Our top six books this week: enter the turmoil of 1960s Algeria and much more

Feast of the Innocents

Evelio Rosero,

Maclehose Press, January 1

A doctor has a determination to prove to the world that the myth of Simón Bolívar, El Libertador, is a sham and a scandal, one that lays bare the brutal reality behind the legend. But in 1960s Colombia, you question the founding fables and such people at your peril.

In Real Life

Chris Killen,

Canongate, January 15

Ian, Lauren and Paul were friends in college and shared the same dreams. Ten years on, life has not turned out quite as they expected but a dormant email account is about to put them back in touch again. This promises to be a searingly honest account of life and love in a digital age.

Chaos of the Senses

Ahlem Mosteghanemi, Bloomsbury, January 15

Set in the turmoil of 1990s Algeria, a lonely novelist finds that what she writes begins to become a reality. Translated by Nancy Roberts, this is the second part of an award-winning trilogy by the most successful female writer in the Arab world.

The Age of Cryptocurrency

Paul Vigna andMichael J Casey

Bodley Head, January 8

Bitcoin, a type of digital currency, has fuelled endless debate but is it viable? In this thought-provoking book, two reporters argue it will usher in a revolution and bring billions of “unbanked” individuals into a new global economy.

Slow Road to Brownsville

David Reynolds, Greystone Books, January 29

A thoughtful account of a road trip through the middle of America, from the Canadian border to Texas. We hear about the fate of the Cheyenne, the story of the Alamo and the myths behind the Wild West. Proof that travel writing remains fresh and vital.

Cowboys and Indies

Gareth Murphy,

Serpent’s Tail, January 22

From the invention of the earliest sound-recording device in 1850s Paris to the digital boom, industry insider Murphy takes us on an encyclopaedic journey through more than 150 years of music. It has been described as the first definitive history of the recording industry.