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Fiction

Most Recommended Books

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

“I think Charlotte Brontë’s most accomplished book is Villette. It’s probably a better book, it’s tighter and more sophisticated in some ways. But there’s something about Jane Eyre that is just deeply emotionally compelling for me.”

Lucy Atkins, Journalist

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Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

“What the rest of Great Expectations shows is that having Christmas lasting all the way through your life might not be a good thing. Having a Santa Claus figure who keeps throwing gifts and money at you when they’re not necessarily wanted or deserved might be a handicap.”

Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Literary Scholar

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Middlemarch by George Eliot

“I think one does often turn to novelists to get a sense of other people’s lives. It was written in 1871, but it’s written about a period 40 or so years before, the period when Ada Lovelace flourished. It’s about an intelligent woman trapped by the expectations and the circumstances of the society she finds herself in.”

Ursula Martin,

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Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

“In terms of how technology is working in our modern surveillance powers, it’s a terrifyingly prophetic book in some of its implications for 21st-century human life. Orwell would deny that it was prophecy; he said it was a warning. But in fact, distinguished Orwell scholar Professor Peter Davis once made a list of all the things that Orwell got right, and it was a couple of fairly long paragraphs, and it was really rather terrifying.”

D J Taylor,

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Ulysses by James Joyce

“It’s challenging, learned, filthy, and hilarious. In it, Joyce pushes the boundaries of language and the novel form. It’s easy to see how it was thwarted and censored four times during publication. At first, no one wanted to print it, because they could’ve been found liable for publishing pornography. Ulysses is one of those great novels that demands a level of concentration one can only get in isolation. Yes, it’s difficult and frustrating, but that’s because it wants to frustrate you—and the payoff is immense pleasure: no book gets closer to the ineffable experience of human play and tragedy, of being a fleshy mass of blood and bones in the modern world. It pays dividends for the reader who pays it serious attention. Reading Joyce, you feel incredibly close to the mind of a writer whose conviction was that he could do anything with language; no novel I’ve ever read has been more daring or eye-opening”

Five Books,

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Browse book recommendations:

Fiction

  • Best Fiction of 2020
  • Best Fiction of 2021
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With so many novels and works of fiction to choose from these days, where do you start? Here, we've put together reading lists compiled by some of the most eminent authors, poets, critics and academics writing today to help you find the best novels and works of fiction. Whether you're looking for some light holiday reading, science fiction, the best fiction of 2020 or writing an essay about Charles Dickens books, you should be able to find what you're looking for.

Our fiction section is broadly organized as follows. First, we have interviews with leading academics on some of the great authors of the past (e.g Jane Austen, George Eliot, Vladimir Nabokov). Generally the recommendations will be a combination of the most important works by those authors, as well as one or two books of literary criticism.

For prominent authors still alive and writing today, our interviews tend to focus on the books that inspired them. Our collection of interviews and book recommendations entitled 'Novelists' Inspiration' can be found here.

We also have a lot of novels and fiction broken down geographically, so our site is a good place to find (say) the best Egyptian or South African novels or the best of Israeli fiction. The best Italian novels are a perennial favourite.

Finally, we have a lot of genre fiction – from thrillers and horror to historical fiction , science fiction and romance.

The most recommended books in our interviews include Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Our book recommendations are all made by experts, who explain their choices in an interview. You can browse our database either by book or by interview:

    Notable Novels of Spring 2021, recommended by Cal Flyn

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    Notable Novels of Spring 2021 - Detransition, Baby: A Novel by Torrey Peters

    1

    Detransition, Baby: A Novel
    by Torrey Peters

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    Notable Novels of Spring 2021 - Girl A: A Novel by Abigail Dean

    2

    Girl A: A Novel
    by Abigail Dean

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    Notable Novels of Spring 2021 - Fake Accounts: A Novel by Lauren Oyler

    3

    Fake Accounts: A Novel
    by Lauren Oyler

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    Notable Novels of Spring 2021 - Klara and the Sun: A Novel by Kazuo Ishiguro

    4

    Klara and the Sun: A Novel
    by Kazuo Ishiguro

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    Notable Novels of Spring 2021 - Acts of Desperation: A Novel by Megan Nolan

    5

    Acts of Desperation: A Novel
    by Megan Nolan

Notable Novels of Spring 2021, recommended by Cal Flyn

Fiction fans can expect “an embarrassment of riches” in spring 2021, according to Cal Flyn, deputy editor of Five Books and author of the forthcoming Islands of Abandonment. From buzzed-about debuts to the latest novel from the Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro, we are spoilt for choice this season.

    Favourite Novels of 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

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    Favourite Novels of 2020 - Blue Ticket: A Novel by Sophie Mackintosh

    1

    Blue Ticket: A Novel
    by Sophie Mackintosh

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    Favourite Novels of 2020 - Cleanness by Garth Greenwell

    2

    Cleanness
    by Garth Greenwell

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    Favourite Novels of 2020 - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

    3

    Piranesi
    by Susanna Clarke

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    Favourite Novels of 2020 - The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel

    4

    The Mirror and the Light
    by Hilary Mantel

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    Favourite Novels of 2020 - Earthlings: A Novel by Sayaka Murata

    5

    Earthlings: A Novel
    by Sayaka Murata

Favourite Novels of 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn selects her favourite novels from among those published in 2020: the year of the lockdown, a time when many of us found escapism and solace between the covers of a book. Her own book, Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape, a work of literary nonfiction, is out in January.

    Best Crime Fiction of 2020, recommended by Sophie Roell

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    Best Crime Fiction of 2020 - One by One by Ruth Ware

    1

    One by One
    by Ruth Ware

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    Best Crime Fiction of 2020 - Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins

    2

    Magpie Lane
    by Lucy Atkins

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    Best Crime Fiction of 2020 - A Place of Execution by Val McDermid

    3

    A Place of Execution
    by Val McDermid

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    Best Crime Fiction of 2020 - The Searcher: A Novel by Roger Clark (narrator) & Tana French

    4

    The Searcher: A Novel
    by Roger Clark (narrator) & Tana French

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    Best Crime Fiction of 2020 - Guilt at the Garage by Simon Brett

    5

    Guilt at the Garage
    by Simon Brett

Best Crime Fiction of 2020, recommended by Sophie Roell

If you’re looking for escapism, crime novels can be a good way to go. Which is strange, given that nearly all of them revolve around murder. Sophie Roell, editor of Five Books and an avid consumer of the genre, picks her personal favourites published in 2020.

    The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books, recommended by Estelle Francis

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    The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books - Sphere by Michael Crichton

    1

    Sphere
    by Michael Crichton

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    The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books - The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

    2

    The Knife of Never Letting Go
    by Patrick Ness

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    The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books - More Than This by Patrick Ness

    3

    More Than This
    by Patrick Ness

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    The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books - Cinder by Marissa Meyer

    4

    Cinder
    by Marissa Meyer

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    The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

    5

    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
    by Douglas Adams

The Best Young Adult Science Fiction Books, recommended by Estelle Francis

Young adult science fiction extends far beyond the typical dystopian novels which immediately come to mind. Estelle Francis, a teenage author who recently published her first book, shares her favourite reads on this topic.  

