Picture books for children – reviews
Laughter abounds with tales of mini beasts at bedtime, a box filled with babbling babies and an odd-couple comedy from Julia Donaldson
Memories of a Catholic Girlhood by Mary McCarthy review – incurable sadness if bravely borne
Colm Tóibín introduces this welcome reprint of the US author and critic’s poignant account of orphanhood, first published in 1957
Giants of La Mancha review – kids cartoon sticks Don Quixote Jr into the modern world
Alfonso Quixote, a descendant of Cervantes’ idealistic hero, is on a mission to save his town in this unsatisfying animated adventure
The Leopard in My House by Mark Steel review – a comedian’s chronicle of cancer
In this forthright account of his diagnosis and treatment, Steel wrings humour from the horror while honouring friends found and lost – and the significance of the NHS
The CIA Book Club by Charlie English review – chapter and verse as a weapon of war
A gripping study of the CIA smuggling operation to get banned books behind the iron curtain
Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney review – the women behind the woman
An erudite exploration of the female writers who influenced the celebrated 19th-century author brings to light neglected or forgotten but often captivating literature
Jimmy review – lyrical and impressionistic vision of James Baldwin in 1940s Paris
The celebrated Black American author’s arrival in the City of Light is reimagined in this freewheeling feature, which prioritises images over the spoken word
Listen In: How Radio Changed the Home review – the wonder of the wireless revolution
Beaty Rubens’s study of the impact of early radio broadcasts in Britain is full of fascinating and often poignant detail
The Cafe With No Name by Robert Seethaler review – a cup of tea and a slice of life
A humble neighbourhood eatery in Vienna is the hub for a moving exploration of everyday urban existence in a new novel by the International Booker-shortlisted Austrian author
Soft Core by Brittany Newell review – highly strung strippers and cranky madams
The writer’s impressive second novel about an erotic dancer and newbie dominatrix straddles thriller and satire in its depiction of desire and longing
All or Nothing review: Michael Wolff details Trump’s bilious re-election campaign
The president’s least favorite biographer again exposes the grotesque pettiness of Trump as he willed his way back to power
Dark Like Under by Alice Chadwick review – the kids aren’t all right
Against a backdrop of Thatcher and the Falklands, this sharp debut punctures the facade of life at a middle-England grammar school
In brief: The Curious Life of the Cuckoo; The Dream Hotel; The Rising Down – review
An extensive hymn of praise to a springtime songbird; a gripping tale of a none-too-distant dystopia; and a history of the land and people of a small part of Sussex
Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie review – candid conversations with friends
The author’s first novel since 2013 – a stately sisterhood saga about a group of women whose lives haven’t turned out quite as planned – continually reframes our understanding of the quartet, practically offering four books for the price of one
Theory & Practice by Michelle de Kretser review – art v reality
The award-winning Australian’s deconstruction of the novel form is a rich pleasure