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Mark and Roxanne Hoyle's Greg the Sausage Roll World Book Day title scoops the number one spot

Dilly Court's The Lucky Penny drops into the number one spot

Dilly Court's The Lucky Penny drops into the number one spot

Maas appeal: Sarah J Maas blazes to number one with House of Flame and Shadow

Maas appeal: Sarah J Maas blazes to number one with House of Flame and Shadow

Greg the Sausage Roll: Lunchbox Superhero (WBD)

Greg the Sausage Roll: Lunchbox Superhero (WBD)

Elmer and the Patchwork Story (WBD)

Elmer and the Patchwork Story (WBD)

The Batch Lady Grab and Cook

The Batch Lady Grab and Cook

Homecoming

No One Saw a Thing

Past Lying

High-Rise Hijinks (WBD)

The Lucky Penny

The Lucky Penny

One Day

The Housemaid

Loki: Tales of a Bad God (WBD)

Loki: Tales of a Bad God (WBD)

Charlie McGrew & The Horse That He Drew (WBD)

Charlie McGrew & The Horse That He Drew (WBD)

I Will Find You

I Will Find You

The Cloisters

The Cloisters

Sunbringer

Can You Get Jellyfish in Space? (WBD)

One Day

The Island Swimmer

Diper Överlöde

Diper Överlöde

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Viking reveals Richard Osman's new series, We Solve Murders

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UK Top 10 Books

Direct from trade sales this is the Official UK Top 10 best-selling books for the week ending 16th February 2024

Book Cover for The Lucky Penny by Dilly Court

The Lucky Penny

Dilly Court

£8.09 £8.99

Book Cover for Past Lying  by Val McDermid

Val McDermid

£8.99 £9.99

Book Cover for I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

I Will Find You

Harlan Coben

Book Cover for The Cloisters by Katy Hays

The Cloisters

Book Cover for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Gabrielle Zevin

Book Cover for Killing Moon by Jo Nesbo

Killing Moon

Book Cover for The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid

Freida McFadden

Book Cover for Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood

Book Cover for Food for Life by Tim Spector

Food for Life

Tim Spector

£11.69 £12.99

Book Cover for If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin

If Only I Had Told Her

Laura Nowlin

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The Sunday Times Bestsellers List — the UK’s definitive book sales chart

top 10 books uk chart

Forty-five years old this year, The Sunday Times Bestseller List is the oldest and most influential book sales chart in the UK, and the one that every author wants to be on. Based on data collected each Saturday for the following Sunday by Nielsen Bookscan (who have been collecting digital data since 1998), the chart is the most accurate and comprehensive estimation of book sales in the country.

GENERAL hardbacks

1 The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (Ebury £16.99) An illustrated fable containing gentle life philosophy 37,390 (152,185)

2 Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay (Picador £9.99) Former junior doctor’s festive stories from behind the blue curtain 34,625 (193,770)

3 Me by Elton John (Macmillan £25) The

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The Sunday Times Bestsellers List — the UK’s definitive book sales chart

top 10 books uk chart

Amazon's Most Sold charts rank books according to the number of copies sold and pre-ordered through Amazon.co.uk, Audible.co.uk, and books read through digital subscription programmes (once a customer has read a certain percentage – roughly the length of a free reading sample). Bulk buys are counted as a single purchase. Amazon's Most Read charts rank titles by the average number of daily Kindle readers and Audible listeners each week. Categories not ranked on Most Read charts include dictionaries, encyclopedias, religious texts, daily devotionals, and calendars.

Cover image of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Dark times have come to Hogwarts. After the Dementors' attack on his cousin Dudley, Harry Potter knows that Voldemort will stop at nothing to find him. There are many who deny the Dark Lord's return, but Harry is not alone: a secret order gathers at Grimmauld Place to fight against the Dark forces. Harry must allow Professor Snape to teach him how to protect himself from Voldemort's savage assaults on his mind. But they are growing stronger by the day and Harry is running out of time...

Cover image of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

The Triwizard Tournament is to be held at Hogwarts. Only wizards who are over seventeen are allowed to enter - but that doesn't stop Harry dreaming that he will win the competition. Then at Hallowe'en, when the Goblet of Fire makes its selection, Harry is amazed to find his name is one of those that the magical cup picks out. He will face death-defying tasks, dragons and Dark wizards, but with the help of his best friends, Ron and Hermione, he might just make it through - alive!

Cover image of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

Cover image of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

As he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid's motorbike and takes to the skies, leaving Privet Drive for the last time, Harry Potter knows that Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters are not far behind. The protective charm that has kept Harry safe until now is broken, but he cannot keep hiding. The Dark Lord is breathing fear into everything Harry loves and to stop him Harry will have to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes. The final battle must begin - Harry must stand and face his enemy...

Cover image of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

When Dumbledore arrives at Privet Drive one summer night to collect Harry Potter, his wand hand is blackened and shrivelled, but he does not reveal why. Secrets and suspicion are spreading through the wizarding world, and Hogwarts itself is not safe. Harry is convinced that Malfoy bears the Dark Mark: there is a Death Eater amongst them. Harry will need powerful magic and true friends as he explores Voldemort's darkest secrets, and Dumbledore prepares him to face his destiny...

Cover image of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter's summer has included the worst birthday ever, doomy warnings from a house-elf called Dobby, and rescue from the Dursleys by his friend Ron Weasley in a magical flying car! Back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year, Harry hears strange whispers echo through empty corridors - and then the attacks start. Students are found as though turned to stone... Dobby's sinister predictions seem to be coming true.

Cover image of The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith

Private Detective Cormoran Strike is contacted by a worried father whose son, Will, has gone to join a religious cult in the depths of the Norfolk countryside. The Universal Humanitarian Church is, on the surface, a peaceable organisation that campaigns for a better world. Yet Strike discovers that beneath the surface there are deeply sinister undertones, and unexplained deaths. In order to try to rescue Will, Strike's business partner Robin Ellacott decides to infiltrate the cult and she travels to Norfolk to live incognito amongst them. But in doing so, she is unprepared for the dangers that await her there or for the toll it will take on her . . . Utterly page-turning, The Running Grave moves Strike and Robin's story forward in the epic, unforgettable seventh instalment of the series. ________ PRAISE FOR THE STRIKE NOVELS 'A blistering piece of crime writing' Sunday Times ' Unputdownable ' Daily Express 'A page-turner that will keep you up all night ' Observer 'Superb . . . an ingenious whodunnit' Sunday Mirror 'Strike and Robin are just as magnetic as ever' New York Times ' Outrageously entertaining ' Financial Times

Cover image of The Maid by Nita Prose

I am your maid. I know about your secrets. Your dirty laundry. But what do you know about me?

Molly the maid is all alone in the world. A nobody. She’s used to being invisible in her job at the Regency Grand Hotel, plumping pillows and wiping away the grime, dust and secrets of the guests passing through. She’s just a maid – why should anyone take notice?

But Molly is thrown into the spotlight when she discovers an infamous guest, Mr Black, very dead in his bed. This isn’t a mess that can be easily cleaned up. And as Molly becomes embroiled in the hunt for the truth, following the clues whispering in the hallways of the Regency Grand, she discovers a power she never knew was there. She’s just a maid – but what can she see that others overlook?

Escapist, charming and introducing a truly original heroine, The Maid is a story about how the truth isn’t always black and white – it’s found in the dirtier, grey areas in between . . .

‘Gripping, deftly written, and led by a truly unforgettable protagonist in Molly. I'm recommending it to everyone I know' EMMA STONEX

‘Beautiful writing, an intriguing mystery, and a colourful cast of friends and sleuths ensure The Maid sparkles with wit and tension’ LUCY CLARKE

‘Fresh, fiendish and darkly beguiling. The Maid is so thrillingly original, and clever, and joyous. I just adored every page’ CHRIS WHITAKER

A Sunday Times No.4 bestseller for w/c 24/01/2022

A New York Times No.1 bestseller for w/c 31/01/2022

Cover image of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle & Stephen Fry

Ever since he made his first appearance in A Study In Scarlet , Sherlock Holmes has enthralled and delighted millions of fans throughout the world. Now Audible is proud to present Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection , read by Stephen Fry. A lifelong fan of Doyle's detective fiction, Fry has narrated the complete works of Sherlock Holmes - four novels and five collections of short stories. And, exclusively for Audible, Stephen has written and narrated nine insightful, intimate and deeply personal introductions to each title. Stephen Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, comedian, television presenter, film director and all round national treasure. He is the acclaimed narrator of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and most recently recorded The Tales of Max Carrados for Audible Studios - a performance that earned Fry the accolade of "quite irresistible". Stephen has contributed columns and articles to newspapers and magazines, appears frequently on radio and has written four novels and three volumes of autobiography.

