Bookmark 02/2025

Bookmark
No. 2/2025
The English Magazine
by Orell Füssli Thalia AG
Magazine
Richard Armitage
on moving between stage
and page – p. 5
p. 3 Jane Austen’s universe
p. 12 Hopeful Futures
p. 18 What We Loved

Christine Roth
Head of Marketing &
Communication
Orell Füssli Thalia AG
The next issue of Bookmark,
the English magazine by
Orell Füssli Thalia AG, will be
published in June 2026.
Dear Reader
In today’s relentless news cycle, our increasingly
digital world, and the rise of the mental
health crisis, it’s no wonder we some times
feel drained and without hope. To shift
the focus towards positivity, we’ve put together
an uplifting selection of books that
cut through the fear and imagine brighter
futures. On page 12, you’ll discover titles
that explore visions, ideas, and movements
that inspire hope in humanity, reminding
us that we have the power to shape the future,
not just watch it unfold.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that
Jane Austen and her novels have enthralled
readers for centuries. Today, with a new
screen adaptation of Pride and Prejudice in
the works, the continued boom of the
romance genre, and the timeless appeal of
“I made the movie in
5 my head and then
wrote it down.”
Interview with Richard
Armitage, author,
actor, voice artist and
narrator
Rip-Roaring Releases
8 Discover the season’s
best titles
3
witty heroines, Austen’s works feel more
relevant than ever. To celebrate the beloved
author’s 250th anniversary, we’ve gathered
the best books to honour her literary legacy,
on page 3.
Last, but certainly not least, we’re delighted
to feature a compelling interview with
Richard Armitage. The award-winning actorturned-author
talks about story telling on
screen and on the page, how memory shapes
his novels, and his latest thriller The Cut.
I hope this new issue of Bookmark sparks
the discovery of many wonderful books!
Warmest regards
Christine Roth
250 Years of Jane Austen
A peek into
her literary universe
Janeites, Unite!
A peek into
Jane Austen’s
universe
It is a truth universally acknowledged
that this year calls for some very special
celebrations! In honour of Jane Austen’s
250th anniversary, we’ve collected all
the best books to celebrate the literary
legend and her legacy.
Text by Annabelle Romeo
1
Jane Austen’s books are the modern classics the world still needs. Her
characters to this day feel as groundbreaking as ever. Her scathing
one-liners make readers chuckle time and time again. And, possibly
most importantly, Regency society filtered through her unique
point of view makes us realise that perhaps, in many ways, very little
has changed. We’re still proud, we’re still prejudiced … and we
still relish a really good love story.
(Re)immerse yourself in Austen’s world with one of our top picks –
whether you’re looking to refresh your much-loved (and worn)
set of tomes, searching for a stand-out gift or gearing up to gamify
your favourite characters with some friends, ahead of anniversary
celebrations. There’s sure to be something to tickle every Austen
lover’s fancy in this select handful of books!
1 The Worlds of Jane Austen by Helena Kelly
For so long, readers and scholars alike have tried to imagine what
Jane Austen’s life actually looked like. A veil of mystery has
always surrounded her experience beyond the pen. The Worlds of
Jane Austen, brilliantly brought to life by Helena Kelly, author
of the successful Jane Austen, the Secret Radical, sheds light on just
that, with the support of 150 photos and illustrations and superbly
thorough research. We get to zoom into the social, political and
economic happenings of Austen’s time, and explore just how she absorbed
and translated her feelings about them on the page. She was
engaged. She was sharp. She was so very unafraid.
2 Jane Austen in 50 Words by Maria Frawley
Gentility. Air. Impertinence. These are all words taken directly
from the mouths of Austen characters that, sadly, we just don’t real ly
use anymore. Language is like a kaleidoscope, changing and shifting
over time, but beautiful in all its facets and shades. Jane Austen
in 50 Words, a gorgeous book by Professor of English at the George
Washington University Maria Frawley, celebrates the meaning, the
facets, and every single shade of fifty words popular during Austen’s
time and scattered throughout her novels with poignance. A gift
for those of us who deeply feel literary anemoia: nostalgia for a time
in which we’ve never lived.
Hopeful Futures
These books are a beacon of hope, offering light
and renewal in challenging times
12 18
What We Loved
Recommendations
from our book
experts
Stories for Young
22 and Old
Discover magical
tales
24
Our Branches
An overview of
our shops
3
2
1
3
The Worlds of Jane
Austen
The Worlds of Jane Austen is a delightful
and at times jaw-dropping illustrated
sneak peek into the life of the
legend herself, written by Austen
scholar Helena Kelly.
Helena Kelly, Quarto Publishing,
CHF 46.90
Sense and Situationships
2
Jane Austen in
50 Words
A title sure to delight all the logophiles
and verbivores amongst us,
Jane Austen in 50 Words is a
clever take on language to better
understand the history informing
Austen’s works and characters.
Maria Frawley, Bloomsbury Academic,
CHF 29.90
Imprint
Editor: Orell Füssli Thalia AG,
Dietzingerstrasse 3, Postfach, 8036 Zurich
Authors: Fanny Lewis, Annabelle Romeo
Editorial staff: Orell Füssli Thalia AG
Design: design.isch. GmbH
Cover photo: Ray Burmiston
Prices are subject to change. Current retail prices and an extensive selection of books, films and games can be found at www.orellfuessli.ch.
Titles marked with these symbols are also available as e-book or audiobook.
Bookmark Magazine
Sense and Situationships is a hilarious
Austen-inspired book to give or
keep, solving even the trickiest of
modern-day dating dramas!
Satu Hämeenaho-Fox, Penguin Random
House UK, CHF 19.90
Second feature
3

4
The Ultimate Jane Austen
Quiz Book
Prepare to put your Janeite knowledge
to the test with over 1,000 questions
from Austen influencer Sophie
Andrews’ ultimate quiz book!
Sophie Andrews, Bonnier, CHF 24.90
4
5
6
© Ray Burmiston
5
You Are Elizabeth Bennet
Choose your own adventure –
but make it an Austen book! Repackaged
in a gorgeous new cover comes
Emma Campbell Webster’s You Are
Elizabeth Bennet.
Emma Campbell Webster, Faber & Faber,
CHF 19.90
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The Jane Austen
Collection
A stunning new box set of pocketsized
gift editions of all Jane Austen’s
literary works, just in time for her
250-year anniversary.
Jane Austen, Pan Macmillan, CHF 89.90
3 Sense and Situationships by Satu Hämeen aho- Fox
If there’s one thing we love about Austen’s heroines, it’s
that they had zero tolerance for what many of us deal
with on a daily basis in today’s world of dating. Really,
we should be taking notes, which is why we’re so
pleased about the release of Sense and Situationships by
Satu Hämeenaho-Fox. This book brings Jane’s wit and
wisdom to the 21st century mess made of Hinge dates and
Tinder hookups, exploring 40 examples of relationship
dilemmas, from courtship to situationships and relationships,
and how she’d deal with them – in her very
own voice! A brilliant book that can problem-solve with
humour, spunk and a dollop of Regency cheek!
4 The Ultimate Jane Austen Quiz Book by Sophie Andrews
So, you think you’re a true Austen fan? The Ultimate Jane Austen Quiz
Book shall be the one to judge. Written by Jane Austen expert Sophie
Andrews, who has amassed an impressive social media audience of over
130,000 followers on Instagram alone, this is the boredom-buster
of the season. Counting over 1,000 questions and split into three levels
of difficulty, this book is packed full of facts on Austen’s characters,
quotes, day-to-day life, film adaptations and so much more. This is the
book that truly celebrates our beloved Regency queen and all her
work – and is the perfect addition to any Austen-themed get-together!
5 You Are Elizabeth Bennet by Emma Campbell Webster
How many times have you finished an Austen book, looked out into
the distance and sighed, wishing it was you going on long countryside
walks, falling in love with a lord, taking a break down in Bath and
effortlessly speaking with irreverent wit? Well, You Are Elizabeth Bennet
by Emma Campbell Webster is your chance to finally live out that
dream – and take it wherever you please! This is a choose-your-ownadventure
book that catapults you into the world of Pride and Preju dice
as Elizabeth Bennet: you choose which social-scandal hill to pro verbially
die on, or if you even need a single man in possession of a good
fortune to begin with!
