Listmania!
Striking new titles (2009)
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' NestThe Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larsson
Buy new: £9.49 / Used from: £10.00
If you read the others, you'll want to read this for sure.
The Einstein GirlThe Einstein Girl by Philip Sington
Buy new: £8.94 / Used from: £2.94
A dark and fascinating literary mystery set in 1930s Berlin and Zurich. Outstanding.
The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World WarThe Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War by Andrew Roberts
Buy new: £12.50 / Used from: £11.87
In short: why we won and they lost. A fresh look at the blunders and triumphs, suggesting it could have gone either way.
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
Buy new: £7.49 / Used from: £6.10
Last and longest of the popular "love-with-a-bite" quartet, which mines the romantic classics of the past and comes up with commercial gold.
The Death of Bunny MunroThe Death of Bunny Munro by Nick Cave
Buy new: £6.80 / Used from: £6.45
Nick Cave turns to fiction with this in-yer-face but stylish take on seaside boading house life.
The Uncommon ReaderThe Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Buy new: £3.48 / Used from: £0.01
Charming comic novel about Her Majesty discovering literature care of a mobile library.
A Thousand Splendid SunsA Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Buy new: £10.88 / Used from: £0.73
More angry than 'The Kite Runner', and less subtle. But still pretty gripping.
Half of a Yellow SunHalf of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Buy new: £3.98 / Used from: £0.01
Great African epic. Some mannerisms but otherwise very satisfying.
The HelpThe Help by Kathryn Stockett
Buy new: £7.14 / Used from: £9.50
Domestic servants' perspective on the civil rights struggle of the early 1906s. Good.
The Girl with the Dragon TattooThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Buy new: £3.95 / Used from: £2.65
Intelligent thriller with a conscience, penned by a man who spent his life crusading for justice.
Her Fearful SymmetryHer Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Buy new: £8.49 / Used from: £7.25
Period ghost story from the author of the current No. 1bestseller, giving rise to mixed reactions stateside.
One DayOne Day by David Nicholls
Buy new: £6.46 / Used from: £5.99
Pleasant story of growing up and growing apart spanning the years.
The Angel's GameThe Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Buy new: £9.49 / Used from: £3.57
Zafon returns with another gothic fairytale; desperate crushes, magical libraries, dark, silly plots. It's all there. The Civil War background serves only to provide a villain or two, which is a pity.
Wolf HallWolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Buy new: £7.60 / Used from: £7.21
Mantel is a good writer, but this Tudor romp tells you nothing you can't learn from David Starkey's latest - which is more arresting for being strictly factual.
The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill HouseThe Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House by Kate Summerscale
Buy new: £4.30 / Used from: £0.01
Good social history built around a seminal Victorian murder investigation. But not a whodunnit, please note!
The Luminous Life of Lilly AphroditeThe Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite by Beatrice Colin
Buy new: £4.76 / Used from: £0.05
Interesting historical novel of Wiemar Germany; a bit too long, but with loads of colour.
The BelieversThe Believers by Zoë Heller
Buy new: £4.82 / Used from: £0.01
Excoriating but tedious novel about nasty New York liberals. Lacks the originality or inspiration of Notes on a Scandal, unfortunately.
The House at RivertonThe House at Riverton by Kate Morton
Buy new: £3.99 / Used from: £0.01
A good mystery, somewhat compromised by poor grip on the period.
The GargoyleThe Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
Buy new: £4.82 / Used from: £0.01
Patchy, sometimes brilliant, sometimes indulgent, sometimes long-winded debut that was unveiled with an almighty fanfare stateside, with mixed results. See for yourself.
The White TigerThe White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Buy new: £3.98 / Used from: £0.64
Harsh, somewhat crude satire of modern India, written in lively style.
Three Cups of TeaThree Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
Buy new: £6.25 / Used from: £4.75
Remarkable non-fiction tale of a climber's cross-cultural journey in what is now one of the world's hottest conflict zones.
The Road HomeThe Road Home by Rose Tremain
Buy new: £4.84 / Used from: £0.01
Rather better than the Ukrainian tractors, if not as funny.
The HostThe Host by Stephenie Meyer
Buy new: £3.82 / Used from: £1.99
Invasion of the bodysnatchers given the Meyer treatment. Don't expect a plagiarism suit this time, though.
The Secret ScriptureThe Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
Buy new: £3.98 / Used from: £0.01
Lively, if episodic tale of 1920s Ireland and the fall-out from its brief civil war.
The Lost SymbolThe Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Buy new: £9.00 / Used from: £8.50
The most striking thing about this book will turn out to be the print run. Beyond that... well, we shall see...