YOUR SPRING LIBRARY The top 10 books to keep you entertained this Spring

Top 10 books to read this Spring

Picture it, sipping a piping hot cup of coffee in the garden, nothing but the sound of birds chirping to disturb you and the company of a good book – a dream, right?

To help you pick the perfect company, we have put together a list of the top 10 books you are bound to want to read this Spring, from non-fiction, romantic novels, biographies and more!

The Absolute Book - Elizabeth Knox

Taryn Cornick barely remembers the family library. Since her sister was murdered, she’s forgotten so much.

Now it’s all coming back. The fire. The thief. The scroll box. People are asking questions about the library. Questions that might relate to her sister’s murder.

And something called The Absolute Book.

A book in which secrets are written - and which everyone believes only she can find. They insist Taryn be the hunter. But she knows the truth. She is the hunted . . .

The Lido - Libby Page

Rosemary has lived in Brixton all her life, but everything she knows is changing. Only the local lido, where she swims every day, remains a constant reminder of the past and her beloved husband George. Kate has just moved and feels adrift in a city that is too big for her. She’s on the bottom rung of her career as a local journalist and is determined to make something of it.

So when the lido is threatened with closure, Kate knows this story could be her chance to shine. But for Rosemary, it could be the end of everything. Together they are determined to make a stand, and to prove that the pool is more than just a place to swim - it is the heart of the community.

The Corfu Trilogy - Gerald Durrell

Three classic tales of childhood on an island paradise - My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods by Gerald Durrell - are available in a single edition for the first time in The Corfu Trilogy.

The Other Passenger - Louise Candlish

It all happens so quickly. One day you’re living the dream, commuting to work by river bus with your charismatic neighbour Kit in the seat beside you. The next, Kit hasn’t turned up for the boat and his wife Melia has reported him missing.

When you get off at your stop, the police are waiting. Another passenger saw you and Kit arguing on the boat home the night before and the police say that you had a reason to want him dead. You protest. You and Kit are friends - ask Melia, she’ll vouch for you. And who exactly is this other passenger pointing the finger? What do they know about your lives?

No, whatever danger followed you home last night, you are innocent, totally innocent.

The Wood Age: How one material shaped the whole of human history - Roland Ennos

In a journey to appreciate how much wood matters – and has done since prehistory – Roland Ennos takes the reader chronologically through four key phases: the impact of wooded habits on the lives of primates; human emergence and the discoveries of fire and woodwork; wood’s role in an environment both pre-and post-industrialisation; and lastly, the possible future of wood in an increasingly technologized world.

In an original and essential investigation, The Wood Age challenges the traditional model of historical development – stone, bronze, iron – and instead guide readers through a revealing and innovative wooded history of the world. innocent, totally innocent.

Kind Words for Unkind Days - Jayne Hardy

We all have days where we feel like the world is getting us down. But here’s the thing - you’re not alone. From helping us see what strong looks like, to what to do when we have no energy for selfcare; Jayne Hardy shows us that even on our most difficult days, a little kindness can go a very long way.

With easily digestible advice and soothing messages to help you find brightness on even the darkest days, this is the book we all need. Perfect for yourself or as a gift to a family member or friend, this book is the message we all need to hear: Be kind.

RSPB What’s That Bird? - DK

Offering clear and concise instructions, What’s That Bird? is the ideal birdwatching manual, allowing you to identify with ease the feathered wild creatures in your backyard. With labelled photographs and information on identifying bird species handy, the budding birdwatcher need look no further. Produced in association with the Royal Society for Protection of Birds, this illustrated reference guide contains details of over 150 common bird species found across Britain and Europe.

Learn to identify birds by colour, size, shape, flight pattern, and sound, and find out the best season for spotting them as well as how to tell similar birds apart. What does a black redstart look like? Where can you find a sand martin? What markings does a dunnock have? Find answers to these and much more here.

With These Hands - Pam Ayres

Delighting her fans for more than four decades with her mischievous wit and wry observations, this is a classic collection of poems and monologues from Pam Ayres, which takes us back to where it all began. From the nostalgia of her 1950’s childhood, conjuring up images of hand-knitted swimming costumes and suet puddings, through Pam’s four years in the WRAF where she discovered the joy of performing, to poignant reflections on motherhood and watching her children grow up. With These Hands provides a profound and hilarious insight into the joys and tribulations of daily life, as recorded by the nation’s favourite poet.

Cry Baby - Mark Billingham

Detective Sergeant Tom Thorne is a haunted man. Haunted by the moment he ignored his instinct about a suspect, by the horrific crime that followed and by the memories that come day and night, in sunshine and shadow.

So when seven-year-old Kieron Coyne goes missing while playing in the woods with his best friend, Thorne vows he will not make the same mistake again. Cannot.

The solitary witness. The strange neighbour. The friendly teacher. All are in Thorne’s sights.

This case will be the making of him . . . or the breaking.

Sorry Not Sorry - Sophie Ranald

She’s not just stuck in a rut - she’s buried in it up to her chin. The only company she has in bed is the back catalogue of Netflix and falling in love feels like the stuff of fairy tales. So when she stumbles across a popular podcast, ‘Sorry Not Sorry’, which challenges women to embrace their inner bad girl, she jumps at the chance to shake things up.

Old Charlotte would never ask for a stranger’s number, go on a blind date or buy lacy lingerie... But New Charlotte is waving goodbye to her comfort zone (with a side order of margaritas). And it turns out that good things happen to bad girls...