Cover image of Let Me In by Claire McGowan

From the bestselling author of What You Did comes the story of a young couple who are about to discover that in a house full of secrets there’s nowhere to hide…

For Helen and George, the remote fixer-upper in Cornwall was supposed to be a dream home, and a way to leave behind the problems they’re both running from. But something about the place feels wrong from day one. And why does Helen have a creeping feeling she’s seen this house before?

Her unease only deepens after renovations begin, when the builders find sinister dolls hidden in the walls. As Helen digs into the house’s past, she discovers that the previous owner was not only rumoured to be a witch; she was also imprisoned for a brutal triple murder thirty years earlier.

When a horrific accident almost ends in tragedy, Helen worries that the house’s secrets are to blame, and as events spiral out of control she discovers George has been lying to her. As the past returns to haunt them, the couple realise they are in terrible danger, and they can’t trust anyone—not even each other. Because Helen hasn’t been entirely honest with him either…

Cover image of The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

In a sleepy village in the Shire, a young hobbit is entrusted with an immense task. He must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ruling Ring of Power – the only thing that prevents the Dark Lord Sauron’s evil dominion.

Thus begins J. R. R. Tolkien’s classic tale of adventure, which continues in The Two Towers and The Return of the King.

Cover image of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

This is not a romance, but it is about love. Sam and Sadie meet in a hospital in 1987. Sadie is visiting her sister, Sam is recovering from a car crash. The days and months are long there, but playing together brings joy, escape, fierce competition -- and a special friendship. Then all too soon that time is over, and they must return to their normal lives. When the pair spot each other eight years later in a crowded train station, they are catapulted back to that moment. The spark is immediate, and together they get to work on what they love - creating virtual worlds to delight, challenge and immerse, finding an intimacy in the digital realm that eludes them in their real lives. Their collaborations make them superstars. This is the story of the perfect worlds Sadie and Sam build, the imperfect world they live in, and of everything that comes after success: Money. Fame. Duplicity. Tragedy. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow takes us on a dazzling imaginative quest, examining identity, creativity and our need to connect.

Cover image of The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

The Echo of Old Books meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.

‘Beautifully written and captures the wonder and awe that a story can bring to its reader …a delightful story for any book lover…an ode to storytelling and the connections that books can make!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wowwww!! It’s been awhile since I read something so fascinating, captivating and special all in one…It takes you on a journey like most books do, but this one, I just want to inscribe on my back and hope that it becomes a part of me so that I can carry it with me always ’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A must read for readers that love books ’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A beautiful story that begs to be read in one sitting …a magical story filled with beautiful prose and many surprises that readers will not soon forget’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This spellbinding book hooked me from the very beginning and I couldn't put it down til the end’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A love story, one with books and booklovers at its heart . A warm, wonderful novel that sweeps up the reader into an absorbing, magical tale’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘If you enjoy books by the Brontë sisters … then I would fully recommend you read this book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘ This novel has it all : wit, a dash of magic, and a large heart. A fantastic read’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cover image of House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

Customers highlighted passages in House of Flame and Shadow more frequently than other books on the list this week.

The third book in the EPIC Crescent City series from multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan - Time Think Game of Thrones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a drizzle of E.L. James – Telegraph Spiced with slick plotting and atmospheric world-building ... a page-turning delight – Guardian Sarah J. Maas does not disappoint … To be devoured with relish – Mail ****** A WORLD IN DARKNESS. A BURNING SPARK. A BLAZE OF STARS. Bryce Quinlan is stranded in a strange new world. She's going to need all her wits about her to get home again and return to everything she loves. But that's no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust. Meanwhile, Hunt Athalar is back in the Asteri's dungeons. Stripped of his freedom and the happiness he'd fought so hard for, he's without a clue as to Bryce's fate. Hunt is desperate to help his mate, but until he can escape the Asteri's chains, his hands are quite literally tied. In this breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath , Midgard is brought to the brink of collapse, and the fate of the world rests on the hope of rebellion. But the fight for survival, freedom, and love may cost everything Bryce and Hunt have. House of Flame and Shadow was ranked #1 in UK TCM charts week ending 6/2/2024

Cover image of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson

Mabel Beaumont’s husband Arthur loved lists. He’d leave them for her everywhere. ‘Remember: eggs, butter, sugar’. ‘I love you: today, tomorrow, always’.

But now Arthur is gone. He died: softly, gently, not making a fuss. But he’s still left her a list. This one has just one item on it though: ‘Find D’.

Mabel feels sure she knows what it means. She must track down her best friend Dot, who she hasn’t seen since the fateful day she left more than sixty years ago.

It seems impossible. She doesn’t even know if Dot’s still alive. Also, every person Mabel talks to seems to need help first, with missing husbands, daughters, parents. Mabel finds her list is just getting longer, and she’s still no closer to finding Dot.

What she doesn’t know is that her list isn’t just about finding her old friend. And that if she can admit the secrets of the past, maybe she could even find happiness again…

A completely heartbreaking, beautiful, uplifting story, guaranteed to make you smile but also make you cry. Perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove , Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine , and The Keeper of Stories .

‘Tender and beautiful… As hopeful as it is heart-breaking … I loved it.’ Amy Beashel

‘ This beautifully written story of friendship, love, loss and second chances captured my heart . I adored Mabel and her unlikely gang of colourful characters … Leaves you feeling warm, hopeful, and satisfied.’ Lisa Timoney

‘Mabel Beaumont is an absolute treasure … Laura Pearson cleverly, gently, peels back the layers of Mabel’s and her friends’ lives in a way that hurts, then soothes, your heart … An uplifting, life-affirming joy of a novel! ’ Emma Robinson

‘ I’ve been inundated with books in the uplit genre but this is by far the best I’ve read … moving, life-affirming and utterly wonderful .’ Matt Cain

‘ I absolutely loved this book … I adore an older protagonist… who is feisty and not afraid to speak her mind. The story is like a warm hug – but it had spark and wit and humour too . I was bereft when I finished it (far too) late last night!’ Clare Swatman

‘ Wow. Seriously. Just beautiful. So many wonderful elements… So many memorable characters… Beautiful and utterly affecting .’ Louise Beech

‘ Charming, warm and moving … A beautifully written story about love and longing, and a poignant reminder that it’s never too late to follow your heart.’ Holly Miller

‘ I adored it … A heartbreakingly beautiful story about love in all its different forms . (And she made me cry again, of course). Bravo .’ Nikki Smith

‘ I finished this in the same 24 hours as I started it . Oh… what a beautiful story … Poignant and inspiring! ’ Jennie Godfrey

‘ Such a poignant story . Brought a lump to my throat … Will really appeal to fans of Joanna Cannon.’ Karen Angelico

‘ A beautiful book about truth, love, relationships and how it's never too late to follow your heart… Moving, funny and emotionally clever .’ Alison Stockham

‘ Wonderful … Uplifting … A brilliant book… Clever and unforgettable. Dive in, and prepare to be inspired .’ Ross Greenwood

Cover image of The Last Devil To Die by Richard Osman

Shocking news reaches the Thursday Murder Club. An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing. As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home. With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die? ---------- WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES 'Infectious, charming and full of heart' GILLIAN MCALLISTER 'I adored this thrilling adventure. His best yet!' CLAIRE DOUGLAS 'Another witty, charming and hugely entertaining read ... his best yet' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'A joy to be back...intrigue, red herrings and loads of charm' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'I snickered so much reading this one' THE OBSERVER 'Opening the new Osman is like sitting down to dinner with treasured friends you know are going to kill you - deliciously!' PETER JAMES 'Full of humour and heart, Osman delivers another must-read. I loved it' HARLAN COBEN 'A warm, wise and witty warning never to underestimate the elderly' VAL MCDERMID 'So smart and funny. Deplorably good' IAN RANKIN 'Thrilling, moving, laugh-out-loud funny' MARK BILLINGHAM

Cover image of The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?

