From epic 18th century tales to critiques of tech giants, this week’s releases are certainly varied…

Fiction

1. The Books Of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer Croft, is published in paperback by Fitzcarraldo Editions, priced £20 (ebook £9.99). Available now

Like many controversial leaders, there’s something about Jacob Frank. Pockmarked yet handsome, incoherent yet compelling, this supposed Jewish messiah attracts a motley crew of devotees as he travels around Central Europe in the 18th century, sowing disruption and division everywhere he goes. His followers are, for the most part, disenfranchised Jews like Jacob himself. In his thrall, they transgress every tradition in the hope of arriving at… what exactly? Spiritual enlightenment? A better life? Certainty? Jacob’s purposes and motivations become only more obscure and unhinged as his sect grows then wanes. Based on real events, this beautifully written novel conjures up its settings in minute detail, from the mud and chill of the small Jewish towns to the sunlight and spices of Smyrna. There’s no pretending it’s an easy read – it’s enormous, and initially slow. The key characters even change their names halfway through. But it’s a uniquely strange tale, brilliantly told and completely immersive.9/10(Review by Jackie Kingsley)

2. The Every by Dave Eggers is published in paperback by Hamish Hamilton, priced £12.99 (ebook £9.99). Available now

The Every serves as the sequel to The Circle, Dave Eggers’ 2013 novel offering a barely disguised deconstruction of a certain internet search engine. Now we find the company has merged with an online merchant somewhat predictably dubbed ‘the jungle’. Clearly, Eggers is not trying to cover his tracks – that is not the point. He wants to question the creeping, often creepy influence of technology on our lives. Our heroine is Delaney Wells, a former park ranger determined to bring down this behemoth from within. But in around 600 pages as addictive as any mindless scrolling, we discover just how difficult this particular logic is to dispel. The Every is a humanist document, a plea for individualism over groupthink, but it is not delivered in judgmental tones. Eggers asks questions on every page, but delivers few answers, leaving the reader to reach their own conclusions. That, after all, is what our minds are for.7/10(Review by Ian Parker)

3. Harsh Times by Mario Vargas Llosa is published in hardback by Faber & Faber, priced £20 (ebook £12.49). Available November 25

Politics has always held a foremost place in both the fiction and career of Nobel Laureate and former Peruvian presidential candidate Mario Vargas Llosa. His latest novel, Harsh Times, focuses on the turbulent 20th century history of Guatemala, with its US-backed coups and accusations of Soviet infiltration. This covers a broad cast of historical figures, ranging from presidents Jacobo Árbenz and Castillo Armas to the Dominican spymaster Johnny Abbes García. The story is loosely arranged around the fictionalised life of Marta Borrero Parra, teenage mother, then mistress of the President, then propagandist in exile. Vargas Llosa relates a recent encounter with the ‘real’ Marta in the book’s closing chapter, though the question of how far he – and she – can be believed is left open. Vargas Llosa writes with sympathy and interest about all his characters, weaving fact with imaginative speculation. At times the novel reads like an engaging history book; Vargas Llosa invites the reader to wonder whether his account is any less true than those of conventional historians.7/10(Review by Joshua Pugh Ginn)

Non-fiction

4. Patient 1: Finding And Forgetting Myself by Charlotte Raven is published in hardback by Jonathan Cape, priced £14.99 (ebook £9.99). Available now

A journalist whose career thrived during the hedonistic Nineties, Charlotte Raven was forced to swap illegal narcotics for a raft of pharmaceutical drugs when, at the age of 35, she was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease (HD), a rare, incurable genetic condition that causes the breakdown of nerve cells in the brain and, eventually, death. Faced with this, the writer set out to chronicle her experience in a blog, eventually becoming this chatty, irreverent memoir. Frank about her own perceived flaws (narcissistic, selfish, bad with money) and the debilitating effects of the disease (clumsiness, brain fog, dwindling sex drive, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, loneliness, depression), the author doesn’t pull any punches, but it’s not all doom and gloom: a glimmer of hope arrives in the form of a much-hyped drug trial in which she – and just about every other HD patient in the UK – longs to become ‘patient one’. Considering this is a book about, essentially, a terminal illness, it’s a surprisingly pithy and entertaining read. The author’s candour and self-deprecation make her all the more likeable, and it’s refreshing to discover a memoir about someone in tragic circumstances that doesn’t stray into glib ‘seize the day’ self-help territory.8/10(Review by Katie Wright)

Children’s book of the week

5. Sisters Of The Lost Marsh by Lucy Strange is published in paperback by Chicken House, priced £7.99 (ebook £7.99). Available now

Lucy Marsh’s books are aimed at older children and young adults, but Sisters Of The Lost Marsh will also delight grown-ups looking for something with a historical, mystical air. The story follows six motherless sisters who live on a farm on the edge of the Lost Marsh, a place steeped in mystery, superstitions and folklore. Their father is obsessed with one such superstition – The Curse of the Six Daughters – and it is his belief in this curse that leads to the disappearance of eldest daughter Grace after a mysterious Full Moon Fayre. The storytelling is spellbinding and atmospheric, so much so that you feel like you are there. Not only is the writing beautiful, but the book is a work of art in itself with some gorgeous illustrations.8/10(Review by Rachael Dunn)

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 20

HARDBACK (FICTION)1. Better Off Dead by Lee Child & Andrew Child2. Never by Ken Follett3. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman4. The Promise by Damon Galgut5. Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong6. Silverview by John le Carré7. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa8. Sharpe’s Assassin by Bernard Cornwell9. Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney10. The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)1. Windswept & Interesting by Billy Connolly2. And Away… by Bob Mortimer3. Private Eye Annual: 2021 by Ian Hislop4. The Storyteller by Dave Grohl5. Guinness World Records 2022 by Guinness World Records6. This Much Is True by Miriam Margolyes7. Will by Will Smith & Mark Manson8. The Lyrics by Paul McCartney9. Diddly Squat by Jeremy Clarkson10. Celebrating The Seasons With The Yorkshire Shepherdess by Amanda Owen(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)1. Will by Will Smith and Mark Manson2. This Much Is True by Miriam Margolyes3. Windswept & Interesting by Billy Connolly4. Theroux The Keyhole by Louis Theroux5. The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly6. Never by Ken Follett7. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman8. Atomic Habits by James Clear9. The Storyteller by Dave Grohl10. And Away… by Bob Mortimer(Compiled by Audible)