Interviewer

Cal Flyn, Deputy Editor
Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn is a writer from the Highlands of Scotland.
Her latest book, Islands of Abandonment—about the ecology and psychology of abandoned places—is out now. It has been shortlisted for the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize, the Wainwright Prize for writing on global conservation, the British Academy Book Prize, and for the title of Scottish Nonfiction Book of the Year.
At Five Books, she interviews on subjects including literary fiction and nonfiction, psychology, nature, environment, and science fiction.
Interviews by Cal Flyn
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1
Tomb of Sand
by Geetanjali Shree, translated by Daisy Rockwell -
2
Cursed Bunny
by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur -
3
A New Name: Septology VI-VII
by Jon Fosse, translated by Damion Searls -
4
Heaven
by Mieko Kawakami, translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd -
5
The Books of Jacob: A Novel
by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer Croft -
6
Elena Knows
by Claudia Piñeiro, translated by Frances Riddle
The Best of World Literature: The 2022 International Booker Prize Shortlist, recommended by Frank Wynne
The Best of World Literature: The 2022 International Booker Prize Shortlist, recommended by Frank Wynne
The International Booker Prize celebrates the best fiction in translation published over the previous year. Frank Wynne, acclaimed translator and chair of the 2022 judging panel, tells Five Books about the six novels that made the shortlist, and reminds readers that world literature need not be tough, consumed only in the interests of self-improvement—but is often joyful, surprising and full of feeling.
The Best Historical Fiction: The 2022 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist, recommended by Elizabeth Laird
Every year, the Walter Scott Prize highlights the best new historical novels. In 2022, the shortlist comprises four fantastic works of historical fiction that immerse the reader in the past—from 16th-century Scotland to 1920s Trinidad—while confronting universal human dramas we still struggle with today. Elizabeth Laird, one of the judges, talks us through their choices this year.
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1
The Outermost House: A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod
by Henry Beston -
2
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
by Annie Dillard -
3
Findings
by Kathleen Jamie -
4
Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australians and the Birth of Agriculture
by Bruce Pascoe -
5
A Natural History of the Future: What the Laws of Biology Tell Us about the Destiny of the Human Species
by Rob Dunn
The best books on Natural History, recommended by David George Haskell
The best books on Natural History, recommended by David George Haskell
Natural history can offer a “portal into wonder and astonishment,” says David George Haskell, the biologist and award-winning author of nonfiction works including Sounds Wild and Broken and The Forest Unseen. But natural history books, in the past, have also been guilty of reinforcing prejudices. Here he recommends five natural history books that celebrate the diversity of life.
The Best Near-Future Dystopias, recommended by Rosa Rankin-Gee
Books featuring dystopian or post-apocalyptic themes offer us an opportunity to study human nature outside of the normal structure of society, says Rosa Rankin-Gee, author of the acclaimed novel Dreamland. Here, she recommends five other books featuring a near-future dystopia, all of which explore a societal or cultural unraveling through beautiful prose.
Literary Horror Books, recommended by Sue Rainsford
The most unnerving and disturbing novels are often those books that leave room for interpretation and uncertainty. Here, the acclaimed Irish novelist Sue Rainsford selects five frightening works of literary horror, by authors who are masters of the unsettling implication—because nothing is quite so scary as what you dream up to fill the voids.
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1
Political Community in the North Atlantic Area
by Karl Deutsch et al -
2
The Third World War: August 1985
by John Hackett -
3
Defense of the West: Transatlantic Security from Truman to Trump
by Stanley R Sloan -
4
Why NATO Endures
by Wallace J Thies -
5
Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post-Cold War Stalemate
by M E Sarotte
The best books on NATO, recommended by Mark Webber
The best books on NATO, recommended by Mark Webber
With all eyes on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s a good time to educate yourself on the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in post-war Europe. Here, University of Birmingham political scientist Mark Webber offers five book recommendations on the history, aims and ideals of NATO.
