Andrew Solomon: ‘I’m one of five parents with four children in three states’
The author talks to Carole Cadwalladr about his 11-year mission to write an epic about family strife and his own challenges as a gay father
Far from the Tree: A Dozen Kinds of Love by Andrew Solomon – review
Tim Adams is moved by a study of how disability, crime or illness test the limits of parental love
Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed – review
An uneven path of self-discovery along the Pacific Crest Trail unfortunately leaves the reader lagging far behind, writes Frances Stonor Saunders
Why reading fiction with friends is therapeutic too
Lynsey Hanley: Prescribing self-help books to people with depression is good, but the social benefit of reading groups also empowers
Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes by Maria Konnikova – review
Can Sherlock Holmes help us to become better thinkers? Sophie Scott isn't convinced
The Examined Life by Stephen Grosz – review
Stephen Grosz's collection of case histories makes the case for psychoanalysis in the subtlest of ways, writes Alexander Linklater
On my radar: Alexandra Shulman
The editor of British Vogue picks her cultural highlights of the moment, from Kathryn Bigelow to Juergen Teller. By Gemma Kappala-Ramsamy
Teen fiction and the shadow of cancer
Mal Peet: From John Green's The Fault in our Stars to Jenny Downham's Before I Die, childhood cancer is becoming a taboo-busting subject for teen fiction
Fat Chance: The Bitter Truth About Sugar by Robert Lustig – review
Steven Poole learns why he cannot be blamed for eating the wrong food
What does your lunch hour look like?
Open thread: A health minister has said the trend for eating at one's desk is disgusting. Tell us what your lunchtime routine looks like