6 The Jane Austen Collection by Jane Austen
What better occasion than Jane Austen’s anniversary to update or
expand your edgeworn and fraying collection with a beautiful
new collection? With so many special editions to choose from, selecting
the ultimate box set is no easy task, but here we are with our
literary verdict: the Macmillan Collector’s Library is a true beauty to
behold. Each title is a stunning gift edition with high-quality paper
bound to perfection, its own bespoke jacket, and topped off with a delicate
ribbon marker and foiled edges. Within the pages lie more treasures:
the brilliant pen-and-ink vignettes by the popular Victorian
illustrator Hugh Thomson. These are editions you will treasure and
cherish forever.
“I made the movie
in my head and then
wrote it down.”
Richard Armitage on how memory and childhood shape his novels,
and how acting, reading aloud, and Geneva inspire his writing.
Acknowledgments: Fanny Lewis
4 Bookmark Magazine Second feature

As an actor you had been a storyteller in film and on
TV for years before you became an author.
Where did the impulse to pick up pen and paper to
start your first novel come from?
I was invited to write a crime thriller for Audible as an
Original for them. I jumped at the chance to have the
opportunity to write, so I submitted a story idea that I had
been musing over. They discussed a ghost writer, but I
was adamant that I wanted the novel to be delivered in my
voice with my words, as I would be the actor performing
the audio. The criteria that I must write something with
a character that I would perform helped to shape the idea.
Working on long-form television enabled me to understand
what makes for an exciting plot. I made the movie
in my head and then wrote it down.
Your first book Geneva is set in Switzerland – as a
Swiss bookshop we always enjoy seeing Switzerland
featured in literature. Can you tell us more about
your decision to choose Geneva as a setting and the
research that went into it?
I had visited Geneva a number of times as, for me, it is the
gateway to the French and Swiss Alps. Geneva is a fascinating
blend of extraordinary beauty, intricate architecture,
and cutting-edge medicine, which I was also intrigued by.
I used the altitude of the mountains to find a remote and
© Ray Burmiston
dangerous place for the story to unfold within. I’m an avid skier and am
always seduced by that feeling of solitude as the winding mountain
roads climb higher above the snow line in winter. It definitely triggered
my imagination. Later, I returned for a New Year visit to Zermatt and
left a copy of Geneva on one of the ski lifts. I’m curious if anyone picked
up the copy.
Geneva focuses heavily on the topics of memory loss and memory
as an integral part of our identity. Which important memory of your
own would you never want to lose?
I think we take our long-term memory for granted, and it’s not until we
are faced with a loved one who might be suffering from a degenerative
illness like Alzheimer’s that the tragedy of memory loss hits us. I would
say the memory of my late parents is something I would not want to
lose. Also, the ability to retain information is essential to my life and
career. The ability to remember lines is crucial, and it can be terrifying
when that skill is eroded. I’ve been fascinated by the way the brain stores
memory without us remembering to remember. I practice recall
through relaxation and hypnosis in order to visit some of the far reaches
of my memory. It’s the subject of my next story and third book.
“There will always be a performative
aspect to my writing.”
You are an actor as well as an author – how do you balance this
more extroverted profession in the spotlight with the more quiet
and introverted life as an author?
I’m an introvert, so I appear to have chosen a profession which is at
odds with my nature. But I have found that the interior life of a character
that I am playing can be a place of infinite detail that no one will ever
discover, except in the slivers of character that are shown through the
script. That’s why I have always extended the characters in written
biography to try and imagine their entire life with all the flaws and contradictions
that humans possess. I’m very lucky that as part of my
author journey, my books will be performed for audio as well as read in
print. That way, there will always be a performative aspect to my writing.
Richard Armitage is an award- winning
actor known for Peter Jackson’s
The Hobbit trilogy, Captain America
and Ocean’s 8. He is an accomplished
voice artist and narrator and made
his literary debut with Geneva (2023),
followed by The Cut (2025).
Your new book The Cut was recently published. Can you tell us –
in just one sentence – what readers can look forward to when
picking up a copy?
The Cut is an exploration of childhood and how the wounds inflicted
in our school days manifest in adulthood – the story also uses the
power of film to provoke and uncover the buried secrets of the past.
The Cut is partially set in the 1990s – how did you go about reviving
the year 1994 for the book?
I had originally planned on the 1990s being the 1980s, which was when
I was a teenager. But due to the crucial story element of a portable
video camera, I had to move the story forward a decade to the point
when a camera was commercially available. I was able to use pop
culture and media events to immerse myself in the 1990s. Music references
are always a good start, too.
Among other topics, The Cut deals with bullying and its harrowing
consequences – what moved you to discuss this topic in your
new novel?
The hierarchy assumed during school days can be a template for the
rest of one’s life. It was important to understand the “Why now?” of
the story. Why, as an adult, does Mark Cherry decide to finally reveal
what he knows? I also wanted to tackle racism, sexism, and class distinction
– all of which were tangible elements of my childhood. Creating
characters who made mistakes in their teenage years and watching
them reconcile with them as adults was a fascinating process. The
cruelty that children are capable of has often been overlooked, and
being on the receiving end of bullying with no real place to escape to
was not helpful. I’ll never forget the feeling that I was on my own
from that point. But it provided me with an outlook that I think has
helped me in my life.
“I read everything
aloud as I write.”
You have narrated many audiobooks during your career. Has narrating
and being aware of how a story sounds when read aloud
affected your own writing and style?
Absolutely. As all three of my novels are commissioned for audio first,
experimenting with this medium has been at the front of my mind.
I read everything aloud as I write and the editing process is very much
about what is not needed in audio – for example you may not need to
describe a person’s dialect or tone of voice. I’m also enjoying experiment
ing with soundscape in the next book and making distinctions
between what will exist in the audiobook and what will be added to the
print edition, so they feel like companions rather than identical copies.
In the print edition of The Cut, I created maps for the end pages – a nod
to Tolkien, which followers of my work might appreciate.
How can we picture your process for narrating an audiobook –
are there differences between preparing for thrillers, novels,
classics?
I usually will do a pass of the book whereby I mark up my copy;
elec tron ically on an iPad, which has vastly improved the dreaded page
turn of yesteryear when we were working with noisy paper. Punctuation
is becoming increasingly sparse for writers, so I often have to
score the writing as if I were phrasing music to make sense of complicated
syntax. There really is no difference in tone between genres,
other than perhaps pacing. I think it’s important to lean
into the storytelling elements of non-fiction, and with
thrillers, setting the scene on behalf of the author is crucial.
Relating to the author is a massive part of the process,
understanding their vibe is everything.
You have portrayed famous book characters on
screen, for example in North and South or The Hobbit.
How does your perception of a book change when
you have played a role in its adaptation?
The enjoyment of all the nuances and details of both novels
provided an inordinate amount of fuel to fire up the
engine over a long shoot. I worked on The Hobbit for nearly
two and a half years. In New Zealand, I had an office in
my house with Tolkien’s maps all over the wall and quotes
from as much of his writing that was appropriate for my
character as I could possibly find. It was like a little immersion
room. I do the same when I’m working on a play:
visual quotes on the walls can help me remember where
my head is supposed to be every night before going on
stage. By the time we were filming North and South, I had
combed through the novel to find anything that Gaskell
had written to describe John Thornton. My copy was noted,
dog-eared, and bookmarked throughout.
Can you tell us about some of your own personal
favourite books? Perhaps books you’ve read lately
that you thought were fantastic – or books that you
have loved and keep coming back to over the years?
I always come back to Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.
Thousands of years old, it can feel as relevant today as
then. It is littered with mantra and revelation about the
futility and discomfort of life. It describes how to stay
calm, do the right thing, and make sense of life’s struggles
using simple, practical philosophy.
Geneva
Richard Armitage,
Faber & Faber,
CHF 19.90
Thirty years ago, Ben’s village
was shattered when one school
friend was murdered and
another sent to prison. Now, the
killer is about to be released,
just as a film is being shot in Barton
Mallett – with Ben’s son
cast in the lead role. But the past
refuses to stay buried.
Geneva is a pulse-pounding thriller
set against the backdrop of global
politics. A Nobel Prize-winning
scientist travels to Geneva for a secret
meeting — only to be caught
in a deadly web of conspiracy and
betrayal. Armitage’s debut grips
with intrigue, danger, and cinematic
tension.
