Stranger than Fiction: Lives of the Twentieth-Century Novel review – 100 years of magical thinking

Edwin Frank’s finely judged survey of modern fiction from Dostoevsky to Sebald will have you reaching for novels you hadn’t thought about in years

Troll: A Love Story by Johanna Sinisalo review – a playful tale of interspecies affection

The Finnish novelist’s reissued debut, about a man who rescues and cares for a troll, still feels fresh and bright 20 years on

The House of Gazes by Daniele Mencarelli review – a slow-burn tale of lives on the margins

A poet’s job in a children’s hospital relieves his depression in the Italian’s rewarding debut novel

In brief: Eurotrash; Overcoming: A Workbook; What Writers Read – review

An unsettling semi-autobiographical road trip; practical life advice from Michelle Obama; and essays by leading writers on the books they love

‘I’m writing a memoir. It’s a pack of lies’: John Banville on a lifetime in books, bereavement, and the Irish love of words

The acclaimed novelist thought he had finished with ‘serious’ books. But now, at 78 and still grieving the loss of his wife, he has a new project on the go

‘Relax your rules, let them pick what they want’: 10 page-turners to get kids reading

A report this month revealed fewer children than ever read for pleasure. From spooky tales to choose-your-own-adventure fantasy epics, here are 10 irresistible titles

Jon Ransom wins second Polari prize in two years with The Gallopers

The author has been named winner of the LGBTQ book prize for his second novel, having won the Polari first book award in 2023. This year’s debut award goes to Nicola Dinan, with Sarah Hagger-Holt taking the children’s prize

Hum by Helen Phillips review – an all-too-plausible vision of the future

This thoughtful novel about a family trying to breathe clean air and not spend too long on their devices is mesmerising and scary

Of course the girls are reading horny fairy books. It’s cheaper than travel and more fun than therapy

We want dragons, rose gardens and strong characters who are absolutely getting laid but whose relationships with men don’t define them

Leave the Girls Behind by Jacqueline Bublitz review – tale of murdered girls is gripping but flawed

In her second novel the crime author cannily uses the trappings of her genre to explore the ways society and the justice system fail women

Thirst by Giles Foden review – adventures on the Skeleton Coast

An environmental scientist goes in search of a hidden aquifer, in an action-packed novel that reads like a movie pitch

Poor Artists by The White Pube review – how to make it in the art world

An aspiring young artist’s journey makes for a critique of the art world, in novel form

Novels about serial killers and loyal dogs voted Waterstones books of 2024

Booksellers chose true-crime inspired Butter by Asako Yuzuki as book of the year, while Ross Montgomery’s fun adventure I Am Rebel took the children’s prize

The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami review – a labour of love

On his third attempt, the author finally sets down a story that has haunted him for decades

Crime and thrillers of the month – review

A French assassin whose memory is failing; murders in a Swedish town that no one can leave; and some light crime-solving during an Australian Christmas