The Universe: The book of the BBC TV series presented by Professor Brian Cox

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Carl Sagan is still one of the most well-known astronomers, renowned for his ability to create wonder and awe in his descriptions of the Universe.

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The Cosmic Mystery Tour is aimed at beginners looking for an easy-to-read introduction to the modern view of the Universe. I live and breathe this stuff every day, and my greatest joy is motivating that passion for science in others. This book lists all 88 constellations by size, from Andromeda (the chained maiden) to Vulpecula (the little fox), each beautifully illustrated by artist Hannah Waldron, while Susanna Hislop’s accompanying text goes beyond the usual creation myths to include facts about legendary astronomers and more.For those of us with a more rigorous academic background in physics, it is still an entertaining diversion for a couple of hours. There are a few tricks and techniques that Beall shares, but ultimately, she advocates for the simple power – and wonder – in looking up. Part one describes the quest for ‘The Laws of the Cosmos’, while part two focuses on the history and structure of the cosmos, covering the Big Bang and stellar evolution, as well as gravitational waves and, at the time of publication, the expected first image of a supermassive black hole, and includes stories and anecdotes of the often colourful characters who contributed to our current understanding, such as Georges Lemaître, Fritz Zwicky and Fred Hoyle. We could try floating above Venus in balloon cities, or living in caves inside our very own asteroid. For fans of The Almanacseries or subscribers of Sky at Night magazine, this is an essential piece of kit.

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Cambridge University Press are mostly known for their academic titles, but this is firmly in the popular science mould, akin to the works of authors like Brian Greene or Sean Carroll. This enjoyable book delivers a solid background in cosmology and current thinking and is heartily recommended. Finding meaning in our lives in this topsy-turvy world could not be more in vogue at the moment, but with light-hearted metaphors, a large dollop of fun and some gentle hand-holding, Sutter guides us through some of the enigmatic mysteries of the Universe. The concept of the multiverse is tackled in the final ‘conversation-style’ chapter (the two authors talking to one another), along with other potential solutions to the fine-tuning problem, including the simulation hypothesis and God. Jo Marchant reveals this historical relationship through beautifully told stories, of gods and spirits, mathematicians and physicists.In H ow History Gets Things Wrong: The Neuroscience of Our Addiction to Stories I apply much of that to getting to the bottom of why it’s so hard for us, me included, to really absorb the nature of reality.