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1
The Inheritors
by William Golding, with a foreword by Ben Okri -
2
The Spire
by William Golding, with a foreword by Benjamin Myers -
3
Darkness Visible
by William Golding, with a foreword by Nicola Barker -
4
Rites of Passage
by William Golding, with a foreword by Annie Proulx -
5
Lord of the Flies
by William Golding, with a foreword by Stephen King
The Best William Golding Books, recommended by Judy Golding
The Best William Golding Books, recommended by Judy Golding
The Nobel laureate William Golding is best known for his novel Lord of the Flies, in which a group of schoolboys marooned on a desert island revert to savagery. But he was a prolific writer who produced eleven further novels, including the Booker Prize-winning Rites of Passage. Here, his daughter and manager of his literary estate Judy Golding selects five of William Golding’s key texts, including The Inheritors—the book he felt to be his best work.
The Best Tudor Historical Fiction, recommended by Alison Weir
The Tudor dynasty, which ruled England from 1485 to 1603, has been the focus of extraordinary public attention in recent years, thanks to the success of books like Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and the lavish television drama The Tudors, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. We asked Alison Weir, the author of many bestselling factual and novelistic books on the period, to recommend her favourite works of Tudor historical fiction.
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1
Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me
by Javier Marías, translated by Margaret Jull Costa -
2
2666
by Roberto Bolaño, translated by Natasha Wimmer -
3
Honeymoon
by Patrick Modiano, translated by Barbara Wright -
4
Hurricane Season
by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughes -
5
A Perfect Spy
by John le Carré
The Best Literary Thrillers, recommended by Chris Power
The Best Literary Thrillers, recommended by Chris Power
For those with a taste for fine literature, but who also enjoy their fiction with a bit of suspense and momentum, the acclaimed novelist Chris Power—author of A Lonely Man—has put together a recommended reading list of five ‘literary thrillers’, including work by Fernanda Melchor, Roberto Bolaño and the Nobel laureate Patrick Modiano.
Five of the Best Works of Belarusian Literature, recommended by Hanna Komar
Writers have been subject to persecution and repression in Belarus, and increasingly so in the aftermath of the protests that swept the nation in 2020 and 2021. Owning or distributing books deemed ‘extremist’ by the Lukashenko government can be enough to land you in jail. Here, the poet and activist Hanna Komar selects five of the best works of Belarusian literature that offer a glimpse of the culture and mindset of this post-Soviet nation, and the bravery of those who continue to fight for political freedom.
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1
Women vs Capitalism: Why We Can't Have It All in a Free Market Economy
by Vicky Pryce -
2
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
by Caroline Criado Perez -
3
Sex and World Peace
by Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill, Chad Emmett, Mary Caprioli & Valerie Hudson -
4
Delusions of Gender
by Cordelia Fine -
5
Greed, Lust and Gender: A History of Economic Ideas
by Nancy Folbre
The best books on Gender Inequality, recommended by Linda Scott
The best books on Gender Inequality, recommended by Linda Scott
Women produce about 40% of global GDP and more than half of the world’s food. But their economic and social contribution has too often gone unrecorded—subsumed into ‘household earnings’ or otherwise disregarded. Here, the Oxford academic and author of The Double X Economy Linda Scott selects five of the best books on gender inequality, and reveals how the empowerment of women might just be the route to world peace.
The Best Shirley Jackson Books, recommended by Joan Passey
Shirley Jackson, the 20th-century horror author, has had a remarkable resurgence in popularity in recent years, with a series of screen adaptations bringing her writing to a new audience. Joan Passey, an academic at Bristol University and co-editor of an upcoming collection of essays on the ‘mother of horror’, selects five books that offer the best introduction to Shirley Jackson’s work.
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1
A Little Devil in America: Notes In Praise Of Black Performance
by Hanif Abdurraqib -
2
Gay Bar: Why We Went Out
by Jeremy Atherton Lin -
3
A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes: A Son's Memoir of Gabriel García Márquez and Mercedes Barcha
by Rodrigo Garcia -
4
A Ghost in the Throat
by Doireann Ní Ghríofa -
5
Concepcion: An Immigrant Family’s Fortunes
by Albert Samaha
The Best Memoirs: The 2022 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist, recommended by Marion Winik
The Best Memoirs: The 2022 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist, recommended by Marion Winik
Autobiography is evolving; increasingly we find the field dominated by ‘genre-fluid’ books that plait memoir together with strands of cultural criticism, history, journalism or even poetry. Here, Marion Winik, the memoirist and critic, talks us through the five books that have been shortlisted in the National Book Critic’s Circle autobiography category—and describes the face of memoir in 2022.
