One of the central elements of our Staircase12 information hub for students thinking about applying to top universities is the extensive Reading Bank of reviews.

Our 2023/4 Student Ambassadors have contributed yet more titles this year, meaning that you can now explore more than 250 titles spanning the humanities, medical sciences, social sciences, and mathematical, physical and life sciences.

Amongst our latest titles are Albert Camus’ classic L’Étranger (The Stranger), No Place to Hide – Glenn Greenwald’s chilling account of governmental surveillance – and Bonnie Garmus’ global bestseller, Lessons in Chemistry, which has recently been adapted for television.

Savannah Phillip, our School Liaison and Access Officer, comments: “It’s great that we have new additions to our Reading Bank, which is undoubtedly an excellent resource for aspiring Oxford students. A lot of Oxford applicants think they must spend a lot of money to do activities that will make a competitive Oxford application, but doing lots of wider reading around your subject is usually more than enough! Books are one of the most accessible ways to learn about your subject, and I believe the vast majority (if not all) of the books in our Reading Bank can be borrowed for free from your local/school library. Our Reading Bank is so important in this way as it provides a free way to learn more about your subject, and the reviews from students and tutors show exactly which books we think are great preparation for university. Happy reading!”

Our thanks to all of those who have contributed reviews over the years; we hope you enjoy exploring the Univ Reading Bank.

Published: 7 December 2023

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