BOOK OF THE WEEK

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki And His Years Of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami is published in hardback by Harvill Secker, priced £20 (ebook £6.99). Available August 12

It's been three years since Haruki Murakami's last novel, the epic IQ84, and fans of the celebrated Japanese author have been eagerly awaiting his next work, with the number of pre-orders surpassing his last novel.

Unlike the hefty two-part IQ84, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki And His Years Of Pilgrimage comes in at under 300 pages.

Like his previous novels, his latest offering tackles the Kafka-esque theme of loneliness and alienation, perhaps more directly than before.

The storyline, which has been kept tightly under wraps, follows 36-year-old lone train station designer Tsukuru Tazaki, who decides to embark on a journey to discover why his four best friends at school suddenly cut him off during his college years without any reason, with the help of new friend Sara Kimoto.

Without revealing too much, Tazaki often felt "colourless" and like an "empty vessel" among his four best friends at school, as their names all contained a colour.

The two boys' last names were Akamatsu (red pine) and Oumi (blue sea), while the girls' surnames were Shirane (white root) and Kurono (black field).

Fans of the 65-year-old's bizarre works such as The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, A Wild Sheep Chase, Kafka On The Shore and, to some extent, IQ84, may find that this lacks the fantastical surrealism of his previous books, where sometimes the line between reality and dreams becomes so blurred that the reader is left confused.

In that way, this novel is easier to read despite not challenging the reader too much.

Murakami's works are best enjoyed in one go, and Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki And His Years Of Pilgrimage is no exception, so clear your diary, get comfortable and open page one. The stickers included are an added bonus.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Shereen Low)

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FICTION

The Hundred Year House by Rebecca Makkai is published in hardback by Viking, priced £16.99 (ebook £8.99). Available now

This is the book you hope every book will be when you open it; it has humour, intelligence and depth, is beautifully written, and houses a story that's hard not to devour in one sitting.

Set in a house, Laurelfield, in Chicago, it begins in 1999, skips to 1955 and ends in 1929, telling the intertwined stories of the generations of family who've lived there, and ultimately revealing a wonderful, slick twist.

In 1999, Zee and husband Douglas move into the Coach House, after it's offered to them by her mother.

Doug is fascinated by the Laurelfield of 1929, then an artists' colony, but Zee's mother denies access to the attic, where the colony's files that may contain information on the poet he's writing a book about, are kept.

So - inevitably - Doug finds his own way up there. But what he finds is far more curious than he could have imagined...

9/10 (Review by Emma Herdman)

 

California by Edan Lepucki is published in hardback by Little, Brown, priced £14.99 (ebook £4.72). Available August 7

Set in the near future, California explores the idea of post-apocalyptic life in America, when lack of natural resources and the breakdown of society pits people against each other.

Frida and her husband Cal's isolated rural existence is ruined by the discovery she is pregnant and they seek other people for support, despite the threat of marauding gangs and wild animals.

While trying to join a distrustful, self-sufficient group, impulsive Frida and cautious Cal are forced to face the repercussions of past actions by her 'terrorist' younger brother and question how much they will sacrifice for safety.

Lepucki's first novel elegantly adds to a canon of dystopian fiction with a fresh examination of prejudice, ethics, technology, relationships and how much humanity depends on societal rules.

Alternating each chapter with Frida then Cal's perspective enhances its theme, while her realistic imagining of how civilisation could return to tribalism makes chilling, yet page-turning, reading.

7/10 (Review by Natalie Bowen)

 

The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero is published in hardback by Del Rey, priced £12.99 (ebook £6.49). Available August 14

Edgar Cantero is a writer and cartoonist from Barcelona whose material ranges from short stories to screenplays.

What he gives us here is something a little different from the everyday mystery novel. The story centres around a young Englishman, known only as A to the reader, and his Irish companion Niamh, who accompanies him on a trip to America, when he inherits Axton House - a mansion with a disturbing history - from a distant cousin.

Events unfold through a series of letters, diary entries, cryptic ciphers, security footage, audio recordings and excerpts from books, as A and Niamh investigate the mystery surrounding Axton House.

The style won't be to everyone's taste, but it is refreshingly original, drawing the reader into A and Niamh's world as they uncover the disturbing secrets that lie hidden within the sprawling mansion.

If you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary, give The Supernatural Enhancements a try.

