5 new books to read this week

A nudge to start painting and drawing this year, and a dark take on the housing market are amongst our top picks…

Fiction

Grace by Chika Unigwe is published in paperback by Canongate Books, priced £15.99 (ebook £8.99). Available January 15

Chika Unigwe won The Nigeria Prize for Literature and her latest novel, Grace follows a mother, the titular Grace, who hasn’t seen her first born in 26 years. The book is split into past and present: the younger Grace, when she met a boy at school, fell in love and then fell pregnant, to the dismay of her parents, versus Grace in her current life, married with two children – until her mother reappears, at least. The novel tackles some big issues facing Nigerian society, but also ones women come up against in general when it comes to pregnancy, babies and cultural pressures. Although the topics are hard hitting, Unigwe handles them with care and sensitivity. Grace also goes into family relationships, the reality of marriage, parents, adoption and class issues – it truly covers it all. Although an emotional read, it’s definitely one that will leave an impact.
9/10
Review by Sara Keenan

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino is published in hardback by Doubleday priced £16.99 (ebook 99p). Available January 15

Best Offer Wins centres on Margo, whose determination to secure her dream home gradually tips into morally dubious territory. Set in the suburbs of Washington D.C., the detailed descriptions of unattainable, renovated properties are comically and uncomfortably similar to the UK’s housing market. In fact, some readers may struggle to sympathise with a character fighting to buy a £1-million-plus property amid a wider housing crisis. Margo is controlled, cold and often difficult to like, and as the book is told solely from her perspective, there is little relief from her neurotic, self-interested voice, though Kashino provides enough wit and social commentary to make it readable. The brisk pace certainly makes the book a page-turner, even if some workplace subplots feel slightly unnecessary. Ultimately, it’s a compelling look at status anxiety and ambition.
6/10
Review by Lara Owen

The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers is published in hardback by Canongate Books, priced £18.99 (ebook £14.11). Available January 15

Sustaining a fantasy affair in your head for a decade sounds like harder work than actually just going ahead and having the affair. This is the predicament Cora finds herself in. Having left New York City with her husband Eliot, a fellow Millennial, to raise their babies in a town with fresh air and subpar coffee, she meets Sam at a baby group. Bonding over their shared horror at the other parents and clocking their mutual attraction, instead of jumping into bed, they entwine their families in an awkward friendship. This ‘real’ timeline – the kids on playdates, the grown-ups having dinner, Cora not progressing in a job she doesn’t care about – runs parallel to the imaginary affair with Sam that’s playing out in Cora’s head. The problem is, Erin Somers’ exploration of the real life stuff is far more interesting than the passionless imagined affair, which ends up feeling like a dull, extended dream sequence. Meandering and light on sexual tension, if detailed and smartly drawn, The Ten Year Affair doesn’t quite hold your attention.
6/10
Review by Ella Walker

Non fiction

Art Cure: The Science Of How The Arts Transform Our Health by Daisy Fancourt is published in hardback by Cornerstone Press, priced £22 (ebook £11.99). Available now

If you’ve already abandoned your New Year resolutions, don’t despair – prescribing yourself a dose of art therapy could banish the guilt and set you on course for a thoroughly enriching 2026, without resorting to a restrictive diet or lifting weights. Art Cure is the perfect antidote to the worrying insistence by central and local government that creative pursuits are mere hobbies or luxuries not worthy of investment. Award-winning scientist Daisy Fancourt draws on decades of experiments and reports to demonstrate, in a thoroughly accessible way, how engaging with the arts can make you happier, healthier and more resilient. The book includes moving case studies and simple tips to get you singing, dancing, creating and appreciating art at your own pace and ability. You don’t even have to be good to benefit – your body and mind will give you a standing ovation for sticking with it.
9/10
Review by Amy Crowther

Children’s book of the week

The Good Deed Dogs by Emma Chichester Clark is published in paperback by Walker Books, priced £7.99 (ebook £6.98). Available now

The Good Deed Dogs by Emma Chichester Clark is a great story that beautifully shows the importance of kindness and friendship. It takes us on an adventure with a group of lovable dogs who set out to help members of their community. The illustrations bring the characters to life, making the story even more enjoyable. I loved how each dog – there are three, Bodger, Billy and Betty – has its own personality, which makes the story fun and exciting. The messages about helping others and being a good friend are important (and ones that my sister can learn from). I found it easy to relate to the characters and their adventures. It’s an excellent read for anyone who loves animals and stories about doing good things for others.
8.5/10
Review by Poppy Sparke, aged 10

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING

HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. Flesh by David Szalay
2. Alchemised by SenLinYu
3. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
4. Katabasis by R.F Kuang
5. Brimstone by Callie Hart
6. Rose Field by Philip Pullman
7. The Artist by Lucy Steeds
8. The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
9. Exit Strategy:Jack Reacher by Lee Child and Andrew Child
10. What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. Private Eye Annual 2025 by Ian Hislop
2. This Way Up:When Maps Go Wrong (and Why it Matters) by Map Men
3. Always Remember:The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and the Storm by Charlie Mackesy
4. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins
5. The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2026 by Lia Leendertz
6. Eleanor by Alice Loxton
7. Protein in 15 by The Body Coach, Wicks, Joe
8. A Mind of My Own by Kathy Burke
9. Eat Yourself Healthy by Jamie Oliver
10. Winter by Val McDermid
(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NONFICTION)
1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
3. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
4. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
5. Slow Horses by Mick Herron
6. The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer
7. The Names by Florence Knapp
8. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
9. Alchemised by SenLinYu
10. A Mind of My Own by Kathy Burke
(Compiled by Audible)