9,141 book reviews and counting...

"a bracing, refreshing first novel, with hints of greater things to come...."

"Three women, three centuries apart, are linked by their suffering at male hands..."

"A Theatre for Dreamers is at once a blissful piece of escapism and a powerful meditation on art and sexuality..."

"(an) undeniably intriguing, well-researched novel..."

"plausible and fully realised..."

"a fully realised world full of dry humour, especially at the expense of tech hermits everywhere..."

"The story of an abusive relationship between a teacher and his pupil is intelligent, brave and painful to read ..."

"Aravind Adiga powerfully evokes Sri Lankan unease and scrutiny as ‘other’ in Australia..."

"Dana, her father’s ‘secret’ daughter, suffers deeply from shame, while his legitimate daughter Chaurisse enjoys a carefree existence..."

"If the relentless uncertainty occasionally has the effect of a “Do Not Disturb” sign, the novel is worth it for the times we’re beckoned to go inside...."

"The provocative sadomasochism of Adam Mars-Jones's Box Hill..."

"full of grit, humour and tenderness..."

"(a) penetrating examination of misogyny and family ties..."

"...this is a moving, authentic, humane novel which raises fundamental questions about what it means to be kind in an unkind world, and it will stay with me for a long time..."

"The texture of experience conveyed in Little Eyes feels not so much speculative as nostalgic..."

"a glorious, affirmative vision..."

"(A) Lively debut novel..."

"Ruth Gilligan’s uncanny novel has a terrible dark heart and is set around the BSE virus..."

"Written in cool, clear-eyed prose, English Monsters is a taut psychological thriller..."

"Mytting’s cleverly crafted story heads inexorably towards a moving conclusion..."

"Louise Erdrich has been a persuasive interpreter of Native American life..."

"It certainly captures Winslow’s stature as a writer from whom others can learn the ropes..."

"subtle and stomach-churning, anticlimactic and eerily satisfying..."

"he captures something of what must be the claustrophobia of immortality..."

"Bruce’s spooky novel is lascivious and bloody..."

"most impressive for its chilling insights into obsession..."

"..(an) atmospheric, timely debut..."

"Bouman’s lyrical descriptions...are so good they give you goosebumps..."

"the result is creepy and compelling..."

"begins promisingly in Barbara Vine territory..."

"Jane Casey expertly splices the professional and private lives of her protagonist with wit and sensitivity. ..."

"It’s is a corking read..."

"a topical #MeToo novel..."

"a rivetingly nasty psychological duel..."

"t only properly gets going in the novel’s second half..."

"A fast-paced whodunnit..."

"a gripping, swift-paced novel that asks disturbing questions about how far parents will go to protect their children...."

"why these books haven’t been turned into mainstream movies or a TV boxed set is anyone’s guess..."

"Ross’s characters are exceptionally vivid..."

"takes dark twists and turns..."

"The detail of Miller’s scenario feels authoritative, and the quality of his prose is never in doubt..."

"Lucy Foley is great at pacy plots..."

"Donohue is a master of clean, sharp prose, and has a hugely impressive ability to create layers of atmosphere or ratchet up tension..."

"Hauty is a Hollywood screenwriter and it shows..."

"a cracking read..."

"a well-crafted, fast-paced read ..."

"this is a lot of (silly, gripping) fun..."

"The dreamy nature of the story slowly dissipates as the danger deepens..."

" an intriguing and unusual set-up..."

"Tanen Jones’s twisty psychological thriller ..."

"It certainly captures Winslow’s stature as a writer from whom others can learn the ropes..."

" Taylor confirms his status as one of our finest writers of historical thrillers..."

"a stodgy read, by no means as compelling as its predecessor..."

"..(an) atmospheric, timely debut..."

"Jane Casey expertly splices the professional and private lives of her protagonist with wit and sensitivity. ..."

"Bouman’s lyrical descriptions...are so good they give you goosebumps..."

"Leon is a superb novelist..."

"begins promisingly in Barbara Vine territory..."

"we’re soon in typically scarifying Oswald territory..."

"It’s is a corking read..."

"a rivetingly nasty psychological duel..."

"t only properly gets going in the novel’s second half..."

"the story is undoubtedly compelling..."

"A fast-paced whodunnit..."

"A haunting and utterly compelling read..."

"why these books haven’t been turned into mainstream movies or a TV boxed set is anyone’s guess..."

"a haunting first novel by a former naval officer, Trevor Wood..."

"takes dark twists and turns..."

"Ross’s characters are exceptionally vivid..."

"The detail of Miller’s scenario feels authoritative, and the quality of his prose is never in doubt..."

"Lucy Foley is great at pacy plots..."

"there’s something here to tickle the fancy of most readers..."

"this is a lot of (silly, gripping) fun..."

"Anappara creates an endearing and highly engaging narrator to navigate us through the dark underbelly of modern India..."

"This is a compassionate tale, full of empathy for the low-lying members of society. ..."

"(an) undeniably intriguing, well-researched novel..."

"Three women, three centuries apart, are linked by their suffering at male hands..."

