Harrow libraries' recommended reads

Find your next good read!

On this page, we share our recommended reads. We have organised them by category. To reserve a book our find out more information select the book title. You can find many more great books on in our library catalogue.

We also have a wide range of specialty books in our catalogues including:

Adult fiction

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We Solve Murders - Richard Osman

From the author of the Thursday Murder Club a brand new series, an iconic new detective team and a thrilling new murder to solve...


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Sorcery and Small Magics - Maiga Doocy

Desperate to undo the curse binding them together, an impulsive sorcerer and his curmudgeonly rival venture deep into a magical forest in search of a counterspell - only to discover that magic might not be the only thing pulling them together.


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Intermezzo - Sally Rooney

From the author of the multimillion-copy bestseller Normal People, an exquisitely moving story about grief, love and family.


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Midnight and Blue - Ian Rankin

The brand new John Rebus thriller from the iconic Number One bestseller Ian Rankin.

John Rebus spent his life as a detective putting Edinburgh's most deadly criminals behind bars. Now, he's joined them...


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Until We Shatter - Kate Dylan

A desperate thief. An impossible heist. Survive . . . or shatter.

An action-packed, epic heist fantasy from the author of Mindwalker, perfect for fans of Six of Crows and A Darker Shade of Magic.


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Guilty - Martina Cole

The heart-stopping new novel from queen of crime Martina Cole.

It's time to confess their sins.  Everyone has their secrets - but one is getting away with murder.


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The Hotel Avocado - Bob Mortimer

Gary Thorn is struggling with a big decision. Should he stay in London, wallowing in the safety of his legal job in Peckham and eating pies with his next door neighbour, Grace and her dog Lassoo, or should he move to Brighton, where his girlfriend Emily is about to open The Hotel Avocado? 


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Precipice - Robert Harris

Summer 1914. A world on the brink of catastrophe. In London, 26-year-old Venetia Stanley - aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless - is having a love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than twice her age. As Asquith reluctantly leads the country into war with Germany, a young intelligence officer is assigned to investigate a leak of top secret documents - and suddenly what was a sexual intrigue becomes a matter of national security that will alter the course of political history.


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Map of Bones - Kate Mosse

A sweeping story of love, adventure and adversity, The Map of Bones by Kate Mosse is an epic tale of courageous women battling to survive in a hostile land.

Olifantshoek, Southern Africa, 1688. When the violent Cape wind blows from the south-east, they say the voices of the unquiet dead can be heard whispering through the deserted valley...


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Friends of Dorothy - Sandi Toksvig

After much searching, Amber and Stevie find the perfect house - a bit shabby but with potential - in Grimaldi Square. Just the two of them; a place where they can start their lives together. But they are not alone in this dream. Upstairs, squatting on an old red sofa, is the former owner - eighty-year-old foul-mouthed, straight-talking, wise-cracking Dorothy - and she's not going anywhere.

 

Adult non-fiction


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Mary's Foolproof Dinners - Mary Berry

Whether it's a busy weeknight or a cosy weekend gathering, this collection of 120 brand-new, delicious recipes accompanies Mary Berry's BBC series and makes creating dinner completely foolproof!


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All That Matters - Chris Hoy

Sir Chris Hoy knows better than most how life can change in the blink of an eye. With his wife Sarra and their young children by his side, he shares how he has used his experiences to find ways to focus on the moments that matter, showing us how to do the same.


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I Haven't Been Entirely Honest With You - Miranda Hart

Packed with hard-won wisdoms and gentle truths, this is Miranda’s honest exploration of the lessons she has learned on her journey from illness to recovery. 

Hello to you, I am with news. I have a new book: I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You. I know – what an intriguing title!  If you fancy having a read, then I hope my story might help your story. After all, we are in this beautiful, mysterious, challenging life together. Rest assured there are funny stories along the way – we will have a laugh too, my dear reader chum.


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A Pawtobiography - Ted the Dog

Ted's sniff and tell
It’s hard to believe Ted was once a skinny, unwanted pup who was dumped outside an animal shelter, before he found fame and fortune alongside Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse on the hit BBC series Gone Fishing. In this exclusive exposé, Ted reveals what it’s like working alongside two national treasures and what really happens when the cameras stop rolling.


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Diddly Squat Home to Roost - Jeremy Clarkson

Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. The spring barley crop failed. Just like the oil seed rape. And the durum wheat. On the face of it, the challenges of making a success of Diddly Squat are enough to have you weeping into your (Hawkstone) beer, but misery loves company and in girlfriend Lisa, Farm Manager Kaleb, Cheerful Charlie and Gerald his Head of Security Jeremy knows he's got the best.


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Finding The Edge - Jimmy Anderson

21 years, 188 Test Matches, 704 Test Wickets. This is Jimmy's story. From growing up in Burnley as an outsider, isolated at school, bunking off, dreaming of being somewhere - anywhere - else, to dominating the 22 yards of the wicket as part of the deadliest England attack ever assembled.


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This Time Next Year - David Jason

Told with characteristic warmth and humour, David Jason reveals the hard-won wisdom of a life doggedly led getting through one day, looking to the next, and always chasing what's new on the horizon. David's book will uplift, entertain and inspire readers, offering an essential, unvarnished primer to leading a good life.


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Our Family Favourites - Si King

Inspired by their journey together, Si King has completed this book as a tribute to his best friend and cooking partner Dave Myers, and a celebration of the food they loved to cook for themselves and their families.


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Patriot - Alexei Navalny

Alexei Navalny began writing 'Patriot' shortly after his near-fatal poisoning in 2020. It is the full story of his life: his youth, his call to activism, his marriage and family, his commitment to challenging a world super-power determined to silence him, and his total conviction that change cannot be resisted - and will come. 

 

Children and young adults


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Bluey's Night Before Christmas - Lauren Holowaty

Suitable for ages 0 to 5

It's Christmas Eve and Bluey and Bingo are tucked up snug in their beds. When suddenly a noise outside wakes them up. Who could it be? Experience the magic of Christmas Eve with Bluey and the Heeler family in this retelling of the classic Christmas tale!


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Jonty Gentoo - Julia Donaldson | Axel Scheffler

Suitable for ages 0 to 5

Jonty the gentoo penguin longs to find his true home at the South Pole. One night, he sneaks out of the zoo and sets off on an amazing adventure, all the way to Antarctica!


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Paddington In Peru: The Story of the Movie - Anna Wilson

Suitable for ages 7 to 9

Marmalade sandwiches at the ready! Paddington is off on an awfully big adventure with the Browns to visit his Aunt Lucy in Peru. Paddington and the Browns set off on a thrilling journey along the Amazon, through the jungle and up to the highest peaks of Peru!


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Hot Mess: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 19 - Jeff Kinney

Suitable for ages 7 to 9

In Hot Mess, book 19 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series from #1 international bestselling author Jeff Kinney, Greg Heffley is in for a particularly awkward summer with his whole family.


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Super Sleuth - David Walliams

Suitable for ages 9 to 11

Dilly loved a good murder. Not a REAL murder. A made-up murder. One you would find in a murder mystery novel. Sherlock Holmes was her favourite detective, so much so that she had named her dog Watson after his faithful companion. The detective duo found themselves on a luxury ocean liner bound for London. A thousand passengers. A thousand nautical miles of ocean around them. It was the perfect place for a murder. Or two. Or three. Or four. Or MORE!


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The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks - Katie Kirby

Suitable for ages 9 to 11

Christmas is complete chaos this year! The whole Brooks family are visiting for the festive break, there's a Secret Santa to organise and Lottie has to prepare for her big performance in the Christmas play as the back-end of a reindeer. Will she survive the festivities intact?


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Sister Showdown - Rachel Renee Russell

A brand new adventure in the Dork Diaries series.

Lately, Nikki's little sister has been a TOTAL BRAT! But while Brianna is busy raiding her closet and taping a HIDEOUS drawing of Nikki on her bedroom door, Nikki has more important things to think out. It's the end of summer and she has only 72 hours to completely reinvent herself before starting at Westchester Prep.


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Let's Split Up - Bill Wood

Suitable for ages 11 - 14

When hot 'it-couple' Brad and Shelley are brutally murdered in a Victorian mansion, a group of teen friends investigate. Set in a small town where rumour spreads as fast as the fire on the day of the killings, the theory is the old ghoul who haunts the house after his own murder hundreds of years ago has finally taken revenge.


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Nothing Like the Movies - Lynn Painter

Suitable for ages 11 - 14

For a few beautiful months, Wes and girl-next-door Liz were together. But right as the two were about to set off to UCLA together, tragedy struck and their relationship ended. Flash forward and Wes and Liz find themselves in college, together. In a healthier place now, Wes knows he broke Liz's heart, but is determined to make her fall back in love with him.