‘Stone Lands’ by Fiona Robertson

Hardback, Robinson, £25

One for the wild wanderers who gravitate to ancient places and resonate with the stones and settings that our ancestors found sacred.

A long-time megalith enthusiast, Fiona Robertson found the stones connected with her more profoundly than ever as she faced the prospect of losing her husband to cancer.

The symbols of endurance and survival, standing in contrast to our ephemeral human lives. A fusion of folklore, mystery, legend, spirituality, and a touch of magic.

This enthralling memoir is woven delicately around grief but ultimately embraces life, joy, and ancient wonder. Beautifully illustrated with black and white line drawings by Philip Harris.

‘The Book Game’ by Frances Wise

Hardback, Fourth Estate, £16.99

It is August, and eight old friends gather at a country house for a writers' retreat. By day, they read beside the pool or write in the shady corners.

In the evenings – drinks, dinner outdoors, games, midnight swimming. But as temperatures rise in the stifling last days of summer, tensions do too.

Old jealousies, new temptations, and bitter rivalries bubble up. By the end of the week, lives will have changed forever.

Astute, witty and page-turning. Adding to the intrigue, Frances Wise is a pseudonym – a collaboration between two English professors who dreamt up the book… on a writers’ retreat!