"The hard facts of Glasgow’s history mix with fantasy..."

" Balzano employs an unpretentious style to explore Trina’s life..."

" Taylor confirms his status as one of our finest writers of historical thrillers..."

"a stodgy read, by no means as compelling as its predecessor..."

"Natasha Pulley’s novel is full of paranormal mystery, but it’s the characters — including a clockwork octopus — that keep you reading..."

"Kehlmann shuffles prose styles as he explores various episodes and protagonists in the conflict...."

"has all the dark witty glitter of the earlier volumes in the trilogy..."

"a dense yet exhilarating eco-parable..."

"I savoured every word of its beautiful prose..."

"This hypnotic tale will keep you emotionally invested to the end..."

"An intriguing tale of friendship, family, betrayal and hope..."

"Fans of Andrea Levy's Small Island will love it...."

"Gifford writes with tenderness about the beauty and harshness of island life..."

"a fully realised world full of dry humour, especially at the expense of tech hermits everywhere..."

"he captures something of what must be the claustrophobia of immortality..."

"This hypnotic tale will keep you emotionally invested to the end..."

"Gifford writes with tenderness about the beauty and harshness of island life..."

"Atmospheric and unforgettable..."

"A winner..."

"at once heartbreaking and full of hope..."

"this is a remarkable, beautiful tale..."

"Gifford has created an undeniably haunting love story..."

"astute and funny..."

"a tale of woe to rival Juliet and her Romeo..."

"The Eighth Life is capacious, voluble, urgent, readable, translated heroically and sparklingly by Charlotte Collins and Ruth Martin..."

"The Other Bennet Sister reads as an enjoyable kind of fanfic..."

"The pace is slow, almost dream-like, but this is ambitious, imaginative and highly recommended..."

"Paul Muldoon’s ability to sing with feeling ... deserves the highest praise..."

"It still keeps the philosophical rigour of previous works..."

"what a joy to read and re-read..."

"Pick up this book, take a deep breath and hold on tight..."

" It is a compliment to its power that I longed to break free..."

"Bird’s poetry is so consistently, effortlessly fun..."

"Nature does not go out of fashion and we need poetry of this quality more than ever..."

"So gripping are the clutches of The Dolphin Letters that readers smash at the bottom beside him...."

"It’s a thrilling hint at things to come...."

" It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end to read a poet engaging so directly with how her language came to be hers..."

"forensic reflections as fiction laureate..."

"this new book brings her back to us..."

"There is writing of a glancing brilliance here, and an emotional and sensory acuity well matched to the terrain..."

"Some of his best poetry was in his journalism, and some of his best journalism is in this poem...."

"This book is brave and moving..."

"to instil a love of literature, a copy of Dancing By The Light Of The Moon ought to find its way into every home in the land...."

"Farley does not let his poetic mastery mask the possibility that technology is mastering him – and us..."

"The new Oxford poetry professor draws on The Odyssey in her skilful collection..."

"Where this volume breaks new ground in English is in conveying Brecht’s extraordinary poetic inventiveness...."

"Spotlight Books is a new initiative from Myriad Books, Creative Future and New Writing South to discover talented new writers who might otherwise be under-represented..."

"a rare collection of her lyrics, poems and paintings, handmade as a gift for friends by Joni herself more than 40 years ago..."

"[Miller] combines biting social satire with moments of tender beauty..."

"The US poet’s voice is searing, powerful and, even in hopelessness, beautiful..."

"[r]eading this book can feel like sliding into that sunken world..."

"Hilarious, heartbreaking diaspora tales..."

"like all great poetry – its story speaks urgently to the present..."

"a stodgy read, by no means as compelling as its predecessor..."

"It’s safe to say the intent is as much ironic as iconoclastic..."

"Natasha Pulley’s novel is full of paranormal mystery, but it’s the characters — including a clockwork octopus — that keep you reading..."

"A treat of a book..."

"a worthy effort whose bit players just fail to carry conviction..."

"The ancient setting doesn’t always marry with Tsiolkas’s modern sensibilities..."

"Paramaditha’s references cleverly blend mythology, fairytales, Indonesian legends and popular culture..."

"Stories nest inside stories, like Russian dolls..."

"Like a well-schooled crime reporter Hammer investigates and describes Lendrum’s 35-year career as an egg thief..."

"in its gritty realism, this story is focused on attempting not just to survive but to live..."

"Furst’s best-selling spy novels excel at pulling his readers back in time, often to World War II and the years leading up to it...."

"Anappara creates an endearing and highly engaging narrator to navigate us through the dark underbelly of modern India..."

"Brilliantly entertaining novel from John Banville..."

"an enjoyable, nail-biting ride..."

"At times it’s foolishly, saccharinely picturesque, yet the darker scenes are horribly upsetting..."

"Intensely human characters, a cracking storyline and vivid scene-setting make The Last Hunt one of Meyer’s best...."

"subtle and stomach-churning, anticlimactic and eerily satisfying..."

"McAuley is a damnably odd writer..."

