"a suspenseful story in which the reader is strongly invested ..."

"The Penguin Books founder has a role to play in this charming tale..."

"Tender and reassuring ... it feels timely for 2020, but has the magic of classic Christmas tales ..."

"The Ickabog won’t just be put under every lucky child’s Christmas tree: it is a monster hit that deserves to be...."

"This wonderful fantasy combines social commentary with laughs..."

" A creepy old book, child scarecrows and a seaside village with a secret: this is Halloween fun for the strong of heart..."

"this engaging and comic tale has a happy ending..."

"A welcome festive sequel to a much-loved doggy tale..."

"The story is mysterious, and has a powerful twist, while also conjuring up moving family relationships..."

"it’s even wittier than the first, with dialogue that dances..."

"It’s a joy of a book..."

"introduces a significant new voice..."

"a story that barks to our age..."

"The novel is very funny and has adorable, fluffy moments..."

"This book will sustain you..."

"they trace Jansson’s life more intimately than any autobiography..."

"his rewarding safari will brighten a year of bedtimes and lodge in the minds of children for a lifetime..."

"It’s passionate, important and Wheatle’s best novel yet..."

"Cowell’s short sentences and scribbly pencil illustrations carry considerable skill and humour,..."

"Underdogs: Tooth and Nail is an admirably unusual book, and one that serves real purpose..."

"a tear-jerker about family that shows us things that are important and true, and promotes compassion..."

"Wilson, again proving she is queen of the teen market, makes this story of family maelstrom look effortless..."

"charming, informative and inspiring motivational book for children..."

"If you miss the warmth and wit of Eva Ibbotson, this book has a similar voice and spirit..."

"Ada’s imagination is irrepressible, from her love of fairies to her fascination with Euclid and steam engines..."

" a witty and original reminder that superheroes are human too..."

"fresh and true voices..."

"Kostick’s background as a historian informs the authenticity and detail of the story..."

"a deadly retelling of the Twilight original..."

"A tender story, cheerfully illustrated..."

"a happy addition to the shelf..."

"This is the kind of adventure everyone likes to imagine when young..."

"A beautiful tale with illustrations to match..."

"a delightful and evocative first book...."

"Walking With Ghosts is affecting on many levels: a working-class family memoir as well as a meditation on fame and its discontents...."

"Obama writes with verve and style. However, the book is a reminder of the dangers of messiahs in politics. ..."

"Atwood’s first poetry collection in more than 10 years is wry and entertaining..."

"Klopp appears almost obscenely charming — honest, intelligent, sensible and funny — in Anthony Quinn’s revealing billet-doux..."

"A biography of the composer that is so vivid, you feel you could shake hands with him..."

"an arresting meditation on the nature of love..."

"a riveting, tantalisingly ambiguous portrait ..."

"The dazzling story of the slave turned general who led Haiti’s revolt against France..."

"the book offers “perspectives” by insiders ... who all give Callaghan the credit for good intentions..."

"This largely faithful retelling of Trojan myth is genial enough, but has unsavoury aspects for the modern reader..."

"The Hollywood actor is bracingly honest about the reality of living with Parkinson’s..."

"Rae shows little interest in disrupting the legend of the writer as a charismatic outlaw..."

"a vivid and at times almost unbearably distressing story from which it is very hard to turn away..."

"I learned a lot reading this..."

"Her essays on writers such as Ishiguro, Camus and Jane Bowles make returning to their works a renewed pleasure..."

"No one is going to base a claim for Bloom’s merits on this final book. ..."

"an ambitious book that explains the rise of Ronald Reagan..."

"combines memoir from a lifetime of travel ... and reflections on how islands illuminate his own life and the human condition..."

"Can-do narration makes the most of this book’s argument that decent, fair-minded people can succeed..."

"This superb biography saves the reputation of the long-serving foreign secretary..."

"sweet, funny and revealing..."

"a chronicle of an extraordinary friendship..."

"explores similarities between the tyrants from Germany and Soviet Union..."

"the whole book is a lucky dip: put in your thumb, pull out a plum, and relish it..."

"Drinking wine aged 10, endless parties and so many women ... a fine novelist who preferred good times to writing..."

"a splendidly well-written page-turner..."

"Their conversation makes a powerful book..."

"Catelli presents his thesis as an artless spy story..."

"Filled with dreamlike memories, this autobiography is both surprising and delightful..."

"This portrait of the president-elect reveals Biden’s flaws but also the compassion and courage needed to start America’s healing process..."