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Latest Book Recommendations

The Best Intellectual Biographies, recommended by Henry Oliver

The interplay of real life and the generation or dissemination of ideas serves as the fascinating focus of the intellectual biography. Here, Henry Oliver—author of Second Act, a compelling new book about late-blooming intellectuals, artists, and thinkers—selects five of the best intellectual biographies, including studies of the lives of the novelist George Eliot and the philosopher Derek Parfit.

Recent Recommendations

HISTORICAL FICTION
Saltblood by Francesca de Tores
Winner of the 2024 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize

BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS
How Things Work: Great STEM Books for 8-12 Year Olds, recommended by Our Children’s Editor

NONFICTION BOOKS
The 2024 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding
Charles Tripp, chair of the judging panel, talks us through this year’s shortlist

Most Popular Expert Interviews

The best sci-fi and fantasy novels—as chosen by the fans
The Hugo Award has been a fixture for speculative fiction since 1953.

Booker Prize-winning novels
As we know that many of our readers like to work their way through the list of Booker-winners, we’ve compiled an overview the winning titles from the last two decades.

Novelist and historian Harry Turtledove introduces us to his favourite works of alternate history
“Alternate history, like any fiction, is not really about the world that you’re creating. It’s about the world you live in.”

Historical Novels Set in Italy, recommended by Tracy Chevalier
“I was curious about Venice, this wealthy center of trade in the 15th century, becoming what it is now”

The Best Historical Fiction of 2024: the Walter Scott Prize with judging chair Katharine Grant
“It’s been a wonderful year for historical fiction”

The best books on Greek myths and mythology, recommended by Lucy Coats
“A Greek myth is basically a way of explaining the world”

Five of the Best Literary Historical Novels, recommended by novelist Paul Carlucci
“I wanted to show how historical fiction can dovetail with other genres—ghost stories, Westerns, horror.”

British military historian Sir Antony Beevor on the best books on World War II
“Goebbels was a diabolical genius. He saw that hatred was not enough and you had to combine hatred with fear if you were going to get the maximum killing potential out of your followers”

**Notable new nonfiction books, a roundup by Five Books editor Sophie Roell**
“There’s a genre of pacy nonfiction books that show up on US bestseller lists, then the UK, and are highly readable. “

Beautiful editions of classic novels
It is a truth universally acknowledged that even if you already own a copy of a book, you can still be tempted by a different, prettier edition

Classic Novels of the American Civil War, recommended by Craig A. Warren
“What is most important, to me, is the union of literary artistry with a serious attempt to understand the meaning of the conflict for everyday Americans”

Books to Read with Book Clubs in 2024
“None of these books are intimidating experimental or dense; they are aimed at the intelligent general reader, who wants a novel that make them think—but also to feel—and therefore to discuss”

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Our aim is to make Five Books the place to go to on the web for book recommendations, arranged by topic. Help us achieve our goal by making a reading list on a subject you know a lot about. These lists have been created by our readers using our new interactive tool. Browse them all, or make your own.

The Best Intellectual Biographies, recommended by Henry Oliver

HISTORICAL FICTION Saltblood by Francesca de Tores Winner of the 2024 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize

BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS How Things Work: Great STEM Books for 8-12 Year Olds, recommended by Our Children’s Editor

NONFICTION BOOKS The 2024 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding Charles Tripp, chair of the judging panel, talks us through this year’s shortlist

The best sci-fi and fantasy novels—as chosen by the fans The Hugo Award has been a fixture for speculative fiction since 1953.

Booker Prize-winning novels As we know that many of our readers like to work their way through the list of Booker-winners, we’ve compiled an overview the winning titles from the last two decades.

Novelist and historian Harry Turtledove introduces us to his favourite works of alternate history “Alternate history, like any fiction, is not really about the world that you’re creating. It’s about the world you live in.”

Historical Novels Set in Italy, recommended by Tracy Chevalier “I was curious about Venice, this wealthy center of trade in the 15th century, becoming what it is now”

The Best Historical Fiction of 2024: the Walter Scott Prize with judging chair Katharine Grant “It’s been a wonderful year for historical fiction”

The best books on Greek myths and mythology, recommended by Lucy Coats “A Greek myth is basically a way of explaining the world”

Five of the Best Literary Historical Novels, recommended by novelist Paul Carlucci “I wanted to show how historical fiction can dovetail with other genres—ghost stories, Westerns, horror.”

