The Wager review: David Grann’s magnificent shipwreck epic
New masterpiece from the author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Lost City of Z is as much about literature as adventure
The Russo-Ukrainian War by Serhii Plokhy review – deeply personal study of ‘an old-fashioned imperial war’
The great chronicler of Ukraine breaks new ground in his rigorous and elegant analysis of Europe’s biggest conflict since 1945 – and its impact on friends and family
Radical by Xiaolu Guo review – a woman of character
The Chinese-British novelist’s highly original meditation on language, authenticity and freedom
Traffic review: Ben Smith on Bannon, BuzzFeed and where it all went wrong
Now a co-founder of Semafor, formerly of Politico, BuzzFeed and the New York Times, the author expertly pulls readers in
Maurice by EM Forster audiobook review – Ben Whishaw narrates a groundbreaking gay novel
The actor’s sensitive reading brings Forster’s long-unpublished novel to life
Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels
A war between fruit and veg; a colourful study of germs; the world’s most badly behaved fairy; a masterful ghost story from the late Marcus Sedgwick; and more
Peter Pan & Wendy review – Jude Law has fun in a so-so reinvention
The actor’s full-throated performance as Captain Hook is the most distinctive thing in a passable but unnecessary Disney live-action remake
The Lost Wife by Susanna Moore review – frontier journeys
Based on a true story, this is a riveting account of one woman’s quest during the Dakota uprising, from the author of In the Cut
Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright review – how can one novel contain so much?
Linguistically commodious and panoramically plotted, Wright’s 700-page monster would have given Henry James a heart attack – but it has so much to say
August Blue by Deborah Levy review – how to construct a self
A concert pianist is shadowed across Europe by her doppelganger in this virtuosic novel of identity and breakdown
The Seaside by Madeleine Bunting review – postcards from the edge
A deeply reported account of what England’s seaside towns reveal about the state of the nation
The North Shore by Ben Tufnell review – turning art and myth into narrative
The discovery of a body on the beach provides the pivotal moment in an essayistic novel that lacks propulsion and pace
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry review – Jim Broadbent hits the road
Jim Broadbent’s Harold goes on a 600-mile quest in Rachel Joyce’s sad and quirky story that is undermined by its implausibility
The Power of Trees by Peter Wohlleben review – out of the woods
The charismatic forester argues that trees can be a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change – so long as we leave them alone
Western Lane by Chetna Maroo review – a tender debut
The tensions of family life are vividly conveyed in this novel of growing pains, grief and squash