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The best books out this month

The best books out this month

by Rachel Deeley

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With a few weeks of winter still ahead of us, there’s no better activity to while away the cold, dark evenings than curling up with a great book – and if you’re searching for some fresh additions to your to-read list, you’re in luck.

From unmissable novels from authors new and established, to touching memoirs and non-fiction that will change the way you see the world, we’ve rounded up the very best books coming your way this month.

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Best new fiction

The Barbecue at No.9 by Jennie Godfrey

Jennie Godfrey, author of the hit 2024 debut The List of Suspicious Things, is back with a new nostalgia-tinged read. This time, we are transported to the suburbs of 1980s Britain. It’s the height of summer, and the Gordon family are gearing up to host their neighbours for a barbecue in celebration of Live Aid. But, as the motley crew of guests arrive and the day goes on, secrets and tragedies begin to emerge – and soon it becomes clear that everyone on Delmont Close has something to hide...

Out 12th February

Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman

From the bestselling author of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series comes a new standalone novel set in a disturbing and original, dystopian world. On New Sonora, colonist rancher Oliver finds himself fighting for his life when travel and communication channels reopen between his planet and Earth. Meanwhile, the behemoth Apex Corporation is hired for an “eviction action” to exterminate all life on New Sonora. Earthers can pay to design and remotely pilot their own war machines in aid of the operation, plunging Oliver and his friends into a cat-and-mouse game to stay alive.

Out 12th February

Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash

The members of the Flynn family are, to put it mildly, falling apart. Bud and Catherine’s marriage is on the rocks, leading Catherine to insist that they open up their marriage. Meanwhile, their eldest daughter Abigail is dating an older man, nicknamed War Crimes Wes on account of his military background; Louise, ever the overlooked middle child, has fallen in love with an online terrorist; and child-genius Harper has turned her talents to proving there’s something nefarious going on in their small coastal town. This riotously funny debut from Madeline Cash is a family novel you won’t want to miss.

Out 5th February

Hot Chocolate on Thursday by Michiko Aoyama

From the author of What You Are Looking for is in the Library and The Healing Hippo Of Hinode Park comes an uplifting new read that’s as warming as a mug of cocoa. Set in a quiet neighbourhood of Tokyo, Hot Chocolate on Thursday follows the inner lives, ponderings, and everyday details of the people who frequent – and work in – a small community café. The result is a patchwork of quietly beautiful moments that show our lives are more connected than we think. Readers can also look forward to the equally charming follow-up, Matcha on Monday, later this year.

Out 19th February

The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth

Get ready to meet your new favourite detective duo: Jane Pye and Simon Mash. The couple recently decided to take private detective classes, and now they’re tasked with solving their first real-world case. Nellie Thorne, the partner of a local school teacher, has disappeared – but this is not a straightforward missing persons case; she is, inexplicably, the fifth Nellie Thorne to disappear in as many decades, a mystery that has stumped the local police force for years. With little more than a few weeks’ training (and, of course, matching trench coats), can they be the ones to crack the case?

Out 26th February

The Exes by Leodora Darlington

After a string of horrible ex-boyfriends, Natalie is finally married to a kind, competent man. Even so, she’s had a huge argument with him, and suddenly realises that she’s alone in her bedroom, in tears, and holding a knife. She knows that this is her darkest secret: on particularly bad nights, she blacks out entirely – and all of her exes have met the same fate… This debut novel from Leodora Darlington is a twisty psychological thriller with a darkly humorous and poignant edge that already counts Liz Nugent and Mary Watson among its fans.

Out 12th February

A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford

When 12-year-old Janey is out walking her dog by Glasgow’s abandoned train tracks, she encounters a horrifying sight: the body of a brutally murdered woman. The police are keen to know more about what she saw, but Janey is unable to remember what happened. As the rumours start swirling in their tight-knit community, there’s no escaping this case for Janey until it's solved. All the while, Janey’s nana and guardian Maggie is desperate to protect her from the traumatic events she witnessed. It's a touching yet uplifting story from debut author Frances Crawford.

