1. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

There has been a nuclear war, and the world is empty of life except for a few desperate stragglers, including a father and son who walk a desolate road on their way to the sea.

The boy was born the night the bombs started to drop, and though we aren't told why it barely matters, because everything is destroyed. The ground itself is burnt. There's little hope for the future, but what makes this book memorable is the simple, unwavering bond between the father and the son, through all the horrors of their journey.

It might sound like not much can happen in a book like this, but it's so well paced I could hardly put it down. And it stays with you.

I loved that it manages to convey a powerful anti-nuclear message without even mentioning the word. And that it tells the story of just these two people rather than trying to imagine the whole world. Because that's how we would experience it, if it happened.

Excellent book, recommended to everyone, especially those who think nuclear power is the best solution to global warming.