It has been eight years since Life of Pi was published to international critical acclaim, and won the 2002 Man Booker Prize.

An online survey of the Top Five female authors

Cooper’s Jump!, pulls to the front of the reader’s mind the likes of Francis Drake and Julian Fellowes, as she creates a world revolving around equine activity and class-climbers.

In times of bitter rejection or ultimate betrayal, nothing is more satisfying than imagining the punishment you dream to deal your cold-blooded nemesis.

This is certainly not an emotionally uplifting read, yet Atwood’s tale will leave you contemplating whether aspects of Gilead already exist in our modern society?

At its heart The Female Eunuch is a call for freedom from a constricting conformity that still exists.

Meet Bunny Munro, a self-centred, chain-smoking, irresponsible sex addict who “just found this world a hard place to be good in”.

Whether or not Karl is a Gervais creation, which I dearly hope he isn’t, appreciate it for what it is and laugh heartily.

Aurora Teagarden; an unlikely character to have avid interest in historical murders.

Heartstone is the fifth novel in Sansom’s best-selling ‘Shardlake’ series; Dissolution, Dark Fire, Sovereign and Revelation.

Men are from mars and women are from Harrods?

a celebrated account of one woman diving head first into indulgence, enlightenment and spirituality – it’s a grown up gap year.

Terry Pratchett is a man of many thousands of words, hundreds of which are wittily twisted into the nonsensical phrases that make up the fictional Discworld series, and fifty-plus other collaborations that span across a 30 year career as a novelist.

“We don’t teach people who live in areas with high instances of gun crime to dodge bullets” Rachel Cranshaw discusses why carrying an attack alarm is always a choice.

Sarah McCulloch investigates our relationship with Mephodrone, until recently the drug du jour among many students, and asks whether our entire debate on the use of legal and illegal drug use needs to change.

What can newcomers expect from their time here? And what challenges lie ahead for students? University is a strange and daunting new world. But embrace all it has to offer and it will be an experience you won’t forget.

Lily Howes sees how accommodation companies are making the most from the student buck.

Etiquette expert William Hanson discusses the banes of being an etiquette consultant in the dating game.

Tory, Gaz Morris, discusses whether ‘Red Ed’ offers a threat to the Conservatives.

Cuts to culture are set to only get worse in the new government. Catherine Sargent studies whether they’re set to go too far.