Books

The Works largest ever Black Friday event is well under way, promising a bonanza for book enthusiasts. The first set of deals started in November but now shoppers can find exceptional value in store and online, with deals designed to help families prepare for Christmas without straining their wallets this Black Friday.The initial wave of offers centres on 'Books for Everyone,' with big price cuts across children's and adult titles. Parents and teachers can snap up 12 picture storybooks for £10, equating to only 83p per book - ideal for festive presents, classroom rewards, or bedtime stories - in store.Online shoppers can secure kids' book bundles for £10. Meanwhile, fans of adult fiction can grab four bestselling titles for £7.50, amounting to less than £1.90 per read, with authors incl...

Psychological thriller writer Lisa Jewell has said it's beyond her 'wildest imaginings' to be revealed as the programming chair for the world’s biggest and best-known celebration of crime writing. The bestselling author will take the reins of the 2026 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, supported by the Daily and Sunday Express, next July.Star writers joining fans at the Old Swan Hotel, where Agatha Christie famously vanished in the winter of 1926, includes US writer David Baldacci, Nadine Matheson, Gillian McAllister, Steve Cavanagh and Alice Feeney. More headliners are due to be revealed in the New Year.Jewell, author of 23 novels, most recently the dark psychological thrillers Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs, None of This is True and Don’t Let Him In, s...

Westerns have always been one of the most popular genres for readers, with classics that people return to again and again. There are hundreds of titles worth picking up, from traditional cowboy stories to modern takes to life on the range. But one novel in particular is so good that readers are calling it “the best thing the genre has ever produced”.Some say it’s so good they still remember where they were in life when they first read it. Even Stephen King once said the book is his favourite of all time, and if one of the world’s most famous authors thinks it’s that good, it’s probably worth your time.Those who have already read it say it’s simply “unforgettable”.One person said: “This is my top favourite book of all time. It’s been on top since I read it shortly after it came out in pa...

Waterstones' autumn selection on show incudes must read titles (Image: Getty)I love a beach read just as much as the next person, but sometimes we need to delve a little deeper and look to the books that have shaped the world of literature. Without these books, we would likely not have the magical realism books that we all so adore, never mind non-fiction. Waterstones has listed some of the classic novels that you've probably "always meant to read", but just haven't got round to, and here we have selected six to get you started. 1984 by George OrwellAn incredible book that has influenced the world, Orwell's 1984 is a dystopian tale that follows one man's nightmare odyssey as he pursues a forbidden love affair through a world that is ruled by warring states and has a brutal power structu...

A novel has been highlighted as the "book that will be huge this winter" by literary experts. In Stylist's listing, the first book mentioned is Lily King's seventh novel, Heart the Lover.The book's blurb reads: "You knew I’d write a book about you someday."Our narrator understands good love stories—their secrets and subtext, their highs and their free falls. But her greatest love story, the one she lived, never followed the simple rules."In the fall of her senior year of college, she meets two star students from her 17th-Century Lit class: Sam and Yash. Best friends living off-campus in the elegant house of a professor on sabbatical, the boys invite her into their intoxicating world of academic fervour, rapid-fire banter and raucous card games. They nickname her Jordan, and she quickly ...

Aside from being lead guitarist for one of the most successful rock bands in the world, Sir Brian May is a man of many other interests and talents.Two areas that are particularly close to his heart are astrophysics (he has a doctorate in the scientific field) and stereoscopy, a historic method of viewing images in 3-D by using pairs of images to simulate depth.Now the 78-year-old legend has combined the two for a new book called Islands in Infinity: Galaxies 3-D, which is the first publication ever to view galaxies in a stunning three-dimensional stereoscopic form.Daily Express attended the book launch at Notting Hill’s Museum of Brands, slurping down space-themed cocktails from the Portobello Road Distillery as Sir Brian and his co-authors – Professor Derek Thompson, a leading expert o...

The Best Book of the Year has been revealed, with an emerging author taking the title over much-loved Mel Robbins, Freida McFadden and Booker Prize winner David Szalay. Amazon UK has confirmed that a gripping romance thriller has taken the top spot on this year’s list.Previous winners of the title have been author R.F. Kuang in 2023 and David Nicholls last year. The decision ultimately comes down to the Amazon Books UK team, who weigh reader reviews and book charts alongside their own expert opinion. This year’s winning book was released in March and has already secured a film adaptation.The panel has declared Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall as its Best Book of the Year in the UK.Broken Country managed to beat Intruder by Freida McFadden and bestselling The Let Them Theory by award-...

Today, Amazon announces Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall as its Best Book of the Year in the UK for 2025. The emerging British author's powerful novel was published in March this year and has since been picked up for film adaptation, quickly becoming a Sunday Times bestseller and attracting acclaim from Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club. The book took the top spot over other shortlisted titles such as Intruder by Freida McFadden and nonfiction favourites, including the bestselling The Let Them Theory by award-winning author and podcaster, Mel Robbins.Set amid the seemingly tranquil English countryside inspired by Hall's own home, Broken Country follows Beth, whose life on the farm with her gentle husband Frank is irrevocably fractured by the return of Gabriel Wolfe, her passionate yet fo...

If you're looking for literary-inspired gifts, this is the list for you (Image: Getty) This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more Christmas is just around the corner, which means people up and down the country are busy searching for gifts for their loved ones. Finding gifts for foodies, beauty enthusiasts, and wine connoisseurs is easy enough, but finding the perfect gift for someone who has read everything can be challenging. Bookworms tend to have a pile of books by their beds at the ready, and their finger on the pulse when it comes to book-related news.This means gifting them the latest Booker Prize winner or British Book Award winner isn't a guaranteed win. Having previously worked in a bookshop for years, and be...

Books are a great way to relax, pass the time or learn something new - and choosing your favourites is a very subjective matter. They can leave an impression on a young mind, offer guidance in a time of need or just provide a bit of escapism from reality.As someone who reads every day, I have compiled a list of some of my favourite reads as of late, and why I think everyone should give them a go before the year is up. Here are my top three books to add to your 2025 reading list.The Bell Jar by Sylvia PlathThe back cover reads: "The Bell Jar chronicles the crack-up of Esther Greenwood: brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under - maybe for the last time. Sylvia Plath masterfully draws the reader into Esther's breakdown with such intensity that Esthe...