Sophie Roell, Editor

Ian Fleming wrote the James Bond novels late in his life, before dying of a heart attack at the age of just 56. Charlie Higson, author of the Young Bond series and a novella, On His Majesty’s Secret Service, introduces us to the man and his life and talks us through his five favourite Bond books.

It’s not often that a movie about something we know a lot about lives up to expectations, but when it came to the Oppenheimer movie, science writer Mark Wolverton—who has read almost every book he could find about the making of the atomic bomb—was impressed. As a bonus to his interview (on the history of physics), he shared some recommendations of books to read for others who enjoyed it, including a sci-fi novel in which Oppenheimer’s life takes a different turn.

Comics are a great way to read all sorts of stories, whether fiction, nonfiction, or a compelling blend of the two. Ivanka Hahnenberger, translator of more than 70 graphic novels, talks us through some of her favourites, from the history of the atomic bomb to the heartbreaking story of Olympic athlete Samia Yusuf Oman, from the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ to contemporary Iran and Paris.

For an engrossing read, it doesn’t get much better than a good audiobook. Michele Cobb, publisher of AudioFile magazine, shares her favourite new audiobooks from the first half of 2024—from engaging memoirs narrated by their authors, to dark psychological thrillers and a post-apocalyptic novel set in New Hampshire.

Success in running could be narrowly defined in terms of performance or more broadly as part of leading a good life, argues runner and ethics professor Sabrina Little. She recommends some of her favourite books on running, from the role models that inspired her to tales of what not to do.

It’s important to understand what goes on beneath the surface in China, and how people feel and react, says Anne Stevenson-Yang, who spent many decades living and working there. She recommends books to better understand the country, from its imperial history to the economic take-off of the last four decades.

Slovenia has the organised, modern infrastructure of Western Europe, the laid-back lifestyle of Southern Europe, and a generous seasoning of Balkan spice—as well as a Mediterranean coastline with hot summers, Alpine mountains with snowy winters, Tuscany-like terraced vineyards, and caves like Lord of the Rings, says British writer Sam Baldwin. He recommends books to get to know the country he fell in love with and now lives in.

In the 20th century, the United States emerged as a leading centre of experimental physics, with a lot more going on than just the Manhattan project and the use of atomic energy in warfare. Science writer Mark Wolverton, author of Splinters of Infinity, recommends some of his favourite books about the history of physics, with a focus on the 20th century and the United States. (For books about classical physics, browse all our physics book recommendations).

If you want to take an economy that’s wholly dependent on fossil fuels and turn it into a low-carbon one it’s going to be expensive, says economist Dieter Helm—and the sooner we face up to that reality the better. He recommends books to help us think through the relationship between economics and the environment, including one that really shines a spotlight on our own, individual behaviour.

Far from being outlandish, a belief in the paranormal appears to be a trait that many human beings share. Christopher French, Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths and author of The Science of Weird Shit, recommends five books that explore the paranormal—from a skeptical point of view.