Nicci French’s latest gem; an unsettling brainteaser from Japanese enigma Uketsu; the tensions that mar the maiden voyage of an airship; and a sojourn on a scary Scottish island I try not to repeat myself too much when it comes to the...
This history of international justice is an important primer for our dark times and surprisingly optimistic about our chances of putting today’s despots in the dock On a Monday morning last month the Russian general Igor Kirillov left...
Smell has an outsize effect on our thoughts and moods, so it’s worth paying more attention to it If you have been on holiday recently, do you think you could recall and describe what the place smelled like? You probably don’t get asked...
Large, gruesome, brutal and gluttonous: Donald Trump is the archetypal ogre. So how did he manage to stomp back for a second term? The animated film Shrek opens with the eponymous hero wiping his bottom on a book. Shrek then emerges from...
The former politics professor is right to defend free speech in our higher education system, but his argument is undermined by his hysterical tone and lack of nuance Matt Goodwin is a former professor of politics at the University of...
Beecher’s beautiful memoir, written partly in response to the death of her brother aged 25, describes in startling detail the highs and lows of existence The title of Anna Beecher’s first work of nonfiction can be read in various ways –...
Funny, spooky and surreal, this shapeshifting novel from the Francophone author explores Congolese politics Best known to English-language readers for his novels African Psycho, Broken Glass and Black Moses , Alain Mabanckou, a social...
Exclusive: Chris Hammer, the new master of 'rural noir, on exploring Australia's remote heartlands in his bestselling thrillers, being a ‘pantser, not a plotter'... and why there's no danger Down Under of Aussies ditching the Crown
The American writer won the prestigious prize for Fierce Elegy, a collection informed by the deaths of his family members. He explains why poetry is like friendship – and why he loves small words Winning the TS Eliot prize came as a...
Havoc by Christopher Bollen; Strange Pictures by Uketsu; Ghosts of Rome by Joseph O’Connor; Murder Mindfully by Karsten Dusse; The Day of the Roaring by Nina Bhadreshwar Havoc by Christopher Bollen (Borough, £16.99) The narrator of...
Author and narrator Nate DiMeo zooms in on stories of mishap, invention and adventure in these pithy yet profound historical lessons Podcast listeners may have come across The Memory Palace, the longrunning series comprising bite-size...
The British-Libyan author on Hemingway’s craft, finding comfort in Joseph Conrad, and spending six months drowning in Austen My earliest reading memory From as far back as I can remember, before I could read, I was read to mostly from...
A professor turns human guinea pig as he attempts to discover the secret to a longer life To publish a book in January is to signal to the world that you hold the secret to miraculous self-improvement. Venture into a bookshop...
This powerful debut plunges the reader into a raging battle between a young Afghan woman’s cultural identity and desire for freedom Nila is the wild, rebellious daughter of Afghan doctors who fled their home before she was born and...
A bracing contemporary account of the philosopher’s age-old prescription for living I beseech you,” wrote Oliver Cromwell, in his letter to the general assembly of the Church of Scotland, “in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you...
This acutely portrayed reckoning with contemporary Indian sociopolitics traces the faultlines of caste, class and religion Devika Rege’s debut is not a definitive state-of-the-nation novel. Nor can it be characterised as the next “great...
The former child star on Hollywood’s ridiculous expectations of women – at every age From an early age, the model and actor Brooke Shields has been accustomed to seeing herself through the eyes of others. At 11, she played a teenage...
This episodic, multi-layered debut crosses decades and continents to shine a light on the universality and uniqueness of women’s experience Catherine Airey’s debut novel opens in New York on 9/11. Sixteen-year-old Cora, who is playing...
Looking for a new reading recommendation? Here are some brilliant new paperbacks, from an examination of the British Empire to gripping crime novels Continue reading...
Think prejudice is overblown? A social psychologist provides the receipts in this densely informative but highly readable account It was over schnitzel and mash that my friend’s Bavarian grandparents decided to call me a “black devil”,...
Sherlock Holmes' brilliantly drawn arch-nemesis was based on a real-life criminal mastermind, reveals author GARETH RUBIN as he brings the pair back together for a stunning new fictional escapade in his thrilling new book
From ecology-saving zombies to a murderous tattoo and a chilly new school for magic, the new year launches with fresh twists on familiar themes In with the new! Publishing can be slow to wake from its Twixtmas carb-loading. But the early...
