Our Place by Mark Cocker review – can Britain’s wildlife be saved?
British people have long expressed a love of wild nature and the countryside. So why is much of it being allowed to disappear?
The Lost Boys by Gina Perry review – the experiment that made boys vicious
In 1954 the American psychologist Muzafer Sherif set out to prove that hate was learned with the help of two groups of warring 11-year-olds
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber review – the myth of capitalist efficiency
Is your job one that makes the world a better place? If not, it is probably bullshit, part of a system that is keeping us under control
The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara review – disco, drag and tragedy
A vibrant tribute to the stars of a cult queer documentary about New York’s ball scene in the 80s
Skybound by Rebecca Loncraine review – a euphoric, courageous book
When, with severe illness, the ground disappeared from beneath Loncraine, she decided to conquer her fear, take up gliding and head for the clouds
Connect by Julian Gough review – a dazzling technothriller
An awkward teenage boy gains superhuman abilities in this excitable story about family and digital life, set in the near future
Natives by Akala review – the hip-hop artist on race and class in the ruins of empire
In this memoir-polemic, the author refuses to fall into the trap of thinking his escape from poverty is proof of personal exceptionalism
The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh review – an extraordinary otherworldly debut
There are shades of King Lear in this story about three sisters who are isolated on an island, far away from lethal men
America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo review – an impressive debut novel
The intricacies of Filipino-American society are explored in a fresh, tender story about one woman’s journey from torture in the Philippines to a new life in California
Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz review – a prequel to Casino Royale
We meet again Mr Bond … but this time 007 is still learning the ropes of spycraft, in this enjoyable spinoff authorised by the Fleming estate
How to Change Your Mind: The New Science of Psychedelics by Michael Pollan – review
Pollan’s illuminating history of hallucinogenic drugs reveals that their mystical and medical benefits are indivisible
Thrillers review: Our Kind of Cruelty; What We Did; Star of the North
Dirty dancing, memories of sexual abuse and a spy’s search for her missing sister feature in this month’s standouts
Problems by Jade Sharma review – strangely uplifting
A young junkie parades her life of deceit in this frank and sharp debut
In brief: Fall Out; House of Gold; Wilding – reviews
Tim Shipman’s enthralling story of last year’s general election, a TV-friendly tale about a powerful family and Isabella Tree’s account of going wild in the country
You Think It, I’ll Say It By Curtis Sittenfeld review – the good, bad and ugly of female lives
Curtis Sittenfeld’s first story collection conjures a vivid cast of women – including a presidential hopeful – caught up in knotty social dilemmas