Book clubs in Somerset

It’s a beautiful yet heart-breaking, coming of age book that explores identity, belonging and the idea of ‘home’.

Everything! The fantasy, the romance, the sidekicks (he's a frog) and the characters, my favourite read!

Despite technically being a YA novel, the author manages to portray a surprisingly nuanced view on British imperialism and classism. Stroud also manages in the same book to create one of the most hilarious characters I've had the pleasure of reading, the djinn Bartimaeus. I particularly enjoyed the footnotes during the Bartimaeus sections of the book, as his wisecracks and japes also manage to sneak their way into those. In short, politicial intrigue + an easy to follow writing style + a hilariously sassy spirit = quite the book.

This is the book that got me into fantasy as a teenager. Pullman does a fantastic job at creating an alternate Earth that still feels fantastical, even though there are still many similarities with our own world. Despite many calling this children's literature, there are still some very heavy themes.

I am currently a newbie in reading and fantasy Romance, this is the book that got me into the genre

I haven't finished the throne of glass series, I am at the tandem read, but so far this is my favourite book.

It’s a lovely easy read , serious but at the same time funny . Main character is someone you can use your imagination on how she looks sounds and acts… as she’s lived her life built entirely on secrets .

This book is narrated by Jacob; essentially a villain, but modern readers will recognise he's at the mercy of a serious mental health problem. Being set during the English Civil War, Jacob breaks every rule going, and understands his character in religious terms; he thinks the devil is talking to him. The historical detail is incredible, the characters completely 3D, and when Jacob falls in love with a deserter/digger, the outcome is shattering. How Maria McCann manages to humanise a man who commits terrible acts I will never know. (It's worth mentioning that Jacob's crimes really are loathsome, and not for the faint-hearted!)

The story unravels in an unusual way which keeps the reader guessing, but also the dramatic heart of it is a story of a known incident from a different perspective, beautifully told.