As the year draws to a close, we take a look at some of the fiction that has featured in the books of the year columns.
Ali Smith talks about the power of puns and explains the spaces in between the words of her latest novel, There But for the. Award-winning children's Patrick Ness reads from his latest novel, A Monster Calls, and tells us why he decided to take on another writer's story.
We also interview one of fiction's rising stars, Sarah Hall, about "disquieting the normal" with her new short story collection, The Beautiful Indifference.
Reading list
There But for the by Ali Smith (Hamish Hamilton)
The Beautiful Indifference by Sarah Hall (Faber)
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (Walker)
