A look at the latest releases, plus what's new in paperback.

By Keeley Bolger

Book of the week

Reckless by William Nicholson is published in hardback by Quercus, priced £16.99 (ebook £10.99). Available February 13

BAFTA-winning screenwriter and novelist William Nicholson has outdone himself with this sequel to Motherland.

The ambitious Reckless is set largely against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis. London is a complex social world: bachelor Rupert advises Mountbatten as the rhetoric escalates and governments wage a war of bluster; Pamela is 18, bored, beautiful, and desperate to fall in love but falls in with Stephen Ward and Christine Keeler instead; at 29, Mary lives anonymously, ashamed of the childhood visions of Jesus Christ that turned her into a child prophet in Ireland; Khrushchev and Kennedy swear and scheme and count warheads.

It's a Who's Who of 1960s Britain, a masterful interweaving of the historical and the emotional, and in Nicholson's hands, we almost expect the characters to walk off the page.

As the political clouds gather, whirlwinds descend on the Londoners. National fears hatch in backstreet conversations, Pamela sails giddily out of her depth, marriages falter with delicate ambiguity, spiritual demons are laid to rest, and love and secrets bleed unexpectedly into the present.

I raced through the 500 pages in 24 hours; full marks.

10/10

(Review by Kitty Wheater)

Fiction

The Last Word by Hanif Kureishi is published in hardback by Faber & Faber, priced £18.99 (ebook £8.96). Available February 6.

Kureishi is known for producing exceptionally well written, controversial works, such as Buddha Of Suburbia, that cover the issues of sexuality, race and immigration.

The Last Word sticks to these themes and follows Harry Johnson, an upper class, womanising writer who is attempting to write the biography of the author Mamoon Azam, revealing his sordid past and the truth about his various sadistic affairs.

The novel is rumoured to be based on the story of the author V.S. Naipaul, who like the fictional Mamoon, remarried a younger woman and was exposed as being a deplorable person by his biographer. Kureishi has denied this is the case, however the similarities are too obvious to ignore.

Indeed the plot is laden with references to Kureishi's own life as well of that of Naipaul. Harry's determination not to fail as an author and have to resort to teaching Creative Writing is particularly amusing, as Kureishi does just that.

This is a gripping, somewhat shocking and darkly funny tale, and with the hype surrounding it still building, this is set to be another of Kureishi's most memorable works.

9/10

(Review by Harriet Shephard)

Children Of Paradise by Fred D'Aguiar is published in trade paperback by Granta, priced £14.99 (ebook £12.86). Available February 13.

A reimagining of the 1978 Jonestown Massacre, Children Of Paradise tells the story of the final days of a cult through the eyes of its children and pet gorilla, Adam.

More than 900 people died at the Guyana commune, and D'Aguiar describes life at the People's Temple in the jungle under the total rule of their leader, the preacher.

Trina and her mother Joyce are starting to question life under the control of the preacher and are plotting how to escape.

Their plan is helped by both the preacher and Adam taking a shine to Trina which gives them slightly more freedom than the rest of the commune - but will it be enough for them to become some of the lucky few able to avoid the cult's tragic fate?

By using the children and Adam to tell most of the story, D'Aguiar presents a view of what life in the People's Temple was like for those who didn't choose to be there.

D'Aguiar is also a poet and his poetic style of writing lends itself perfectly to painting a picture of what the cult members hoped would be an ideal society, but which rapidly took a sinister turn.

9/10

(Review by Katie Archer)

The Farm by Tom Rob Smith is published in hardback by Simon & Schuster, priced £12.99 (ebook £5.70). Available February 13.

Bestselling novelist Tom Rob Smith has made his name with a string of thrillers set in the murky world of police work in Soviet Russia.

His latest book swaps that Cold War setting for contemporary London and rural Sweden and a plot fuelled by paranoia and thickened with long-buried traumas.

A horrific family feud, complete with allegations of mental illness and dark deeds in the Scandinavian countryside, unravels over 350 pages with both sides given the benefit of the doubt until the narrator - and the reader - is tied up in knots and unsure who to believe.

The plot gathers pace with each new revelation as the story twists and turns but always stays believable until the final page when it is resolved.

Fans of The Killing or Henning Mankell's books looking for something new should give this English take on Scandinavian-noir a try.

9/10

(Review by Rob Dex)

Non-Fiction

Falling Into The Fire: A Psychiatrist's Encounters With The Mind In Crisis by Christine Montross is published in paperback by Oneworld, priced £11.99. Available February 6.

This collection of stories from the work life of psychiatrist Christine Montross is a fascinating insight into the world of mental health and an apt reminder of the fragility of the human mind.

In the book Montross describes a collection of patients she has treated over the years, interweaving the history of how mental health disorders have - often incorrectly - been treated.

We hear about a woman who self injures on a regular basis by ingesting anything from light bulbs to a box of nails and a steak knife; a man who saves up hundreds of dollars for treatments to cure acne that doesn't exist; a mother who is haunted by thoughts that she will hurt her child and a man who believes he is Jesus.

In this honest memoir, in which Montross also tells stories from her personal life, she also admits moments when she has felt hopeless and unsure about the best treatment for patients. It also highlights the flaws of the American health system, and will make you thankful for the NHS.

9/10

(Review by Sophie Herdman)

The Love Secret by Dr Sue Johnson is published in trade paperback by Piatkus, priced £12.99 (ebook £4.35). Available now.

We'd all like to know the truth about romantic love, wouldn't we? Anyone who's ever been in love has wondered why we feel the way we do. And more importantly - will it last? Here clinical psychologist Dr Sue Johnson - author of Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations For A Lifetime Of Love - sets out to reveal the science behind 'amore'.

