Looking for the best contemporary fiction? With so many new arrivals to choose from, it can feel almost impossible to discern which books are worth the space the bedside table. Whether it's the best debut novels of a recent year, the best contemporary literature of a given country (such as Scandinavian fiction or Norwegian fiction), or the recently published novels that have made prize shortlists, Five Books curates interviews with expert recommendations from the most successful authors writing today.
In a distinct but related category, we have famous authors remarking on the books that have most influenced their novels, including Will Self, Ian McEwan, Max Porter, and William Boyd.
If you don't have a particular sub-set of contemporary literature or author in mind, don't sweat it—we also have plenty of interviews with writers on niche, unique subjects. Discover new thematic connections between books from recommendations on marriage (and divorce) in literature from Katie Kitamura, Roger Ellory on human dramas, electronic literature, apocalyptic novels and even novels with sporting themes – as selected by the author of the brilliant baseball novel The Art of Fielding. We also have reading lists centred upon what may be the literary capital of the world: New York writers and New York novels.
The Best of Contemporary Irish Fiction, recommended by Liz Nugent
Bestselling author Liz Nugent, whose latest novel Our Little Cruelties is out now, talks to Five Books about the Irish writers that have been taking the world by storm in recent years—as she selects five unmissable recent works of Irish contemporary fiction, including books by Anne Enright and Sebastian Barry.
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.
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.
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
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 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 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.
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 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.
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The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree
by Shokoofeh Azar, translated by Anonymous -
2
The Adventures of China Iron
by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated by Fiona Mackintosh and Iona Macintyre -
3
Tyll
by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin -
4
Hurricane Season
by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughes -
5
The Memory Police
by Yōko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder -
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
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 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 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 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
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
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
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.
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.
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Ib's Endless Search for Satisfaction
by Roshan Ali -
2
My Father's Garden
by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar -
3
Trial by Silence
by Perumal Murugan, translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan -
4
A Lonely Harvest
by Perumal Murugan, translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan -
5
The Far Field: A Novel
by Madhuri Vijay -
6
There's Gunpowder in the Air
by Manoranjan Byapari, translated by Arunava Sinha
The Best Indian Novels of 2019, recommended by Rana Dasgupta
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
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
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.”
Shanghai Novels, recommended by Paul French
Though it was the fifth biggest city in the world in the years following the Second World War, there aren’t nearly as many novels set in Shanghai as there are in Paris, Berlin and other international cities. Author and expert on modern Chinese history Paul French takes a look at the literary history of an often underwritten city from the 1930s through to the new millennium.
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The Living Mountain
by Nan Shepherd -
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The Water Cure
by Sophie Mackintosh -
3
The Dark Stuff: Stories from the Peatlands
by Donald S Murray -
4
Inheritors of the Earth: How Nature is Thriving in an Age of Extinction
by Chris D Thomas -
5
Kings of the Yukon: An Alaskan River Journey
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6
Crudo: A Novel
by Olivia Laing
Editors’ Picks: Highlights From a Year in Reading, recommended by Cal Flyn
The Best Fiction of 2018, recommended by Kwame Anthony Appiah
Looking for the best novels of the year? Kwame Anthony Appiah, professor of philosophy at New York University and chair of the 2018 Man Booker Prize for fiction, gives an in-depth breakdown of the six books that made this year’s shortlist, and reflects on why the novel as a form is stronger than ever.
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Confessions of the Fox
by Jordy Rosenberg -
2
I've Got a Time Bomb
by Sybil Lamb -
3
Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity
by C Riley Snorton -
4
Histories of the Transgender Child
by Julian Gill-Peterson -
5
Trap Door: Trans Cultural Production and the Politics of Visibility
edited by Reina Gossett, Eric A Stanley and Johanna Burton
The Best of Trans Literature, recommended by Susan Stryker
The Best of Trans Literature, recommended by Susan Stryker
Many of the current controversies over trans rights and identities derive from false beliefs, explains the author and academic Susan Stryker. Here she selects five excellent contemporary trans titles with depth, complexity and heart, to help us reframe what has all too often become a toxic debate
The Best of Autofiction, recommended by Olivia Laing
All writers draw from lived experience, but today’s most exciting experimental writers aren’t afraid to mine theirs explicitly. Here, the acclaimed writer and critic Olivia Laing – author of Crudo and The Lonely City – discusses five works of ‘autofiction’ that have influenced her.
Rachel Kushner on Books That Influenced Her
Rachel Kushner, author of The Flamethrowers and The Mars Room, which has been shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize, discusses the five books that have most influenced her writing, from Dostoyevsky to Marguerite Duras. She muses on the question of what fiction can offer: “A novel itself, if it is good, and effective at whatever its particular aesthetic and philosophical aim is, can answer the question best, so that a novelist doesn’t have to.”
The Best Contemporary Fiction, recommended by Robert Eaglestone
The novel is no longer the king of the narrative arts, says the writer and academic Robert Eaglestone. Yet literature has never been more interesting. Here he discusses five excellent novels that exemplify current trends in contemporary fiction.
