It’s World Book Day, an event you may well be cursing if you have primary school-age children who’ve had to dress up as bloody Pippi Longstockings and your costume-making skills are on a par with mine – ie, utterly crap!

Anywaaaaay, we don’t like to dwell on the negatives here at Muddy so instead let’s celebrate all things literary with some reading list inspiration in the form of our the Muddy Book Club (without the wine, sadly – although there’s nothing to stop you pouring yourself a glass while you peruse this. We won’t tell anyone it’s midday). We’re an extremely *cough* cerebral bunch, as you know, so read on for our current literary obsessions. We’d love to hear what you’re reading today – share the literary love in the comment box below.

The Sellout by Paul Beatty (chosen by Hero Brown, founder)

This kept me glued to my hammock on holiday last week – it’s an audacious social satire that couldn’t be more timely in Trump’s America, with Beatty’s spotlight turned full beam on race, modern values and the idea of history repeating itself. It’s funny, clever, thought-provoking, and if you don’t believe me hopefully you will believe the judges of the Man Booker prize – it won last year.

The Course Of Love by Alain de Botton (chosen by Sascha Way, digital marketing manager)

I’ve just started Alain de Botton’s The Course Of Love, the philosopher’s second novel about the portrait of a marriage. It focuses on a newly-wed couple in Edinburgh and traces their relationship as it unfolds. Marriage is such a universal thing but when you get down to the finer detail, everyone’s is different. And there’s always something intriguing about other people’s relationships, isn’t there?

The Goodness of Dogs by India Knight (chosen by Katie Molloy, commercial director)

Six months ago we got a cockapoo and this really honest guide to owning a dog completely resonates with me. India Knight is such a great writer so it’s very entertaining and funny, but also so useful. There are great training tips and advice about the best companies for dog food. I’m a novice dog owner so it’s basically a bible for me right now.

Into The Water by Paula Hawkins (chosen by Kerry Potter, associate editor)

Yes, that Paula Hawkins, author of mega-hit The Girl On The Train. This is the much-anticipated follow-up, which isn’t out until 2 May (I’ll review it in full then) but I’ve had a sneaky read of a preview copy this week. I’m not going to give too much away at this point but like TGOTT, it’s a compelling thriller (I whipped through it in 48 hours) told from multiple viewpoints. Unlike TGOTT, it has a rural rather than urban setting. The action unfurls in a pretty northern village where there’s some ugly secrets being kept by the enigmatic locals. One to pre-order.

Clean-Eating Alice: Eat Well Every Day (chosen by Sophie Hadjikyriacos, editorial assistant)

I recently graduated from university where I lived on a takeaway and alcohol-based diet, so now I’m trying to change my ways and eat more healthily. This book has given me so many brilliant meal ideas – the breakfast section is especially great, so now I feast on things like French with Greek yogurt and strawberry chia jam. Clean eating is getting a lot of bad press at the moment but Alice is all about moderation, which feels realistic to me. I follow these recipes at the week and then relax a bit at weekends.

It’s World Book Day – here’s what we’re reading

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