The Correspondent by Virginia Evans review – immensely enjoyable return of the epistolary novel

This moving work about an irascible woman in her 70s who conducts her most intimate relationships through letters has been shortlisted for the Women’s prize

Weimar by Katja Hoyer review – the town that changed Germany

It was the birthplace of the liberal tradition, but also the incubator for Nazism – what can this historic city tell us about democracy?

Vocal Break by Lauren Elkin review – a celebration of the female voice

From Édith Piaf to Charli xcx, a moving study of the ways women express themselves – and the obstacles they face

Uprising by Tahmima Anam review – a fiery novel of female rebellion

Radical hope and rage combine in this tale of ecological precarity and resistance among sex workers on a brothel island

High and Low by Amanda Craig review – will Britain boil over?

A north London cafe is under siege in a state-of-the-nation satire that brings together the haves and have-nots

The Savage Landscape by Cal Flyn review – a carnival of a book about Earth’s wild places

An extraordinary exploration of wilderness and its meaning that takes us from the ocean floor to volcanic peaks

John of John by Douglas Stuart review – will a father and son come out to each other?

The Booker winner’s epic tale of gay love and loneliness in the Hebrides charts an uneasy homecoming against a backdrop of repression

Israel: What Went Wrong? by Omer Bartov review – the long view

An erudite account of the foundation of the state and its subsequent moral and political decline

The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup

The Republic of Memory by Mahmud El Sayed; The Rainshadow Orphans by Naomi Ishiguro; No Ghosts by Max Lury; Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler; Moon Over Brendle by Jeff Noon

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher review – Hilary Mantel tale is provocative, powerful theatre

Beginning as a culture clash comedy with cups of tea and deadly intent, this two-hander becomes boldly arresting

This Book May Cause Side Effects by Helen Pilcher review – can you think yourself sick?

Fearing the worst can lead to physical changes, according to this fascinating study of a strange medical phenomenon

Goodbye, My Love by Yumna Kassab review – biting reflections on the dissolution of a marriage

This novel told in vignettes and poetic fragments follows a woman who discovers that choice does not always equate to agency

The Pretender by Jo Harkin audiobook review – sprightly historical political skulduggery

This 15th-century royal romp of intrigue and courtly conspiracy is given extra charismatic verve by John Hollingworth’s rambunctious narration

Solace House by Will Maclean review – immensely fun gothic horror with a psychedelic twist

A dead poet’s cluttered mansion is the setting for a heady brew of magic, mystery and mushrooms

Magic review – spellbinding standoff between Houdini and Conan Doyle

David Haig shines as writer and star of this dramatisation about the fraught friendship of two entertainment giants and their debate over what is real or simply illusion