Brotherless Night by VV Ganeshananthan review – heartbreak in war-torn Sri Lanka
Shortlisted for the Women’s prize, this epic account of a country and a family torn apart combines the intimacy of a memoir with the urgency of reportage
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley review – a seriously fun sci-fi romcom
A bureaucrat in near-future London finds love with a Victorian Arctic explorer in a thrilling debut that takes a deep dive into human morality
Excitable Boy by Dominic Gordon review – punchy tales of masculinity, sex and violence
These stylish autobiographical essays take the reader into backstreets rarely traversed in Australian literature – sex clubs, street fights and emergency rooms
Manny and the Baby by Varaidzo review – dreamy debut of loss and unrequited love
A grieving son aims to connect with his late father through the cassette tapes he left behind, in a tale of jazz, black ambition and romance
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry review – cosmic strangeness
This defiantly old-fashioned tale of two misfits, a ghost and a blazing comet showcases Perry’s unerring capacity to make the earthly new and strange
The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing review – earthly paradise
A vivid account of bringing a garden back to life underlines the importance of outdoor space for all
The Idea of You review – Anne Hathaway lives out fanfic fantasy in solid romance
The star makes for a charming lead playing a mother falling for a younger pop star in a passable adaptation of Robinne Lee’s bestselling pulp
The Buddha of Suburbia review – playful spin through Hanif Kureishi’s novel
Emma Rice directs an ebullient RSC version of the landmark 1990 story of sex, music, class and racism
The Diaries of Mr Lucas by Hugo Greenhalgh review – a kaleidoscope of postwar gay life
A visit to a delapidated London flat unlocks a treasure-trove of reminiscences across six decades
The Two Loves of Sophie Strom by Sam Taylor review – a sliding doors tale of survival
A Jewish boy’s life splits in two and follows two different paths in this novel of trauma and enduring love in Nazi Europe
What we learn about Kafka from his uncensored diaries
On the centenary of his death, a new English translation of the great writer’s journals reveals some surprising details
Magic Pill by Johann Hari review – weighing in
There is a useful book to be written about the rise of anti-obesity drugs such as Ozempic, but this flawed account is not it
Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry review – a gentle gem about mid-life love and loneliness
Elene Naveriani’s film tells the story of a middle-aged single woman in a remote Georgian village whose life is changed for ever after a near-death experience
This Is How You Remember It by Catherine Prasifka review – an innocent online
Told in the second person, this account of an everygirl growing up with the internet will be devastatingly familiar
Lassie: A New Adventure review – canine crusader is star of quaint family fun
Eponymous hero tackles a pooch-pinching operation by getting captured in this old-fashioned production