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Blog: A Thought Without Collision by Adrian Duncan review – a brilliant interrogation of philosophy and wonder from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 06:00:02 +0100

With a character inspired by Wittgenstein, this exploration of the mysteries of the universe draws on multiple philosophical traditionsFor several years I ran […]

Blog: Taipei Story by Rebecca F Kuang review – the torture and hilarity of learning Chinese from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 23:24:43 +0100

An American Chinese student studies Mandarin in Taiwan, in this heartfelt journey of self-discovery and family secretsWhat is Taiwan? A former Japanese colony? A […]

Blog: The Eleventh Hour by Salman Rushdie audiobook review – stories with levity and laughter from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:00:38 +0100

The author explores themes of legacy, mortality and loneliness in the first work of fiction since his near-fatal attackFive short stories and five readers make up […]

Blog: All About My Mother by Rachael Stirling review – a joyous love letter to Diana Rigg from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 08:00:03 +0100

Beautifully written by her daughter, this is a funny and intimate eulogy to the 60s star of The Avengers who went on to specialise in fierce, complicated womenThe […]

Blog: What Should My Children Do? by Daniel Susskind review – the case for embracing tech in the classroom from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 06:00:01 +0100

A refreshingly optimistic book that asks us to grasp the educational opportunities of AI, rather than shrink from themIn 1979, the government asked Wilfred […]

Blog: ‘She blazed in and opened my eyes to the real world’: Readers remember Gloria Steinem from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:26:19 +0100

To generations of women, the feminist campaigner was an inspiration, a fearless challenger of sexism and domestic violence. Guardian readers share memories of her […]

Blog: The Castle by Jon Ronson review – bizarre tales of modern masculinity from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 08:00:31 +0100

A journalist embarks on a wild goose chase that might – or might not – be informative about the male conditionRecovering from surgery at home in upstate New Yor […]

Blog: The Newer World by Sebastian Barry review – a near-miracle of storytelling from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 06:00:29 +0100

The third in a loose American trilogy follows the epic journey of a formerly enslaved man in the aftermath of the civil warBut is not the story as good as the […]

Blog: Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson review – quirky postwar nostalgia from the Life After Life author from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 14:11:29 +0100

There are glimpses of Atkinson’s subtle brilliance in this gentle noirish mystery set around the Festival of BritainIn 1951, in a desperate attempt to raise the s […]

Blog: Hawking by Graham Farmelo review – the dark side of genius from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 06:00:26 +0100

A biography of the physicist recognises his achievements, but also reveals the selfish narcissist underneathWhen I wrote an unadoring review of Stephen Hawking’s f […]

Blog: Tom Gauld on methods for encouraging a reluctant young reader – cartoon from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 15:00:08 +0100

Blog: ‘Bold, brilliant, thrilling’: leading authors on the novels every school should teach from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 08:00:30 +0100

A new term, a new PM … time for a new English curriculum? We ask writers from Ben Okri to Samantha Harvey to pick books that will inspire a lifelong love of r […]

Blog: The best recent poetry – review roundup from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 11:00:05 +0100

Fetch by Colin Bramwell; Girling by Eve Esfandiari-Denney; The Dead One, The Unconscious One, Thundering in Your Ear, Thriving Slumber by Jay Gao; Belling the […]

Blog: Kevin Powers: ‘I was ready to abandon Infinite Jest a thousand times’ from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:00:02 +0100

The American author on falling in love with The Great Gatsby, being inspired by Dylan Thomas – and the memoir of a canoe trip in Texas he comes back toMy earliest r […]

Blog: The Golden Hours by Louisa Young review – this continuation of the Cazalet Chronicles is a total delight from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:00:02 +0100

Elizabeth Jane Howard’s niece has picked up the thread of her much-loved family saga series, taking the story into the 1960sElizabeth Jane Howard’s beloved fam […]

Blog: Gloria Steinem, groundbreaking feminist campaigner, dies aged 92 from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 16:42:35 +0100

Prolific author campaigned against domestic violence, female genital mutilation, pornography and the Vietnam and Gulf wars‘We badly need to raise our boys more l […]

Blog: New Cemetery by Simon Armitage audiobook review – the poet laureate’s meditations take flight from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:00:40 +0100

The building of a cemetery during the pandemic inspires the Huddersfield-born author to reflect on childhood memories and the changing local landscapeWhen […]

