Border Princes by Dan Abnett

Can't get enough of Torchwood and although this wasn't terribly well written, and the plot creaked a bit, it was still really enjoyable.

Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi

A brilliant follow up to Satrapi's graphic novel Persepolis: AZ: "In November 1955, Nasser Ali Khan, one of Iran's most celebrated tar players, is in search of a new instrument. His beloved tar has been broken. But no matter what tar he tries, none of them sound right. Brokenhearted, Nasser Ali Khan decides that life is no longer worth living. He takes to his bed, renouncing the world and all of its pleasures. This is the story of the eight days he spends preparing to surrender his soul. As the days pass and Nasser Ali Khan grows weaker, those who love him - his wife, his children, his siblings - gather round, incredulous, to try to comfort him. Every visitor stirs up a memory, and in the course of this week, Nasser Ali Khan revisits his entire life, a life defined by three relationships in particular. He remembers his late mother, who sacrificed everything for his revolutionary brother, but who also, in the last week of her life, found solace only in smoking and listening to him play his tar; his angry wife, who can't forgive him his melancholy and irresponsibility; and Irane, his first love, whose father forbade her to marry a poor musician and inflicted the wound that fuelled his music. The pieces of Nasser Ali Khan's story slowly fall into place, and as they do, we begin to understand him. By the time the eighth day dawns, having witnessed Nasser Ali Khan communing with Sufi mystics, Sophia Loren, the spirit of his late mother, his own demons and, bravely, with Azrael, the angel of death - we feel privileged to have known him. Brilliantly weaving together the past, present and future to explore the successes and joys, failures and disappointments of Nasser Ali Khan's life and through his story, the meaning of any of our lives - Marjane Satrapi has also once again presented us with a complex and deeply human portrait of the men and women of her country, and of pre-revolution Iran itself. She delivers this tremendous story about life and death, and the fear and courage both require, with her trademark humour and insight."

Private Peaceful by Michael Morpugo

Morpugo's most famous text, beautifully written and heart wrenching

AZ: "Heroism or cowardice? A stunning story of the First World War from a master storyteller. Told in the voice of a young soldier, the story follows 24 hours in his life at the front during WW1, and captures his memories as he looks back over his life. Full of stunningly researched detail and engrossing atmosphere, the book leads to a dramatic and moving conclusion. Both a love story and a deeply moving account of the horrors of the First World War, this book will reach everyone from 9 to 90."

The Man Who Smiled by Henning Mankell

Another brilliant tightly plotted thriller from Mankell and Wallander

AZ: "After killing a man in the line of duty, Inspector Kurt Wallander finds himself spiralling into an alcohol-fuelled depression. He has just decided to leave the police when an old friend approaches him for help investigating his father's suspicious death. Kurt doesn't want to know. But then his friend is found shot dead. Against his better judgment, he returns to work to head what may now have become a double murder case. But while Wallander is on the trail of the killer, somebody is on the trail of Wallander, and closing in fast."

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

My AZ review: "I loved this book, not least the quirky outer cover, it doesn't even open like a normal book. The previous reviewer has given such an excellent account of the storyline that I wont add to that. Everyone keeps talking about Roald Dahl (who I adore), it is not like Dahl in feel, yes it's about kids and good and bad adults but the feel is completely different, more like Pullman in its level of sophistication, tight plotting and characterisation and its ability to address issues of childhood loss and the importance of memory. My only complaint is the end which screamed sequel, but otherwise an involving unputdownable read about four extraordinary but believable children."