The 2024 Oscar shorts review – intense drama, enticing animation and essential documentary
While Wes Anderson’s nomination has caused mild controversy there is an enticing and eclectic mix of strong contenders worthy of the win
Crypt by Alice Roberts review – resurrecting the past
From murdered Vikings to an anchorite with syphilis, how human remains are reshaping history
Fervour by Toby Lloyd review – a slow-burn family saga
A dysfunctional Jewish family in north London is the focus for a study of faith and mysticism
Deep Water by James Bradley review – what lies beneath
The awe-inspiring life in our oceans – and its desperate fight for survival
Room at the Top review – Jack Clayton’s 1950s take on toxic masculinity
A rerelease of the John Braine novel adaptation is no masterpiece but sits alongside films such as Lucky Jim and Billy Liar in its depiction of class conflict and young male frustration
The Most Secret Memory of Men by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr review – literary erasure
This metafictional quest in search of an unjustly forgotten African author explores literary history and the impact of colonialism
Barcelona by Mary Costello review – haunting tales of what can’t be said
From lonely marriages to resentful children, these powerful Irish short stories delve into the underlying brutality of existence
No Judgement by Lauren Oyler review – pointed views
Witty, agile essays from the novelist and New Yorker writer with a talent for cutting through the hype
Until August by Gabriel García Márquez review – a ‘lost’ last novel
This slight work by the Latin American master explores sex, betrayal and damaging secrets through the story of a woman’s one-night stands
Young adult books roundup – reviews
First crushes, Rachel Greenlaw’s YA debut and the story of an improbable affair will make your heart beat faster this month
The Most Secret Memory of Men by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr; The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft – review
Lost writers are at the heart of two novels that recall the late Roberto Bolaño in their language, wit, profundity and literary quests
How I Won a Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto review – skilful skewering
A young scientist follows her discredited mentor to a university for cancelled academics in this dark, complex debut about the culture wars
Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson review – a rich, provoking study in luminous prose
The Gilead author explores the first book of the Bible and finds it full of meaning – even hope – for today
In brief: Happiness Falls; In Memoriam; All the Lonely People – reviews
Angie Kim lives up to her award-winning debut with her gripping second novel, Alice Winn stuns with a powerful first world war love story, and first-hand insights into loneliness
Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh review – when a clinch is a crime
A gay Nigerian is persecuted by his father and the state in Ibeh’s stylish and moving debut novel