Latest interviews and book lists
Prize-Winning Crime Novels of 2024, recommended by Sophie Roell
Crime novels are one of the most popular fiction genres, catering to a wide range of tastes and interests. Our editor, Sophie Roell, takes us through the books that won prestigious US and UK awards this year, from a historical novel set during the American Civil War to a spy thriller that raises interesting questions about Western policy in the Middle East.
New Book Recommendations
The Best Novels of 2024: The Booker Prize Shortlist, recommended by Nitin Sawhney
“I love this book so much, I ended up writing a piece of music around it”
THE FUNNIEST BOOK OF 2024?
NEWS: Glorious Exploits wins the Wodehouse Prize
A historical novel set in 412BCE Sicily by Ferdia Lennon has won the UK’s book prize for comedy.
HISTORY BOOKS
The 2024 Wolfson History Prize, recommended by Diarmaid MacCulloch
“What we’re trying to do is to find the best history books created within the UK in the last year”
NONFICTION BOOKS
NEWS: Question 7 by Richard Flanagan wins the Baillie Gifford Prize
“There’s a connection with The Narrow Road to the Deep North because that book was also concerned with his father’s experience of being a slave laborer in the Second World War: he was an Australian captured by the Japanese”
FANTASY
Award-Winning Fantasy Novels of 2024, a roundup by our SFF editor Sylvia Bishop
“This year’s award-winning fantasy books offer something for every taste, from melancholic fairy tales to gripping horror”
FICTION
NEWS: Orbital wins the 2024 Booker Prize
Orbital by Samantha Harvey, the first book set in space to win the Booker Prize, follows a team of astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Most Popular Expert Interviews
NONFICTION BOOKS
The Best Nonfiction Books of 2024: The Baillie Gifford Prize Shortlist, recommended by Isabel Hilton
“There’s a Zeitgeist feel to them. They’re very much about today, but each…is drawing threads from the past”
NONFICTION BOOKS
Notable Nonfiction of Fall 2024, recommended by Sophie Roell
“It’s been a great few months for new nonfiction”
SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS
The Best Sci-Fi Series, recommended by novelist and historian Ada Palmer
“I often think about it, especially if I’m structuring my own series, like composing a symphony”
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.