    Comfort Reads, recommended by Neil Gaiman

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    Comfort Reads - The Princess Bride by William Goldman

    1

    The Princess Bride
    by William Goldman

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    Comfort Reads - No Bed for Bacon: Or Shakespeare Sows an Oat by Caryl Brahms & SJ Simon

    2

    No Bed for Bacon: Or Shakespeare Sows an Oat
    by Caryl Brahms & SJ Simon

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    Comfort Reads - Psmith by PG Wodehouse

    3

    Psmith
    by PG Wodehouse

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    Comfort Reads - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

    4

    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
    by Douglas Adams

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    Comfort Reads - Archer's Goon by Diana Wynne Jones

    5

    Archer's Goon
    by Diana Wynne Jones

Comfort Reads, recommended by Neil Gaiman

In his latest book, fans from around the world chose which of Neil Gaiman’s writings they liked the best, a great introduction to his writing for anyone not familiar with his work. Here the prolific, genre-bending author recommends some of his own favourite books: comfort reads to turn to in difficult times.

    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist, recommended by Margaret Busby

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    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist - The New Wilderness by Diane Cook

    1

    The New Wilderness
    by Diane Cook

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    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist - This Mournable Body: A Novel by Tsitsi Dangarembga

    2

    This Mournable Body: A Novel
    by Tsitsi Dangarembga

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    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist - The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste

    3

    The Shadow King
    by Maaza Mengiste

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    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist - Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

    4

    Burnt Sugar
    by Avni Doshi

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    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist - Shuggie Bain: A Novel by Douglas Stuart

    5

    Shuggie Bain: A Novel
    by Douglas Stuart

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    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist - Real Life: A Novel by Brandon Taylor

    6

    Real Life: A Novel
    by Brandon Taylor

The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist, recommended by Margaret Busby

Every year, the Booker Prize judges whittle a year’s worth of fiction down to a shortlist of six books, each competing for the title of the best novel of the year. Margaret Busby, chair of this year’s judging panel, discusses the six books that made the cut in 2020.

    The Best Ghost Stories, recommended by Will Maclean

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    The Best Ghost Stories - 'The Same Dog' in Cold Hand in Mine by Robert Aickman

    1

    'The Same Dog' in Cold Hand in Mine
    by Robert Aickman

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    The Best Ghost Stories - 'Home' in Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson

    2

    'Home' in Dark Tales
    by Shirley Jackson

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    The Best Ghost Stories - 'Animals' in You Should Come With Me Now by M. John Harrison

    3

    'Animals' in You Should Come With Me Now
    by M. John Harrison

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    The Best Ghost Stories - 'The Book' in The Virago Book of Ghost Stories by Margaret Irwin

    4

    'The Book' in The Virago Book of Ghost Stories
    by Margaret Irwin

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    The Best Ghost Stories - 'Blind Man's Buff' in The Oxford Book of 20th-Century Ghost Stories by H. Russell Wakefield

    5

    'Blind Man's Buff' in The Oxford Book of 20th-Century Ghost Stories
    by H. Russell Wakefield

The Best Ghost Stories, recommended by Will Maclean

If you love to get scared silly then we have reading recommendations for you. Will Maclean, author of the unsettling new novel The Apparition Phase, selects the best ghost stories to read at Halloween, including writing from the queen of screams Shirley Jackson, and a four-page, pitch-black nightmare that might just be the perfect ghost story.

    The Best Murder Mystery Books, recommended by Stuart Turton

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    The Best Murder Mystery Books - The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler

    1

    The Lady in the Lake
    by Raymond Chandler

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    The Best Murder Mystery Books - Night Watch by Terry Pratchett

    2

    Night Watch
    by Terry Pratchett

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    The Best Murder Mystery Books - The Crow Road by Iain Banks

    3

    The Crow Road
    by Iain Banks

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    The Best Murder Mystery Books - A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie

    4

    A Murder is Announced
    by Agatha Christie

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    The Best Murder Mystery Books - The Adventure of the Dancing Men by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    5

    The Adventure of the Dancing Men
    by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Best Murder Mystery Books, recommended by Stuart Turton

The best murder mysteries set up their stories like a game between the reader and the writer, says Stuart Turton, bestselling author and lifelong mystery fan. Here he highlights five of his favourites, in which detectives make miraculous deductions, or doggedly chase clues until they meet with satisfying solutions.

    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020 - Luster: A Novel by Raven Leilani

    1

    Luster: A Novel
    by Raven Leilani

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020 - All Men Want to Know by Nina Bouraoui

    2

    All Men Want to Know
    by Nina Bouraoui

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020 - Sisters: A Novel by Daisy Johnson

    3

    Sisters: A Novel
    by Daisy Johnson

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020 - Jack: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson

    4

    Jack: A Novel
    by Marilynne Robinson

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020 - Earthlings: A Novel by Sayaka Murata

    5

    Earthlings: A Novel
    by Sayaka Murata

Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

After coronavirus-induced chaos threw publishing schedules out of whack earlier this year, fall 2020 is shaping up to be a bumper book season. But with hundreds of new titles flooding onto the shelves, it can be hard to identify those that are most deserving of your time. Here, Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn highlights some of the most anticipated new novels of the coming weeks.

    The Best Science Fiction of 2020, recommended by Tom Hunter

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

    1

    The City in the Middle of the Night
    by Charlie Jane Anders

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley

    2

    The Light Brigade
    by Kameron Hurley

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

    3

    A Memory Called Empire
    by Arkady Martine

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - The Old Drift: A Novel by Namwali Serpell

    4

    The Old Drift: A Novel
    by Namwali Serpell

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    5

    Cage of Souls
    by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - The Last Astronaut by David Wellington

    6

    The Last Astronaut
    by David Wellington

The Best Science Fiction of 2020, recommended by Tom Hunter

Sci fi is booming, says Tom Hunter, the director of the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction, as he discusses their 2020 shortlist: six novels that embrace classic sci fi narratives, while subverting or reimagining them for a contemporary audience.

    The Best Time Travel Books, recommended by Annalee Newitz

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    The Best Time Travel Books - The Female Man by Joanna Russ

    1

    The Female Man
    by Joanna Russ

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    The Best Time Travel Books - How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

    2

    How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
    by Charles Yu

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    The Best Time Travel Books - The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold

    3

    The Man Who Folded Himself
    by David Gerrold

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    The Best Time Travel Books - Kindred by Octavia Butler

    4

    Kindred
    by Octavia Butler

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    The Best Time Travel Books - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

    5

    Doomsday Book
    by Connie Willis

The Best Time Travel Books, recommended by Annalee Newitz

If you could go back, or forward, in time — would you? Science journalist and sci-fi novelist Annalee Newitz recommends some of the best time travel books and talks us through the dangers and delights of the genre, which take us from the Ordovician period through to the present day.

    Best Books by Black Queer Writers, recommended by Robert Jones Jr.

