Baldwin’s ground-breaking first novel draws on his own upbringing in 1930s Harlem. One day in the life of John Grimes, son of a fierce Pentecostal preacher, wrestling with desire and lonel... read more
In PL's beguiling masterpiece, a dying historian unravels the story of her life. The result is a kaleidoscopic account of the 20th Century, centring on the horror and splendour of Cairo duri... read more
How and why does it work on us? This masterful study explores the mystery through the psychology, philosophy, mathematics, neurology and history that underlie as surrund it, in all its remar... read more
First published in 1908, the brilliance of this superb novel is undiminished. A love story, or rather two, that starts in the Pension Bertolini in Florence. Catering for English tourists, it... read more
Baldwin’s ground-breaking first novel draws on his own upbringing in 1930s Harlem. One day in the life of John Grimes, son of a fierce Pentecostal preacher, wrestling with desire and lonel... read more
In a silty blend of ecology and economics, ALT takes the matsutake mushroom – the most valuable mushroom in the world, comfortable in ravaged landscapes - as a metaphor for the intricate n... read more
Ecstatic ice creams, sorbets and granitas by the ice cream whizzard of South London. More ideas than Professor Branestorm and some as madly dotty. Pea pod ice cream? Fresh scents and flavour... read more
She went from socialite to pariah when she married George III's sixth son in 1793, without the King's permission. Her children were declared illegitimate, the family scorned: this is a movin... read more
The inimitable QB, a delightul book about the Meadowsweet family, a bird called Octavia and a seed the saves the day; we didn't include this in our last list as it was stuck in a warehouse, ... read more
Written when LF was already living in exile in Paris, this novel describes the lives of three Jewish brothers and their family, well-to-do and civilised, between late 1932 and June 1933. Int... read more