Books

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...

Stephen King is famous for his gut-wrenching and gripping books, but there was also a time when he published a series of short novels under a pseudonym. Those who have read the books say there’s a reason for that, with many arguing the storylines were too messed up even to fit King’s name.Between 1977 and 2007, King released a total of seven novels under the name Richard Bachman: Rage, The Long Walk, Roadwork, The Running Man, Thinner, The Regulators and Blaze. He later admitted he used the pseudonym to see if his books could succeed without his name.One of the most talked-about titles from that collection has now been turned into a new film.And those who’ve read the original story say it’s one of the most thrilling and disturbing King works ever written.One person said: “It is by far a...

Netflix has unveiled a gripping new thriller starring Gangs of London's Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, based on a bestselling crime novel, following the success of one thriller leading to audiences losing sleep and a show with a Succession star, reports the Mirror.S.A. Cosby's acclaimed novel All the Sinners Bleed is being transformed into a television series by Netflix.Set in the Deep South, the narrative centres on Titus Crown (portrayed by Dìrísù), the county's first black sheriff, who finds himself pursued by a serial killer.Whilst attempting to hunt down the murderer, Crown grapples with the traumatic loss of his devoutly religious mother. The killer has been systematically targeting the African American residents of Charon County, Virginia for years, claiming to act in the name of God.Will Crown a...

Many fantastic books have been turned into films over the last few decades, but not all of them have been a success. However, that can’t be said about one Western book that inspired what some call “one of the greatest movies of all time”. The novel is set in 1878 and the story follows a 14-year-old girl who sets out to avenge her father’s death.She teams up with a tough US Marshal and a Texas Ranger to track down the man responsible. Decades later, she recalls the journey in her own words. The book is now seen by many as one of the best Western novels ever written, and readers have been full of praise. One person said: “Wow, what a book! It really takes you by the hand and when you notice, you finish it!”Another wrote: “Bloody great read. Masterful language and rich characters which get...

A new trailer has dropped for Emerald Fennell’s forthcoming Hollywood adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 classic Wuthering Heights.Compared to the first teaser, which was released a couple of months ago, the new trailer gives a more rounded picture of this tale of forbidden love and desire set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors.The latest iteration of the period drama from the Saltburn and A Promising Young Woman director has been met with a mixed reception so far after many hit out at the initial casting of Barbie star Margot Robbie as Cathy and Euphoria and Frankenstein’s Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff.Fennell’s Wuthering Heights has more contemporary aesthetics compared to traditional costumes dramas, along with soundtrack from Brat musician Charli XCX.Many coming fresh to Wuther...

Rik Mayall snd Adian Edmondson as Richard Richard and Eddie Hitler in Bottom (Image: Getty)Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson’s Bottom exploded onto British television in the early nineties. The anarchic sitcom was violent, rude, disgusting and so uproariously funny that it became an instant hit with viewers at home (but less so with certain snobbish critics). It was littered with double-entendres and fight scenes that left you howling with laughter or wincing – either way, your eyes watered.When the antics of Richard Richard and Edward Elizabeth Hitler debuted on BBC Two in 1991, alternative comedy legends Mayall and Edmondson were already sitcom heroes, having revolutionised TV comedy starring in cultural phenomenon The Young Ones, which Mayall co-wrote with Ben Elton and Lise Mayer.Wher...

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Outlander and Outlander: Blood of My BloodOutlander: Blood of My Blood has just concluded its debut season, with Brian Fraser (portrayed by Jamie Roy) and Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) now firmly married and fleeing their enemies. Fans will be relieved to know that the second series is in the pipeline, with the cast already hinting at significant plot developments and new prequel books being penned as we speak, reports the Daily Record.The pair managed to escape Castle Leoch on Ellen's wedding day to Malcolm Grant (Jhon Lumsden), finding refuge in a bothy.However, their reunion was brief as Brian responded to the Highland call to arms during the Jacobite uprising of 1715.Brian realised he had no choice but to join his clan in battle or fac...

Maxton Hall - The World Between Us season two recently debuted on Prime Video and picked up the story from the first outing. The show is based on the 2018 novel Save Me by author Mona Kasten. Maxton Hall - The World Between Us charts an enemies-to-lovers romance between two pupils at a prestigious school.Exceptional scholarship student Ruby Bell (played by Harriet Herbig-Matten), with dreams of Oxford University, finds herself falling for privileged and wealthy James Beaufort (Damian Hardung), despite from their very different backgrounds.Season one premiered in 2024 and almost instantly became a hit after claiming the top spot in 120 regions. The German-language drama is now one of the streaming platform's most popular non-American Original series.Amazon Prime Video now investing more ...