Renée Rosen takes a historical fiction approach to the BARBIE origin story
From her flat-chested beginnings to the fight to make her a feminist fashion icon, this behind-the-scenes novel tells the tale of how Barbie made it to retail.
Books
Whether it's paperback, hardback or audio, we’ve got it covered when it comes to all the best new writers, authors and book releases.
CONFESSIONS affectingly depicts a 50-year commute between rural Ireland and NYC
Catherine Airey's debut novel, set between New York and rural Ireland, is an old-fashioned story in the very best sense of the word.
SLOW TRAIN COMING: the story of hit Bob Dylan-adjacent musical GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
Todd Almond captures the story of quasi-Bob Dylan-themed musical Girl From The North Country via talking head interviews with key players combined with his own narrative.
UNDER THE EYE OF THE BIG BIRD: innovative post-apocalyptic sci-fi
In Hiromi Kawakami’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel, newly translated from Japanese, attempts at surviving allow for innovative worldbuilding.
Aria Aber’s GOOD GIRL is a timely portrait of Berlin and its techno scene
Good Girl depicts the subterranean sites of Berlin’s techno scene, and a city still processing its past and drawing new inhabitants under its spell.
LAZARUS MAN: Richard Price paints Harlem’s streets engagingly
Set in Harlem circa 2008, gang and drug violence bubbles away in Lazarus Man, the latest novel by The Wire writer Richard Price.
Jenny Morris’ AN ETHICAL GUIDE TO MURDER: bewitching, deadly and audacious
Jenny Morris' An Ethical Guide To Murder is a bewitching, deadly and cleverly audacious read with psychological weight and a dark heart.
DEALING WITH THE DEAD: Congolese author Alain Mabanckou with a dark, rewarding novel
Dealing With The Dead is a rewarding, humorously dark novel from Alain Mabanckou, a writer acknowledged as one of Africa’s finest.
Helena Echlin’s CLEVER LITTLE THING is a unique, noirish take on the mother-daughter relationship
Helena Echlin’s psychological noir thriller Clever Little Thing is not a book for the faint of heart and will leave a lasting impression on your mind long after reading it.
New poetry for January: incendiary ripostes to injustice and posthumous poems from Palestine
Mab Jones' 2025 account is opened with four titles ranging from the widely shared Scots-dialect ‘poyums’ of Len Pennie to a posthumous collection by Palestinian Refaat Alareer.
International hit thriller MURDER MINDFULLY shows the dark side of inner peace
Karsten Dusse’s crime thriller Murder Mindfully is positive and peaceful, yet twisted and violent. Small wonder this international bestseller is now a Netflix series.
REACHING DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: a neurological journey into the human mind
Dr. Allan Ropper and Brian Burrell’s Reaching Down The Rabbit Hole is a stunning reminder that the human mind is more complex than we could ever imagine.
Early 80s ‘anti-biography’ THE SECRET HISTORY OF KATE BUSH returns to print
Self-indulgent, bordering on bizarre, Fred Vermorel’s The Secret History Of Kate Bush reads like end-of-party soliloquies by a drunk relative, not a serious work about a serious artist.
SEASON OF THE SWAMP: YURI HERRERA’s bold take on 1850s New Orleans
Explore 1850s New Orleans through Yuri Herrera’s Season of the Swamp, a riveting novel on exile, slavery, and survival with dark humour and sharp insight.
THE BRIDGE OVER THE NEROCH: a Soviet literary gem from a cult author
Explore the human condition in Leonid Tsypkin’s The Bridge Over the Neroch, a profound blend of novellas and short stories.
New poetry for December: mushrooms and marshes, mighty mountains, trouble and titillation
Poetry reviewer Mab Jones signs off for 2024 with close readings of new verse by Wendy Allen, Betty Doyle, Samatar Elmi and Philip Gross.
SINÉAD O’CONNOR: THE LAST INTERVIEW – a raw, unfiltered legacy in her own words
Sinéad O’Connor’s life is laid bare through The Last Interview, a collection of powerful conversations spanning her trailblazing career and personal struggles.
HUM by Helen Phillips: AI, humanity, and the fight for hope
Helen Phillips’s Hum imagines a dystopian AI future, blending family drama and societal critique in a deeply human story.
TIME EXPANSION EXPERIENCES: how we perceive the fluidity of time
Steve Taylor Ph.D. unravels time perception and its psychology in Time Expansion Experiences.
THE ENDLESS REFRAIN: why nostalgia threatens new music’s cultural survival
David Rowell's The Endless Refrain explores nostalgia's grip on music culture, capitalism's impact, and the fleeting nature of modern music.
HOUNDS OF LOVE by LEAH KARDOS: the 33 1/3 series finally gives KATE BUSH her due
Leah Kardos’s Hounds of Love dissects Kate Bush’s artistry, from groundbreaking sales to creative triumphs.
ON MYSTICISM: a modern exploration of ancient spirituality by SIMON CRITCHLEY
On Mysticism by Simon Critchley offers a reflective exploration into mysticism and its place in contemporary culture, blending philosophy and spiritual insight.
BRIGHTLY SHINING: heartwarming Norwegian Christmas story – finally in English
Ingvild Rishøi’s Brightly Shining tells a poignant story of resilience and family love, making for a powerful holiday read.
SHE’S ALWAYS HUNGRY: a darkly comedic exploration of modern life from ELIZA CLARK
She’s Always Hungry by Eliza Clark weaves humour and darkness together to examine human nature and contemporary struggles.