The End of Romance by Maria Takolander – a bleak, bold and urgent novel for our times
A mother and son scavenge and pillage in a violent post-apocalyptic world, in the poet and short story writer’s tense and engrossing debut
Honey by Imani Thompson audiobook review – a darkly entertaining campus thriller
Racial and gender politics are woven into a clever tale of murder and morals at Cambridge
Long Wave by Daisy Johnson review – a sublime novel of motherhood and loss
Covering three generations, this tangled story of secrets, childhood, abandonment and care might be her best work yet
The Swamp Dwellers review – this rare Wole Soyinka drama is a total revelation
Mojisola Kareem’s excellent production makes no concessions to this 50-seat space, bringing grand historical scope to a story of Nigeria in transition
Historic Istanbul, a spotlight on South Africa, and Indian made easy: the best summer cookbooks for 2026 – review
Essential new titles for your kitchen shelf – plus a classic to rediscover
Depraved by Daisy Dixon review – a history of dark and dangerous art
From classical painting to video games, this survey of the taboo and the twisted won’t let you look away
International Freak by M Syd Rosen review – the British Timothy Leary
Robin Farquharson was a prize-winning game theorist, anti-apartheid activist and countercultural chaos merchant
Queenie Is Working On It by Candice Carty-Williams review – a smart sequel to a breakout bestseller
Queenie’s ticking biological clock drives her chaotic misadventures in this sage and funny follow-up
No God But Us by Bobuq Sayed review – a buzzy and political queer love story
Two gay Afghan men find each other in Istanbul, in a much-hyped debut that fails to sustain the killer energy of its opening act
Raveheart by Graeme Armstrong review – ravers rebel in a Scottish political satire
A veteran techno DJ embarks on a campaign of civil disobedience in this passionate and at times hilarious tale of underground resistance
Father Alberto and the Flying Girl by Timothy X Atack review – a fable of medieval madness
A parish priest cares for the mentally afflicted in an absorbing tale that combines antic comedy with serious moral themes
Communion by JD Vance review – a strange, poignant book about faith and the modern world
JD Vance’s Christian vision is thoughtful – but impossible to square with the political company he keeps
Children and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels
A mouse detective; a fresh take on the Odyssey; a dangerous wish; and the world’s most watched reality TV show
Dangerous, Dirty, Violent & Young by Zayd Ayers Dohrn review – child of the revolution
The son of fugitive leaders of the militant Weather Underground recounts his chaotic, peripatetic upbringing
Jesus Christ Kinski by Benjamin Myers review – inside the mind of an actor in meltdown
Narrator Rory Kinnear fully inhabits Klaus Kinski’s fury in this depiction of the irascible actor’s ill-fated performance in Berlin