The Cut
Richard Armitage,
Faber & Faber,
CHF 29.90
6 Bookmark Magazine Interview
Bookmark Magazine
Interview
7

Rip-Roaring
Releases
Buckle up, readers! This collection of
Bookmark’s rip-roaring releases has
stories of love, feminist satire, historical
secrets and eye-opening non-fiction
that’ll take you on a reading rollercoaster
you have never experienced before …
Text by Annabelle Romeo
1
Also by author John Grisham
The Whistle
Lacy Stolz, a new investigator, has
to build a case against someone who
plays by their own rules. Another
masterfully created legal crime book,
with an amicable character who
has a strong sense of justice. A great
kick-off for a new series.
Discover more on
bookcircle.ch
2
@RAIKASLOVER
RECOMMENDS:
7
5
3
6
4
This book doesn’t just pull at your
1
heartstrings – it tears them apart as
the threads of each character come together
in a story of grief, guilt, secrets, forgiveness,
and, most importantly, sisterhood.
Three sisters’ lives change forever when
their brother tragically succumbs to suicide –
the only solution he sees to claw his way
out of despair following the boat accident
that sent his family into bankruptcy and
took the life of a young boy. After the news,
Maggie, Alice, and Cai will drift apart for
years, meeting again only decades later at
their parents’ Victorian home by the sea,
each facing their own new set of challenges,
which somehow all seem to be rooted in the
pain of so many years before. Told through
the alternating points of view of the three
sisters, The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee
O’Neill is a book that analyses how tragedy
seeps into every crack of life, but it also
explores how healing and reconnection can
ultimately be found again.
The Irish Goodbye
Heather Aimee O’Neill, Pan Macmillan, CHF 29.90
Also grappling with the theme of
2
death is Loved One by Emmy Awardwinning
television writer and producer
Aisha Muharrar. Main character Julia’s best
friend and first boyfriend passes away at
the young age of twenty-nine – when most
of Julia’s friends are getting married rather
than cosying up to a coffin. Shocked by his
death, Julia sets out to collect her friend’s
possessions, a decision that’ll take her on an
unforgettable journey. During her travels,
Julia meets Elizabeth, his most recent girlfriend,
and the two can’t help but connect
to make sense of their individual grief. This
is a story of who we are at different stages
in our lives, and which side of ourselves we
choose to show to the people we meet along
the way. It’s also about coming back to who
we once were. There’s travel, honest conversations
between women, and a whole lot of
brilliantly written reflections on coming to
terms with grief.
Loved One
Aisha Muharrar, Harper Collins UK, CHF 27.90
John Grisham is a name we’ve all come
3
across at some point on our reading
journeys: he has published 51 best selling
novels over the course of his career and
sold 400 million copies worldwide. And this
book sets itself apart from anything he’s
written before. Moving away from the
court room dramas he is such a master of,
The Widow is the gripping novel about a
lawyer on trial for murder. Grisham has de -
scribed it as not quite a whodunnit novel –
because all the evidence points to the protagonist
and, really, it appears he’s guilty
until proven innocent. A widow inherits
enough money to last a lifetime, and the
only person to know is indeed our protagonist,
her lawyer. So, when she is run over
by a car, he’s the only one with a plausible
motive. This book will have you on the
edge of your seat and reaching the last page
in just one sitting as you seek the answer
everyone wants: did he do it?
The Widow
John Grisham, Hodder and Stoughton, CHF 39.90
“Epic fiction” is a phrase often used
4
to describe Ken Follett’s work, and
Circle of Days, his latest release, strongly
delivers on “epic”. Shrouded in unexplained
mystery is the ancient site of Stonehenge,
and this book will take readers on an incredible
journey back to 2500 BC to find out just
how it came to life. Society here is split into
herders, woodlanders, and farmers, but
things are changing, with a drought plaguing
the land and people struggling to survive.
When a religious monument made of wood
is devastated, a priestess has a vision:
fifteen monumental stones, to be set up with
the help of her flint miner brother-in-law.
Built on beautiful descriptions of the stones
as they are found, brought to the land and
ultimately raised to create the historical site
we’re so fascinated by to this day, this is a
novel that has it all: love, history, mystery
and adventure.
Circle of Days
Ken Follett, Quercus Publishing Plc, CHF 46.90
Booker Prize winner Salman Rush-
5
die is often thought of as a symbol of
freedom of expression, surviving death
threats and stabbings incited by his writing.
His latest literary work shares his thoughts
on anger, mortality and peace. Covering
India, England, and the USA – drawing on
Rushdie’s experiences living in all three
places – The Eleventh Hour is a collection of
fiction and magical realism made up of
three novellas and two short stories. We get
to revisit the neighbourhood of his muchloved
novel Midnight’s Children as well as
meet completely new worlds and characters.
The common thread? Reflections on what
it means to be reaching an end, the so-called
eleventh hour of life. Rushdie explores how
we say our goodbyes, how we welcome –
or wish to escape – the end, and what truly
matters when we are leaving this life.
The Eleventh Hour
Salman Rushdie, Penguin Random House UK, CHF 28.90
When the author of The Notebook joins
6
forces with the director of The Sixth
Sense, you know you’re in for an unforgettable
read – and it’s also soon to be a film.
This story takes you to a new location
for both creators, moving away from their
usual settings of Philadelphia and North
Carolina to land in Cape Cod, where a budding
romance that goes beyond the limits
of the ordinary will have you on the edge of
your seat. Our story begins with a tragic
ending – a New York architect is overcoming
the loss of his sister, who on her deathbed
revealed her greatest secret: she could speak
to the dead. His grief takes him to accept a
job in Cape Cod, where he hopes to gain
control over his life again. But meeting one
of the B&B guests, he will have to understand
that some things go beyond what meets
the eye.
Remain
Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan,
Random House N. Y., CHF 24.90
Philippa Gregory is a gem of historical
7
fiction, who many of us will recognise
following her bestselling and awardwinning
The Other Boleyn Girl. Still fascinated
by the Boleyn-Tudor court, Gregory
shifts her attention to a new family member
in her latest book, Boleyn Traitor, following
the life of Jane Boleyn. In Gregory’s version
of the story, a long time after her death,
Jane was revealed to have discovered her
husband’s scandalous and incestuous
affair with his sister Anne Boleyn, and to
have played a key role in assuring their
execution. Gregory’s pen is poised, backed
with decades of study on the workings of
the Tudor court – and this court is unapologetically
female led. Jane must be calculating
in order to survive in her role as ladyin-
waiting to five of Henry VIII’s wives,
and Gregory sharply describes her work as
skil ful espionage. After all, the most valuable
thing you can know if you work for the
king is a secret …
Boleyn Traitor
Philippa Gregory, Harper Collins UK, CHF 29.90
M. L. Rio’s work always feels exciting,
8
her background just as multifaceted
as her literary interests. With Hot Wax, she
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Bookmark Magazine
New releases
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moves away from dark academia and the
theatrics of Shakespearian plays of
We Were Villains towards a different type
of performance: music. Main character
Suzanne grew up on the road: her father was
a touring rock band member in 1989, but
that is something she doesn’t like looking
back on, because it was a time shrouded
in mystery, violence, and rock and roll. But
the quiet, suburban, wedded life she has
chosen feels somehow just as violently claustro
phobic, which is why, 29 years later, at
the news of her father’s death, she is on the
road again to find answers. Only her crosscountry
journey will bring her full circle
with what went wrong decades ago with
her father. It’s a novel full of travel and analogue
audio as well as music and despair –
and you will come away from it feeling like
you have perhaps changed on the journey,
too.
Hot Wax
M. L. Rio, Headline, CHF 29.90
Fans of Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon
9
series: your prayers have finally been
answered! After a tortuous eight-year wait,
our favourite professor and GOAT of semiot
ics is back again – and this time, the stakes
are higher than ever before. With Robert
Langdon we have travelled to the Vatican
City, Florence, Paris, Washington DC,
and Bilbao, and in Brown’s new The Secret of
Secrets, we’re packing our bags and jetting
off to Prague, then London and New York,
to solve a murder mystery and find Katherine
Solomon, noetic scientist and … Langdon’s
new girlfriend. She’s suddenly gone missing,
together with her groundbreaking manuscript
on human consciousness that could
debunk what scientists have believed on the
subject until now. If there is one person
who can solve this mystery and find her, it’s
Langdon. And, while he’s at it, there will be
of course more truths uncovered … Ready to
join his race?
