"It's a great read -  Jarvis manages to capture how embarrassing adolescence is in an authentic and very funny way. You start to understand how, from all their teenage creativity and chaos, emerged Pulp.

Cocker looking back over his past is prompted by him having to clear out the attic in his old house, going through his belongings, deciding what to keep and what to throw away - which begins this flood of memories. It's also such a gorgeous book, full of photos."

"This is an extremely relatable novel. At its heart is a story about a young woman who can't find her place in the world and so burrows into cyber space for comfort.

Prasifka weaves together a recognisable narrative of emerging adulthood and self-reflection, alongside an inexplicable, fantastical purple rip in the sky. This unusual phenomenon acts as an anchor around which the rest of the book is woven, and is a brilliant metaphor for the current attitude towards climate change."

"A meticulously researched book revealing the impact food production has on the environment. Monbiot's argument is clear, precise, and thought-provoking.

The result is a manifesto that strikes a careful balance between calling for individual responsibility and for collective, large-scale, action from corporations and heavy polluters."

"Yiyun li has an incredible ability to take something, some chaotic, frantic, part of human experience - sadness, unhappiness, pain, passion–and make it still, make it something that rests on the page to be examined, like a pinned insect.

You don’t necessarily feel the emotion of the experience described —but you can sit with it, you can contend with it and reflect on it in a way that feels illuminating, that feels generative.

The Book of Goose is a strange beast because it possesses these qualities but still has the composure and chewiness and timelessness of a classic novel, with a moving tragic love story at its core; a love story that isn’t immediately obvious. It’s a fantastic piece of writing from an incomparable author."

"Mendelson is an author who has been adored by our booksellers for years and recommended to me on many occasions.

Mendelson's latest, The Exhibitionist, sees her weave together an extraordinary piece of domestic theatre. Its players and scenes move around a black hole at its centre: the "gaping maw" of the appalling father-husband character. And each scene gathers speed until you can feel the family start to unravel at its centre, threatening to drunkenly whirl out of control.

It's a brilliantly rendered novel - one that revels in the insanity and absurdity of the everyday - all the while firmly positioning the female experience at its heart."

"Beth O’Leary is amazing at making characters fall in love with each other and you fall in love with them.

If you are ever in need of a heart-warming, joyful romance Beth O’Leary is my go-to author.

The No Show weaves multiple love stories together connecting them with one love interest, Joseph, who you end up hating then loving. It's full of romance, escapism, love and life with an unsuspecting twist at the end.This is one to pass around with all of your romance loving family and friends."

“This Christie-inspired locomotive mystery has a festive setting and feels incredibly nostalgic. Meanwhile, its modern twists add another dimension to the plot, with live streams and video calls, reality stars and influencers.”

“The flawed detective is juggling personal issues with a train crash and its repercussions, giving the book a fast-paced feel. I read it in two days, only putting it down once!”

“Project Hail Mary follows the sole survivor onboard a spaceship on a mission to save Earth - except Ryland doesn't know that yet. After the accident that left his crew mates dead and his memory gone, we follow as Rylands memory's slowly start to come back and he realises he's humanity's last hope.”

“Weir always manages to make me laugh out loud and understand the science his protagonists are using in the death defying stories. If you're in need of a fun sci-fi romp that may or may not have made me cry, this is perfect.”

"If you’re looking for a great festive read with an edge, check out Sunyi Dean’s new book ‘The Book Eaters’. Think secret societies and supernatural beings where people either eat books or brains, all set during the festive period. Following a mother who would do anything for her son, I recommend to anyone who is looking for the weird and unique - a great gift for any fantasy lover this Christmas!"

“There are hints of MFC Fisher or Rachel Roddy here and Adler really asks you to think deeply about cooking intuitively. Now is a good time for a book like this. When time and money are short, familiarise yourself with the basics, and there will always be a satisfying meal to hand if all that's left in the fridge is an onion, some celery and a decent store cupboard.”

“Balance is the key here, along with confidence and mainly following your instincts. Taste, be greedy, eat. We don't need air fryers, sous vides, dehydraters, and all that kitchen kit! I loved this book for its good sound advice and gentle humour.”

‘“[...]Through a keen attentiveness to the complicities and possibilities of language, Heritage Aesthetics reveals how disclaiming a country might be the most honest method of loving it.” (Mary Jean Chan)

Laras reflects, “Chan’s words sum up what sort of conundrums Anthony Anaxagorou’s new collection has essentially left me with. While the poetry book evokes a full range of thoughts and feelings, it's amazing how the poet encapsulates exactly what Chan has said throughout the book.”

“Although this isn’t a typical choice of Christmas poems, it’s only fitting to wrap up this complicated year with this historical and political lyric book

"Maddie Mortimer's brilliant debut must be my favourite Fiction book published this year! Experimenting with form and filled with fantastic prose, Maddie writes a profoundly intimate story of illness, love and motherhood. Already longlisted, shortlisted and winner of multiple prizes, this isn't a book you'll want to miss".

The Story of Art Without Men, written by historian, curator, and broadcaster, Katy Hessel, is a thrilling and beautifully accessible corrective that puts women artists at the centre of the story. It sheds much needed new light on E.H Gombrich’s The Story of Art (1950), the first edition of which features no women at all.

We were lucky enough to welcome Katy to Bath in October. Leading up to our event, every week up on the balcony Caroline and Rafe curated an exciting display table of monographs by female artists which Katy showcased within the book.

“I am so grateful I had the opportunity to meet Victoria Adukwei Bulley at her event with us in August. Her collection achieves the impossible task of voicing quietness. These poems are simultaneously bold and understated. Best of all, they feel entirely authentic.”

“My personal favourite is ‘not quiet as in quiet but’ which I think encapsulates the entire work. For anyone looking to get more into poetry, please give this a go! You will not be disappointed.”

"An alchecmic infusion of literary memoir and nature writing, 'The Instant' is a prolonged meditation upon those infinitisemal moments which leave lives altered forever."

"Probably my most singular reading experience of the year, something like Lydia Davis meets 2001: A Space Odyssey."

"Nolan’s first novel marks her triumphant entry into the genre of reflective contemporary literature - similar in many ways to Eliza Clarke’s ‘Boy Parts’ and Daisy Lafarge’s ‘Paul’, ‘Acts of Desperation’ is the epitome of the often side-lined genre of young female writing; both an intensely warm and viscerally uncomfortable reading experience, it is without a doubt one of the strongest debuts of the last two years!"

“Babel’s intricate world building and complex characters are a testament to Kuang’s attention to detail. The role of the silver bars are a seamless blend of history and fantasy.

Kuang is able to achieve not only this but also challenges many issues of the time such as the glorification of the empire and the value of language making this a thought provoking read.”

"Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick’s ‘She Gets the Girl’ is a book with all the feels of a 90’s romcom set at university. It’s impossible not to love both of the main characters, this book had me smiling the whole way through."