Latest interviews and book lists

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novels

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novels

Every year, the Pulitzer Prize jury awards $15,000 to a work of "distinguished fiction published during the year by an American author, preferably dealing with American life." We've compiled a guide to the books that have won this prize since the turn of the millennium.

New Book Recommendations

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

SCIENCE FICTION
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

“I’ve read it three times, I think it’s wonderful…The book opens with the main character, Ryland, waking up from a stasis sleep on a ship with no idea who he is or how he’s got there”—Natasha Pulley, novelist

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

NONFICTION BOOKS
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
“The book speaks to not just an important issue…but how we can all make changes in our communities and in our societies”—John Kerry, former US Secretary of State

Jane Austen Boxset by Jane Austen Jane Austen Boxset by Jane Austen

CLASSIC ENGLISH LITERATURE
The Complete Works of Jane Austen (1775-1817)
“Oh! it is only a novel! … in short, only some work in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour are conveyed to the world in the best chosen language”—Northanger Abbey

Ukraine’s Nuclear Disarmament: A History by Yuri Kostenko Ukraine’s Nuclear Disarmament: A History by Yuri Kostenko

NONFICTION BOOKS
Ukraine’s Nuclear Disarmament: A History by Yuri Kostenko
“His argument is not that Ukraine should have kept nuclear weapons, but that Ukrainians were forced to give them up without getting proper guarantees of the country’s independence”—Serhii Plokhy, historian, Harvard University

Karla's Choice by Nick Harkaway Karla's Choice by Nick Harkaway

SPY THRILLERS
Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway
“This is the book of the year for me, he’s knocked it out of the park”—Shane Whaley, host, Spybrary podcast

The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen

FICTION
The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen
🏆  Winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
“Nowadays, to read a novel is political”—Joshua Cohen, novelist

We Do Not Part by Han Kang, translated by e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris We Do Not Part by Han Kang, translated by e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris

NEW LITERARY FICTION
We Do Not Part by Han Kang
We Do Not Part deals—obliquely—with the long shadow of the Jeju massacres…during which an estimated 30,000 were killed by government forces”—Cal Flyn, deputy editor, Five Books

How Economics Explains the World (US)/ The Shortest History of Economics (UK) by Andrew Leigh How Economics Explains the World (US)/ The Shortest History of Economics (UK) by Andrew Leigh

ECONOMICS BOOKS
“If you read just one economics book in 2024—and perhaps if you just read one economics book in your life—it should be this book…How Economics Explains the World is a relatively short and easy read”—Jason Furman, economist, Harvard University

Francesca Martin

TOP ‘ROMANTASY’ BOOKS to get you started
“A word of warning—these books are real page turners and you’ll find yourself reading until the early hours of the morning”—Francesca Martin, journalist
⬇️

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

ROMANTASY
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas
“This is one of the most popular book series in the world of romantasy—and with good reason”—Francesca Martin, journalist

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

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

THE BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

“What the books…do so well is to make you feel, even if you’re happy for a bit, there’s…something nasty waiting for you around the corner”—Jack Meggitt-Phillips, children’s author

The Kindly Ones: A Novel by Jonathan Littell The Kindly Ones: A Novel by Jonathan Littell

HISTORICAL FICTION
The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell
“This book has knocked everything else I’ve ever read about the Second World War out of the park”—Graham Hurley, WWII historical novelist

Most Recommended Books

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.

Top 5 Books on Making Your Business Cyber Secure, recommended by Daisy Reynolds

Top 5 Books on Delivering Value from Data, recommended by Daisy Reynolds

Support Five Books

Five Books interviews are expensive to produce, please support us by .