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1
The Break-up of Britain
by Tom Nairn -
2
Independence or Union: Scotland’s Past and Scotland’s Present
by Tom Devine -
3
The Scottish Question
by James Mitchell -
4
The Case for Scottish Independence: A History of Nationalist Political Thought in Modern Scotland
by Ben Jackson -
5
Cinico: Travels with a Good Professor at the Time of the Scottish Referendum
by Allan Cameron
The best books on Scottish Nationalism, recommended by Murray Leith
The best books on Scottish Nationalism, recommended by Murray Leith
There has been a sharp rise in nationalist and pro-independence sentiment in Scotland since the resumption of the Scottish parliament in 1999. Here, the University of West Scotland political scientist Murray Leith reflects on the changing nature of Scottish identity and separatist visions, as he recommends five key books on Scottish nationalism.
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1
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
by Oliver Burkeman -
2
Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles
by Beth Pickens -
3
Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself
by Nedra Glover Tawwab -
4
The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self
by Martha Beck -
5
Seeking Wisdom: A Spiritual Path to Creative Connection
by Julia Cameron
The Best Self Help Books of 2021, recommended by Emma Gannon
The Best Self Help Books of 2021, recommended by Emma Gannon
Lockdowns have forced many of us to pause and consider the way we are living our lives, says the podcaster and bestselling author Emma Gannon. Here she highlights five of the best self help books published in 2021, with a special focus on creativity and setting better boundaries to safeguard our time and energy.
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1
Being You: A New Science of Consciousness
by Anil Seth -
2
Critical Lives: Hannah Arendt
by Samantha Rose Hill -
3
The Case for Rage: Why Anger Is Essential to Anti-Racist Struggle
by Myisha Cherry -
4
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
by Oliver Burkeman -
5
Free: Coming of Age at the End of History
by Lea Ypi
The Best Philosophy Books of 2021, recommended by Nigel Warburton
The Best Philosophy Books of 2021, recommended by Nigel Warburton
Nigel Warburton—the philosopher, broadcaster and creator of the popular Philosophy Bites podcast—selects five of the best public philosophy books published in 2021, including a defence of righteous rage, an examination of the concept of ‘time management,’ and an intellectual biography of the political philosopher and Holocaust survivor Hannah Arendt.
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1
'The Voyage of St Brendan,' in The Age of Bede
edited by J.F. Webb and D.H. Farmer -
2
Sea Room
by Adam Nicolson -
3
Selkirk's Island: The True and Strange Adventures of the Real Robinson Crusoe
by Diana Souhami -
4
A Woman in the Polar Night
by Christiane Ritter -
5
Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot On and Never Will
by Judith Schalansky
The best books on Islands, recommended by Gavin Francis
The best books on Islands, recommended by Gavin Francis
Generations of writers, explorers and armchair travellers have found a focal point of fascination in the idea of the remote island. Why so? Gavin Francis, the award-winning writer, explains the everlasting appeal of the lonely isle – and why the fantasy is at least as powerful as the salt-sprayed reality – as he selects five of the best books on islands.
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1
The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy's Vanishing Explorers
by Emily Levesque -
2
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
by James Nestor -
3
The End of Bias, A Beginning: The Science and Practice of Overcoming Unconscious Bias
by Jessica Nordell -
4
The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness
by Suzanne O'Sullivan -
5
Science Fictions: How Fraud, Bias, Negligence, and Hype Undermine the Search for Truth
by Stuart Ritchie -
6
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
by Merlin Sheldrake
The Best Popular Science Books of 2021: The Royal Society Book Prize, recommended by Luke O'Neill
The Best Popular Science Books of 2021: The Royal Society Book Prize, recommended by Luke O'Neill
Every year the Royal Society, the world’s oldest independent scientific academy, awards a prize for the best new popular science book. Here, Luke O’Neill—Professor of Biochemistry at Trinity College, Dublin, and chair of the 2021 judging panel—discusses the latest shortlist: six new popular science books that are topical, accessible and infinitely interesting.
