A list of books that have some meaning, some impact; that do not just entertain, but make us into better people. Fiction has great power to change us: we take the hero’s journey with them, and so stories can lead us deeper into the truth of who we are.

I have always loved fantasy, but as a born cynic I would ask myself, ‘Isn’t this unrealistic? Why does good always triumph over evil?’ But I have learnt to find this truth in fantasy: good always triumphs over evil because this is an inevitability. The story follows our inner journey, the one each of us must take over our lifetime: a journey from darkness and struggle that always holds the potential for light. Each one of us has that potential to conquer our inner demons and find our own enlightenment; that potential is indestructible, and the darkness within our mind is only a temporary obstruction. So, good will always triumph over evil, in the end.