Culture in the Third Reich by Moritz Föllmer review – when fascism stole the show
This weighty study reveals how the Nazis exploited films and theatre to spread their poisonous ideology
In brief: The Peer and the Gangster; Tennis Lessons; To Calais, in Ordinary Time – review
A riotous 60s scandal revisited, an ace coming-of-age debut, and a haunting, medieval plague tale
Holiday Heart by Margarita García Robayo review – immigrant swansong
An aspiring Colombian couple in Connecticut feel their marriage falling apart in this sharply observed novella
Fat Cow, Fat Chance by Jenni Murray review – well meaning but haphazard
Murray’s memoir-cum-polemic about her lifelong struggle with her size is a lightweight in a crowded field
Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces by Laura Tunbridge – review
The author lets the music do the talking in this pithy new biography, which uses the composer’s works to shed new light on his life
Too Much and Never Enough review: Mary Trump thumps Donald
The president’s niece follows John Bolton’s right hook with a sharp left to the ribs. Revenge Trump-style is grimly engrossing
Vernon Subutex 3 by Virginie Despentes review – the trilogy concludes
Flashes of vulgar energy and trademark cynicism enliven an overlong finale of ageing French rockers
British Summer Time Begins by Ysenda Maxtone Graham review – what school summer holidays were like
What should happen during the summer holidays? Evocative memories of roaming out of parental reach
The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones; The Waiting Rooms by Eve Smith; The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde; The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott and Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis
Female Husbands by Jen Manion review – a trans history
Published at a fractious moment in the analysis of gender and sex, this book challenges the argument that ‘reclaiming’ transgender ancestors is ahistorical
Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell review – a musical journey
This portrait of a 60s band on the rise conveys the spirit of the age with gleeful energy
Rewild Yourself by Simon Barnes review – how to get closer to nature
Listen to the dawn chorus, find a giant moth ... suggestions to enrich your life
The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-eun review – life under late capitalism
In this entertaining eco-thriller, the heroine curates holiday packages in disaster zones
Twilight of Democracy by Anne Applebaum review – when politics ends friendships
Shaming Boris Johnson and other friends who shifted further right ... a personal survey of nationalisms, discussed alongside The Light That Failed by Ivan Krastev and Stephen Holmes
August by Callan Wink review – coming of age in rural America
The shadow of the Southern Gothic imbues this debut novel with a subtle sense of foreboding