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    Best Books by Black Queer Writers - The Color Purple by Alice Walker

    1

    The Color Purple
    by Alice Walker

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    Best Books by Black Queer Writers - Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

    2

    Go Tell It on the Mountain
    by James Baldwin

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    Best Books by Black Queer Writers - The Blacker the Berry by Wallace Thurman

    3

    The Blacker the Berry
    by Wallace Thurman

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    Best Books by Black Queer Writers - Black Leopard, Red Wolf (The Dark Star Trilogy: Book 1) by Marlon James

    4

    Black Leopard, Red Wolf (The Dark Star Trilogy: Book 1)
    by Marlon James

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    Best Books by Black Queer Writers - B-Boy Blues by James Earl Hardy

    5

    B-Boy Blues
    by James Earl Hardy

Best Books by Black Queer Writers, recommended by Robert Jones Jr.

The novels of James Baldwin, Alice Walker, Wallace Thurman and James Early Hardy bring the America of the last two centuries vividly to life. Marlon James brings us a fantasy trilogy set in ancient Africa. Robert Jones Jr., author of The Prophets—a love story set on a plantation in the American South—talks us through his choices of the best books by Black queer writers.

    The Best Poetry Books of 2020, recommended by Alexandra Harris

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2020 - The Air Year by Caroline Bird

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    The Air Year
    by Caroline Bird

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2020 - Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz

    2

    Postcolonial Love Poem
    by Natalie Diaz

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2020 - I Want! I Want! by Vicki Feaver

    3

    I Want! I Want!
    by Vicki Feaver

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2020 - Fury by David Morley

    4

    Fury
    by David Morley

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2020 - Tiger Girl by Pascale Petit

    5

    Tiger Girl
    by Pascale Petit

The Best Poetry Books of 2020, recommended by Alexandra Harris

Each year, the judges for the Forward Prize select a shortlist of the best new poetry books. In 2020, they chose five collections ranging in tone from epic love songs to domestic surrealism. Alexandra Harris, chair of the judges, tells us what they admired about each book.

    Very Short Books You Can Read In A Day, recommended by Cal Flyn

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    Very Short Books You Can Read In A Day - The Fall by Albert Camus

    1

    The Fall
    by Albert Camus

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    Very Short Books You Can Read In A Day - Convenience Store Woman: A Novel by Sayaka Murata

    2

    Convenience Store Woman: A Novel
    by Sayaka Murata

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    Very Short Books You Can Read In A Day - The Sense of an Ending: A Novel by Julian Barnes

    3

    The Sense of an Ending: A Novel
    by Julian Barnes

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    Very Short Books You Can Read In A Day - Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill

    4

    Dept. of Speculation
    by Jenny Offill

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    Very Short Books You Can Read In A Day - The Flick by Annie Baker

    5

    The Flick
    by Annie Baker

Very Short Books You Can Read In A Day, recommended by Cal Flyn

Talked a lot of big talk about writing that novel in lockdown, or repainting the house? Us too. When it came down to it, many of us have felt too frantic to take on big projects – and that goes for our reading lives too. Here, Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn recommends some very short books that might be read over the course of a day or, being small and easily surmountable, might just break a reading drought.

    The Funniest Books of 2020, recommended by Pippa Evans

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    The Funniest Books of 2020 - Flake by Matthew Dooley

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    Flake
    by Matthew Dooley

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    The Funniest Books of 2020 - Nobber by Oisín Fagan

    2

    Nobber
    by Oisín Fagan

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    The Funniest Books of 2020 - Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane

    3

    Rules for Visiting
    by Jessica Francis Kane

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    The Funniest Books of 2020 - Weather: A Novel by Jenny Offill

    4

    Weather: A Novel
    by Jenny Offill

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    The Funniest Books of 2020 - 46% Better Than Dave by Alastair Puddick

    5

    46% Better Than Dave
    by Alastair Puddick

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    The Funniest Books of 2020 - House of Trelawney by Hannah Rothschild

    6

    House of Trelawney
    by Hannah Rothschild

The Funniest Books of 2020, recommended by Pippa Evans

Comedy offers escapism and a way of processing our emotions during stressful times, says the comedian Pippa Evans—who this year served as a judge for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction. Here she talks us through the books shortlisted for the title of the funniest book of 2020, and explains how she found herself researching pig deliveries.

    The Best Boarding School Novels, recommended by Anbara Salam

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    The Best Boarding School Novels - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

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    Never Let Me Go
    by Kazuo Ishiguro

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    The Best Boarding School Novels - Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

    2

    Akata Witch
    by Nnedi Okorafor

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    The Best Boarding School Novels - Prep: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld

    3

    Prep: A Novel
    by Curtis Sittenfeld

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    The Best Boarding School Novels - The New Girls by Beth Gutcheon

    4

    The New Girls
    by Beth Gutcheon

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    The Best Boarding School Novels - My Dark Vanessa: A Novel by Kate Elizabeth Russell

    5

    My Dark Vanessa: A Novel
    by Kate Elizabeth Russell

The Best Boarding School Novels, recommended by Anbara Salam

Boarding schools make great settings for novels, says Anbara Salam, author of coming-of-age drama Belladonna. The combination of immense privilege with the claustrophobia of a closed society can create an intense pressure cooker atmosphere in which characters might be forged.

    The Best Anthony Trollope Books, recommended by Francesca Simon

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    The Best Anthony Trollope Books - The American Senator by Anthony Trollope

    1

    The American Senator
    by Anthony Trollope

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    The Best Anthony Trollope Books - The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope

    2

    The Way We Live Now
    by Anthony Trollope

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    The Best Anthony Trollope Books - The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope

    3

    The Eustace Diamonds
    by Anthony Trollope

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    The Best Anthony Trollope Books - Miss Mackenzie by Anthony Trollope

    4

    Miss Mackenzie
    by Anthony Trollope

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    The Best Anthony Trollope Books - Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope

    5

    Barchester Towers
    by Anthony Trollope

The Best Anthony Trollope Books, recommended by Francesca Simon

October 2020 is ‘Pick up a Trollope’ month. Bestselling children’s author and Trollope enthusiast Francesca Simon is one of nine notable fans championing the campaign, which includes a vote for the world’s favourite Trollope novel and an online read of the winning book in November. Here, she explains her fascination with Anthony Trollope and recommends some of her favourite books by the Victorian novelist.

    The Best Thrillers of 2020, recommended by Anthony Franze

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - One Good Deed by David Baldacci

    1

    One Good Deed
    by David Baldacci

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - Rag and Bone by Joe Clifford

    2

    Rag and Bone
    by Joe Clifford

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - Recursion by Blake Crouch

    3

    Recursion
    by Blake Crouch

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall

    4

    They All Fall Down
    by Rachel Howzell Hall

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - The Chain by Adrian McKinty

    5

    The Chain
    by Adrian McKinty

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - Conviction by Denise Mina

    6

    Conviction
    by Denise Mina

The Best Thrillers of 2020, recommended by Anthony Franze

Every year, the International Thriller Writers awards highlight the best new thrillers of the previous year. Anthony Franze, administrator of the awards and an acclaimed thriller author in his own right, talks us through their 2020 shortlist for the best new thriller published in hardback.

