13 November 2026
With the holidays fast approaching, our mood is getting festive and our minds are turning towards Christmas shopping. We know there’s no better time of year to curl up with a good book, so whether you’re after something for yourself or a loved one, we’ve put together a guide to our best reads of the year.
With new books from two of our powerhouse authors – Ryan Holiday and Robert Greene – to trips to the ancient world with esteemed classicists Mary Beard and Emily Wilson, plus books on language, nature, history, politics, science and more, you’re sure to find something to add to your Christmas list.
For the history buffs
Sparta by Andrew Bayliss
From warrior queens and the 300 to the Peloponnesian war, Sparta’s legacy is still shaping popular culture and politics today. But who really were the Spartans? And what was the driving force behind their rise and dramatic fall? Andrew Bayliss’s Sparta is a gripping, major new history of an ancient superpower.
Hoax by Madeleine Pelling
A ghost. A witch. A princess. This is a story of those who lie, and of those who choose to believe them. History Hit presenter Madeleine Pelling’s spellbinding history unpicks the stories of three incredible eighteenth-century hoaxes. It’s history, but it reads like a thriller.
The Age of Alchemy by Kit Chapman
Kit Chapman’s masterful history of chemistry – winner of this year’s Royal Society Prize – takes the reader on a global quest to achieve immortality, cure all disease and transmute lead into gold. The Age of Alchemy is the fascinating story of alchemists and their shaping of the scientific method.
Talking Classics by Mary Beard
In her latest Sunday Times bestseller, beloved classicist Mary Beard explains how the deep past continues to affect our modern world. Talking Classics is filled with lively stories, curious facts and some good historical gossip. Get in on the fun!
Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea by Emily Wilson
If you can’t get enough of the Odyssey this year, we’ve got a treat for you – a bestselling collection of essays on ancient literature from acclaimed Homer translator Emily Wilson. This playful, fascinating voyage into classical literature reflects the power of language to evolve our understandings of the past.
Out of Colditz by David Lascelles
Out of Colditz is the astonishing true story of the high-profile hostages who survived one of Nazi Germany’s most notorious prisoner of war camps, and the man who spared their lives. George Lascelles, Earl of Harewood, was one of those who survived – eighty years later, his son David retraces the journey in a spellbinding work of narrative history.
The Bookshop by Andew Pettegree
From the celebrated author of The Library and The Book at War comes a magisterial history of bookshops and booksellers. Connecting stories and lives that span centuries, countries and continents, The Bookshop brings us into the beloved bookshops of today and looks forward to the booksellers of tomorrow.
For the politically engaged
The Illegals by Shawn Walker
The Illegals is a pacy, character-driven history of the KGB’s deepest cover spies in the West and a system that took decades to unravel. Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews and newly-discovered archival material, this page-turning tour de force shines new light on the long arc of the Soviet experiment, its messy aftermath and how that hidden history has shaped Russia and the West.
Hinterlands by Hannah Lucinda Smith
In Hinterlands, acclaimed political correspondent Hannah Lucinda Smith draws on vivid first-hand encounters with politicians, spies and ordinary people caught in the crosshairs of a new Cold War. What emerges is a gripping portrait of Europe at its edges and the struggles that will define its future.
Polar War by Kenneth R. Rosen
Russian spies, sabotaged pipelines and threats to ‘take Greenland’; the Arctic currently stands at the crossroads of geopolitical ambition and environmental catastrophe. Timely and incisive, Sunday Times bestseller Polar War is an essential account of the interests, landscapes and people at the world’s most extreme frontier.
What Happened to Liberal Democracy? by Daron Acemoglu
Liberalism is broken. This is how we fix it. In What Happened to Liberal Democracy? the Nobel Prize-winning author of Why Nations Fail presents a new theory, laying the groundwork for how we can – and must – remake liberalism before it’s too late.
In the Realm of the Last Man by Francis Fukuyama
From the globally bestselling author, world-renowned political scientist and acclaimed thinker Francis Fukuyama comes a new memoir that is both profound and provocative. An intimate portrait, an urgent study of contemporary politics and a treatise on how the West can claw democracy back from the brink – this is Francis Fukuyama as you’ve never seen him before.
Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
In their sensational political treatise – shortlisted for Financial Times Business Book of the Year – bestselling authors Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson lay out a path to a future defined not by fear, but by abundance. It’s time to rethink liberal answers to society’s biggest challenges by ditching scarcity politics and embracing visionary action.
For the tech aficionados
We Know You Can Pay a Million by Anja Shortland
Cybercrime is everywhere, a multibillion-pound industry run by wily hackers and fraudsters who bankrupt businesses, stall governments and steal sensitive data. You could be next. Are you ready? From a leading expert in illicit trading, We Know You Can Pay a Million is a nail-biting exposé of the hacking and ransomware industry.
Hyperscale by Paris Marx
In Hyperscale – a New Scientist best book for October – award-winning tech critic Paris Marx traces the devastating physical footprints of our digital world, unmasking a time bomb to show that the greatest threat is not the spectre of AI, but a global disaster that has already begun.
What If We Got AI Right? by Eleanor Drage
We need new language and new ideas to re-determine what AI is for and how we should use it. Leading AI ethicist Eleanor Drage demonstrates how bringing feminism, reparative justice and climate politics into the debate is essential in our quest to build a better future alongside machines.
For the memoir lovers
Ausländer by Michael Moritz
From one of the best-known names in Silicon Valley comes this haunting family memoir. Following his mother’s death, Michael Moritz uncovers the terrible history of close family members murdered by the Nazis. Disturbingly relevant today, Ausländer is a cautionary tale of what can happen when ordinary people hand licence to despots.
To Exist As I Am by Grace Spence Green
To Exist As I Am is the powerful Women’s Prize-longlisted story of a young doctor’s near-death accident, recovery and journey to radical acceptance. Grace Spence Green shows how we can come back to ourselves after trauma and fight for change whilst still joyously embracing life exactly as we are.
Enough Said by Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett returns with his fourth collection of diaries, an instant number 1 Sunday Times bestseller. Poignant, funny and contemplative, these diaries record life in both personal and political terms in Bennett’s singular voice. Enough said!
These Wild English by Nicola Wilding
In Nicola Wilding’s raw and unforgettable family memoir, she delves into her family’s working-class past to try to understand the factors leading up to her mother’s decision to join the EDL. Told with compassion and honesty, These Wild English will change how you see the political divisions of our age.
For the environmental enthusiasts
Grasslands by John Wright
Grasslands are never just patches of grass; they are whole ecosystems, which is why we risk so much with their loss. Fascinating and joyful, discover a whole new world with Grasslands, the Wainwright Prize-longlisted book from the bestselling author of The Forager’s Calendar.
Boglands by Merritt R. Turetsky
Step into the unearthly world of bogs. Sink beneath the surface in this sumptuous, fecund place, where wonders await you! Boglands takes the reader on a grand tour of the strangest and least understood of all Earth’s landscapes, from one of the world’s leading ecologists.
Ancient by Luke Barley
Told with clear-sighted passion and lyrical prose, Ancient reveals what we stand to gain as individuals and as a society by rekindling our connection to Britain’s precious woodland. A wondrous walk through the woods and winner of the 2026 Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing.
For foodies
Wine by Kathleen Burk
In the beginning, there was the vine. From the planting of grape seeds across Ancient Rome to the uprooting of vineyards during the Chinese Communist Revolution, Wine is the first truly global survey of wine from acclaimed historian Kathleen Burk.
All Consuming by Ruby Tandoh
In her funny and forensic Sunday Times bestseller and Fortum & Mason Food Book of the Year, Ruby Tandoh delivers a laser-sharp investigation into the world of modern food. From the evolution of the cookbook to the advent of TikTok critics, All Consuming asks the question, how much are our tastes really our own?
Moveable Feasts by Christ Newens
In this Financial Times Food & Drink Book of the Year, rising-star food writer Chris Newens takes us on a gastronomic tour of Paris’ twenty arrondissements and its melting pot of cuisines. From Congolese cat fish in the 18th to Middle Eastern falafels in the 4th, lift the lid on the city’s irresistible food culture.
