Historian Diarmaid MacCulloch will be known to many from his popular BBC series The History of Christianity. His new book looks at versions of keeping quiet, either for spiritual or other reasons, in Christianity
Levels of Life by Julian Barnes
The Man Booker prize-winning author Julian Barnes' new work begins with nineteenth century balloonatics, and proceeds through fascinating connections to explore his state of mind following the death of his wife in 2008.
How To Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Ha
The novel How To Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia is a refreshingly different take on love and poverty from a popular writer with a humane touch. It is also a fascinating love story that tracks its protagonists from their teenage years to old age.
The Childhood of Jesus by JM Coetzee
The Childhood of Jesus takes place in a strange, unnamed Spanish-speaking land. An elderly man and a young boy arrive in search of the mother from whom the boy has become separated in transit.
The Infatuations by Javier Marías
Although it is not strictly in the crime genre, The Infatuations is as sophisticated as crime fiction can be, managing in its 346 pages to explore human motive, with striking powers of perception.
The Blind Man's Garden by Nadeem Aslam
Nadeem Aslam's fourth novel, The Blind Man's Garden is set in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the months after 9/11 and balances lyrical beauty with the painful realities of war.
Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) was a master of psychology and alienation and a new paperback edition of his 1864 novella is as good a place to start as any for the curious reader.
Comandante - Inside Hugo Chávez's Venezuela by Rory Carroll
Rory Carroll's timely biography tells the story of the late Venezuelan ruler Hugo Chávez's reign, with fascinating insights into the private life of the leader he terms a hybrid, an `elected autocrat.'
The beauty of Green's writing is that he makes it all seem so precious, recharges your gratitude and reminds you that growing old is no bad thing.
Landscapes of the Metropolis of Death by Otto Dov Kulka
Landscapes of the Metropolis of Death is short but pithy, careful, wise and fresh in its insights. Otto Dov Kulka's reflections and stories from Theresienstadt and Auschwitz-Birkenau will be essential reading for many.
The Road Most Traveled by The Camaraderie Collective, foreword by Chuck Ragan
Funny and inspirational, The Road Most Traveled isn't just for musicians; it's a reminder to us all that you never know what's around the corner and to enjoy the ride.
Spirit of Talk Talk by James Marsh, Chris Roberts and Toby Benjamin
A hand-me-down treasure - to go with the albums.
Kicking the Black Mamba: Life, Alcohol & Death by Robert Anthony Welch
Robert Anthony Welch's memoir is an unflinchingly honest account of the life and death of his 26-year old son Egan. Disturbing but also transcendant, this beautifully written account is a masterpiece of memoir-writing.
My First Wife by Jakob Wassermann, translated by Michael Hofmann
Oriignally published as a novel in German in 1934, My First Wife is in fact a posthumously-published memoir of painful divorce proceedings written by a man who was then a best-selling author, with few details altered from real life.
Searching For Ami by John O'Keefe
John O'Keeffe's emotionally-exhaustive debut thriller keeps the reader captivated until the last page and augurs well for future fiction from the author.
