The Morningside by Téa Obreht review – life in exile
Drawing on myth and folktale, this story of refugees forced to leave their homelands contains hope and humour as well as dread
Radiant by Brad Gooch review – art with heart
The life and untimely death of Keith Haring, whose work burst with vitality and warmth
Does Counter-Terrorism Work? by Richard English review – a thoughtful and authoritative analysis
The Belfast academic offers vitally important lessons about government strategies, from Northern Ireland to the Middle East, warning that few campaigns are a complete success
Crooked Seeds by Karen Jennings review – a perfectly realised fictional creation
A South African woman’s woes are slowly illuminated in a stark, darkly humorous novel by the author of the Booker-longlisted An Island
Picture books for children – reviews
Bashful cats and lonely ponies stalk the pages of this month’s choices
Rural Hours by Harriet Baker review – the country lives of Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Townsend Warner and Rosamond Lehmann
Three writers’ pastoral years are beautifully observed in this group biography but seem little more than tangential to their work
The Washington Book: How to Read Politics and Politicians review – unpicking the lexicon of America’s leaders
New York Times columnist Carlos Lozada examines the speeches, writing and linguistic tics of presidents and members of Congress to expose ‘inveterate deceivers’
How to Make a Bomb by Rupert Thomson review – struck by sickness, an academic seeks solace in love
A man swaps his comfortable existence for an affair in Thomson’s lyrical study of a midlife crisis
Bear Snores On review – characterful creatures learn the importance of home
Fun songs and exciting immersive touches delight children and adults alike in a lively picture book adaptation from actor Cush Jumbo and Katy Sechiari
Diva by Daisy Goodwin review – a novelisation of Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis’s tumultuous affair
This powerful reimagining of the soprano’s toxic relationship with the Greek shipping tycoon captures the drama and heartbreak of one of the most celebrated singers of all time
In brief: Tales from the Dancefloor; The Curse of Pietro Houdini; The Earth Transformed – review
Sacha Lord tells some enjoyable tales of Manchester clubbing, Derek B Miller blends wartime adventure and art-heist thriller, and Peter Frankopan attempts a planetary history
A Body Made of Glass by Caroline Crampton review – an intelligent and engaging history of hypochondria
In this fascinating book, a survivor of a life-threatening illness chronicles the history of health anxiety and ponders whether it is a rational response to our flawed bodies
Four Stars: A Life. Reviewed by Joel Golby review – trivial pursuits
A memoir presented as a series of reviews adds up to a razor-sharp run-down of modern neuroses
The Borrowed Hills by Scott Preston review – a blistering tale of land and violence
The tragedy that decimated UK farming in 2001 spills into a nightmare in a viscerally vivid debut with knife-sharp black humour
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady review – moving account of undiagnosed autism
The Scottish comedian narrates her traumatic experience of being ‘wired differently’ and why autism is so frequently missed in women