• A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif (Upper School). Why did a Hercules C130, the world's sturdiest plane, carrying Pakistan's military dictator, General Zia ul-Haq, go down on 17 August 1988? Was it because of: 1. Mechanical failure? 2. Human error? 3. The CIA's impatience? 4. A blind woman's curse? 5. Generals not happy with their pension plans? 6. The mango season? Teasing, provocative and funny, Mohammed Hanif's debut novel takes one of the subcontinent's enduring mysteries and out of it spins a tale as rich and colourful as one of Scheherazarde's. His second novel, Our Lady of Alice Bhatti, is in shops now.

• Vanished Kingdoms by Norman Davies (Middle School). Europe's history is littered with kingdoms, duchies, empires and republics that have now disappeared but which were once fixtures on the map of their age: 'the Empire of Aragon', which once dominated the western Mediterranean; the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, for a time the largest country in Europe; the successive kingdoms of Burgundy, much of whose history is now half-remembered at best. This book restores many of these states to their former glory as well as providing a poignant commentary on the way in which we are tempted to view the world today.

• The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett (Middle and Upper School) Although part of a series this is perfectly readable as a stand alone novel. Pratchett subjects the world of diplomacy and international relations to his irreverent style. Set in the fantasy world of humans, dwarves, werewolves and other strange creatures he has created over many years, it satirises our attitudes to race, nationality and politics. It is an incredibly funny romp through snow capped mountains and dark forests, making it a great winter book to read.

• Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination by Robert Macfarlane. A book about mountains and mountaineering, but also about much more. The author describes plenty of macho exploits, both historical and modern, but also explores in great depth the motivation behind those exploits. This is the history of man’s relationship with mountains, touching on science, philosophy and literature, just for starters. A great Christmas present for a parent, but make sure you get your hands on it yourself before too long…

• Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintire. Not the first genre I normally go for, but Old Abingdonian Macintire’s Second World War spy story was a book I was very glad to have picked up. The main character is a villain of the first order, but in the context of war he could well have been a hero whose work was courageous in the extreme and who saved thousands of lives. A thrilling work which examines the very nature of heroism.

• Mud, Sweat and Tears by Bear Grylls. Tales of excellent adventures, school boy pranks, daring SAS missions and what makes the bear tick! Very readable; in fact once I had started I could not put it down, and that rarely happens in my case! 5 stars.

• A White Merc with Fins is brilliant fun; a pacy, funny heist thriller.

• The Chrysalids by John Wyndham is marvellously thoughtful, readable sci-fi.

• The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is a cleverer, more adult (and human) "Lord of the Rings".

• The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy series is an unparalleled riot of sci-fi fun.

• The Road is the most terrifying and memorable novel I've read for years. Life-changingly good.

 

• Burr by Gore Vidal. (Sixth Form) A humorous read that provides a fascinating insight into the political life of the early US Republic through the life and eyes of Aaron Burr, the almost president and man who was responsible for the killing of one of the USAs most influential founders, Alexander Hamilton. Meet George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, among others, shorn of their sycophantic American historical mythology. A great alternative interpretation of American history written with great style.

• Children of the New Forest by Capt. Marryat (Middle School). A great adventure set in the context of the defeat of the Royalists in the English Civil War. Great historical fiction, fun and easy to read. I remember really enjoying this one as a child. Adventures in a similar vein to Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer or The Three Musketeers (but an easier read than the latter).

• The Downing Street Years by Margaret Thatcher. Really changed my perception of a PM I felt I should dislike. Fascinating insights into foreign affairs, monetary policy & the 'wets'.

• The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. Controversial conspiracy theorist. Klein writes about the drawbacks of the imposition of trade liberalization on developing nations & how this economic policy was often implemented after a coup d'etat, natural disaster or terrorist attack while the population were in 'shock'.

• At Home by Bill Bryson. Under the guise of a history of the house and household objects, really it's a general history of nearly everything, delivered with Bryson's usual wit & charm.

• An Utterly Impartial History of Britain (or 2000 years of upper class idiots in charge) by John O'Farrell. Hilarious journey through 2 millennia, irreverent and classy.

