My Year in Paris With Gertrude Stein by Deborah Levy Review – Wonderfully Entertaining
Deborah Levy’s latest work, My Year in Paris With Gertrude Stein, blurs the line between biography and fiction, following three women navigating Paris while the narrator attempts an essay on Stein. The narrative hinges on a recurring “lost cat” motif that interrogates language and artistic identity. Levy populates the story with vivid, anachronistic references—from Freud to Kerouac—while reimagining Stein’s avant‑garde influence for a modern audience. Critics describe the book as odd, inventive, and wonderfully entertaining.
Ghost-Eye by Amitav Ghosh Review – a Climate-Crisis Novel Let Down by Its Prose
Amitav Ghosh’s eleventh novel, Ghost‑Eye, attempts a climate‑crisis story framed around reincarnation and a spiritual “hive mind.” While the plot weaves post‑World War II history, activist intrigue, and supernatural elements, reviewers argue the prose is clogged with clichés and stilted dialogue....
Walking Shadow by Greg Doran Review – Shakespeare’s Healing Power
Walking Shadow intertwines two memoirs: Antony Sher’s candid diaries written during his final months battling liver cancer, and his partner Greg Doran’s globe‑spanning quest to locate more than 200 surviving copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio. Sher’s entries blend stark honesty with wry...
The Best Recent Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror – Review Roundup
The Guardian’s latest roundup spotlights two new genre titles: Paul McAuley’s *Loss Protocol* (Gollancz, £22 ≈ $27.5) and Lucie McKnight Hardy’s *Night Babies* (John Murray, £18.99 ≈ $23.7). *Loss Protocol* is an eco‑thriller set in a climate‑worn Britain, mixing government intrigue with a cult that uses psychotropic...
Deborah Levy: ‘CS Lewis’s White Witch Terrified Me – but I Wanted to Meet Her’
Deborah Levy reflects on the books that shaped her—from early childhood favorites like Dr. Seuss and Enid Blyton to the haunting White Witch of C.S. Lewis’s *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe*. A teenage encounter with Colette’s *Chéri* introduced...
Where to Start With: Muriel Spark
The article marks the 20‑year anniversary of Scottish novelist Muriel Spark’s death and offers a guided tour of her 22‑book oeuvre. It highlights entry points for newcomers, such as the darkly comic *Memento Mori*, and revisits Spark’s groundbreaking debut *The Comforters*,...
My Lover, the Rabbi by Wayne Koestenbaum Review – as Fierce and Strange as Anything You’ll Read This Year
Wayne Koestenbaum’s new novel *My Lover, the Rabbi* unfolds in 188 ultra‑short chapters that blend queer obsession with avant‑garde prose. The story follows an unnamed antique furniture restorer’s fixation on a rabbi, spiraling into a labyrinth of sexual detail, mystery, and...
Upward Bound by Woody Brown Review – Extraordinary Debut From a Non-Speaking Autistic Author
Woody Brown’s debut novel *Upward Bound* offers a vivid, empathetic portrait of a Los Angeles adult daycare that houses a diverse disabled community. The story follows Walter, a non‑speaking autistic protagonist, as he navigates communication challenges, personal aspirations, and fragile relationships...
Into the Wreck by Susannah Dickey Review – an Immersive Exploration of Grief
Susannah Dickey’s third novel, Into the Wreck, follows five family members in County Donegal as they grapple with their father’s death. The narrative is split into five distinct voices, each revealing layers of grief, silence, and hidden family truths shaped...
‘Enough of This Me Me Me’: Blake Morrison on Memoir in the Age of Oversharing
The essay argues that memoirs have evolved from restrained, elite recollections to highly confessional works that often border on oversharing, driven by social‑media platforms like Substack. Writers now experiment with narrative voices—first‑person, third‑person, and even collective "we"—to balance intimacy and...
The Best Recent Poetry – Review Roundup
The Guardian’s roundup highlights two recent poetry collections that blend formal rigor with personal urgency. Jean Sprackland’s "Goyle, Chert, Mire" (45 unrhymed sonnets, £13 ≈ $16.5) situates the Blackdown Hills as a linguistic landscape, using restraint to echo illness‑induced collapse. Kim Moore’s...
The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley Review – the Laureate of Bad Relationships
Gwendoline Riley’s seventh novel, The Palm House, follows Laura, a part‑time magazine writer, and Putnam, a disillusioned literary editor, as they navigate a tentative friendship amid London’s shifting cultural landscape. Riley’s trademark spare prose and razor‑sharp dialogue expose the lingering...
