Hungry for What by María Bastarós review – darkly compelling tales from Spain
A sense of dread hangs over this gripping short-story collection, the author’s first collection in English
VV Ganeshananthan and Naomi Klein win Women’s prizes for fiction and nonfiction
Judges praised Klein’s Doppelganger for its ‘courageous’ study of truth in politics and called Ganeshananthan’s Brotherless Night a ‘masterpiece’ of historical fiction
Hurdy Gurdy by Jenny Ackland review – a toothless abortion tale
If novels like this one are feminist – and that’s a slippery question – then it feels like a masochistic kind of empowerment
Cecilia by K-Ming Chang review – teenage kicks
The acclaimed American-Taiwanese author explores sexual awakening in a visceral novella of disgust and queer desire
The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry review – a wild western
Tragedy and farce collide in this dazzling tale of lovers on the run in Montana
Sandwich by Catherine Newman review – emotional crisis and comedy in Cape Cod
Midlife loss and anxiety are keenly felt on a family holiday, in this brilliant follow-up to We All Want Impossible Things
‘Ideal for a night in, hiding from the cold’: the best Australian books out in June
Each month Guardian Australia editors and critics pick the upcoming titles they have already devoured – or can’t wait to get their hands on
Crime and thrillers of the month – review
Deep-sea divers feel the pressure, Stephen King returns with some masterly tales, a mother fears her own son, and a Dorset resort isn’t as restful as it seems
Scaffolding by Lauren Elkin review – an erudite first novel with horny energy
The bedroom antics of two couples 50 years apart drive the cultural critic’s debut novel, a cerebral comedy full of insights into art, womanhood and ethical quandaries
Going Home by Tom Lamont review – a debut with charm to burn
The award-winning journalist’s first novel is a well-observed tale enriched by the perspective of a small boy
Only Here, Only Now by Tom Newlands review – visceral coming-of-age tale
A teenage girl with ADHD dreams of a new life in Glasgow in a rich and vivid debut novel examining belonging, poverty and rage
Girl in the Making by Anna Fitzgerald review – an affecting coming-of-age debut
A girl’s childhood is vividly chronicled in this novel of a large family in 1960s and 70s Dublin
Winner: Observer/Anthony Burgess prize 2024: Oscar Jelley reviews Isabel Waidner
The winning entry for this year’s criticism prize dissects the German-British writer’s latest novel, a work that combines surrealist fantasy and political moralising
In brief: History in the House; Rabbits; Summer in Baden-Baden – review
A study of Christ Church, Oxford, brings its characters to life, Hugo Rifkind skewers posh-boy mores in his new novel, and an underappreciated Soviet author returns to the spotlight
Lorrie Moore: ‘I identify with Beth in Little Women, who dies’
The acclaimed American author on the humour, horror and anger in her latest novel, what she would have as her epitaph and the writers she most admires