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Fiction » Contemporary Fiction

Most Recommended Books

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

“It is his opus, his great work. Blood Meridian is really the masterpiece, it’s just such a rich mixture of history and metaphysics.”

Stacey Peebles,

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The Shining by Stephen King

“I’m a Halloween baby so being scared is in my blood, and Stephen King is the first person I ever read who really, really frightened me. The Shining is about a small family who go to stay in a hotel over the winter as caretakers. If you think you know the story because you’ve seen the film then you’d be wrong. This book is an absolute classic and a great way into the vast King oeuvre.”

Daisy Johnson, Novelist

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The Road by Cormac McCarthy

” I think it’s probably his happiest book. Which is a little weird to say but it does have the most sincere and overt love relationship of all of his works, between the father and the son. It’s very purely represented. You can’t doubt the importance of that love and the sustained power of it, and its priority both for the characters and the premise of the book as a whole.”

Stacey Peebles,

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Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban

“The joy of Riddley Walker is that it’s a fully realized universe and it never lets up – it’s very, very difficult all the way through….Riddley Walker is one of those books I don’t remember those sorts of things about – all I remember is the horror. The horror of the language and the fires and the lost-ness and the violence. They run through it the whole time.”

Max Porter, Novelist

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Weather: A Novel by Jenny Offill

“I love this book. When I first read it, I said, ‘You have to all read this book.’ It’s very gentle. She allows us to question our arrogance and hypocrisy when discussing how the world needs to change without saying, ‘You’re wrong to have gone there.’”

Pippa Evans,

Read more

Browse book recommendations:

Contemporary Fiction

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  • Best Fiction of 2021
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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

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    The Best of Contemporary Irish Fiction - Highfire: A Novel by Eoin Colfer

    1

    Highfire: A Novel
    by Eoin Colfer

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    The Best of Contemporary Irish Fiction - Actress: A Novel by Anne Enright

    2

    Actress: A Novel
    by Anne Enright

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    The Best of Contemporary Irish Fiction - A Thousand Moons: A Novel by Sebastian Barry

    3

    A Thousand Moons: A Novel
    by Sebastian Barry

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    The Best of Contemporary Irish Fiction - The Last Crossing by Brian McGilloway

    4

    The Last Crossing
    by Brian McGilloway

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    The Best of Contemporary Irish Fiction - The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard

    5

    The Nothing Man
    by Catherine Ryan Howard

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

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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.

    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.

    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 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 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

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    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.

    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

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    Starling Days: A Novel
    by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

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

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    Rainbow Milk
    by Paul Mendez

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

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    Exciting Times
    by Naoise Dolan

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

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    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 Thrillers of 2020, recommended by Anthony Franze

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

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    One Good Deed
    by David Baldacci

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

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    Rag and Bone
    by Joe Clifford

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - Recursion by Blake Crouch

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    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 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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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 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 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

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    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

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

    3

    Becoming
    by Michelle Obama

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

    4

    Charlotte's Web
    by E.B. White

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

    5

    The Dutch House
    by Ann Patchett

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    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 of Speculative Fiction, recommended by Ken Liu

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    The Best of Speculative Fiction - Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

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    Riot Baby
    by Tochi Onyebuchi

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

    2

    United States of Japan
    by Peter Tieryas

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

    3

    A Song for a New Day
    by Sarah Pinsker

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

    4

    Zero Sum Game
    by S L Huang

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    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

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

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

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

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    How to Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia
    by Mohsin Hamid

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

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    How Should A Person Be?
    by Sheila Heti

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

    4

    How to Be Happy
    by Eleanor Davis

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    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

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    Cleanness
    by Garth Greenwell

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

    2

    Weather: A Novel
    by Jenny Offill

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    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

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    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

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    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

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

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    My Brilliant Friend: The Neapolitan Quartet
    by Elena Ferrante

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

    2

    The Beach at Night
    by Elena Ferrante

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    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.