Blog: What we’re reading: Irvine Welsh, Janice Hallett and Guardian readers on the books they enjoyed in August from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:01:06 +0100

Writers and Guardian readers discuss the titles they have read over the last month. Join the conversation in the commentsI’ve been enjoying Contrapposto by Dave E […]

Blog: The Future Starts With Us by Gordon Brown review – the ex-PM’s recipe for beating populism from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 08:00:19 +0100

Global crises are tightly linked to how we treat each other at the local level, argues this optimistic book In times of crisis, there is one person to whom the left […]

Blog: Could this policy fix the care system and slash student debt at the same time? from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 11:00:55 +0100

Andy Burnham is in need of radical proposals. A ‘care first’ year in exchange for 50% off fees could be just what he needsThe UK’s social care sector is in crisi […]

Blog: Children’s books roundup – the best new picture books and novels from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 11:00:55 +0100

Poetry with wonder and wit; a heartwarming tale for horse lovers; a portal to the future; a brilliant YA wartime romance and moreSmall Monster, Big Monster by Allan […]

Blog: Ukrainian publishers call for support after Russian attacks destroy 10m books from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:37:57 +0100

The country risks ‘the collapse of the entire book ecosystem’ following destruction of warehouses in July and August, say Ukrainian publishersThe Ukrainian Book Ins […]

Blog: All of Us Atoms by Holly Dawson audiobook review – an extraordinary self-portrait from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:00:52 +0100

Helena Bonham Carter narrates the playwright’s impressionistic memoir, written as she was experiencing the loss of her memoryPlaywright Holly Dawson’s memoir tel […]

Blog: The best books to read in August: new paperbacks from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Salman Rushdie and Werner Herzog from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0100

Looking for a new reading recommendation? Here are some wonderful new paperbacks, from a short story collection by a literary great to razor-sharp criticism*** Conti […]

Blog: How I’ve Tried to Change the World by Alexei Sayle review – does protest make a difference? from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 06:00:44 +0100

The comedian charts his life in demos from 1960s Liverpool to 2020s London in this fiery and addictive bookAt 74, the comedian Alexei Sayle is approaching a […]

Blog: The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State by Jill Lepore review – an ominous warning of tech takeover from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 08:00:09 +0100

A historian charts the emergence of a democracy-crushing dystopia that is – in some ways – already with usPulitzer prize-winning US historian Jill Lepore’s new b […]

Blog: Where Are the Kings by Donal Ryan review – a timeless tale of family sorrows and joys from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 06:00:07 +0100

A teenage boy navigates adolescence and the traumatic loss of his mother in this poignant coming-of-age novel set in rural IrelandSomething is happening to literary […]

Blog: Philip Pullman and Maggie O’Farrell among authors urging Burnham to cut business rates on bookshops from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:25:12 +0100

After pubs and clubs get rates relief, authors back open letter calling for similar support for bookshops, described as the ‘beating hearts’ of high str […]

Blog: The Ego Trip by Kimon de Greef review – a bizarre tale of psychedelic toads and hair-raising treatments from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 08:00:49 +0100

A journalist investigates the unsettling world of a charismatic shaman and the people who trusted himWhich, in your opinion, is the worst current cultural trend: […]

Blog: Agrippa by Robert Harris review – persuasive portrait of rivalry in ancient Rome from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 06:00:46 +0100

This fictional memoir by Octavius’s right-hand man shows us bloodshed, betrayal and hectic jockeying for powerIf you’re one of those people who thinks about the Rom […]

Blog: Art Spiegelman: ‘The US needs a counter-revolution’ from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 08:00:50 +0100

More than four decades after his Holocaust story Maus transformed the graphic novel genre, Art Spiegelman discusses Trump, the shadow of 9/11 and the rise of […]

Blog: You Won’t Get Free of It by Rachel Aviv review – a subtle study of the mother-daughter bond from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:00:07 +0100

The most complex of female relationships is thrown into sharp relief in this moving series of essaysRachel Aviv has a profound interest in the vagaries of human […]

Blog: Barack Obama launches podcast about books that ‘shaped his worldview’ from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:59:13 +0100

The former US president will host six episodes of A Great Book for Audible, discussing work from Toni Morrison and John le Carré to James BaldwinBarack Obama is […]

Blog: Sinking ships, dark humour and really good bad guys: Beryl Bainbridge – ranked! from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:00:42 +0100