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1
Checkmate to Murder: A Second World War Mystery
by E.C.R. Lorac -
2
Traitor's Purse: The Albert Campion Mysteries
by Margery Allingham -
3
N or M?: A Tommy and Tuppence Mystery
by Agatha Christie -
4
Death in Captivity: A Second World War Mystery
by Michael Gilbert -
5
Murder's a Swine: A Second World War Mystery
by Nap Lombard
The Best Wartime Mystery Books, recommended by Caroline Crampton
The Best Wartime Mystery Books, recommended by Caroline Crampton
The ‘golden age’ of detective fiction is usually considered to end suddenly with the outbreak of the Second World War. But many of the era’s leading novelists continued to write prolifically throughout, says Caroline Crampton, creator of the popular Shedunnit podcast. Here she selects five of the best wartime mysteries.
The Best Fiction of 2021: The Booker Prize Shortlist, recommended by Maya Jasanoff
This year the Booker Prize finalists include new work from previous shortlistees Richard Powers and Damon Galgut, a sweeping historical novel by Maggie Shipstead, and a fragmentary account of a life lived ‘extremely online.’ Maya Jasanoff, Harvard historian and chair of the 2021 judging panel, talks us through the best fiction of the past year.
The Best Thrillers of 2021, recommended by Tosca Lee
Looking for a fantastic new thriller to read? We asked Tosca Lee, the bestselling author, to talk us through the International Thriller Writers 2021 shortlist. With their amazing characters, palpable tension, unique voices and incredible plot twists these thrillers achieve what every reader is looking for: a book they can’t put down.
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1
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
by David Allen -
2
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
by Cal Newport -
3
The Tao of Time
by Diana Hunt & Pam Hait -
4
Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less
by Tiffany Dufu -
5
Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World
by Iddo Landau
The best books on Time Management, recommended by Oliver Burkeman
The best books on Time Management, recommended by Oliver Burkeman
Feeling stressed and overwhelmed? You are not alone. Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks, selects some of the best books on time management—including two classic how-to guides, plus several texts focused on helping you decide how you really want to spend your finite time on this planet.
Landmarks of Scottish Literature, recommended by James Robertson
Scottish culture is best understood as related to, but distinct from, that of Britain or England, says the acclaimed novelist James Robertson. Here, he selects five landmark works of Scottish literature, from Sir Walter Scott’s sweeping, panoramic social novels of the 18th century, through Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde, to Nan Shepherd’s beloved nature writing.
The best books on Summer, recommended by Melissa Harrison
Temperatures ratcheting, tinderbox conditions, a pressure cooker atmosphere… summer is a handy literary shorthand for rising tensions. But in the natural world, summer is a quiet time when the flowers die back and the fruits and seeds are ripening. Here, Melissa Harrison—the novelist, nature writer and podcaster—recommends five of the best summer books, for those who like to read in step with the seasons.
The Best Science Fiction of 2021: The Arthur C Clarke Award Shortlist, recommended by Tom Hunter
Every year, the director of the Arthur C Clarke Award talks us through their six book shortlist. The 2021 crop of the best science fiction books features a “deliciously pulpy” space opera, a time travel story for young adults, and a cacophonous tale of talking animals. What they all have in common is that they are by debut authors, says Tom Hunter: they represent a new generation of sci fi writing.
Landmark LGBTQI books, recommended by Rosie Wilby
Queer readers have had to transpose themselves into heteronormative stories for most of their lives, says the comedian and writer Rosie Wilby. That’s one of the reasons why straight, cis- readers should make time to read books from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex community. Here she highlights five landmark books by LGBTQI writers that everyone should read.
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1
The Proof of the Honey
by Salwa Al Neimi and Carol Perkins (translator) -
2
In the Eye of the Sun
by Ahdaf Soueif -
3
The Affair
by Ghita El Khayat & Robert Thompson (translator) -
4
Classical Poems by Arab Women: A Bilingual Anthology
by Abdullah al-Udhari (editor) -
5
I Sweep the Sun Off Rooftops
by Hanan al-Shaykh
Erotic Writing by Arab Women, recommended by Selma Dabbagh
Erotic Writing by Arab Women, recommended by Selma Dabbagh
Arab women have been writing erotic literature for millennia and have become more creative and daring in recent years in the wake of the Arab Spring and the spread of social media, says novelist Selma Dabbagh, editor of a new anthology, We Wrote in Symbols: Love and Lust by Arab Women Writers. Here, she picks five key examples of erotic writing by women of the region.