The Secret of Secrets
Dan Brown, Penguin Random House UK, CHF 46.90
We’ve talked about high-stakes books,
10
but how about something a little
softer? Dinner at the Night Library by Hika
Harada is the perfect read for anyone who
loves What You Are Looking for is in the
Library by Michiko Aoyama or Welcome to
the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang
Bo-reum. This book is cosy and sweet, packed
full of heart. It is set in a Tokyo library
that’s only open at night, where you can’t
ever check books out, and all titles stocked
are written by deceased authors. Here,
staff members, all feeling somewhat jilted
by traditional publishing, come together
each night to share a healing book-inspired
dinner. But just as Otoha Higuchi is recruited
as their newest employee, strange
things start to happen, putting their idyllic
workplace at risk. There’s so much to love
here – from the quiet recovery from burnout
to the characters that work as a found
family, and it’s a perfect book to tuck into
and transition into the autumnal months
that await.
Dinner at the Night Library
Hika Harada, Simon & Schuster, CHF 29.90
The author of some of our favourite
11
novels – Atonement, Enduring Love,
Nutshell, just to name a few – is back with
another big-concept novel. It feels necessary
and timely, set in the futuristic Britain of
2119 that has been reduced to a small archipelago
due to the rise in water levels and a
devastating nuclear war that has wiped out
even the internet. Tom Metcalfe is the protagonist
– he works as an academic and has
one obsession: to retrieve a lost poem only
ever read aloud once in 2014. His treasure
hunt takes readers on a grand adventure
across time and centuries, full of love and
art, nature and catastrophe, while offering
up a reflection questioning how much
we will really ever know about the past,
but also how sad it might be when humanity
looks at its present self about the future.
Soon enough, we’re swept into Tom’s
obsession, enjoying every twist and turn
of this incredible ride.
What We Can Know
Ian McEwan, Penguin Random House UK, CHF 29.90
You may need some tissues on hand
12
for this one, because Twice by
Mitch Albom will have you in all the feels.
The premise is rather simple, but within
it are multitudes: what choices would you
make if you were allowed a do-over for
each and every single decision? This is life
for Alfie Logan, who at the young age of
eight discovers his magical, and often rather
convenient, ability. As he grows older, his
ability is used to its full potential, and every
option that can be explored is lived. But
there’s one caveat: a great love cannot be repeated.
Used to infinite pos si bil ities, Alfie
must decide whether this is the time to see
what else is out there for him or if he can
be fully happy on the first try. We couldn’t
recommend this more for a quick read
that’ll pack a punch, from the New York
Times bestselling journalist and author who
never misses the shot.
Twice
Mitch Albom, Little, Brown, CHF 26.90
For the most part, as humans, we
13
tend to like it when we’re all on the
same page. Or do we? Harvard professor
and ground breaking author of non-fiction
Steven Pinker has something to say about
it in his most recent release, When Everyone
Knows That Everyone Knows … It’s in our
human nature to be thinking about what
other people are thinking – and oftentimes
we know what they’re thinking. They
know that we know what they’re thinking.
And we know that they know that we know
what they’re thinking! It’s quite the conundrum,
but it’s how society as we know it has
come to be, and it’s how we often manage
communication with each other. It has a
name, too: common knowledge. In his study,
Pinker looks at how common knowledge is
exercised in life and how it has had an effect
on our economies, politics, and even the
smallest parts of the everyday. For example,
we all know that everyone knows what
“Netflix and chill” means or that we drive on
one side of the road. Yet common knowledge
has also been a cause of disaster. This
book works as a new, innovative way to
review how we see others, our relationships,
and the way we’ve come to the norms we
live by.
When Everyone Knows That
Everyone Knows …
Steven Pinker, Penguin Random House UK, CHF 36.90
Art historian, broadcaster and Global
14
Head of Collections for Soho House
Kate Bryan is here to democratise what so
often feels like something only the elite
can enjoy: beautiful works of art. In an age
where generative AI seems to be seen as
a replacement for human-made expression,
Bryan wants us back in galleries, making
food, crafting, writing, and having fun. And
we are so here for it. Her book How to Art
cuts out all the noise to let us focus on what
truly matters in five thorough sections:
building a relationship with art, learning
about key pieces of art, making art,
buying art and, finally, how to be an artist,
all topped off with brilliant illustrations
by visual artist David Shrigley. Take this as
your sign to go to a festival, visit a museum,
pick up a good book (possibly recommended
by us), and drink it all in – because it’s
for you to enjoy just as much as anyone else.
How to Art
Kate Bryan and David Shrigley, Penguin Random
House UK, CHF 29.90
Clinical psychologist and trauma
15
therapist Ingrid Clayton, PhD,
has written books on emotional abuse, childhood
trauma, self-esteem, sobriety, and
spirituality. With Fawning, her latest literary
achievement, she is exploring trauma
responses, in particular one that never gets
spoken about: fawning. Most of us are
familiar with the common terms we use to
describe how we might react in tense or
dangerous situations. Some of us freeze,
other fight, and then there are the ones
that opt for flight mode. This book takes a
look at the lesser known F, the one some
of us may not have even ever heard of, but
is so instinctive to many. Fawning is described
as a “hybrid trauma response”,
one in which our first instinct of survival is
pleasing and appeasing who or whatever
we perceive as a threat to look after ourselves.
Clayton lays out ways to grow from our
trauma, identify patterns, and grow into a
life where we can let go of our fear for
survival and embrace our identity regardless
of who may be upset by it.
Fawning
Ingrid Clayton, Bonnier, CHF 29.90
If you’ve ever used TikTok, you
16
too will have marvelled at just how
quickly it seems to pick up on your core
interests and suggest just the right video at
just the right time (aka when you’re just
about to switch off the app). Never has social
media felt so powerful, and Forbes technology
reporter Emily Baker-White explores
just this in Every Screen on the Planet, where
she takes her award-winning reporting
on the TikTok phenomenon a step further,
exploring not only how its algorithm so
efficiently works to keep us glued onto the
screen, but also the security risks the app
has posed and how it can be potentially used
to spread propaganda and influence unsuspecting
users. It’s a courageous piece of
work, and one we should all be reading.
Every Screen on the Planet
Emily Baker-White, Pan Macmillan, CHF 29.90
10 Bookmark Magazine New releases
Bookmark Magazine
New releases
11

Hopeful
Futures
Like a blackbird singing through dawn every year
to remind us that a season of rebirth is upon us, so do these
books cut through the fear, injustice, and destruction
we are witnessing in recent times – a true beacon of hope
as we navigate this confusing world.
Text by Annabelle Romeo
Over the past couple of years, study after study has revealed a rise in anxiety disorders in teenagers and
young adults, with a projection that one-third of US adults will experience an anxiety disorder over
the course of their life. Amid the rise of AI, the ongoing climate crisis, and global upheaval of diverse
nature, remaining tethered to our identity feels like a true feat.
Yet, in between news reports and grim-looking data, there is a beacon of hope, always, and that’s our
humanity. The books in this selection of titles focus on the visions, ideas, and movements that give
hope to humankind, galvanising us to take moral action, to express our creativity, and to stand by what
we know is right – so that we can shape the future.
1
3
2
4
3 Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
Another book tackling the question of climate change and many other
worrying spheres of our lives is Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek
Thompson. It is a book about politics, regulations, and most importantly
homing and decarbonisation. It looks back at the past 50 years of
policies to figure out just what has gone wrong in the United States to
reach this point of staggering inequality within its society. By observing
the bottlenecks of existing laws in the US, political commentators
and journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson identify the rules
and technology that we need to build and invent to make the life of the
collective better.
The book has received divided reception, some praising the concept of
abundance, others sceptical when it comes to putting the authors’
suggestions into practice. The question as to whether these suggestions
can be realistically put into place remains, but Abundance certainly
is a great starting point to reflect on what isn’t quite working and what
steps could – and should – be taken towards improvement.
4 Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman
On the topic of non-fiction, here is another book that offers food for
thought when it comes to the future of our planet and humankind’s best
interest. Moral Ambition by New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling
author of Humankind and Utopia for Realists and historian Rutger
Bregman turns the focus from the outwards inwards, encouraging
readers to truly think about how they can bring change to the world
through their own moral ambition. Our ambitions, when paired with
the power of a sense of moral purpose, can change not only our lives
but those of the people, animals, and all living beings surrounding us.