Cover image of One Day by David Nicholls

15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? 'One of the most astute chroniclers of England as it is now' FINANCIAL TIMES 'An uncanny ability to make us laugh out loud, but also care passionately about his characters' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Nicholls writes with such tender precision about love' THE TIMES 'No one else writes novels that are both relatable and revelatory in the way he does' EVENING STANDARD 'Genuinely brilliant' NEW STATESMAN

Cover image of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Your ability to change everything - including yourself - starts here Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing. But it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute take a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans, the lonely, brilliant, Nobel-prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with - of all things - her mind. True chemistry results. Like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later, Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show, Supper at Six . Elizabeth's unusual approach to cooking ('combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride') proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn't just teaching women to cook. She's daring them to change the status quo.

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Nielsen BookData provides weekly bestseller charts to the international press as well as ad-hoc data and insights to support commentary on the global book market.

Our bestseller charts are based on our BookScan data which is gathered in 12 territories: Australia, Brazil, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland. South Africa, Spain, Colombia and the UK. We are also able to provide information about book production figures.

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Australia #1

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros Australian BookScan data is regularly used by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Sun Herald and Books + Publishing.

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Café com Deus Pai 2024 by Júnior Rostirola In Brazil our data is regularly featured in Publishnews.

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Hábitos atómicos by James Clear

BookScan Colombia went live in February 23 with historical data available from 1 January 2023 onwards.

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New Zealand #1

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19 best new books to read in 2024, from historical fiction to romance novels

Discover debut novelists and immersive page-turners from acclaimed authors this season, article bookmarked.

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You won’t want to put down these tomes

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While we eagerly await stretching out on a sun lounger with a book in the summer, the colder months offer ample opportunity to cosy up and power through your reading pile.

Whether you have a penchant for a crime caper or love reading a romantic romp, darker evenings and lazy weekends are made better with a good book (or two).

From immersive historical epics to novels that transport you to warmer climes, the main criteria for a good winter book is simple: you won’t want t o put it down. Luckily, last year’s titles and this year’s early releases leave you spoiled for choice. From romance novels to Booker Prize-nominated tomes and laugh-out-loud stories, the mix is as eclectic as ever.

This year’s reading pile sees plenty of acclaimed debuts from the likes of Yomi Adegoke, Madeleine Grey, Maud Ventura and Alice Winn, as well as eagerly anticipated titles from acclaimed authors such as Kiley Reid, Paul Murray, Dolly Alderton, Zadie Smith , Colson Whitehead and Jen Beagin.

The varied authorship is reflected in the diverse themes addressed, ranging from an Irish family in turmoil and love in the trenches of the First World War to slavery in the Caribbean, and dating across the political spectrum and dark domestic dramas.

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How we tested the best new books.

Some of our favourite new releases

To narrow down our list of the best books to read this winter, we looked for original page-turners with superb quality prose and a captivating story that stayed with us after we’d reached the end. From books for history lovers to romance novels, witty romantic comedies and acclaimed prize-winners, there’s something for every type of reader.

The best new books to read in 2024 are:

  • Best new release – The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, published by Hamish Hamilton: £15.69, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best literary thriller – Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang, published by The Borough Press: £11.60, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best war novel – In Memoriam by Alice Winn, published by Viking: £13.19, Amazon.co.uk 
  • Best buzzy book – The List by Yomi Adegoke, published by Fourth Estate: £8, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best subversive romance novel – Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess: £11.99, Amazon.co.uk

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‘The Bee Sting’ by Paul Murray, published by Hamish Hamilton

bee sting .jpg

  • Best : Overall new release
  • Genre : Comedy drama
  • Release date : 8 June 2023

Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting is a tour de force of fiction. The Barnes, a once-well-off Irish family, are in the midst of emotional and financial strain. Set during turbulent months in their claustrophobic town (think floods, droughts and the aftermath of recession), Murray expertly gives us each family member’s perspective of the same events – with flashbacks unravelling an intricate story of betrayal, crime and lust.

Profound on the human condition, utterly gripping and peppered with comedy, Murray’s novel is a must-read this year.

  • Apple Books: £9.99, Apple.com
  • Kindle: £9.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Audible: £14.87, Amazon.co.uk

‘Good Material’ by Dolly Alderton, published by Fig Tree

good material .jpg

  • Best : Comedy novel
  • Genre : Comedy
  • Release date : 9 November 2023

Some writers suffer from second-novel syndrome, but not Dolly Alderton. The author and columinist’s second book Good Material is a cliché-avoiding break-up novel, in the vein of Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity .

Told through the eyes of recently dumped Andy, we follow him as he grapples with single life after his girlfriend realised she wanted to be alone. This in itself is a powerful narrative, with Alderton making a case for the happy and single 30-something woman.

Genuinely laugh-out-loud funny – with characters straight out of a Richard Curtis film (the elderly lodger who’s prepping for doomsday is a highlight) – whipsmart dialogue and relatable millennial themes (Alderton’s forte) mean there’s never a dull moment. Despite it being a pleasingly easy read (we tore through it in a single day), Good Material still manages to be thought-provoking and wise.

  • Audible: £11.37, Amazon.co.uk

‘Yellowface’ by Rebecca F Kuang, published by The Borough Press

yellowface .jpg

  • Best : Literary thriller
  • Genre : Thriller
  • Release date : 25 May 2023

A satire of the publishing industry and brazen exploration of cancel culture, Rebecca F Kuang’s literary heist Yellowface is one the most gripping books of the year. It begins with the freak accident death of young, famed writer Athena Liu (she chokes on pancake mixture, setting the preposterous tone for the rest of the book), witnessed by her sometimes-friend and aspiring (currently failing) novelist June Hayward.

After June steals Athena’s unfinished manuscript and publishes it under her own name to acclaim, she is thrown into the fame, money and relevance she’s always desired. But when her secret threatens to become known, June must decide how far she will go to maintain her reputation. Addictive and uncomfortable, with plenty of savagely funny moments, Kuang’s novel is a must-read.

  • Apple Books: £4.99, Apple.com
  • Kindle: £7.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Audible: £11.38, Amazon.co.uk

‘Green Dot’ by Madeleine Grey, published by W&N

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  • Best : Affair novel
  • Genre : Romance
  • Release date : 1 February 2024

There’s nothing new about an affair novel – but, testament to Madeleine Grey’s writing, Green Dot is fresh and modern. Hera, a 24-year-old, has just started an admin job at a newspaper, where she meets Arthur. Older, more senior and attractive, Hera distracts herself from the boredom of her day-to-day life by crashing headfirst into a workplace romance.

When she discovers he’s married, the illicit affair consumes her life. Part Bridget Jones , part Fleabag , Green Dot is funny, fast-paced and witty, with plenty of relatable millennial and Gen Z references (and not to mention a painfully relatable lockdown passage). We tore through it.

  • Audible: £7.99, Amazon.co.uk

‘Come and Get It’ by Kiley Reid, published by Bloomsbury publishing

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  • Best : Society satire
  • Release date : 30 January 2024

Kiley Reid’s debut Such a Fun Age was a runaway success in 2020. Now she’s back with Come and Get It , a page-turning take on money and power dynamics. Desperate to get on the property ladder, graduate and land a good job, Millie is working as a student advisor and living in dorms. Meanwhile, visiting professor and writer Agatha is doing research for a new book and wants to interview some of the students in Millie’s dorm.

Jumping at the chance to increase her income, Millie agrees, and the two women become embroiled in a world of student angst, pranks, and theatrics. Despite the story rarely leaving campus grounds, the novel has a gripping wide scope that explores society’s obsession with money, desire, and consumption.

