Books

Melita Norwood outside her home in Southeast London after being exposed as a KGB spy (Image: PA)In the autumn of 1992, a man called Vasili Mitrokhin fled Russia with a bag full of secrets. He had worked as a senior archivist for the KGB for much of the Cold War and had spent years meticulously copying down the Russian spy service’s deepest secrets, before finally being exfiltrated by MI6 in a daring operation.The secrets he brought to the West would unmask hundreds of agents who had spied for the KGB around the world. Yet it was a grandmother in a south-east London suburb who would become the most famous case – and who would also cause a major headache for MI5. It is a story which points to a wider failure to appreciate the threat posed by Russia.Mitrokhin first approached the British E...

Award-winning thriller writer M W Craven has been revealed as the author of a new James Bond action-series for children – sending the world’s best-known secret agent back to school to train the next generation of British spies. James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy, filled with “courage, cleverness, and laugh-out-loud moments” and due to be published next June, will be the first of a series set in the 007 universe aimed at attracting a new generation of fans.It promises to portray Bond “as you have never seen him”, taking the “world’s most beloved secret agent to a place of dread, weirdos and strange food: school”. “A new generation of young heroes, mentored by 007, have entered the Secret Agent Academy to see if they have what it takes to join the ranks of the Double O's,” explains t...

Filmmaker and composer John Carpenter has been dubbed a 'master of the horror genre', having written both Halloween and Halloween II, also serving as director on the first of these. He has also directed a number of other horror favourites, including The Thing, Vampires, and a 1983 adaptation of Stephen King's Christine.Like many filmmakers and writers, John is also a fan of reading and back in 2015 he shared his four favourite horror books in an interview with the New York Post. Among his favourites was a Stephen King novel (although not the one he has adapted for the big screen) and stories from the legendary H.P. Lovecraft. The horror maestro revealed that these four books scared even him.Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural edited by P.C. Wagner and H. WiseThis collection of sc...

British forces advancing across the Falkland Islands ahead of battle (Image: Getty)The terrain is harsh, it’s pitch black and the weather is brutal. The Royal Marines are pinned down by heavy and accurate enemy fire. They are 8,000 miles from home, soaking wet, exhausted, outnumbered and about to assault a steep, unforgiving mountain. This was the early stages of the Battle of Mount Harriet, which took place over June 11-12, 1982, amid the Falklands War but is today less well known than other key clashes in the 74-day conflict against Argentina.Yet while it is perhaps less renowned, the accounts of bravery from the battle remain awe-inspiring and it played a huge part in the final liberation of the islands. In one instance, Corporal Stephen Newland’s troop was pinned down by a sniper an...

There’s nothing I love more than a bildungsroman - a novel where the protagonist comes of age and learns some important life lessons along the way.Celine Saintclare’s first novel, ‘Sugar, Baby,’ fell into that genre - and it went viral on TikTok. Agnes was a messy main character who you couldn’t help but root for, despite her flaws. And her latest offering is a similar model. It seems to be what she does best.This time, it’s a little less dark and is likely going to be a lot more relatable for its target audience than ‘Sugar, Baby’ was, which will likely be women in their 20s and beyond.I was thrilled to get my hands on an exclusive, limited edition holographic version of the book, but those hoping to read it themselves will have to wait until September this year.Descriptive and delicio...

Book clubs are a great way of socialising while also getting to discover new reads. But often with book clubs, it is new releases or the most talked about book of the moment that becomes the selection. But people could be missing a trick, book clubs could be the perfect way to get through the classics that you may have been putting off, able to share thoughts and understanding. That being said, here are the top 10 best novels to read for book clubs as recommended by Goodreads.10. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk KiddThe Secret Life of Bees is a novel by American author Sue Monk Kidd. Set in 1964, it is a coming-of-age story that details on loss, betrayal and the interracial landscape of the American South during the civil-rights era. The book received has received much critical accla...

The official synopsis reads: “James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy is the first in a brand-new series, taking the world’s most beloved secret agent to a place of dread, weirdos and strange food: school. A new generation of young heroes, mentored by 007, have entered the Secret Agent Academy to see if they have what it takes to join the ranks of the Double O’s. Together with Bond can they defeat a deadly foe lurking in the shadows – and, more importantly, can they pass their exams? This blockbuster series is written by bestselling and award-winning crime and thriller author M.W. Craven. For existing fans and a new generation of spy adventure readers, this is 007 like you’ve never seen him before.”The author said: “While writing a middle-grade book that features James Bond training the...

Author Gary Wright in hospital where he is recovering from near-fatal sepsis (Image: Courtesy Gary Wright)Sepsis is a killer. I know this first hand, having attended the funeral of an old acquaintance a few years back. And in the past six months or so, it has been prominent in my mind after seeing the impact it has had on my local MP, Craig (now Lord) Mackinlay, who was robbed of his limbs.Even so, I never thought it would be something that would affect me. But I’m writing this from my bed on the cardiac ward of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, where I have been for the past six weeks. Barts is “my” hospital. I am under care there in relation to a hereditary and incurable disease of the heart (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy), diagnosed completely out of the blue whe...

Wondering what your next read might be? Or just looking for a new series to binge? Amazon Prime Video is celebrating the power of storytelling with a new wave of book-to-screen adaptations this summer. The books are available to buy on Kindle or in print from Amazon.Jen Barrett at Amazon Books UK said: "There is a certain magic in discovering stories via the written word and getting lost in our own imagination – whether it’s romance, fantasy, or anything in between."Reading before watching an adaptation gives us the opportunity to conjure up our own interpretations of the characters and scenery before seeing it brought to life on screen, and it’s one of the things I love most about reading."These are the most highly anticipated series that have been adapted from books that are coming ou...

Sun, sea, exploring, sangria (not really, I’m more of a Cava girl) and plenty of books was what my most recent holiday consisted of, and it was truly fantastic.Naturally, I packed seven physical books, bought two more at the airport (oops) and then took my Kindle away with me for good measure too. And it’s a good job I did, because I would’ve been googling the nearest bookstore otherwise.Kindles are so good for holiday reading, but I personally believe you can't beat a physical book in your hand on holiday. If it gets a bit sandy or suncreamy, so be it. Crinkled pages sometimes add to the charm of a novel.With that said, here are the top three books of the eleven I managed to read on my holiday (including transfer time and flight, obviously) and I hope you choose one of these as your ne...