    The Scariest Books, recommended by Xavier Aldana Reyes

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    The Scariest Books - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

    1

    The Haunting of Hill House
    by Shirley Jackson

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    The Scariest Books - It by Stephen King

    2

    It
    by Stephen King

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    The Scariest Books - Tales by H. P. Lovecraft

    3

    Tales
    by H. P. Lovecraft

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    The Scariest Books - Books of Blood (Vols. 1-3) by Clive Barker

    4

    Books of Blood (Vols. 1-3)
    by Clive Barker

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    The Scariest Books - The Cipher by Kathe Koja

    5

    The Cipher
    by Kathe Koja

The Scariest Books, recommended by Xavier Aldana Reyes

Whether you’re scared most by graphic body horror, the uncategorisable, or the blurring of boundaries between supernatural menace and psychological unraveling, this list will have something for you. Reflecting on the complex nature of fear, Xavier Aldana Reyes surveys the best modern horror and explores whether the genre might offer consolation as well as terror.

    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist, recommended by Katharine Grant

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    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - The Narrow Land by Christine Dwyer Hickey

    1

    The Narrow Land
    by Christine Dwyer Hickey

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    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - The Parisian by Isabella Hammad

    2

    The Parisian
    by Isabella Hammad

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    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - To Calais, In Ordinary Time by James Meek

    3

    To Calais, In Ordinary Time
    by James Meek

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    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - Shadowplay by Joseph O'Conner

    4

    Shadowplay
    by Joseph O'Conner

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    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - The Redeemed by Tim Pears

    5

    The Redeemed
    by Tim Pears

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    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - A Sin of Omission by Marguerite Poland

    6

    A Sin of Omission
    by Marguerite Poland

The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist, recommended by Katharine Grant

Historical fiction is experiencing something of a golden age at present: there’s never been a better time to immerse oneself in the past. The acclaimed novelist Katharine Grant—chair of the judges for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction—talks us through their 2020 shortlist.

    The Best Psychological Thrillers, recommended by Tammy Cohen

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    The Best Psychological Thrillers - Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty

    1

    Apple Tree Yard
    by Louise Doughty

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    The Best Psychological Thrillers - Lie With Me by Sabine Durrant

    2

    Lie With Me
    by Sabine Durrant

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    The Best Psychological Thrillers - Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent

    3

    Lying in Wait
    by Liz Nugent

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    The Best Psychological Thrillers - Broken Harbour by Tana French

    4

    Broken Harbour
    by Tana French

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    The Best Psychological Thrillers - Our House by Louise Candlish

    5

    Our House
    by Louise Candlish

The Best Psychological Thrillers, recommended by Tammy Cohen

Psychological thrillers play on our fears that those closest to us can’t be trusted and that even our homes aren’t safe, explains Tammy Cohen, author of Stop at Nothing and They All Fall Down. She recommends five psychological thrillers and explains what it is that makes them so deeply unsettling and utterly gripping.

    The Best Romance Books of 2020, recommended by Frannie Cassano

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    The Best Romance Books of 2020 - Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

    1

    Undercover Bromance
    by Lyssa Kay Adams

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    The Best Romance Books of 2020 - The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon

    2

    The Boyfriend Project
    by Farrah Rochon

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    The Best Romance Books of 2020 - Cowboy Come Home by Carly Bloom

    3

    Cowboy Come Home
    by Carly Bloom

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    The Best Romance Books of 2020 - Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

    4

    Real Men Knit
    by Kwana Jackson

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    The Best Romance Books of 2020 - Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh

    5

    Would I Lie to the Duke
    by Eva Leigh

The Best Romance Books of 2020, recommended by Frannie Cassano

The best romance books of 2020 (so far) as recommended by Frannie Cassano, winner of the 2018 RWA Cathie Linz Librarian of the Year award. After nearly two decades as a librarian, she remains an avid reader of romance and picks out her favourite ‘comfort reads’ from across the genre.

    The Best Harry Potter Books, recommended by Katie Savva

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    The Best Harry Potter Books - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

    1

    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
    by J.K. Rowling

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    The Best Harry Potter Books - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

    2

    Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
    by J.K. Rowling

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    The Best Harry Potter Books - Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

    3

    Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix
    by J.K. Rowling

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    The Best Harry Potter Books - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

    4

    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    by J.K. Rowling

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    The Best Harry Potter Books - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

    5

    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
    by J.K. Rowling

The Best Harry Potter Books, recommended by Katie Savva

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books are among the bestselling books ever written, with half a billion copies sold since the first novel in the series was published in 1997. Since then, the fantasy world the books created—where a wand can clean up your room and school is an exciting place where you fight evil with your friends—has taken on a life of its own, with Harry Potter societies created by students at universities across Britain. Here, Katie Savva, of Warwick University’s Harry Potter and Quidditch Society and captain of its quidditch team, talks us through her group’s favourite Harry Potter books and explains how to play the game without a flying broomstick.

    The best books on Shakespeare’s Sonnets, recommended by Scott Newstok

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    The best books on Shakespeare’s Sonnets - Shakespeare's Sonnets by Katherine Duncan-Jones & William Shakespeare

    1

    Shakespeare's Sonnets
    by Katherine Duncan-Jones & William Shakespeare

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    The best books on Shakespeare’s Sonnets - The Art of Shakespeare's Sonnets by Helen Vendler & William Shakespeare

    2

    The Art of Shakespeare's Sonnets
    by Helen Vendler & William Shakespeare

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    The best books on Shakespeare’s Sonnets - All the Sonnets of Shakespeare by Paul Edmonson, Stanley Wells & Willliam Shakespeare

    3

    All the Sonnets of Shakespeare
    by Paul Edmonson, Stanley Wells & Willliam Shakespeare

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    The best books on Shakespeare’s Sonnets - The Afterlife of Shakespeare's Sonnets by Jane Kingsley-Smith

    4

    The Afterlife of Shakespeare's Sonnets
    by Jane Kingsley-Smith

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    The best books on Shakespeare’s Sonnets - Nets by Jen Bervin

    5

    Nets
    by Jen Bervin

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    The best books on Shakespeare’s Sonnets - Lucy Negro, Redux by Caroline Randall Williams

    6

    Lucy Negro, Redux
    by Caroline Randall Williams

The best books on Shakespeare’s Sonnets, recommended by Scott Newstok

The beauty of Shakespeare’s sonnets speaks to us down the centuries, their lines peaking out at us from the titles of famous books or enjoying outings at weddings or other romantic occasions. But they were not always regarded as perfectly-formed jewels, and the relationships they portray not as conventional as many of us presume. Here, Shakespeare scholar Scott Newstok talks us through books that help us learn more about Shakespeare’s sonnets, from the best introduction to the poems for students through to their afterlife and recent creative interpretations.

