Never Let Me Go is such an atmospheric book. It's a slow burn where you gradually get a sense of the whole picture. The atmosphere builds right from the start, you can feel that something is a little off but you're not sure why.

The book has a pervasive sadness to it. It's not a tearjerker (at least not for me) but the book certainly has a gloomy, rainy day kind of vibe - especially in the last part.

The less you know about Never Let Me Go, the better. If you haven't read it yet and want to, don't do too much research before diving in.

Kazuo Ishiguro has written such a perceptive narrative. You feel like your friends with Kathy H, hearing her reflect on her boarding school days, her friends and how their relationships developed as they grew into adulthood.

It was only published in 2005 but I'd class Neve Let Me Go as a modern classic. I love the questions that the book leaves you with (questions that are simultaneously age-old questions but are also products of the its/our time).

It will leave you wondering what it means to be human, how we find out place in the world and what gives our lives value.

I really like how the book's title comes from a song, because if we're pondering on our humanity, what is humanity without music? From lullabies to teenage angst, from falling in love to songs that remind us of our grandparents - we all have so many moments and memories tied up with music. And for a book that has such a focus on memories, it's such a well-thought touch.