    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

    1

    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

    2

    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

    3

    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

    4

    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

    5

    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 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

    1

    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

    2

    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

    3

    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

    4

    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

    5

    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

    6

    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

    1

    The Testaments: A Novel
    by Margaret Atwood

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

    2

    Ducks, Newburyport
    by Lucy Ellmann

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

    3

    Girl, Woman, Other
    by Bernadine Evaristo

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

    4

    An Orchestra of Minorities
    by Chigozie Obioma

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    The Best Fiction of 2019 - Quichotte by Salman Rushdie

    5

    Quichotte
    by Salman Rushdie

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

    6

    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

    1

    Blood Meridian
    by Cormac McCarthy

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

    2

    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

    3

    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

    4

    All the Pretty Horses
    by Cormac McCarthy

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    The Best Cormac McCarthy Books - The Road by Cormac McCarthy

    5

    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.”

    Shanghai Novels, recommended by Paul French

  • Read
    Shanghai Novels - Man's Fate by André Malraux

    1

    Man's Fate
    by André Malraux

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    Shanghai Novels - Midnight by Mao Dun

    2

    Midnight
    by Mao Dun

  • Read
    Shanghai Novels - Lust, Caution by Eileen Chang

    3

    Lust, Caution
    by Eileen Chang

  • Read
    Shanghai Novels - Honeymoon in Shanghai by Maurice Dekobra

    4

    Honeymoon in Shanghai
    by Maurice Dekobra

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    Shanghai Novels - Shanghai Baby by Wei Hui

    5

    Shanghai Baby
    by Wei Hui

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.

    Editors’ Picks: Highlights From a Year in Reading, recommended by Cal Flyn

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    Editors’ Picks: Highlights From a Year in Reading - The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd

    1

    The Living Mountain
    by Nan Shepherd

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Highlights From a Year in Reading - The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh

    2

    The Water Cure
    by Sophie Mackintosh

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Highlights From a Year in Reading - The Dark Stuff: Stories from the Peatlands by Donald S Murray

    3

    The Dark Stuff: Stories from the Peatlands
    by Donald S Murray

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    Editors’ Picks: Highlights From a Year in Reading - Inheritors of the Earth: How Nature is Thriving in an Age of Extinction by Chris D Thomas

    4

    Inheritors of the Earth: How Nature is Thriving in an Age of Extinction
    by Chris D Thomas

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    Editors’ Picks: Highlights From a Year in Reading - Kings of the Yukon: An Alaskan River Journey

    5

    Kings of the Yukon: An Alaskan River Journey

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    Editors’ Picks: Highlights From a Year in Reading - Crudo: A Novel by Olivia Laing

    6

    Crudo: A Novel
    by Olivia Laing

Editors’ Picks: Highlights From a Year in Reading, recommended by Cal Flyn

Author, journalist and Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn looks back on her favourite books read this year.

    The Best Fiction of 2018, recommended by Kwame Anthony Appiah

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    The Best Fiction of 2018 - Milkman by Anna Burns

    1

    Milkman
    by Anna Burns

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    The Best Fiction of 2018 - Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

    2

    Washington Black
    by Esi Edugyan

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    The Best Fiction of 2018 - Everything Under by Daisy Johnson

    3

    Everything Under
    by Daisy Johnson

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    The Best Fiction of 2018 - The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

    4

    The Mars Room
    by Rachel Kushner

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    The Best Fiction of 2018 - The Overstory by Richard Powers

    5

    The Overstory
    by Richard Powers

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    The Best Fiction of 2018 - The Long Take by Robin Robertson

    6

    The Long Take
    by Robin Robertson

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.

