Flipfactor. Londoners.

It's little wonder that The Guardian raved about Craig Taylor's book Londoners; it's a riveting read. A great range of characters share their experiences and reflections painting rich and vibrant portraits of London. Highly recommended for locals and visitors alike.

Flipfactor. The Human Part.

Kari Hotakainen's book The Human Part is a compelling tale of an older woman selling her life story to a writer stuck for ideas. Both ferociously funny and dark, it's easy to see why this book has won Finland's Runeberg Prize and France's Prix du Courrier International. It's made me laugh hard, sometimes in shock. Absolutely lovely.

Flipfactor. A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Before picking up A Thousand Splendid Suns I knew nothing of Khaled Hosseini or his books. I'm so glad I decided to give A Thousand Splendid Suns a go, it's a gripping read. It kept me enthralled through to 5am one morning, and when I finally finished I could do nothing but sit and hold the book. I can't remember ever doing that with a book before, and certainly not for so long. Haunting, desolate, warm, hard and eye-opening, it's the tale of two women's lives over a period of thirty years in Afghanistan's recent tumultuous history. Extraordinary.

Flipfactor. Picture Painting.

Aside from being an interesting and insightful read, What They Teach You at Harvard Business School by journalist Philip Delves Broughton is amusing too. Drawn from his experience of undertaking an MBA, he brings to life some of the characters he encountered. One of my favourite lines describes a silver-haired fund manager with ruddy complexion on page 140: "He was a caricature of dissatisfaction. His breath, which worsened with every gulp of Merlot and slice of roast duck, was paint stripper and his humor barbed." It paints a picture.

Flipfactor. Toxic Love Story.

Susan Freinkel's Plastic, A Toxic Love Story is a riveting read about plastic and its effects. I found Susan's well researched portrayal of plastic hard to put down, and at times I was bewildered at how an educated society can seemingly not care about the impact this material is having on life. Albatrosses are one of many animals affected by a material that is all too often disposed of without thought. Susan's in depth account of various objects including cash cards, combs, monoblocs and bottles, but particularly the ubiquitous cigarette lighter, had my head in a spin. And then there is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Highly recommended.

Flipfactor. Borderline Pass.

It's fair to say that a considerable amount of the discussion in William Poundstone's fascinating book Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google? went over my head. That's not to say it was a waste of time. On the contrary, with every page flipped I found myself deep in thought trying as best as I could to solve the problems offered. I was proud of my response to the helium balloon conundrum, and while I completely glazed over at any algebraic equation, I still gave it a shot – I quickly worked out after a short-lived stint in a three unit maths class at high school that two unit general would suffice for me. I didn't like algebra. Maybe that's why I'm an artist and not an accountant. The best part of William's book wasn't the conundrums so much as the insight into the interview process at giants like Google. The stories and anecdotes are sometimes humorous, sometimes impolite and at other times provoking, and William writes for people like me to understand. Take the challenge, you may surprise yourself.

Flipfactor. Applicant.

I can relate to Jesse Reklaw's process of digging around in skips and recycling bins for magazines and other treasures. Jesse is an American cartoonist who found an archive of PhD applicants in a skip, complete with photographs and comments from professors and employers. Applicant is the resulting book, sample spread above, and a bargain at $3. It provides food for thought on the notion of privacy in the 21st century, sometimes amusing and at other times verging on frightening.