It's almost a universal consensus that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the best story by J.K. Rowling. It brings in more new characters than its predecessors and dramatically shifts in tone to start Harry's descent into the dark corners of the wizarding world. The Marauder’s Map plays such a crucial part in this story and, indeed, the rest of the series. Without this, Harry wouldn’t have been able to sneak out of the castle into Hogsmeade without a permission slip. More importantly, he wouldn’t have known that [SPOILER] was still alive, thus proving [SPOILER'S] innocence. This book also has some of the best scenes and lines: “Happiness can be found in even the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light...” (Dumbledore)

The book I love most is A Monster Calls: a heartbreaking, haunting, twisty-turny sort of story. It has surprise characters, and a secret behind it that is slowly revealed throughout the novel. This book really caught me; the title and front cover were catchy and I was addicted to it after the first sentence. I'd definitely recommend this fantastic, exceptional novel to people around my age group (ages 10-13). Overall, I rated it ten out of ten because of the moral and message behind it. Definitely read this as your next book.

This book is amazing: it shines light on how devastating life is now in Syria and shows how hard it is for refugees to flee from their war stricken country to England. The protagonist (Ahmed) goes through so many hardships: losing his sister at sea; bullies; having to leave his mother and father behind in France as they were only so many spaces left on the boat. Having to deal with all those being only a nine-year-old child must've been so difficult, and after reading this book I suddenly realised how lucky and privileged I am.

My book is ‘the best’ book for a few reasons. The book is Richard Feynman’s autobiography and includes his thoughts, personal anecdotes, and stories. His inspiring life story is what makes him stand out from many other famous scientists of his time: his scientific fountain never ran out - it was always dreaming up new ideas and concepts. In a specific chapter of the book, he is revolutionary for stating in the book that he is particularly infatuated with trying to get complex physical ideas across to the general public - and to make them understand the beauty of physics as a science. For these reasons, I am confident that the book is the best book as it paints the picture of one of the best scientists - and people - of his generation.

The Explorer tells the story of four children whose plane crashes and they have to survive in the Amazon jungle. The author makes you feel like you’re really there because she uses vivid descriptions of the flowers, food, trees and animals. Fred is the eldest and a natural leader and the author makes him a likable, confident character. The children find a map hidden high up in a tree and it leads them to secret ruins which are home to a grumpy old man who was a pilot who also crashed over the Amazon years earlier. Despite his initial frostiness he ends up helping the children escape from the Amazon, but he remains in the jungle, as he doesn’t want to join the real world again. It is an exciting adventure full of emotion, funny moments and action.

I love The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time because it gives us a different way of viewing stories. For example, Christopher (the narrator) has Asperger's syndrome and does things his certain way. His chapters go up in prime numbers and he counts how well his day will be by the number of cars (and what colour they are) that go past him on the way to school. Not only this but Mark Haddon keeps us reading with various plot twists like the relationship between Mr Shears and Mrs Boone. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys crime novels with mature themes and a great story.

The universe is generally unexplored. We as humans (technically speaking) have only explored four percent of the entire universe- and even that itself is a stretch. To write 256 pages on only four percent is outstanding and Hawking pulls it off effortlessly. Each page brings something new to the book, everything which occurs in the book occurs for a specific reason. In simple terms, none of it is waffle. Everything links together. That concept which was mentioned 100 pages ago? Ah it makes sense now because of what I have just read. As expected, Hawking took a scientific approach to write this book which is why many people (myself included) love it. Its simplicity and ease to read makes it hard to put down. However, the reason why "A Brief History of Time" is my No.1 book is not because of the actual content, although that is impressive on its own; it's the concept of an incredibly bright human being (that, of course, being Stephen Hawking) sharing this information with millions and millions of people. More than 10 million people to be precise. To me, that is brilliance. A brilliant man, and brilliant book, and a brilliant concept. Did I mention it was brilliant?