    The Best of Trans Literature, recommended by Susan Stryker

  • Read
    The Best of Trans Literature - Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg

    1

    Confessions of the Fox
    by Jordy Rosenberg

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    The Best of Trans Literature - I've Got a Time Bomb by Sybil Lamb

    2

    I've Got a Time Bomb
    by Sybil Lamb

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    The Best of Trans Literature - Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C Riley Snorton

    3

    Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity
    by C Riley Snorton

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    The Best of Trans Literature - Histories of the Transgender Child by Julian Gill-Peterson

    4

    Histories of the Transgender Child
    by Julian Gill-Peterson

  • Read
    The Best of Trans Literature - Trap Door: Trans Cultural Production and the Politics of Visibility edited by Reina Gossett, Eric A Stanley and Johanna Burton

    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

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

  • Read
    The Best of Autofiction - Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood

    1

    Goodbye to Berlin
    by Christopher Isherwood

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    The Best of Autofiction - Eurydice in the Underworld by Kathy Acker

    2

    Eurydice in the Underworld
    by Kathy Acker

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    The Best of Autofiction - I Love Dick by Chris Kraus

    3

    I Love Dick
    by Chris Kraus

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    The Best of Autofiction - Not Me by Eileen Myles

    4

    Not Me
    by Eileen Myles

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    The Best of Autofiction - Black Wave by Michelle Tea

    5

    Black Wave
    by Michelle Tea

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

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    Rachel Kushner on Books That Influenced Her - Practicalities by Marguerite Duras

    1

    Practicalities
    by Marguerite Duras

  • Read
    Rachel Kushner on Books That Influenced Her - God, Justice, Love, Beauty: Four Dialogues by Jean-Luc Nancy

    2

    God, Justice, Love, Beauty: Four Dialogues
    by Jean-Luc Nancy

  • Read
    Rachel Kushner on Books That Influenced Her - Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Céline (translated by Ralph Manheim)

    3

    Journey to the End of the Night
    by Louis-Ferdinand Céline (translated by Ralph Manheim)

  • Read
    Rachel Kushner on Books That Influenced Her - The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

    4

    The Brothers Karamazov
    by Fyodor Dostoevsky

  • Read
    Rachel Kushner on Books That Influenced Her - Pick-Up by Charles Willeford

    5

    Pick-Up
    by Charles Willeford

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.”

    Esi Edugyan on Books That Influenced Her

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    Esi Edugyan on Books That Influenced Her - Beloved by Toni Morrison

    1

    Beloved
    by Toni Morrison

  • Read
    Esi Edugyan on Books That Influenced Her - Middlemarch by George Eliot

    2

    Middlemarch
    by George Eliot

  • Read
    Esi Edugyan on Books That Influenced Her - In a Free State by V S Naipaul

    3

    In a Free State
    by V S Naipaul

  • Read
    Esi Edugyan on Books That Influenced Her - Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

    4

    Blood Meridian
    by Cormac McCarthy

  • Read
    Esi Edugyan on Books That Influenced Her - Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

    5

    Let the Great World Spin
    by Colum McCann

Esi Edugyan on Books That Influenced Her

Canadian author Esi Edugyan, whose novel Washington Black is shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize, picks five books that have inspired her novels, and shares wisdom on what it means to read fiction today

    Robin Robertson on Books that Influenced Him

  • Read
    Robin Robertson on Books that Influenced Him - Ulysses by James Joyce

    1

    Ulysses
    by James Joyce

  • Read
    Robin Robertson on Books that Influenced Him - In Parenthesis by David Jones

    2

    In Parenthesis
    by David Jones

  • Read
    Robin Robertson on Books that Influenced Him - Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry

    3

    Under the Volcano
    by Malcolm Lowry

  • Read
    Robin Robertson on Books that Influenced Him - War Music: An Account of Homer's Iliad by Christopher Logue

    4

    War Music: An Account of Homer's Iliad
    by Christopher Logue

  • Read
    Robin Robertson on Books that Influenced Him - Field Work by Seamus Heaney

    5

    Field Work
    by Seamus Heaney

Robin Robertson on Books that Influenced Him

“That’s what writing is: a struggle with oneself.” Scottish poet Robin Robertson—author of the verse novel The Long Take, shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize—lists the five works that have most influenced his writing, from Ulysses to Heaney.

