What is the last book you read? Did it make you laugh? Cry? Did your stomach tie up in knots? Reading is, and should be, one of life’s greatest pleasures. This World Book Day, we’re thinking about its beauty.

Whether you read on the commute, before lights out or even if you haven’t picked one up in years, we hope you’ll take the time to read one (or all) of these team’s favourites.

Just Kids, Patti Smith

The punk poet’s memoir of a youth spent experimenting with art, meeting famous contemporaries and kipping in Central Park will submerge you in the heady warmth of the sixties.

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

The Brontë sister who enjoyed the most success during her lifetime, Charlotte is the genius creator of Jane Eyre, the story of a plain, working class girl and her tempestuous love affair with her employer Mr. Rochester.

In Cold Blood, Truman Capote

A fine example of journalism/fiction fusion, this novel tells the story of two American murderers, their slaying of the Clutter family and their journey to the gallows.

Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. Viv Albertine

Another rock ‘n’ roll memoir, this masterpiece delves into the life of Viv Albertine, from her time as guitarist in pioneering punk band The Slits, to her struggles with cancer and suburban boredom.

The Girls, Emma Cline

You can almost feel the heat of the West Coast sun in this vibrant, liminal novel about life in a cult that draws massive parallels to the Californian sect of the infamous Charles Manson.

The Secret History, Donna Tartt

A dark, twisted novel about a group of Greek students’ collusion to murder their bumbling classmate Bunny.

Milk and Honey, Rupi Kaur

A gorgeous, illustrated collection of poems on what it means to grow up, love, grieve, cope and be a woman.