  • Apple Books: £10.99, Apple.com
  • Kindle: £7.97, Amazon.co.uk

‘In Memoriam’ by Alice Winn, published by Viking

in memoriam .jpg

  • Best : War novel
  • Genre : Historical fiction
  • Release date : 9 March 2023

Beginning in a private boarding school for boys, before taking us to the horror of the trenches during World War One, Alice Winn’s blistering debut is an unforgettable read. We’re first introduced to the book’s central figures – Gaunt and Ellwood – in 1914, when both schoolboys are secretly in love with each other. When half-German Gaunt is pressured by his mother to enlist in the British army, he is relieved to run away from his forbidden feelings for his best friend. But when the true terror of the war is revealed to him, he is soon devastated when Ellwood and other classmates follow him to the Western Front.

A love story set against the tragedies of war, Winn’s rousing writing transports you to the trenches, where an entire generation of lost men are brought to vivid life – the characters will stick with you, long after the final page.

  • Apple Books: £7.99, Apple.com

‘The Fraud’ by Zadie Smith, published by Hamish Hamilton

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  • Best : Novel about real people
  • Genre : Historical
  • Release date : 7 September 2023

Zadie Smith’s first foray into historical fiction, The Fraud is based on true events and juxtaposes a portrait of Victorian life and slavery in the Caribbean. The titular fraud in question is the Tichborne Claimant – a butcher who claimed to be an aristocratic heir in an 1873 trial that gripped the country. Real-life cousin and housekeeper to the largely forgotten novelist William Ainsworth, Smith reimagines Eliza Touchet’s mostly unknown life and her fascination with the case and its prime witness, an ageing Black man named Andrew Bogle.

The author’s version of Bogle’s backstory provides most of the second half of the book, beginning with his father’s abduction in the 1770s to the Hope Plantation in Jamaica. Affecting and devastating, it’s in stark contrast to the humdrum domestic middle-class Victorian life also explored. In typical Zadie style, the narrative structure and decade leaping require you to pay attention – but you’re heavily rewarded with the sheer breadth of the novel and its vividly painted characters.

‘The List’ by Yomi Adegoke, published by Fourth Estate

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  • Best : Buzzy summer book
  • Genre : Relationships, social media
  • Release date : 20 July 2023

The book that everyone was talking about last year, Slay In Your Lane writerYomi Adegoke’s debut novel is so buzzy that an HBO TV adaptation is already in the works. Podcaster Michael and journalist Ola are a young couple on the cusp of marriage when their world is blown apart by allegations of abuse made against Michael online in “The List”.

Having made a career of exposing such men, Ola is torn between believing Michael’s innocence or supporting the women who anonymously submitted their stories to the list. Thought-provoking and topical in its exploration of life both online and offline, and the fallout of cancel culture, it’s written with sharp insight and is impossible to put down. The hype is real.

  • Kindle: £4.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Apple Books: £11.99, Apple.com

‘Big Swiss’ by Jen Beagin

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  • Best : Sex comedy
  • Genre : Dark comedy
  • Release date : 18 May 2023

A sex comedy with darkness at its centre, Jen Beagin’s latest novel is narrated by Greta, a 45-year-old who lives in a decrepit Dutch farmhouse and transcribes for a sex therapist. Knowing everyone’s secrets in the small town of Hudson is no problem when you’re a relative recluse – that is until she bumps into Flavia, aka Big Swiss, her nickname for the 28-year-old married Swiss woman who suffered a terrible beating that she regularly transcribes (and is infatuated with).

Their dog park meeting leads to a passionate relationship with both women trying to escape their own traumas. Greta’s mother committed suicide when she was 13 years old while Flavia’s attacker has just been released from prison. An off-kilter romance with lashings of psychological thriller, darker moments are balanced with Beagin’s witty writing, idiosyncratic characters and laugh-out-loud passages. Naturally, there’s already an HBO adaptation starring Jodie Comer in the works.

  • Apple Books: £8.99, Apple.com

‘Everything’s Fine’ by Cecilia Rabess, published by Simon & Schuster

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  • Best : Subversive romance novel

A subversive love story set against the political polarisation of America, Cecilia Rabess’s Everything’s Fine is a funny and punchy debut. Jess – Black and liberal – immediately dislikes her Ivy League college classmate Josh – white and conservative – but when they find themselves working in the same company after graduating, a cantankerous friendship turns into a passionate relationship.

Set against the backdrop of Trump’s presidential campaign, the novel explores if ideological opposites can be together – with its most heated moments taking place over arguments about Maga hats, wealth inequality and wokeism. Commenting perceptively on politics and economics, Rabess’s writing is just as enthralling on lust and sex. Concluding on the eve of the 2016 election, the novel questions whether love really can conquer all. We tore through it in two sittings.

  • Apple Books: £0.99, Apple.com

‘Crook Manifesto’ by Colson Whitehead, published by Fleet

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  • Best : Best crime novel
  • Genre : Crime, historical
  • Release date : 18 July 2023

Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Colson Whitehead is back with the second instalment to his New York crime trilogy. First introduced in 2021’s Harlem Shuffle , furniture salesman and ex-fence Ray Carney returns to the criminal underbelly of the city in Crook Manifesto , in a bid to secure Jackson 5 tickets (which were like gold dust in 1971) for his daughter.

Jumping through the years up to 1976, Whitehead casts a satirical eye on New York during the tumultuous decade, touching on everything from police corruption and the Black Liberation Army to Blaxploitation. Blending family drama with history and culture, the sequel has the feel of a Quentin Tarantino movie and we were hooked.

‘Romantic Comedy' by Curtis Sittenfeld, published by Doubleday

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  • Best : Rom-com
  • Genre : Romantic comedy
  • Release date : 6 April 2023

Having previously given voice to President’s wives in the acclaimed American Wife and Rodham , Curtis Sittenfeld has set her sights on the comedy world in her latest novel – aptly named Romantic Comedy . Protagonist Sally is a successful writer at a Saturday Night Live -inspired sketch show, and has, thus far, been unlucky in love. When she meets pop idol Noah Brewster on the show in 2018, she develops a school-girl crush that challenges her cynicism about love.

Picking up the story two years later, in 2020, during the pandemic, the two reconnect over email (this section is stellar) and meet up in LA.

Sittenfeld explores the world of celebrity, modern dating, lockdown and Covid-19 with wit, humour and often profundity. A light-hearted page-turner that’s funny, romantic and heartwarming.

  • Kindle: £8.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Apple Books:  £7.99,  Apple.com
  • Audible:  £11,37,  Amazon.co.uk

‘Ordinary Human Failings’ by Megan Nolan, published by Vintage

ordinary human failings.jpg

  • Best : Best family drama
  • Genre : Crime
  • Release date : 13 July 2023

Megan Nolan’s Acts of Desperation was one of our favourite reads last year and we loved the writer’s second novel just as much. A unique take on the crime genre, Ordinary Human Failings marks a dramatic departure from the tone and plot in Nolan’s debut. Set in the 1990s in London, tabloid journalist Tom Hargreaves believes he’s stumbled upon a career-making scoop when a child is murdered on a housing estate.

As fingers start pointing towards a family of Irish immigrants, the Greens family, Tom hunkers down with them to drive into their history. At the centre of the family is Carmel, a beautiful yet mysterious young mother, who is forced to reckon with how her 10-year-old daughter is implicated in a murder investigation. Tom’s probing soon reveals the regrets, secrets and silences that have trapped the Greens for decades. Intriguing and vast in scope, it’s an old-fashioned page-turner.

‘The Happy Couple’ by Naoise Dolan, published by Orion Publishing

happy couple .jpg

  • Best : Anti-romance novel
  • Genre : Comedy/satire

Naoise Dolan’s follow-up to 2020’s Exciting Times, this book is infused with the same biting social commentary and humour. A satirical spin on the marriage genre, it follows late-20-somethings Luke and Celine – both of whom think the other is out of love with them – on the cusp of their wedding day. Whether they’ll make it to the end of the aisle or not forms the tension of the novel.

