Latest Book Recommendations

The best books on Sultan Süleyman, recommended by Kaya Şahin

Kaya Şahin

The Ottoman ruler Süleyman was one of the most powerful men in early modern Europe and highly adept at building his reputation for posterity. In European languages, he is still often graced with the epithet 'the Magnificent.' The reality was much more mixed, as a new biography of Süleyman shows. Historian Kaya Şahin talks us through books to better understand Sultan Süleyman and the world he lived in.

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Katherine D. Morgan

The Best Romance Books To Read In Summer 2023, recommended by Katherine D. Morgan
“The idea of a summer romance makes my heart sing”
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The Best Modernist Novels, recommended by American writer and critic Michael Clune
“In my list, I try to move beyond the best-known modernist writers, to explore works that retain their capacity to shock us out of our complacency”
Ekaterina Schulmann

The Best Russia Books: The 2023 Pushkin House Prize, recommended by Russian political scientist Ekaterina Schulmann
“This is a war that cannot be won—and should never have been waged in the first place”

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Sophie Roell

The Best Nonfiction of the Past Quarter Century, introduced by Five Books editor Sophie Roell
“We are lucky to have the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction”
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The Best Historical Fiction: The 2023 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist, a roundup by our deputy editor Cal Flyn
“The prize defines ‘historical fiction‘ as novels that are set sixty or more years in the past but…speak to the present”

ChatGPT

The best books on Artificial Intelligence recommended by ChatGPT
Normally on Five Books we interview leading academics or novelists about the best books in their field. This week, we turned to ChatGPT for recommendations.
Massimo Pigliucci

Philosopher Massimo Pigliucci recommends the best books on Stoicism
“One of the most rewarding things that has happened to me since I started writing about it is the constant flow of testimonies to the fact that it really helps people”
Jaime Green

The most mind-boggling aliens in science fiction, as recommended by science writer Jaime Green
“Science fiction is about seeing if you can hold an impossible idea in your head, just for a moment”
Alice Winn

The Best First World War Novels, recommended by Alice Winn, author of In Memoriam
“Wilfred Owen said: ‘My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity’”
 
Antony Beevor

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”
Radhika Jha

The best Indian novels, recommended by acclaimed novelist Radhika Jha
“I love to read not to learn about other cultures, but to feel what it means to be human”

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“Pessimists tend not to notice changes for the better”
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“Decision-making is even more difficult than people realize”
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Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator of the Financial Times, on the world economy
“We should have paid much more attention to what was happening to the losers”
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Notable Novels of Summer 2023, recommended by Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn
“The book I’ve been jabbering about to anyone who will listen is Catherine Lacey’s new novel Biography of X”
 

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Recent Reader Lists

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.

Five Essential Reads to Enhance Senior Living, recommended by Daisy Reynolds

SeniorITy: How AI and tech can enhance senior living
by Lucia Dore & Carole Railton

Core Exercises for Seniors: Boost Energy, Build Balance, Strength and Confidence for Active Aging Af
by Baz Thompson & Britney Lynch

Balance Exercises for Seniors: Easy Workouts to Prevent Falls, Regain Coordination and Self-Confiden
by Suzanne Berggren & Vince S.

Computers For Seniors For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
by Faithe Wempen

Not Fade Away: How to Thrive in Retirement
by Celia Dodd

2023’s Top Books on Your Relationship with Yourself, recommended by Daisy Reynolds

The Magic In Me: Transform your relationship with yourself and the key people in your life
by Dr. Rina Bajaj

Choose Joy: Relieve Burnout, Focus on Your Happiness, and Infuse More Joy into Your Everyday Life
by Sophie Cliff & Blue Star Press

Love Yourself First: How to Heal from Toxic People, Create Healthy Relationships & Become a Confiden
by Krystle Laughter & Krystle Laughter

The Art of Chilling Out for Women: 100+ Ways to Replace Worry and Stress with Spiritual Healing, Sel
by Angela D. Coleman

Real Self Care
by Dr. Pooja Lakshmin

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