It’s been a great year for books – we’d pick 2,013 of our favourites if we could…

Life After Life – Kate Atkinson
A woman relives her life, again and again, until she gets it right – but what is ‘right’?

The Hat-Stand Union – Caroline Bird
Playful, surreal and vulnerable poems from a wonderful performer.

LoveSexTravelMusik – Rodge Glass
Ever suffered through an easyJet flight? This short story collection understands your pain.

Burial Rites – Hannah Kent
Northern Iceland, 1829: a young woman convicted of murder is sent to live with a farming family for her last days.

The Trip to Echo Spring – Olivia Laing
An examination of six well-known writers, exploring the link between creativity and alcohol.

A Tale for the Time Being – Ruth Ozeki
A complex novel about teenage joy, family heartbreak, and the mysteries of a 104-year-old Buddhist nun.

This is the Story of a Happy Marriage – Ann Patchett
Personal essays from an award-winning American author – and a title that is not entirely ironic.

Play With Me – Michael Pedersen
Pedersen has long been one of our favourite poets, and his debut collection does not disappoint.

The Goldfinch – Donna Tartt
‘Tolstoy with antiques’: a haunted (and haunting) coming-of-age.

Letters of Note – Shaun Usher (editor)
Based on the popular website, the book collects over 100 letters of historical interest.

Goat Mountain – David Vann
A young boy is eager to make his first kill at a family deer hunt.

Dirty Work – Gabriel Weston
Surgeon/author Weston’s fast-paced novel raises questions of integrity, mortality and medical ethics.

The Park – Oscar Zarate
An intense and beautiful graphic novel that uses elements of slapstick and farce to explore a moral dilemma.