What's the last great book that you read?
Alice Oseman (author of the Heartstopper series): "The last great book I read was What We Don't Talk About by Charlot Kristensen. It's a graphic novel about a relationship between a Black woman named Farai and a white man named Adam. When Farai goes with Adam to meet his parents, she is faced with various acts of racism from his family, and Farai has to question whether she can stay with a man who is not willing to face the difficulties of being in an interracial relationship. The story is incredibly powerful and the artwork is gorgeous. I can't wait to read whatever Charlot Kristensen creates next!"
Elle McNicoll (author of A Kind of Spark): "How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang. I'm a complete sucker for the untold stories of the west. And this one is extraordinary. I was sad to see it left off the Booker shortlist but I can't wait to see what the author does next. It's also made me really want to write a western! It was a shot in the arm for the genre."
Douglas Stuart (author of Shuggie Bain): "I was blown away by Elaine Feeney’s As You Were. There are these wonderful moments of unguarded intimacy between three Irish women on a hospital ward. There is one scene in particular where the character of Margaret Rose is having a one-sided telephone conversation about organizing an abortion for her teenage daughter, and an attack on her philandering husband, that is funny, visceral, and so well observed – it has all the insight and wit of Alan Bennett monologue, and it will stay with me for a long time."
Stuart Turton (author of The Devil and the Dark Water): "I've read so many brilliant books recently, but the one I still think about is The Porpoise by Mark Haddon. It does so many things wonderfully, and the story is sad and whimsical, and strange. I've never read anything like it."
Kiley Reid (author of Such a Fun Age): "Rumaan Alam's book Leave The World Behind was great. It was suspenseful and funny and modern which was definitely what I needed."