‘There’s only one bed’, ‘fake dating’ and ‘opposites attract’: how tropes took over romance
They’re all over blurbs and social media, but do these bite-size labels lead to formulaic fiction? Plus the classics reimagined for a modern reader
The bristling wit and melancholy of Cees Nooteboom came to me when I needed it most
The great Dutch travel writer, who died this week, found history inscribed in every place he visited, all while remaining accountable to the present
Good People by Patmeena Sabit review – addictive mystery caters to modern attention spans
Who killed Zorah? Snippets of gossip expose the divisions in a migrant community in this polyphonic portrait of contemporary America
Soft Serve by George Kemp review – moving coming-of-age debut set in a regional McDonald’s
Climate carnage is a metaphor for the pain of loss, as an encroaching bushfire traps four people under the golden arches
From Brontë to Ballard, Orwell to Okri: the best songs inspired by literature – ranked!
As Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights gets a boost from a new film adaptation, we survey the surprising, seditious and sensual ways in which prose has influenced pop
The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine review – drag fabulousness in war-torn Beirut
Spanning eras of conflict and Covid in Lebanon, this irresistible queer coming-of-age tale explores what it means to be truly free
Your Life Without Me by James Meek review – angel of destruction haunts a domestic drama
A plot to blow up St Paul’s Cathedral is seen through the lens of family tragedy
James Sallis obituary
American crime writer best known for his 2005 novel Drive which was turned into a hit film starring Ryan Gosling
Female, Nude by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett review – a seductive drama of art and rivalry
Tensions simmer when a struggling artist joins her wealthy friends for a hen week on an exotic Greek island
Kathy Lette, mum rage and a cursed vagina: the best Australian books out in February
Each month Guardian Australia editors and critics pick the upcoming titles they have devoured – or can’t wait to get their hands on
Helen of Nowhere by Makenna Goodman review – a perfect fairytale for our times
What does good living look like? With his marriage and career in meltdown, a man tries to get back to nature in this thought-provoking fable
Jean by Madeleine Dunnigan review – sex and teenage secrets
Queer self-discovery drives this powerful coming-of-age debut set in a bohemian 1970s school
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë audiobook review – Aimee Lou Wood reads the romance of the moment
As Emerald Fennell’s provocative adaptation hits screens, this narration from the White Lotus actor reminds us of the brilliance of Brontë’s tempestuous novel
Bugger by Michael Mohammed Ahmad review – tender, unflinching and difficult to read
The author’s fourth novel offers a devastating day in the life of a 10-year-old boy who cannot be kept safe
Allan Massie obituary
Acclaimed novelist and literary critic who was a staunch opponent of Scottish devolution