8. We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
This book was the first to make me cry in a long time. Told from the perspective of the mother of a child who commits one of the school mass-murders in America. Whilst it’s definitely not a serious investigation of the causes of these events (it comes down unarguably on the “he was inhuman from the get-go” side of things) it does spread out the mixtureof fear, revulsion, hurt and compassion you’d expect the motehr of such a boy to have.

9. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
I’m yet to find a man who enjoyed this book, but most women interested in the Arthurian legends loved it. This is the Morte D’Arthur, retold from the perspective of the four central female characters: Igraine, Arthur’s mother; Viviane, the Lady of the Lake and High Priestess of Avalon; Morgaine, Arthur’s misunderstood half-sister, and Gwenhwyfar, his wilting bride who grows into stronger womanhood through the love of not her husband, but her champion.
Rewrites the Arthurian legends as a great battle between Christianity and the existing ‘Old Religion’, which is old hat now, but it was one of the first, and is still one of the best imo.

10. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Anne Boleyn, Henry XIII’s second wife, had a sister, Mary – who was also involved with the monarch. Both girls were pawns in the games of houses that went on in court. Well-researched, written in such a way as to draw you in, and very satisfying.