1 Indignity by Lea Ypi
Get ready to dive into the complexities of twentieth-century world politics with Dr Lea Ypi’s brilliant
new work of art, Indignity. And by “complexities” we mean that this book comes with an entire
character list and detailed historical timeline. Set into motion by a viral photo – posted by a complete
stranger – of her grandmother, whose possessions she thought had been lost forever, Ypi’s mission
became one of retracing the past in order to understand that recovered photo. And so we embark on an
incredible journey through history. Through Ypi’s grandmother’s eyes, we see a changing world
told through crisp and decisive prose. We see the fall of the Ottoman empire and the rise of WWII,
partly told through the author’s meticulous research supported by archival documents, partly told
through her own imagination. In her memoir Free, shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford prize, the professor
of political theory at London School of Economics had us questioning the idea of freedom and
what that meant on a multitude of layers. And with Indignity, we can’t help but take that reflection further.
As we discover Ypi’s grandmother’s story and her struggle for dignity, we are invited to question
the world we live in now and ponder what it takes to shape a future that encompasses true dignity for
our fellow human beings.
2 The Overstory by Richard Powers
There’s no denying we find ourselves in an ecological predicament: climate change is a source of
anxiety, and it’s safe to say we spend a lot more time with technology than the calming balm of nature.
So Richard Powers, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, who for so long had been interested in
Silicon Valley and the rise of tech, turned his pen to about 300 species of trees when embarking on the
journey that would become his latest book, The Overstory. This novel, structured into a tree’s very
sections – Roots, Trunk, Crown and Seeds – stretches across years and years, exploring the lives of
nine Americans who, just like a tree’s roots, are interconnected.
To put it in Power’s own words, his hope in writing this book was to “recover a lost kind of drama”, one
that mixes humans and their development with other living beings that aren’t always compatible
with our change and progress, resulting in a brilliant exploration of the relationship between human
and non-human.
5
6
1
5
Indignity
A beautiful passage through
history that invites readers to question
the ways in which history
seems to be repeating itself, told by
political theorist Dr Lea Ypi.
3
Lea Ypi, Penguin Books, CHF 29.90
Abundance
Abundance by Ezra Klein
and Derek Thompson is a thoughtprovoking
look at how policies
in place and – at times – overregu lation
have halted humankind’s
development towards abundance.
Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson,
Profile Books, CHF 29.90
My Friends
My Friends by Fredrik
Backman is a beautifully intense
story of friendship, loss, and
following your dreams, even when
barely anyone – including you –
believes in them.
Fredrik Backman, Simon & Schuster,
CHF 29.90
2
4
6
The Overstory
The Overstory by Richard
Powers is the book that will
open your mind and heart to building
on our undeniable relationship
with trees.
Richard Powers, Penguin Random
House UK, CHF 19.90
Moral Ambition
Let yourself be inspired
with the stories of people who
brought change to the world told
through historian Rutger Bregman’s
latest literary offering, Moral
Ambition.
Rutger Bregman, Bloomsbury,
CHF 29.90
The Dispossessed
Let us remind you of
the anarchist utopia you simply
cannot miss from the science
fiction literary phenomenon that
was Ursula K. Le Guin.
Ursula K. Le Guin, Orion Publishing
Group, CHF 19.90
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13

7
Orbital
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
looks at Earth from afar in all its
beauty, and is a demonstration of how
ephemeral a single human’s problems
feel when met with the immensity
of our planet.
8
Samantha Harvey, Penguin Random
House UK, CHF 19.90
The Land of Sweet
Forever
From the American literary legend
Harper Lee comes a posthumous
collection of short stories and essays
that explore all the themes we loved
from To Kill a Mockingbird.
Harper Lee, Penguin Random House UK,
CHF 39.90
Bregman’s analysis is packed full of case studies, looking at
people who have brought change to the world, from resistance
heroes to political activists, proving that happiness and
success are possibly only real when shared. It is a galvanising
invitation to let ourselves be driven by our morals rather than
individual and instant satisfaction.
5 My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Let us start this recommendation from the very beginning.
New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman dedicates
his novel My Friends to “anyone who is young and wants to
create something”, urging them to just “do it”. He then ironically
follows his dedication with a quote from Anton Ego, the Ratatouille
Pixar cartoon character, who exposes how the world
may not be open to novelty – which is why friends are so very
necessary. This particular journey of friendship will bring
you to laughter and tears, and you’ll experience how the love
we share can change over the course of many years, but also
stay perfectly still and unchanged as a memory. True friendship
is a messy kind of love that’s complicated and layered,
and, in this book, it spans 25 years until it finds its way to a
complete stranger. Told through a dual timeline narrative
by way of a road trip, this story is one long and windy road.
6 The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
Speaking of the passing of years and the power of friendship,
here’s a recommendation that stands the test of time. The Dispossessed
was written and published by Ursula K. Le Guin in
1974 – that’s about fifty years ago. It won a Hugo, a Locus,
and a Nebula, an award trio most authors only ever dream of
even being nominated for. And here we are, still recommending
it in this stunning paperback edition format. Despite the
years that have passed, this story of young and curious Shevek
resonates strongly with us today. Shevek travels to another
planet to share his learnings, but things do not go as smoothly
as he wishes to believe. Le Guin herself described this book
as an “anarchist utopia” – within its pages, our scientist protagonist
leaves his utopic, yet so imperfect, home and faces a
7
8
world of brutal capitalism, where internal hierarchies support a system
of oppression. And this hopeful scientist’s story sheds light on what
we are witnessing in today’s history with war, protests for peace and
politics, and such reluctance to get on board with science.
7 Orbital by Samantha Harvey
We’re moving away from the marvels of sci-fi, but science and the
wonders of our planet are still very much here to stay with Booker
Prize- winning Orbital by Samantha Harvey. This book feels almost
pastoral – it’s a love letter to our planet packed with heaps of nostalgia
for what we are increasingly losing over time. Set in low Earth orbit,
this book is often called plotless and rightly so: Orbital transcends in-
9
On Freedom
On Freedom by Timothy
Snyder is a brilliant study of the significance
of freedom and how we
can guarantee its continued presence
across generations for entire communities
– so each of us can flourish
within.
11
Timothy Snyder, Penguin Random
House UK, CHF 19.90
Decarbonista.
A Refreshing Guide to
Climate Savvy Living
Ready to reduce your carbon footprint?
Eco experts Renée Laplante
and Libby O’Loghlin offer practical
solutions for meaningful change
with Decarbonista.
Renée LaPlante and Libby O’Loghlin,
Rowing Girl Productions, CHF 34.90
10
Meditations
for Mortals
Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand
Weeks was an instant Sunday Times
bestseller. What if we told you
there’s more to read from him, and
it’s just as life-changing?
12
Oliver Burkeman, Penguin Random
House UK, CHF 19.90
Not the End of
the World
Our last recommendation may just
be the most hopeful of all – Not the
End of the World is Hannah Ritchie’s
optimistic, science-backed thesis
that we are the first generation that
might finally achieve sustainable
living.
Hannah Ritchie, Penguin Random
House UK, CHF 19.90
citing incidents, midpoints, and beat sheets writers so often rely on –
with six main characters, astronauts from all over the world, floating
in space and observing their beloved home from afar. Up there,
drama and conflict have no place. Even more subverted is the godlike
narrative voice. There is no first person or third person narrative.
This story is told freely; it’s liberated from the chains of human
consciousness.
The book is a beautiful reminder that, in the face of the whole wide
world, we are tiny, and that our futures depend on what we can collectively
dream for Earth.
8 The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee
At almost a decade since the brilliant Harper Lee’s death, it looks
like the universe has one last gift from the mysterious literary mind
behind To Kill a Mockingbird. This is an incredible compendium of
short-form works of fiction and non-fiction, short stories and essays,
that explore politics, love, justice, creativity and draw on the
Southern experience that Lee so honestly told in her novels. While it
feels especially exciting to get a peek into the mind of the author
who opened the world’s eyes with just one book, our recommendation
for this book is compelled by how respectfully it has been construct
ed and pieced together, topped off with a brilliant introduction
by The New Yorker staff writer and Lee’s biographer Casey Cep,
who also wrote Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of
Harper Lee. We would like to believe that Lee, who kept out of the
spotlight and is said to have struggled profoundly with her fame
and writing after her debut, would have not only approved but been
proud of this beautiful collection of her work.