Switching perspectives between their nearest and dearest, from best man Archie (Luke’s ex and sometimes-lover) to Celine’s sister (suspicious of Luke’s frequent disappearances), Dolan explores the anxieties of modern love. A wedding novel permeated by emotional turmoil rather than romance, its self-aware characters and comedic-timing cement Dolan as one of the sharpest writers around.

‘Penance’ by Eliza Clark, published by Faber & Faber

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  • Best : Fictional non-fiction book
  • Release date : 6 July 2023

A fictional story told in the manner of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, Eliza Clark’s Penance delves into the grisly torture and murder of 16-year-old Joan Wilson on the eve of the Brexit referendum in the seaside town of Crow. Three years after the murder, obsession with true crime is at an all-time high and an American podcast draws awareness to the case.

Ex-tabloid hack Alec Z Carelli sets out to write the “definitive account” of the murder – which was committed by three school girls – through eyewitness accounts, interviews and correspondence. Living in the town, exploring its history and its people, Carelli recounts the lives of the teenage murderers and the sinister world of online true-crime fandoms. As well as questioning Carelli’s morality in exploiting a horrific murder for his own career, Clark questions society’s preoccupation with gruesome true crime. Unnerving, superbly written and engrossing, the ending is pitch perfect.

  • Apple Books: £12.99, Apple.com

‘The Only One Left’ by Riley Sager, published by Hodder & Stoughton

The Only One Left by Riley Sager best new books 2023

  • Best : Gothic thriller
  • Genre : Crime, mystery
  • Release date : 4 July 2023

In 1929, three members of the Hope family were murdered in their clifftop mansion. Decades later, the book’s protagonist Kit McDeere takes on a job caring for Lenora Hope who has been in the house ever since and is the only remaining member of the Hope family. She also happens to be the one accused of carrying out the murders.

This book is breathtakingly twisty and while the mystery unravels, the claustrophobia becomes almost unbearable as the Hope’s End mansion itself begins succumbing to the sea and crumbling like the cliffs. We found ourselves literally gasping out loud as secrets were revealed. The Only One Left is a Gothic thriller, with horror elements and is perfect for cosying up with as autumn turns to winter.

  • Apple Books:  £4.99,  Apple.com
  • Kindle:  £4.99,  Amazon.co.uk
  • Apple Books:  £9.99,  Apple.com
  • Audible:  £11.37,  Amazon.co.uk

‘My Husband’ by Maud Ventura, published by Hutchinson Heinemann

My Husband by Maud Ventura best new books 2023

  • Best : Domestic thriller
  • Genre : Domestic noir, thriller
  • Release date : 27 July 2023

Obsessed with her husband, the main character of this dark domestic drama spends her days over-analysing her husband’s words, agonising over perceived slights and fantasising about imagined scenarios that send her swirling into flights of jealousy and passion. Her deep obsession eclipses everything else in her life including her relationship with her children, her work and her friendships.

Her roller-coaster of emotions and unhinged antics are fascinating to follow and we found ourselves devouring this darkly humorous work in less than two days. This fresh and easy-to-read book is translated from French by Emma Ramadan.

‘Kala’ by Colin Walsh, published by Atlantic Books

  • Best : Coming of age thriller
  • Genre : Drama, crime

A group of six friends living in a small Irish seaside town are inseparable until one day, Kala goes missing. Fifteen years later, three of the friends are back in Kinlough and human remains are found in the woods nearby, bringing the past screaming back.

Jumping between the time when the group was in secondary school and the present day, the mystery slowly unravels as we explore the heavy family traumas and broken friendships from the past. A complicated small-town community is the claustrophobic backdrop to the story which creates a refreshing mixture of family drama and crime thriller.

The story is told from the point of view of three of Kala’s friends who come back together and delve into the past to try and make sense of Kala’s death. There’s the loyal Mush who has always been in Kinlough, working in his mother’s cafe, hiding his mysterious facial scars from the world. Helen is the hard-headed former best friend of Kala who is now a journalist and is in town for her father’s impending wedding. And Joe, who is now a world-famous musician, has a hometown residency in a local bar, and is trying to reconnect to his old friends.

The use of three distinct narrative voices is well executed with clues cleverly revealed via the three protagonists and concludes with a major twist that you won’t see coming.

  • Apple Books: £5.99, Apple.com
  • Kindle: £4.68, Amazon.co.uk
  • Audible: £15.74, Amazon.co.uk

‘The Guest’ by Emma Cline, published by Vintage Publishing

emma cline .jpg

  • Best : Stylish novel
  • Release date : 18 May 2013

A follow-up to the critically acclaimed The Girls , Emma Cline’s The Guest follows 22-year-old escort Alex as she drifts from pool to beach during a chaotic week in sun-drenched Long Island. Cast out by the older man she was staying with, instead of returning to the city, she stays on the island and adapts to survive – believing they can be romantically reunited five days later at his Labor Day party.

In each encounter with individuals, groups at parties or old acquaintances, she leaves disaster in her wake. Though the story is a simple premise, each page is loaded with tension and risk, thanks to Cline’s stylistic writing. The poetic form and metaphorical use of water (swimming is survival) adds to the novel’s hazy feel. The Guest is also a deft exploration of social mobility, as Alex navigates the class system of Long Island.

The verdict: Best novels to read 2024

Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting is storytelling at its best. Moving, witty and funny, the fast-paced tome will keep you gripped until the very last page. Zeitgeist-y and engrossing, Rebecca K Kuang’s Yellowface is the perfect literary thriller for cosying up with this autumn, while the topical and thought-provoking The List by Yomi Adegoke deserves the hype.

For a funny yet wise novel, pick up Dolly Alderton’s Good Material , while historical tome In Memoriam by Alice Winn will linger long in your mind, thanks to its emotional heft.

Discover more great authors and books you’ll love in our fiction review section

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The best books of 2023, according to readers

We asked for your must-read books of the year, and you responded. Here are 2023’s finest, in your words – and ours.

top 10 books uk chart

What are the best books of 2023? Critics will tell us their views shortly, in the customary lists and roundups that come around November and December, but this year, we wanted to hear from you, the readers, first.

On social media, you told us about the novels you couldn’t put down, from “heartfelt” series finales to feel-good Japanese fiction, stone-cold classics to brand new bestsellers. Whether it came out in 2023 or not, these are the books you loved this year.

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

We said: The latest entry in Osman’s beloved Thursday Murder Club series is his most touching, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less wry or captivating than its predecessors.

You said: I love the characters he’s created in the Thursday Murder Club series. And this latest one definitely got me teary. Feel like I’m visiting with old friends every time I read his books. They’re more than a cosy mystery … they’re funny, heartfelt and very relatable.

- @annmariesellars

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

We said: A whimsical, feel-good Japanese novel about a librarian with a sixth sense for just the right book recommendation at just the right time, this is a wonderful book lover’s book.

You said: It’s such a wholesome book. It also helped me reflect on my current relationship to work and books. Loved it 🥰

- @pamlectora

Sula by Toni Morrison

We said: It wasn’t released this year, but Toni Morrison’s bona fide classic about two once-inseparable girlfriends who grow apart when one leaves their community for the big city – and whose friendship is torn apart by betrayal – is a must-read, even 50 years later.

You said: Wonderful writing and incredible storytelling.

- @mechanicalnoor

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

We said: This perspective-shattering novel, narrated by Death itself and set in Nazi Germany, follows nine-year-old book thief Liesel, whose family have been taken to a concentration camp. It might just restore your faith in humanity.

You said: I enjoyed the fresh narrative, matter of factness and how much emotion was invoked in a few simple sentences. Regularly.

- @lucy.tyrl

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

We said: Ostensibly a story about two friends who love video games, Zevin’s breakthrough novel is a deeply moving, life-affirming meditation on love, creativity, art, romance, friendship, fame and more – which explains its extraordinary word-of-mouth success.

You said: I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did but once I got into it the book just sucked me in and kept me intrigued until the very last page

- @bookedbliss

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

We said: It’s 1914. Henry and his best friend Sidney are in love, but neither can express it, so neither knows – that is, until both are enlisted to fight in the trenches, where, against the horrific spectre of death and wartime, a forbidden romance blooms.

