Discover Lauren’s 10 Titles not to miss overleaf (pp12-13)
Cooper for the next generation”, Wendy Sacks Jones’ The Candidate’s Husband (SRL Publishing), a story of politics, betrayal and deception, and Russian author Darya Bobyleva’s English-language debut (trans- lated by Ilona Chavasse), The Village at the Edge of Noon (Angry Robot Books). Established names include
bestselling fantasy author Brandon Sanderson with Tailored Realities (Gollancz), a new short-fiction collection which includes a never-before-published novella, Moment Zero, while Adrian Tchaikovsky pairs whimsy with high-stakes puppet crime in Made Things (Tor). Divided Publishing will also be posthu- mously publishing Fanny Howe’s Holy Smoke for the first time in the UK.
My Top 10 Titles not to miss in December are taken from across 2025 and highlight my favourite books of the year
Other titles to be aware of
in December are We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark (Michael Joseph), a new enemies-to-lovers romantasy, Sunset at Zero Point by Simon Stålenhag, an “epic, beautifully illustrated” new work of retro-futuristic dystopia from the creator of The Electric State, out with Simon & Schuster, and, of course, my book of the month, Ace Atkins’ Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Corsair), a fast- paced spy thriller. There is much to look forward to; however, as it is such a small
Upcoming Previews
Crime & thriller
Ace Atkins Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Corsair, 2nd, £22, HB, 9781472159274
I am not ordinarily one for spy thrillers, or at least I thought that was the case, but I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced, darkly funny novel set in 1985 Atlanta, the “year of the spy”, by Ace Atkins, an award-winning journalist and bestselling author who started his writing career as a crime beat reporter in Florida. When 14-year-old Peter becomes convinced his mom’s new boyfriend “Gary” is a Russian agent (he is not in the phone book, has an unidentifiable European accent and a gun in his glove box), he recruits an unlikely pair of allies – Dennis, a has-been pulp writer, and his friend, drag queen Jackie Demure. Peter is sure Gary only wants to get close to his mom because she works at a lab with big government contracts, and when a woman at her work turns up dead, the mystery deepens and the trio become entangled in a dark web of espionage. This wry adventure unfolds like a classic
blockbuster movie, encompassing a vibrant array of characters and 1980s cultural references to create an immersive, multi-layered story that never becomes overcomplicated. Instead, Atkins’ 31st novel makes for an entertaining read with a fabulous, irreverent sense of fun.
Fiction Book of the Month
month in terms of the number of books published, and the last of the year, my Top 10 titles not to miss in December are taken from across the year and highlight my favourite books of 2025. This year has been an exceptional year of publishing and it has been my absolute privilege to have read so many incredible books before they hit the shelves, so many thanks to all who have so generously sent me proofs, and apologies to my postman.
I
could very easily have drawn up a Top 20, and have, purely down to the 10-title limit, omitted exceptional works such as
Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen (MacLehose Press), The Original by Nell Stevens (Scribner UK), Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa (Penguin), Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie (The Borough Press), Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly (Saraband), Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson (Faber), Cursed Sisters by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Atlantic Books), Gunk by Saba Sams (Bloomsbury Circus), Other People’s Fun by Harriet Lane (W&N) and Buckeye by Patrick Ryan (Bloomsbury). I could – as you might be able
to tell – almost certainly go on. But, like those listed and more still, my Top 10 comprised all the books I could not stop thinking about, that changed my perspec- tive or gave me goosebumps and that I have recommended count- less times to friends and family. Roll on 2026.
Submissions
Submissions to be sent to Lauren Brown, at
fictionnewtitles@thebookseller.com; AIs essential. Please contact Lauren for the grid on which submission details need to be entered.
thebookseller.com/publishingcalendar
For submission information and deadlines, visit
thebookseller.com/ publishingcalendar
12th
September
New Titles: Non-Fiction Covering titles published in December 2025.
19th
September
Children’s Previews Covering titles published in December 2025.
26th
September
Paperback Preview Covering titles published in December 2025.
3rd
October
New Titles: Fiction Covering titles published in January 2026.
3rd
October
Discover Covering titles published in November 2025.
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BILL DABNEY
Books New Titles: Fiction
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