From Dr Michael Greger's 'How Not to Diet' to Kiley Reid's 'Such a Fun Age', these are the books to read in January.
From Dr Michael Greger's 'How Not to Diet' to Kiley Reid's 'Such a Fun Age', these are the books to read in January.
From Dr Michael Greger's 'How Not to Diet' to Kiley Reid's 'Such a Fun Age', these are the books to read in January.
From Dr Michael Greger's 'How Not to Diet' to Kiley Reid's 'Such a Fun Age', these are the books to read in January.

20 of the best books on shelves this January


Katy Gillett
  • English
  • Arabic

Is your New Year's resolution to read a book a week or month? Then this list will help you know where to start. From cookbooks to crime thrillers, quasi-Victorian fantasy novels to historical fiction, these are some of the best books out on shelves right now.

The Dead Girls Club

by Damien Angelica Walters

The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters. Courtesy The Crooked Lane Books
The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters. Courtesy The Crooked Lane Books

This supernatural thriller tells the tale of Heather Cole and her friends, who together founded the Dead Girls Club, in which they swapped stories of ghosts and monsters. But, one day, it all goes wrong when fiction turns out to be fact, and one of the girls get killed.

Regretting You

by Colleen Hoover

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover. Courtesy Montlake
Regretting You by Colleen Hoover. Courtesy Montlake

The number one New York Times bestselling author is back with a heartwarming novel about Morgan Grant and her 16-year-old daughter, Clara, who want to be nothing alike. It's a touching mother-daughter tale that explores family, first love, grief and betrayal.

The Wicked Redhead

by Beatriz Williams

The Wicked Redhead by Beatriz Williams. Courtesy William Morrow
The Wicked Redhead by Beatriz Williams. Courtesy William Morrow

Set across two US cities and times – in New York, 1998 and Florida, 1924 – this follow-up to The Wicked City features a redheaded flapper, a Prohibition agent who loves her and a divorcee who's simply trying to reinvent her life.

The Wonderful

by Saskia Sarginson

The Wonderful by Saskia Sarginson. Courtesy Flatiron Books
The Wonderful by Saskia Sarginson. Courtesy Flatiron Books

Steeped in Cold War history, this bittersweet coming-of-age novel follows Ruby, who think she's left her desolate childhood in Norfolk, England behind when she marries Todd, an American fighter pilot. But they soon move back there with their twins, and a complex, multi-layered and moving narrative begins to unravel.

How Not to Diet

by Dr Michael Greger

How Not to Diet by Dr Michael Greger. Courtesy Pan Macmillan
How Not to Diet by Dr Michael Greger. Courtesy Pan Macmillan

From the bestselling author of How Not to Die comes this new book that explores the latest science behind long-term weight loss success. The renowned nutrition expert goes beyond food to identify factors that maximise our natural fat-burning capabilities – so we can diet in a healthy, sustainable way.

Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker The Visual Dictionary

by Pablo Hidalgo

Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker The Visual Dictionary by Pablo Hidalgo. DK Children
Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker The Visual Dictionary by Pablo Hidalgo. DK Children

Just as the Skywalker Saga comes to an end, this visual guide explores the world of Episode IX in great detail, featuring characters, planets, vehicles and aliens.

Smoothie Project: The 28-Day Plan to Feel Happy and Healthy No Matter Your Age

by Catherine McCord

Smoothie Project: The 28-Day Plan by Catherine McCord.Abrams; 1 edition
Smoothie Project: The 28-Day Plan by Catherine McCord.Abrams; 1 edition

Almost 100 recipes for nourishing smoothies are laid out in this book, with a plan that simply asks you to try one every morning for a month. Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar said the book turned her whole family onto the magic of smoothies.

Why She Ran

by Geraldine Hogan

Why She Ran by Geraldine Hogan. Bookouture
Why She Ran by Geraldine Hogan. Bookouture

When nurse Rachel is found murdered in the hospital kitchen where she works, the small Irish town of Corbally can't quite believe it. Detective Iris Locke vows to find the killer, no matter what it takes. It's a gripping mystery thriller.

The Network

by LC Shaw

The Network by LC Shaw. Harper Paperbacks
The Network by LC Shaw. Harper Paperbacks

Investigative journalist Jack Logan is surprised to receive a visit from US Senator Malcolm Philips, who's convinced he's about to be killed. When he turns up dead days later, Logan races to uncover the corruption and lies at the deepest levels of government and media.

A Trace of Deceit

by Karen Odden

A Trace of Deceit by Karen Odden. William Morrow Paperbacks
A Trace of Deceit by Karen Odden. William Morrow Paperbacks

This is a new novel as part of Odden's Victorian mystery series, this time following Annabel Rowe and the Scotland Yard detective who is investigating Rowe's brother's suspicious death, and how it's connected to a valuable French painting that's also gone missing.

