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If you've been looking for a new read to cosy up with as the weather takes a turn towards the wintery darkness, or even if you are simply keen to add more books your 'to be read' collection, we've got you covered. There are so many brilliant new releases hitting bookshop shelves. We've collated the best of the best out this week for you to escape into with a hot cup of tea. This week sees the return of big names like the incomparable Zadie Smith and the late Harper Lee with collections of essays, while Keira Knightley unveils her first children's book . Whether you're looking for the hottest new fiction, non-fiction, or a children's book, here are the best five recommendations that will keep you up into the little hours of the morning turning pages. Iida Turpeinen's compelling novel follows a series of human interactions with Steller's sea cow – one of nature's lost giants, which became extinct within years of its initial documentation. Beasts of the Sea starts in 1741 with a ship running aground on one of the creature's last remaining sanctuaries, before delving into its legacy through the eyes of scientists, artists and collectors who only had its bones left to study. The book's northern settings – the Bering Sea, Russian Alaska and Finnish zoological museums – give a rugged, tangible quality to its reflections on extinction, and humanity's ongoing failure to comprehend its impact on the natural world . Ambitious, poignant and brilliantly penned, Turpeinen's novel intertwines historical episodes with zoological insights to deliver a pressing message for today. Highly recommended. 9/10. Review by Nick Forbes. Magic and time travel aren't everyone's cup of tea. When executed poorly, they can seem ridiculous, demanding too much suspension of disbelief as you find yourself preoccupied with spotting plot inconsistencies rather than simply immersing yourself in the story. However, The White Octopus Hotel is so enchanting, filled with such captivating imagery and genuine, heart-wrenching emotional depth, that you completely buy into the more fantastical elements. The narrative leaps from 2015 to 1935, set within the intriguing rooms of a grand, otherworldly hotel nestled in the Swiss Alps, where certain objects possess magical qualities. Eve, an art appraiser, is on a mission to untangle a tragedy from her past. Entwined in her journey is a composer named Max Everly, whom she encounters as an elderly man, but suspects she has met him before. It's a love story, but also a poignant exploration of the impact of grief, guilt and war on an individual. Alexandra Bell has crafted an utterly engrossing universe. At times it feels a bit frenzied, and the romance could be more richly developed, but it's a spellbinding read. 8/10. Review by Ella Walker. For fans of To Kill A Mockingbird, any new piece from the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author Harper Lee is a cause for celebration. This fresh collection, featuring an introduction by Casey Cep who is penning the authorised biography of Lee, hails from the early stages of her career. The first half of the book, 'Stories', sees Lee experimenting with ideas and settings that would later appear in TKAM and Go Set A Watchman. The second half compiles a variety of her published essays, which originally featured in publications such as Vogue or The Oprah Magazine. While every morsel of Lee's writing is to be savoured – she brilliantly portrays the dread of an unwanted pregnancy in The Water Tank, and humorously explores the relationship between audiences and film executives in The Viewers and The Viewed – the pieces here feel somewhat disjointed. It's uncertain whether Lee would have approved of this presentation. Nevertheless, we'll gladly accept these fragments, and the autobiographical essays – like ' Christmas to Me' where friends gift her a year off work to write – are utterly captivating, but The Land of Sweet Forever lacks a sense of completeness. 7/10. Review by Ella Walker. Dead And Alive, a collection of over 30 pieces penned by Zadie Smith over the past decade, showcases a writer whose curiosity remains undimmed. She effortlessly transitions from art critique – focusing on Toyin Ojih Odutola and Kara Walker – to musings on politics, grief and pop culture, including reflections on the artistic drama Tár or Stormzy's Glastonbury performance. At times, the breadth can feel overwhelming, as if Smith is merely thinking out loud rather than guiding the reader towards a definitive conclusion. But that's precisely Smith's intention. These essays are a stream of consciousness, less about providing answers and more about appreciating beauty, acknowledging loss, embracing change and more. Even when the arguments wander, Smith's humour and warmth keep them captivating. Dead And Alive invites you to join her in questioning the world we inhabit. 8/10. Review by Lara Owen. A young lass's life with her parents is a delightful sanctuary of giggles and love, until the arrival of a baby sister turns their peaceful home into chaos. As our little heroine wrestles with the reality of divided attention, she embarks on a journey through a fantastical world filled with magical landscapes where she must decide whether to embrace or reject her new sibling, in order to find her way back to mum. Penned and illustrated by Oscar-nominated actress Keira Knightley, I Love You Just The Same is a visually stunning book – but its narrative is too cryptic and mature for the young readers it aims to captivate. Despite its beautiful design, the dark hues and psychological themes may not resonate with preschoolers as much as other more colourful counterparts, and the overall tone feels a tad too serious and preachy for little ones. 6/10. Review by Holly Cowell.
