World Book Day 2026
Happy World Book Day 2026! Today is all about celebrating the stories and characters that have shaped our lives and ignited a lifelong passion for reading. This year feels even more significant as we coincide with the National Year of Reading giving us a double dose of literary inspiration.
At SCR we have our monthly book club where we all come together to read books and share our thoughts about them, so some of our staff have given us their favourite books of the last year and the books that have shaped them.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was the SCR Book Club Book of the Year 2025
Name: Arti Mistry
My Fav Book: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Why I love it: This was one of my favourite books I read last year. I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did, but it honestly surprised me. I thought it was just going to be about Hollywood drama and dysfunctional marriages, but it turned out to be so much more emotional than I expected.
Evelyn isn’t a perfect character, and that’s probably why I liked her so much. She’s ambitious and makes some selfish decisions, but that’s what makes her feel real. It also made me think about how some people have really difficult starts in life, and how we can’t always judge the hard choices someone has to make to fight their way out of that.
The story isn’t really about the seven husbands, which I didn’t expect given the title. It’s more about love, identity, and the sacrifices she had to make to survive in that world.
By the end, I felt much more attached to the characters than I thought I would. It’s dramatic and heartbreaking at times, and it definitely stayed with me after I finished it.
Name: Bobbie Henry
My Fav Book: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Why I love it: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is my favourite book because it feels like sitting down with an old Hollywood icon and getting the full, unfiltered story of her life. I love following Evelyn through all the eras, her ambition, her romances, the messy decisions and the big, defining moments. It has that glamorous sparkle, but it’s also surprisingly honest and emotional, which makes it such a compelling, addictive read.
Name: Shannon Smith
My Fav Book: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Why I love it: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo treads the line between thought provoking and tragic, it follows the live of Evelyn Hugo who in line with the times navigates sexuality and self-acceptance. I love the book as it gives you an insight into old Hollywood but it isn’t repetitive
Name: Abbie Munden
My Fav Book: Blood Orange
Why I love it: Lots of twists in the book that got me gripped and read it all within 2 days I enjoyed it that much 😊
Name: Josh Ingram
My Fav Book: War & Peace
Why I love it: I don’t even know how to properly explain what War and Peace means to me. It’s not just a book, it’s an experience that completely pulls you into another world. From the very first chapters, I felt like I was living alongside the characters, celebrating with them, suffering with them, and growing with them.
What makes it unforgettable is how alive everything feels. Leo Tolstoy somehow makes massive historical events like the Napoleonic Wars feel deeply personal. The battle scenes are intense and cinematic, but it’s the quiet moments—the conversations, the doubts, the romances—that completely stole my heart. Pierre’s journey especially feels so real and relatable; his search for purpose feels timeless.
Yes, it’s long. Yes, there are a lot of characters. But that’s part of the magic. By the end, you don’t feel like you’ve finished a novel you feel like you’ve said goodbye to friends. For me, War and Peace isn’t just a classic; it’s a world I’ll gladly return to again and again.
Name: Matt Robinson
My Fav Book: Klara & The Sun
Why I love it: I read this book a few months ago and the story really stuck with me. A story that takes elements of AI, friendship and religion and how they all interact and how flawed these elements can be really stuck with my in the modern world with our increasing reliance on AI. The relationships formed between the characters, whether they be real people or not, were wonderfully written.
Name: Tamzin Lee
My Fav Book: The Housemaid
Why I love it: Perfect balance between romance and thriller. It was very captivating and was a book that hooked you from the first chapter and couldn’t put down! The twist at the end was very unexpected and really made you think once it ended. I find the author specializes in twists and turns but I find she nails it every time and if I could read The Housemaid for the first time again, I would read it every day ❤️
Name: Lauren Rowley
My Fav Book: Sunrise on the Reaping, Hunger games
Why I love it: I enjoyed this book because of how dystopian it felt, it takes you to entirely different world that you wouldn’t believe has been written. Its tragic and made me sob which is always a bonus.