9
10
11
9 On Freedom by Timothy Snyder
So far, a lot of the books we’ve recommended in this round-up have
one common denominator – and that is positivity. This positivity is
rooted in historian Timothy Snyder’s concept of freedom, too:
he believes freedom is our ability to become the person we want to
be, taking our ideals, beliefs, and values into the world. Freedom,
in his view, is, essentially, choice.
Throughout his work, Snyder doesn’t limit his study to the sole
definition of freedom, offering instead a 360-degree analysis of what
we have misunderstood so far about it with the support of philosophers,
political dissidents, and contemporary thinkers. It’s not just
identifying what we need to get rid of socially, politically, or economically
in order to exercise our choices – that would be in his view
“negative freedom”. It is also building from that point forward an
infrastructure that allows for continued choice and self-realisation.
A powerfully positive study you will step away from feeling inspired
to reach your full potential.
10 Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
We’ve discussed freedom, but how exactly do we exert it in our single
lives? That is an answer Oliver Burkeman is ready to give with his
200-page Meditations for Mortals, a fantastic piece of non-fiction all
about applying the actions we know we need to make for our lives
to become more enjoyable and meaningful.
Do you begin each year hoping to create the perfect routine but
ultimately never quite manage to set those wheels into motion? This
might just be the literary solution for you! And, by the way, one
of this author’s biggest suggestions is to let go of your idea of hyper-
12
14 Bookmark Magazine Main feature
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15

productivity. He in fact coins a new word: imperfectionism.
Yes, if we’re just able to release ourselves
from the weight of self-imposed perfection and accept
we might only manage to get a few things crossed
off the list per day, then we can truly live our lives
more fully.
This book gets bonus points from us because it can
easily be read in just a month, reading one chapter of
28 a day. Are you ready to let go of perfectionism?
11 Decarbonista: A Refreshing Guide to
Climate Savvy Living by Renée LaPlante and
Libby O’Loghlin
Decarbonista is a book by a dynamic duo of authors
whose reputation precedes them. Renée LaPlante is
a consultant and founder of the Decarbonista init iative
and an ex-Google culture innovation and
people performance expert, and Libby O’Loghlin is
co-founder of ReCarbonX, blockchain-based tracking
and reporting systems for sustainable large-scale
manufacturing. O’Loghlin is also an all-round creative,
her illustrations bringing to life the pages of
Decarbonista. And, together, they bring to the table a
book that’ll truly refresh your perspective on climate
change, and empower you to make meaningful
changes within your own life. With expert-verified data, stats, and facts, this book
invites us to explore our choices based on compatibility with our own particular
life context, our own way of being in the world, and of course planetary health,
reminding readers that it’s not too late to get climate savvy, and it’s not just giant
corporations that can really make a difference. If you’ve been on the hunt for a book
that explains in an accessible way how you can make a plan and measurably reduce
your carbon footprint in your own way, look no further: this book is a one-stop shop
that has got you covered.
12 Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie
Ending our list of recommendations with a bang, may we present data scientist,
University of Oxford researcher and contributor to Our World in Data, Hannah
Ritchie. Ritchie is the author of Not the End of the World, a study with a key message
of hope at its core: that we are truly the first generation for whom the opportunity
to be sustainable is within reach. Ritchie argues that sustainability is achievable
while living healthy, fulfilled lives – something that has not been available to
humanity before. She looks at what we’ve been able to achieve with recent action
and states that, if the necessary steps are taken, we can look forward to a future in
which we won’t have to worry about what will become of our children.
By looking closely at each of our major environmental problem points and their
history – from air pollution and deforestation to ocean plastics and overfishing –
Ritchie lays out the pathways to tackle each of these issues for a better future and,
while it is easier said than done, things do seem like they’re looking up.
In The Art of Spending Money,
award-winning and global bestselling
author Morgan Housel
offers a refreshingly practical
approach to managing wealth
while finding deeper meaning
and contentment. Instead of
cookie-cutter financial advice,
Housel provides psychological
tools to navigate your personal
relationship with money and to
optimise for happiness.
One snowy morning, Miquel’s
mother leaves their village high
up in the Pyrenees and disappears.
With his younger brother
stationed far away on military
service, Miquel and his father
are forced to fend for themselves
throughout a harsh winter,
made harsher still by the emergence
of family secrets that
have festered in the long silence
between them.
Introducing
From the Sunday Times and
New York Times bestseller
Olivie Blake, this is a powerful
and darkly funny novel about
ambition, lust and eating your
fill – as wealthy moms and
sorority girls practice a sinister
new wellness trend …
Girl Dinner
Olivie Blake, Pan Macmillan, CHF 29.90
Return to the cosy fantasy world
of the No. 1 New York Times bestselling
Legends & Lattes series
with Brigands & Breadknives by
Travis Baldree, a freshly
baked adventure featuring fanfavourite,
foul-mouthed bookseller
Fern. The third in a humorous
and beloved series.
Brigands & Breadknives
Travis Baldree, Pan Macmillan,
CHF 29.90
The Art of Spending
Money
Morgan Housel, Pan Macmillan,
CHF 29.90
A Long Winter
Colm Tóibín, Pan Macmillan, CHF 24.90
Nomad paperbacks combine
affordability and aesthetic
appeal in one pocket-sized
package. Each book features
French flaps, a belly band, and
easy-to-read type.
Redefine wealth. Reclaim
your life. This interactive companion
to the Sunday Times
and New York Times bestselling
book The 5 Types of Wealth
Life Planner will help you establish
your priorities and achieve
true wealth for a happier, more
fulfilled life.
The 5 Types of Wealth
Life Planner
Sahil Bloom, Harper Collins UK, CHF 29.90
Editorial Assistant Clo Harmon
wants nothing more than to rise
through the ranks at the world’s
most prestigious fashion magazine.
But there’s one problem:
she doesn’t have the right pedigree.
Workhorse is an astonishing
story of envy and ambition,
set against the glamour and
privilege of media and high society
in New York at its height.
Workhorse
Caroline Palmer, Harper Collins UK,
CHF 27.90
When Nolan, the Ghost of
Christmas Past, is assigned Harriet
for his holiday haunting,
neither of them knows why.
To escape one another, they must
unravel the threads that bind
them. Hand in hand, they reveal
their pasts, but why won’t Nolan
let go? And might Harriet be
the key to giving the Ghost of
Christmas Past … a future?
Good Spirits
B. K. Borison, Harper Collins UK,
CHF 19.90
Gabriel de León has lost his family,
his faith, and his last hope
of ending the endless night – the
Holy Grail, Dior. With no desire
left but vengeance, he and a band
of loyal brothers journey into
the war-torn heart of the Augustin
Empire to claim the life
of the Forever King. The most
antic ipated new epic fantasy
finale of 2025.
Empire of the Dawn
Jay Kristoff, Harper Collins UK,
CHF 29.90
Bookmark Magazine
Introducing
17

What We Loved
Recommendations from our book experts.
Stephanie, Orell Füssli Zürich
1
Hauptbahnhof
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets The Thursday
Murder Club in this cozy horror novel.
Jenny Winter retired as a Hunter of Artemis
at age 23, after ten years and too many
traumatic hunts. Now in her forties, instead
of hunting the things that go bump in the
night, she heals them and runs a bookstore
with a succubus and a wizard. When an
apocalypse rears its squamous head, the old
hands are ready to fight back with bow
and cane.
Slayers of Old
Jim C. Hines, Random House NY, CHF 37.90
Manuel, Buchhandlung
2
Stauffacher
I have always considered short stories to be
Stephen King’s best work and Night Shift,
published in 1977, is a prime example.
The range and quality of this collection is
amazing. My top-3 picks are: I am the Doorway,
evoking cosmic, Lovecraftian horror,
The Ledge, a suspenseful crime story involving
a 5-inch ledge surrounding a multi-story
building, and, finally, One for the Road,
serving as a chilling epilogue to Salem’s Lot.
If you do not have the patience for King’s
longer novels, this one is for you.
Night Shift
Stephen King, Random House NY, CHF 15.90
Tashina, Buchhandlung
3
Stauffacher
Bree and Nathan have been inseparable
since high school – best friends who just
happen to be secretly in love with each
other. Neither dares to confess … until life
throws them into a hilariously awkward
fake dating situation. Sweet, funny, and
irresistibly romantic, this best-friendsto-lovers
story will steal your heart. One of
my all-time favourite reads and my favourite
author!