Drawing on her own research, and others' (under the umbrella of attachment theory) she describes how the first flush of oxytocin - the love hormone - can be harnessed into lasting relationships. Arguing against what she sees as a negative slant in the modern media against monogamy, she says long and happy romantic love is profoundly natural - and gives tips for how to achieve coupled happiness.

The cynic might say that hers is a conveniently crowd-pleasing basis for a self-help book, but - although a more thorough analysis would be needed to verify her claims - it's also a handy confidence-building tool for those aiming for a lifetime of love.

7.5/10

(Review by Sarah Warwick)

Sheila: The Australian Ingenue Who Bewitched British Society by Robert Wainwright, is published in hardback by Allen & Unwin, priced £14.99 (ebook £7.07). Available February 6.

Born on the other side of the world yet becoming the toast of English interwar society and a confidante of two princes, Margaret Sheila MacKellar Chisholm led a life few could have imagined.

Always claiming she was motivated by love, the racehorse breeder's daughter had an affair with the future King George VI and married three times: to a Scottish lord, an English baronet, and a Russian prince.

She also survived both World Wars and was a main player in breaking down British class barriers and society's fascination with America.

Journalist Robert Wainwright has pieced together an admirably full picture of the Australian socialite's life, gleaning details from countless newspaper reports and private letters, including those by Edward VII.

Unfortunately, he tends to repeat information, presumably to help the reader keep track of the myriad characters that come and go throughout Sheila's life, but this seemingly patronising approach spoils the book.

6/10

(Review by Natalie Bowen)

Jumbo: The Unauthorised Biography of a Victorian Sensation by John Sutherland is published in hardback by Aurum Press, priced £14.99. Available February 6.

Born around 1861 in what is now Eritrea, the African elephant who became the Victorian sensation Jumbo was captured and brought to Europe as a cub. At Regent's Park Zoo he quickly acquired national treasure status, and went on to spend 17 years dutifully stuffing buns and giving children rides (including the young Churchill).

But behind the scenes Jumbo was routinely tortured and fed alcohol to keep him subdued, and when he eventually showed signs of distress he was sold off to the American showman and scam-artist Barnum to join 'The Greatest Show On Earth'. The British public and media were outraged at this unpatriotic betrayal, but Jumbo was considered damaged goods and his zoo was only too pleased to be shot of him.

John Sutherland uses this fascinating tale as a vehicle for a wider exploration of our 'cultural elephantiasis', and quickly shows how our enduring attachment for this beautiful creature has almost invariably spelled exploitation and death for the supposed object of our affection.

We learn of how elephants have been hunted almost to extinction for ivory - a practice that continues unabated to this day but first hit dangerous levels with the 19th-century obsession for ivory balls for pool, billiards and snooker.

Sutherland's books contains much to engage, instruct and often sadden. But it's an oddly miscellaneous and digressive read, which develops no central argument and breaks little new ground. Facts are often repeated in different chapters, and the frequent use of phrases like 'one is told' and 'one is reliably informed' lends the whole story a disappointingly Googled air.

6/10

(Review by Dan Brotzel)

Children's book of the week

I Totally Don't Want To Play! by Ann Bonwill is published in hardback by Oxford University Press, priced £11.99 (ebook £6). Available now.

Hugo the hippo and Bella the bird are best friends who do everything together, including taking trips to the playground.

But one day instead of going skating with Hugo as planned, Bella announces that she's going to the playground with her new pal, Cressida the crocodile.

Miffed by the change in plans, Hugo tags along and watches on as Bella and Cressida take turns on the swings and the seesaw.

But little Bella can't push Cressida on the swing and soon it's up to Hugo to save the day and give her a good heave.

With cheerful illustrations and an easy to grasp moral, this new book from the Hugo and Bella series offers an accessible way of introducing your little one to the idea of sharing.

6/10

(Review by Keeley Bolger)

Bestsellers for the week ending February 1

Hardbacks

1 Minecraft: The Official Beginner's Handbook

2 Minecraft: The Official Redstone Handbook

3 The Little Book of Mindfulness, Tiddy Rowan

4 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck, Jeff Kinney

5 Demon Dentist, David Walliams

6 The Days of Anna Madrigal, Armistead Maupin

7 Goth Girl: and the Ghost of a Mouse, Chris Riddell

8 Where Memories Go: Why Dementia Changes Everything, Sally Magnusson

9 The Living Years, Mike Rutherford

10 Allegiant: Divergent, Veronica Roth

(Compiled by Waterstones)

Paperbacks

1 Life After Life, Kate Atkinson

2 The Shock of the Fall, Nathan Filer

3 The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves, Stephen Grosz

4 The Fault In Our Stars. John Green

5 Stoner: A Novel, John Williams

6 The Railway Man, Eric Lomax

7 Twelve Years A Slave, Solomon Northup

8 The Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort

9 And the Mountains Echoed, Khaled Hosseini

10 Wreck This Journal: To Create is to Destroy, Now with Even More Ways to, Keri Smith

(Compiled by Waterstones)

Ebooks

1. Twelve Years a Slave, Solomon Northup

2. Take Me Home, Daniela Sacerdoti

3. The Husband's Secret, Liane Moriarty

4. The Oyster Catcher, Jo Thomas

5. The Shock of the Fall, Nathan Filer

6. I Know Why the Caged Bird, Maya Angelou

7. Watch Over Me, Daniela Sacerdoti

8. Flee, J.A.Konrath

9. The Fault in Our Stars, John Green

10. The Railway Man, Eric Lomax

(Compiled by amazon.co.uk)