From a speculative murder mystery and a gothic historical thriller to a bookish tale of community and a swoony rom-com adventure, this month’s book picks span genres and continents and the whole spectrum of human emotions.

From urgent new fiction to the inside story of Keir Starmer’s Labour, the New Statesman picks the season’s essential reading.

A hapless young idealist sets sail for utopia, in this wild epic of colonial chaos in the late 18th-century Americas

The fascinating story of the ancient words that survive in the mouths of billions of speakers today

An unsettlingly funny debut explores memories of a perilous birthday party, with dark echoes of Grimms’ fairytales and gothic fiction

The Alex Rider author on being put off Dickens for a decade, why he reads poetry in the mornings, and how reading Sherlock Holmes made him want to be a crime writer

Discover 7 classic books that go beyond serious themes with surprising humor, wit, and satire that’ll leave you laughing and thinking at once.

The Irish author on his new ‘violent seafaring epic’, his appetite for body horror and living his entire life book-first

Gothic romantasy is a delightful subgenre that combines the speculative and a great romance with gothic, often creepy, elements.

This week’s bookcase includes reviews of The Best of Everything by Kit de Waal and We Were There by Lanre Bakare

Each month Guardian Australia editors and critics pick the upcoming titles they have already devoured – or can’t wait to get their hands on

In focusing on the multilateral bonds that were forged to defeat Hitler, this entertaining account offers fresh disclosures about the course of the war

The love story is only part of the appeal of these romances that celebrate community, from meddling aunties to found family and more.

Stories that shift your compass. These powerful books will invite reflection, healing, and courage inside you to begin again when life breaks you open., Features News – Times Now

The author shares the powerful reads that have inspired her writing and left a lasting imprint on her heart

Martin Chilton shares his April reading highlights

Survivors recount the grim practices of William Sargant, one of the most influential medical practitioners of his day

USA Today, Publishers Weekly, NYT, Amazon, and Indie Booksellers all have their own bestseller lists. Here are the combined results.

Penguin Books has announced it will install a series of book boxes, which it is calling “90 Little Book Stops”, in communities across the UK.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us! New science fiction, fantasy, and horror books for the week of April 8, 2025.  Adams, K…

Sarah Wynn-Williams’s account of her seven years as a Facebook executive is number one on the New York Times bestseller list and has flown off the shelves in the UK

Our experts have ranked the best Irish novels and story collections published since 2000. Now it is your turn

Nine years on from the original book’s publication, feminism is under threat as never before, so an update serves as a ‘beacon of hope’

If you’re after a new read, we’ve rounded up the best books being published in the next month or so – from highly anticipated novels by some of the greatest writers out there to non-fiction page-turners…

Grab your highlighters and read on for some books with good banter—so insanely witty and entertaining you won’t be able to put them down.

You’ll already know that it’s the fifth anniversary this coming week of Ireland’s first Covid lockdown.

Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning epic is experiencing a renaissance. This makes more sense than you might think.

From self-help to sci-fi via the Korean concept of ‘nunchi’, women share the books they reach for when they’re in need of motivation.

Sleepy monsters; a wacky broken robot; a search for magical treasures and more

The Richell Prize-winner’s novel, set in a near-future lutruwita/Tasmania, asks what does it mean to have hope in the face of climate crisis?

We’d like to hear about your most-loved Austen novels and what they mean to you

The remarkable story of conductor Alma Rosé and the musicians who survived the Holocaust by performing amid horrific conditions

Whether you are looking for a down-and-dirty how-to guide or an art book that brings spring into your house without getting dirt under your nails, we’ve got you covered.

The survivor of mass rape who became an international symbol of fortitude hopes ‘to convey a message of strength and courage’ in A Hymn to Life

This week’s bestselling titles include Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, The Antidote by Karen Russell, and The Tell by Amy Griffin.

First title of series for tweens titled Game of Pets will be fantasy story to debut in 2026

The company, launched in 2011, has been acquired by new company Boundless, after writers have been left unpaid for months

The Nobel laureate’s wonderful new novel connects a trio of east African teens as they come of age, moving from small-scale dramas to wide-ranging social panoramas

Nukgal Wurra author and artist Wanda Gibson became the first person to win the Victorian premier’s literary award in both the children’s and overall categories for her book Three Dresses

The city’s long-touted exceptionalism is explored in this absorbing and highly personal account of its colourful history

Escape into Spain’s vibrant history with these 10 captivating historical fiction books, featuring romance, intrigue, war-torn bravery and more!

Frederick Forsyth has released tens of books and has written scripts for movies, TV and video games.

The Moneyball author is joined by writers including Dave Eggers and Geraldine Brooks in a hymn of praise to the workers who keep America’s cogs turning

The Orbital and Morningside authors join Abi Daré, Roz Dineen and Kaliane Bradley in the running for the £10,000 award, for inspiring ways to ‘rise to the challenges of the climate crisis with hope and inventiveness’

By Shalra Azeem, Spring 2025 Intern Women’s History Month is a time to honor women’s contributions to history, culture, and society. 

The award-winning Nigerian author and Beyoncé-sampled essayist is back with her first novel in a decade, which makes now a great time to get to know her work

Andrew Robinson reviews five of the best science picks.

Even as 2024 election loomed, reporters say, Democratic Senate leader was sure GOP would ‘expel the turd of Trump’

The Cat Operator’s Manual you didn’t know you needed is finally here.

The author’s suite of essays, originally conceived for broadcast, don’t always translate well for the page