The Best Fiction Books

"Politics, in its widest sense, courses through all these books. The eight finalists...have thought long and hard about abortion, contraception, gay rights, geopolitics, corruption, religious dogma, regulating technology and treating mental illness. Though these books are all quite different, they are united in showing how much a life of political engagement is a life of purpose and connection with humanity," says Fiammetta Rocca, chair of the judging panel of this year's Orwell Prize for Political Fiction.  

All of summer stretching out before you, and still searching for a brilliant new novel to read in the sun? You are not alone. We asked Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn to write a round-up of books that should be on your to-be-read list this season.

Translated fiction "expands not only our literary horizons, but also our moral and emotional imaginations," explains Troy Onyango—the writer, editor and judge for the 2026 International Booker Prize. He introduced us to the six novels that made the shortlist, including this year's "formally inventive" winner and a "razor sharp" book about a "mediocre witch."

From the oracles of Ancient Greece to contemporary warnings about artificial intelligence, prophecies have always done more than merely forecast events. Oxford philosopher Carissa Véliz, author of Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future, recommends five books that explore prophecy's power and argues that resisting its lure may be one of the most important intellectual tasks of our time.

Tennessee Williams was a giant of 20th-century American theatre, explains literary scholar Ahmed Honeini, whose new book unpicks Williams' preoccupation with domestic family drama. Here, Honeini selects five key books—landmark plays, personal memoirs and an influential biography—that illuminate the life of the great playwright.

Home to the Blarney Stone — said to bestow “the gift of the gab” — and with a long tradition of valuing bards and wandering storytellers, it is no surprise that Ireland has produced some of the most recognised names in the English language canon. Considering the small population, Irish authors continue to punch well above their weight in publishing. Here we bring you a selection of Irish authors that have been recommended on Five Books by experts, from bestselling and award-winning contemporary writers to both famous and less well-known classic authors.

What are the unmissable new novels of the season? We have some suggestions. We asked Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn to put together a selection of some of the most exciting new fiction being published in early 2026.

It's an ideal combination: literary ambition and a rollicking good plot packed with intrigue and drama. We asked deputy editor Cal Flyn to pull together a list of five Booker Prize-nominated mystery novels, from an astrologically-inspired murder mystery set in goldrush-era New Zealand to an unusually intellectual noir starring a jaded reporter in rustbelt America.

The best spy fiction combines the genre’s thrills and intrigue with profound moral and existential questions about what it means to be human, argues novelist Alex Preston. Here, he discusses five of his favourite literary spy novels, ranging from colonial Vietnam to contemporary London.

World War II forced people of many nationalities into extraordinary circumstances, says Lori Inglis Hall—who works in the archives of WW2 photographer Lee Miller and whose new novel follows twins forced apart by conflict. Here, she recommends five of the best novels set during World War II, both historical fiction and novels written immediately after or during the war by eyewitnesses.