"a light-hearted thriller with a superbly dark, existential sting in its tail..."

" the novel is gory, visceral and apocalyptic..."

"MacInnes’s intriguing second novel deserves to cement his reputation as a bold and curious writer...."

"This well-told tale is as clean and simple and chilling as a shroud..."

"There’s more adrenaline in a single page of Echo Cycle than you’ll find in whole chapters of other sci-fi novels..."

"a brisk, well-wrought piece of entertainment..."

"It’s a commanding, if demanding, read..."

"Despite the best expository efforts of all concerned, the motives of both goodies and baddies remain somewhere between vague and mystifying..."

"Underpinning it all is an attempt to return our focus to the precarious wonder of the natural world..."

"this novel struggles to find novelty..."

"Earwig is a very curious novel, often at its most satisfying in its smallest physical descriptions..."

"Here really is a world, thrillingly imagined and under the surface entirely like our own..."

"a stunning conclusion to a trilogy that expands our understanding of what science fiction can do...."

"the novel is one long caper..."

"a finely written book, evocative and moving in its exploration of how we live now, without being maudlin or sentimental..."

"It’s safe to say the intent is as much ironic as iconoclastic..."

"super-readable..."

"he captures something of what must be the claustrophobia of immortality..."

"MacInnes’s intriguing second novel deserves to cement his reputation as a bold and curious writer...."

"Natasha Pulley’s novel is full of paranormal mystery, but it’s the characters — including a clockwork octopus — that keep you reading..."

"To spin a speculative novel out of erotica is a hell of an undertaking, and Szpara carries it off..."

"Highfire is deliciously funny at times. In a sea of forgettable modern fantasy titles, it offers moments of genuine originality..."

"What shines through is the author’s unbridled passion for classic literature, particularly its brooding anti-heroes..."

"it would make for a great TV series..."

" while this novel succeeds as entertainment, it is also one to make you think..."

"Underpinning it all is an attempt to return our focus to the precarious wonder of the natural world..."

"Earwig is a very curious novel, often at its most satisfying in its smallest physical descriptions..."

"the conclusion of the book is, in its bleak way, impressive..."

"Erin Morgenstern’s starry debut, The Night Circus, proves a hard act to follow..."

"beautifully illustrated by the Croatian artist Tomislav Tomic..."

"Although crammed with characters and detail, the intricately woven story never slackens its merciless grip ..."

"[a] devilish satire..."

"the best one so far..."

"a genuinely new take on the Robin Hood tales..."

"A novel where special coffins are required to keep the dead from rising, and river gods vandalise jetskis could be irritating. But here the tricks pay off..."

"a richly picaresque adventure..."

"[a] striking account of growing up gay in Syria..."

"everything is here in the right proportion to make another cracking TV movie ..."

"he captures something of what must be the claustrophobia of immortality..."

"a stodgy read, by no means as compelling as its predecessor..."

"Pine wraps folk-horror trappings around a tale of grief and loneliness set in the Scottish Highlands..."

"As desire turns to aversion, details that at first seemed inconsequential take on a menacing significance..."

"This twisted gothic novel is a winner..."

"Andrew Michael Hurley returns to a strange but familiar terrain..."

"a blunt, forceful poetry, entirely suited to a tale – and, in fairytale, a genre – that blends a catalogue of dangers with a celebration of female agency..."

"– a near-perfect ghost story..."

"Horrendously read-able, deliciously sickening and elegantly twisted, Joe Hill’s new collection of stories range from elegiac pulp to full-on horror...."

"Some readers might find [the authorial interjections] jarring; to others, it might feel like authorial over-sharing. In the end though, I think Logan pulls it off...."

"This novel is talky, smart, anarchic and quite sexy. You begin to linger on those three s’s when you speak the title aloud..."

"If you liked A Woman in Black, you'll love this utterly gripping and atmospheric book..."

"an enjoyably overwrought exercise in dark melodrama...."

"Innovative and unsettling debut novel..."

"South Korea’s reputation for comic art continues to blossom in this feline tale of feasts and filial duty..."

"this soapy, spiky book is a compelling read..."

"Funny, sweet and emotionally true, it doesn’t so much tiptoe on to fraught cultural territory as dance wildly across it..."

"Come for the consumer satire; stay for the heartache...."

"I feel more and more that comics are capable of dealing even with the most difficult of subjects..."

"With her pithy put-downs and her easy way with half-truths, it’s impossible not to warm to Little Lulu..."

" a beloved genius of storytelling and illustration..."

"Rusty Brown is a human document of rare richness..."

"a restrained, poignant graphic novel..."

"This affecting account of family life features dreams of monsters, classroom japes – and a father hooked on heroin..."

"a huge year for the Wimpy Kid comes to a close with Greg's 14th adventure...."

"a masterpiece..."

" There is...real daring here, as well as empathy and imagination..."

"this flawless performance is captivating..."

"it certainly is a wild ride..."

"devilishly good..."

"a sweet romance that explores autism..."

"One admires Slimani's bravery in creating a deeply unsympathetic character ..."