5 new books to read this week

Philip Pullman returns with the final instalment in his Book of Dust series. He began with Northern Lights, way back in 1995, and now, 30 years on, he finally completes Lyra’s story in The Rose Field…

Fiction

The School Of Night by Karl Ove Knausgaard is published in hardback by Harvill, priced £25 (ebook £9.99). Available November 6

Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard has long been hailed as one of the world’s greatest living authors, and he’s surpassed even his phenomenally high standards with his latest novel, The School of Night. This dark and macabre offering is one of the most incredibly addictive books I’ve ever read, luring me into the increasingly erratic world of the dislikeable Norwegian photography student Kristian Hadeland, starting in mid-Eighties London. Part of Knausgaard’s Morning Star universe, this is a standalone novel that delves into the darkest corners of human nature, and what one man is prepared to do to become famous. At 500 pages, it’s an intense but hugely rewarding read, and a great place to start for those new to Knausgaard. The tagline for The School of Night is: ‘Meet Kristian Hadeland – You’ll Hate Him’. And you really will.
9.5/10
Review by Karl Hornsey

The Murder At World’s End by Ross Montgomery is published in hardback by Viking, priced £16.99 (ebook £7.99). Available October 30

A day after ex-convict Stephen Pike is hired as an under-butler at Tithe Hall, the estate’s owner is found murdered in a locked room. Suspicion turns to the new recruit, even though all the rooms in the grand estate on a tidal island near Cornwall had been sealed in preparation for the arrival of Halley’s Comet, which Viscount Stockingham-Welt believed would spark the end of the world. His death leads to a classic whodunnit, with more murders despite the arrival of a Scotland Yard detective. Pike’s only hope of avoiding arrest lies with the elderly Miss Decima Stockingham, who sets out to find who is behind the murders. The foul-mouthed 80-year-old is loathed and feared by family and staff, but her sharp, scientific mind uncovers crucial clues, as well as putting her and Pike in danger. The book is the first adult novel by award-winning children’s author Ross Montgomery, whose storytelling skills have easily transferred from weird and wonderful books for youngsters, to murder and mayhem for grown-ups.
8/10
Review by Alan Jones

Other People’s Fun by Harriet Lane is published in hardback by W&N, priced £20 (ebook £9.99). Available October 30

Modern life is messy and somewhere between the rise in parasocial relationships, carefully cultivated grid aesthetics and the dour monotony of real life once you reach a certain age, is where Other People’s Fun sits. Ruth is a background friend, practically wallpaper. She is everywhere and sees everything, yet no one remembers her or pays her any attention. Her husband has left her, her daughter has gone to uni, so Ruth is alone. Now Sookie is back in her life and she is everything Ruth isn’t. The woman whose coattails Ruth clung to at school, Sookie lives life loud, is the centre of attention and people hang off her every word – and now they are back in each other’s orbit. As the pair grapple with what they deserve, Harriet Lane expertly explores the toxic nature of female hierarchy and acquaintanceships. A coming-of-age story for the modern woman.
8/10
Review by Rachel Howdle

Non-fiction

A Complicated Woman by Rebecca Lucy Taylor is published in hardback by Brazen, priced £22 (ebook £8.99). Available October 30

‘I am such a complicated woman’ – this note, dated January 2023, became the title of Rebecca Lucy Taylor’s third album as Self Esteem, and the title of this, her first book. It is one of hundreds of one-line notes punctuated by lyrics and short sections of prose that make up this distinctive volume. Taylor reveals her innermost thoughts, her vulnerabilities, frustrations and ultimately her strengths, through scraps of ideas collected over several years. The anxieties Taylor tackles on her latest record – about relationships, careers and the plague of self-doubt – are all here, drawn out through her sharp-witted observations and retorts. Like the album it accompanies, this collection of notes to self, rallying cries and a catalogue of complaints about the patriarchy – jumbled in order – hits the reader like a whirlwind.
7/10
Review by Ian Parker

Children’s book of the week

The Rose Field: The Book Of Dust Volume Three by Philip Pullman is published in hardback by Penguin and David Fickling Books, priced £25 (ebook £13.99). Available now

It is 30 years since the adventures of Lyra Silvertongue were first published in Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights. The Rose Field is the long-awaited conclusion to The Book Of Dust, the second trilogy focusing on the young heroine, and follows Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon as they search for her imagination. Pullman’s imagination is clearly in no danger of going missing; the fantastical worlds he has created continue to amaze and terrify in almost equal measure. With the sinister intentions of the Magisterium and the shady goings-on of a powerful corporation, parallels can be drawn with our own world and no doubt fans will have their theories on what the finale really means and the (many) questions that remain. For those who simply want to escape this world for an adventure and recapture their own imaginations, Pullman’s story-telling remains unmatched.
9/10
Review by Eleanor Barlow

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 25

HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. The Rose Field by Philip Pullman
2. Bonds Of Hercules by Jasmine Mas
3. The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman
4. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
5. Sharpe’s Storm by Bernard Cornwell
6. The Land Of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee
7. The Hawk Is Dead by Peter James
8. The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer
9. Alchemised by SenLinYu
10. King Sorrow by Joe Hill
(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre
2. Always Remember: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, The Horse And The Storm by Charlie Mackesy
3. A Mind Of My Own by Kathy Burke
4. This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong by Map Men
5. Diddly Squat: The Farmer’s Dog by Jeremy Clarkson
6. Woke Is Dead by Piers Morgan
7. A Short History Of Nearly Everything 2.0 by Bill Bryson
8. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins
9. Driven by Susie Wolff
10. Afterthoughts by Richard Ayoade
(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NONFICTION)
1. Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre
2. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
3. The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer
4. The Rose Field by Philip Pullman
5. A Mind Of My Own by Kathy Burke
6. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
7. Entitled by Andrew Lownie
8. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
9. The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
10. Alchemised by SenLinYu
(Compiled by Audible)