Us Three
Ruth Jones
Bantam, £14.99, pp384
The second novel by the co-writer and star of Gavin & Stacey follows three female friends over the course of four decades. Each woman faces challenges that test the limits of their friendship, from addiction and infidelity to toxic relationships, grief and betrayal. Throughout, Jones’s trademark warmth and humour suffuse the novel with comedy and pathos, making for a heart-warming, entertaining and, at times, deeply moving story.
Men Who Hate Women
Laura Bates
Simon and Schuster, £16.99, pp368
The founder of the Everyday Sexism Project turns her attention to the “manosphere”: a global network that believes in a feminist conspiracy in which men are the true victims of abuse and inequality. Bates’s research is impressively wide-ranging, spanning psychologists and sociologists to engagement with countless online forums, where she witnesses various forms of misogyny first-hand. Exposing links between sexism, white supremacy and the alt-right, Bates’s book is a compelling, timely investigation into contemporary gender politics.
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?
Caitlin Doughty
W&N, £8.99, pp240 (paperback)
The American mortician and YouTube star tackles some of the most commonly posed questions asked by children about death. While some of the queries are slightly odd (what happens if you swallowed a bag of popcorn before you died and were cremated?), most are fascinating. Taking a no-holds-barred approach, Doughty writes in visceral and engaging detail about an often taboo subject.
• To order Us Three, Men Who Hate Women or Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? go to guardianbookshop.com. Free UK p&p over £15
