In January Ballymena bookclub tackled The Lady in the Van. The book written by Alan Bennett was a true story chronicling the bizarre story of an old lady who lived in a squalid van in Alan Bennett’s driveway for years. If you like a quick and quirky read then we really recommend it.

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Maybe you acquired a few book vouchers over Christmas and are wondering what books are worth a read, or you are just looking for some bookish inspiration. We at Ballymena Today have asked a few booksellers to tell us what the best books they read last year were – here are their suggestions.

Favourite Fiction.

If you like a good read then here are four of the best stories we tackled last year. Anne Tyler’s A Spool of Blue thread is a satisfying family saga, while Spill, Simmer, Falter, Wither is a beautifully written story about one man and his dog by promising Irish author Sara Baume.

Ballymena Bookclub - January Favourites Ballymena Bookclub - January Favourites

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You have probably heard of the hit crime fiction The Girl on the Train which is about to made into a film starring Emily Blunt – read it before it hits the cinema. Finally We Were Liars is an intriguing teenage fiction which had us gripped right to the final chapter.

Favourite Non-fiction

Jon Ronson’s bestseller So you’ve been publicly shamed is a brilliant book which looks at how social media can ruin lives and reputations. If you are the sort of person who loves people watching then pick up the latest book by the makes of Humans of New York where photographer Brandon snaps photographs of real people in American and records their true live stories.

Ballymena Bookclub - January Favourites Ballymena Bookclub - January Favourites

That is our list of the best books we read in 2015. If one of your rsolutions this year is to read more then keep reading Ballymena Today where we will keep you updated on the Waterstones Ballymena Bookclub reads and our favourite books throughout the year.