    The Best Contemporary Fiction, recommended by Robert Eaglestone

  • Read
    The Best Contemporary Fiction - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

    1

    Cloud Atlas
    by David Mitchell

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    The Best Contemporary Fiction - The Accidental by Ali Smith

    2

    The Accidental
    by Ali Smith

  • Read
    The Best Contemporary Fiction - Open City by Teju Cole

    3

    Open City
    by Teju Cole

  • Read
    The Best Contemporary Fiction - What is the What by Dave Eggers

    4

    What is the What
    by Dave Eggers

  • Read
    The Best Contemporary Fiction - The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall

    5

    The Wolf Border
    by Sarah Hall

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.

    The Best of Georgian Literature, recommended by Gvantsa Jobava

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    The Best of Georgian Literature - The Knight in the Panther Skin by Lyn Coffin (translator) & Shota Rustaveli

    1

    The Knight in the Panther Skin
    by Lyn Coffin (translator) & Shota Rustaveli

  • Read
    The Best of Georgian Literature - Kvachi by Donald Rayfield (Translator) & Mikheil Javakhishvili

    2

    Kvachi
    by Donald Rayfield (Translator) & Mikheil Javakhishvili

  • Read
    The Best of Georgian Literature - A Man Was Going Down the Road by Donald Rayfield (Translator) & Otar Chiladze

    3

    A Man Was Going Down the Road
    by Donald Rayfield (Translator) & Otar Chiladze

  • Read
    The Best of Georgian Literature - The Lame Doll by Ani Kopaliani (translator), Besik Kharanauli & Timothy Kercher (translator)

    4

    The Lame Doll
    by Ani Kopaliani (translator), Besik Kharanauli & Timothy Kercher (translator)

  • Read
    The Best of Georgian Literature - The Cushion by Elizabeth Heighway (translator), Irakli Samsonadze & Philip Price (translator)

    5

    The Cushion
    by Elizabeth Heighway (translator), Irakli Samsonadze & Philip Price (translator)

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

    Daisy Johnson on Books That Influenced Her

  • Read
    Daisy Johnson on Books That Influenced Her - Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg

    1

    Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
    by Peter Hoeg

  • Read
    Daisy Johnson on Books That Influenced Her - All The Birds Singing by Evie Wyld

    2

    All The Birds Singing
    by Evie Wyld

  • Read
    Daisy Johnson on Books That Influenced Her - White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

    3

    White is for Witching
    by Helen Oyeyemi

  • Read
    Daisy Johnson on Books That Influenced Her - The Shining by Stephen King

    4

    The Shining
    by Stephen King

  • Read
    Daisy Johnson on Books That Influenced Her - The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright

    5

    The Forgotten Waltz
    by Anne Enright

Daisy Johnson on Books That Influenced Her

Daisy Johnson—short story writer, novelist, and the youngest author to be shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize—chooses the five books that most inspired her novel Everything Under and shares some of her writing rituals and philosophy.

    Hermione Hoby on New York Novels

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    Hermione Hoby on New York Novels - Dancer from the Dance by Andrew Holleran

    1

    Dancer from the Dance
    by Andrew Holleran

  • Read
    Hermione Hoby on New York Novels - Underworld by Don DeLillo

    2

    Underworld
    by Don DeLillo

  • Read
    Hermione Hoby on New York Novels - The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner

    3

    The Flamethrowers
    by Rachel Kushner

  • Read
    Hermione Hoby on New York Novels - Sleepless Nights by Elizabeth Hardwick

    4

    Sleepless Nights
    by Elizabeth Hardwick

  • Read
    Hermione Hoby on New York Novels - Jazz by Toni Morrison

    5

    Jazz
    by Toni Morrison

Hermione Hoby on New York Novels

The writer and journalist Hermione Hoby’s highly acclaimed first novel is set during a New York heatwave. Here she picks five books inspired by this capacious, overstated, indomitable city and discusses how it shaped her as a writer.