Five of the Best European Classics, recommended by David Campbell
Europe may be made up of many cultures but its component parts share an artistic and literary sensibility, says Everyman’s Library publisher David Campbell. Here, he recommends five European classics that everyone should read at least once in their life, including “the greatest novel ever written” and some lesser-known masterpieces.
Forgotten Classics: The Best B-Side Books, recommended by John Plotz
New books are constantly being published. Sometimes they slip by unremarked; sometimes their impact is so enormous as to divert the flow of literature altogether. But what of those books that made a splash on arrival, but have long since disappeared from view? John Plotz, the literary scholar, has spent five years resurfacing these forgotten classics: the ‘B-side books’ that have fallen from the public consciousness.
The Best Historical Fiction: The 2021 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist, recommended by Katharine Grant
The Walter Scott Prize seeks to highlight the very best of historical fiction—and in 2021, we find the shortlist dominated by Australian writers. Katharine Grant, the acclaimed novelist and chair of the judges, returns to Five Books to discuss the cream of this year’s crop, and the art of transforming the historical record into a creative exercise.
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1
At Night All Blood Is Black
by David Diop, translated by Anna Moschovakis -
2
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed: Stories
by Mariana Enríquez, translated by Megan McDowell -
3
When We Cease to Understand the World
by Benjamin Labatut, translated by Adrian Nathan West -
4
The Employees: A workplace novel of the 22nd century
by Olga Ravn, translated by Martin Aitken -
5
In Memory of Memory
by Maria Stepanova, by Sasha Dugdale -
6
The War of the Poor
by Éric Vuillard, translated by Mark Polizzotti
The Best of World Literature: The 2021 International Booker Prize Shortlist, recommended by Lucy Hughes-Hallett
The Best of World Literature: The 2021 International Booker Prize Shortlist, recommended by Lucy Hughes-Hallett
Every year the International Booker Prize judges read dozens of novels from around the world, which are newly translated into English. Here Lucy Hughes-Hallett—award-winning author and chair of this year’s judging panel—talks us through the six books that made their 2021 shortlist of the best world literature.
The Best Ursula Le Guin Books, recommended by Sherryl Vint
Ursula Le Guin’s most groundbreaking books are considered landmark texts in speculative fiction, exploring themes of colonisation, gender, nationalism and environmentalism through allegorical means. Here, the science fiction scholar Sherryl Vint selects five of the best books by Ursula Le Guin and examines her legacy as one of the great American writers.
The Best Mythopoeic Fantasy, recommended by Samantha Shannon
Fantasy writers often create vivid, intricately detailed worlds in which their stories unfold. Rich mythmaking of this kind often features alternative religions, languages and cultures, and is known among fans and scholars as ‘mythopoeia’. Here, Samantha Shannon—author of the internationally bestselling The Bone Season sequence—recommends five of the best mythopoeic fantasy books.
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1
Notebook of a Return to the Native Land
by Aimé Césaire -
2
A Dying Colonialism
by Frantz Fanon -
3
I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem
by Maryse Condé -
4
Maps: A Novel
by Nuruddin Farah -
5
Can the Subaltern Speak?: Reflections on the History of an Idea
ed. Rosalind Morris, original essay by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak
The Best Postcolonial Literature, recommended by Anjuli Fatima Raza Kolb
The Best Postcolonial Literature, recommended by Anjuli Fatima Raza Kolb
Postcolonial literature brings together writings from formerly colonised territories, allowing commonalities across disparate cultures to be identified and examined. Here, the University of Toronto academic Anjuli Fatima Raza Kolb recommends five key works that explore philosophical and political questions through allegory, personal reflection and powerful polemic.
