Ben Elton: Blind Faith When I first read Blind Faith I was in my early teens. I felt like this novel understood and expressed neatly the way that I feel about social networking. The story is set in some sort of panopticon society where everyone is scrutinised in their most intimate moments. I think that everyone looks for something to identify with in a story and I believe I found that in Trafford, the protagonist, because of his attitude towards the 'new age' that appeared to be forced upon them. Although I would say that this novel is too ambitious and ultimately not very original, it was an entertaining read that pleasured my ego.

The Book Club: I Recommend.. If you don't have the time to read a novel then I suggest you try reading some of Alice Munro's short stories. I started reading them because of a recommendation in a magazine article and have fallen in love with her writing. Her stories focus on 'relationships and missed opportunities' and I am really attracted to the tragic nature of her stories. Go, read, now!

Thomas Hardy The Woodlanders Quite simply The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy is a love story. "I return to this book again and again - it's the only "happy" one hardy ever wrote." As with most Hardy novels none the characters are left fulfilled at the end of the story but The Woodlanders is not quite as tragic as some of Hardy's other works. Hardy can often reduce me to tears either by the beauty of how lovingly he describes the scenes in the novel or by the way he allows some awful fate to befall on some of his most beloved characters. I have always liked to read books more than once, although I often feel guilty because I think to myself 'At this rate I am never going to read every book before I die. Here I am re-reading another huge book for the fifth time. What am I doing?' But I can't help it because The Woodlanders is a story you can get lost in. There is something about re-reading the books you love over and over again. It can take you back to a place and they capture something in you that can never be lost but can only be resurrected by revisiting it. It sits there remained untouched until you experience that same feeling again. A book like The Woodlanders never fails to take you back to that feeling.