By Anais Aguilera, Emily Mawson, Ava Barnaby and Olivia Paris
This month, we have a range of genres that are doing well in the charts, from sapphic love stories, translated contemporary fiction, to murder mysteries! Take a look for some winter reading inspiration.
Amazon
This first book is a classic tale that is getting its second moment of glory. While the Wicked movie makes its way onto screens worldwide, Gregory Maguire’s story, which inspired the musical, goes to the bestselling list. Maguire’s Wicked is a darker, quirkier version of the musical and movie, but the heart of the story, Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship, shines through in both. For readers who enjoyed the adaptations and those unfamiliar with the story alike, Wicked offers a fresh perspective on friendship, love and belonging.
The next book on Amazon’s bestseller list is perfect for those finding it difficult to feel the joy this winter. Amid the holiday buzz, Katherine Hay understands the dark periods in our lives can’t always be prevented. This is why she wrote Wintering, a heartfelt reflection on weathering these dark periods and finding the unexpected moments of peace within them. She draws from her own experiences, as well as encounters with literature, outdoor adventures and more, to shift the way we approach the seasons of our lives.
WHSmith
An eclectic array of genres populates the WHSmith charts this month. Gliding into the charts following its translation from Japanese to English in November is The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami. Author of such highly acclaimed works as Norwegian Wood and Kafka on the Shore, Murakami is known for fusing fantasy with reality to create surrealist worlds of the weird and wonderful. His latest novel is no exception, as a young man’s search for his missing girlfriend leads him to the home of her true self: a mythical city and alternative reality in which his lover remembers nothing of their time together in the real world – but is it real after all?
Similarly published in November and holding its chart position is The Proof of My Innocence by renowned political satirist Jonathan Coe. Once again cutting into contemporary politics using comedy with a serrated edge, Coe imagines a shadowy think-tank that is set to push the British government in an extreme direction as it comes under new leadership. And when a far-right conference descends into murder, a political mystery must be solved. Prepare for a fun and astute exploration of the web of power with Coe’s twist on cosy crime and dark academia.
Waterstones
The first novel topping the Waterstones charts is Alan Bennett’s Killing Time. Described by The Spectator as a “Geriatric Lord of the Flies,” this offbeat and satirical novel depicts life in a care home in the COVID-19 pandemic. Following on from a Talking Heads monologue The Last of the Sun, the story is scattered with Bennett’s clever stylistic idiosyncrasies and dark comedy, showcasing the chaos of lockdown from the perspectives of a plethora of unique and wry elderly characters. Typical Bennett quirks turn what could be a harrowing tale into something entertaining, showing the liberation of these unruly characters as staff members are affected by COVID, and the stuffy restraints and regulations of the council home Hill Topp High fall into nothingness. The novel is the perfect escape as the winter evenings draw in, not unlike my next festive pick.
Following on from the last edition, the Waterstones charts of course would not be complete without a cosy Christmas read. Murder at Holly House by Denzil Meyrick is a quintessential crime fiction success set in 1950s Yorkshire. In the chocolate-box town, Inspector Frank Grasby goes from investigating theft to murder, unfurling a dark underbelly of this picture-perfect parish. Warming humour is intertwined within genuine tension, mystery and post-war recovery in this festive whodunit, marking a shift from Meyrick’s usual dark and gritty storylines.
Social Media
On social media this month, discussions of capitalism, love and the perilous fist of society are taking place within two notable books – This is How You Lose the Time War and Ripe.
This is How You Lose the Time War, written by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, tells a love story between two agents on opposite sides of a war, set among the crumbling rock of a dying world. Initially beginning as taunting letters, they soon grow into something more; a little more fragile and a lot more to do with love than violence. But wars are created to be won – so which side will lose, and what of their love?
Another novel that discusses the toxic nature of society and its pressures is Sarah Rose Etter’s, Ripe. Cassie is knee-deep into a corporate nightmare at a Silicon Valley start-up, where she witnesses the looming gap between the wealthy and the poor. Cassie unravels further as her relationship with her CEO crosses illegal boundaries, forcing her to question whether the fruits of her corporate lifestyle are really worth the labour.
Noteworthy Author
This issue’s Noteworthy Author is R.F. Kuang, responsible for highly acclaimed titles such as Yellowface and Babel. Her debut novel The Poppy War was written during her gap year in 2018, when she was only twenty-two. The dark fantasy, laden with politics and brutality, earned Kuang multiple awards. Her following novels received similar treatment, with Yellowface shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2023 and both novels still holding their place on the bestseller list despite tackling very different topics.