    The Best Cli-Fi Books, recommended by Dan Bloom

  • Read
    The Best Cli-Fi Books - Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver

    1

    Flight Behaviour
    by Barbara Kingsolver

  • Read
    The Best Cli-Fi Books - Anchor Point by Alice Robinson

    2

    Anchor Point
    by Alice Robinson

  • Read
    The Best Cli-Fi Books - We Are Unprepared by Meg Little Reilly

    3

    We Are Unprepared
    by Meg Little Reilly

  • Read
    The Best Cli-Fi Books - Polar City Red by Jim Laughter

    4

    Polar City Red
    by Jim Laughter

  • Read
    The Best Cli-Fi Books - Please Don't Paint Our Planet Pink! by Gregg Kleiner and Laurel Thompson

    5

    Please Don't Paint Our Planet Pink!
    by Gregg Kleiner and Laurel Thompson

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

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    Joanna Walsh recommends the best Absurdist Literature - Today I Wrote Nothing: The Selected Writings of Daniil Kharms by Daniil Kharms & Matvei Yankelevich (Editor)

    1

    Today I Wrote Nothing: The Selected Writings of Daniil Kharms
    by Daniil Kharms & Matvei Yankelevich (Editor)

  • Read
    Joanna Walsh recommends the best Absurdist Literature - The Debutante and Other Stories by Leonora Carrington

    2

    The Debutante and Other Stories
    by Leonora Carrington

  • Read
    Joanna Walsh recommends the best Absurdist Literature - The Age of Wire and String by Ben Marcus

    3

    The Age of Wire and String
    by Ben Marcus

  • Read
    Joanna Walsh recommends the best Absurdist Literature - The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien

    4

    The Third Policeman
    by Flann O'Brien

  • Read
    Joanna Walsh recommends the best Absurdist Literature - Gaudy Bauble by Isabel Waidner

    5

    Gaudy Bauble
    by Isabel Waidner

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.

    Ian McEwan on the Books That Shaped His Novels

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    Ian McEwan on the Books That Shaped His Novels - What Science Offers the Humanities by Edward Slingerland

    1

    What Science Offers the Humanities
    by Edward Slingerland

  • Read
    Ian McEwan on the Books That Shaped His Novels - Collected Poems by Philip Larkin

    2

    Collected Poems
    by Philip Larkin

  • Read
    Ian McEwan on the Books That Shaped His Novels - Rabbit at Rest by John Updike

    3

    Rabbit at Rest
    by John Updike

  • Read
    Ian McEwan on the Books That Shaped His Novels - The Pursuit of the Millennium by Norman Cohn

    4

    The Pursuit of the Millennium
    by Norman Cohn

  • Read
    Ian McEwan on the Books That Shaped His Novels - Einstein by Walter Isaacson

    5

    Einstein
    by Walter Isaacson

Ian McEwan on the Books That Shaped His Novels

Novelist Ian McEwan talks about five of the books that have helped shape his own, from the biography of a scientific genius to a treatise on the end of time, and discusses the importance of finding “mental freedom”

    Essential Norwegian Fiction, recommended by Roy Jacobsen

  • Read
    Essential Norwegian Fiction - Gisli Sursson’s Saga by Various

    1

    Gisli Sursson’s Saga
    by Various

  • Read
    Essential Norwegian Fiction - Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun and Sverre Lyngstad (translator)

    2

    Growth of the Soil
    by Knut Hamsun and Sverre Lyngstad (translator)

  • Read
    Essential Norwegian Fiction - Shyness and Dignity by Dag Solstad and Sverre Lyngstad (translator)

    3

    Shyness and Dignity
    by Dag Solstad and Sverre Lyngstad (translator)

  • Read
    Essential Norwegian Fiction - Beatles by Lars Saabye Christensen and Don Bartlett (translator)

    4

    Beatles
    by Lars Saabye Christensen and Don Bartlett (translator)

  • Read
    Essential Norwegian Fiction - My Struggle by Karl Ove Knausgård and Don Bartlett (translator)

    5

    My Struggle
    by Karl Ove Knausgård and Don Bartlett (translator)

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’

    David Grossman on the Books That Shaped Him

  • Read
    David Grossman on the Books That Shaped Him - Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholem Aleichem

    1

    Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son
    by Sholem Aleichem

  • Read
    David Grossman on the Books That Shaped Him - The Street of Crocodiles and Other Stories by Bruno Schultz and Celina Wieniewska (translator)

