Books by Cal Flyn

Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn offers a concise round-up of the most notable newly released psychology and self-help books of 2024, taking in a study of partisanship in Trump's America, a strongly-argued case against 'the phone-based childhood,' and a manual for improving your own communication skills.

We asked Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn to put together a concise round-up of notable biographies of 2024, comprising the winners of relevant literary awards from the United Kingdom and the United States. The list includes two biographies of married couples and an “unclassifiable” literary detective story tracking down details of a forgotten Egyptian poet.

Our deputy editor Cal Flyn compiles her autumnal literary fiction highlights: five freshly released and hotly anticipated new novels that you should have on your reading list in the fall of 2024: from Sally Rooney to Garth Greenwell.

Another year, another summer stretching out before us… another reading dilemma? Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn offers a succinct round-up of the novels that should be on your radar in the summer of 2024: highly anticipated works of fiction from well-known literary figures and ‘breakout’ books that have quickly amassed significant critical attention – to guide you on your way.  See all our best novels of 2024 recommendations

Popular fiction is popular for a reason: confounding mysteries, devastating love stories, and spectacular visions of speculative worlds offer us an escape hatch from everyday life. Here we offer a handy Five Books round-up of superior genre novels of spring 2024 including unmissable new titles from firm fan favourites. See all our best novels of 2024 recommendations

To keep up to date with the latest novels coming out, a good place to bookmark is our ‘new literary fiction’ page. Our deputy editor Cal Flyn keeps an eye on the myriad of new novels being published and picks out some of her favourites.

Looking for a new book to get stuck into? Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn offers a round-up of the most notable novels of spring 2024, including fresh titles from Percival Everett and Alexis Wright, plus the ‘lost’ final novel by Gabriel García Márquez—published a decade after his death. See all our best novels of 2024 recommendations

It’s that time of year again: January is the month to batten down the hatches, work off all those rich festive meals, and get to work on your new year’s resolutions. Understanding the workings of your own brain—theoretically or even in purely practical terms—can be an important tool for achieving your goals. Here our deputy editor spotlights some of the most notable psychology and self-help books published in 2023 to help you on your way.

The enormous variety of new, beautifully-blurbed books being published every month presents an agony of choice for the casual reader. Luckily, literary prize shortlists offer a shortcut to discovering some of the best novels of the year. Here, Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn offers a helpful round-up of the award-winning novels of the 2023 season and a few notable runners-up. Read more fiction recommendations on Five Books

Every year, the judges for the Booker Prize read more than a hundred books that have been submitted by their publishers in the hope of being recognised by one of the world’s most prestigious literary awards. The 2023 shortlist features a novel-in-stories, an Irish dystopia, and plenty of family drama. Read more fiction recommendations on Five Books

Every year the judges of the Baillie Gifford Prize pick out the very best nonfiction books, the shortlist they come up with a brilliant way to find gripping books to immerse yourself in. Here cultural historian Kathryn Hughes, one of this year’s judges, talks us through the six books they chose for the 2021 shortlist, books that will draw you in, whatever the subject.

Through careful research and compelling argument, the books shortlisted for the British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding cast light on globally significant problems, says Patrick Wright, chair of the 2021 jury and Emeritus Professor of Literature, History and Politics at King’s College London. Here he talks us through the books that made the 2021 shortlist, works of nonfiction that “speak directly to the urgent challenges of the times in which we live”.

Many of us are increasingly alarmed at the damage human beings have done—and continue to do—to the natural world and would love to be better informed about what we need to do to protect our precious environment. Fortunately, every year, the Wainwright Prize picks out the best writing on global conservation—books that are not only informative but highly readable. Here, British journalist Charlotte Smith, chair of the judging panel, talks us through the books that made the 2021 shortlist and why it’s worth reading all of them.