5 new books to read this week

Station Eleven author Emily St. John Mandel is back with her latest work of speculative fiction…

Fiction

1. Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel is published in hardback by Picador, priced £18.99 (ebook £9.99). Available September 17

It’s hard not to read Emily St. John Mandel’s books with a shiver down your spine – her speculative fiction can feel so close to home it’s eerie. This was particularly seen in 2014’s Station Eleven, and while her latest novel, Exit Party, reads more sci-fi, the same feeling remains. There are multiple strands to this book, which begins with Ari, fresh out of prison and heading to a party in LA in a country completely fractured by civil war. But something goes awry at that party, and duplicates of people show up – something Ari grapples with for the rest of her life, as she escapes the war-torn States (no longer United) for France. Mandel’s storytelling is phenomenal, as she switches perspectives across countries, decades and even universes, giving characters living in dystopian times – namely in a lawless or totalitarian state – a human face. It’s an ambitious novel, which is infinitely readable and beautifully written.
9/10
(Review by Prudence Wade)

2. Farewell To Eden by Sebastian Faulks is published in hardback by Hutchinson Heinemann, priced £22 (ebook £10.99). Available September 17

The latest outing by literary powerhouse Sebastian Faulks introduces Philip Deval, a stoic solider-turned-schoolmaster starting a new job in the countryside of post-war England. Deval had witnessed the Normandy landings before being posted to Palestine in the final days of the British Mandate. His tender bond with music teacher Frances Darwood is the heart of the novel, which provides a gateway into the characters’ traumatic pasts, shaped by global conflict and personal losses. The novel is a sweeping saga that seamlessly intertwines historical events and deeply human experiences. It’s a perfect balance of history, faith and humanity with a delicious twist that will make you view the events of the previous 300-odd pages in a completely different light.
8/10
(Review by Storm Newton)

3. The Strangers by Naomi Alderman is published in hardback by Fig Tree, priced £20 (ebook £9.99). Available September 17

Naomi Alderman navigates grief in this unusual but effective blend of memoir and fiction. The Strangers introduces readers to the Mimmoths, a small mammoth-like creature that Alderman first discovers following the death of her mother. As sightings of these strange creatures begin to grow, health outcomes improve and crops thrive. Alderman is drawn to the Mimmoths and vice versa, and they provide a source of fixation and comfort while she processes the grief of losing her mother following a painful illness, as well as a series of traumatic miscarriages. But these seemingly harmless creatures are not welcomed by all and Alderman soon learns the Mimmoths are suspected of being responsible for a declining birth rate. The author explores motherhood and grief through the lens of science fiction in this deeply personal reflection on her complicated relationship with her own mother, and the children she never met.
7/10
(Review by Eleanor Storey)

Non-fiction

4. Redwood by Ben Macintyre is published in hardback by Viking, priced £25 (ebook £12.99). Available now

SAS: Rogue Heroes author Ben Macintyre’s latest book, Redwood, set to the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution 1978-79, follows KGB spy Vladimir Kuzichkin and the very human situation that led him to turn double agent for MI6 in Iran. Posted to Iran with his young wife prior to the Revolution, Kuzichkin quickly became disillusioned by the corruption and laziness rife in the KGB – falling into a dark depression and drinking more. As a result, Kuzichkin encountered a sexual-related problem – hugely damaging if discovered by his macho KGB comrades – causing him to contact the MI6 and promise Soviet secrets in return for help. Macintyre’s writing is compelling, although this feels more like a history book than a story compared to many of his others. It is a particularly topical read against the backdrop of the Iranian protests over the past year and the largest uprising in Iran since the Revolution – with undeniable synergies between the two events.
7/10
(Review by Lily Rose)

Children’s book of the week

5. The Green Child by Hollie Hughes, illustrated by Britta Teckentrup is published in hardback by Post Wave Children’s Books, priced £12.99 (no ebook). Available now

It’s never too young for children to understand that the planet needs protecting, and Hollie Hughes’ The Green Child aims to introduce the effects of climate change in an artistic, lyrical way. Beautifully done with rhyming prose, the story takes children through the seasons alongside a fairy-like ‘green child’ – with hair made from leaves who represents nature and experiences its changes. When the sustained, overpowering heat of the summer arrives, a movement is sparked to let humans know. The book is cleverly done, and sends the message that each person can make a difference, empowering even the smallest of us. Illustrator Britta Teckentrup’s work here keeps the pictures natural, bright and hopeful – so there’s nothing scary or dark for young kids. It feels age appropriate for those aged three to six.
9/10
(Review by Lauren Taylor)

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 12

HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman
2. Disenchanted by Lucy Jane Wood
3. Taipei Story by Rebecca F. Kuang
4. Tempest by Victoria Aveyard
5. Agrippa by Robert Harris
6. Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson
7. Twig’s Traveling Tomes by Gryffin Murphy
8. The Knave And The Moon by Rachel Gillig
9. Lights Out NSFW Edition by Navessa Allen
10. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. The History Of Mankind In Its Entirety by Fin Taylor
2. More by Gillian Anderson
3. Redwood by Ben Macintyre
4. The Castle by Jon Ronson
5. Make Me Well by Xand van Tulleken
6. The Cauldron by Simon Sebag Montefiore
7. 20 Minute Meals by Jamie Oliver
8. Autumn by Kate Mosse
9. Queens And Kings by Lucy Worsley
10. Guinness World Records 2027
(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)
1. We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman
2. It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
3. Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
4. The Infinite Extent by Dennis E. Taylor
5. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
6. The Castle by Jon Ronson
7. Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
8. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
9. Agrippa by Robert Harris
10. London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe
(Compiled by Audible)