All You Can Eat by Ben Benton
Join chef and food writer Ben Benton on a hungry odyssey in search of Britain’s best (and worst) foods, travelling around the country to meet the chefs, shopkeepers, farmers and producers shaping our tastes with new dishes, fusions and flavours.
Stocking fillers
World Cup Fever by Simon Kuper
It’s the biggest competition on Earth. A four-yearly chance for the world’s greatest footballers to realise their ultimate dream. This Financial Times Sports Book of the Year tells the story of how football transformed the world – told through nine World Cups by one of our most talented football writers.
Take Note by Andrew Hill
Shorthand has influenced everything from legal battles to spycraft and modern feminism. But what exactly is shorthand? Andrew Hill tells the lively and illuminating story of this vital tool that has powered the working world.
Phrased & Confused by Eli Burnstein
Hell is other people. You are what you eat. Ignorance is bliss. Or is it? Try to get things straight – if you can – in this follow-up to Dictionary of Fine Distinctions. Phrased & Confused is a witty guide to humanity’s most iconic and misunderstood quotes.
The Wordspotter’s Guide by Olivia Swarthout
Word lovers, you’re in for a treat! The creator of the viral sensation Weird Medieval Guys brings us an illuminating excavation of our linguistic origins, from ancient times to the present day. In this etymological romp, Olivia Swarthout invites us to pay better attention to words and their stories.
One Day a Cat Came to Me by Bokyeong Sunim
The uplifting Korean bestseller One Day a Cat Came to Me draws on years of learning, reflection and the Venerable Bokyeong’s own Buddhist practice to blend philosophy, mindfulness and connection with nature. The result: an inspiring meditation on companionship, coexistence – and cats.
The Case of the Christmas Kitten
Following on from the success of A Case of the Claws, The Case of the Christmas Kitten brings us another collection of festive cat-themed detective stories from the greatest writers of the genre. So, curl up by the fireside and ask yourself: are you feline murderous?
For the self-improvers
Life in Perspective by Tiago Forte
The bestselling author of Building a Second Brain asks, in our age of distraction and overwhelm, how do we focus on what really matters? Productivity expert Tiago Forte’s Annual Life Review is a proven framework for stepping out of the daily churn, turning reflection into action and reclaiming agency in your life.
Blasting Through Blocks by Julia Cameron
The queen of creativity and self-help returns with a week-by-week approach to uncovering and overcoming the creative blocks that get in our way. If you or the creative in your life loved The Artist’s Way, don’t miss out on this one – you too will be blasting through blocks!
The Law of the Sublime by Robert Greene
The author of the multimillion-copy bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power and The Laws of Human Nature turns his attention to the Sublime in this life-changing guide to transcending our own limits. Discover liberation from the constraints of contemporary life through connection with the universe – master the power of the Sublime.
Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
We’re told productivity is all about single-minded focus, hard grind and big goals. The problem is, it’s not true. In the Business Book of the Year Award winner, neuroscientist and entrepreneur Anne-Laure Le Cunff reveals her proven method to achieve your ambitions: an experimental mindset.
The Daily Stoic: 10th Anniversary Edition by Ryan Holiday
Dive into the updated and expanded edition of the multi-million copy book that launched a global phenomenon. The 10th anniversary edition of Ryan Holiday’s essential read, The Daily Stoic, offers dozens of fresh insights, a new introduction and bonus chapters to help you tackle life armed with the wisdom of the Stoics.
For puzzlers
G.T. Karber strikes again with his bestselling puzzle sensation, Murdle! We’ve got puzzling fun to keep the whole family entertained all Christmas long – what better way to while away time by the fire than catching the culprits of dastardly deeds?
If you’re new to the series, why not begin with the original Murdle – the addictive puzzle book that started it all and must-have for all armchair detectives – or Merry Murdle, for some festive crimes to solve.
New this year for Murdle aficionados, we have Murdle Heist where this time, you’re on the wrong side of the law… Can your logic skills help you pull off the perfect crime?
Or for the junior detective in your life, pick up the latest Murdle Junior. In Mini Murdle Junior: Holiday Hijinx young puzzlers will help the world’s greatest cat detective, Buster McPaws, solve clues to catch whodunnit. A must-have, pocket-sized winter romp!