Alan Rickman remains one of the most beloved actors of all time across almost every genre, from his breakout role as Die Hard''s villainous Hans Gruber to his heart-wrenching run as Professor Severus Snape, and beyond. His air of dignity, his sonorous voice and the knowing wit he brought to each role continue to captivate new audiences today. But Rickman''s artistry wasn''t confined to just his performances. Fans of memoirs at large will delight in the intimate experience of reading Rickman detailing the extraordinary and the ordinary in a way that is ''anecdotal, indiscreet, witty, gossipy and utterly candid''. He grants us access to his thoughts, not only on plays, films and the craft of acting, but also politics, friendships and life. The Rickman Diaries was written with the intention to be shared, and reading it is like listening to Rickman chatting to a close friend.

A BBC TWO BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK After a car accident Jarred discovers he''ll never walk again. Confined to a ''giant roller-skate'', he finds himself with neither money nor job, a shoplifting habit, an addiction to painkillers and strangers treating him like he''s an idiot. Worse still, he''s forced to live back home with his estranged father. Trying to piece himself together, Jarred comes to realise that things don''t have to stay broken after all. The Coward is about hurt and forgiveness, how the world treats disabled people, and how we write and rewrite the stories we tell ourselves about our lives - and try to find a happy ending.

After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The only suvivors from the wreck are a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra with a broken leg, a female orang-utan - and a 450 -pound Royal Bengal tiger. The scene is set for one of the most extraodinary works of fiction in recent years.