British military historian Sir Antony Beevor on the best books on World War II “Goebbels was a diabolical genius. He saw that hatred was not enough and you had to combine hatred with fear if you were going to get the maximum killing potential out of your followers”

Notable new nonfiction books, a roundup by Five Books editor Sophie Roell “There’s a genre of pacy nonfiction books that show up on US bestseller lists, then the UK, and are highly readable. “

Beautiful editions of classic novels It is a truth universally acknowledged that even if you already own a copy of a book, you can still be tempted by a different, prettier edition

Classic Novels of the American Civil War, recommended by Craig A. Warren “What is most important, to me, is the union of literary artistry with a serious attempt to understand the meaning of the conflict for everyday Americans”

Books to Read with Book Clubs in 2024 “None of these books are intimidating experimental or dense; they are aimed at the intelligent general reader, who wants a novel that make them think—but also to feel—and therefore to discuss”

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Dante's Garden: Magic and Mystery in Bomarzo 2nd Edition by Teresa Cutler-Broyles

Michelangelo's Ghost (A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery Book 4) by Gigi Pandian

Signatures in Stone: A Bomarzo Mystery by Linda Lappin

In the Garden of Monsters: A Novel by Crystal King

The Martian by Andy Weir

Avogadro Corp: The Singularity Is Closer Than It Appears (Singularity Series) by William Hertling

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

Recursion: A Novel by Blake Crouch

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

About

HISTORICAL FICTION
Saltblood by Francesca de Tores
Winner of the 2024 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize

BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS
How Things Work: Great STEM Books for 8-12 Year Olds, recommended by Our Children’s Editor

NONFICTION BOOKS
The 2024 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding
Charles Tripp, chair of the judging panel, talks us through this year’s shortlist

The best sci-fi and fantasy novels—as chosen by the fans
The Hugo Award has been a fixture for speculative fiction since 1953.

Booker Prize-winning novels
As we know that many of our readers like to work their way through the list of Booker-winners, we’ve compiled an overview the winning titles from the last two decades.

Novelist and historian Harry Turtledove introduces us to his favourite works of alternate history
“Alternate history, like any fiction, is not really about the world that you’re creating. It’s about the world you live in.”

Historical Novels Set in Italy, recommended by Tracy Chevalier
“I was curious about Venice, this wealthy center of trade in the 15th century, becoming what it is now”

The Best Historical Fiction of 2024: the Walter Scott Prize with judging chair Katharine Grant
“It’s been a wonderful year for historical fiction”

The best books on Greek myths and mythology, recommended by Lucy Coats
“A Greek myth is basically a way of explaining the world”

Five of the Best Literary Historical Novels, recommended by novelist Paul Carlucci
“I wanted to show how historical fiction can dovetail with other genres—ghost stories, Westerns, horror.”

British military historian Sir Antony Beevor on the best books on World War II
“Goebbels was a diabolical genius. He saw that hatred was not enough and you had to combine hatred with fear if you were going to get the maximum killing potential out of your followers”

**Notable new nonfiction books, a roundup by Five Books editor Sophie Roell**
“There’s a genre of pacy nonfiction books that show up on US bestseller lists, then the UK, and are highly readable. “

Beautiful editions of classic novels
It is a truth universally acknowledged that even if you already own a copy of a book, you can still be tempted by a different, prettier edition

Classic Novels of the American Civil War, recommended by Craig A. Warren
“What is most important, to me, is the union of literary artistry with a serious attempt to understand the meaning of the conflict for everyday Americans”

Books to Read with Book Clubs in 2024
“None of these books are intimidating experimental or dense; they are aimed at the intelligent general reader, who wants a novel that make them think—but also to feel—and therefore to discuss”

Books like...
The Song of Achilles

Books like...
The Thursday Murder Club

Books like...
Dune

Books like...
The Secret History

Books like...
Bridgerton

Books like...
Normal People

Bomarzo;: A novel
by Manuel Mujica Lainez

Dante's Garden: Magic and Mystery in Bomarzo 2nd Edition
by Teresa Cutler-Broyles

Michelangelo's Ghost (A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery Book 4)
by Gigi Pandian

Signatures in Stone: A Bomarzo Mystery
by Linda Lappin

In the Garden of Monsters: A Novel
by Crystal King

The Martian
by Andy Weir

Avogadro Corp: The Singularity Is Closer Than It Appears (Singularity Series)
by William Hertling

Seveneves
by Neal Stephenson

Recursion: A Novel
by Blake Crouch

Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley