From Francis Spufford’s exuberant historical fantasy mash-up to Ruth Jones and James Cordon’s Gavin & Stacey memoir, the books that are being released in paperback this month are some of the best of the last year. Add the raft of excellent crime novels and even the latest non-fiction from The Beatles’ Paul McCartney, and your to-read pile will no doubt be getting very long. We can only apologise…
Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon
In 1930s Milwaukee, private eye Hicks McTaggart sets out to find and bring home a young heiress who has run off. It turns out to be a far from simple case as he crosses continents and comes into all kinds of danger in this genre-bending noir novel.
Vintage, £10.99
Dead and Alive by Zadie Smith
With her unwaveringly acute observation skills, Smith is as terrific an essayist as she is a novelist. Her latest collection on culture, art and public life – taking in everything from Stormzy to US politics – expertly weaves cultural criticism with personal insight.
Penguin, £11.99
Nonesuch by Francis Spufford
As war approaches in 1939, ambitious young Londoner Iris Hawkins finds herself caught up in an otherworldly adventure in which she confronts magic, the Blitz and a time-travelling fascist. Spufford’s latest is an exuberant blend of historical fiction and fantasy.
Faber, £9.99
Witch Trial by Harriet Tyce
When an 18-year-old girl is found dead in an Edinburgh park, suspicion falls on her closest friends. The bestselling author – who last year appeared on The Traitors – mines the febrile world of teenagers to build a tense, unsettling thriller.
Wildfire, £10.99
The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee
Previously unseen short stories and essays shed light on Lee’s voice before she wrote her would-be classic To Kill a Mockingbird. From Alabama playgrounds to New York streets, these early works trace the roots of a literary star in the making.
Harper Perennial, £18.99
Wings by Paul McCartney
In this oral history of his post-Beatles band, McCartney reflects on reinvention, risk and runaway tours. Wings captures the scrappy spirit, chaos and creativity that followed the world’s biggest break-up – and the music that came next.
Penguin, £22
When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between by Ruth Jones and James Corden
From their first pitch to the last day on set, the actor-writer duo tell the story behind one of Britain’s most-beloved sitcoms. Their behind-the-scenes account, it will surprise no fans to know, is every bit as warm and funny as the show itself.
Penguin, £10.99
Fly Wild Swans by Jung Chang
Chang’s triumphant return to her family story, first told in the bestselling Wild Swans, traces her move to Britain from China in the late 70s, and sees her trying to stay connected to her mother. It offers the perfect illustration of just how much the personal and the political are intertwined.
William Collins, £10.99
Snö by Sverker Sörlin
Who knew a book about snow could be so interesting? Longlisted for this year’s Wainwright Prize and translated by Elizabeth DeNoma, this terrific natural history by an award-winning Swedish environmentalist looks at how we got from the first snowfall 2.4 billion years ago to it being an ever-rarer weather event.
Penguin, £12.99
Workhorse by Caroline Palmer
In early noughties New York, editorial assistant and aspiring fashion journalist Clo is surrounded by people she dreams to be like – wealthy, beautiful, well-connected – but she is not one of them, and never will be. Until she meets co-conspirator Harry, and takes on more and more risks.
Fourth Estate, £9.99
Home by India Knight
What makes a house a home? Going from room to room, this joyful, warm hug of a book answers that question by showing you exactly how to create a space you want to spend time in. Born out of Knight’s popular Substack of the same name, it is infused with wit and wisdom.
Penguin, £11.99
Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward
High in the Colorado mountains lies Nowhere, a refuge for runaway children a little like Peter Pan’s Neverland – but far more feral and bloody. Blending fairytale and horror, this is a deeply unsettling novel about survival, grief and chosen family.
Viper, 9.99
The Year of the Dog by Sophia Money-Coutts
Soon after Money-Coutts brought home a puppy, a Parson terrier named Dennis, her life fell apart. Newly single in her late thirties and solo parenting her furry “agent of chaos” was never the plan, but it teaches her more about love than she ever expected.
HQ, £9.99
The Living and the Dead by Christoffer Carlsson
It is 1999 in Western Sweden and best friends Sander and Killian decide to leave a house party. Little do they know that decision will land them as suspects in a murder investigation. Spanning two decades, this award-winning novel, translated from the original Swedish, has been a huge hit in Scandinavia and deserves to be one here, too.
Penguin, £9.99