Sometimes, an idea is all it takes to transform your life. What better example of this than Joanne Rowling who went from a struggling single mum to literary superstar on the strength of a moment of inspiration?

Once in a good, long while comes a book that appeals to adults and young uns alike, John van de Ruits Spud series falls firmly within that rare category.

Can word-of-mouth alone create a worldwide bestseller novel? Powered by viral marketing, apparently it can. Fifty Shades of Grey by first-time author E. L. James, debuted obscurely as an e-book in May 2011, followed by two sequels, Fifty Shades Darker in September 2011 and Fifty Shades Freed in January 2012.

For all you book-club ladies, heres a chick-lit offering from bestselling author Jane Green, The Patchwork Marriage that ought to give you plenty to chew on and of course, talk about during your next book-club discussion.

If you are an avid book reader, why not share your passion with others by starting a book club? These tips should help you get going:

A good book expands the mind, fires the imagination and transports one to another world. Heres our pick of must read novels:

It all began in 1998, with the publication of British writer Helen Fieldings novel, Bridget Joness Diary. The story of an overweight, average looking young woman negotiating the hurly-gurly of life, love and career, liberally dosed with wacky humour had women readers cracking up and wanting more.

The National Book Awards were established in the USA in 1950 to recognise and reward excellence in American literature. Check out this list of award-winning novels in fiction from 2005-2010.

A review of books from Mick Jackson and Annie Murray, to the biography on Oprah, written by Kitty Kelley.

A review of some of the latest titles to hit the bookshelves.

Reviews of more new book releases for August 2010.

Pearl of China is the latest offering from Anchee Min, and is a tribute to Pearl S. Buck, the Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning American author best known for the novel The Good Earth and her humanitarian work.

A review of the bestsellers books for July 2010.

Although zombies are usually associated with off-beat independent films, they have wormed their way (clawing and biting) into literature too; firmly cementing their status in pop-culture.

The latest in the thrilling collection of stories about Washington, D.C. police detective and psychologist, Alex Cross. It is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!

The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown's latest mystery-thriller involving the Harvard University symbologist, Prof. Robert Langdon, has achieved phenomenal success.

The Horror story genre satisfies some malevolent questions deeply rooted in all of us