‘A shop can be your castle’: the surprising rewards of retail work

Working in retail can be dispiriting, but when the author Madeleine Gray took a job in a bookshop in her native Australia, she learned more about human kindness than she ever thought possible

‘There is joy, and there is rage’: the new generation of novelists writing about motherhood

From the shock and awe of labour to domestic isolation, a wave of recent novels captures the transformative nature of being a mother

Blood by Jen Gunter review – busting myths about menstruation

The gynaecologist known for criticising Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop is back with an empowering guide to periods

Wooden sauna from 1948 London Olympics gets Grade II listing

Historic wooden building wins protection after campaign involving Finland, which originally installed it

Marina Abramović selling moisturiser? I don’t know whether to laugh or cry

The pioneering performance artist is taking on Goop and flogging wellness potions concocted by her doctor. Let’s hope it’s an elaborate put-on

The big idea: is couples therapy a waste of time?

Should we all be taking a leaf out of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book?

How We Break: Navigating the Wear and Tear of Living by Vincent Deary review – the ways in which we’re undone

The psychologist and researcher’s persuasive inquiry into how life’s struggles take their toll is full of hard-won wisdom

Blood: The Science, Medicine and Mythology of Menstruation by Dr Jen Gunter – why periods are ‘a muddled burden’

The outspoken Canadian gynaecologist’s compelling scientific study cuts through misinformation, myth and worse with clarity and wit in this study of the menstrual cycle

The big idea: is being ‘good enough’ better than perfection?

Before making another new year resolution it’s worth asking if change is what you need

By sleeping when everyone else is awake I cured my insomnia

Turning normal sleeping cycles upside down helped this bestselling writer recover her energy