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The Best Fiction Books » Page 20

The Best Fiction Books

Last updated: August 03, 2025

    Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists

  • Read
    Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists - The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow

    1

    The Dollmaker
    by Harriette Arnow

  • Read
    Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists - The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather

    2

    The Song of the Lark
    by Willa Cather

  • Read
    Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists - True Confections by Katharine Weber

    3

    True Confections
    by Katharine Weber

  • Read
    Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists - Wonderland by Stacey D'Erasmo

    4

    Wonderland
    by Stacey D'Erasmo

  • Read
    Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists - The Blazing World by Siri Hustvedt

    5

    The Blazing World
    by Siri Hustvedt

  • Kayla Rae Whitaker composes an ode to ‘women who make things’, from wooden dolls to indie music, and post-modern triptychs to the best candy bar you’ll ever taste. These are tales about what happens when the muse becomes the artist

  • Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists - The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow
  • Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists - The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather
  • Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists - True Confections by Katharine Weber
  • Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists - Wonderland by Stacey D'Erasmo
  • Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists - The Blazing World by Siri Hustvedt

Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists

Kayla Rae Whitaker composes an ode to ‘women who make things’, from wooden dolls to indie music, and post-modern triptychs to the best candy bar you’ll ever taste. These are tales about what happens when the muse becomes the artist

Kayla Rae Whitaker on Stories about Women Artists

    The Best Transnational Literature, recommended by Mohsin Hamid

  • Read
    The Best Transnational Literature - No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe

    1

    No Longer at Ease
    by Chinua Achebe

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    The Best Transnational Literature - A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

    2

    A Moveable Feast
    by Ernest Hemingway

  • Read
    The Best Transnational Literature - Meatless Days: A Memoir by Sara Suleri

    3

    Meatless Days: A Memoir
    by Sara Suleri

  • Read
    The Best Transnational Literature - The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

    4

    The Buddha in the Attic
    by Julie Otsuka

  • Read
    The Best Transnational Literature - Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges

    5

    Fictions
    by Jorge Luis Borges

  • Beleaguered 'citizens of nowhere' will be pleased to know they have their own literary genre. For anyone who has ever wondered where they belong, or why, when you leave your home country, it's never the same when you return, here are the best five books to read—including some by the greatest authors of the 20th century.

  • The Best Transnational Literature - No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
  • The Best Transnational Literature - A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
  • The Best Transnational Literature - Meatless Days: A Memoir by Sara Suleri
  • The Best Transnational Literature - The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
  • The Best Transnational Literature - Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges

The Best Transnational Literature, recommended by Mohsin Hamid

Beleaguered ‘citizens of nowhere’ will be pleased to know they have their own literary genre. For anyone who has ever wondered where they belong, or why, when you leave your home country, it’s never the same when you return, here are the best five books to read—including some by the greatest authors of the 20th century.

The Best Transnational Literature, recommended by Mohsin Hamid

    The Best Horror Stories, recommended by Darryl Jones

  • Read
    The Best Horror Stories - The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen

    1

    The Great God Pan
    by Arthur Machen

  • Read
    The Best Horror Stories - The Island of Doctor Moreau by H G Wells

    2

    The Island of Doctor Moreau
    by H G Wells

  • Read
    The Best Horror Stories - Collected Ghost Stories by MR James

    3

    Collected Ghost Stories
    by MR James

  • Read
    The Best Horror Stories - Dracula by Bram Stoker

    4

    Dracula
    by Bram Stoker

  • Read
    The Best Horror Stories - The King in Yellow by Robert W Chambers

    5

    The King in Yellow
    by Robert W Chambers

  • Why was 1897 such a great year for horror? How did Charles Darwin's discoveries impact the genre? Trinity College, Dublin professor Darryl Jones selects some of the best of the genre—and discusses why we find these stories so fascinating.

  • The Best Horror Stories - The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen
  • The Best Horror Stories - The Island of Doctor Moreau by H G Wells
  • The Best Horror Stories - Collected Ghost Stories by MR James
  • The Best Horror Stories - Dracula by Bram Stoker
  • The Best Horror Stories - The King in Yellow by Robert W Chambers

The Best Horror Stories, recommended by Darryl Jones

Why was 1897 such a great year for horror? How did Charles Darwin’s discoveries impact the genre? Trinity College, Dublin professor Darryl Jones selects some of the best of the genre—and discusses why we find these stories so fascinating.