Out 12th February

Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity

Leena’s brother has fallen ill, and she knows exactly what she must do in order to help him: speak to the Saint of Silence, who offers coins in exchange for visitors’ darkest secrets. Her secret, that she can see the dead, will attract a particularly high price, but Leena could never anticipate just how valuable it will be to the Saint. He has his own ghost to track down, and brings Leena into his dangerous world as they embark on a journey to the cursed estate of Weavingshaw in this spellbinding gothic mystery from junior doctor-turned-author Heba Al-Wasity.

Out 26th February

You & Me and You & Me and You & Me by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees

After nearly 25 years of marriage, Adam and Jules feel stuck in a rut. But when Adam rediscovers the old mixtapes they made for each other, all those years ago, he finds that pressing play literally transports the two of them back in time. Revisiting the past presents irresistible opportunities to make a few changes here and there, in pursuit of the perfect romance – but as these actions begin to show their ripple effects, the life they’ve built together could begin to slip away. It's a heartwarming read from the husband-and-wife author duo behind the beloved 90s rom-com bestseller Come Together.

Out 5th February

Best new non-fiction

A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot

In 2024, Gisèle Pelicot made global headlines when she courageously waived her right to anonymity in a case that marked a turning point in the conversation around sexual violence and politics. Her husband was put on trial for secretly drugging and raping her and inviting dozens of other men to abuse her without her knowledge, and 50 other men were tried in what became France’s largest ever rape trial. With A Hymn to Life, her powerful memoir, Pelicot shares her story in her own words for the first time, underpinned by a message of resilience, defiance, renewal, and her rallying cry that shame should not be the burden of victims and survivors of sexual abuse.

Out 17th February

A World Appears by Michael Pollan

Be it food systems or psychedelics, author and journalist Michael Pollan is known for his illuminating books that examine – and re-imagine – the way we live today. With his latest release, Pollan delves into a fundamental yet elusive phenomenon: consciousness. Bringing together the latest cutting-edge research and a variety of philosophical, scientific, historical, and even spiritual perspectives, A World Appears covers everything from the neurobiology of plants to the scientists trying to code feeling into AI. The result is an ambitious, fascinating venture into understanding what underpins our everyday reality.

Out 24th February

Black Arms to Hold You Up by Ben Passmore

Award-winning comics artist and author of the ongoing Daygloayhole series Ben Passmore lends his talents to charting the history of Black resistance in America with an incredible new graphic novel. Spanning everything from the turn of the 20th Century to the Black Power movement of the 1960s, to the new waves of Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, Black Arms to Hold You Up is a darkly funny, deeply researched, and poignant exploration of the ongoing struggle against state violence and structural oppression.

Out 5th February

Leaving Home by Mark Haddon

Many readers will know Mark Haddon for his multi-award-winning novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, or his family sagas ranging from the funny-yet-poignant (A Spot of Bother) to the sweeping and spectacular (The Porpoise). But with his latest book, Haddon turns to the lesser-known subject of his own family and upbringing. Interspersed with photos, illustrations and ephemera are reflections on a personal past tinged with complicated nostalgia, delivered with the author’s trademark flare and wry, unsparing humour.

Out 5th February

Starchild by Maggie Aderin

When Maggie Aderin said she wanted to become a scientist, her school’s career advice was to become a nurse. This is just one of the many ways the highly accomplished space scientist and educator defied the odds over the course of her formative years and career to date. Starchild sees Aderin tell her story in her own words, from an itinerant childhood that saw her attend 13 schools in 14 years, to blazing trails as the only Black woman on her physics course at Imperial College London. Throughout it all, Aderin’s unwavering fascination with the wonders of the universe shines through in this truly inspiring read.

Out 19th February

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