Under Water by Tara Menon Review – Love, Loss and a Longing for the Ocean
Tara Menon's debut novel Under Water follows Marissa, a travel writer haunted by a 2004 Thai tsunami and the loss of her friend Arielle, as she navigates grief and a deepening bond with the ocean. The narrative interweaves personal loss...
Baldwin by Nicholas Boggs Review – the Relationships that Drove a Genius
Nicholas Boggs’s *Baldwin: A Love Story* is the first major biography of James Baldwin released by a leading publisher in over three decades. The 600‑page work centers on Baldwin’s intimate relationships with four men, arguing that these bonds shaped his...
A Rebel and a Traitor by Rory Carroll Review – the Extraordinary Story of Roger Casement
Rory Carroll’s *A Rebel and a Traitor* reexamines the paradoxical life of Roger Casement, a British diplomat who turned whistle‑blower on Congo rubber atrocities and later sought German aid for Irish independence. The narrative spans 1914‑1916, charting Casement’s transatlantic lobbying,...
Lázár by Nelio Biedermann Review – a Hungarian Epic From a 22-Year-Old Author
Nelio Biedermann, a 22‑year‑old Swiss‑Hungarian author, released his debut novel Lázár, a gothic‑inflected saga that compresses six decades of Hungarian upheaval into 280 pages. The narrative follows the Lázár family from the late Habsburg era through fascist rule, Soviet domination,...
Children and Teens Roundup – the Best New Picture Books and Novels
The latest children’s and teens’ roundup spotlights a vibrant mix of picture books and young‑adult novels released this spring. Highlights include Poonam Mistry’s environmentally hopeful "The Bear and the Seed" and Corinne Bailey Rae’s music‑infused "Put Your Records On," both priced...
Love Lane by Patrick Gale Review – a Homecoming Tale with Echoes of Brokeback Mountain
Patrick Gale’s latest novel "Love Lane" weaves a multigenerational saga that begins with a clandestine same‑sex relationship between two English emigrants in early‑20th‑century Saskatchewan and follows their descendants back to post‑war England. The story is rich in period detail, from...
No New York by Adele Bertei Review – a Vivid, Vibrant Musical Coming of Age
Adele Bertei’s memoir offers a gritty, first‑person chronicle of New York’s 1977 no‑wave explosion, tracing her rise from a troubled childhood to the Contortions’ keyboardist. The book captures the era’s creative ferocity, the gender and queer barriers that persisted, and the eventual...
Muskism by Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff Review – How Elon Musk Is Reshaping the World
The new book *Muskism* reframes Elon Musk not as a singular celebrity but as the emblem of a 21st‑century economic system that mirrors Fordism’s mass‑production model while concentrating power in a single tech empire. Slobodian and Tarnoff trace the ideology’s...
Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh Review – High-Concept Adultery Fable
Sophie Mackintosh’s new novel *Permanence* departs from her usual politically charged speculative fiction, focusing instead on an allegorical exploration of desire and infidelity. The story follows Clara and Francis, an adulterous couple who slip into a sun‑lit, bourgeois paradise that...
Arundhati Roy and Lyse Doucet Lead ‘Exceptional’ Women’s Prize for Nonfiction Shortlist
The Women’s prize for nonfiction, offering a £30,000 (≈ $38,100) award, announced a shortlist led by Arundhati Roy, BBC correspondent Lyse Doucet, and Judith Mackrell. The six titles explore identity, exile, art‑health links, and wartime history, reflecting the prize’s aim to...
Black Bag by Luke Kennard Review – a Campus Comedy for Our End Times
Luke Kennard’s new novel *Black Bag* follows a down‑on‑his‑luck London actor who agrees to sit motionless in a lecture hall for a term, encased in a black leather bag, as part of a 1967‑inspired social experiment. The absurd premise satirizes...
The Writer and the Traitor by Robert Verkaik Review – the Strange Case of Graham Greene and Kim Philby
Robert Verkaik’s new biography, *The Writer and the Traitor*, examines the unlikely friendship between novelist Graham Greene and Soviet double‑agent Kim Philby. It details Greene’s abrupt 1944 resignation from MI6 amid the D‑Day deception and Philby’s covert transmission of Allied intelligence to...
Enough Said by Alan Bennett Review – a Man for All Seasons
Alan Bennett’s new diary volume, covering 2016‑2024, revisits his pandemic entries and long‑standing reflections on aging, military service, and literary rivalries. The collection shows how his COVID‑era observations acquire fresh meaning now that the crisis has receded. Bennett also highlights...