From the last days of the Titanic to desperate romantics, we rate the work of a British master of black comedyBainbridge’s novel of the last days on RMS Titanic w […]

Blog: Is Beauty Good by Rosalind Belben review – the literary equivalent of free jazz from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 08:00:38 +0100

Combining hilarious detail with harsh observation, this rediscovered novel takes the reader on an exhilaratingly strange journey ‘But after all, writing is n […]

Blog: John Berger: From Life by Tom Overton review – a vibrant biography of the pioneering critic from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:00:37 +0100

This multi-layered portrait is a fitting tribute to the man behind Ways of SeeingThe cultural critic John Berger was still alive and kicking when he donated his […]

Blog: We know sleep, exercise and diet are vital for health. But why? from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 11:00:15 +0100

The benefits of all three come down to a crucial piece of cellular kitSleep. Exercise. Eat well. It’s the oldest recommendation in medicine, repeated so often i […]

Blog: ‘Grief became my brand’: Freya Bromley on writing about personal tragedy from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 11:00:13 +0100

Touring her memoir and talking to others helped the author come to terms with her brother’s death, but the book’s success left her feeling guilty. Had she com […]

Blog: ‘I hate what AI is doing to the minds and happiness of the young’: Katherine Rundell on the view from the classroom from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Sat, 08 Aug 2026 08:00:41 +0100

Education is at a crossroads, argues the author and academic. Should we embrace new technology in the name of efficiency, or is it time to fight back?If you set out […]

Blog: The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:00:17 +0100

The Salt King by Natasha Pulley; A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett; Netherwood by Jake Arnott; Fawn by CN VairThe Salt King by by Natasha Pulley (Gollancz, […]

Blog: What Happened to Liberal Democracy? by Daron Acemoglu review – how to fix the system from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 06:00:09 +0100

The Nobel-winning economist takes aim at elites for no longer meeting the needs of the massesIn 2009, the tech billionaire Peter Thiel published an essay with the […]

Blog: Thirst by John Robins audiobook review – an ex-drinker’s darkly funny journey from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:00:49 +0100

The comedian and broadcaster narrates the heartfelt and at times self-lacerating account of his relationship with alcoholA memoir chronicling the comic and […]

Blog: Jason Arday claimed he was paid ‘1.4 million’ by publisher for memoir from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:29:51 +0100

Simon & Schuster still plans to publish book by Cambridge academic who resigned this week amid plagiarism claimsJason Arday, the former Cambridge professor accused […]

Blog: Sky City by Jacqueline Crooks review – an ambitious, lyrical portrait of trauma from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 06:00:41 +0100

A young woman is haunted by her childhood in this forcefully imaginative and unapologetically bleak novel from the author of Fire RushThe world of Sky City never […]

Blog: ‘Getting old is no fun’: Game of Thrones author George RR Martin speaks out about depression amid further book delays from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:41:40 +0100

A new blog post by the fantasy writer has outlined his recent difficulties, as fans continue to speculate on the elusive sixth book in his A Song of Ice and Fire […]

Blog: A Sense of Occasion by Brodie Crellin review – a surprising and darkly funny debut from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:00:13 +0100

A dysfunctional family comes together for a funeral in this heartfelt, keenly observed novel Most of us come upon our family’s dysfunctions gradually, like a door t […]

Blog: The Ghost of the Mountains by Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi review – the secrets of the snow leopard from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:00:10 +0100

An Indian mountaineer follows in the footsteps of explorers and conservationists in search of an enigmatic animalWhen bored, try the following game – I call it “ […]

Blog: Children of the Wild by Kevin Powers review – gripping tale of a friendship forged in war from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:00:54 +0100

Written by a US army veteran, this novel of courage and cruelty during the first world war is filled with unsettlingly authoritative depictions of violence – but i […]

Blog: The best recent poetry – review roundup from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:00:11 +0100

Small Birds Singing by Matthew Welton; The Channel by Jana Prikryl; Stepmother by Helen Mort; Drunken Driving by Martina EvansSmall Birds Singing by Matthew Welton […]

Blog: Jacqueline Crooks: ‘Toni Morrison’s voice made me want to find my own’ from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:00:10 +0100

The novelist on learning empathy from Charles Dickens, the playfulness of Irenosen Okojie and avoiding Jane AustenMy earliest reading memory
I was eight when I was […]