BEST BOOKS

Zoe West picks the best reads for you

The Little Penguin Bookshop by Joanna Toye (£7.99, PB, Cornerstone)

When Carrie Anderson sets up a book stall selling Penguin paperbacks at a train station in World War II, she hopes to offer escapism to the evacuees, soldiers and housewives who pass by. Gifting a book to handsome officer Mike, she starts her own love story, but when Mike is posted abroad, her world is turned upside down. Will her beloved books and the station community pull her through? An unputdownable story of love, resilience and hope.

My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes (£22, HB, Penguin)

We love Marian Keyes for her humour, relatable style and life-affirming wisdom – all of which are very much present in her latest novel. When Anna leaves her fabulous beauty PR job in New York to move back to her homeland of Ireland, people are confused – not least her family. Regardless, Anna takes on the PR for a high-end coastal resort, and in doing so meets someone from her past, someone she once called a friend. Is it time to face up to past mistakes? A big-hearted read full of big feelings. We’d expect nothing less from this much-loved author.

The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé (£16.99, HB, Little, Brown)

When young would-be bookbinder Florence Granger takes on a commission to restore the books at Lord Belfield’s vast library, she realises the scandal that has marked her life is nothing compared to the goings-on at Rose Hall. Belfield’s wife Persephone has recently drowned in the nearby river and, when Florence discovers her diary, she suspects foul play. Intriguing and superbly plotted around a fascinating cast of characters, the novel weaves race, identity, feminism, sexuality and class into a beguiling mystery.