The Cheat Sheet
Sarah Adams, Headline Eternal, CHF 19.90
Silvia, Orell Füssli Zürich Kramhof
4
Arcana Academy is a must-read for
anyone who loves romantasy. It has everything:
a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers
romance, a dark magic school setting, and a
royal intrigue. The story follows Clara,
a talented but illegal tarot card inker. She
starts off in prison and is then brought to
Arcana Academy by Prince Kaelis to secretly
help him with a heist. The best part is
the truly unique magic system, which I’ve
never seen before.
Arcana Academy
Elise Kova, Penguin Random House UK, CHF 24.90
Renate, Orell Füssli Zürich Kramhof
5
Rhys, a long-time recluse, is quite
astonished when his two grandchildren turn
up out of the blue, expecting him to look
after them while their mother is away. When
the kids’ father, Shane, dedicated member
of a right-wing Christian sect, sends some
pals to reclaim his offspring, Rhys has to
face real life again. With the help of a former
lover, a slightly crazy ex-cop and his only
true friend, he sets off to find his daughter
and reclaim her kids from the militia.
Jess Walter captures the fractures in today’s
American society brilliantly, providing
great dialogues and telling a thrilling story
with warmth and humour.
So Far Gone
Jess Walter, Harper Collins, CHF 29.90
Kathrin, Orell Füssli Bern
6
A new favourite. Say hello to DI Ryan
Wilkins – and DI Ray Wilkins. Two detectives
who could not be more different, which
makes their first case all the more entertaining.
While we try to help solve the crime
at hand, Mason also addresses topics such
as classism, racism, and refugees. Gripping,
with a great eye for detail and atmosphere,
A Killing in November carries us off to Oxford.
A Killing in November
Simon Mason, Quercus Publishing, CHF 19.90
Nadine, Orell Füssli Zürich Kramhof
7
This is my new middle-grade fantasy
obsession. In this book, we get the perfect
blend of witches, fae, friendship, and mystery.
We follow Cassandra Morgan, who’s looking
for her missing mother, while trying to
become a witch as fast as possible in order
to defeat the evil Erl King. The way classic
fairy stories are used here is just so perfect
and so much fun. Yes, this book is for older
children, but it’s also the perfect cozy fantasy
(no romance) for adults!
Hedgewitch
Skye McKenna, Hachette Children’s Books, CHF 16.90
7
Jane, Buchhandlung Stauffacher
8
A beautiful and heartbreaking debut
novel. Three alternate realities that branch
from a single pivotal moment told over a
period of 35 years. Can a name change the
course of a life? Deeply relatable characters
and a storyline that lingers long after the
last page has been turned.
The Names
Florence Knapp, Orion Publishing Group, CHF 29.90
Ursula, Orell Füssli Zürich Kramhof
9
Unable to resist the allure of his MI6
handler, Gabriel Dax – travel writer and
accidental spy – returns to to a life of secrets
and international espionage. He uncovers
a plot to assassinate magnetic young President
J.F. Kennedy. Gabriel must navigate
deceit and danger, knowing that the stakes
have never been higher.
The Predicament
William Boyd, Penguin Books US, CHF 29.90
Elena, Orell Füssli Zürich Kramhof
10
Blue Sisters meets Derry Girls. A bittersweet
and hilarious portrayal of female
friendships in the late twenties that walks
9
the fine line between loyalty and jealousy,
partying hard and nursing a brutal hangover
the next day, while dealing with unspoken,
hidden grief. Thirst Trap is a captivating, raw,
and honest debut. It made me laugh out loud,
but at the same time it’s also incredibly sad.
Thirst Trap
Grainne O’Hare, Pan MacMillan US, CHF 29.90
Ellie Rose, Orell Füssli Zürich
11
Bellevue
Roland Deschain is the last Gunslinger of
Mid-World. He quests for the Dark Tower,
the pillar upon which all worlds lay;
and he intends to save it. On his way, Roland
finds and befriends a NY-original junkie,
an activist from the sixties, and a schoolboy
with an affinity for reading minds. King’s
famous fantasy series The Dark Tower is a
must-read fantasy classic. One of the most
intricate, compelling and haunting stories
I’ve ever read!
The Dark Tower 1.
The Gunslinger
Stephen King, Hodder & Stoughton Ltd., CHF 16.90
11
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18 Bookmark Magazine Book experts
4
6
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Bookmark Magazine
Book experts
10
19

13
Introducing
12
Silvia, Orell Füssli Zürich Kramhof
12
Eye-opening, honest, and at times
deeply unsettling. Acclaimed tech journalist
Karen Hao investigates the world of powerful
tech companies and artificial intelligence.
Focusing on OpenAI, Hao shows how
the company behind ChatGPT went from
a small, idealistic group to a global force
shaping our future. It’s a power ful wake-up
call that critically reflects the cost – both
human and environmental – behind the AI
boom. A must-read for any one curious
about who really controls AI and what that
means for all of us.
Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares
in Sam Altman’s OpenAI
Karen Hao, Random House NY, CHF 29.90
Gl ria, Orell Füssli Zürich Bellevue
13
This is a big novel about a small town,
big wars and small things, and about two
families, two generations, and, as it always
is in small towns, their intricate relations
with each other. What I admire most about
this book is the the author’s obvious love
for its characters and his ability to show
14
their idiosyncrasies with just one sentence.
It’s tender, funny, and as heart- warming as
a cup of tea at the right time.
Buckeye
Patrick Ryan, Bloomsbury, CHF 29.90
Stephanie, Orell Füssli Zürich
14
Hauptbahnhof
“Enshittification” is everywhere, from streaming
services that charge more and offer
less, to clothing brands that drop quality as
they raise prices. Cory Doctorow, who
named this phenomenon, breaks down the
causes and symptoms of “enshittification”,
using the examples of brands that have innovated
ways to screw over workers and
customers in pursuit of profit. Your shoes
never wear as well the next day? They’ve
been enshittified.
Enshittification
Cory Doctorow, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, CHF 39.90
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Why do we read? What is it
that we hope to take away from
reading for pleasure? In this
gentle, philosophical collection
celebrating books, reading and
language, Hwang Bo-reum,
inter nationally bestselling author
of Welcome to the Hyunamdong
Bookshop doesn’t just tell
us, but shows us what living a
life immersed in reading means.
Every Day I Read
Hwang Bo-reum, Bloomsbury,
CHF 29.90
Christmas Eve, 1943. Anthony
and Elva Pratt arrive in a snowy
English village to run a murder
mystery game. When Anthony
discovers the cook’s sister
Miss Silver beaten to death, they
instead find themselves investigating
a shockingly real crime.
A festive murder mystery
starring the real-life couple who
invented the board game Cluedo.
The Christmas Clue
Nicola Upson, Faber & Faber, CHF 19.90
The most intimate of Smith’s
memoirs, Bread of Angels, takes
us through her teenage years
where the first glimmers of art
and romance take hold. Arthur
Rimbaud and Bob Dylan emerge
as creative heroes and role
models as Smith starts to write
poetry, then lyrics, merging
both into the iconic songs and
recordings.
Bread of Angels
Patti Smith, Bloomsbury, CHF 29.90
Our narrator understands good
love stories – their secrets,
their highs, and their free falls.
But her greatest love story,
the one she lived in college, never
followed the rules. Decades
later, settled with husband and
children, a surprise visit brings
the past crashing into her present.
A magnificent novel of desire,
friendship, and the lasting
impact of first love.
Heart the Lover
Lily King, Canongate, CHF 29.90
When Cassie Davis returns to
her hometown, eager to mask
her autism diagnosis from her
old friends, tensions rise. On a
backpacking trip, Cassie wakes
to an abandoned campsite
and discovers an off-the-grid
compound. Here, she finds
an enig mat ic boy named Kaleb
who makes Cassie feel, for
the first time, as if she truly belongs.
But at what price?
Hollow
Taylor Grothe, Walker Books, CHF 19.90
In Tokyo, a young man works
as a tutor, drinking his nights
away at a gay bar. He is estranged
from his family in America.
Just before Christmas, ten years
since they’ve last seen each
other, his mother arrives on his
doorstep. A modern literary romcom
and life-affirming novel
of family, mending, and how we
learn to love.
Palaver
Bryan Washington, Atlantic Books,
CHF 29.90
This riveting collection of
ten original love stories by the
reigning queen of romantasy
features fan-favourite couples
from her #1 New York Times
bestselling Shadow hunter Chronicles.
