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Classic Fantasy Books, recommended by Matthew Sangster

Classic Fantasy Books, recommended by Matthew Sangster

A fantasy ‘classic’ is a book that enables a new kind of story to be written, says fantasy scholar Matthew Sangster. He introduces five classics, and explains how they both build on and subvert our shared stock of stories to create wonderful new worlds – worlds that are not made to be admired from a distance, but rather to be lived inside, and shared.

New Book Recommendations

Babel: An Arcane History by R. F. Kuang Babel: An Arcane History by R. F. Kuang

FANTASY
Babel by R.F. Kuang
“Set in an alternate 1830s Oxford, it tracks several real historical events, but makes one elegant magical substitution: the source of the British Empire’s economic power”—Sylvia Bishop, Science Fiction & Fantasy editor, Five Books

Kindle Paperwhite by Amazon Kindle Paperwhite by Amazon

READING GADGETS
Which Kindle to get?
“That’s an easy question for me, Kindle Paperwhite is the most popular Kindle by far…It has all the best features that you would want”—Maneetpaul Singh, Kindle reviewer and author of Kindle Bookworm

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

NONFICTION BOOKS
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
“He says…that it is a short book because most books are filled with bullshit and he is determined not to offer bullshit but to tell it like it is”—Andrew Cowan, novelist and creative writing professor

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

HISTORICAL FICTION
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
“It was fascinating because it was a window onto a world that I knew absolutely nothing about. She made me care. I wanted to know what happens to the characters. When someone dies, it’s so heartrending”—Jane Johnson, historical novelist

A State at Any Cost: The Life of David Ben-Gurion by Tom Segev A State at Any Cost: The Life of David Ben-Gurion by Tom Segev

NONFICTION BOOKS
A State at Any Cost: The Life of David Ben-Gurion by Tom Segev
“This book is non-partisan and straightforward. It tells you everything about Ben-Gurion and the title expresses the theme of his life, which was to secure a Jewish state no matter what had to be done”—Michael Mandelbaum, political scientist, Johns Hopkins SAIS

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

SCIENCE FICTION
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
🏆 Winner of the 2025 Arthur C  Clarke Prize
“Annie is a companion, a manufactured housewife who is programmed to keep her husband happy. The husband’s best friend is a jerk and mistreats Annie, whilst the husband gets more and more unpleasant”—Andrew M. Butler, prize judge

The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916 by Alistair Horne The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916 by Alistair Horne

HISTORY BOOKS
The Price of Glory by Alastair Horne
“I was hugely influenced both by the book and by actually visiting Verdun…it was the most unbelievably destructive battle ever fought on the European continent, west of the old Soviet Union. It had an enormous symbolic significance”—David Marquand, 1934-2024

The Invitation by Lucy Foley The Invitation by Lucy Foley

THRILLERS
The Invitation by Lucy Foley

There’s a bit of Sleeping with the Enemy in there, the film with Julia Roberts. A haunting, unsettling vibe. It’s very glamorous, and I love the location. Lucy’s such a beautiful writer.”—Rachel Wolf, thriller writer

King Lear by William Shakespeare King Lear by William Shakespeare

CLASSIC LITERATURE
King Lear by William Shakespeare
“King Lear is a play that changes your life. How could it not? It asks fundamental questions about who we are”—René Weis, Shakespeare scholar

Circe by Madeline Miller Circe by Madeline Miller

FICTION
Circe by Madeline Miller
“It’s about a goddess and witch from the Odyssey. She’s best-remembered as the witch who turned Odysseus’s men into pigs. But what Miller does so cleverly is that she reframes Circe’s story”—Flora Carr, historical novelist

The Book of Secrets by Anna Mazzola The Book of Secrets by Anna Mazzola

MYSTERIES
The Book of Secrets by Anna Mazzola
🏆 Winner of the 2025 CWA KAA Gold Dagger
“Based on a real bout of poisonings that took place in Rome in the mid-17th century. The so-called ‘Aqua Tofana’ could not be detected and was used by women to get rid of abusive husbands”

The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse

FICTION
🏆 Winner of the 1946 Nobel Prize in Literature
The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse
“There’s the ideas of mathematics, of philosophy, of music all brought together…When I read that book I thought, ‘Yes, this is the game I want to play’”—Marcus du Sautoy, mathematician, University of Oxford

Glorious Exploits: A Novel by Ferdia Lennon Glorious Exploits: A Novel by Ferdia Lennon

FUNNIEST BOOKS OF 2024
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon

“If you can take something like the failed invasion of Sicily in 412BC, and make a buddy comedy out of it—well, you’ve got something very unique.”—Justin Albert, judge, Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction

Mythos: A Retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece by Stephen Fry Mythos: A Retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece by Stephen Fry

THE BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS
Mythos by Stephen Fry
Mythos by Stephen Fry is a humorous retelling of the Greek myths…after listening to it one time, my children (aged 12, 11 and 10) insisted on listening to it again”—Sophie Roell, editor of Five Books

Francesca Martin

Best Beach Reads 2025
“Looking for the perfect books to escape with whilst you’re on holiday? From thrillers to romances and fantasy to cottage core, these are our top page-turners”—Francesca Martin, journalist

This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust

HISTORY BOOKS
This Republic of Suffering by Drew Gilpin Faust
“I have seen one estimate that if we were to have the same number of people killed today, as a percentage of the American population, we would have lost six million people”—Brent Glass, public historian

ChatGPT

AI BOOKS
ChatGPT-4 offers its own opinions on artificial intelligence
“These books offer valuable insights into the development, challenges, and future prospects of AI”—ChatGPT-4, AI chatbot

Most Recommended Books

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