Night School by Lee Child:

I love, love, love the Jack Reacher series. Number 21 is just as exciting and fun as all the others. This time it’s a flashback to when Reacher was a Major in the army and is sent to collaborate with FBI and CIA agents at ‘Night School’ but totally of the books. Of course Reacher doesn’t play well with the agents so he pulls Sergeant Frances Neagley in to be his sidekick. Child’s observational style is full of social commentary wrapped in a nerve-wracking trill ride. If you like a tough guy, spies, logic and reasoning, terrorism, counter-terrorism, creative fight scenes and a strong female heroine then this is the book for you. – Gilly

Caraval by Stephanie Garber:

❝Whatever you’ve heard about Caraval, it doesn’t compare to the reality. It’s more than just a game or a performance. It’s the closest you’ll ever find to magic in this world.❞

Sisters Scarlet and Tella have grown up hearing stories of Caraval and long to experience the magic – a week long performance, where the audience participates in the show. With gifted tickets to an invitation only Caraval, the sisters are swept into a world of magic, secrets and betrayal, where nothing is as it seems, and the stakes are life threatening. Caraval is like a grotesque wonderland where the mad hatter calls the shots, and you can loose yourself in the game at any moment. Garber has created a world where magic is real, clues are paid for with your deepest secrets and sometimes in days of your life, tunnels can drive you insane and make you question your reality. Caraval is a truly enchanting book, I was drawn in from the very first page and did not want to put it down, this book has quickly become one of my favourite books of 2017. – Jess

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell:

Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park is a wonderfully written young adult novel. It tells the story of Eleanor, a girl who stands out from the crowd with her bright red hair, freckles and strange clothes. As well as Park, a quiet Korean boy who enjoys wearing black. They meet on a bus ride to school and at first, they do not speak and end up trying to avoid each other. After numerous nervous attempts at making contact, they begin to bond over their mutual love of comic books and music. This book explores the happiness, struggles and awkwardness that comes with new relationships. It is a great read for anyone who enjoys John Green or Jandy Nelson. – Jill

The Massacre of Mankind by Stephen Baxter:

When I found out that H.G Wells’ War of the Worlds was getting was sequel almost 119 years after the release of the original story, I was excited to say the least, but also skeptical. Well after reading it I can say that if you enjoyed the original, you’ll get some enjoyment out of this new story.

Set 14 years after the first Martian attack on London, the world is not the same. Armies are prepared for another invasion but so are the Martians. This time the invaders know and have learnt from their last visit to earth and are unstoppable and more dangerous than ever before. One positive to come out of the book is the lore that Stephen Baxter expands on from the original book, such as characters only mentioned by the narrator, making the story feel familiar to Wells’ classic. Not only that, the author brings an interesting new perspective to the Martians and their reasons behind their attack on earth and by finally knowing how the invaders act outside of the infamous tripods. If you’re a fan of the original classic like I am, I believe you should give this one a read, because who doesn’t love a book about Martians, heat rays and total world destruction? – Andrew

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi:

This book opens with a trainee neurosurgeon diagnosing yet another patient, the diagnostics simple and clear, the cancer widely disseminated. However, this time around it was different, Dr Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed himself. From doctor to patient, in one day Paul’s future vanished. Over 10 years of training and dedication just to fall to his own practice. A true battle of hope vs resignation began. What do you do when the future you have been striving towards is suddenly out of reach? How does it feel to nurture your loved ones to success?

‘When Breath Becomes Air’ is a powerfully moving story of how Paul poetically describes his search for meaning, his passion for life and his noble decisions made along the way. This perplexing story of a man that knows what really matters in life, openly speaks from his heart to touch our souls. This book will make you cry, it will see you envy, compassion will accumulate, however above all this book will make you explore your own life and appreciate it like you never have before, finding everything you ever knew in this world to be significant.
An undeniably inspiring read. – Ryan