THIS month I have chosen two very distinct books.

The first, Raffles and the Golden Opportunity, charts the extraordinary life of Sir Stamford Raffles, the controversial English adventurer, imperialist, linguist, naturalist and disobedient employee of the East India Company.

Raffles was the charismatic founder of Singapore, establishing what has now become a world city in the then unpromising, disease-ridden, tropical jungle island. Despite his exceptional career progression he was blighted by professional conflicts and personal tragedy, and this biography looks at the life of Raffles within social and historical contexts.

My second choice is Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Book Store, the New York Times bestseller and first novel by Robin Sloan.

Set during the night shift in Mr Penumbra’s 24-hour store, it features mysterious books, thieves, curious customers and the ever increasing onslaught of the internet. At the heart of the book is the mystery of how the store is surviving in recession hit San Francisco, when nobody actually seems to buy anything.

Don’t forget that you can pre-order the Daily Echo’s Bournemouth Air Festival Photographic Celebration book from us, due to hit the shelves on August 19.