Books to Read
Discover book recommendations for every kind of reader, brought to you by our guest authors, booksellers, and book-loving team.
National Book Tokens Discover, the place to be for booklovers.
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24 more books to read in 2024
To help you pick your upcoming reads, we've featured the best new books arriving in bookshops.
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25 summer reads to discover in bookshops
There are hundreds of brilliant bookshops to spend your National Book Tokens in this summer.
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10 must-read Nordic books
Aslak Nore, author of The Sea Cemetery, recommends his favourite Scandinavian fiction and non-fiction.
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12 crime novels that offer more than a body count
Kia Abdullah and Nadine Matheson recommend crime novels and thrillers that expose the dark heart of society... but are also rather brilliant for reading by the pool.
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13 books set in bookshops
13 books which take place in bookshops, from literary fiction and fantasy to ghost stories and thrillers.
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7 joyfully diverse rom-coms
Naina Kumar, author of Say You'll Be My Jaan, recommends her favourite inclusive rom-coms to buy.
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24 new books to read in 2024
The best new books arriving in bookshops, from stories of friendship and epic love, to secret spies and space hotels.
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10 unexpected meet cutes
Beth O'Leary shares her top ten books starring characters who accidentally meet the love of their lives.
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7 books that shine a light on Black British history
Lola Jaye, author of The Attic Child, shares her favourite fictional reads that shine a light on Black British history.
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10 unputdownable novels with characters in STEM
Kara Gnodde, author of The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything, recommends fantastic books featuring characters in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
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10 swoonworthy romance novels to escape with
Laura Wood, author of dazzling period romances, recommends her top ten romantic reads.
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10 cosy crime reads
Julia Chapman, author of Date with Betrayal, share her favourite cosy crime reads.
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10 medical memoirs for fans of This is Going to Hurt
Leah Hazard, author of Hard Pushed: A Midwife's Story, shares her top ten must-read medical memoirs.
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9 novels in which the house is more than just a setting
Kate Morton, author of Homecoming, shares her top picks for stories where fictional houses have as much personality as the individuals who live in them.
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A university survival guide in books
Reading for fun has been shown to benefit mental health, improve academic performance, and inspire people to make a positive change.
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22 books set in the UK and Ireland
We asked booksellers up and down the UK and Ireland to recommend their favourite books set locally.
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15 summer reads recommended by booksellers
We asked booksellers what they're recommending over the (hopefully) hot summer days.
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A survival guide in 42 brilliant books
We know life as a 16 to 24-year-old can sometimes be tough, so we've created a survival guide in 42 brilliant books, full of recommendations that will inspire you, give you life skills, or make you happy!
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10 fantastic books by Irish authors
Cecelia Ahern, author of PS, I Love You and Postscript, shared her favourite books by Irish authors.
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8 inspirational places in Ireland - paired with books!
Faith Hogan, author of The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club, shares her top 8 inspirational places in Ireland, paired with great books.
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10 books for fans of legal thrillers
HS Chandler, author of Degrees of Guilt, recommends books for fans of legal thrillers.
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10 books that will surely make you cry
We love a heartbreaking and emotional story, so we've put together a list of books guaranteed to make you cry.
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8 thrillers that pack an emotional punch
Sam Lloyd, author The Memory Wood, recommends thrillers that pack an emotional punch.
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7 sports stories for fiction fans
If you love books like Nick Hornby's popular Fever Pitch or David Peace's bestselling biographical novel The Damned Utd., we recommend more sports stories.
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12 books for music lovers
The next best thing to music is reading about it, so here’s our list of recommended reads to soundtrack your summer.
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10 modern love stories
This Valentine's Day, we've recommended beautiful contemporary stories to fall in love with.
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10 non-fiction books that changed the world
We recommend powerful works of non-fiction that changed the world we live in.
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11 books for armchair travellers
There's nothing better than being whisked away on an adventure by a great book, so here are our recommended reads for armchair travellers, featuring distant lands and captivating journeys.
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8 novels in translation
Gary Perry, bookseller at Foyles Caring Cross Road, recommens his favourite translated fiction, from magnificent classics to award winners.
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10 books about books
Whether they're set in bookshops, feature a book-within-a-book or are just generally about the overall awesomeness of books, these are all brilliant reads for booklovers.
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10 festive books to read this Christmas
Lizzie Byron, author of Someday at Christmas, shares her recommended books to read this Christmas.
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13 Christmas rom-coms to read this winter
If you're looking for a cosy, feel-good, heart-warming romance to buy this Christmas, we've recommended 13 festive books to pick up with your National Book Tokens.
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20 books to buy with your book tokens
There are thousands of brilliant books out there for young people to choose from, whether they're a fan of Alice Oseman or Charlotte Brontë.
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Discover the best books for young booklovers, including books for fans of video games, illustrated children's books about disability, and books for teens to pick up with their National Book Tokens.
Tips for children who want to write!
We asked our favourite authors to share their writing tips and advice for BBC 500 Words.
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24 more children's and teen books out in 2024
The best new children's books, whether they love shipwrecks and survival, feisty friendships, or heart-pounding fantasy.
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24 new children's and teen books out in 2024
The best new children's and YA titles, from brilliant graphic novels and magical delights to stories of friendship and family.
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9 books for children that champion neurodiversity
Liz and Julie at Next Page Books – a children's bookshop devoted to inclusivity and diversity – share books which feature neurodiverse characters.
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7 illustrated children's books about disability
James Catchpole, author of What Happened to You?, shares his top illustrated books that feature characters with disabilities or are true stories about famous disabled people.
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5 books for children who love video games
Christopher Edge, author of Escape Room, recommends his top books for children – whether to introduce them to even more adventures or to inspire reluctant readers.
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10 armchair adventures for junior bookworms
Katherine Rundell, author of The Good Thieves, shares her favourite adventure stories for children.
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5 comic book series for kids who love graphic novels
Jamie Smart shares his top comic book recommendations.
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10 brilliant books to read by Black writers
Layla, a bookseller at Round Table Books, recommends brilliant books for both children and adults written by Black authors.
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13 books about mental health for you and your teens
Josh Silver, who is a mental health nurse and author of HappyHead, recommends books about mental health for adults and teenagers alike.
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6 must-read LGBTQ+ YA stories to celebrate Pride Month
Sonora Reyes, author of The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, recommends their favourite LGBTQ+ young adult books.
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11 Queer YA books that will steal your heart
Kacen Callender, author of Felix Ever After, has joined us to recommend Queer novels for teenagers that will steal your heart.
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