Apropos of Nothing review – Woody Allen’s times and misdemeanours
The film-maker can be brutally honest but also a bore, and neither he nor Mia Farrow come out of his autobiography well
Epidemics and Society by Frank M Snowden review – illuminating and persuasive
The Yale historian argues that diseases have shaped humanity as much as war – abetted by the hubris of our leaders
For God and Country review: Christian case for Trump is a thin read indeed
Amid the evasions and distortions lies evidence that Ralph Reed knows, really, that religion and politics can mix to noble ends – just not under this president
The best recent poetry collections – review
How to Wash a Heart by Bhanu Kapil; Saffron Jack by Rishi Dastidar; The Atlas of Lost Beliefs by Ranjit Hoskote; and Shine, Darling by Ella Frears
Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez review – a fearless debut
A groundbreaking first novel shows how its young black protagonist tests the limits of sexual freedom
The Celestial Hunter by Roberto Calasso review – the sacrificial society
Informed by myth, this damning exploration of man’s detachment from the animal world is the ninth in a staggeringly learned series
James Monroe review: a timely reminder of the Era of Good Feelings
A life of the fifth president makes interesting reading, not least for his warnings about foreign influence in the White House
The Motion of the Body Through Space by Lionel Shriver review – the cult of fitness
Shriver’s contentious views on diversity thread through the story of a couple’s strained relationship with exercise
The Life and Times of Malcolm McLaren review – fallouts and fabulous disasters
From avant-garde fashion with Vivienne Westwood to the Sex Pistols to hip-hop … Paul Gorman pins down the talents of a disruptive visionary
Burn by Patrick Ness review – a fire-breathing adventure
A young heroine finds danger as well as friendship and hope in a cold war America populated with dragons
The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi review – conquest and resistance
A passionate history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ... does the political will exist to bring about meaningful dialogue?
Sick Souls, Healthy Minds by John Kaag review – can William James save your life?
The pragmatist philosopher becomes exemplary of the power of positive thinking in this flawed study, full of cracker-barrel wisdom
The Well Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith review – unwinding with nature
A life-affirming study of the pleasures of tending a plot or garden and soothing your mind
Oh No, George! review – playful pooch’s tail-wagging caper
No pot plant or bin is safe in Can’t Sit Still’s pleasingly physical adaptation of Chris Haughton’s picturebook
Friend by Paek Nam-nyong review – a bestseller from North Korea
Humour abounds in a tender tale of marital intrigue that gently teases state-sanctioned attitudes towards the roles of husband and wife