Delusions of Paradise by Maiwand Banayee review – a compelling rejection of fundamentalism An Afghan exile’s account of life in war-torn Kabul and a Taliban-dominated refugee camp is an unflinching study of how radicalisation takes root, and his own renunciation of it

Final review for the #ObserverNewReview on the Guardian website - Delusions of Paradise by Maiwand Banayee - an unflinching study of how radicalisation takes root: www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

Ten Most Embarrassing New Yorkers - one of whom was "the short-fingered vulgarian Donald Trump". Graydon first came across Trump when he wrote a disobliging profile of him for GQ magazine and mentioned in passing that he had abnormally small hands. Trump was mad enough to send him a tear-sheet of old photos circling the hands - "See, not so short!" - but Graydon responded with "actually quite short", so Trump has been a Graydon-hater ever since, and still sends him abusive tweets One of Graydon's wizard wheezes at Spy was to send extremely small cheques to extremely rich people to see who would bother to bank them. The first cheques were for $1.11 and half the recipients succumbed. So then Spy sent cheques for $0.64, and 13 people, including Rupert Murdoch, banked them. The next cheques were for $0.13 and only two people banked them. One was Adnan Khashoggi, a notorious arms dealer; the other was Donald Trump.

It's not just his hands that are small... Lynn Barber in #ObserverNewReview on Graydon Carter's dealings with the #OrangeOaf.

Our Beautiful Boys by Sameer Pandya review – teenage lives at the crossroads A night of violence exposes the dynamics of race, masculinity and privilege at play in America’s schools

I loved Our Beautiful Boys by #SameerPandya - a profound meditation on identity, class, privilege and masculinity publ by @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social - I reviewed for the #ObserverNewReview : www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...

Archive on 4 - No Blacks No Irish - BBC Sounds A personal ear-popping history of Irish and Caribbean people through culture and society.

Rightly lauded by @msmirandasawyer.bsky.social in #ObserverNewReview, this is a craicing doc from @petercurran1.bsky.social & #TonyPhillips.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

The Book of George by Kate Greathead review – an absorbing portrait of millennial malaise A restless modern male and his long-suffering girlfriend come of age against the historic events of the 21st century in the American writer’s witty second novel

I reviewed The Book of George by #KateGreathead for the #ObserverNewReview @theguardian.com @atlanticbooks.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/books/2025/f...

The Lamb by Lucy Rose review – a hard tale to shake The film-maker’s evocative debut novel, a feminist gothic horror, explores loneliness, cannibalism and queer desire

I reviewed Lucy Rose's dark fairytale The Lamb for #ObserverNewReview - publ by @wnbooks.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/f...

Dealing With the Dead by Alain Mabanckou review – surreal murder mystery in Congo-Brazzaville A picaresque tale blends ghosts and ghouls with political satire and a scathing attack on corruption

Dealing With the Dead by #AlainMabanckou translated by #HelenStevenson begins as a ghost story and ends with an excoriating account of kleptocracy. My review for #ObserverNewReview @serpents-tail.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...