    Best Classic Japanese Mysteries, recommended by On Nomoto

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    Best Classic Japanese Mysteries - Beast in the Shadows by Edogawa Rampo & Ian Hughes (translator)

    1

    Beast in the Shadows
    by Edogawa Rampo & Ian Hughes (translator)

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    Best Classic Japanese Mysteries - The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo & Yumiko Yamazaki (translator)

    2

    The Inugami Curse
    by Seishi Yokomizo & Yumiko Yamazaki (translator)

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    Best Classic Japanese Mysteries - Points and Lines by Paul C. Blum and Makiko Yamamoto (translators) & Seicho Matsumoto

    3

    Points and Lines
    by Paul C. Blum and Makiko Yamamoto (translators) & Seicho Matsumoto

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    Best Classic Japanese Mysteries - The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Ross and Shika Mackenzie (translators) & Soji Shimada

    4

    The Tokyo Zodiac Murders
    by Ross and Shika Mackenzie (translators) & Soji Shimada

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    Best Classic Japanese Mysteries - All She Was Worth by Alfred Birnbaum (translator) & Miyuki Miyabe

    5

    All She Was Worth
    by Alfred Birnbaum (translator) & Miyuki Miyabe

Best Classic Japanese Mysteries, recommended by On Nomoto

Crime novels are hugely popular in Japan, but English translations of Japanese mysteries not always easy to come by. As Pushkin Vertigo publishes translations of two novels by Seishi Yokomizo, one of Japan’s most famous mystery writers, his grandson, On Nomoto, talks us through the best classic Japanese mysteries of the last century.

    The Best Trojan War Books, recommended by Stephen Fry

  • Read
    The Best Trojan War Books - The Iliad by Homer

    1

    The Iliad
    by Homer

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    The Best Trojan War Books - The Odyssey by Homer and translated by Emily Wilson

    2

    The Odyssey
    by Homer and translated by Emily Wilson

  • Read
    The Best Trojan War Books - The Aeneid by Virgil

    3

    The Aeneid
    by Virgil

  • Read
    The Best Trojan War Books - Posthomerica by Arthur Sanders Way (translator) & Quintus Smyrnaeus

    4

    Posthomerica
    by Arthur Sanders Way (translator) & Quintus Smyrnaeus

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    The Best Trojan War Books - The Tale of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green

    5

    The Tale of Troy
    by Roger Lancelyn Green

The Best Trojan War Books, recommended by Stephen Fry

The tale of the Trojan War—its causes, its heroes, the wooden horse, the gods and goddesses who dramatically change the course of events—has fascinated us down the ages and is embedded in our collective imagination. But where do the stories come from? British author and actor Stephen Fry lists some of the books that were most useful for Troy, his retelling of the Trojan War.

    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020 - Starling Days: A Novel by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

    1

    Starling Days: A Novel
    by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020 - Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez

    2

    Rainbow Milk
    by Paul Mendez

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020 - Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan

    3

    Exciting Times
    by Naoise Dolan

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020 - Pew by Catherine Lacey

    4

    Pew
    by Catherine Lacey

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020 - Blue Ticket: A Novel by Sophie Mackintosh

    5

    Blue Ticket: A Novel
    by Sophie Mackintosh

Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

No writer could resent you losing track of the new novels being published into the chaos of summer 2020 – with the world on lockdown and protestors taking to the streets. But fiction can offer respite from a relentless news cycle, writes Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn – and an opportunity to consider our own lives and choices through the prism of others’.

    The Best Classic Christmas Mysteries, recommended by Caroline Crampton

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    The Best Classic Christmas Mysteries - 'The Necklace of Pearls,' in Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers

    1

    'The Necklace of Pearls,' in Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries
    by Dorothy L. Sayers

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    The Best Classic Christmas Mysteries - Tied Up in Tinsel by Ngaio Marsh

    2

    Tied Up in Tinsel
    by Ngaio Marsh

  • Read
    The Best Classic Christmas Mysteries - Mystery in White: A Christmas Crime Story by J. Jefferson Farjeon

    3

    Mystery in White: A Christmas Crime Story
    by J. Jefferson Farjeon

  • Read
    The Best Classic Christmas Mysteries - An English Murder by Cyril Hare

    4

    An English Murder
    by Cyril Hare

  • Read
    The Best Classic Christmas Mysteries - Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer

    5

    Envious Casca
    by Georgette Heyer

The Best Classic Christmas Mysteries, recommended by Caroline Crampton

Looking for a cosy mystery to settle down with in front of the fire this holiday season? Look no further. We asked Caroline Crampton, creator and host of the Shedunnit podcast, to recommend her favourite classic mystery books set during the Christmas period.

    The Best Fiction in Translation: The 2020 International Booker Prize, recommended by Ted Hodgkinson

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    The Best Fiction in Translation: The 2020 International Booker Prize - The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar, translated by Anonymous

    1

    The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree
    by Shokoofeh Azar, translated by Anonymous

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    The Best Fiction in Translation: The 2020 International Booker Prize - The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated by Fiona Mackintosh and Iona Macintyre

    2

    The Adventures of China Iron
    by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated by Fiona Mackintosh and Iona Macintyre

  • Read
    The Best Fiction in Translation: The 2020 International Booker Prize - Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin

    3

    Tyll
    by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin

  • Read
    The Best Fiction in Translation: The 2020 International Booker Prize - Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughes

    4

    Hurricane Season
    by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughes

  • Read
    The Best Fiction in Translation: The 2020 International Booker Prize - The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder

    5

    The Memory Police
    by Yōko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder

  • Read
    The Best Fiction in Translation: The 2020 International Booker Prize - The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, translated by Michele Hutchison

    6

    The Discomfort of Evening
    by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, translated by Michele Hutchison

The Best Fiction in Translation: The 2020 International Booker Prize, recommended by Ted Hodgkinson

Broaden your reading horizons. Much of the most exciting, playful and inventive new fiction can be read in translation, says Ted Hodgkinson, chair of the judging panel for the 2020 International Booker Prize. Here he talks us through their shortlist of six novels.

    The best books on Beatrix Potter, recommended by Libby Joy

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    The best books on Beatrix Potter - Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature by Linda Lear

    1

    Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature
    by Linda Lear

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    The best books on Beatrix Potter - Beatrix Potter's Art: A Selection of Paintings and Drawings by Anne Stevenson Hobbs

    2

    Beatrix Potter's Art: A Selection of Paintings and Drawings
    by Anne Stevenson Hobbs

  • Read
    The best books on Beatrix Potter - Beatrix Potter's Letters by Judy Taylor

    3

    Beatrix Potter's Letters
    by Judy Taylor

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    The best books on Beatrix Potter - Beatrix Potter’s Hedgehogs by Judy Taylor

    4

    Beatrix Potter’s Hedgehogs
    by Judy Taylor

  • Read
    The best books on Beatrix Potter - Beatrix Potter: At Home in the Lake District by Susan Denyer

    5

    Beatrix Potter: At Home in the Lake District
    by Susan Denyer

The best books on Beatrix Potter, recommended by Libby Joy

In spite of the huge popularity of her work, Beatrix Potter has often been underappreciated as an artist and a writer, argues Libby Joy of the Beatrix Potter Society. Here she chooses five books to help you appreciate Potter’s life as an author, artist and pioneering conservationist.

