The Director by Daniel Kehlmann review – the author’s best work yet
This portrait of German film-maker GW Pabst and his moral struggles under the Nazis has the darkness and ambiguity of a modern Grimms’ fairytale
King of Dirt by Holden Sheppard review – a grim portrait of homophobia and masculinity
In his first book for adults, Sheppard explores his gay protagonist’s desperately sad, self-sabotaging behaviour as he struggles with being gay in rural Australia
Brighton Rock by Graham Greene audiobook review – Sam West captures the menace of this modern classic
The seaside town’s seedy underbelly is vividly evoked in this timeless tale of murder, romance and revenge
A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern review – not your usual PM
New Zealand’s former prime minister is a refreshingly informal narrator of her remarkable rise and fall
Super Natural by Alex Riley review – the creatures that can survive anywhere
From moss piglets to radioactive horses – a survey of animals’ extraordinary adaptations to extreme environments
Twelve Post-War Tales by Graham Swift review – haunting visions from a Booker winner
The author’s conceptual agility is on display in these short stories surveying the trauma of conflict and the challenges of survival
A Family Matter by Claire Lynch review – powerful debut about lesbian mothers in the 80s
A woman is forced to rethink her childhood after she learns that her mother was denied custody, in a decade blighted by homophobia
Electric Spark by Frances Wilson review – the mercurial Muriel Spark
The author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie could be as prickly and problematic as her famous heroine. This account sheds new light on her formative years
Going Nuclear by Tim Gregory review – a boosterish case for atomic energy
Safety concerns demand more space and consideration in this otherwise excellent work of popular science
The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey review – beyond the bounds of fiction
You can read it from either end, and go round again, as memoir collides with invention in a brilliant interrogation of art, faith and relationships
Dragon on Centre Street by Jonah Bromwich review – drama of Trump the felon
The New York Times reporter gives an insightful – and withering – account of the president’s hush-money trial
The best recent translated fiction – review roundup
The Propagandist by Cécile Desprairies; Lovers of Franz K by Burhan Sönmez; Back in the Day by Oliver Lovrenski; Waist Deep by Linea Maja Ernst
Ghost Wedding by David Park review – a thought-provoking novel about the power of the past
The romance is beautifully drawn in this tale of two couples whose lives overlap at a Northern Irish manor house, a century apart
Kataraina by Becky Manawatu review – a generous and masterful novel
Both a sequel and prequel to the Māori and Pākehā author’s acclaimed debut, Auē, Kataraina is filled with heart-achingly beautiful vignettes
Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle review – what exactly is ‘clairgustance’?
A chef can taste the favourite foods of the departed, in this debut mash-up of satire, ghost story and slushy romance