The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt

So deserving of its Man Booker nomination, The Sisters Brothers is described as the Western reimagined for the 21st century. We follow two assassin brothers on their journey from Oregon to San Francisco as they carry out orders to find and kill a man. We laugh at their awkward encounters, we sit on the edge of our seats as their guns fire, we lament the injury and loss of friends, and we discover just how complicated their relationship is. Book of the year for me, by a long shot.

There but for the by Ali Smith

When you begin reading this novel it's immediately apparent why Ali Smith is considered an author's author. With her unique and intelligent style, Ali paints such a vivid portrait of her characters and their settings. While each chapter comes from the point of view of a different character, at the centre of TBFT is the story of a man who comes to dinner and never leaves. This is a novel about us, about life and death, and the impermanence of our existence.

Mr Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt

A curiously hilarious novel about a usually melancholic subject matter. Depression takes on a physical form in a big black dog named Mr Chartwell. The chapters alternate between two stories: a fictionalised account of Winston Churchill's battle with the black dog, and the story of a young librarian named Esther who reluctantly rents her spare room to the oppressive Mr Chartwell.

Nerd Do Well by Simon Pegg

Being a diehard Simon Pegg fan, I couldn't resist reading his biography. Perfect for diehard Simon Pegg fans, but also a great read for anyone familiar with his work. And the photos of Pegg as a child are almost worth the price of the book!