    The Best Mystery Books, recommended by David Baldacci

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    The Best Mystery Books - Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith

    1

    Strangers on a Train
    by Patricia Highsmith

  • Read
    The Best Mystery Books - The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

    2

    The Big Sleep
    by Raymond Chandler

  • Read
    The Best Mystery Books - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

    3

    In Cold Blood
    by Truman Capote

  • Read
    The Best Mystery Books - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

    4

    The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
    by Agatha Christie

  • Read
    The Best Mystery Books - The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    5

    The Hound of the Baskervilles
    by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Best Mystery Books, recommended by David Baldacci

The best mystery books are completely unputdownable and addictive, the entertainment they provide more portable than watching TV and so much more satisfying than looking at your phone. Bestselling author David Baldacci, one of the masters of the genre and a passionate advocate for literacy and reading, talks us through some of the best mystery books ever written—as well as the contemporary authors he most admires.

    The Best Long Books To Read in Lockdown, recommended by Five Books

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    The Best Long Books To Read in Lockdown - Ulysses by James Joyce

    1

    Ulysses
    by James Joyce

  • Read
    The Best Long Books To Read in Lockdown - War and Peace (Book) by Leo Tolstoy

    2

    War and Peace (Book)
    by Leo Tolstoy

  • Read
    The Best Long Books To Read in Lockdown - Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

    3

    Tom Jones
    by Henry Fielding

  • Read
    The Best Long Books To Read in Lockdown - A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel

    4

    A Place of Greater Safety
    by Hilary Mantel

  • Read
    The Best Long Books To Read in Lockdown - Middlemarch by George Eliot

    5

    Middlemarch
    by George Eliot

The Best Long Books To Read in Lockdown, recommended by Five Books

If you’re stuck in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, it might be time to finally crack open that one long read you always meant to get around to, but slid down your list of books for whatever reason—not enough time, too many pages. Problem is, there are so many monster doorstoppers, and it can be hard to tell which are worth your time. The Five Books editors weigh in:

    The Best Australian Crime Fiction, recommended by Emma Viskic

  • Read
    The Best Australian Crime Fiction - Truth by Peter Temple

    1

    Truth
    by Peter Temple

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    The Best Australian Crime Fiction - The Rules of Backyard Cricket by Jack Serong

    2

    The Rules of Backyard Cricket
    by Jack Serong

  • Read
    The Best Australian Crime Fiction - An Isolated Incident by Emily Maguire

    3

    An Isolated Incident
    by Emily Maguire

  • Read
    The Best Australian Crime Fiction - The Monkey's Mask by Dorothy Porter

    4

    The Monkey's Mask
    by Dorothy Porter

  • Read
    The Best Australian Crime Fiction - Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko

    5

    Too Much Lip
    by Melissa Lucashenko

The Best Australian Crime Fiction, recommended by Emma Viskic

Australian crime fiction—sometimes dubbed ‘Outback Noir’—is enjoying a boom, and its authors are rapturously received overseas. Emma Viskic, the award-winning crime writer, selects five of the best crime novels by her compatriots: outstanding books that blur the line between ‘literary’ and ‘genre’ fiction.

    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten

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    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 by Garrett Graff

    1

    The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001
    by Garrett Graff

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony Kushner

    2

    Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes
    by Tony Kushner

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - Becoming by Michelle Obama

    3

    Becoming
    by Michelle Obama

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

    4

    Charlotte's Web
    by E.B. White

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

    5

    The Dutch House
    by Ann Patchett

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - The Testaments: A Novel by Margaret Atwood

    6

    The Testaments: A Novel
    by Margaret Atwood

The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten

Every year, the Audie Awards celebrate the best audiobooks published over the previous year. Veteran audiobook reviewer Robin Whitten of AudioFile Magazine and Mary Burkey, who has served on multiple audiobook judging panels, explain what makes a good audiobook and talk us through the brilliant books that were finalists in the 2020 ‘Audiobook of the Year’ category.

    The Best Books to Read in Quarantine, recommended by Jenny Davidson

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    The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - The Decameron by Boccaccio

    1

    The Decameron
    by Boccaccio

  • Read
    The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe

    2

    A Journal of the Plague Year
    by Daniel Defoe

  • Read
    The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - The Plague by Albert Camus

    3

    The Plague
    by Albert Camus

  • Read
    The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - Feed: The Newsflesh Trilogy, Book 1 by Mira Grant

    4

    Feed: The Newsflesh Trilogy, Book 1
    by Mira Grant

  • Read
    The Best Books to Read in Quarantine - Severance by Ling Ma

    5

    Severance
    by Ling Ma

The Best Books to Read in Quarantine, recommended by Jenny Davidson

Times of disease and pestilence have much to tell us about the human condition. Jenny Davidson, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, suggests some of the best books to read if you’re self-isolating or in quarantine.

    The Best of Speculative Fiction, recommended by Ken Liu

  • Read
    The Best of Speculative Fiction - Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

    1

    Riot Baby
    by Tochi Onyebuchi

  • Read
    The Best of Speculative Fiction - United States of Japan by Peter Tieryas

    2

    United States of Japan
    by Peter Tieryas

  • Read
    The Best of Speculative Fiction - A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker

    3

    A Song for a New Day
    by Sarah Pinsker

  • Read
    The Best of Speculative Fiction - Zero Sum Game by S L Huang

    4

    Zero Sum Game
    by S L Huang

  • Read
    The Best of Speculative Fiction - This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

    5

    This Is How You Lose the Time War
    by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

The Best of Speculative Fiction, recommended by Ken Liu

Ken Liu, the multi-award winning author of The Paper Menagerie, explains how using elements of fantasy and science fiction can help us examine deep truths about the human condition, as he recommends the best of contemporary speculative fiction.

    The Best Self-Help Novels, recommended by Beth Blum

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Novels - How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

    1

    How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
    by Charles Yu

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Novels - How to Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid

    2

    How to Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia
    by Mohsin Hamid

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Novels - How Should A Person Be? by Sheila Heti

    3

    How Should A Person Be?
    by Sheila Heti

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Novels - How to Be Happy by Eleanor Davis

    4

    How to Be Happy
    by Eleanor Davis

  • Read
    The Best Self-Help Novels - How to Be Both by Ali Smith

    5

    How to Be Both
    by Ali Smith

The Best Self-Help Novels, recommended by Beth Blum

Since the publication of Samuel Smiles’ Self-Help (1859) in Victorian Britain, self-help has become a billion dollar industry—and its influence is even felt in the contemporary novel, says Harvard literary scholar Beth Blum, author of The Self-Help Compulsion, a new history of the rise of self-help narratives in modern literature.

    Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020 - Cleanness by Garth Greenwell

    1

    Cleanness
    by Garth Greenwell

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020 - Weather: A Novel by Jenny Offill

    2

    Weather: A Novel
    by Jenny Offill

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020 - The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel

    3

    The Mirror and the Light
    by Hilary Mantel

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020 - Death in Her Hands: A Novel by Ottessa Moshfegh

    4

    Death in Her Hands: A Novel
    by Ottessa Moshfegh

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020 - The Glass Hotel: A Novel by Emily St John Mandel

    5

    The Glass Hotel: A Novel
    by Emily St John Mandel

Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn rounds up the most hotly anticipated new novels of early 2020, including the final instalment in Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy and new work from the authors of Dept. of Speculation, Eileen and Station Eleven.