You said: ❤️ Henry and Sidney will stay with me forever - just a heart-wrenching and breathtaking story

- @library_of_lauren

Bad Dreams and Other Stories by Tessa Hadley

We said: Sometimes, the most compelling stories are the ones that ring truest to real life – and English author Tessa Hadley is the master of realistic, domestic storytelling. These are some of her best short stories.

You said: A lovely collection of short stories about life and its nuances. No major drama, no love story, just life. Loved every second of it 💛✨

- @taraupadhyay

The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn

We said: A whale carcass, washed ashore, changes the lives of three imaginative children forced to raise themselves – but its their journey into adulthood that this whimsical, epic yarn of a book tracks so elegantly.

You said: I read some fabulous books this year but I think the one that tops them all is this.

- @theyarnrescuer

Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald

We said: A retelling of the Persephone myth that puts the titular character firmly in the driver’s seat – and has shaken TikTok to its core. This is one of the year’s biggest books, for good reason.

You said: I'm a massive fan of the story of Persephone and love this retelling, the portrayal of relationships was one of my favourite things, and I loved the characters 🥰

- @heathers.armchair.adventure

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

We said: Politically sharp and beautifully written, Kingsolver’s latest novel was nominated for a handful of prizes – and took home this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, too.

You said: The story of a boy with everything against him with just his talent and character to get him through (and a bit of luck). Unforgettable characters amid a story of the opioid crisis in the US. Just brilliant.

- @bar_barac

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

We said: An imaginative, captivating, and irresistibly addictive book about family, love, war, school – and learning to bond with dragons, this is the first in a feverishly beloved new series from Yarros.

You said: ❤️ I am always fascinated with dragons and enemies to lovers story❤️

- @anjlijpk

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

We said: A gripping novel about representing someone else’s work as one’s own, and the lengths one woman will go to protect what she thinks she deserves.

You said: An amazing insight into writing and author lives and so eerie and thrilling!

- @lottiesaahko

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The Best Books To Read In 2024

Created on 4th june 2021, be the ultimate literary influencer: vote for your favourite best books of 2024 on uk talk radio book charts”.

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The top One Hundred best reads in 2024

Are you ready to have your say in the literary world? Look no further than the UK Talk Radio Book Charts! Our experts have compiled a list of the top 20 Great Books 2024, Must Reads, and Best Books for you to add to your reading list. But that’s not all – you can now vote for your favorite book by clicking the green arrow next to its title. Each person has one vote in every 24 hour period, so make it count!

The UK Talk Radio Book Charts have become a staple for book lovers everywhere. With a diverse selection of genres and titles, our list caters to everyone’s interests. From thrilling mysteries and heartwarming romances to epic adventures and classic literature, there’s something for everyone on our list of Great Books 2024, Must Reads, and Best Books.

But what sets us apart from other book lists is the ability for readers to have their say. By clicking the green arrow next to your favorite book’s title, you can vote for it to climb the ranks and reach the top spot on our list. And with one vote per person in every 24 hour period, you have the power to make a difference and influence others in their reading choices.

So, what are some of the Great Books 2024, Must Reads, and Best Books on our list that you can vote for? Let’s take a look!

Highlights From The Top One Hundred Best Reads In 2024

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New Books 2024

Simon and the morphic field .

top 10 books uk chart

A Winter’s Muse

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Click Here For A Winter’s Muse

The Lost Pilot Awesome Book For Children

The arena trilogy series by richard spector.

Unlock the hidden potential within yourself and unleash your personal and professional growth with  The Arena Trilogy . Packed with the transformative power of  Perceptional Messaging ,  SHIP-building , and  Secret Similarities , this captivating series is tailor-made to propel you towards …. See More Here

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Unravel the Secrets of The Scarlet Codebreaker with L M Sizemore – the Thrilling Must-Read That Has Everyone Talking!

Ivan Mikhailovich is a Russian soldier with a complicated past. He seeks redemption and travels to England for closure. Once in England, he is forced to confront his past. Then, he finds himself torn between love and duty when he meets a young woman who changes everything. Ivan begins to question his loyalty to the Bolsheviks once he’s thrown into her world. How much do you think betrayal is worth? How far will you go to protect the ones you love? Are you willing to pay the price?

Don’t miss this epic interview! L M Sizemore reveals all about The Scarlet Codebreaker on UK Talk Radio! Click here to listen now!

“The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah

One book that’s been making waves on our list is “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah. This historical fiction novel follows a woman’s journey during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, and the struggles she faces to keep her family alive. With beautiful writing and emotional depth, it’s no wonder readers are falling in love with this Must Read.

Unleash Your Potential: A Journey to Empowerment by Emmanouil Stefanakis 

Delve into this book to:

  • Uncover the true essence of empowerment
  • Recognize your unique talents and passions
  • Master the power of setting and achieving  See More ….

“The Mysterious Secret Guardians” By Dorothy McCoy!

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The best books of 2023

From Paul Murray’s brilliant tragicomedy to Barbra Streisand’s epic memoir, Guardian critics pick the year’s best fiction, politics, science, children’s books and more. Tell us about your favourite books in the comments

Three book jackets

Zadie Smith’s first foray into historical fiction, medieval magical realism from Salman Rushdie and Paul Murray’s Booker-shortlisted tragicomedy – Justine Jordan looks back on the year in fiction.

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Children’s books

Three book jackets

From poignant stories of love and grief to picture books about rockets and ogres, Imogen Russell Williams picks the best books for children, including titles by Carnegie-winning Katya Balen and children’s laureate Joseph Coelho.

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Young adult books

Three book jackets

Imogen Russell Williams highlights five of the best books for teenagers, including a superb graphic memoir, a poignant family saga and a chilling murder mystery.

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Crime and thrillers

Three book jackets

Laura Wilson ’s pick of the year’s page-turners, from cosy crime by Richard Osman and Janice Hallett to spy novels, historical crime and psychological thrillers.

Read all crime and thrillers

Science fiction and fantasy

Three book jackets

A Booker-longlisted story of cosmic exploration, a historical multiverse novel and a military tale in space – Adam Roberts chooses five of the best science fiction and fantasy books.

Read all science fiction and fantasy

Translated fiction

Three book jackets

John Self ’s top five novels in translation, including a colourful and eccentric South Korean tale and the late Spanish author Javier Marías’s final page-turner.

Read all translated fiction

Three book jackets

Jilly Cooper’s take on the world of football, a film tie-in edition of Red, White & Royal Blue, and Rebecca Yarros’s romantasy bestseller – Jenny Colgan showcases five of the best novels about love and romance.

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Biography and memoir

Three book jackets

From vivid accounts of siblings and grief to Barbra Streisand’s doorstopper, Fiona Sturges selects the best books about people’s lives.

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Gaby Hinsliff on memoirs and biographies across the political spectrum, an insider account of Trump’s White House and a humorous take on the tumultuous last two years in No 10.

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Emma John picks five of the year’s best sport books, including the story of how Graham Taylor and Elton John turned Watford Football Club around, a biography of tennis heroine Althea Gibson and an oral history about the brutality of horse racing.

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Three book jackets

Feminism, the climate crisis, artificial intelligence and vaccines are just some of the topics explored in Steven Poole ’s roundup of books that take on the world’s big questions.

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Rishi Dastidar chooses the year’s best collections, from a new translation of The Iliad to Forward prize winners that examine race and identity.

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Graphic novels

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A new memoir from Pulitzer winner Darrin Bell, a story about an imagined world in which wishes can be granted and an affecting collection of manga – James Smart picks out the finest comics and graphic books.

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Alexis Petridis chooses his five favourite music books of the year, from homages to dance music and 90s/00s pop to a look at the role LGBTQ people played in the early days of blues.

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Rachel Roddy on five of the best food books of the year, which include a study of food’s role in national identity, a brilliant vegetarian cookbook and an engrossing history of rice.

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To browse all of the Guardian and Observer’s best books of 2023 visit guardianbookshop.com . Delivery charges may apply.

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WH Smith’s ‘bestselling’ book charts filled with titles publishers have paid to feature in rankings

The arrangements between publishers and retailers have been described as an 'open secret' in the industry.