Inheritance and indeed the whole of the Inheritance Cycle are rich and hugely entertaining. Inheritance is the final book in the series, and I love the way all the characters you have met before if not know of their life. The way the world of Alagaësia (fantasy world of the book) is created is so beautifully and thoroughly that you are rarely bored when reading. Often there are different points of views in the series (especially the 2nd book Eldest), which deepen your understanding and knowledge of a character and the world around them. Like in the Lord of the Rings, fantastical language, creatures, and civilisations are in abundance on every page, again pressing you into that wondrous world. Paolini’s control over emotions as well make the book more and more real to you as you feel what the protagonists feel, battling through towards the eventual satisfying ending. The books can be complicated at first, but soon you become so immersed in the story, that it is nigh impossible to put down. Would definitely recommend it to all ages.

Watership Down is the first book I was ever glued to for hours on end, once following the displaced rabbits during all a four hour coach ride. Despite being animals, we see their personalities and morals morph, after facing various challenges such as warrens riddled with bear traps, escaping the grips of an evil general and dealing with his wrath afterwards; every event has its own powerful message. Rarely do I feel shock and sadness at a character death but the emotion created makes it inevitable. I still remember the plot clearly and I doubt I’ll ever forget it!

I really like this book as it was a very personal book in places about his past and family and how he overcame the parachuting incident that almost cost him the ability to walk again. He talks about his incredible journey up Mount Everest and how he conquered it as the youngest person ever to do it. It then gets on to his later life where he talks about how he has influenced so many people as chief scout and how his journey should be an inspiration to many. This is the reason that I love this book so much as it has inspired me in my attempts to achieve my own goals and to lead a life full of inspiration.

In Humble Pi, mathematician and comedian Matt Parker takes us through a plethora of examples of how the mathematics we rely on sometimes fails us, or rather our understanding and application of it does. With examples of the geometric impossibility of footballs on British street signs, the deaths of 100+ people in a walkway collapse, ways to exploit people’s mathematical intuition and the draining of a 1000 acre lake and the replacement of its freshwater with saltwater, Parker explains that an understanding of mathematics it crucial in today’s world. This book will have you laughing, wincing and questioning the very foundation our society is built upon: maths. It is a must read for anyone interested in maths and highly recommended even if you aren’t.

From the perspective of an archetypal English butler, ‘The Remains of the Day’ transports the reader into the mind of Stevens, providing an insight into 20th Century England. Ishiguro’s effective use of analeptic detailing allows him to explore themes of Nazism and war, which he juxtaposes with Stevens’ love for Miss Kenton, resulting in a gripping read. Stevens’ moments of reflection inspire the reader to feel empathy towards him, whilst Ishiguro’s genius use of a quintessentially British voice make it difficult to remember the fact that Stevens is fictional. I have never felt such an immersion into any other book.

I read this outstanding autobiography at the start of the national lockdown. What made it so fascinating for me was the fact that I got to discover more about the career progression and life of the most innovative and renowned designer in the Formula 1 paddock. From getting expelled from Repton School to earning upwards of £10 million a year at Red Bull Racing, 'How to build a car' immerses you in the rollercoaster of a life that Adrian Newey has experienced. The book gives a comprehensive description of many of the myriad of designs he cultivated, which contributed to the dominance of his cars. It was these marvels of engineering which have accumulated a grand total of ten World Constructors Championship trophies over a period of three decades for Adrian. I would highly recommend this to any motorsports fan.

Beautiful and haunting, the tale of the Kite Runner will affect our Western interpretation of the history of Afghanistan for years to come. This dramatic novel tells the story of two Muslim boys, divided by a society of class and race division, whose experiences and sorrowful friendship suffer turmoil in a volatile and harrowing sequence of events which change their lives forever. I enjoyed this melancholy book immensely: whilst the plot was incredibly impactful and unpredictable, the characters were meaningful and left a mark on my perspective and emotions as a whole.

A sharp and brutal tale of a sincerely disturbing yet fascinating dystopian future. Written incredibly well in alarming detail, the book intrigues the reader with the morbid curiosity of the very antithesis to that which we come to expect out of life, and punctuates the message with a sobering and unexpected, yet inevitable, climax of the defeat of the main character. Despite being written nearly 75 years ago, the parallel paths of our own world and that of the book converge as if on geodesics, adding another layer of horror to the reader's interest.