    The Best Elena Ferrante Books, recommended by Sarah Chihaya and Merve Emre

  • Read
    The Best Elena Ferrante Books - My Brilliant Friend: The Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante

    1

    My Brilliant Friend: The Neapolitan Quartet
    by Elena Ferrante

  • Read
    The Best Elena Ferrante Books - The Beach at Night by Elena Ferrante

    2

    The Beach at Night
    by Elena Ferrante

  • Read
    The Best Elena Ferrante Books - The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante

    3

    The Lost Daughter
    by Elena Ferrante

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    The Best Elena Ferrante Books - The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante

    4

    The Days of Abandonment
    by Elena Ferrante

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    The Best Elena Ferrante Books - Frantumaglia: A Writer's Journey by Elena Ferrante

    5

    Frantumaglia: A Writer's Journey
    by Elena Ferrante

The Best Elena Ferrante Books, recommended by Sarah Chihaya and Merve Emre

From her early novellas to the Neapolitan quartet, the elusive Elena Ferrante has achieved deserved superstar status for the compulsively readable, addictive quality of her writing. Two of the authors of The Ferrante Letters, Sarah Chihaya and Merve Emre, introduce us to Ferrante and recommend what to read next after My Brilliant Friend.

    The Best Iris Murdoch Books, recommended by Miles Leeson

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    The Best Iris Murdoch Books - The Bell by Iris Murdoch

    1

    The Bell
    by Iris Murdoch

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    The Best Iris Murdoch Books - The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch

    2

    The Black Prince
    by Iris Murdoch

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    The Best Iris Murdoch Books - A Word Child by Iris Murdoch

    3

    A Word Child
    by Iris Murdoch

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    The Best Iris Murdoch Books - Existentialists and Mystics: Writings on Philosophy and Literature by Iris Murdoch

    4

    Existentialists and Mystics: Writings on Philosophy and Literature
    by Iris Murdoch

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    The Best Iris Murdoch Books - The Philosopher's Pupil by Iris Murdoch

    5

    The Philosopher's Pupil
    by Iris Murdoch

The Best Iris Murdoch Books, recommended by Miles Leeson

Iris Murdoch gained fame as a novelist, a philosopher and, perhaps most prominently of all, for her public and rapid decline (and posthumous immortalization by her husband John Bayley) after an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. But now, a hundred years on from her birth, the attention is returning back to her work: Miles Leeson, Director of the Iris Murdoch Centre at the University of Chichester, recommends what books to read from her canon of 27 novels.

    The Best Poetry Books of 2019, recommended by Simone White

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2019 - Civil Bound by Myung Mi Kim

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    Civil Bound
    by Myung Mi Kim

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2019 - Oxata: A Short Russian Novel by Lyn Hejinian

    2

    Oxata: A Short Russian Novel
    by Lyn Hejinian

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2019 - Love Three: A Study of a Poem By George Herbert by Aaron Kunin

    3

    Love Three: A Study of a Poem By George Herbert
    by Aaron Kunin

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2019 - day pulls down the sky / a filament in gold leaf by Asiya Wadud & Okwui Okpokwasili

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    day pulls down the sky / a filament in gold leaf
    by Asiya Wadud & Okwui Okpokwasili

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2019 - neckbone: visual verses by avery r. young

    5

    neckbone: visual verses
    by avery r. young

The Best Poetry Books of 2019, recommended by Simone White

New collections of poetry are increasingly pushing the bounds of language and performance in intelligent, creative, perceptive ways, says Simone White, a poet and Assistant Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania. Here, she recommends some of her favorite poetry books published (or republished) in 2019.

    Editors’ Picks: Favorite Books of 2019, recommended by Stephanie Kelley

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    Editors’ Picks: Favorite Books of 2019 - The Dolphin Letters, 1970-1979 Elizabeth Hardwick and Robert Lowell (ed. Saskia Hamilton)

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    The Dolphin Letters, 1970-1979
    Elizabeth Hardwick and Robert Lowell (ed. Saskia Hamilton)

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    Editors’ Picks: Favorite Books of 2019 - Veronica by Mary Gaitskill

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    Veronica
    by Mary Gaitskill

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    Editors’ Picks: Favorite Books of 2019 - Life with Picasso by Carlton Lake & Françoise Gilot

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    Life with Picasso
    by Carlton Lake & Françoise Gilot

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    Editors’ Picks: Favorite Books of 2019 - Nobody's Looking at You: Essays by Janet Malcolm

    4

    Nobody's Looking at You: Essays
    by Janet Malcolm

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    Editors’ Picks: Favorite Books of 2019 - How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell

    5

    How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy
    by Jenny Odell

Editors’ Picks: Favorite Books of 2019, recommended by Stephanie Kelley

Looking for captivating, eccentric novels, essays and letters to read at the turn of the new year? Five Books literary editor Stephanie Kelley shares favorites from her year in reading—new and old.

    Editors’ Picks: Notable Books of 2019, recommended by Cal Flyn

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Books of 2019 - This is Pleasure by Mary Gaitskill

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    This is Pleasure
    by Mary Gaitskill

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Books of 2019 - Homing: On Pigeons, Dwellings and Why We Return by Jon Day

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    Homing: On Pigeons, Dwellings and Why We Return
    by Jon Day

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Books of 2019 - Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane

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    Underland: A Deep Time Journey
    by Robert Macfarlane

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Books of 2019 - My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

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    My Sister, the Serial Killer
    by Oyinkan Braithwaite

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Books of 2019 - Supper Club: A Novel by Lara Williams

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    Supper Club: A Novel
    by Lara Williams

Editors’ Picks: Notable Books of 2019, recommended by Cal Flyn

Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn reflects on a year of spectacularly rich literary output, highlighting notable new books from Mary Gaitskill and Robert Macfarlane, as well as sparkling debuts that mark the arrival of exciting new literary voices in 2019.

    The Best Crime Fiction of 2019, recommended by Val McDermid

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    The Best Crime Fiction of 2019 - My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

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    My Sister, the Serial Killer
    by Oyinkan Braithwaite

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    The Best Crime Fiction of 2019 - This Mortal Boy by Fiona Kidman

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    This Mortal Boy
    by Fiona Kidman

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    The Best Crime Fiction of 2019 - The Lost Man by Jane Harper

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    The Lost Man
    by Jane Harper

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    The Best Crime Fiction of 2019 - American by Day by Derek B Miller

    4

    American by Day
    by Derek B Miller

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    The Best Crime Fiction of 2019 - A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone

    5

    A Dark Matter
    by Doug Johnstone

The Best Crime Fiction of 2019, recommended by Val McDermid

It’s been a great year for crime fiction – with soaring sales and global bestsellers emerging from writers all over the world. Crime writing is rightly in the ascendancy, says the celebrated Scottish novelist Val McDermid as she selects the best crime fiction of 2019: five books that stand as great novels in their own right.

