The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Young, handsome and fabulously rich, Jay Gatsby is the bright star of the Jazz Age, but as writer Nick Carraway is drawn into the decadent orbit of his Long Island mansion, where the party never seems to end, he finds himself faced by the mystery of Gatsby's origins and desires.

Themes: 1920s America, tragedy, mystery, obsession

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

When Esther Greenwood wins an internship on a New York fashion magazine in 1953, she is elated, believing she will finally realise her dream to become a writer. But in between the cocktail parties and piles of manuscripts, Esther's life begins to slide out of control.

Themes: mental health, social norms, coming of age

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Several years ago, Anne Elliot was persuaded to break off her engagement to the man she loved because he was not successful enough, but she has never forgotten him. When he returns, he brings with him a tantalizing second chance of happiness.

Themes: love, relationships, social norms, 1800s England

Several years ago, Anne Elliot was persuaded to break off her engagement to the man she loved because he was not successful enough, but she has never forgotten him. When he returns, he brings with him a tantalizing second chance of happiness.

Themes: love, relationships, social norms, 1800s England

The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark

Lise has been driven to distraction by working in the same accountants' office for sixteen years. So she leaves everything behind her, transforms herself into a laughing, garishly-dressed temptress and flies abroad on the holiday of a lifetime. But things quickly take a dark turn.

Themes: mystery, travel, mental health, psychological thriller

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

It's Christmas and Holden Caulfield has just been expelled from yet another school. He pinballs around New York City seeking solace in fleeting encounters - shooting the bull with strangers in dive hotels, wandering alone round Central Park, getting beaten up by pimps and cut down by erstwhile girlfriends.

Themes: coming of age, alienation, angst, family

Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan

Cécile leads a carefree life with her widowed father. But the arrival of her late mother's best friend intrudes upon a young girl's pleasures. And when a relationship begins to develop between the adults, Cécile and her lover set in motion a plan to keep them apart... with tragic, unexpected consequences.

Themes: translated, France, relationships, family

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis

Jim Dixon has accidentally fallen into a job at one of Britain's new red brick universities. He must try to stave off the unwelcome advances of fellow lecturer Margaret, survive a madrigal-singing weekend at Professor Welch's, deliver a lecture on 'Merrie England', and resist the beguiling Christine.

Themes: comedy, academia, relationships, social norms

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

This book grew out of a lecture that Virginia Woolf had been invited to give at Girton College, Cambridge in 1928 and became a landmark work of feminist thought. It remains a passionate assertion for female creativity and independence in a world dominated by men.

Themes: non-fiction, feminism, creativity, independence

This book grew out of a lecture that Virginia Woolf had been invited to give at Girton College, Cambridge in 1928 and became a landmark work of feminist thought. It remains a passionate assertion for female creativity and independence in a world dominated by men.

Themes: non-fiction, feminism, creativity, independence

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

In July 1942, thirteen-year-old Anne Frank and her family, fleeing the Nazi occupation, went into hiding in an Amsterdam warehouse. Over the next two years, Anne vividly describes in her diary the frustrations of living in such close quarters, and her thoughts, feelings and longings as she grows up.

Themes: non-fiction, diary, Holocaust, coming of age

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Drifters in search of work, George and his childlike friend Lennie have nothing in the world except the clothes on their back - and a dream that one day they will have some land of their own. Eventually they find work on a ranch in California's Salinas Valley - but tragedy looms.

Themes: 1930s California, the Great Depression, prejudice