A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler (Vintage, £7.99)

This book has been one of the great successes of 2015, in which it was shortlisted for the man Booker prize.

Anne Tyler's twentieth novel focuses on Abby and Red Whitshank,who fell in love in 1959.

As the family gathers to decide how best to care for the couple in their old age, some of the usual old stories are recounted.

Tyler then cleverly winds back the thread of years and we witness some of the key events that have shaped the whitshanks' lives over the years.

A gentle and endearing novel.