5 new books to read this week

We close the year out with a political drama and a timely musing on feeling overwhelmed…

Fiction

The Living And The Dead by Christoffer Carlsson is published in hardback by Michael Joseph, priced £18.99 (ebook £7.99). Available January 8

Fans of Nordic Noir will lap up this new release from Christoffer Carlsson, which has already won several awards in the author’s native Sweden, and is the third book in his ‘Hallandssviten’ series. The fact this can be read as a standalone certainly helps, as this was my first taste of Carlsson, who creates wonderful images of life in a small Swedish community, over which an unsolved murder from more than 20 years previous, still hangs. This is part police procedural and part a study on how humanity deals with such a tragic event, and Carlsson expertly cranks up the tension and the cloying sense of claustrophobia to keep the reader hooked. Definitely one to hunker down with and immerse yourself in on a cold winter’s evening.
8/10
Review by Karl Hornsey

There’s No Point In Dying by Francisco Maciel is published by New Vessel Press priced £15.99 (ebook £12.49). Available January 13

Set in a favela in Rio de Janeiro, this translated novel tells stories of a community trying to survive when death and violence is rife. This intriguing read feels like a series of short stories, circling back to familiar settings and characters in a disjointed way, from a gang member about to die in seven minutes to a family violently forced out of their home. Across multiple narratives, characters and timelines it can be a challenge for the reader to follow. But taken as flash snapshots, author Francisco Maciel crafts a surreal read which captures a sense of desperation and topics from climate change to samba.
6/10
Review by Anahita Hossein-Pour

The Candidate’s Husband by Wendy Sacks Jones is published in paperback by SRL Publishing, priced £10.99 (ebook £3.99). Available now

Who would want to be an MP when every aspect of your life, past and present, is picked over and criticised? Headteacher Kirsty seizes the chance to stand in her local by-election, fired up by the opportunity to make a greater difference than she does at her school. That altruism does not extend to the needs of her husband, Rick, a journalist with a sudden conflict of interest that makes his job almost impossible. Sidelined, and not for the first time, Rick tries to stay relevant but his desire to be the power behind the throne gets murkier as polling day approaches. In this head-hopping he says/she says format, Wendy Sacks Jones doesn’t sugarcoat the failings of either Kirsty or Rick: both are selfish and ambitious but throughout the brutal campaign you can find reasons to sympathise with them both. My loyalties shifted between the parties right up to the final declaration.
7/10
Review by Amy Crowther

Non-fiction

Overwhelmed: Ways To Take The Pressure Off by Claudia Hammond is published in hardback by Canongate Books, priced £20 (ebook £15.99). Available January 1

Congratulations if you made it to and through the Christmas holidays without feeling completely stressed-out by work and the many social and shopping demands of the season. It’s rare anyone can navigate life without feeling overwhelmed at times but, in her book bearing that title, Radio 4 presenter and award-winning psychologist Claudia Hammond, who has previously written about the value of rest and kindness, gives incredibly insightful tips on how to take the pressure off. Combining a charming and reassuring style with fascinating takeaways from behavioural studies and her own personal experiences, Hammond presents (perhaps obvious) advice like turning off news alerts to avoid overexposure to tragedy and tells readers how to tackle the dreaded to-do list, stop procrastinating and pierce perfectionist tendencies without undergoing a personality overhaul. Concise and engaging, this is a must-read manual on masterfully managing your mental wellbeing.
9/10
Review by James Cann

Children’s book of the week

Rock, Paper, Incisors: A Skunk And Badger Story by Amy Timberlake, illustrated by Jon Klassen is published in hardback by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, priced £12.99 (ebook £6.99). Available now

Parenting, it seems, is tough, whether you’re a human, a badger or a skunk, as the namesakes of Rock, Paper, Incisors: A Skunk and Badger Story discover. The third in the Skunk and Badger series, this edition is very gifty, with beautiful, wintry black and white illustrations and sketches from fellow author Jon Klassen. It carries an undercurrent of what Beatrix Potter and Kenneth Grahame did so well in the Peter Rabbit books and The Wind in the Willows; bringing empathy and idiosyncratic personality to creatures in a world that is cosy, but also, fraught with obstacles. In Badger’s case, he has two young, unpredictable orphaned rats to care for, and a deadline to hit – increasingly it becomes clear, these things are not compatible. Amy Timberlake’s world building is utterly absorbing, but the text can be a little wordy, making you stumble along as you read at times. Still, it makes a witty, loveable read.
7/10
Review by Ella Walker

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING DEC 27

HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. The Artist by Lucy Steeds
2. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
3. Flesh by David Szalay
4. Exit Strategy:Jack Reacher by Lee Child and Andrew Child
5. The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer
6. Alchemised by SenLinYu
7. The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
8. Rose Field: The Book of Dust Volume Three by Philip Pullman
9. The Names by Florence Knapp
10. Brimstone by Callie Hart
(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. Private Eye Annual 2025 by Ian Hislop
2. Always Remember:The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and the Storm by Charlie Mackesy
3. Padella by Tim Siadatan
4. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins
5. Guinness World Records 2026
6. This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong (and Why it Matters) by Map Men
7. Eat Yourself Healthy by Jamie Oliver
8. Protein in 15 by The Body Coach, Joe Wicks
9. The Little Book of Miriam by Miriam Margolyes
10. Diddly Squat: The Farmer’s Dog by Jeremy Clarkson
(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NONFICTION)
1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
3. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
4. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
5. Slow Horses by Mick Herron
6. The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer
7. The Names by Florence Knapp
8. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
9. Alchemised by SenLinYu
10. A Mind of My Own by Kathy Burke
(Compiled by Audible)