Ismail Kadare, giant of Albanian literature, dies aged 88
His allegorical stories, informed by life under state communism, drew international praise but he insisted that he was not a political writer
Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner review – an old-fashioned maximalist rush of storytelling
Inspired by the real-life abduction of a wealthy businessman, the second novel from the Fleishman Is in Trouble author is a lip-smacking tale of family, wealth and self-destruction told with relish
Monumenta by Lara Haworth review – Serbian house of horrors
A deeply political debut novel, fizzing with ideas, examines the difficulties of memorialising the past in a region riven by conflict
In brief: Storm Pegs; Beautiful Days; A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages – review
An engrossing memoir of life on Shetland; a varied set of short stories about all-American antiheroes; and how medieval tourists got their kicks
Beach books at the ready: authors pick their essential summer reads
From newly published novels to timeless classics, Elizabeth Strout, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Irvine Welsh, Tessa Hadley and other writers choose their holiday favourites
Following in the footsteps of David Nicholls’ characters turned out to be good for our soles
A trip to a local, well-known outdoors outlet proved that the spirit of Michael and Marnie is alive and well in Penrith
Anita Desai: ‘After I left India, I had to train myself to express my opinions’
At 87, the Indian author has been shortlisted for the Booker prize three times, and has written her first novel in a decade. She talks about leaving India to teach and write around the world – and feeling like a stranger everywhere
Yorùbá Boy Running by Biyi Bándélé review – a historic hero
The Nigerian writer and film-maker’s last work explores the life story of the enslaved Samuel Àjàyí Crowther, in a novel of triumph over adversity
Orlando by Virginia Woolf audiobook review – a superb reading by Juliet Stevenson
The actor expertly navigates the detours of Virginia Woolf’s adventure – a feminist fantasy that speaks to our times
Psykhe by Kate Forsyth review – a cosy escape into Greek myth
This novel, by an assured writer known for her female-led stories, succeeds in its ambition to entice and delight
The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks review – a wild journey
A train journey takes an ever more phantasmagorical turn in this vivid eco-fable with a dash of romance
Only Here, Only Now by Tom Newlands review – growing up with ADHD
This coming-of-age debut set in an impoverished Scottish coastal town is exuberantly memorable
The End of Drum-Time by Hanna Pylväinen review – a sweeping Sámi epic
Scandinavian missionaries wreak destruction on the Sámi way of life in an atmospheric tale of love and colonial conflict
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley review – time-travel romance is a sparkling delight
The author’s intelligent and witty first novel effortlessly fuses a love story, a mystery and postcolonial narratives
Passiontide by Monique Roffey review – flawed but well-told tale of a feminist uprising
The murder of a Japanese tourist on a fictional Caribbean island sparks a rebellion among the local women in an urgent novel mirroring a real-life case