Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clark
A sprawling but massively enjoyable fantasy bestseller set in a sort of alternative 19th Century reality where magic is real. It somehow manages to be spooky, thrilling, amusing and informative all at once. Not the sort of thing I normally enjoy, but I bloody loved it. At over 1000 pages it’s the best argument for a Kindle I’ve yet encountered. Roger Horberry
The Book of Human Skin, Michelle Lovric
‘Anyone seeking inspiration for their creative writing could do worse than read The Book of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric (Bloomsbury, £7.99). Each chapter is written convincingly from the point of view of a different character and their observations accumulate over the pages to create a brutal, visceral tale of cruelty and salvation around an aristocratic Venetian family in the late-18th century. Each voice is beautifully authentic and the amount of research Lovric has done to immortalise these people and their world is breathtaking but not intrusive. Wonderful!’ Sharon Gethings
I Never Told Anybody, Kennth Koch
Kenneth Koch’s I Never Told Anybody, Teaching Poetry Writing to Old People positively vibrates with enthusiasm and the wisdom inherent in poetry. He describes how exciting it is to wake up the poet inside someone who has fifty years behind them of not being a poet. And how that can change the life of both the student and the teacher. Sarah Salway
Just My Type is a book about fonts by Simon Garfield. He introduces us properly to familiar (I remember getting my first computer and learning the word ‘font’) and yet arcane characters. He entertains with font fads, fans and enemies! Rachel Marshall
Presentation Secrets, Alexei Kapterev
My favourite book of the year is Alexei Kapterev’s Presentation Secrets. Alexei created the internet viral sensation ‘Death by PowerPoint’ and for those who love TED talks, his book covers all the ingredients that go into them. I’m pleased as punch that he’s agreed to speak at one of the confererences I organise for the UK Speechwriters’ Guild. More details here Brian Jenner