Animal by Lisa Taddeo review – dangerous liaisons in Los Angeles
A damaged woman embarks on a sexual odyssey in this visceral exploration of empowerment and consent
The Case for Love by AK Benjamin review – inside the minds of the severely unwell
The neuropsychologist and author articulates the thoughts of profoundly disabled patients in an imaginative, beautifully written study of consciousness and the fragility of life
Three Floors review – Nanni Moretti melodrama lacks profundity
There are powerhouse performances and queasily effective scenes in this story of a man who suspects his neighbour of abuse, but it’s a soapy shadow of The Son’s Room
In brief: The Comfort Book; The Dictator’s Muse; Shadow State – review
Matt Haig’s self-help book will both inspire and irritate, Hitler’s favourite film-maker drives a fascinating novel, and Luke Harding exposes the Putin regime
Ceremony of Innocence by Madeleine Bunting review – on the make in the Middle East
A journalist investigates her friend’s disappearance in this original, atmospheric thriller about corruption in 1970s Iran
Sentient review – in the realm of the senses
Jackie Higgins explains how the animal kingdom has given us new insights into how our senses function in a vivid and highly readable study
Notes on Grief; Cloud Studies; The Long Waited, Weighted, Gathering – review
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s reflections on the death of her father resist the confines of the stage
Maradona by Guillem Balagué review – the magic and the madness
The football journalist exploits his contacts in the game to illuminate the many Maradona stories in the first biography of the legend since his death
Nice Racism by Robin DiAngelo review – appearances can be deceptive
The sociologist lacks self-awareness in a further examination of the part white liberals play in perpetuating racism, albeit unconsciously
Vaxxers by Sarah Gilbert and Catherine Green; Until Proven Safe by Geoff Manaugh and Nicola Twilley – reviews
The story of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is part manifesto for good science communications, part biomedical thriller, while a smart history of quarantines makes their utility resoundingly clear
Spooked review: exposé of murky world of private spies is a dodgy dossier itself
Barry Meier brings distasteful characters and episodes to light but is happy to leave out that which does not suit his aims
You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike review – the biography of Nico
A not always flattering portrait of the enigmatic Velvet Underground singer’s troubled life and legacy
Mothering Sunday review – Josh O’Connor doomed romance overdoes the ennui
This adaptation of the Graham Swift novel look and sounds lush, but the pace is so languorous your emotions never have a chance to get going
The Nine by Gwen Strauss review – so much more than an escape story
A 10-day journey across front lines shows the courage, resilience and friendship of a remarkable group of women
Frankly, We Did Win This Election review: a devastating dispatch from Trumpworld
As well as grabby headlines about Hitler, Michael Bender of the Wall Street Journal shows us how millions have been led astray