• The Spirit Level by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett (5th year and above). Looks at how more economically equal societies tend to have fewer social problems.

• Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks (5th year and up). Focusing on the experiences of a handful of men in World War One, Birdsong vividly brings alive the horror, camaraderie emotional strain of war. Much better than the recent TV adaptation.... • Al Qaeda: the true story of Radical Islam by Jason Burke (sixth form). Best selling

account of how radical Islam emerged in the 1980s and 1990s. A fascinating insight into what is actually meant by the term 'Al Qaeda' and how it has evolved since 911. Essential reading for those considering studying politics or international relations. • The End of the Party by Andrew Rawnsley (sixth form). A superb account of the

last days of New Labour and Gordon Brown's Prime Ministership. Highlights how disfunctional the relationship between Brown and Blair was.....

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (O. Sacks) Sacks gives a very accessible introduction to various neuropsychological disorders through the use of anecdotes, telling the tales of his patients in the form of stories rather than lists of symptoms. Any aspiring medics should take a copy home this Christmas, not only because you'll be able to talk about it at interview, but because it draws attention to where the chemistry ends and the personality begins.

 

     

Suite Francaise (Irene Nemirovsky) Perhaps one for a more mature reader/ sixth form - offers an interesting insight into life in France during the Nazi occupation. Looks at the war from a different perspective and is thoroughly fascinating.  

 

Random Acts of Kindness. I'm sure most of you guys have heard of Danny Wallace who accidentally started a cult, or Karma Army, of people that daily commit random acts of kindness. After the huge success of the novel, Wallace released this collection of his favourite RAOK. I love this book because whenever I'm bored and can't be bothered to do anything that requires that much thought, I'll pick up this book and maybe "Give old socks or gloves to a homeless person" or maybe even "Phone an elderly relative and talk to them for a minimum of ten minutes". This book is a great laugh, it's dirt-cheap, and it definitely gives you a warm fuzzy feeling every time you do something very good for the world.  

 

Why Chemical Reactions Happen (Wothers and Keeler). Anyone that wishes to study chemistry at university should read this - it is fantastic for referring to in a personal statement and expands very well on both basic principles learnt in the lower sixth and topics which will occur in the upper sixth course. There are lots of diagrams to support what is written in the text to prevent it from becoming too laborious to read.  

 Churchill's Wizards (Nicholas Rankin). It's about the birth of camouflage and deception in Britain during World War 1 and 2. I remember going to a talk by the author in Middle School and finding myself really drawn into the subject matter, but I only bought the book later. It's written in a rather entertaining style, not like a hefty history textbook, and I found it a very enjoyable and educational read. I found it told the story as such in an interesting way, and the way it linked together different people and how they interacted with each other was very well done. It is completely unrelated to any of the subjects that I'm studying, but fascinating.

 

Anything by P.G. Wodehouse, particularly the Blandings Castle series. Wodehouse has made me smile, in the depths of winter and under the bright summer sun, anywhere around the world. Wodehouse's sharp wit and hilarious characters always make for great reads, whatever age.  

 

Siddhartha is a great book if you want to read something that will change the way you view life. The story is of a man, Siddhartha, who goes on a spiritual journey, crossing paths with Siddharta Gautama (the Buddha) himself and learning to find wisdom from nature. I learnt a lot about eastern religion and spirituality from the novel. The book stands out because it isn't a typical spiritual novel in my eyes, as it offers so many different takes on life and knowledge that you may start to contradict your own newly acquired beliefs as you read on.  

 

50 Facts That Should Change The World (Jessica Williams). Although slightly old now (first published in 2004), it is a real eye opener to the world in which we live. Even if not all of the explanations are read I thoroughly recommend reading the 50 facts themselves.  

 

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (for sixth form) captures the anxious, paranoid phase of society, when hippie counter culture was coming to an end. Drug taking and alcohol abuse is a key theme, but instead of glamourising these activities 'Fear...' reveals how such lifestyles perhaps weren't the answer to conformity and corruption that many once believed and in fact slowly sunk people's minds into a controlled confusion.