Diana Wynne Jones

Top 10 books about new beginnings

From Virginia Woolf to Lorrie Moore and Diana Wynne Jones, fresh starts provide an endless source of inspiration for fiction

Jaclyn Moriarty

01, Jan, 2020 @10:00 AM

Hope in the dark: culture to make you feel less terrible about the UK election

You may be distraught at the result, or just want a break from politics – so find solace in our critics’ pick of 30 films, songs, books and more to hide under a duvet with

Peter Bradshaw, Alexis Petridis, Kate Abbott, Hannah J Davies, Richard Lea, Alison Flood, Imogen Tilden and Keith Stuart

13, Dec, 2019 @11:30 AM

Books to give you hope: Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones

Written to create a female hero, this book about hidden magic in the everyday eschews fairy-tale bliss to close with an inconclusive yet brilliant assertion that monsters must be faced together

Imogen Russell Williams

26, Aug, 2016 @8:00 AM

Top 10 feminist heroes in fiction

Maria Turtschaninoff grew up reading about girls. Strong girls, brave girls, scared girls, feisty girls. Here she reveals her favourite feminist heroes who are more than just role models, from Earthsea to the Moomins.

Maria Turtschaninoff

14, Jan, 2016 @8:30 AM

Top 10 parallel worlds in fiction

When you open the pages of a book you step into a parallel universe. From Narnia to Coraline, Christopher Edge picks his favourite stories that step through the looking glass

Christopher Edge

24, Dec, 2015 @8:30 AM

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones – fantastical fun, fantastically human

A story of strange enchantment and adventure told with winningly irreverent humour, this is perfect bedtime storytelling

Richard Lea

18, Dec, 2015 @10:00 AM

Feeding the Hunger – female writers are storming the male citadels of sci-fi

A generation of readers raised on Harry Potter has had a knock-on effect on demand for fantasy fiction, and left publishers scrambling to sign up women

Sarah Hughes

12, Apr, 2015 @10:40 PM

Jessamy Taylor’s top 10 castles in fiction

From classic scary gothic settings to warm and dreamy refuges, fiction is full of castles. Jessamy Taylor picks the most memorable

Jessamy Taylor

05, Mar, 2015 @10:00 AM

Unnatural Creatures edited by Neil Gaiman - review

Sophiescribes: 'I highly recommend this book if you want something really scary'

Sophiescribes

24, Apr, 2014 @8:00 AM

The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones and Ursula Jones – review

Diana Wynne Jones's final book is a delightful and assured quest adventure, writes Imogen Russell Williams

Imogen Russell Williams

22, Feb, 2014 @8:15 AM

Reader reviews roundup

YOUR REVIEWS: Some vile visitors have come a-knocking at the site, and we're turning invisible (and so is JK Rowling!) Haven't a clue what we're on about? Enter this week's reader reviews roundup and find out...

Charlotte Seager

22, Nov, 2013 @9:01 AM