A woman walks into a branch of WH Smith (Photo: Getty)

Book lovers are unwittingly paying for titles which appear to be the top-selling releases of the moment, when in some cases a publisher has paid the retailer to feature them in its “bestseller” charts, multiple industry figures have claimed.

Rankings displayed at shops such as WH Smith , as well as those compiled by online retailers, are determined partly by whether a book has been boosted in a deal with publishers, industry insiders say.

The practice has come to light after a former WH Smith employee alleged that when he worked at the retailer, staff were instructed to display author and TV presenter Richard Osman’s novel The Thursday Murder Club in the number one slot in stores, regardless of sales figures, because publisher Penguin Random House had paid for the space.

“When the last Richard Osman came out, Penguin bought the number one spot on all WH Smith in-store bestseller charts so it had to be displayed as the bestseller in every single store, whether it actually was or not,” Barry Pierce, who worked at the retailer from 2020 to 2021, recently claimed on social media.

Mr Pierce and his colleagues received “no data or rubric to follow” when putting together their bestseller chart when he worked at WH Smith, the former sales associate told i .

Instead, the chart comprised books that WH Smith wanted to “push”, and was treated as a “promotional space” rather than a “legitimate chart” based on which books were selling the most copies, he claimed.

“Often… our area manager would come in and rearrange the chart so certain books [would] appear higher,” Mr Pierce added.

True bestseller charts based on figures from Nielsen BookScan – which collects point-of-sale data from more than 6,500 UK retailers – are widely regarded as the most accurate reflection of the top selling titles and authors.

The admission has prompted astonishment from readers and authors, but industry figures, who backed up Mr Pierce’s claim, maintained that such agreements have long been part of the way publishers and retailers do business and should not come as a surprise to the book-buying public.

James Daunt, managing director at Waterstones, the UK’s largest bookshop chain, said it was commonplace for other retailers to exchange spots in their charts for money.

Waterstones itself previously accepted millions of pounds each year from publishers to position titles in its “bestseller” charts, but Mr Daunt said he put an end to these deals as soon as he was appointed.

“Since I took over in 2011, Waterstones has never taken one penny to place books [on shelves]. The year before, Waterstones took £27 million [from publishers],” Mr Daunt said.

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“Since stopping taking money in this way, Waterstones has thrived… You sell a lot more books when you let booksellers get on with their job.”

The retail boss added that shops will not agree to anoint just any book a bestseller, but will bet on the titles they believe really could reach the top of the charts. The extra buzz afforded to them by their placement means their rank in the charts becomes a “self-fulfilling prophecy”.

“As a consequence”, Mr Daunt said, “you get almost no change in the authors that are bestsellers… You get very few new voices coming through.”

Asked about Waterstones’ own charts, Mr Daunt said that in “most” branches they are based on sales data, but added that his booksellers might also promote titles they especially enjoyed.

Some have described the deals as an “open secret” in publishing.

“I’m amazed to find many people don’t know this… Decisions are made carefully by publishers and the stores’ buyers for maximum sales,” said Claire Askew, a poet and crime fiction writer.

Dr Askew added that she had felt “naïve” herself for not realising sooner the ways in which some retailers “curate” their book charts.

But one respected industry insider expressed surprise at the practice, and suggested the public is being misled: “If something says chart, I think 99 per cent of consumers would assume it was exactly that,” they said.

Mr Daunt alleged that some leading supermarket chains were among the retailers accepting cash for a spot in their charts. However, while larger supermarkets do sell books, several chains, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda have abandoned their numbered charts in recent years.

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Tesco said it used historic market data, its experience as a book retailer and discussions with publishers to ensure the books it stocks are the most relevant to its customers, while a recent Christmas cookbook bestseller chart was based solely on sales figures.

Sainsbury’s said its books are merchandised in store by genre, and Asda said it no longer operates a bestseller chart, and books are not ranked in any way.

WH Smith said in a statement: “Book charts differ across our estate reflecting our different customer bases in high street, travel [branches] and online, plus local market conditions and consumer interests.

“Our charts combine sales performance with forecasts of which books our buyers anticipate will be bestsellers, which ensures our customers are offered the most relevant range in every store. It is not possible for publishers to buy specific positions in our book charts.”

When asked if it is possible for publishers to guarantee a spot in a given range in the chart, such as the top five, the retailer did not respond.

Penguin Random House declined to comment, and a representative for Richard Osman did not respond to requests for comment.

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The Spinoff

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Books February 23, 2024

The unity books bestseller chart for the week ending february 23.

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The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.

1 Bird Child and Other Stories by Patricia Grace (Penguin, $37)

The latest from one of our best ever writers. Jade Kake’s review revels in the choice Grace-esque lines: “Grace’s use of language is masterful. A few favourites ‘thin figure of his wife in the white bed, teeth and eyes breaking out of her face’ to describe the point of view character’s wife in ‘Matariki All-Stars’. Some fishy metaphors appear in [the story] ‘Boils’ – ‘her bottom eyelids pulled down as if by little fish hooks with the red bait showing…’ and ‘a face daubed and fish-looking, piping thin air again before disappearing…’ Another favourite from the same story ‘she was thin and papery, with a torn, scrap face, a crumple of lemony hair, and watery eyes which looked as though they had been pushed in with dirty thumbs.’”

2 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)

We’re going to need to send Claire Keegan a trophy for the longest stint on the Unity Bestsellers list, ever.

3 The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (Canongate, $50)

What will be the result of all this reading about how to live creatively? 

4 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Vintage, $26)

Welcome back to today, old friend!

5 The Bee Sting by Paul Murray (Hamish Hamilton, $37)

The novel of the summer. Here’s snippet from the rave Guardian review : “It can’t be overstated how purely pleasurable The Bee Sting is to read. Murray’s observational gifts and A-game phrase-making render almost every page – every line, it sometimes seems – abuzz with fresh and funny insights, but always in the service of advancing the story. He dials right down the self-referential shenanigans of The Mark and the Void, though this too is a very finely patterned novel, every character’s arc a funhouse reflection of another’s. We see them needing to be seen, and loved; the tragedy of the book is how that doesn’t happen, and how the choices the central figures make end up being exploited by minor characters who are vulnerable in turn.”

Atomic Habits by James Clear (Random House, $40)

Are the people buying Atomic Habits also purchasing The Creative Act?

Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton (Harper Collins, $37)

Trent Dalton’s latest tear jerker. From the publisher’s blurb: “A girl and her mother have been on the run for sixteen years, from police and the monster they left in their kitchen with a knife in his throat. They’ve found themselves a home inside a van with four flat tyres parked in a scrapyard by the edge of the Brisbane River.

The girl has no name because names are dangerous when you’re on the run. But the girl has a dream. A vision of a life as an artist of international acclaim. A life outside the grip of the Brisbane underworld drug queen ‘Lady’ Flora Box. A life of love with the boy who’s waiting for her on the bridge that stretches across a flooding, deadly river. A life beyond the bullet that has her name on it. And now that the storm clouds are rising, there’s only one person who can help make her dreams come true. That person is Lola and she carries all the answers. But to find Lola, the girl with no name must first do one of the hardest things we can ever do. She must look in the mirror.”

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa (Bonnier Publishing, $32)

A romance for people who are in love with books and their stores.

Poor Things by Alasdair Gray (Bloomsbury, $25)

The book that spawned the movie that spawned the award nominations and the return of Mark Ruffalo.

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton (Victoria University Press, $38)

Welcome back hit crime novel from 2023 ! Will Birnam Wood make it to the Ockhams shortlist? We’ll find out on 6 March.

1 Kitten by Olive Nuttall (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $30)

Ray at Scorpio Books says: “Hot, uncomfortable, challenging, hopeful (and did I mention hot?). I inhaled this short, intense novel about a trans woman who travels home to Hamilton to attend to a family crisis. Past trauma is explored with a casual nuance that I found unnerving and profoundly engaging. I will keep thinking about this book for weeks and months to come, and am already looking forward to a re-read.”

We heartily agree. Inhaled.

2 Bird Child & Other Stories by Patricia Grace (Penguin, $37)

3 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Faber, $28)

Welcome back to Kingsolver’s hard-hitting, prize-winning retelling of David Copperfield.

