Books
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The former nun argues that reconnecting with the spiritual side of nature could help us contend with the climate crisis -
The country set confront the realities of the second world war in this sweeping historical epic -
A fascinating study of the tech giant and its symbiotic relationship with the Chinese government
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The Bridgerton actor, Doctor Who writer and I May Destroy You creator are among 60 new fellows appointed to the UK’s charity for the advancement of literature -
The candid French novelist is torn between sympathy and hurt in this quietly heartbreaking memoir about his mother’s troubled early adulthood -
Six groups will be chosen to read a shortlisted book, with the most ‘original and engaging’ readers to be invited to the prize ceremony
Summer reading
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From pageturning thrillers and comic novels to an antidote to doomscrolling – our pick of the best new fiction and nonfiction. Plus 10 brilliant paperbacks, and 10 great reads for children and teens -
Authors recommend their favourite recent reads, from addictive novels and fascinating cultural history to a game-changing graphic memoir
What to read
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From Ukrainian history to Putin’s kleptocracy and Gogol’s stories, author and former Russia correspondent Oliver Bullough chooses the best titles -
Looking for a new reading recommendation? Here are some wonderful new paperbacks, from new editions of classic Marvel comics to great novels for the summer -
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A Ukrainian writer reflects on the joys and costs of a life dedicated to illegally exploring the nuclear site -
Themes that might feel familiar in other hands are rendered enthralling in this story of stifling religion and drug addiction -
Modern agriculture isn’t working. Two energising books come up with contrasting solutions -
The journal of Britain’s last governor makes for candid reading, supplemented by a polemical essay on Hong Kong 25 years on
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Herzog draws on the extraordinary story of a real-life Japanese soldier who fought on for decades, unaware that the second world war was over -
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia; Thrust by Lidia Yuknavitch; The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings; Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata and Old Country by Matt and Harrison Query -
A brilliant exploration of how an otherworldly peasant girl became a leader of violent men and a national icon
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Triplets reckon with their puzzling dissimilarity in an enjoyable saga of family dysfunction -
Moshfegh’s fiction provides welcome respite from a culture submerged in positivity – but is there more than shock value to her catalogue of perversity in a medieval village? -
This tale of a curious young woman in 18th-century Amsterdam finds the writer at the top of her game
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A secret day out at the seaside; a celebration of wildflowers; dinosaurs, spies and children with superpowers -
Marcus Rashford channels Scooby-Doo, more girls solve mysteries, while two historical young Black Britons join forces in theatreland -
A call to embrace wildness, a guide to shells, a tall tree tale, wishing candles, paper spirits, and a tough apology to make
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The French literary star talks about growing up in poverty and his mother’s escape from the abusive marriage that haunted his childhood -
ITV’s political editor on coping with obsessive-compulsive disorder, belatedly publishing his first novel, and why he longs for a lost England -
The author of My Year of Rest and Relaxation talks to fellow US writer about memoir v fiction, depicting tyrants and the power of fairytales
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The novelist on learning farming from his grandfather, how his background in law informed his work, and why homophobia is a Victorian export -
Voices of everyday things fill The Book of Form and Emptiness, rooted in how she experienced the loss of her father -
The award-winning author on the urgency she felt when writing her pandemic novel, how she relates to Sarah Connor from The Terminator and what Egon Schiele’s paintings make her feel
Regulars
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The author on dreams of Narnia, the joy of Cold Comfort Farm, and finally finishing War and Peace after an 18-year break -
Been recommended the great German author but never got round to picking his books up? This handy guide will help you find your way in -
Streets have been optimised for one thing: traffic. A kind of ‘urban rewilding’ could return them to the complex social ecosystems they once were
You may have missed
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Two centuries on from his untimely death, Shelley’s work remains widely read and deeply loved. Reeta Chakrabarti pays tribute to his genius -
The Scottish poet’s tribute to the Antiguan-American author’s ‘fearless’ coming-of-age novel Annie John -
Published 70 years ago, All Our Yesterdays by Natalia Ginzburg is a secret the Normal People author had been waiting to discover -
At the national diary archive in Pieve Santo Stefano, Tuscany, no journal is ever turned away – whether typed, scrawled or written on a bedsheet
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Essential holiday books The 30 best holiday reads – chosen by authors and critics