Fante's second novel is tough, unsentimental tale of a struggling writer and his love-hate relationship with a cafe waitress, and his descent toward madness. Fante is truely one of the most under-rated writers of the last century, and was a major influence on Charles Bukowski.

McEwan's writing has never been more serious, playful, intense and hypnotic by turn than it is in this novel. A study of loss and hope, which will leave you feeling captivated, exhilarated and enlivened. A wonderful and moving novel - a must read!

This is the tale of the death and burial of Addie Bunden, as told by the members of her family as they carry her to Jefferson, Mississippi, where she is to laid to rest among her people. A masterly work detailing the desires, fears and rivalries of the family (each chapter is told from the viewpoint of one character), and steeped in the voice of the Deep South.

First published in 1890, Knut Hamsun's Hunger still feels remarkably fresh and modern. This is the harrowing story of a struggling writer (of whom we know very little, not his age nor his past, not even his name) and his paranoia, the fecundity of his imagination and the effects of starvation. This is one of the most disturbing novels I have ever read.

Collignon's debut novel is a wonderfully vivid depiction of a decaying New Mexican village and of its wildly varying occupants. It is an utterly charming, funny, memorable work in which time is twisted, and nothing is quite what it seems, but above all this novel is about the enduring power of love.

Agota Kristof's fairymare trilogy, The Book of Lies tells of the ravishes of war as seen through the eyes of twin boys. I challenge you to try put it down once you've started. With her deceptively simple, sparse writing style Kristof takes you on an emotional rollercoaster of a ride...one minute in tears of sorrow...the next rolling on the floor with laughter... then bug-eyed with shock then utterly confused...it's got it all!

From the first line Marias has us entwined in the story of Marta and her husbands determination to out who she was sharing her bed with on the night of her death. It reads like a psychological thriller with many darkly humorous moments ,but this is far from being a mindless page-turner, Marias' writing style is as elegant as it is intricate and will leave you enraptured.

Raymond Carver has often been likened to Chekhov, and in this collection of short stories we can see why. Every one of these stories is a wonderfully crafted piece of literature, focusing on the often comic lives of the dispossessed and downtrodden. Carver can make the hand gesture of one of his characters speak a thousands words...he really is that good!

This is a real conundrum of a book, it's a love story, a detective novel, and a disparaging Hudibrastic dissection of the publishing industry. We follow two lovers as they attempt to finish reading the same book - If On A Winter's Night by Italo Calvino - and are forever being humorously thwarted in their attempts. This is a book like no other.