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Fiction » Contemporary Fiction » New Fiction

Most Recommended Books

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

“Set in Lagos, it follows hardworking nurse Korede as she attempts to cover up the crimes committed by her insatiable sister Ayoola, a beautiful sociopath with black widow tendencies. As well as a crime thriller, it’s a razor-sharp dissection of gender dynamics that never feels preachy or pretentious.”

Cal Flyn, Journalist

Read more

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

The Testaments: A Novel by Margaret Atwood

“Obviously the book is totally fascinating as a print book. What happened with the audiobook is that because of the Netflix adaptation, a lot of the actors who were in the Netflix program were used for the audiobook production. “

Mary Burkey,

Read more

The Long Take by Robin Robertson

“Original, innovative and, in our judgement, durable, with writing of such power that you occasionally have to stop to recover. The Long Take is a work of supreme artistry. Walter Scott would have read it and marvelled.”

Katharine Grant,

Read more

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

  • New Fiction

Fiction

  • Best Fiction of 2020
  • Best Fiction of 2021
  • Classic English Literature
  • Comics & Graphic Novels
  • Contemporary Fiction
  • Crime Novels
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It can be difficult to keep up with the flood of new books constantly being released into the world, but we at Five Books are here to help you, by highlighting the best new fiction: from the most anticipated new novels from our favourite authors to the most buzzed-about debuts of the day.

Our deputy editor Cal Flyn has recently started a regular series highlighting the notable new releases every season – gathered below as we go – and we also discuss and dissect the shortlists of some of the biggest prizes for fiction with their judging panels throughout the year, including the Booker and Booker International Prize shortlists, the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, the Arthur C Clarke Award for Science Fiction, and more.

We also have a small number of in-house reviews and short Q&As with the authors of recently released novels.

    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 Funniest Books of 2020, recommended by Pippa Evans

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    The Funniest Books of 2020 - Flake by Matthew Dooley

    1

    Flake
    by Matthew Dooley

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    The Funniest Books of 2020 - Nobber by Oisín Fagan

    2

    Nobber
    by Oisín Fagan

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

    3

    Rules for Visiting
    by Jessica Francis Kane

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

    4

    Weather: A Novel
    by Jenny Offill

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

    5

    46% Better Than Dave
    by Alastair Puddick

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

    6

    House of Trelawney
    by Hannah Rothschild

The Funniest Books of 2020, recommended by Pippa Evans

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

    The Best Thrillers of 2020, recommended by Anthony Franze

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

    1

    One Good Deed
    by David Baldacci

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

    2

    Rag and Bone
    by Joe Clifford

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - Recursion by Blake Crouch

    3

    Recursion
    by Blake Crouch

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

    4

    They All Fall Down
    by Rachel Howzell Hall

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - The Chain by Adrian McKinty

    5

    The Chain
    by Adrian McKinty

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - Conviction by Denise Mina

    6

    Conviction
    by Denise Mina

The Best Thrillers of 2020, recommended by Anthony Franze

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

    The 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

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    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.

    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 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

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    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

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    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.

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

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

    1

    Cleanness
    by Garth Greenwell

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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 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 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 of Speculative Fiction, recommended by Ken Liu

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    The Best of Speculative Fiction - Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

    1

    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 Novels in Translation: the 2019 Booker International Prize, recommended by Bettany Hughes

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    The Best Novels in Translation: the 2019 Booker International Prize - Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

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    Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
    by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

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    The Best Novels in Translation: the 2019 Booker International Prize - Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi, translated by Marilyn Booth

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    Celestial Bodies
    by Jokha Alharthi, translated by Marilyn Booth

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    The Best Novels in Translation: the 2019 Booker International Prize - The Years by Annie Ernaux, translated by Alison Strayer

    3

    The Years
    by Annie Ernaux, translated by Alison Strayer

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    The Best Novels in Translation: the 2019 Booker International Prize - The Pine Islands by Jen Calleja & Marion Poschmann

    4

    The Pine Islands
    by Jen Calleja & Marion Poschmann

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    The Best Novels in Translation: the 2019 Booker International Prize - The Shape of the Ruins by Juan Gabriel Vásquez, translated by Anne McLean

    5

    The Shape of the Ruins
    by Juan Gabriel Vásquez, translated by Anne McLean

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    The Best Novels in Translation: the 2019 Booker International Prize - The Remainder by Alia Trabucco Zerán, translated by Sophie Hughes

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    The Remainder
    by Alia Trabucco Zerán, translated by Sophie Hughes

The Best Novels in Translation: the 2019 Booker International Prize, recommended by Bettany Hughes

Bettany Hughes, author of Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities and chair of this year’s Booker International Prize judging panel, talks us through the six books they have shortlisted for the title of best novel in translation.

    The Best Crime Fiction of 2019, recommended by Val McDermid

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

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    My Sister, the Serial Killer
    by Oyinkan Braithwaite

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

    2

    This Mortal Boy
    by Fiona Kidman

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

    3

    The Lost Man
    by Jane Harper

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

    4

    American by Day
    by Derek B Miller

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

    5

    A Dark Matter
    by Doug Johnstone

The Best Crime Fiction of 2019, recommended by Val McDermid

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

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

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

    1

    The Long Take
    by Robin Robertson

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

    2

    A Long Way from Home: A novel
    by Peter Carey

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

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    After the Party
    by Cressida Connolly

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

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    The Western Wind: A Novel
    by Samantha Harvey

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

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    Now We Shall Be Entirely Free
    by Andrew Miller

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

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    Warlight
    by Michael Ondaatje

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

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

    The Best Thrillers of 2019, recommended by Anthony Franze

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    The Best Thrillers of 2019 - November Road by Lou Berney

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    November Road
    by Lou Berney

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    The Best Thrillers of 2019 - Paper Ghosts: A Novel of Suspense by Julia Heaberlin

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    Paper Ghosts: A Novel of Suspense
    by Julia Heaberlin

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    The Best Thrillers of 2019 - Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

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    Jar of Hearts
    by Jennifer Hillier

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    The Best Thrillers of 2019 - Pieces of Her: A Novel by Karin Slaughter

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    Pieces of Her: A Novel
    by Karin Slaughter

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    The Best Thrillers of 2019 - The Cabin at the End of the World: A Novel by Paul Tremblay

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    The Cabin at the End of the World: A Novel
    by Paul Tremblay

The Best Thrillers of 2019, recommended by Anthony Franze

Looking for a pacy, suspenseful thriller that keeps you racing through the pages? Look no further. Anthony Franze, author and coordinator of the International Thriller Writers’ annual awards, talks us through some of the books that made the shortlist for the best thrillers of 2019.

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

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

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    This is Pleasure
    by Mary Gaitskill

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

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

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

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    Underland: A Deep Time Journey
    by Robert Macfarlane

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

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    My Sister, the Serial Killer
    by Oyinkan Braithwaite

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

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    Supper Club: A Novel
    by Lara Williams

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

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

    The Best Fiction of 2018, recommended by Kwame Anthony Appiah

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    The Best Fiction of 2018 - Milkman by Anna Burns

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    Milkman
    by Anna Burns

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    The Best Fiction of 2018 - Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

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    Washington Black
    by Esi Edugyan

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    The Best Fiction of 2018 - Everything Under by Daisy Johnson

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    Everything Under
    by Daisy Johnson

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

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    The Mars Room
    by Rachel Kushner

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    The Best Fiction of 2018 - The Overstory by Richard Powers

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    The Overstory
    by Richard Powers

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

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    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.

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