    2

    The Street of Crocodiles and Other Stories
    by Bruno Schultz and Celina Wieniewska (translator)

  • Read
    David Grossman on the Books That Shaped Him - Dubliners by James Joyce

    3

    Dubliners
    by James Joyce

  • Read
    David Grossman on the Books That Shaped Him - Mario and the Magician and Other Stories by Thomas Mann

    4

    Mario and the Magician and Other Stories
    by Thomas Mann

  • Read
    David Grossman on the Books That Shaped Him - History: A Novel by Elsa Morante and William Weaver (translator)

    5

    History: A Novel
    by Elsa Morante and William Weaver (translator)

David Grossman on the Books That Shaped Him

David Grossman, renowned Israeli author and winner of the 2017 Man Booker International Prize, shares the books that have shaped his writing, from Sholem Aleichem to James Joyce and Elsa Morante

    Mathias Enard on The ‘Orient’ and Orientalism

  • Read
    Mathias Enard on The ‘Orient’ and Orientalism - The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat and Naveed Noori (translator)

    1

    The Blind Owl
    by Sadegh Hedayat and Naveed Noori (translator)

  • Read
    Mathias Enard on The ‘Orient’ and Orientalism - Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih

    2

    Season of Migration to the North
    by Tayeb Salih

  • Read
    Mathias Enard on The ‘Orient’ and Orientalism - Leg over Leg by Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq and Humphrey Davies (translator)

    3

    Leg over Leg
    by Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq and Humphrey Davies (translator)

  • Read
    Mathias Enard on The ‘Orient’ and Orientalism - Drifting Cities: A Trilogy by Strates Tsirkas and Kay Cicellis (translator)

    4

    Drifting Cities: A Trilogy
    by Strates Tsirkas and Kay Cicellis (translator)

  • Read
    Mathias Enard on The ‘Orient’ and Orientalism - One Thousand and One Nights by NJ Dawood (translator) and William Harvey (illustrator)

    5

    One Thousand and One Nights
    by NJ Dawood (translator) and William Harvey (illustrator)

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

    Dorthe Nors on the best Contemporary Scandinavian Literature

  • Read
    Dorthe Nors on the best Contemporary Scandinavian Literature - Har døden taget noget fra dig så giv det tilbage, Carls bog by Naja Marie Aidt

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    Har døden taget noget fra dig så giv det tilbage, Carls bog
    by Naja Marie Aidt

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    Dorthe Nors on the best Contemporary Scandinavian Literature - Yahya Hassan: Digte by Yahya Hassan

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    Yahya Hassan: Digte
    by Yahya Hassan

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    Dorthe Nors on the best Contemporary Scandinavian Literature - Det är natten by Karolina Ramqvist

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    Det är natten
    by Karolina Ramqvist

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    Dorthe Nors on the best Contemporary Scandinavian Literature - Wilful Disregard: A Novel About Love by Lena Andersson and Sarah Death (translator)

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    Wilful Disregard: A Novel About Love
    by Lena Andersson and Sarah Death (translator)

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    Dorthe Nors on the best Contemporary Scandinavian Literature - Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was by Sjón and Victoria Cribb (translator)

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    Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was
    by Sjón and Victoria Cribb (translator)

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

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    Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature - Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

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    Rebecca
    by Daphne Du Maurier

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    Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature - The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

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    The Portrait of a Lady
    by Henry James

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    Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature - Lust by Elfriede Jelinek & Translated by Michael Hulse

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    Lust
    by Elfriede Jelinek & Translated by Michael Hulse

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    Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature - My First Wife by Jakob Wassermann & Translated by Michael Hofmann

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    My First Wife
    by Jakob Wassermann & Translated by Michael Hofmann

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    Katie Kitamura on Marriage (and Divorce) in Literature - The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

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    The Argonauts
    by Maggie Nelson

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

    Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him

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    Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him - Angry Arthur by Hiawyn Oram and Satoshi Kitamura (illustrator)

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    Angry Arthur
    by Hiawyn Oram and Satoshi Kitamura (illustrator)

