Latest Book Recommendations

The best books on Science Fiction and Philosophy, recommended by Eric Schwitzgebel

Eric Schwitzgebel

Serious philosophy need not take the form of a journal article or monograph, argues the philosopher and U.C. Riverside professor Eric Schwitzgebel, as he selects five science fiction books that succeed both as novels and provocative thought experiments that push us to consider deep philosophical questions from every angle.

Recent Recommendations

Nicholas Jubber

The best books on the originators of fairy tales, as recommended by Nicholas Jubber
“‘Fairy tale’, comes from the French: conte de fées. In German, it’s märchen which means ‘little tale’, in Danish it’s eventyr which means ‘adventure’.”
Oscar

The best manga for kids and teens, recommended by Oscar, age 13 and an avid manga reader
“A manga is like the in-between point between a book and a film”
Harry Sidebottom

The best historical fiction set in the ancient world, recommended by Oxford ancient historian and historical novelist Harry Sidebottom
“A lot of fiction has used the ancient world to explore contemporary issues of sexuality”

Most Popular Expert Interviews

Nigel Warburton

The Best Philosophy Books of 2021, recommended by Nigel Warburton, philosopher, broadcaster and creator of the Philosophy Bites podcast
“I’ve got a very broad conception of what philosophy is”
Cal Flyn

The best new novels of 2021, as recommended by Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn
“These are five new novels that I admired, enjoyed and pressed into people’s hands over the course of the year.”
David Birch

Digital currency expert David Birch recommends books about cryptocurrencies
"It was ironic that the US Treasury was printing and posting stimulus checks in the same week that the Chinese were piloting digital currency in four cities"

Paul Lay

The best history books of 2021, recommended by Paul Lay, editor of History Today
“Napoleon makes a kind of science of plunder”
Our Children's Editor

The best illustrated Harry Potter books, recommended by our children’s editor
“MinaLima…created the graphic style of the Harry Potter films. Their books reimagine the stories afresh, with scenes and characters that have not been illustrated elsewhere”
Sophie Roell

The best nonfiction books of 2021, recommended by Five Books editor Sophie Roell
“It’s been a phenomenal year for nonfiction, with lots of books coming out that cover important topics and are written in a gripping way”
Kathryn Hughes

The best nonfiction books of 2021, introduced by Kathryn Hughes, Baillie Gifford Prize judge
“What we were looking for is the sizzle, the excitement, the moment where you pick up a book, you read the first page and there’s something about it that just hooks you in.”
Sophie Roell

The Best Crime Fiction of 2021, recommended by Sophie Roell, Editor of Five Books
“Generally, I like real life, domestic situations more than plots to destroy the world involving the FBI or CIA”
Maya Jasanoff

The best novels of 2021: the Booker Prize shortlist, recommended by Professor Maya Jasanoff of Harvard
"A prize is a way of rewarding creative work. But it’s also a way of directing readers to books"

Most Recommended Books

The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
Plato's Republic
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
wealth of nations
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

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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.

My favourite books read in 2021, recommended by Ilan D'Urbino

How to Hide an Empire: A Short History of the Greater United States
by Daniel Immerwahr

L’épopée sibérienne - La Russie a la conquête de la Sibérie (DOCUMENTS/HISTOIRE)
by Eric HOESLI

La polvere del Messico (Italian Edition)
by Pino Cacucci

Fantasmi. Dispacci dalla Cambogia (Italian Edition)
by Tiziano Terzani

Il Negus (Italian Edition)
by Ryszard Kapuscinski & V. Verdiani

Top 5 Books to Help People Grow Their Business, recommended by Daisy Reynolds

Creating Strategy: A Practical Guide
by Michael Bernard

The Grid: The Decision-making Tool for Every Business (Including Yours)
by Matt Watkinson

You Are A Badass At Making Money
by Jen Sincero

Play the Game: How to Win in Today’s Changing Environment
by Adam Strong & + 17 Game-Changing Leaders

Traction
by Justin Mares,Gabriel Weinberg and

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