New books to read this week

Fiction

The Fathers by John Niven is published in hardback by Canongate Books

The Fathers opens in a Glasgow hospital where two men, Dan and Jada, meet as they become fathers on the same day, despite being worlds apart. Dan is a successful TV writer, enjoying a life of luxury in his west-end townhouse. Jada is a small-time criminal, already sizing up Dan’s Tesla as a potential score. Their lives intersect following a devastating tragedy, setting off a chain of events that begins to slowly blur the stark lines between them. Niven crafts a powerful and emotionally charged story that delves into powerful themes: masculinity, mental health, infertility, parenting, and the inescapable cycle of poverty. He handles each with care, inviting the reader into the struggles and private fears that shape these two men. The emotional resonance had me one moment in tears, another laughing out loud. What stands out is how deeply human these characters are. Their flaws and their resilience paint a layered picture of what it means to be a father and the writing is sharp and honest. Glasgow itself is brilliantly drawn, from the glossy affluence of the west end to the raw reality of its underbelly.

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson is published in hardback by Michael Joseph

Jet Mason should let the police investigate a brutal attack on her when she returned home from a Halloween party, but the injuries she suffered means she only has a week to live, and before she dies, she’s determined to find the person who tried to kill her. The 27-year-old is the daughter of a wealthy family in Vermont and realises she has enemies, and suspects her best friend turned sister-in-law, former boyfriend and even her brother, Luke. As her condition deteriorates, she and her childhood friend Billy try to track down her would-be murderer. Their mission becomes increasingly dangerous as they unearth clues to her attacker, as well as staggering evidence on the drowning of her elder sister Emily 17 years ago. The book picks up pace as Jet counts down the days to her death, with a truly shocking discovery of who tried to kill her, rounding off a classic crime novel by this British author, best known for her A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series.

Men In Love by Irvine Welsh is published in hardback by Jonathan Cape

Irvine Welsh’s Men In Love is billed as the sequel to 1993’s zeitgeist-capturing novel Trainspotting. With events here taking place soon after Renton’s betrayal, forget most of what you might know from 2002’s follow-up Porno or the film adaptation T2: Trainspotting, and rewind closer to the start. The familiar crew are split between London, Leith and Amsterdam, trying to put drug addiction behind them and, as Welsh puts it, embark on a “quest for romance”. But, as ever with one of his books, don’t seek happy endings or, well, much actual romance here. Although it builds towards a fantastically entertaining finale, too much of this book – focused primarily on Sick Boy’s upcoming marriage and his struggle to adapt to fidelity – wallows in sordid tales without much apparent direction, lacking the vitality and sense of purpose of Trainspotting and the best of Welsh’s other books.

Non-fiction

The Mission by Tim Weiner is published in hardback by William Collins

The Mission is a masterful and compelling account of the CIA’s actions and evolving role throughout the tumultuous first quarter of the 21st century. Based on exclusive interviews with scores of agency figures, Tim Weiner’s book sheds an astonishing light on events spanning the agency’s search for purpose in the aftermath of the Cold War, the moral and legal quandaries of its actions during the War on Terror, and the existential threat posed by the Trump presidency. A powerful, urgent and at times shocking book, The Mission combines the heft of an authoritative history with all the drama of a finely-honed thriller.

Children’s book of the week

This That What by Katy Ashworth, illustrated by Colleen Larmour is published in paperback by Puffin

Little Kiki Dime has a very busy brain which buzzes all day and most of the night – even when she’s on the loo. This delightful book explores the colours, words, thoughts and shapes of Kiki’s imagination in overdrive. Her teacher thinks she’s daydreaming, but soon realises she’s special so asks Kiki to draw everything inside her brain. She draws incredible, colourful pictures, which makes her classmates go, ‘Wow!’ Her mum picks up on her daughter’s talent and starts regular drawing sessions with crayons and paints or playing with sand and clay, realising she’s one of a kind. This That What has some of the best illustrations I’ve ever seen in a young children’s book. Katy Ashworth is well-known for her work on BBC’s Cbeebies and founded The Play Project, which delivers creative art and workshops to support children’s mental health.