4 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $37)

This novel about a mid-life reckoning made it onto our menopause reading list (as well as the longlist for the Ockhams … we expect to see it on the shortlist too).

6 Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde (Hodder & Stoughton, $38)

Fun Ffact: every year, Fforde fans hold the Fforde Fiesta and revel in the zany world of his many novels. 

7 Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (Oneworld, $37)

The Booker Prize winner of 2023. We’re looking forward to seeing whether Auckland Writers Festival keeps up their tradition of hosting the Booker Winner every year… we’ll find out in March when the programme launches.

8 Kai and Kindness by Jane & Paul Rangiwahia (Huia Publishers, $55)

The latest cookbook from Huia Publishers, who say: “Brother and sister health advocate and artist Paul and cook Jane have combined their skills to produce a book that nourishes the body and the mind. Their aim is to help start conversations about health and emotional wellbeing and promote positive action – whether it is in the kitchen or in the mind. The book is richly illustrated with the recipes and Paul’s artworks, and Paul’s inspiring ‘A Mental W.O.F’ frames short discussions about aspects of emotional and mental health. Jane’s delicious recipes are no fuss and focus on making food to share with friends and family. Jane and Paul say, ‘The body goes where the mind goes, and they go well when they are both nourished.’”

9 Big Fat Brown Bitch by Tusiata Avia (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $30)

Tusiata Avia is the winner of the 2023 Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in Poetry. If you’re in Wellington this weekend you can go and see her in the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts’ writers programme in three events ; and experience her phenomenal show, The Savage Coloniser next week, too .

10 Turncoat by Tīhema Baker (Lawrence & Gibson, $35)

Tīhema Baker is talking about his timely, hit novel at the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts this weekend – tickets here .

The Spinoff Review of Books is proudly brought to you by Unity Books , recently named 2020 International Book Store of the Year, London Book Fair, and Creative New Zealand. Visit Unity Books Wellington or Unity Books Auckland online stores today. 

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Idles’ ‘Tangk’ Rolls to No. 1 on Midweek U.K. Chart

Idles is predicted to snag the crown, and earn a fourth U.K. top 10 appearance.

By Lars Brandle

Lars Brandle

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IDLES

Idles leads an all-new top three on the midweek U.K. chart with Tangk (Partisan), the British rock outfit’s fifth studio album.

Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company , Tangk is predicted to snag the crown, and give the Bristol, England five-piece a fourth U.K. top 10, including the 2020 chart topper, Ultra Mono . Idles scored two nominations for the 2024 Grammy Awards (best rock album for Crawler and best rock performance for “Crawl!”).

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After one week at the chart summit, Noah Kahan ’s Stick Season (Republic Records) looks likely to tumble, down 1-4. Kahan nabbed his first chart double last week , when Stick Season and its title track led the respective Official Charts.

Meanwhile, Derby, England pair Pet Needs (brothers Johnny and George Marriott) eye a top 10 berth with their third collection Intermittent Fast Living (Xtra Mile). It’s set to debut at No. 7, for their first impression on the chart.

Finally, veteran indie-rock act Cast is on track for a first top 10 spot in 25 years, and fourth overall with Love is the Call (Cast Recordings), new at No. 8 on the chart blast, while former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett could bag his first top 10 album in 44 years with his latest solo effort The Circus and the Nightwhale (Inside Out), new at No. 9 on the chart update. Hackett last cracked the top 10 back in 1980 with Defector .

All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday, Feb. 23.

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IDLES secure second Number 1 album with TANGK

IDLES

IDLES celebrate their second Official Number 1 album with TANGK this week. 

The Bristol-formed five-piece, comprising Adam Devonshire, Joe Talbot, Mark Bowen, Lee Kiernan and Jon Beavis, reach the summit with their fifth studio collection, with 85% of its opening week figure made up of physical sales. 

Prior to this, IDLES enjoyed Official Albums Chart success with 2018’s Joy As An Act Of Resistance. (5), 2019’s A Beautiful Thing: IDLES Live At Le Bataclan (59), 2020 chart-topper Ultra Mono and 2021 release CRAWLER (3). Their 2017 debut Brutalism made its chart debut in 2022 following a limited edition reissue (65).

TANGK also tops the Official Vinyl Albums Chart , and lands at Number 1 on the Official Record Store Chart , making it the best-selling LP of the past seven days in UK independent record shops.  

Speaking exclusively to Official Charts, IDLES say: 

“Thank you very much to all of you that’ve supported us, bought our album and got us to Number 1. It’s a beautiful feeling. We know, without any doubt, that it’s you that got us here.” 

IDLES

MORE: See where every IDLES song and album has charted in the UK

Paloma Faith earns a sixth Top 10 LP with her latest studio collection The Glorification of Sadness (2). The record, which chronicles the London-born singer-songwriter’s divorce, joins 2009’s Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful? (9), 2012’s Fall To Grace (2), 2014 release A Perfect Contradiction (2), 2017 chart-topper The Architect, and 2020’s Infinite Things (4) in Faith’s Top 10 tally. 

Following the release of biopic Bob Marley: One Love, starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the inimitable icon, in UK cinemas, Bob Marley & The Wailers ’ Legend compilation vaults 12 spots back into the Top 10 (6). The 1984 release has accumulated an incredible 1122 weeks on the Official Albums Chart so far, 12 of which spent at Number 1 non-consecutively. 

This marks the first time Legend has charted inside the Top 10 since 2020; a phenomenal start to the record’s 40th anniversary year. 

Bob Marley & The Wailers’ 1977 release Exodus also experiences huge week-on-week uplift, up 93 to return to the Top 40 (36). The record peaked at Number 8 in its fourth week on chart. 

Congratulations are in order for Liverpool-formed indie rock outfit Crawlers , who score their first-ever Top 10 album with debut The Mess We Seem To Make (7). Previously, their 2022 EP Loud Without Noise reached Number 22.

The group, comprising Harry Breen, Liv May, Holly Minto and Amy Woodall, spoke exclusively to Official Charts at Banquet Records, Kingston, saying: 

“We did it! This is f*cking crazy and a bit silly, but this is all because of, obviously the art and our amazing team, but the fans. 

"We’re a little band, built of sheer amazing fans who want to support the cause and the community. This feels mad!” 

Watch IDLES accept their Official Number 1 Album Award for TANGK:

MORE: Crawlers on their first-ever Top 10 album The Mess We Seem To Make

It’s an Official Albums Chart first for PET NEEDS . Brothers Johnny and George Marriott secure their first Top 20 LP with third full-length release Intermittent Fast Living (17).

Cast ’s Love Is The Call earns the Liverpudlian rockers a fourth Top 40 album, and their first in 25 years (22). It joins 1995’s All Change (7), 1997’s Mother Nature Calls (3) and 1999 release Magic Hour (6) in the group’s Top 40 tally. 

American rapper and singer Yeat , born Noah Olivier Smith, bags his second Official Top 40 album with 2093 (24), and it’s a 14th solo Top 40 record for former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett with The Circus And The Nightwhale (30).  

Atlanta-formed country rockers Blackberry Smoke earn a seventh Top 40 LP with Be Right Here (31), as Huddersfield rapper Booter Bee secures his first with True Stories (34). 

See the Official Albums Chart Top 100 in full here from 5.45pm.

Related artists.

idles-press-1100.jpg

PALOMA FAITH

kanye_west_2013.jpg

BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS

STEVE HACKETT

BLACKBERRY SMOKE

BOOTER BEE

Related Singles and Albums

TANGK cover art

TANGK IDLES

THE GLORIFICATION OF SADNESS cover art

THE GLORIFICATION OF SADNESS PALOMA FAITH

STICK SEASON cover art

STICK SEASON NOAH KAHAN

VULTURES 1 cover art

VULTURES 1 KANYE WEST FT TY DOLLA SIGN

LEGEND cover art

LEGEND BOB MARLEY

INTERMITTENT FAST LIVING cover art

INTERMITTENT FAST LIVING PET NEEDS

THE MESS WE SEEM TO MAKE cover art

THE MESS WE SEEM TO MAKE CRAWLERS

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