The first biography in English of China’s president’s father highlights how even reformers bow to state ideology
Hal Ebbott’s powerful debut novel shatters our expectations when the comfortable world of two families is blown apart in one reckless moment
This Friday, join the FT’s books editors for a live discussion in the comments to receive personal recommendations
Writing about our green spaces has taken on a life of its own since the pandemic
Books by Brendan Cooper and Bijan Omrani explore two forces that once fuelled the country’s global power and now leave it pining for the past
In Maria Reva’s road-trip novel, mail-order brides serve an unlikely purpose, and Russia’s invasion blows apart the divide between fact and fiction
From politics, economics and history to art, food and, of course, fiction — FT writers and critics choose their favourite reads of the year so far
As net zero goals revive the push for atomic power, could it light the way or lead to disaster? Three timely books explore the possibilities
Including Maxim Samson’s fresh look at humanity’s imprint on the planet and Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow’s exploration of the nuclear debate
Thane Gustafson’s economic history of post-Soviet Russia wonders how impervious Putin is to western sanctions
The novelist draws on Japanese-Korean history to create a restless, leisurely and capacious work that takes in a sweep of periods and places
Desmond Elliott Prize winner Claire Adam creates the illusion of real life on the page in the story of a middle-aged Londoner searching for her adopted daughter
With huge economic and political shifts taking place, what will replace the old world order?
Artists and scientists have long harnessed chance as a tool and AI can play a similar role in creativity
The promise and the perils of the new nuclear age; Russia’s post-Soviet capitalist free-for-all (and its sanctions-dodging); the lasting influence of 1960s counterculture; a history of Italy’s militant Red Brigades; an inside story of the successes and failures of Britain’s CEOs; new novels by Claire Adam and Susan Choi; behind the scenes with the director of Pompeii — plus Alex Clark’s selection of audiobooks
Fewer young people are reading for pleasure than ever before, with broad economic and social consequences. Can the trend be reversed?
The story of the men and women who run our business world offers colourful tales of heroes, villains, succession struggles and salaries
John Foot’s superbly researched and grimly absorbing history of the left-wing militants’ attempts to bring down the state in the 1970s
‘The Acid Queen’ and ‘The Last Great Dream’ chart the characters and consequences of the counterculture — and its continuing influence today
The best reads on the country’s local, regional and global history, as chosen by you
Gabriel Zuchtriegel’s spirited part-history, part-memoir evokes the everyday life of the ancient city, and poses some very modern questions
What’s in a name for an unborn child? Plus tales of troubled teens; walking across England; and journeying to the stars
Society inevitably structures our choices but the resulting frustration feeds a yearning for magical rings
Some say money, others nostalgia — or maybe it’s the endlessly fascinating double act of Noel and Liam Gallagher
Young workers getting to the top, managing crises, and advice on leading holistically
The author’s latest novel is a chilling portrait of manipulation and menace within the cloistered world of an elite boarding school
The 95-year-old artist swore he would never teach. But now he has distilled seven decades of a packed career into an inspiring primer for young people
Alexander Starritt’s best novel yet follows the lives of two entrepreneurial graduates against a backdrop of the 2008 crash to Covid and beyond
Tastemakers Mel Ottenberg, Anna Sui, Rio Kobayashi, Ludovico Einaudi, Anthony Scaramucci and others share summer recommendations to enrich your cultural life
The billionaire Bridgewater founder on the perils of the ‘Big Debt Cycle’ and how to avoid them
From Mozart and Dostoyevsky to Jackson Pollock — two books reveal the fundamental and sometimes surprising intertwining of mathematics and creativity
The best things to eat, buy and see this coming month, selected by HTSI writers
Nell Stevens’ tale about a young forger of masterpieces explores authenticity in art and love with echoes of Daphne du Maurier
Writers are responding to earthly anxieties but looking to the skies as a place of creative freedom — and a reflection of our planet’s fragile beauty
Helen Lewis challenges our idolisation of great minds, arguing that creative breakthroughs are collaborative in nature
Supernatural happenings in civil war England and the American South; wild rides on the racecourse and the crypto rollercoaster; plus a nightmare New York dinner party
We asked you to share with us your favourite reads of the year so far — and here is what you told us