The Best Horror Stories, recommended by Darryl Jones

    The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’, recommended by Yiyun Li

  • Read
    The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’ - Sakhalin Island by Anton Chekhov

    1

    Sakhalin Island
    by Anton Chekhov

  • Read
    The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’ - Family Sayings by Natalia Ginzburg

    2

    Family Sayings
    by Natalia Ginzburg

  • Read
    The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’ - Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C S Lewis

    3

    Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
    by C S Lewis

  • Read
    The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’ - Excursions in the Real World by William Trevor

    4

    Excursions in the Real World
    by William Trevor

  • Read
    The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’ - Crabcakes: A Memoir by James Alan McPherson

    5

    Crabcakes: A Memoir
    by James Alan McPherson

  • Yiyun Li, author of Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life, on the sheer messiness of life, the irrelevance of ‘I’, and why brutal honesty is often the truest way to capture the people we love the most

  • The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’ - Sakhalin Island by Anton Chekhov
  • The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’ - Family Sayings by Natalia Ginzburg
  • The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’ - Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C S Lewis
  • The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’ - Excursions in the Real World by William Trevor
  • The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’ - Crabcakes: A Memoir by James Alan McPherson

The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’, recommended by Yiyun Li

Yiyun Li, author of Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life, on the sheer messiness of life, the irrelevance of ‘I’, and why brutal honesty is often the truest way to capture the people we love the most

The Best ‘Anti-Memoirs’, recommended by Yiyun Li

    Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature, recommended by Humphrey Davies

  • Read
    Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature - The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany & Humphrey Davies

    1

    The Yacoubian Building
    by Alaa Al Aswany & Humphrey Davies

  • Read
    Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature - On Being Abbas El Abd by Ahmed Alaidy & Humphrey Davies

    2

    On Being Abbas El Abd
    by Ahmed Alaidy & Humphrey Davies

  • Read
    Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature - Life Is More Beautiful than Paradise by Khaled al-Berry

    3

    Life Is More Beautiful than Paradise
    by Khaled al-Berry

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    Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature - Taxi by Khalid Al Khamissi

    4

    Taxi
    by Khalid Al Khamissi

  • Read
    Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature - Metro by Magdy El Shafee

    5

    Metro
    by Magdy El Shafee

  • One of the leading translators of contemporary Egyptian literature, Humphrey Davies, gives us his top choices.

  • Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature - The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany & Humphrey Davies
  • Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature - On Being Abbas El Abd by Ahmed Alaidy & Humphrey Davies
  • Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature - Life Is More Beautiful than Paradise by Khaled al-Berry
  • Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature - Taxi by Khalid Al Khamissi
  • Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature - Metro by Magdy El Shafee

Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature, recommended by Humphrey Davies

One of the leading translators of contemporary Egyptian literature, Humphrey Davies, gives us his top choices.

Best Contemporary Egyptian Literature, recommended by Humphrey Davies

    Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him

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

    1

    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

    2

    Riddley Walker
    by Russell Hoban

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

    3

    The Odyssey
    by Homer and translated by Emily Wilson

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

    4

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

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

    5

    Glass, Irony and God
    by Anne Carson

  • 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

  • Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him - Angry Arthur by Hiawyn Oram and Satoshi Kitamura (illustrator)
  • Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him - Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban
  • Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him - The Odyssey by Homer and translated by Emily Wilson
  • Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him - The Pantheon Anthology of Russian Fairy Tales by A.N. Afanas'ev and N. Guterman (translator)
  • Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him - 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

Max Porter on the Books That Shaped Him

    Best Poetry of 2016, recommended by Helen Mort

  • Read
    Best Poetry of 2016 - Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

    1

    Night Sky with Exit Wounds
    by Ocean Vuong

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    Best Poetry of 2016 - The Remedies by Katharine Towers

    2

    The Remedies
    by Katharine Towers

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    Best Poetry of 2016 - Falling Awake by Alice Oswald

    3

    Falling Awake
    by Alice Oswald

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    Best Poetry of 2016 - To Fold the Evening Star by Ian McMillan

    4

    To Fold the Evening Star
    by Ian McMillan

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    Best Poetry of 2016 - Sunshine by Melissa Lee Houghton

    5

    Sunshine
    by Melissa Lee Houghton

  • It may not have been a good year for many things, but 2016 was a great year for poetry. British poet Helen Mort talks us through her favourite new poetry collections.

  • Best Poetry of 2016 - Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
  • Best Poetry of 2016 - The Remedies by Katharine Towers
  • Best Poetry of 2016 - Falling Awake by Alice Oswald
  • Best Poetry of 2016 - To Fold the Evening Star by Ian McMillan
  • Best Poetry of 2016 - Sunshine by Melissa Lee Houghton

Best Poetry of 2016, recommended by Helen Mort

It may not have been a good year for many things, but 2016 was a great year for poetry. British poet Helen Mort talks us through her favourite new poetry collections.