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The Knight in the Panther Skin
by Lyn Coffin (translator) & Shota Rustaveli -
2
Kvachi
by Donald Rayfield (Translator) & Mikheil Javakhishvili -
3
A Man Was Going Down the Road
by Donald Rayfield (Translator) & Otar Chiladze -
4
The Lame Doll
by Ani Kopaliani (translator), Besik Kharanauli & Timothy Kercher (translator) -
5
The Cushion
by Elizabeth Heighway (translator), Irakli Samsonadze & Philip Price (translator)
The Best of Georgian Literature, recommended by Gvantsa Jobava
The Best of Georgian Literature, recommended by Gvantsa Jobava
How does a country left in ruins by 70 years of Soviet oppression rebuild its literature? It starts from scratch and breaks all the rules. Gvantsa Jobava reveals the riches of Georgian literature, from 12th-century feminist epics to radical, experimental accounts of a post-Independence underworld
The Best Cli-Fi Books, recommended by Dan Bloom
Fiction that explores issues of climate change is growing at an unprecedented rate today, says the journalist who coined the phrase ‘cli-fi’, Dan Bloom. Here, he picks the five best books of the field, and introduces us to a globally important, underexplored literary genre
Joanna Walsh recommends the best Absurdist Literature
‘Absurdism is completely out there – it’s about clashing and bright colours and over-the-top metaphors.’ Author and critic Joanna Walsh considers the peculiar nature and aims of absurdist literature, from Daniil Kharms’s shattered narratives to Isabel Waidner’s joyful assaults on sense.
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Gisli Sursson’s Saga
by Various -
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Growth of the Soil
by Knut Hamsun and Sverre Lyngstad (translator) -
3
Shyness and Dignity
by Dag Solstad and Sverre Lyngstad (translator) -
4
Beatles
by Lars Saabye Christensen and Don Bartlett (translator) -
5
My Struggle
by Karl Ove Knausgård and Don Bartlett (translator)
Essential Norwegian Fiction, recommended by Roy Jacobsen
Essential Norwegian Fiction, recommended by Roy Jacobsen
Sagas old and new, from Gisli Sursson’s trials to Knausgård’s struggle, form the backbone of Roy Jacobsen’s selection of essential fiction from Norway, a country that is like ‘a black and not very polished diamond’, and where writers and readers seek out the human, ‘no matter how awkward, grandiose, sentimental, nostalgic, embarrassing, hyperbolic, stupid, hilarious or dangerous it may be’
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Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son
by Sholem Aleichem -
2
The Street of Crocodiles and Other Stories
by Bruno Schultz and Celina Wieniewska (translator) -
3
Dubliners
by James Joyce -
4
Mario and the Magician and Other Stories
by Thomas Mann -
5
History: A Novel
by Elsa Morante and William Weaver (translator)
David Grossman on the Books That Shaped Him
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The Blind Owl
by Sadegh Hedayat and Naveed Noori (translator) -
2
Season of Migration to the North
by Tayeb Salih -
3
Leg over Leg
by Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq and Humphrey Davies (translator) -
4
Drifting Cities: A Trilogy
by Strates Tsirkas and Kay Cicellis (translator) -
5
One Thousand and One Nights
by NJ Dawood (translator) and William Harvey (illustrator)
Mathias Enard on The ‘Orient’ and Orientalism
Mathias Enard on The ‘Orient’ and Orientalism
Study of the ‘Orient’ and Orientalism has evolved considerably since Edward Said's seminal study of 1978. Here, the multi-award winning French novelist Mathias Enard, whose own novel, Compass, draws on this rich history, discusses five books that capture key aspects of this ever-shifting terrain
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Har døden taget noget fra dig så giv det tilbage, Carls bog
by Naja Marie Aidt -
2
Yahya Hassan: Digte
by Yahya Hassan -
3
Det är natten
by Karolina Ramqvist -
4
Wilful Disregard: A Novel About Love
by Lena Andersson and Sarah Death (translator) -
5
Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was
by Sjón and Victoria Cribb (translator)
Dorthe Nors on the best Contemporary Scandinavian Literature
Dorthe Nors on the best Contemporary Scandinavian Literature
Minimalism is big with the Danes while Icelanders favour magical realism; the Swedes keep it classical while the Norwegians get emotional. Man Booker International shortlistee Dorthe Nors takes us on a tour of the most exciting voices in contemporary Scandinavian literature.
Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature
Love and marriage may go together like a horse and carriage, but what happens when the horses are spooked and the whole procession is run off the road? Katie Kitamura, whose new novel A Separation charts the disastrous—and tragic—failure of a marriage, considers some of literature’s most heartfelt accounts of relationship failure
The Best Electronic Literature, recommended by Jessica Pressman
When we think of an ebook, we think of a printed book delivered in electronic form. But it can be so much more than that. Here, literary scholar Jessica Pressman talks us through the the rise of electronic literature—books that are composed not just of words, but take advantage of all the tools that a digital medium has to offer.
Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers
‘The authors of these five books are people who came to New York for freedom – not so they could get rich, but so they could be free to pursue their interests and live their lives the way they wanted.’ New Yorker par excellence Fran Lebowitz recommends the writers who best capture her immutably mutable city.