The Best Black British Writers, recommended by Jacqueline Roy
Black British writers have been storming the bestseller charts in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. Here, Jacqueline Roy—the novelist and lecturer in Black literature—selects five of the best books by Black British writers that deserve more attention.
The Best Experimental Fiction, recommended by Rebecca Watson
Experimental fiction often uses unusual forms of syntax, style, or form—perhaps taking the form of fragments, footnotes or parallel narratives. Here Rebecca Watson, author of the critically acclaimed experimental novel little scratch, recommends five of the best experimental novels and explains why a writer might choose to bend the rules—and to what effect.
The Best Novellas, recommended by Claire Fuller
The acclaimed novelist Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground, recommends five of the best novellas: short works of fiction that offer the power and intensity of a novel in little more than 100 pages. From an epic-in-miniature set in the American West to an infamous story of bestial love, these books offer short, sharp shocks of fiction that can be enjoyed over a single evening.
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1
Stranger in the Shogun's City: A Japanese Woman and Her World
by Amy Stanley -
2
The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes
by Zachary D. Carter -
3
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X
by Les Payne & Tamara Payne -
4
Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath
by Heather Clark -
5
The Equivalents: A Story of Art, Female Friendship, and Liberation in the 1960s
by Maggie Doherty
The Best Biographies: the 2021 NBCC Shortlist, recommended by Elizabeth Taylor
The Best Biographies: the 2021 NBCC Shortlist, recommended by Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor, the author, critic and chair of the National Book Critics’ Circle biography committee, discusses their 2021 shortlist for the title of the best biography—including a revelatory new book about the life of Malcolm X, a group biography of artists in the 1960s, and a book built from a cache of letters written in Japan’s shogun era.
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1
Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind
by David M Buss -
2
Homicide
by Martin Daly and Margo Wilson -
3
The Language Instinct
by Steven Pinker -
4
Death from a Distance and the Birth of a Humane Universe
by Joanne Souza & Paul M. Bingham -
5
The Illusion of Conscious Will
by Daniel M. Wegner
The best books on Evolutionary Psychology, recommended by Chris Paley
The best books on Evolutionary Psychology, recommended by Chris Paley
Human traits are a product of natural selection—and the story of how we have evolved explains many of our psychological quirks today. Chris Paley, author of Unthink and Beyond Bad, recommends five of the best evolutionary psychology books—and explains how experimental data might finally get to the bottom of the question of free will.
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1
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning
by Cathy Park Hong -
2
This is Major: On Diana Ross, Dark Girls and Being Dope
by Shayla Lawson -
3
Golem Girl: A Memoir
by Riva Lehrer -
4
The Dragons, the Giant, the Women: A Memoir
by Wayétu Moore -
5
Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana and the Stoning of San Francisco
by Alia Volz
The Best Memoirs: The 2021 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist, recommended by Marion Winik
The Best Memoirs: The 2021 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist, recommended by Marion Winik
From fleeing the Liberian civil war to selling pot brownies in San Francisco, the finalists for the 2021 National Book Critics Circle award for the best autobiography offer five vivid life stories, told expertly. Critic, broadcaster and author Marion Winik talks us through the brilliant memoirs that made the 2021 shortlist.
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1
Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall
by Anna Funder -
2
Nothing to Envy
by Barbara Demick -
3
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
by Katherine Boo -
4
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
by Patrick Radden Keefe -
5
City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World's Largest Refugee Camp
by Ben Rawlence
The Best Narrative Nonfiction Books, recommended by Samira Shackle
The Best Narrative Nonfiction Books, recommended by Samira Shackle
Narrative nonfiction is a style of writing that takes the facts and dramatises them to create novelistic retellings of real life events. Samira Shackle, author of Karachi Vice, a book that offers vivid insight into the lives of five of the city’s residents, recommends five books that have inspired her—and explains how a writer might begin to carve ‘plot’ and ‘characters’ from reams of research material.
The Best Fyodor Dostoevsky Books, recommended by Alex Christofi
His father had clawed his way up into the minor aristocracy, but Fyodor Dostoevsky chose to live the life of an impecunious author. He was sentenced to death, but his execution was stayed and he spent years in a Siberian labour camp instead. His books are about human compassion, but he was a difficult man who had trouble with his own personal relationships. Alex Christofi, author of a brilliant new biography of Dostoevsky, one of Russia’s greatest novelists, recommends five books to learn more about the man and his work—including the novel of which Tolstoy said he ‘didn’t know a better book in all our literature’.