The News From Dublin by Colm Tóibín Review – Subtle Short Stories About Being Far From Home
Irish author Colm Tóibín’s new short‑story collection, *The News from Dublin*, delves into themes of displacement and liminality. Set across locations from early‑20th‑century Europe to contemporary Argentina, the stories present grief and moral ambiguity through a cool, abstract prose style....
Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor Review – Portrait of a Working-Class Artist in New York
Brandon Taylor’s third novel, Minor Black Figures, follows Wyeth, a Black, working‑class painter navigating post‑pandemic New York. The narrative delves into his upbringing in a Virginia trailer park, his struggle to find artistic purpose, and his critique of how Black...
‘I’ve Learned First-Hand How Evil Is Tolerated’: Colm Tóibín on Living in the US Under Trump
Colm Tóibín reflects on how a fleeting image sparked a series of stories, from an imagined illegal Irish plumber in San Francisco to his longer work “The Catalan Girls.” He ties his fictional narrative to real‑world immigration anxieties amplified by Donald...
The Names Author Florence Knapp: ‘I’d Love to Write with Maya Angelou’s Warmth’
Florence Knapp, debut author of "The Names," reflects on the books and writers that shaped her literary sensibility, from childhood favorites like Shirley Hughes to teenage revelations such as Charlotte Brontë. She admires Maya Angelou’s warmth and Claire Keegan’s relational nuance,...
Chain of Ideas by Ibram X Kendi Review – Anatomy of a Conspiracy Theory
Ibram X Kendi’s new 500‑page book *Chain of Ideas* maps the ideological scaffolding of the so‑called great replacement theory, arguing it is a chain of interlocking ideas that fuels today’s authoritarian surge. He traces the concept from its French origin with...
Solidarity by Rowan Williams Review – What Does It Really Mean to Stand by Someone?
Rowan Williams’s new book, *Solidarity: The Work of Recognition*, reframes solidarity as a moral intensifier that places us alongside victims rather than merely expressing support. He argues that true solidarity must acknowledge the irreducible otherness of each person while recognizing our...
The Delusions by Jenni Fagan Review – an Afterlife of Queues and Bureaucracy
Jenni Fagan’s fifth novel, The Delusions, imagines the afterlife as a sprawling processing centre where souls queue for judgment, blending satire with speculative world‑building. The narrative follows Edi, a dead administrator, who guides newcomers through a bureaucratic gauntlet that exposes...
London Book Fair Roundup: Idris Elba’s Thriller Deal, the Rise of Romcom, and Fights Against Censorship
The London Book Fair attracted 33,000 publishing professionals and produced headline deals, including a thriller series co‑written by Idris Elba and seven‑figure fantasy and rom‑com acquisitions. Non‑fiction rights flowed around hot topics such as GLP‑1 drugs, sober curiosity and assisted dying,...
Howl by Howard Jacobson Review – a Tragicomic Portrait of a Jewish Man’s Despair
Howard Jacobson’s new novel *Howl* offers a tragicomic portrait of a London headteacher grappling with the fallout of the Oct 7 2023 Hamas attacks. The protagonist, Ferdinand Draxler, spirals into guilt‑driven madness as antisemitic tensions erupt across the city. Jacobson mixes sharp...
The Best Recent Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror – Review Roundup
A new roundup spotlights five standout titles across science‑fiction, fantasy and horror, ranging from Neil Jordan’s memory‑laden Irish saga to Cameron Sullivan’s historic Beast of Gévaudan re‑imagining. The list also revives Naomi Mitchison’s 1952 fairy‑tale classic, showcases Christopher Buehlman’s Black...
Light and Thread by Han Kang Review – a Tantalising Book of Reflections
Korean author Han Kang, Nobel laureate, publishes "Light and Thread", a collection of essays, poems, and garden reflections that offers insight into her creative process and recurring themes of violence, hope, and humanity. The book includes her Nobel lecture, discussions...
Why Populists Are Winning and How to Beat Them by Liam Byrne Review – a Surprisingly Original Prescription
Liam Byrne, former New Labour minister, releases a sharply written book diagnosing Britain’s right‑wing populist surge and proposing centrist counter‑strategies. He argues austerity and elite disconnect fueled voter disillusionment, while populists succeed through clear, informal messaging that resonates with “sixth‑sense”...