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    Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him - Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban

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    Riddley Walker
    by Russell Hoban

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    Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him - The Odyssey by Homer and translated by Emily Wilson

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    The Odyssey
    by Homer and translated by Emily Wilson

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    Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him - The Pantheon Anthology of Russian Fairy Tales by A.N. Afanas'ev and N. Guterman (translator)

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    The Pantheon Anthology of Russian Fairy Tales
    by A.N. Afanas'ev and N. Guterman (translator)

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    Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him - Glass, Irony and God by Anne Carson

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    Glass, Irony and God
    by Anne Carson

Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him

Max Porter, author of Grief is the Thing with Feathers, on the books that have taken him from childhood to adulthood, the deepening shadow of nuclear war, and why he’ll always be on his knees in front of Emily Dickinson

    The Best Contemporary Israeli Fiction, recommended by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen

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    The Best Contemporary Israeli Fiction - The Hilltop by Assaf Gavron

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    The Hilltop
    by Assaf Gavron

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    The Best Contemporary Israeli Fiction - Second Person Singular by Sayed Kashua

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    Second Person Singular
    by Sayed Kashua

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    The Best Contemporary Israeli Fiction - To the End of the Land by David Grossman

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    To the End of the Land
    by David Grossman

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    The Best Contemporary Israeli Fiction - Homesick by Eshkol Nevo

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    Homesick
    by Eshkol Nevo

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    The Best Contemporary Israeli Fiction - Borderlife by Dorit Rabinyan

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    Borderlife
    by Dorit Rabinyan

The Best Contemporary Israeli Fiction, recommended by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen

The Middle East is so dominated by war and politics that all literature must be viewed through this prism, says Israeli novelist Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. She recommends the best Israeli novels.

    Novels with Sporting Themes, recommended by Chad Harbach

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    Novels with Sporting Themes - The Natural by Bernard Malamud and Kevin Baker

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    The Natural
    by Bernard Malamud and Kevin Baker

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    Novels with Sporting Themes - Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

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    Infinite Jest
    by David Foster Wallace

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    Novels with Sporting Themes - End Zone by Don DeLillo

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    End Zone
    by Don DeLillo

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    Novels with Sporting Themes - Underworld by Don DeLillo

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    Underworld
    by Don DeLillo

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    Novels with Sporting Themes - The Tennis Handsome by Barry Hannah

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    The Tennis Handsome
    by Barry Hannah

Novels with Sporting Themes, recommended by Chad Harbach

Sport is central to American culture but there are surprisingly few great novels devoted to it. Chad Harbach, author of the bestselling novel, The Art of Fielding, picks his favourite ‘novels with sporting themes.’

    The Best Electronic Literature, recommended by Jessica Pressman

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    The Best Electronic Literature - Young-hae Chang Heavy Industries

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    Young-hae Chang Heavy Industries

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    The Best Electronic Literature - Twelve Blue by Michael Joyce

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    Twelve Blue
    by Michael Joyce

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    The Best Electronic Literature - House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

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    House of Leaves
    by Mark Z. Danielewski

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    The Best Electronic Literature - The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall

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    The Raw Shark Texts
    by Steven Hall

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    The Best Electronic Literature - Electronic Literature by N. Katherine Hayles

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    Electronic Literature
    by N. Katherine Hayles

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.

    Will Self on Literary Influences

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    Will Self on Literary Influences - Awakenings by Oliver Sacks

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    Awakenings
    by Oliver Sacks

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    Will Self on Literary Influences - The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell

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    The Great War and Modern Memory
    by Paul Fussell

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    Will Self on Literary Influences - My Life and Loves by Frank Harris

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    My Life and Loves
    by Frank Harris

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    Will Self on Literary Influences - City of Cities by Stephen Inwood

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    City of Cities
    by Stephen Inwood

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    Will Self on Literary Influences - London Street Games by Norman Douglas

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    London Street Games
    by Norman Douglas

Will Self on Literary Influences

Conventional prose fiction falls short of the mark, says English author Will Self. He tells us about his modernist novel Umbrella, what the real character of London is, and why he can’t stand the Olympics

