NON-FICTION A LIFE ON OUR PLANET

EARTHLINGS

by Sayaka Murata, Granta, £12.99, (ebook £8.54)

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DON’T expect a relaxing read from Japanese author

Sayaka Murata’s novel.

As a child, Natsuki spends her summers with her cousin Yuu, hoping to be rescued by a spaceship from the cruelty and terror of home and school. As an

adult, acting the part of a grown-up, those terrors resurface with ghastly consequences.

Graphic and disturbing at times, it’s also a brilliantly scathing assessment of social norms, highlighting the conveyor belt drudgery of the ‘marriage and kids’ ideal, and questioning the pressure on individuals to follow the herd – and what happens if they don’t.

Challenging and slightly nightmarish.

by David Attenborough, Ebury Press, £20, (ebook £9.99)

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IF anyone’s going to bring the public’s attention to the urgency of the environmental crisis, it’s Sir David Attenborough.

His new book is split into three parts: ‘My Witness Statement’ plots Attenborough’s remarkable life as it unfolds alongside the gradual decline of our natural world. ‘What Lies Ahead’ is an informed analysis of the planet’s future, if we continue on our current trajectory, and in the third part, Attenborough sets out his vision for change, using scientific rationale and case studies to underpin his ambitions.

It’s both a sobering and hopeful look at our current environmental crisis, the key challenges we face, and the solutions that might just save us from extinction.

If you’re looking for an easy-toread overview of where we are in the fight against climate change, this is the one for you.