8/10 (Review by Rachael Dunn)

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NON-FICTION

Who Do You Think You Are? The Genealogy Handbook: The Essential Pocket Guide To Tracing Your Family Tree by Dan Waddell is published in hardback by BBC Books, priced £9.99 (ebook £4.68). Available now

This book is a handy pocket guide which gives you practical tips and hints to tracing your family tree.

Written in a clear and accessible style, accompanied by photographs and official documents, it covers the most important features of genealogical research.

Using stories from celebrities (Jason Donovan, Patsy Kensit, and Billy Connolly to name but a few) who have appeared in the television show of the same name, we learn how births, marriages, and deaths, census records, military documents, and immigration archives can help the budding researcher begin their quest to uncover the secrets of their family history.

This hardback book is the perfect gift for those at the beginning stages of tracing their family tree, or simply those who are fans of the television programme which is celebrating its 10th series.

7/10 (Review by Liz Ellis)

 

Psy-Q by Ben Ambridge is published in paperback by Profile Books, priced £12.99 (ebook £7.59). Available August 7

This debut from the senior psychology lecturer offers a playful insight into the world of the human mind by serving up some of the most famous psychological tests, including classics such as the Rorschach's ink blots and Freud's dream interpretations.

Packed with engaging games, puzzles and illusions, the aim of the book is to allow the reader to find out more about their psychological intelligence and their state of mind.

With a laid-back and informal writing style, clearly not aimed at the academic, Ambridge appeals to the layman curious about what makes them tick.

Once finished with, it makes for great fun to turn psychologist and test friends and family and watch them sweat while you raise a brow uncomfortably.

Overall, an excitingly teasing book that has you questioning your answers before you turn the page for the reveals, which ultimately tell you you're a sex-crazed day-dreamer.

6/10 (Review by Wayne Walls)

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CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK

The Dangerous Discoveries Of Gully Potchard by Julia Lee is published in paperback by Oxford University Press, priced £6.99 (ebook £6). Available August 7

Gully Potchard is just an ordinary boy, until he becomes tangled up in a gang of bullies from his old school... and soon he's up to his ears in trouble.

The gang attempts to steal dogs for ransom. When that fails, their next kidnap victim is a sickly girl called Agnes Glass, a friend of Gully's.

With the help of some eccentric relatives, can Gully muster the courage - and use new-found psychic powers - to split up the gang from the inside, foil their plans and save Agnes?

This book, written by Julia Lee, is a sequel to The Mysterious Misadventures Of Clemency Wrigglesworth and is written in a similar style.

The beginning is a little dull. A lot of characters are introduced and this becomes quite confusing. However, as you learn the names and the story develops, the excitement and the tension build up.

Although I have read books that have gripped me more rapidly, I would happily recommend this one, particularly to anyone who has enjoyed the author's previous works.

7/10 (Review by Ralph Ballard, aged 10)

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BESTSELLERS FOR WEEK ENDING AUGUST 2

HARDBACKS

1. The Scarecrows' Wedding, Julia Donaldson

2. The Miniaturist, Jessie Burton

3. Minecraft: The Official Construction Handbook

4. Minecraft: The Official Combat Handbook

5. Four: A Divergent Collection, Veronica Roth

6. How To Build A Girl, Caitlin Moran

7. The Silkworm: Cormoran Strike, Book 2, Robert Galbraith

8. Lone Wolf: CHERUB, Robert Muchamore

9. Minecraft: The Official Redstone Handbook

10. Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods, Rick Riordan

(Compiled by Waterstones)

PAPERBACKS

1. The Fault In Our Stars, John Green

2. The Goldfinch, Donna Tarrt

3. The One Plus One, Jojo Moyes

4. Looking for Alaska, John Green

5. The Aftermath, Rhidian Brook

6. The Cuckoo's Calling: Cormoran Strike, Robert Galbraith

7. The Girl with All the Gifts (v. 6), M R Carey

8. Paper Towns, John Green

9. The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, Jonas Jonasson

10.Will Grayson, Will Grayson, John Green and David Levithan

(Compiled by Waterstones)

EBOOKS

1. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Karen Joy Fowler

2. The Silkworm, Robert Galbraith

3. Bite: The Most Gripping Thriller You Will Ever Read, Nick Louth

4. The Fault in Our Stars, John Green

5. Ghost Girl (The Detective's Daughter 2), Lesley Thomson

6. Sycamore, John Grisham

7. We Were Liars, E. Lockhart

8. The Cuckoo's Calling, Robert Galbraith

9. The Lie of You: I Will Have What is Mine, Jane Lythell

10. Wednesday's Child, Peter Robinson ends