Hotel Du Jack And Other Stories by Dan Brotzel is published in paperback by Sandstone Press, £8.99 (ebook £4.99).

Dip into Dan Brotzel's new collection of short stories and you find yourself nimbly, leaping from story to story. He packs each mini escapade with surprise and wit, playing deftly with form and tone and probing what is absurd and poignant in everyday life. Nothing So Blue considers the difficulties involved in actually landing the superhero powers you wished for; Foods Of Love is a sweet and thoughtful ode to the meals that make a marriage, before a sucker punch of a final line; Listing To Port offers an exposing series of shopping lists that outline the rise and demise of a relationship; and In Here is a truly malevolent snapshot from the mind of an increasingly abusive man inflicting 'love' on his girlfriend. Each story can turn on a phrase, and there's a powerful sensation that something sinister is inching towards you with every line - it's quite irresistible. 9/10

America Was Hard To Find by Kathleen Alcott is published in paperback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £8.99 (ebook £4.99).

In the late 1950s, against the backdrop of the Mojave Desert, an Air Force test pilot and a bartender have a brief but intense affair. Each will go on to find fame, infamy or both. Vincent Kahn will become an astronaut and the first man to walk on the moon, while Fay will be wanted for violent acts of political terrorism, campaigning against the horrors of the Vietnam war for which she believes the space race has become a shield. The third voice of the novel is from the next generation. Wright, the unsuspecting consequence of a desert romance, becomes the by-product of his parents' wars, denied a clear future without first finding his cause. America Was Hard To Find is an ambitious attempt to capture three turbulent decades of political unrest. A striking voice, visceral and electric, Kathleen Alcott is an author to watch. 7/10

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby is published in hardback by Century, £12.99 (ebook £7.99).

It's well known that Cassandra Austen, Jane's sister, burnt many of the writer's letters after her death. What caused her to destroy them remains a mystery - although it's likely it was to protect Jane's reputation. In Miss Austen, Hornby imagines scenarios that could have caused Cassandra to take such action. In so doing, she must create unflattering representations of an at-times confusing array of characters from the Austen family. This feels a rather pointless journey into false voyeurism, serving only to undermine what Cassandra historically may have set out to achieve, without the benefit of accompanying historical fact. Hornby is clearly familiar with Austen's writing and is able to mimic her style, but at times, the narrative is bogged down by sentimentality, or drags with a lack of plot movement. Where the theme threads around the concept of spinsterhood - and what that represented for unmarried women in the 19th century - the spirit of feisty independence is muddled and muted as the story reaches its end. Miss Austen is likely to frustrate Austen fans - and disappoint those simply after a light read. 5/10

People Like Us: What it Takes to Make it in Modern Britain by Hashi Mohamed is published in hardback by Profile Books, £16.99 (ebook £10.31).

Hashi Mohamed's People Like Us casts a judgemental eye over social mobility in Britain today. Race, class, confidence and language are considered along with Mohamed's own experiences, as the successful barrister tells the story of how he transformed his early life as a refugee of the Somali civil war. The author's argument uses personal anecdotes and findings from social studies to highlight the improbability of his success. CVs landing on the right desks, conscientious teachers and a string of bold moves from Mohamed himself made the difference, but the statistics appear stacked against the large majority of the working class. The second generation Somali argues that the immigrant and BAME experience compounds the stifling conditions many in Britain find themselves in when looking to 'better themselves'. The stark reality is offset by Mohamed's optimism: "Society has never been more aware of the issues being explored in this book... there has never been a moment more ripe to make the most of it." The solutions for a fairer Britain are just as complex as the society they attempt to serve. 7/10

Would You Like A Banana? by Yasmeen Ismail is published in hardback by Walker Books, £12.99.

Essentially this story is about a picky eater; except the eater in question is an increasingly hungry and grumpy baby gorilla, who doesn't want a banana. From the book's bright yellow jacket to author Yasmeen Ismail's bold and funny illustrations (the frowning gorilla is particularly cute hanging upside down from a swing), Would You Like A Banana? is vivid and lively, even though the finale lacks a little gusto. The writing though has excellent panto vibes, with the voice of the parent asking: 'Would you like a banana?' and the grouchy gorilla saying no - so little ones can shriek along too: "No, I WON'T eat a banana!". Definitely read aloud for the punchiest results. 7/10