Do Not Go Gentle by Kathleen Stock Review – the Case Against Euthanasia
Philosopher Kathleen Stock’s new book, Do Not Go Gentle, argues against state‑sanctioned assisted dying, targeting the UK’s pending end‑of‑life bill. She warns that legalising euthanasia creates a slippery‑slope, citing expansions in Canada and the Benelux that now cover non‑terminal and...
Big Nobody by Alex Kadis Review – Groovy and Greek in 70s London
Alex Kadis’s debut novel *Big Nobody* follows Connie Costa, a Greek‑Cypriot teen navigating 1970s London’s music‑obsessed culture while fleeing an abusive patriarchal family. The narrative blends vivid period details—Marc Bolan, David Bowie, platform shoes—with a darker exploration of PTSD stemming from familial...
Love Magic Power Danger Bliss by Paul Morley Review – Yoko Ono Before the Beatles
Paul Morley’s new biography, *Love Magic Power Danger Bliss*, re‑examines Yoko Ono’s artistic development before meeting John Lennon, charting her wartime childhood, elite education, and immersion in New York’s 1960s Fluxus scene. The book highlights Ono’s radical performance pieces such...
A Beautiful Loan by Mary Costello Review – a Profound Exploration of the Inner Life
Mary Costello’s new novel *A Beautiful Loan* delves into the unquantifiable dimensions of the human psyche, following protagonist Anna as she seeks to know herself and others beyond scientific rationalism. The narrative contrasts Anna’s yearning for emotional truth with the...
António Lobo Antunes, Portuguese Novelist Who Chronicled Dictatorship and War, Dies Aged 83
António Lobo Antunes, the celebrated Portuguese novelist, died at 83, ending a career that produced over thirty novels and reshaped modern Portuguese literature. A former psychiatrist and army doctor, his wartime experiences in Angola informed his psychologically intense, polyphonic narratives....
The Best Recent Poetry – Review Roundup
Recent poetry releases reviewed include Andrew Motion’s *Gravity Archives* and Wayne Holloway‑Smith’s *Rabbitbox*, alongside mentions of JL Williams and Richard Siken. Motion’s collection revisits death and personal loss with a more resolute voice, mixing elegy, humor, and literary allusion. Holloway‑Smith’s *Rabbitbox*...
The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski Review – a Delicious Comfort Read
Angela Tomaski’s debut, *The Infamous Gilberts*, is a meticulously crafted comfort read set in the crumbling Thornwalk estate, echoing the real‑life National Trust purchase of Tyntesfield. The story is narrated by Maximus, the loyal valet, who guides readers through 70...
Gloria Don’t Speak by Lucy Apps Review – Tender Portrait of a Woman with a Learning Disability
Lucy Apps’s debut novel *Gloria Don’t Speak* follows 19‑year‑old Gloria, a woman with a learning disability living in east London in the summer of 1999. The narrative captures her sensory‑rich perception, a fraught friendship with a controlling young man named...
Tales of the Suburbs by John Grindrod Review – Queer Goings on Behind the Curtains
John Grindrod’s *Tales of the Suburbs* offers a tragicomic social history of LGBTQ life across Britain’s suburbs, from commuter belts to rural villages. Drawing on archives, newsletters, and original interviews, the book intertwines political, architectural, and cultural analysis with witty...
Chasing Freedom by Simukai Chigudu Review – a Powerful Memoir of Postcolonial Unease
Simukai Chigudu’s memoir *Chasing Freedom* intertwines Zimbabwe’s war of independence with his own quest for belonging across continents. He shows how political liberation after 1980 did not guarantee personal freedom, exposing lingering colonial mentalities in elite schools and diaspora life....
The Quantity Theory of Morality by Will Self Review – Raucously Inventive State-of-the-Nation Satire
Will Self’s latest novel, The Quantity Theory of Morality, revisits his 1991 debut’s Busner character to argue that societies possess a finite “morality quotient” that can be exhausted, leading to collective decay. The book unfolds through five near‑identical set‑pieces—a dinner...
The Last Kings of Hollywood by Paul Fischer Review – the Rise and Reign of Spielberg, Lucas and Coppola
Paul Fischer’s "The Last Kings of Hollywood" centers on a 1977 White House dinner that brought together Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, three directors at the apex of New Hollywood. Using Eleanor Coppola’s diary and extensive research, the book chronicles...
Ancient by Luke Barley Review – the Secret History of Britain’s Woodlands
Luke Barley’s new book *Ancient* chronicles the intertwined history of Britain’s woodlands and its people, tracing forest development from post‑glacial birch to the oak‑dominated landscapes that powered medieval society. He explains the legal definition of ancient semi‑natural woodland—trees existing before...