream. If you want a taste of the real Spain and love music, this is the book for you.

Skagboys by Irvine Welsh Mark Renton has it all, but there's no room for him in the 1980s.

Thatcher's government is destroying working-class communities across Britian, and the post-war certainties of full employment, educational opportunity and a welfare state are gone. When his family starts to fracture, the only way out is heroin.

The girl on the stairs by Louise Welsh Jane is pregnant and has moved to Berlin to live with her lover. The women's chic new apartment is in a trendy part of the city but Jane finds herself increasingly uneasy there. She conceives a dread of the derelict backhouse across the courtyard and begins to suspect something sinister is happening in the flat next door.

In the Rosary Garden by Nicola White Ali Hogan is leaving school, all the possibilities of adult life glistening before her, when her discovery of a murdered new-born in the convent garden in Ireland shatters her world and resurrects halfformed memories of her childhood. For detective Vincent Swan, this baby s resting place in the grounds of a prosperous school, in an Ireland riven by battles of religion and reproduction, makes the case a media sensation even as the church moves to suppress it. Swan is no friend of the Catholic church; Swan doesn t have many friends.

Even his own wife is a mystery to him. Ali flees the media spotlight, seeking refuge at her uncle s farm in remote Buleen where she starts to put together the fragments of an older tragedy, another child's death. Meanwhile in Dublin, Swan s investigation is stalling, forcing him to consider that the scraps of evidence point to Ali Hogan herself.

The blue suitcase by Marianne Wheelaghan Partly based on a true storia, this is the remarkable account of a teenage girl growing up in Nazi Germany whose family are ripped apart by the policies of the National Socialist Government.

Wasted in love by Allan Wilson 'Wasted in Love' charts the relationships of several couples as they fall in and out of love and fight against the everyday problems of life in all its humour, tragedy and joy.

When God was a rabbit by Sarah Winman This novel is a mesmerising portrait of childhood and growing up; the loss of innocence, eccentricity and familial bonds. Stripped down to its bare bones, it's the story of the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister.

The daylight gate by Jeanette Winterson Picture a beautiful lady - fine clothes, long red hair, astride a white horse, followed by a falcon. She is riding through Pendle Woods. It's the Daylight Gate - that spot of time when daylight turns into night.

And in the centre of the woods, watching and waiting, a group of feral, desperate women are gathering.

Illegally dead by David Wishart Not everyone agrees that Lucius Hostilius was murdered. Although he hasn't any official investigative status, Corvinus can't resist doing a little amateur sleuthing. He has barely begun when two other corpses turn up.

Malford by Jacqueline Yallop Ellie Barton has spent her young life living in the dilapidated manor house with her elderly father. Her duty is to her aristocratic lineage, something of which she is often reminded by those few people around her. But Marlford, the local village founded by her grandfather, is in decay. When two idealistic young men decide to squat in the closed wing of the house, they show her a world much wider than Marlford.

Gem squash tokoloshe by Rachel Zadok This is a real page turner. You will start reading it with a smile and will not want it to end. The story of a little girl, Faith, in South Africa during Apartheid. This book took me into a world so different from the one I knew growing up.

The shadow of the wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. A man brings his 10-year-old son to the library and allows him to choose one book to keep. But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find.

My friend Matt and Hena the whore by Adam Zameezad Kimo, Golam, Matt and Hena live in an African village that is dying.

So they embark on a search for an older cousin who has supposedly made it big in the city, but they find on their journey a country paralysed by famine and civil war. Although they are soon little more than skeletons, the children are full of resources with which to meet this world. Told with innocence, the horrific facts of famine, poverty and conflict still come through.