Books

This book racks up a huge 735 pages but tells the story of just one single day - and readers have called it a “masterpiece”. Often hailed as one of the best novels of the 20th century, you won’t want to miss out on this fascinating piece of literature.Ulysses is a famous novel by James Joyce that takes place over just one day on June 16, 1904, in Dublin. It follows Leopold Bloom, an ordinary man going about his daily life. But what makes this book really stand out is how Joyce tells the story.Instead of a straightforward plot, the book dives deep into characters’ thoughts, feelings, and little everyday moments, using a style called stream-of-consciousness. This means readers are essentially inside Leopold’s head and following his every thought.The book is loosely inspired by an ancient ...

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more These are 10 of the best new books publishing in September (Image: Getty)If you're on the hunt for a fresh read this September, this curated list of 10 of the best new releases might just contain your next favourite book, regardless of your preferred genre. Between R. F. Kuang's Katabasis and new releases from the likes of T. Kingfisher, Carissa Broadbent and Gareth Brown, August was a great month for bibliophiles.September is shaping up nicely too, with many eagerly awaited releases by beloved authors such as Richard Osman, Rebecca Ross and Mona Awad, as well as some hidden gems that might have slipped under your radar so far. As someone who reads every day, both for work ...

M V Craven pictured at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival last month (Image: Lorne Campbell / Guzelian for the Express)James Bond is facing his greatest challenge courtesy of award-winning crime writer M W Craven – going back to school to help train the next generation of secret agents. The author says his new children’s series will bring 007 into the 21st century by using the super-spy’s young proteges to challenge his outdated sexism. But this is not James Bond going woke, Craven insists; rather a clever reimagining of the world’s most famous secret agent in a spin-off designed to get youngsters reading.And the Newcastle-born author believes exploring Ian Fleming’s iconic character through the eyes of children is “moreinteresting” than simply following in the footsteps...

This year, Animal Farm celebrates its 80th anniversary - a remarkable milestone for a book that has remained in print and in the public imagination since 1945. And George Orwell’s influence is felt not only in literature but in politics, journalism, and culture - his clear-eyed observations of poverty, totalitarianism, and the corruption of ideals resonate today as much as they did in the mid-20th century.From his earliest reporting on life in the streets and workhouses to his semi-autobiographical novels and dystopian masterpieces, Orwell had an extraordinary ability to turn lived experience into gripping, meaningful stories. Each book he wrote carries a thread of empathy, intelligence, and moral urgency, forming a body of work that is human while critical.With that in mind, here are f...

We all have our favourite books, the ones we return to time and time again. But how did you discover those you favour most? Was it a friend's recommendation or a gift perhaps? The Definitive Guide - a website that is a one-person endeavour, has developed a specialised algorithm, which brings together 658 "best of" book lists to form a collection of the world's most acclaimed reads. And now it has listed what it deems to be the most recommended in its ranking of "The Greatest Books of All Time". Here is the top five, but you may be surprised that some of the classics, such as Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, didn't make the cut. 5. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García MárquezOne Hundred Years of Solitude is a 1967 novel by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. The book's...

What book do you think everyone must-read at least once? (Image: Getty)From the classics to contemporary literary fiction and everything inbetween, there are so many must-reads out there. If you are a bit of a bookworm you probably already have a list that you are working your way through - but you still may be missing a few.And here's where we can help - as these are the most voted for books that everyone should read at least once in their life, according to the book-lovers' website Goodreads.10. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienThis covers the three books of Tolkien's iconic trilogy that was famously adapted for film. The books follow The One Ring, which is a powerful artifact that has been faked by the Dark Lord Sauron and so it becomes hobbit Frodo Baggin's mission to destroy ...

Readers have been voting for the best book ever over on Goodreads. Suzanne Collins' beloved book The Hunger Games, the first of the franchise, has come out on top. The book was published in late 2008 and has gone on to be one of the most successful books of all time.The Hunger Games found even more popularity when the series was adapted for film, starring Jennifer Lawrence in the leading role. A new instalment of The Hunger Games was published earlier this year, Sunrise on the Reaping, proving that this adventure world is showing no signs of slowing down. The book's synopsis reads: "16-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place in the annual Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death where one boy and one girl from each of Panem's twelve districts are forc...

Henry V is best known today for defeating a numerically superior French army at Agincourt, a feat immortalised by William Shakespeare. But according to historian Dan Jones, it's a miracle England's greatest medieval monarch lived to fight his most famous battle, let alone win it. Twelve years prior the fight, in July 1403, while engaging a rebel army at Shrewsbury, aged just 16, an iron arrowhead from a lucky longbow shot tore into his face to the side of his nose, embedding itself deep into the back of his skull.The wooden shaft came off, leaving a one-ounce lump of metal lodged in Henry's pudding bowl hair-cutted head. Only the skill of England's finest surgeon, John Bradmore, operating over 30 days, saved the young Prince of Wales from a horrible death. Jones explained: "He was milli...

10. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell HammettThe Matese Falcon follows private detective Sam Spade and his partner Miles Archer as they are hired to find a missing woman's sister. The case spirals into a murder investigation and a hunt for a priceless black bird statuette, the Maltese Falcon. 9. The IPCRESS File by Len DeightonDeighton's first spy novel was published in 1962. The story involves Cold War brainwashing and includes scenes in Lebanon and during a United States atomic weapon test. It also details information about Joe One, the Soviet Union's first atomic bomb.8. The Moonstone by Wilkie CollinsThe Moonstone by Wilkie Collins is a 1868 British epistolary novel and an early example of the modern detective novel. It reveals the history and mysteries around a unique diamond called t...

It’s the middle of the year, and many people will be well on their way to achieving their Goodreads reading goals for 2025. But how many five-star reads have you consumed this year?One woman, Jen, who posts on TikTok as @sillylittlebookss, shared that she’d only given out the coveted five-star rating seven times this year.She said that she was trying to be a little more “conservative” with how many books she rated five-stars because she’s “known” for giving them out freely, but these are her favourites of the year so far.1. Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonham-YoungShe said that this five-star rating was “absolutely deserved,” because the book is now one of her “favourite romance books of all time”.Jen explained that it follows a boy and a girl who meet at a party, and their “initial click is...