    The best books on Witches and Witchcraft, recommended by Diane Purkiss

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    The best books on Witches and Witchcraft - Red Shift by Alan Garner

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    Red Shift
    by Alan Garner

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    The best books on Witches and Witchcraft - The Viking Way: Magic and Mind in Late Iron Age Scandinavia by Neil Price

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    The Viking Way: Magic and Mind in Late Iron Age Scandinavia
    by Neil Price

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    The best books on Witches and Witchcraft - Soul Hunters: Hunting, Animism, and Personhood among the Siberian Yukaghirs by Rane Willerslev

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    Soul Hunters: Hunting, Animism, and Personhood among the Siberian Yukaghirs
    by Rane Willerslev

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    The best books on Witches and Witchcraft - The Annotated Collected Poems Edward Thomas (ed. by Edna Longley)

    4

    The Annotated Collected Poems
    Edward Thomas (ed. by Edna Longley)

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    The best books on Witches and Witchcraft - The Poems of Emily Brontë Emily Brontë (ed. by Derek Roper)

    5

    The Poems of Emily Brontë
    Emily Brontë (ed. by Derek Roper)

The best books on Witches and Witchcraft, recommended by Diane Purkiss

For centuries, the witch has been an index not only of what we fear most in others, but also what we cannot cope with—the powerfully abnormal, strange and often irrational elements—in ourselves. And the best way to understand the history of witches and witchcraft is to first understand the supernatural, according to Diane Purkiss, Professor at Keble College, Oxford and author of the lauded book The Witch in History.

    The Best Indian Novels of 2019, recommended by Rana Dasgupta

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    The Best Indian Novels of 2019 - Ib's Endless Search for Satisfaction by Roshan Ali

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    Ib's Endless Search for Satisfaction
    by Roshan Ali

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    The Best Indian Novels of 2019 - My Father's Garden by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar

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    My Father's Garden
    by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar

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    The Best Indian Novels of 2019 - Trial by Silence by Perumal Murugan, translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan

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    Trial by Silence
    by Perumal Murugan, translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan

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    The Best Indian Novels of 2019 - A Lonely Harvest by Perumal Murugan, translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan

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    A Lonely Harvest
    by Perumal Murugan, translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan

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    The Best Indian Novels of 2019 - The Far Field: A Novel by Madhuri Vijay

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    The Far Field: A Novel
    by Madhuri Vijay

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    The Best Indian Novels of 2019 - There's Gunpowder in the Air by Manoranjan Byapari, translated by Arunava Sinha

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    There's Gunpowder in the Air
    by Manoranjan Byapari, translated by Arunava Sinha

The Best Indian Novels of 2019, recommended by Rana Dasgupta

India has a thriving literary community working in 22 official languages plus English, says Rana Dasgupta, the literary director of the JCB Prize: a major award for the best new novel by an Indian author. Here, he talks us through their 2019 shortlist.

    The Best Fiction of 2019, recommended by Peter Florence

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    The Best Fiction of 2019 - The Testaments: A Novel by Margaret Atwood

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    The Testaments: A Novel
    by Margaret Atwood

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    The Best Fiction of 2019 - Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann

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    Ducks, Newburyport
    by Lucy Ellmann

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    The Best Fiction of 2019 - Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

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    Girl, Woman, Other
    by Bernadine Evaristo

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    The Best Fiction of 2019 - An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma

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    An Orchestra of Minorities
    by Chigozie Obioma

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    The Best Fiction of 2019 - Quichotte by Salman Rushdie

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    Quichotte
    by Salman Rushdie

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    The Best Fiction of 2019 - 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

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    10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
    by Elif Shafak

The Best Fiction of 2019, recommended by Peter Florence

Each year, a panel of esteemed judges reads over 100 novels to determine which titles will vie for the award of the Booker Prize for Fiction. Peter Florence, chair of the 2019 judges and founder of the famous Hay Festival, tells us why the books on this year’s shortlist are gripping, enthralling must-reads.

    The Best Cormac McCarthy Books, recommended by Stacey Peebles

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    The Best Cormac McCarthy Books - Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

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    Blood Meridian
    by Cormac McCarthy

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    The Best Cormac McCarthy Books - Child of God by Cormac McCarthy

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    Child of God
    by Cormac McCarthy

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    The Best Cormac McCarthy Books - Reading the World: Cormac McCarthy's Tennessee Period by Dianne C. Luce

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    Reading the World: Cormac McCarthy's Tennessee Period
    by Dianne C. Luce

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    The Best Cormac McCarthy Books - All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

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    All the Pretty Horses
    by Cormac McCarthy

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    The Best Cormac McCarthy Books - The Road by Cormac McCarthy

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    The Road
    by Cormac McCarthy

The Best Cormac McCarthy Books, recommended by Stacey Peebles

From All The Pretty Horses to Blood Meridian to The Road, Cormac McCarthy has achieved deserved status as a living titan of literary fiction for his philosophical, violent, often deeply moving novels. Cormac McCarthy expert Stacey Peebles introduces us to the author’s oeuvre—and tells us that despite its apocalyptic bleakness, The Road is actually McCarthy’s “happiest book.”

    The Best of Historical Fiction: The 2019 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist, recommended by Katharine Grant

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    The Best of Historical Fiction: The 2019 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - The Long Take by Robin Robertson

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    The Long Take
    by Robin Robertson

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    The Best of Historical Fiction: The 2019 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - A Long Way from Home: A novel by Peter Carey

    2

    A Long Way from Home: A novel
    by Peter Carey

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    The Best of Historical Fiction: The 2019 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - After the Party by Cressida Connolly

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    After the Party
    by Cressida Connolly

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    The Best of Historical Fiction: The 2019 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - The Western Wind: A Novel by Samantha Harvey

    4

    The Western Wind: A Novel
    by Samantha Harvey

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    The Best of Historical Fiction: The 2019 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - Now We Shall Be Entirely Free by Andrew Miller

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    Now We Shall Be Entirely Free
    by Andrew Miller

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    The Best of Historical Fiction: The 2019 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

    6

    Warlight
    by Michael Ondaatje

The Best of Historical Fiction: The 2019 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist, recommended by Katharine Grant

The best historical novels are those so immersive and natural in tone that their period setting is a ‘by-the-way,’ says Katharine Grant, the novelist and judge for the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction. Here she discusses the six brilliant books that made the 2019 shortlist.

    The Best George Orwell Books, recommended by D J Taylor

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    The Best George Orwell Books - Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell

    1

    Down and Out in Paris and London
    by George Orwell

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    The Best George Orwell Books - A Clergyman’s Daughter by George Orwell

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    A Clergyman’s Daughter
    by George Orwell

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    The Best George Orwell Books - Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell

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    Keep the Aspidistra Flying
    by George Orwell

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    The Best George Orwell Books - The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell

    4

    The Road to Wigan Pier
    by George Orwell

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    The Best George Orwell Books - Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

    5

    Nineteen Eighty-Four
    by George Orwell

The Best George Orwell Books, recommended by D J Taylor

Seventy years on from its initial publication, George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is just as resonant in today’s era of misinformation and fake news as it was in the incipient Cold War era. D J Taylor, author of a lauded biography of Orwell and a forthcoming biography of Nineteen Eighty-Four, takes us through the extraordinary impact of the author’s fiction and reportage.

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