Fiction Books | The Independent

Complete with vivid world mapping and top-tier character development, these are the titles to know

Featuring fairies, dragons and more, these books capture the imagination

If you can’t travel there, the next best thing is to delve into one of these of works of fiction

Many of these have books won the Man Booker Prize too (iStock/The Independent)

The third installment in the Empyrean series has become the fastest selling adult book in 20 years

BookTok is brimming with fantasy and romance recommendations

From Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to Curtis Sittenfeld, Daisy Lester rounds up the buzziest titles for this year

Critically acclaimed authors Anne Tyler and David Szalay are back with new novels

‘The Three Lives of Cate Kay’ by Kate Fagan is said to be twisty and gripping

Be swept off your feet by award-winning authors and Netlix series-inspiring titles

My line-up spans enemies to lovers, historical tomes, Young Adult books and more

Our definite list of must-reads will stay with you long after the last page

A lot of the books are interconnected, but can very much be read as a standalone story too

The famous children’s author has turned to adult literature for the first time

The 2024 list includes the sci-fi romance Kaliane Bradley’s The Ministry of Time

The former President’s literary list is as eclective as ever

These are the historical romance novels that inspired the hit drama

The new season is based on the fourth book in Julia Quinn’s series

Whatever your age, you’ll still enjoy these well-written tomes

These reads dive into a wealth of cultures, identities and experiences

From cult classics to bone-chilling debuts, dive in to novels by Stephen King, Patricia Highsmith and more

We looked for character development, satisfying twists and suspense

The title received high praise in our review, so it deserves a spot on your reading list

If it’s good enough for Reese Witherspoon’s book club, it’s good enough for us

Judges described ‘Prophet Song’ as ‘a novel with a guiding vision’

Joyce Carol Oates’s novel reimagines the blonde bombshell’s life, from her childhood to her Hollywood career

The literary award goes to the Sri Lanken writer for his second title ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’

Exploring themes of joy, tenderness, love and loyalty, it’s a masterpiece in storytelling

This year’s list includes the shortest book to be recognised in the prize’s history

It’s clear the shortlisted books will serve as they should – as a means to transport us from the here and now

From its youngest author to the shortest book to ever feature, it’s an exciting array of fiction

Each title is ‘exceptionally well written and carefully crafted’, praised chair of judges, Neil MacGregor

Our reviewer said Gillian McAllister’s Wrong Place Wrong Time is “a triumph from start to finish”

The sci-fi thrillers were in our round-up of the best books this season

While there might be plenty of controversy around Delia Owen, her bestselling debut is sure to keep you gripped

The story follows Kya Clarke (played by Daisy Edgar-Jones) as she grows up alone in a swamp

The author has taken the crown for her title ‘The Book of Form and Emptiness’

The prize was founded in 1996 and is as integral now as it was then

Geetanjali Shree’s ‘Tomb of Sand’ is the first novel originally written in an Indian language to win the esteemed prize

The novel was praised by the panel as “playful”, “exhuberant” and “luminous”

From Elif Shafak to Meg Mason, join us in championing female writers today and always

Now in its 27th year, the prize remains one of our favourites

Sienna Miller stars in the hit Netflix series that’s inspired by Sarah Vaughan’s bestselling novel

The six-part series psychological thriller exposes privilege and power in Britain’s elite\n

These are the Korean, Hindi and Japanese written novels to add to your collection now

Literary starts Olga Tokarczuk and Mieko Kawakami also made the rundown

People around the country will once again be encouraging all to enjoy, discover and share lines

The round-up features previous winners and debut authors alike

Offering a chance to explore a range of perspectives, cultures, characters and insights, we particularly love this award

The 16-strong line-up offers an exciting opportunity to discover a range of ambitious and outstanding literature

From Woman’s Prize nominated titles to future classics, get stuck into these tomes for the new year

We looked for novels that will still be being passed around in years to come once

The author or ‘Afterlives’ and ‘Paradise’ has just been named the winner of the most prestigious prize

Recognised for his ‘uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism

From Patricia Lockwood’s debut ‘No One Is Talking About This’ to third-time shortlisted author Damon Galgut, it’s time to level up your reading list

This year’s collection includes both new and well-established writers covering an extensive range of genres and themes

Susanna Clarke was crowned victor for her second book, ‘Piranesi’

Join us in celebrating women writers from across the globe by reading these truly remarkable books

Kazuo Ishiguro’s eighth novel makes the cut along with Nathan Harris’s ‘The Sweetness of Water’

From ‘Second Place’ by Rachel Cusk to ‘No One Is Talking About This’ by Patricia Lockwood, it’s been another standout year for new fiction