It also includes a sneak
peek at The Wicked Powers, the
majestic trilogy that will be the
grand finale of the entire series.
Better in Black
Cassandra Clare, Walker Books,
CHF 29.90
Release date: 1 December 2025
In rural Pakistan, Tara is waiting,
desperate to leave the
petty life of the village. Marrying
an accountant allows her
to escape to the capital, but her
desire for wealth and freedom
becomes an obsession. A fiercely
compelling novel charting a
woman’s ascent from rural poverty
to a dangerously free life
in the city.
A Splintering
Dur e Aziz Amna, Duckworth Books,
CHF 23.90
20 Bookmark Magazine Book experts
Bookmark Magazine
Introducing
21

Illustration © Rob Hodgson
Stories for Young and Old
Children’s books always seem to be where the magic truly happens, and this
season’s new releases have us moving from paper engineered picture books
to sizzling romantasy. Let us put a spell on you with these brilliant reads …
Text by Annabelle Romeo
Children’s literature is as bountiful as ever this season, and all
we can say is to expect the unexpected – because fairy tales are being
retold, new formats are being explored, historical figures are returning
to the forefront to inspire new change, and characters are
taking their destiny into their own hands. We have some exciting
new series hitting the shelves, and some much-loved characters
returning to delight young readers. Then, of course, we could not
consider this list complete without some stand-out picture books
that little ones will want to read over and over again.
Aged 2 and up
2+
One Cat, Two Cats
Jonathan Emmett and
Rob Hodgson,
Nosy Crow, CHF 24.90
Keeping young children entertained is
no easy feat – but no fear! One Cat,
Two Cats is here, and packed full of flaps
and pop-ups for the little ones.
You don’t have to be a cat person to love
this lift-the-flap, counting pop-up book
from the same creator of Alphabet Street –
but consider yourself warned: there are
a LOT of cats in this one. Twenty, to be exact!
And your little one is sure going to love
learning how to count each and every one
of them, thanks to all the surprise and pop-up inventions throughout
from paper engineer Jonathan Emmett.
With barely any counting books on the market that go beyond the
number ten, this bright, colourful book feels extra special with
all of its furry felines, from marmalade and tabby to tuxedo cats,
all gorgeously illustrated by Rob Hodgson.
As if the incredible Kiera Knightly
4+
couldn’t get any more talented, here she
comes with a brilliant picture book
inspired by motherhood.
I Love You Just the Same is a sweet eightypage
picture book, written and illustrated by
Kiera Knightley (who the Jane Austen
lovers will also be pleased about!), gently tackling
the tricky topic of separation anxiety
and nervousness little ones may experience
when a baby brother or sister is about to join
the family. With imaginative and fantastical
illustrations throughout, children are reassured
that the way back home can always be found, no matter
how far they go or where their journeys may take them. The book
makes for the perfect gift too, with a ribbon marker and a gorgeous,
foiled jacket.
6+
Hansel and Gretel
Stephen King and
Maurice Sendak,
Harper Collins US,
CHF 35.90
I Love You Just the Same
Kiera Knightley,
Simon & Schuster UK,
CHF 38.90
The King of Horror Stephen King meets
the ever-so-missed picture book legend
Maurice Sendak to serve up a hauntingly
new take on a timeless classic.
Yes, you’ve read it correctly – the universe
of picture books is about to meet up with
horror legend Stephen King in one rather
unique house of horrors … a witch’s home
made entirely out of gingerbread! This iteration
of Hansel and Gretel comes in a gorgeous
hardback-and-jacket format made up
of classic-feeling full-colour illustrations
created by children’s book legend Maurice
Sendak. The book is a unique homage to
Sendak’s legacy, each illustration originally
imagined in 1997 for Houston Grand
Opera’s rendition of the timeless fairy tale.
They say not to take candy from strangers,
but this may just be the picture book
treat every child (and their parents) needs.
Illustration © Puffin Books, Penguin Random House UK
Little People, Big Dreams is one of
the best non-fiction picture book series
to introduce little ones to historical
figures that brought change to the world,
and its latest offering is all about
Virginia Woolf.
It’s never too early to introduce children to
inspiring people who made a difference
through their work. So, as true bibliophiles,
we can’t help but mention the brand new
Little People, Big Dreams book all about one
of the most influential writers of modern
literature: Virginia Woolf. Starting from her
childhood holidays on Cornwall’s beaches,
young readers get a full biography that showcases
the wonderful things she did, from
launching her own publishing house to writing
the feminist classics that changed the
literature landscape forever. A brilliant picture
book to add some non-fiction and history
to your children’s bookshelves.
Virginia Woolf
Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
and Audrey Day,
Frances Lincoln, CHF 19.90
One day someone must’ve announced it was their
birthday, and that was the start of it all.
7+
Diary of a Wimpy Kid:
Partypooper
Jeff Kinney, Penguin Random
House UK, CHF 29.90
6+
Welcome back to the madcap cartoon
world of middle school student Greg
Heffley – just in time for his birthday!
This may be the twentieth Diary of a Wimpy
Kid book, but there is nothing to celebrate
here, because this one is all about party
poopers. Just joking … You can expect the
usual hilarious, knee-slappingly funny
capers that are the trademark of young Greg
Heffley’s comic-book diaries – the reason
why they always prove to be such a great
reading option for middle- graders, including
reluctant readers. This time, Greg’s throwing
his own birthday party after his parents
have embarrassingly forgotten his big day,
and you’re sure to get all the details in his
usual brilliant first- person, messy-as-ever
account!
I guess the whole birthday thing was a popular
idea, because the next thing you knew, parents
were throwing themed birthday parties for their
kids to make the other parents jealous.
29
Aged 9 and up
Magical middle grade always holds a
certain special place in our hearts, and this
season that special place is ink-stained!
This new series draws on the whimsy of some
of our favourite middle-grade series like Nevermoor
and The Swifts. In the world imagined
by the incredibly talented Philippa Leathley,
all children discover their destiny on their
tenth birthday by way of a magical tattoo. But
when Meticulous Jones discovers her fate is
that of a murderer, she is devastated and must
understand who exactly has had a hand in
shaping it. This is such a gripping premise, and
the best news is that in January the second
book in the series will be out … but you didn’t
hear that from us!
14+
Every Spiral of Fate
Tahereh Mafi,
Harper Collins US,
CHF 18.90
Inkbound
Philippa Leathley,
Harper Collins UK,
CHF 16.90
One thing is sure: romantasy is riveting.
And Tahereh Mafi, queen of YA fantasy,
is back with the fourth instalment of her
This Woven Kingdom saga.
Every Spiral of Fate by Shatter Me author
Tahereh Mafi is the book romantasy readers
have been waiting for, with its brilliantly
woven threads of imaginative magic, unsettling
secrets and heart-fluttering romance.
This fourth volume of the New York Times bestselling
series starts off strong with an arranged
marriage: protagonist Alizeh is no longer a
hiding servant – she has stepped into the spotlight
as the heir to the Jinn throne, and she will do anything to
free her people. Even marry the dark (and incredibly sexy) ruler
Cyrus only to murder him for his kingdom. Prepare for your
next readathon: Mafi’s newest release is a perfect blend of Game of
Thrones and Bridgerton, with hints of Persian culture.
50% murder mystery. 50% Bluebeard retelling.
100% romantasy. The House Saphir is
14+
the magical romance to add to your TBR list.
Many fantasy lovers know Marissa Meyer for
the brilliant fairy tale retellings of her Lunar
Chronicles series. This year, Meyer is serving
up a brand new take on the fairy tale of Bluebeard
that will have our blood chilling and our
hearts swooning.
Our protagonist is witch Mallory Fontaine,
and the truth is she simply isn’t very good
at witching, so she turns to conning, and you
can take a guess at where that’ll take her. (Spoiler: right to the longgone
Blackbeard’s mansion.) Add to the mix a murder mystery
and a very sexy and very wealthy count, and you’ve got yourself
a recipe for well-cooked romantasy you’ll just need to sink your
teeth into!
9+
The House Saphir
Marissa Meyer,
Faber & Faber, CHF 18.90
22 Bookmark Magazine Children and young readers
Bookmark Magazine
Children and young readers
23
9780241745168_DOAWK_Partypooper_HB_TXT_BFORMAT.indd 29 09/09/2025 14:47

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