Surreal humour and sharp performances from Diane Morgan and Arabella Weir alongside the comedian himself bring his tale of an unemployed bathroom salesman to life

Our pick of 14 great twisty novels to enjoy this month

From big-name authors Colson Whitehead, George Saunders and Maggie O’Farrell to debuts and non-fiction, these are the titles you’ll want to add to your reading pile this year.

A chilly January is the perfect time to hunker down with a good book and our travel & lifestyle editor Sherri has plenty of suggestions – some she’s already read and loved, others have only just landed on her desk. From thrillers to romances, here are seven new titles to add to your list.

When you read as much as I do, turns out you have a lot of anticipated releases in a year, so I thought I’d share the ones I’m most looking forward to.

The arrival of 2026 brings with it a plethora of new and exciting fantasy books, many of which bear Hodderscape’s distinctive dodo emblem. The SFF imprint is starting the new year off strong with one of January’s most anticipated titles – Roshani Chokshi’s The Swan’s Daughter – and with its witty and whimsical fairytale vibes, it’s just the book to chase away the dreaded winter blues.

Reading for pleasure rates are shockingly low in young people. So we should all get behind a new drive to turn them into avid readers. Why not start with books about art?

The novelist and writing tutor delivers bracing advice that demolishes familiar ‘stick to what you know’ nostrums

Slow-burning tension that makes for the best romance reads, and no one does it like these forced-proximity books.

Writers and Guardian readers discuss the titles they have read over the last month. Join the conversation in the comments

A host of new science books are due to hit shelves in January, by authors including Claudia Hammond, Deborah Cohen and Daisy Fancourt

This is a witty takedown of insufferable millennial New Yorkers who have managed to ruin even sex

It promises to be a marvellous year ahead for OzLit, with new books from the likes of Kate Grenville, Siang Lu, Antoinette Lattouf, Shaun Micallef, Judith Lucy and more

How billions of trees left their mark on an empire’s psyche – shaping ideological and literal battles up to the present day

The Great Resistance, an expansive new book by author and historian Carrie Gibson, brings together often unheard narratives to tell the bigger picture of a difficult time

Young women drawn to ‘morally grey characters’ are driving a boom sparked by TikTok, Instagram and online friendships

From Duolingo to GDP, how an obsession with keeping score can subtly undermine human flourishing

Drawing on his own near-death experience, the author finds a powerful intensity in this tale of a young man’s convalescence in a Cornish village

Grab your TBR list. It’s about to explode with the most anticipated YA books for 2026, including comics, historical mysteries, and more.

From historical romance to romantasy to contemporary, here are the most anticipated new romance books out in 2026!

‘The Housemaid’ was crowned the UK’s bestselling book of 2025, while Brits turned an average of 6.5 billion pages each month.

“People We Meet on Vacation,” “Wuthering Heights” and “Project Hail Mary” are some of this year’s most anticipated adaptations.

Bob and Dick Sherman take centre stage in this well-researched account of how Walt Disney created a classic

Author published a number of books including ‘The Rector’s Wife’ and ‘A Village Affair’

New novels from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Ian McEwan, plus the return of Slow Horses and Margaret Atwood looks back … Guardian critics pick the must-read titles of 2025

An eco-masterpiece, icy intrigue, cyberpunkish cyborgs, memory-eating aliens and super-fast travel sends the world spinning out of control

The Guardian’s fiction editor picks the best of the year, from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Dream Count to Thomas Pynchon’s return, David Szalay’s Booker winner and a remarkable collection of short stories

Literary Editor Sarra Manning picks her favourite reads of the year

From ditching weight loss jabs to finding natural solutions for the menopause – there are a raft of books moving the conversation on health and wellbeing forward in the New Year

From an enraging indictment of Spotify to Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie’s account of Parkinson’s and a compelling biography of Tupac Shakur, here are five titles that strike a chord

Featuring ELLE’s picks from authors including Alix E. Harrow, K.M. Fajardo, Tracy Deonn, and more.

What to read (or buy) for fans of science, endurance, fitness, and adventure

Looking for a new reading recommendation? Here are some brilliant new paperbacks, from a festive mystery to a kaleidoscopic ode to the animal kingdom

This could be the best debut of the year

A tricky age gap, a dose of wedding day drama, literary love affairs, office rivals and the sexy side of Brexit

LGBTQ+ activism, online alter egos, feminist trailblazers and more

From Seamus Heaney’s collected poems and Simon Armitage’s animal spirits, to prizewinners Karen Solie and Vidyan Ravinthiran

The reporter’s affair with Robert F Kennedy Jr raised a whole host of questions, few of which get answers in this pretentious memoir

If you’re looking for a Christmas present for the book lover in your life, look no further than this gift guide.

The hypnotic third novel in the hit Danish series grapples with the philosophical realities of being stuck on repeat in 18 November

The unlikely story of an English girl catapulted to French fame – and a relationship with Serge Gainsbourg that resembled a piece of deranged performance art

The year might be ending but exciting titles to add to your TBR keep coming, including a picture book series starter starring a group of friendly critters, a middle grade novel about a friendship with a sentient snowman, a YA novel about two Black cousins trying to fix past mistakes, and more.

The must-read novels, compelling memoirs, and incredible histories that captivated us this year.

From the threat of superintelligent AI to the dangers of overdiagnosis; plus the evolution of language and the restless genius of Francis Crick

Anthony Hopkins and Kathy Burke on acting, Jacinda Ardern and Nicola Sturgeon on politics, plus Margaret Atwood on a life well lived

The books we can’t wait to read next year, from heartfelt memoirs to trans alien romantasy.

Discover a collection of Jewish kids’ books for the holidays. From Hanukkah-themed titles to stories of kindness and self-discovery, find the perfect gift to inspire a love of literature.

From ‘ACOTAR’ to ‘The Hunger Games’, these books like ‘Fourth Wing’ will fill the dragon-shaped hole in your heart.

Why our top picks of the year were about serial killers, silence and the enduring grace of the written word, according to The Times’ reviewers.

The return of Charlie and Lola; the second lives of trees; the dangers of time travel; a YA Bluebeard retelling and more