Best Poetry of 2016, recommended by Helen Mort

    Best Comics of 2016, recommended by Hillary Chute

  • Read
    Best Comics of 2016 - Beverly by Nick Drnaso

    1

    Beverly
    by Nick Drnaso

  • Read
    Best Comics of 2016 - Cosplayers by Dash Shaw

    2

    Cosplayers
    by Dash Shaw

  • Read
    Best Comics of 2016 - Anna and Froga: Out and About by Anouk Ricard

    3

    Anna and Froga: Out and About
    by Anouk Ricard

  • Read
    Best Comics of 2016 - The Arab of the Future 2: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1984-1985 by Riad Sattouf

    4

    The Arab of the Future 2: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1984-1985
    by Riad Sattouf

  • Read
    Best Comics of 2016 - Last Look by Charles Burns

    5

    Last Look
    by Charles Burns

  • Comics of all kinds are flourishing with publishers rushing to meet market demand. But which of the many comics published this year are really worth having on your bookshelf? We turned to comics expert and Harvard professor Hillary Chute to select the best comics of 2016.

  • Best Comics of 2016 - Beverly by Nick Drnaso
  • Best Comics of 2016 - Cosplayers by Dash Shaw
  • Best Comics of 2016 - Anna and Froga: Out and About by Anouk Ricard
  • Best Comics of 2016 - The Arab of the Future 2: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1984-1985 by Riad Sattouf
  • Best Comics of 2016 - Last Look by Charles Burns

Best Comics of 2016, recommended by Hillary Chute

Comics of all kinds are flourishing with publishers rushing to meet market demand. But which of the many comics published this year are really worth having on your bookshelf? We turned to comics expert and Harvard professor Hillary Chute to select the best comics of 2016.

Best Comics of 2016, recommended by Hillary Chute

    The Best Charles Dickens Books, recommended by Jenny Hartley

  • Read
    The Best Charles Dickens Books - David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

    1

    David Copperfield
    by Charles Dickens

  • Read
    The Best Charles Dickens Books - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

    2

    Great Expectations
    by Charles Dickens

  • Read
    The Best Charles Dickens Books - Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin

    3

    Charles Dickens: A Life
    by Claire Tomalin

  • Read
    The Best Charles Dickens Books - The Selected Letters of Charles Dickens by Jenny Hartley

    4

    The Selected Letters of Charles Dickens
    by Jenny Hartley

  • Read
    The Best Charles Dickens Books - Palgrave Advances in Charles Dickens Studies by John Bowen and Robert I. Patten

    5

    Palgrave Advances in Charles Dickens Studies
    by John Bowen and Robert I. Patten

  • He was the most popular novelist of the Victorian era, a convivial family man who always championed the underdog. But he also harboured dark secrets that only came out after his death. Jenny Hartley recommends the best books by and about Charles Dickens and discusses Dickens the phenomenon, past and present.

  • The Best Charles Dickens Books - David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
  • The Best Charles Dickens Books - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  • The Best Charles Dickens Books - Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin
  • The Best Charles Dickens Books - The Selected Letters of Charles Dickens by Jenny Hartley
  • The Best Charles Dickens Books - Palgrave Advances in Charles Dickens Studies by John Bowen and Robert I. Patten

The Best Charles Dickens Books, recommended by Jenny Hartley

He was the most popular novelist of the Victorian era, a convivial family man who always championed the underdog. But he also harboured dark secrets that only came out after his death. Jenny Hartley recommends the best books by and about Charles Dickens and discusses Dickens the phenomenon, past and present.

The Best Charles Dickens Books, recommended by Jenny Hartley

    The Best Psychological Novels, recommended by Salley Vickers

  • Read
    The Best Psychological Novels - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

    1

    Great Expectations
    by Charles Dickens

  • Read
    The Best Psychological Novels - Villette by Charlotte Brontë

    2

    Villette
    by Charlotte Brontë

  • Read
    The Best Psychological Novels - The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

    3

    The Portrait of a Lady
    by Henry James

  • Read
    The Best Psychological Novels - Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

    4

    Cold Comfort Farm
    by Stella Gibbons

  • Read
    The Best Psychological Novels - The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald

    5

    The Bookshop
    by Penelope Fitzgerald

  • The stories we tell ourselves affect our decision-making in profound ways, says psychotherapist turned bestselling author Salley Vickers. Here, she recommends five novels that delve into the psychology of the self—and of society.

  • The Best Psychological Novels - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  • The Best Psychological Novels - Villette by Charlotte Brontë
  • The Best Psychological Novels - The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
  • The Best Psychological Novels - Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
  • The Best Psychological Novels - The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald

The Best Psychological Novels, recommended by Salley Vickers

The stories we tell ourselves affect our decision-making in profound ways, says psychotherapist turned bestselling author Salley Vickers. Here, she recommends five novels that delve into the psychology of the self—and of society.

The Best Psychological Novels, recommended by Salley Vickers
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