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.
Favourite Theatre Books, recommended by Gyles Brandreth
The author and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth selects five of his favourite books about the theatre from the thousands that grace his bookshelves, taking in nonfiction, histories of music hall and amateur dramatics, plus a 16th century ‘romp’ starring one William Shakespeare.
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1
Wild Child: Coming Home to Nature
by Patrick Barkham -
2
English Pastoral: An Inheritance
by James Rebanks -
3
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
by Merlin Sheldrake -
4
The Flip: Epiphanies of Mind and the Future of Knowledge
by Jeffrey J Kripal -
5
Vesper Flights
by Helen Macdonald (author and narrator)
The Best Nature Books of 2020, recommended by Charles Foster
The Best Nature Books of 2020, recommended by Charles Foster
Charles Foster—the barrister, ethicist and bestselling author of Being a Beast—selects five brilliant nature books that reflect a new boom in nature writing in 2020, many of which ask us to examine more closely the interconnectedness of all things.
The Best Classic Christmas Mysteries, recommended by Caroline Crampton
Looking for a cosy mystery to settle down with in front of the fire this holiday season? Look no further. We asked Caroline Crampton, creator and host of the Shedunnit podcast, to recommend her favourite classic mystery books set during the Christmas period.
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1
The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder
by Richard Rohr -
2
Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times: Powerful Tools to Cultivate Calm, Clarity, and Courage
by Philip Goldberg -
3
How to Be a Failure and Still Live Well: A Philosophy
by Beverley Clack -
4
The Passion Economy: The New Rules for Thriving in the Twenty-First Century
by Adam Davidson -
5
The New Corner Office: How the Most Successful People Work From Home
The Best Self Help Books of 2020, recommended by Oliver Burkeman
The Best Self Help Books of 2020, recommended by Oliver Burkeman
We asked Oliver Burkeman, the Guardian writer and author of The Antidote, to select the best self help books published in 2020. His recommended titles include spiritual guidance for the age of doomscrolling, a philosophy of failure, and practical advice for those working from home for the first time.
The Best Poetry Books of 2020, recommended by Alexandra Harris
Each year, the judges for the Forward Prize select a shortlist of the best new poetry books. In 2020, they chose five collections ranging in tone from epic love songs to domestic surrealism. Alexandra Harris, chair of the judges, tells us what they admired about each book.
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1
Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World
by Carl Bergstrom & Jevin West -
2
Thinking, Fast and Slow
by Daniel Kahneman -
3
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World — And Why Things Are Better Than You Think
by Hans Rosling -
4
Black Box Thinking: The Surprising Truth About Success
by Matthew Syed -
5
The Art of Thinking Clearly
by Rolf Dobelli -
6
Critical Thinking: Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis and Independent Study
by Tom Chatfield
The best books on Critical Thinking, recommended by Nigel Warburton
The best books on Critical Thinking, recommended by Nigel Warburton
Do you know your straw man arguments from your weasel words? Nigel Warburton, Five Books philosophy editor and author of Thinking from A to Z, selects some of the best books on critical thinking—and explains how they will help us make better informed decisions and construct more valid arguments.
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1
Ars Amatoria, or The Art of Love
by Ovid, translated by Rolfe Humphries -
2
From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twentieth-Century America
by Beth L. Bailey -
3
Dataclysm: Love, Sex, Race, and Identity — What Our Online Lives Tell Us about Our Offline Selves
by Christian Rudder -
4
Modern Romance: An Investigation
by Aziz Ansari -
5
The Curious History of Dating: From Jane Austen to Tinder
by Nichi Hodgson
The best books on Dating, recommended by Mia Levitin
The best books on Dating, recommended by Mia Levitin
“Love,” wrote Ovid, “is no assignment for cowards.” Cultural critic Mia Levitin talks us through the history of seduction from the Classical era, through ballroom dancing, calling cards and into the present age of swiping on our mobile phones. Here she recommends five of the best books for those braving the modern dating scene.