Gill Plain, University of St Andrews This piece contains spoilers for Towards Zero. Agatha Christie, a middle-class English crime writer who preferred to be known as a housewife, is the world’s...
Summer is approaching, bringing with it the promise of long days, much-needed breaks, and that irresistible urge to get lost in a great story. It’s the perfect season to refresh our reading list...
2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen, and this anniversary has reignited interest in her life and work across all formats. Beyond commemorative editions and literary events,...
This month over at Five Books For we’ve been talking about books that explore the breadth and complexity of women’s experiences and relationships. Some are funny, some are dark and some are...
In April, the literary world bid farewell to one of its most influential voices: Mario Vargas Llosa, a master of narrative, political insight and human complexity. Vargas Llosa leaves behind a...
Fiona Murphy, Dublin City University There’s a particular kind of story that’s rarely executed well – one without heroes, without lessons, without even the cold comfort of a villain you can...
Few sci-fi stories feel more relevant today than Ready Player One. Ernest Cline’s nostalgia-drenched novel and Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster adaptation of it offer a vivid vision of a...
“But this is for the Emperor. It must be done.” As far as WWII horrors go, we don’t hear often enough about what Imperial Japan inflicted on Australian POWs. Richard Flanagan’s novel, The...
Spring is here, and with it comes longer days, brighter colors and the inevitable urge to renew our reading. This season, which welcomes rebirth and lightness, becomes the perfect setting for reading...
When it comes to legendary love stories, surely Romeo and Juliet reigns supreme - or does it? My husband insists it’s not a love story at all, just a very stylish tragedy. But regardless of how you...
