The Best Fiction Books
Last updated: July 08, 2024
With so many novels and works of fiction to choose from these days, where do you start? Here, we've put together reading lists compiled in interviews with novelists, critics and academics to help you find the best novels and works of fiction.
The Best Political Sci-Fi Books, recommended by Arkady Martine
Science fiction has a rich tradition of examining not only space-age technology but political ideology. Arkady Martine, author of the Hugo-award winning A Memory Called Empire, introduces us to political science fiction books that explore systems of government, power hierarchies, and the geopolitics of other planets.
Notable New Novels of Summer 2024, recommended by Cal Flyn
Another year, another summer stretching out before us… another reading dilemma? Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn offers a succinct round-up of the novels that should be on your radar in the summer of 2024: highly anticipated works of fiction from well-known literary figures and 'breakout' books that have quickly amassed significant critical attention – to guide you on your way.
The Best Fantasy Graphic Novels, recommended by Mike Carey
Graphic novels are ideally suited to fantasy worlds because they can immerse a reader completely, says author Mike Carey. He tells Five Books about his five favourite fantasy graphic novels, and their wildly fantastical worlds and characters – which range from embodied ideas to sentient beans.
Recent Fiction Highlights: The 2024 Women’s Prize Shortlist, recommended by Monica Ali
Each summer, the judges for the Women’s Prize for Fiction highlight the best new fiction books by female writers published over the previous twelve months. We asked Monica Ali, the acclaimed novelist and chair of this year’s jury, to talk us through the six novels that made the 2024 shortlist.
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1
Not a River: A Novel
by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermott -
2
Crooked Plow: A Novel
by Itamar Vieira Junior, translated by Johnny Lorenz -
3
Mater 2-10
by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Sora Kim-Russell & Youngjae Josephine Bae -
4
What I’d Rather Not Think About
by Jente Posthuma, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey -
5
Kairos
by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann -
6
The Details: A Novel
by Ia Genberg, translated by Kira Josefsson
The Best Novels in Translation: The 2024 International Booker Prize Shortlist, recommended by Eleanor Wachtel
The Best Novels in Translation: The 2024 International Booker Prize Shortlist, recommended by Eleanor Wachtel
Every year, the judges for the International Booker Prize read dozens of novels newly translated into English before compiling their shortlist of the very best. We spoke to the Canadian broadcaster Eleanor Wachtel—who chaired this year’s jury—about the six books they’ve selected in 2024: from a slim, elliptical Swedish novel about contemporary relationships to a multi-generational epic set in 20th-century Korea.
Notable Novels of Spring 2024, recommended by Cal Flyn
Looking for a new book to get stuck into? Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn offers a round-up of the most notable novels of spring 2024, including fresh titles from Percival Everett and Alexis Wright, plus the ‘lost’ final novel by Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez—published a decade after his death.
Popular Fiction Highlights of Spring 2024, selected by Cal Flyn
Popular fiction is popular for a reason: confounding mysteries, devastating love stories, and spectacular visions of speculative worlds offer us an escape hatch from everyday life. Here we offer a handy Five Books round-up of superior genre novels of spring 2024 including unmissable new titles from firm fan favourites.
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1
The Years
by Annie Ernaux & translator - Alison Strayer -
2
The Bridge on the Drina
by Ivo Andrić -
3
The Buried Giant
by Kazuo Ishiguro -
4
Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth
by Wole Soyinka -
5
One Hundred Years of Solitude
by Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez, translated by Gregory Rabassa
Books by Nobel Prize in Literature Winners, recommended by Five Books Interviewees
Books by Nobel Prize in Literature Winners, recommended by Five Books Interviewees
The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually since 1901 and remains one of the most prestigious prizes a writer can aspire to. It’s also been consistently international, with many novelists and writers from around the globe winning the award for books written in an array of languages. Not all are accessible, and picking out which ones to read can be a tough call. To help, here’s our list of books by winners of the Nobel literature prize that have been recommended on Five Books.
The Best Science Fantasy, recommended by Vajra Chandrasekera
We use ‘science fantasy’ when a book seems to be both science fiction and fantasy. What distinguishes the two, and what does it mean to combine them? These books are an opportunity to explore our ways of knowing, reflect changing cultures, and find humour in the unexpected, says award-winning fantasy and sci fi author Vajra Chandrasekera.
New Literary Fiction, recommended by Cal Flyn
To keep up to date with the latest novels coming out, a good place to bookmark is our ‘new literary fiction’ page. Our deputy editor Cal Flyn keeps an eye on the myriad of new novels being published and picks out some of her favourites.