Cal Flyn, Deputy Editor

Life on board a warship entails physical danger, close-knit community, and an unusual combination of cutting-edge technology and generations-old tradition. We asked Jim Carter, the author of Hearts of Steel, to recommend five of the best books on warships—from military history to naval biography.

‘Eco-thrillers’ are books that combine suspenseful plotting with environmental themes. Here, the bestselling novelist and chart-topping podcaster Manda Scott selects five thrilling novels that explore the climate emergency and other ecological crises through fiction, with an emphasis on books that envisage a route forward.

Bookseller and former Economist journalist Tom Rowley offers book recommendations on British politics that share expert insight into the backdrop to the UK general election: from a technical discussion of the statistics used by politicians and policy makers to an in-depth exploration of Rawlsian philosophy.

Each summer, the judges for the Women’s Prize for Fiction highlight the best new fiction books by female writers published over the previous twelve months. We asked Monica Ali, the acclaimed novelist and chair of this year’s jury, to talk us through the six novels that made the 2024 shortlist. See all our best novels of 2024 recommendations

Since 1996, the Women’s Prize has been awarded the best new novels by female writers. This year, for the very first time, an equivalent prize has been established for female nonfiction writers—whose books receive less coverage and lower advances than those of their male counterparts. Suzannah Lipscomb, historian and chair of the inaugural judging panel, introduces us to the six books that made the 2024 Women’s Prize for Nonfiction shortlist.

Every year, the judges for the Arthur C. Clarke Award highlight the best of the latest batch of science fiction books. In 2024, the six-strong shortlist includes an exploration of octopus intelligence, a queer space opera, and a dystopian novel hailed as the new Hunger Games. Andrew M. Butler, academic and chair of the judges, talks us through the finalists for the title of sci fi novel of the year.  See all our science fiction and  best novels of 2024 recommendations

In recent years there has been a boom in fiction that reimagines stories of the past—tales that have traditionally been told by men—through female eyes. Here, the writer Flora Carr recommends five of the best feminist historical novels, and reflects on the role of historical fiction in enhancing our understanding of the past.

Every year, the judges for the International Booker Prize read dozens of novels newly translated into English before compiling their shortlist of the very best. We spoke to the Canadian broadcaster Eleanor Wachtel—who chaired this year’s jury—about the six books they’ve selected in 2024: from a slim, elliptical Swedish novel about contemporary relationships to a multi-generational epic set in 20th-century Korea. See all our best novels of 2024 recommendations

Eastern European food is utterly under-appreciated, argues Caroline Eden—whose acclaimed, genre-bending books combine intrepid travel-writing with reportage and recipes. Here, she selects five of the best cookbooks showcasing Eastern European cuisine: from the perfect pierogi to beetroot borsch.

The judges of the Walter Scott Prize aim to highlight the very best new historical novels, and in 2024 they have settled on a varied shortlist featuring a Trinidadian tragedy, a Vatican-based thriller, and a charming coming-of-age tale from 1960s Middle England. We spoke to Katharine Grant, chair of the judging panel, to find out more. See all our historical fiction and best novels of 2024 recommendations