BSU Books: Autumn
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BSU Books: Autumn
Friday, 3 October, 2025Autumn is upon us, and what better way to celebrate the season than to cosy up with a good book? Our BSU community has provided a fresh harvest of stories for you to get lost in, from ghosts to serial killers to biographies of interesting people.
Here’s the latest list of books that have made us #BSUProud:
Swift Blaze of Fire – Lin Rose Clark, MA Creative Writing
Celebrated in song by Christy Moore and affectionately recalled in many memoirs, Robert "Bob" Hilliard, the author's grandfather, is one of Ireland's best-known International Brigadistas. His short life blazed with a rare intensity; his death in Spain left a dark shadow hanging over his family. This book unravels Hilliard’s enigmas to bring us an absorbing character and a fresh understanding of the times that shaped him.
The Serial Killer’s Party – Amy Cunningham, MA Creative Writing
You’ve been invited to an exclusive, luxury event in Norway, hosted by a billionaire. Your moment has finally arrived. But you’re not going for the canapes and champagne. You’re going for revenge.
Then a guest dies in mysterious circumstances, and you begin to wonder... is this a trap? Why does it feel like you're being watched? And will you ever escape?
My Sister is a Treasure – Tracy Darnton, MA Writing for Young People
A girl takes the terms of endearment her family use at face value when she wonders what it would be like if her new baby sister really was a treasure or a ray of sunshine or a dimply dumpling in this adorable new picture book.
The Ghosts of Merry Hall – Heather Davey, MA Writing for Young People
A chilling ghost story in which a mother and daughter move into a crumbling house haunted by the ghost of a girl who performed in Victorian freak shows, through which wind whistles eerily, floorboards creak ominously and things go bump in the night.
Lies I Told My Sister – Louise Ells, MA Creative Writing
After a nine-month estrangement, sisters Lily and Rose, are reunited in a hospital emergency room when the younger sister's husband has been badly injured in a car crash. While waiting for updates, they reminisce about their childhood memories in an effort to unearth the family tragedy - the death of their older sister Tansy. Lily and Rose begin to unravel the lies of omission that pulled them even farther apart.
When the Numbers Don't Add Up – Clare Evans, MA Creative Writing
What if your life had a countdown – and someone else controlled the clock?
In disarmingly familiar London, everyone is born with 100 years of life, tracked by an implanted Life Counter. Break the rules, and time is deducted. But when a new law punishes babies for their parents’ mistakes, Cooper and Lexie’s newborn is already running out of time.
The Quietist – Daniel Gothard, MA Creative Writing
Dr Lanning, Catherine Stannard and Patrick Hawton are thrown together by a motorway tragedy. Dr Lanning is treating Catherine and Patrick for PTSD, the loss of their loved ones, their different approaches to feeling and dealing with survivor guilt. Through shared therapy sessions, Catherine and Patrick form a bond, allowing them to relinquish their previous lives and inhibitions.
Play – Luke Palmer, MA Creative Writing
Four boys grow up together at school, itching to get out of their small town. They play games, scoring points from each other, anything to pass the time until they’re free. Then Mark breaks a rule and quickly realises that the penalties in this game far outweigh the prizes. Can they all make it to the finish line before someone loses more than just face?
Edward de Bono: Love Laterally – Sarah Tucker, MA Children’s Publishing
A biography/memoir about Edward de Bono, polymath, writer, and philosopher, who spent his life showing people how to use their brains creatively, to disrupt traditional ideas and ways of doing things.
Do you have a story to tell? Our Creative Writing courses can help you find your voice and take your writing to the next level.