    William Boyd on Writers Who Inspired Him

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    William Boyd on Writers Who Inspired Him - Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

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    Catch 22
    by Joseph Heller

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    William Boyd on Writers Who Inspired Him - Scoop by Evelyn Waugh

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    Scoop
    by Evelyn Waugh

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    William Boyd on Writers Who Inspired Him - Couples by John Updike

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    Couples
    by John Updike

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    William Boyd on Writers Who Inspired Him - The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene

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    The Heart of the Matter
    by Graham Greene

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    William Boyd on Writers Who Inspired Him - Collected Short Stories by Anton Chekhov

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    Collected Short Stories
    by Anton Chekhov

William Boyd on Writers Who Inspired Him

The novelist William Boyd tells us about the authors, from Chekhov to Heller, who most influenced his own development as a writer – and reveals the secret to a well-crafted sex scene

    Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers

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    Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers - The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker

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    The Portable Dorothy Parker
    by Dorothy Parker

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    Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers - The Diaries of Dawn Powell: 1931-1965 by Dawn Powell

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    The Diaries of Dawn Powell: 1931-1965
    by Dawn Powell

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    Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers - Queer Street by James McCourt

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    Queer Street
    by James McCourt

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    Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers - Instant Lives And More by Howard Moss, drawings by Edward Gorey

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    Instant Lives And More
    by Howard Moss, drawings by Edward Gorey

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    Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers - Cheap Novelties by Ben Katchor

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    Cheap Novelties
    by Ben Katchor

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.

    The best books on Human Dramas, recommended by R J Ellory

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    The best books on Human Dramas - The Shining by Stephen King

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    The Shining
    by Stephen King

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    The best books on Human Dramas - The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

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    The Shipping News
    by Annie Proulx

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    The best books on Human Dramas - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

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    In Cold Blood
    by Truman Capote

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    The best books on Human Dramas - The Things They Carried by Tim O’ Brien

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    The Things They Carried
    by Tim O’ Brien

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    The best books on Human Dramas - Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell

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    Winter’s Bone
    by Daniel Woodrell

The best books on Human Dramas, recommended by R J Ellory

Roger Ellory is a bestselling author whose recommendations include Annie Proulx, Stephen King and Truman Capote. There are, he says, no rules to great writing

    The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010, recommended by Rosie Blau

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    The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - The Spider Truces by Tom Connolly

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    The Spider Truces
    by Tom Connolly

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    The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - The Still Point by Amy Sackville

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    The Still Point
    by Amy Sackville

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    The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

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    The Imperfectionists
    by Tom Rachman

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    The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett

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    Union Atlantic
    by Adam Haslett

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    The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010 - Grace Williams Says It Loud by Emma Henderson

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    Grace Williams Says It Loud
    by Emma Henderson

The best books on The Best Debut Novels of 2010, recommended by Rosie Blau

2010 Man Booker Judge selects Tom Connolly’s The Spider Truces and Amy Sackville’s The Still Point among her five choices; she says they are “old-fashioned books” about the way in which our families define us

    The Best Apocalyptic Novels, recommended by James Miller

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    The Best Apocalyptic Novels - The Road by Cormac McCarthy

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    The Road
    by Cormac McCarthy

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    The Best Apocalyptic Novels - Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban

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    Riddley Walker
    by Russell Hoban

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    The Best Apocalyptic Novels - The Book of Dave by Will Self

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    The Book of Dave
    by Will Self

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    The Best Apocalyptic Novels - Judge Dredd by John Wagner, Alan Grant and Carlos Ezquerra

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    Judge Dredd
    by John Wagner, Alan Grant and Carlos Ezquerra

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    The Best Apocalyptic Novels - When the Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs

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    When the Wind Blows
    by Raymond Briggs

The Best Apocalyptic Novels, recommended by James Miller

The tutor of creative writing at London’s South Bank University selects what he feels are the best Apocalyptic novels. Includes volumes from Raymond Briggs, Cormac McCarthy and Will Self.

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