In this fascinating book, the neuroscientist makes a strong case for the therapeutic force of music, describing ways in which it can be a beneficial part of recovery for patients That great music can up be uplifting, transportive,...
A historic papal autobiography offers unique insights into the challenges faced by the leader of the Catholic church, but skates over scandals At 88 years of age, Pope Francis is the oldest pontiff for more than a century. Yet, after...
From run-ins with Hemingway in Havana to gunmen in Guatemala, this colourful collection of the late writer’s long-form journalism shows why Graham Greene was an admirer The travelogues of Norman Lewis, which are much admired for the...
This provocative novel contains two narratives: the memoir of an activist starting a new life and the violent manifesto of a spy cop who knew her Anna McCormick, as many people did, is discovering that the first pandemic lockdown is...
The US novelist and co-writer of The Wire on why his new book isn’t about cops and robbers, his 80s drug addiction and the authors who have inspired him Richard Price, 75, is a screenwriter and author whose books include the 600-page...
As her ground-breaking biography of Aboriginal activist Tracker Tilmouth is re-issued, the acclaimed Australian author remembers her late friend and talks about her latest novel, Praiseworthy On the day she decided she had finally...
He’s worked with some of the biggest names in music, but his latest book claims there’s an artist in all of us. Brian Eno and co-author Bette Adriaanse discuss the myth of genius, and how to really unlock your creativity Brian Eno’s...
An aspiring English journalist enters the life of a fabled painter in this seductive debut of art, love and family secrets A love story wrapped in a mystery, Lucy Steeds’s vividly poetic debut novel begins cinematically and with a...
From befriending the last African enslaved in the US to meeting with zombies in Haiti, the folklorist, anthropologist and Harlem Renaissance writer – who has a novel posthumously published today – was a sensitive chronicler of other...
Authors, journalists and Guardian readers discuss the titles they have read over the last month I enjoyed Pretentiousness: Why It Matters by Dan Fox. I am a guilty user of the word pretentious, which the book methodically rebukes over...
Sibling rivalry, a massive shark, anti-Nazi resistance in Norway, a brilliant romcom, and a tale of power and betrayal All Aboard the Bedtime Bus by Karl Newson and Tim Budgen , Little Tiger , £7.99 Ding! Ding! The Bedtime Bus is on its...
From a boy on a snowy midnight adventure to a gothic family caper via a young offender inspired by poetry, our critics pick their favourite titles of the year The best books to give as gifts this Christmas In the imagination of a small...
The author and artist’s latest gothic novel is inspired by his lifelong love of theatre. He talks about his journey from stage to page – and why his house in Austin is home to a 4ft doll of Madame Tussaud “I need to take a picture of...
At 90, the author reflects on his friendship with Alan Turing, quantum realities and how his grandfather inspired his latest book Alan Garner is a few days from his 90th birthday when we meet, and his plan for the day itself is “to be...
Top authors from Irvine Welsh to Louise Candlish, Conn Iggulden and Julian Clary share their favourite books of the year in Part Two of our brilliant seasonal round-up
From a radical retelling of Huckleberry Finn to Al Pacino’s autobiography, novelists and nonfiction writers reveal the books they will be giving as gifts – and the volumes they would love to find in their own stocking Illustrations by...
A new Sally Rooney, the return of le Carré’s George Smiley, plus real-life revelations from Al Pacino and Salman Rushdie ... Guardian critics pick the year’s best fiction, memoir, children’s books and more From Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo...
Salman Rushdie’s account of his near-fatal stabbing, a 360-degree view of Queen Elizabeth II and Al Pacino’s rags to riches career are among this year’s most compelling personal histories There are myriad ways to tell the story of a...
From Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo to Alan Hollinghurst’s Our Evenings, Percival Everett’s James and a host of inventive debuts – this year’s highlights in fiction In a year of surprises – a posthumous fable from Gabriel García Márquez,...
The hugely popular author reveals his excitement at the release of his latest Stormlight saga, how he extracted himself from Amazon and why JK Rowling should have stuck to novels It’s 1pm in American Fork, Utah, and the author of one of...
The novelist’s cult book about a stay-at-home mother who turns into a dog is now a film starring Amy Adams. She talks about modern parenting, breaking taboos, and how Trump’s win spurred her to write R achel Yoder knows exactly why she...