We’ve brought together fiction and non-fiction tomes that will leave you feeling inspired, cheered and motivated

From fish-out-of-water tales to comedic relief, these books are sure to bring a little lightness

Make yourself a cuppa and settle in with these thriller novels, romantic tomes, mysteries and more 

Need a new author get stuck into? You won’t be able to put these down

If their debuts are anything to go by there’s a lot more to come from these talented authors

All the titles in this diverse collection showcase the wonders of the female written word

From ‘The Vanishing Half’ to ‘No One Is Talking About This’, add these titles to your reading list

The award champions international authors from around the world, and this year’s line-up is dazzling

Camilla is known for being a voracious reader, so you can trust her recommendations

From ‘The Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth’ by Philip Pullman to ‘Girl’ by Edna O’Brien, there’s a broad range up for discussion

A new film adaptation of the censored novel will star the Golden Globe-winning actor

The censorship of DH Lawrence’s work was not an isolated incident

The award champions female voices in literature from around the world

Whether you’re after a coming of age romance or a dystopian novel, celebrate on 17 March by delving into one of these titles

Draw the curtains and step into the brilliantly wicked mind of Stephen King with one of these bone chillers or thrillers

We looked not only for King’s best ideas, but his best writing – and a story that pulled you in, irrespective of genre

Delve back into your childhood or discover a brand-new book with our selection of tomes

We looked for a wide variety of tales, particularly focused on stories from around the world

A household name who takes the hilarious and gives it real heart, we pick our favourites from more than 20 novels

Filled with warmth, empathy and emotional intelligence, we can't get enough of these tomes

From Delia Owen’s ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’ to Hilary Mantel’s ‘The Mirror and The Light’, these are the novels Camilla recommends

As a prolific advocate for reading, the duchess holds seven patronages related to literature

Honour the classic novelists by adding these titles to your collection

Delving into issues close to his heart, he provided a voice for those who had to fight for their place in society

A ‘wondrous and enriching variety of stories’ to add to your literary collection

Whether you’re just starting out with the classic British author or are a long-term indulger, here are some of her most readable 

Choose from ‘Pride and Prejudice’, ‘Mansfield Park’, 'Northanger Abbey’ and more

Viscount us in! These are the historical romance novels that inspired the hit drama, starting with Julia Quinn’s ‘The Duke and I’ 

If you can’t wait for the new series, prepare to lose yourself in these titles too

The latest novel ‘Beautiful World, Where Are You’ follows bestselling tomes ‘Normal People’ and ‘Conversations With Friends’ 

Fill your weekends and the time until the September release date with these reads

If you can’t wait to watch ‘And Just Like That…’, maybe it’s time to read Candace Bushnell’s novel

If you loved following the life of Carrie Bradshaw, it’s time to delve into the tome that made it all happen

The espionage writer has died aged 89, we take a look back at his most famous novels, including ‘The Night Manager’ and ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’

Drawing on his own experiences of working within the British intelligence service, he was unable to publish under his real name David Cornwell 

Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with one of these seasonal titles 

From fictional classics to romance novels, get in the mood for the big day 

In honour of the award’s 25th anniversary, we take a look back at the victors from the previous five years, all of which showcase the wonders of the female written word

Now, more than ever, it's important to celebrate and support the new novelists publishing this autumn

We take a look back at the victors from the past four years, all of which showcase the wonders of the written word

In honour of the Women’s Prize for Fiction’s 25th anniversary, a collection of reads have been re-released with the author’s real name 

These fictional stories present a moral or political idea and deliver a powerful message

As Stephenie Meyer releases her latest novel, we take a look at the bestselling series

Set in the years following India's partition, the story about forbidden love unfolds through the six-part drama

From sci-fi to crime to Cold War spies – Grimwood likes to get it right

From celebrations of Weegie dialect to referendum ruminations, these are our favourite new releases

From ghostly tales to intergenerational mini-epics, these are the novels that have kept us turning the pages this year

From crime to literary fiction, we've rounded up the recently published works of fiction from some of the literary world's most exciting new talents

From Nobel Prize-winners to bright, emerging talents, these are the works from abroad you need to read

From contemporary sensations to fresh takes on classic tomes, it’s time to broaden your literary horizons

From electrifying debuts to the latest from some of the most established voices in contemporary literature, here is our pick of the new releases

From a contemporary retelling of Jane Austen to a Neapolitan saga, we find the most compelling page-turners to pack for your summer holiday

Enjoying The Night Manager on BBC? Read the original and other new and reissued tales of sleuthing and intrigue 

Cure Comic-Con envy with exciting new reads from publishers big and small 

Cure Comic-Con envy with exciting new reads from publishers big and small 

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