Books

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more Jeffrey Archer's thrilling new novel is set against the backdrop of the London 2012 Olympics (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)July 2005 “Do you think we’re in with a chance?” asked William. “An outside chance,” responded the Hawk. “But don’t hold your breath.”Commander William Warwick and his superior officer, Jack Hawksby, Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, were seated at the back of the packed ballroom in the Raffles Convention Centre in Singapore. For now, they were observers, not participants. Only if London won the bid to host the 2012 Olympics would they become participants.Five cities had made it to the final round, but only one would be returning home wit...

Love it or hate it, the spooky season is around the corner, and classic horror films and books that bring chills down your spine are making a resurgence. Most horror stories will just scare you in the moment, but one ghostly tale has stuck with me, compelling me to revisit it every year.No matter how familiar the twists and turns become, the atmosphere never loses its power, and the dread feels just as intense with every read. The horror book in question is Ring by Koji Suzuki (1991). This Japanese tale stands as one of the greatest of all time and even rivals the greatest Stephen King novels. However, one thing I believe (which many will disagree with) is that the book is more horrifying than the film.Over the years, filmmakers have attempted to create the same chilling essence on scre...

Sir Winston Churchill’s reading list has resurfaced, and it includes crime dramas, romances, and an adventure novel. In 1960, the former prime minister was preparing for his fourth cruise aboard the Christina, the private yacht of Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.The ship left Tangier on March 10 and crossed the Atlantic to the Caribbean, where it made various stops, from Trinidad to Puerto Rico, before Churchill flew home on April 2. For his trip, Churchill’s private secretary prepared a list of 23 books that the politician would have available to him during the three-week cruise. Martin Gilbert wrote in his official biography of Churchill that “it was books that now occupied most of Churchill’s active hours”. The list included: Call of the Wild by Jack London; The Brothers Kara...

The king of horror has penned many classics: It, The Shining and Carrie, just to name a few. When Stephen King's not crafting new masterpieces, he's devouring books. The literary legend once shared that he reads an average of 80 books a year, saying: "So many books, so little time."But what are his very favourite books? For The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books, King shared his shortlist and a special story about his top pick. With just $4 to spend at a bargain shop in his hometown of Lisbon Falls, Maine, he risked over half of it on a book that ended up teaching "more about good writing than all the classes I’ve ever taken", noting: "It’s the best $2.25 I ever spent."

Books are a great way to relax, pass the time or learn something new - and choosing your favourites is a very subjective matter. They can leave an impression on a young mind, or offer guidance in a time of need, as well as provide a bit of escapism from reality.I have compiled a list of some of my favourites and why I believe everyone should read these if they require some escapism. Here are my top five books to add to your autumn reading list - and perhaps controversially one author's books crop up not once, not twice, but three times.Counting as three of the five entries, The Hunger Games series is set in a dystopian future and follows Katniss Everdeen, a young women who volunteers, in her younger sisters place, to take part in the Hunger Games, which is annual televised event that in...

Night by Elie Wiesel, 1960Amongst the evil and horror, in the midst of unspeakable atrocities committed at Auschwitz, Night finds hope through the eyes of 15-year-old Elie in this incredible memoir, reminding us we are our brothers’ keepers. Not always easy to read, as gruesome scene follows gruesome scene, but read it must be. The words ‘never forget, never again’ honour Elie’s work.The Dressmakers of Auschwitz by Lucy Adlington, 2021The word survivors could have been created for those sent to camps during the Holocaust, but this real-life story, drawn from seamstresses who survived, tells us of 25 women and girls who sewed to survive, who were selected to design, cut, and create beautiful fashions for Nazi women whose husbands ran the most infamous of all camps – Auschwitz.The Book of...

Jacqueline Wilson, the bestselling author behind The Story of Tracy Beaker and more than 100 other children’s novels, has revealed the 10 books that most inspired her as a child, many of which later shaped her own writing.Wilson, who has sold over 40 million books worldwide, described herself as “absolutely loving books, not just my own, but other people’s too.” She explained that several of her stories were directly inspired by childhood favourites, including Secrets, which references The Diary of Anne Frank, and Katy, her modern retelling of the 19th-century classic What Katy Did.The list, shared with the Bradford Literature Festival in 2021, spans from beloved children’s adventures to classic literature:The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton – Wilson recalled being “desperate to be Silky ...

The high street and online retailer TGJones, the one-stop destination for all things books, stationery and entertainment, is kicking autumn off with their handpicked selection of September and October’s most exciting book releases, all of which can be pre-ordered online.There is something for everyone this autumn, from food-lovers to fiction fanatics, or those simply looking for the perfect gift. TGJones is your go-to destination for the season's most anticipated releases, including some signed editions for that extra special touch. Here are five recommendations you won't want to miss.The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman (September 25)Hitting the shelves on September 25 is the new book from television presenter turned novelist Richard Osman. The Impossible Fortune is the fifth instal...

Whether you're an avid reader devouring several books each week or someone who just prefers to read every now and again or while on holiday, everyone is different. Genre is another personal preference, with some sticking to the same genres while others dabble in everything from romance and thrillers to non-fiction and fantasy.But, whatever your reading preferences, there are some books that everyone should try, according to Goodreads users. This Listopia ranking was compiled using tens of thousands of votes. Topping the list is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a 1960 Southern Gothic novel follows young Scout Finch, her brother Jem and father Atticus, a lawyer who agrees to defend a Black man wrongly accused of a crime. To Kill a Mockingbird was instantly successful after its release...

As someone who loves books, purely for the ability they have at transporting you to other worlds and offering up a bit of escapism, I have done my best over the years to avoid those coming under the non-fiction category. This year, however, I decided enough is enough took it upon myself to read 10 pages a day of a non-fiction title. So far, it has been going well. Here are three recommendations if you're looking to get into non-fiction and put the novels down for a little while.All About Love by Bell HooksThe book's synopsis reads: "All About Love offers radical new ways to think about love by showing its interconnectedness in our private and public lives. In eleven concise chapters, hooks explains how our everyday notions of what it means to give and receive love often fail us, and how...