Surprise Your Shelf is a fun little thing we do every two months, here's how it works: We invite a different person to pick a mystery book. We give you clues along the way, but you only find out what it is when you receive it!

Our curators all come from different backgrounds and walks of life, each with their own personal tastes and experiences. This way, each edition of Surprise Your Shelf always brings a unique perspective and you’ll never quite know what to expect!

SURPRISE YOUR SHELF #13 COMING IN OCTOBER

Having worked in a bookstore and with a thriving Bookstagram of her own, Lavelle kicked off Surprise Your Shelf with the unexpected choice of Korean horror.

Iris was torn between a book set in her homeland Indonesia, and this — her eventual choice, for its "amazing study of trauma".

Science-fiction with a heart... and the occasional inter-species romance.
James' pick is a big warm hug in a book.

This hyper experimental book is a bold debut written in endlessly flowing prose that deeply moved Alex & Judea.

What does it mean to be a parent at the end of the world? Nat's choice of title is a raw and deeply intimate exploration.

Lesbian necromancers in a delightful murder mystery that refuses to take itself too seriously.

For once, someone's picked a memoir and it's a particularly compelling mix of humour and heartache.

A photographer by trade, Alvin selects a photography book that considers the complexities of home, culture, and identity.

Children's book collector Ain picks one of the most unique ones we've seen: a surrealist tale of a toilet plunger who sets out to be a vase.