If you're in the market for something beautiful and deep, The Penguin Book of French Short Stories is a sumptuous treat for any book lover.

Tales with a certain ooh la la ... an eclectic, often steamy collection charting the history of the French short story [with] some gems by less famous figures ... high marks for quality and variety.

A French version of The Thousand and One Nights ... Both volumes tell us something new about writing in French ... Such a creative arrangement forces us to rethink what we expect a short story to be or do ... Perhaps all short fiction reminds us that the end is nigh, in which case not the least of Patrick McGuinness's achievements is that of showing us how to read and live accordingly.

It's hard to imagine a better introduction to French literature than this glorious two-volume bran tub of short fiction ... outstanding masterpieces all ... There's a welcome playfulness throughout.

Patrick McGuinness's magisterial anthology teems with universes from each of its 84 authors ... There is so much to discover in these stories - both history and food for short story lovers everywhere.

Impeccably edited by Patrick McGuinness. The first volume stretches from the 16th century to the early 20th century ... Volume two takes us from there to the early 21st century, featuring more women and non-white authors than the first volume. Treat yourself: buy both.

What a collection it is ... Both volumes fizz with the enthusiasm with which McGuinness has assembled stories that range across centuries and continents ... This will surely turn out to be the definitive anthology of French-language short fiction.

The West is in decline, the East is on the rise. Like too few others, Gideon Rachman grasps this fundamental and over-arching reality of our time, without which we cannot understand either the present or the future ... A highly readable and perceptive account of this irresistible truth.

[An] accomplished book.

What this book is really about, and is very good at describing, is the growing impact of China on its neighbours, on the world

Rachman offers a road map to the turbulent process that will define the international politics of the 21st century.

[Rachman’s] fine primer provides a first-rate road map to the new reality.

[It is] required reading for interesting times.

[Rachman] is surely accurate in his assessment that the wind is blowing in China's favour and the era of America's post-Second World War dominance is coming to an end. The soft power of popular culture and the arts, which goes hand in hand with money and military might, could, if Rachman's analysis proves correct, usher in a wholesale realignment not just of the world, but also of how we think about the world.

Rachman...has an eye for the telling statistic and for the memorable detail that makes it stick. He packs an enormous amount of information into a short book and opens windows of understanding for nonexperts

This sobering account of what may prove the most dramatic geo-political shift in history is essential reading for anyone interested in the future.

It is Gideon Rachman’s contention that after a generation of false alarms, the Asian century is finally at hand. His calm, lucid and authoritative book makes it clear that it will be as unpredictable, tense and potentially as bloody as any that preceded it.

Entirely engaging.

He’s a bona fide superstar in the acting world and now Tom Hanks is setting the literary world ablaze … Stephen Fry loved it, and so do we.

These stories are a hit.

There always comes a slight wariness when we discover that someone who is generally renowned for one thing turns out to be very good at something else … But what makes Uncommon Type even harder to dismiss is the silky-smooth momentum and unforced hum that Hanks' writing glides along with here.

Hanks can write the hell out of typing, and his dialogue is excellent, too…While these stories have the all-American sweetness, humour, and heart we associate with his screen roles, Hanks writes like a writer, not a movie star.

Funny and moving, with a wide spectrum of subjects, this is an engaging collection.

Uncommon Type is actually, much like its author, a warm, gently funny and mostly engaging collection of seventeen stories

It’s brilliant … A beautiful collection of short stories.

They’re all beautifully written and full of heart.

An entertaining collection.

Pretty impressive.

Sensitive, often witty and sometimes melancholic reflections.

Unveil[s] the inventive mind behind his regular-guy façade.

Perfect for book lovers and cinephiles alike.

A pretty damn good writer.

Full of Hanks' winning charm.

Hanks’ measured storytelling makes the collection an addictive read.

Startlingly good… A spellbinding easygoing read, it is hard to find any fault, other than that Hanks is annoyingly talented and yet still somehow remains impossible to dislike.

Startlingly good … each of these 17 stories leap out from the page in their authenticity and whimsicality … A spellbindingly easygoing read, it is hard to find fault.

A wonderful collection.

Warm, gently funny and mostly engaging.

Behind the collection is a warmth and humanity.

Unexpectedly brilliant.

A spellbindingly easygoing read, it is hard to find fault.

Rich range of subject matter and emotions.