The Measure of Our Lives: A Gathering of Wisdom

by Toni Morrison

The Measure of Our Lives: A GATHERING OF WISDOM By TONI MORRISON, Foreword by Zadie Smith. Courtesy Penguin Random House
The Measure of Our Lives: A GATHERING OF WISDOM By TONI MORRISON, Foreword by Zadie Smith. Courtesy Penguin Random House

The great American novelist, who died in August 2019, imparted a lot of wisdom over the years. “We die,” she said in her 1993 Nobel lecture. “That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.” This compilation of her best quotes comes with a foreword by Zadie Smith.

Meg & Jo

by Virginia Kantra

Meg and Jo By Virginia Kantra. Courtesy Penguin Random House
Meg and Jo By Virginia Kantra. Courtesy Penguin Random House

From the New York Times bestselling author comes this contemporary retelling of Little Women. What happens with the March sisters are brought into modern day? The two eldest, Meg and Jo, are forced to reflect on what's important when their mother suddenly falls ill.

The Adventurous Eaters Club

by Misha & Vicki Collins

The Adventurous Eaters Club by Misha and Vicki Collins
The Adventurous Eaters Club by Misha and Vicki Collins

This book is jam-packed with fuss-free family meals that both children and parents will love. TV star Misha and his wife, journalist and historian Vicki, have compiled their favourite child-pleasing recipes and tips on how they got their little ones to be more adventurous in the kitchen.

The Binding

by Bridget Collins

The Binding by Bridget Collins
The Binding by Bridget Collins

Bridget Collins’s first novel for adults is a fantasy that’s set in a quasi-Victorian world in which books are dangerous. Here, people visit book binders to help rid themselves of painful memories; once their stories are told and bound between the pages of a book, their memories no longer have power over them.

Ryan’s Christmas: A DCI Ryan Mystery

by LJ Ross

LJ Ross Ryan's Christmas
LJ Ross Ryan's Christmas

DCI Ryan and his team of homicide detectives are enjoying the festive season when a freak snowstorm forces their car off the road. When they have to find shelter in England’s most haunted castle, one of the guests is murdered, leading to a fast-paced whodunit.

Anyone

by Charles Soule

Anyone by Charles Soule
Anyone by Charles Soule

The author of The Oracle Year uses his knowledge and wariness of technology in this piece of speculative fiction set in a future where a female scientist has discovered how to transfer human consciousness between bodies. What begins as a botched experiment changes the world – for better and worse.

Such a Fun Age

by Kiley Reid

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

A piercing social commentary about America's racial divide, this striking debut tells of Alix Chamberlain, a mother, and Emira Tucker, a babysitter. When Emira is accused of kidnapping Alix's child in a supermarket one evening, both their lives are upended.

The Wives

by Tarryn Fisher

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

New York Times bestselling novelist Tarryn Fisher brings us this new fast-paced suspense novel about Thursday, a woman whose husband has two other wives. She agreed to it because she's crazy about him, but soon she discovers something horrifying about the man she married.

The Playground

by Jane Shemilt

The Playground by Jane Shemilt
The Playground by Jane Shemilt

Eve, a bougie mother with a trust fund, Melissa, a successful interior designer with an abusive husband, and Grace, a young Zimbabwean immigrant trying to make ends meet, become fast friends – before tragedy strikes and evil seeps into their family dynamics. It's been described as "Big Little Lies meets Lord of the Flies".

The Power of Bad

by John Tierney and Roy F Baumeister

The Power of Bad by John Tierney and Roy F Baumeister
The Power of Bad by John Tierney and Roy F Baumeister

Social scientist Roy F Baumeister and his team went on a mission to look for situations in which good events made a bigger impact than bad ones – and they couldn't find a single one. This book is about our brain's negativity bias and how it impacts everything, from politics to relationships and our education.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDirect%20Debit%20System%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sept%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20with%20a%20subsidiary%20in%20the%20UK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elaine%20Jones%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELong-range%20dual%20motor%20with%20400V%20battery%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E360kW%20%2F%20483bhp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E840Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20touring%20range%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20628km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.7sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210kph%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh360%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeptember%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20Little%20Mermaid%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rob%20Marshall%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHalle%20Bailey%2C%20Jonah%20Hauer-King%2C%20Melissa%20McCarthy%2C%20Javier%20Bardem%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
if you go

The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow. 
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes). 

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2-litre%204-cylinder%20petrol%20(V%20Class)%3B%20electric%20motor%20with%2060kW%20or%2090kW%20powerpack%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20233hp%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20204hp%20(EQV%2C%20best%20option)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20350Nm%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20TBA%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMid-2024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

THE BIO:

Sabri Razouk, 74

Athlete and fitness trainer 

Married, father of six

Favourite exercise: Bench press

Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn

Power drink: A glass of yoghurt

Role model: Any good man

What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

Specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%20turbo%204-cylinder%20%2F%202.0%20turbo%204-cylinder%20(S3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20148bhp%20%2F%20328bhp%20(S3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20250Nm%20%2F%20420Nm%20(S3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20TBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now

Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

What is graphene?

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.

It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.

But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties. 

 

Three ways to boost your credit score

Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:

1. Make sure you make your payments on time;

2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;

3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E536hp%20(including%20138hp%20e-motor)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E750Nm%20(including%20400Nm%20e-motor)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C380%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go

The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.