Bomber County by Daniel Swift
An attempt to reclaim the forgotten work of airborne war poets is admirable but doesn't always hit the target, writes James Purdon
Devilfish: The Life and Times of a Poker Legend by Dave Ulliot
A tale of how a cocky charmer with a criminal past conquered the card game charms his friend Victoria Coren
Faithful Place by Tana French
A dark, creepy Dublin is the setting for one of the best thrillers this year, writes Alison Flood
How James Lovelock introduced Gaia to an unsuspecting world
We have learned so much about our home planet in the three decades since James Lovelock wrote Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth. Has it stood the test of time?
Radio review: Ford Madox Ford and France
Elisabeth Mahoney's radio review: A fascinating conversation between Julian Barnes and Hermione Lee as they visited the novelist's Parisian haunts
On Deception by Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini's tome now reveals more about his time than his trickery, says Euan Ferguson
The Old Romantic by Louise Dean
Louise Dean's enjoyable fourth novel has the vivid characters of a sitcom, says Viv Groskop
Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain’s Visionary Music by Rob Young
From Cecil Sharp to the String Band and beyond, Rob Young gives a fascinating, enjoyable account of British folk's eccentrics. writes Sean O'Hagan
Human Chain by Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney's latest collection muses upon heredity and absent friends with restraint and rich imagery, writes Kate Kellaway
Encounter: Essays by Milan Kundera
Milan Kundera's exhumed essays cast a spell with their insights into creativity, writes Geoff Dyer
Sarah Silverman: The Bedwetter
The US comedian's memoir is sad and intriguing, but its relentless comic spin leaves us with too fleeting a glimpse of the truth, says Stephanie Merritt
John L Williams: Miss Shirley Bassey
By digging up the singer's grim past, John Williams succeeds only in belittling her remarkable rise to the top, says Peter Conrad
Human Chain by Seamus Heaney – review
Seamus Heaney's new collection brilliantly enacts the struggle between memory and loss, says Colm Tóibín
Debut fiction: Circus Bulgaria by Deyan Enev; The Seas by Samantha Hunt; Saraswati Park by Anjali Joseph
Drunken circus performers, a teenage mermaid and illicit love in Mumbai: Mary Fitzgerald hails three diverting debuts
What to Look for in Winter: A Memoir of Blindness by Candia McWilliam
Candia McWilliam's memoir addresses personal and family struggles with humour and hard-won wisdom, says Rachel Cooke