Author exposes a self-improvement industry that is alive and well, its current manifestation being the pursuit of ‘wellness’

New works by Louise Erdrich, Pavel Barter and Caro Claire Burke

Strangers on a Train haunts the opening pages of Whidbey, when a young woman encounters a man on a ferry

Tracing the trajectory of a boy who ‘never stopped reading’ despite considerable early loss

This book set along the east coast of Ireland explores the psychic dimensions of shame, inconfidence and a lack of self-affection

In a vitally timely book, author asks whether citizens can come together in a ‘collective identity for Europe’

Ambitious debut novel successfully describes the warped state of human-computer interactions, but its protagonists lack substance and emotional depth

Channelling the 1970s BBC sitcom The Good Life, Ennos advocates self-sufficient gardening as a way back to happiness

As an ‘alternative’ Ulster Protestant with parents from Cork, his Irishness has been marginalised and reduced

Ackroyd’s biography is a definitive achievement written with verve

However, the South Korean author’s English nonfiction debut lacks standalone appeal

Set just before the 2024 US presidential election, this work is Strout’s most political so far

This is an effortless, elegant and impressive debut from a promising young writer

There is an extended profile of Ryan Tubridy - 'RTÉ’s fallen hero' - but Ross reserves most criticism for Moya Doherty and Dee Forbes

Work builds an archive against absence, showing how the story of Nuremberg has been shaped by the forgetting of women

Author’s debut novel navigates sombre and emotionally complex terrain with impressively light touch

Five funny, challenging and poignant reads for teen and adult readers

Blind-Spot Politics; None of Us Will Be Okay; Something Might Fall

An exceptional book that’s not only a great read but an enriching experience

The novel relates how acts of compassion and kindness – great and small – are windbreaks we build against adversity