The Importance of Being Trivial by Mark Mason

Review by Natasha Tripney - from The Observer

An amiable book that examines why some people are fascinated by trivia, writes Natasha Tripney

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The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Review by Philippa Lewis - from The Observer

This book was a huge success in Barbery's native France and it isn't hard to see why, writes Philippa Lewis

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In Zodiac Light by Robert Edric

Review by Robert Collins - from The Observer

An assured novel tells the story of the Ivor Gurney's wartime convalescence at the City of London Mental Hospital, writes Robert Collins

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The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stierg Larsson

Review by Mary Fitzgerald - from The Observer

It's easy to see why his novels have proved so amazingly popular: reading them is an engrossing and addictive experience, writes Mary Fitzgerald

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The Testament of Cresseid & Seven Fables by Robert Henryson

Review by Philip Womack - from The Observer

A masterful new adaptation of Robert Henryson's little-known 15th-century work, says Philip Womack

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The File by Timothy Garton Ash

Review by Natasha Tripney - from The Observer

An insight into why East Germans felt compelled to inform on their friends and family, writes Natasha Tripney

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The Ashes Special: Cricketing Tales From the Dressing Room

Review by Rachel Redford - from The Observer

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Anton Chekhov's Short Stories

Review by Rachel Redford - from The Observer

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Things the Grandchildren Should Know

Review by Rachel Redford - from The Observer

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My Father's Tears and Other Stories by John Updike

Review by Simon Baker - from The Observer

In these short stories, the late John Updike reaches near perfection, says Simon Baker

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Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga

Review by Tim Adams - from The Observer

The award-winning author's new collection of short stories is a page-turner, says Tim Adams

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The Last Mad Surge of Youth by Mark Hodkinson

Review by Luke Bainbridge - from The Observer

Mark Hodkinson's debut novel examines the precarious world of teenage bands

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La's Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith

Review by Natasha Tripney - from The Observer

The characters are gauze-thin and the plot meanders like a country lane, says Natasha Tripney

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China: A History by John Keay

Review by Robert Collins - from The Observer

In fluid, effortless prose, Keay moves energetically through the vicissitudes of China's dynastic past, says Robert Collins

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Nazarbayev and the Making of Kazakhstan by Jonathen Aitken

Review by Peter Preston - from The Observer

Jonathan Aitken paints a fascinating if hagiographic portrait of Kazakhstan's remarkable president, writes Peter Preston

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How to Sell by Clancy Martin Censoring an Iranian Love Story by Shahriar Mandanipour

Review by Francesca Segal - from The Observer

Francesca Segal rounds up three debut novels: How to Sell by Clancy Martin, Censoring an Iranian Love Story by Shahriar Mandanipour and The Help by Kathryn Stockett

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Lance Armstrong: The World's Greatest Champion by John Wilcockson

Review by Tim Lewis - from The Observer

Review; Lance Armstrong: The World's Greatest Champion by John WilcocksonFew sportsmen polarise opinion as much as Lance Armstrong. Tim Lewis finds that anger could well be the key to his phenomenal success

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The Case for God by Karen Armstrong

Review by Alain de Botton - from The Observer

Karen Armstrong wages war on the twin evils of religious fundamentalism and militant atheism, says Alain de Botton

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A Face to the World by Laura Cumming

Review by Laura Cumming - from The Observer

Laura Cumming's fascinating study of the history of self-portraiture is firmly on the side of the expressive rather than the scholarly, writes Rachel Cusk

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Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant

Review by Donna Leon - from The Guardian

A masterfully created tale of convent life in 16th-century Italy has Donna Leon captivated

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The Fate of Katherine Carr by Thomas H Cook

Paperback Review by John O'Connell - from The Guardian

If the shadow of camp falls across the novel's surface, this is still an intriguing mystery, says John O'Connell

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We Are All Made of Glue by Marina Lewycka

Review by Jenny Colgan - from The Guardian

Jenny Colgan weighs up Marina Lewycka's latest culture-clash comedy

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Venice is a Fish by Tiziano Scarpa

Paperback Review by PD Smith - from The Guardian

A delightful meditation on Venice: occasionally self-indulgent, but always charmingly so, says PD Smith

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The Other by David Guterson

Paperback Review by Isobel Montgomery - from The Guardian

When Guterson exposes America's insecurities, he makes the hike worthwhile, says Isobel Montgomery

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The Salati Case by Tobias Jones

Review by Mark Lawson - from The Guardian

Mark Lawson dissects the appeal of the 'Italian expat' genre

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The Turnaround by George Pelecanos

Paperback Review by Cathi Unsworth - from The Guardian

Pelecanos maps the social landscape of DC with a compassionate complexity, says Cathi Unsworth

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In the City by Paul Du Noyer

Review by David Sinclair - from The Guardian

David Sinclair enjoys a colourful account of one of the most vibrant musical centres in the world

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The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton

Review by Justine Jordan - from The Guardian

Justine Jordan admires an ambitious debut novel with a razor-sharp vision of teenage life

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Dreams of Rivers and Seas by Tim Parks

Paperback Review by Jane Housham - from The Guardian

Parks demonstrates a seemingly effortless mastery of biochemistry, says Jane Housham

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The Lovers by John Connolly

Paperback Review by John O'Connell - from The Guardian

The supernatural element is the perfect complement to Parker's measured narration, says John O'Connell

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Turned Out Nice Again by Louis Barfe

Paperback Review by Victoria Segal - from The Guardian

The spirit of Saturday nights can be hard to capture, but Barfe manages to nail it down, finds Victoria Segal

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Ulysses and Us by Declan Kiberd

Review by Blake Morrison - from The Guardian

Far from being obscure or inaccessible, Ulysses is a novel of and for the people. By Blake Morrison

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Photography and Literature by François Brunet

Paperback Review by PD Smith - from The Guardian

Brunet's study shows how photography has become a medium of individual expression, finds PD Smith

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Still Midnight by Denise Mina

Paperback Review by John O'Connell - from The Guardian

Mina is acutely sensitive to characters' mental states, with prose both nimble and muscular, says John O'Connell

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The Black Death by John Hatcher

Paperback Review by Victoria Segal - from The Guardian

Hatcher's Walsham might be fiction, but the fear he creates comes with the ring of truth, says Victoria Segal

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Disguise by Hugo Hamilton

Paperback Review by Isobel Montgomery - from The Guardian

This is a compelling examination of the need to create an authentic identity, says Isobel Montgomery

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Now You See Him by Eli Gottlieb

Paperback Review by Jane Housham - from The Guardian

While the plot is engaging enough, it's the language that captivates, says Jane Housham

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Anna Letitia Barbauld: Voice of the Enlightenment by William McCarthy

Review by Kathryn Hughes - from The Guardian

Kathryn Hughes thrills to a superb biography that brings a radical literary figure back into the picture

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Reheated Cabbage by Irvine Welsh

Review by Jenny Turner - from The Guardian

Jenny Turner revisits lost stories from the Trainspotting era

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The Way Home by George Pelecanos

Paperback Review by John O'Connell - from The Guardian

The Way Home may not be everyone's idea of a great novel, but it's still pretty damn good, says John O'Connell

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On Some Faraway Beach by David Sheppard

Paperback Review by John Dugdale - from The Guardian

He seems to tire towards the end but this still sets new standards for rock biography, says John Dugdale

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