The Radio 2 Book Club
The Radio 2 Book Club celebrates the best in new fiction and recommends great reads. Host Sara interviews top authors about their latest novels and catches up with librarians and reading groups from across the UK. Whether you're after a summer blockbuster, a twist-filled thriller, or a heart-warming love story, Sara has you covered.
Episodes
'Time To Burn' by Ellery Lloyd
Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos (aka Ellery Lloyd) join Sara for a natter about their new novel, 'Time To Burn'. Paul and Collette not only write together, but are married too - and Sara has A LOT of questions! Their new novel is about time travel gone wrong, so we delve into their inspirations for the book, how important the history was, and just how they plot and plan (and write) between the two
'The Leveret' by Anna Goldreich
Debut novelist, Anna Goldreich, joins Sara in the Book Club to discuss 'The Leveret'. They chat about her inspirations behind the story, farming, baby hares, grief, queer love and much much more. Anna is also a keen twitcher - and runs a queer bird watching group in Norfolk - which Sara gets very interested in! We also hear a clip of the audiobook - and - get a cracking book recommendation too! He
Lisa Jewell (live from the Crossed Wires Festival)
Sara heads to Sheffield, for the Crossed Wires Festival, to speak with international bestselling author Lisa Jewell, in front of a live audience. Lisa chats about her new thriller, 'It Could Have Been Her', as well as her writing inspirations, the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival and how she turned from writing commercial 'women's fiction' to dark psychological thrillers.She also reads us a short
'The Girl With A Thousand Faces' by Sunyi Dean
Fantasy author Sunyi Dean joins Sara for the Book Club, to chat about her new novel and the inspirations behind it.They chat about Hong Kong, myths, legends, ghosts and dim sum! We also hear a clip from the audiobook (*which has references to drowning) and get some great book recommendations from Sunyi too. Here's a little more info on 'The Girl With A Thousand Faces': Mercy Chan is a triad exorci
'Mrs Dickens' by Emily Howes
Emily Howes returns to the Radio 2 Book Club to discuss her new novel, Mrs Dickens; a fictional story about the life of Kate Hogarth - who was married to the author Charles Dickens for 22 years. Sara chats to Emily about writing women back into history, who were written out in their own lifetime, and the challenges that come with writing real-life figures in fiction. We also hear a clip from the a
'John Of John' by Douglas Stuart
Sara welcomes international bestselling author, Douglas Stuart, to the Book Club. They discuss his beautiful new novel - John Of John - and his inspirations behind the story. Douglas tells Sara about his epic trip to the Scottish Islands, the people he met there - and what he learned about sheep farming and textile making (all of which made it into this new book). He also chats about exploring the
The Carnegies 2026
Superstar librarian, Stella Hine, joins Sara for a chat about this year's Carnegie Awards (the UK's longest-running children's book awards)She also shares her top five reads of the year (so far) which is a mixture of non-fiction, fiction - and children's books (as you might expect) Her choices are:Everyday Nature by Andy Beer
The Examiner by Janice Hallett
The Crossing by Manjeet Mann
Ming The Pan
'Dissection Of A Murder' by Jo Murray
Debut novelist Jo Murray joins Sara for a natter about her crime thriller 'Dissection Of A Murder' Jo was a criminal barrister for many years before leaving the profession to spend more time with family and to write. Sara talks to Jo about bringing her real-life experiences from the courtroom to the page, making her readers work hard and how she came up with a very important element of the story (
The Radio 2 Book Club Award
Jeremy Vine goes backstage at The British Book Awards ('The Nibbies') to speak with the great and the good of the book industry, including: Sir Tony Robinson, Michael Rosen, MC Grammar, Steph McGovern, Matt Cain, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and Abir Mukherjee...He brings us all the glitz and glam from the 36th Nibbies, which took place in London's Mayfair in May 2026, as well as an interview with the
'The Wreck' by Lizzy Stewart
Author and illustrator, Lizzy Stewart, joins Sara in the Book Club to chat about her new illustrated novel, 'The Wreck'. They talk about her writing (and drawing) routine, Eric Ravilious as an inspiration, 90s hairdos - and how drastically friendships can change over decades. Lizzy also recommends us a couple of books she has enjoyed reading recently. Here's a little more info on 'The Wreck':Two c
A Comic Book Celebration - with Jamie Smart, Neill Cameron, Jess Bradley and more
Sara presents a special edition of the Radio 2 Book, celebrating all things comics, with a trip to Phoenix Fest in Oxford. This two-day festival showcases some of the biggest names in the world of comic books - and encourages children and adults to draw and read for pleasure.As well as hearing from some of the children who are attended the festival, we also chat to Jamie Smart (creator of Bunny VS
Celebrating Fairy Tales - with Dr Sharon Blackie
Dr Sharon Blackie joins Sara to chat about the origins of Fairytales and why she believes they are still so important and relevant today. Sharon is a former neuroscientist and psychologist, turned bestselling author and speaker who has a background in mythology and folklore. As part of the BBC's 'Once Upon A Time' season - Sara an Sharon explore the origins of Fairytales, how she used them in her
'Yesteryear' by Caro Claire Burke
Caro Claire Burke joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club to chat about her debut novel, 'Yesteryear'. They discuss the #tradwife movement, influencers, influences, and why satire is needed right now. We also hear a clip from the audiobook - and - try to get Caro to spill the beans on the film adaptation, which is already in the works (with Anne Hathaway attached) Here's the blurb for 'Yesteryear':My
'Love Lane' by Patrick Gale
Sara welcomes bestselling novelist Patrick Gale back to the Radio 2 Book Club. They chat about his new novel, 'Love Lane', a sequel (sort of) to one of his earlier books 'A Place Called Winter'. Patrick explains what made him want to return to this story and the characters and talks about the incredible treasure trove of family trinkets and secrets that he inherited, which allowed him to write a s
'Under Water' by Tara Menon
Debut novelist Tara Menon joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club to discuss her new novel, 'Under Water'. They talk about what inspired the novel, her research and why it took so long (8 years) to write. Tara also gives us a couple of great book recommendations too.Here's a little more about 'Under Water': When six-year-old Marissa loses her mother, she is taken by her father to live on a small Thai
Superstar Librarian Maggie Ross
Sara welcomes one of our superstar librarians to the podcast. Maggie Ross works for the Royal Borough Of Windsor & Maidenhead libraries - and has been part of our Radio 2 Book Club panel for many years. She chats with Sara about her job, the brilliance of libraries - and some of the books she's looking forward to coming out later this year Her Top Five Reads of this year are:A Family Matter by
'This Story Might Save Your Life' by Tiffany Crum
A thriller, a romance, a hugely successful podcast; those are the ingredients for Tiffany Crum's debut novel, 'This Story Might Save Your Life'. Sara chats to Tiffany about her former career in Hollywood, writing romantically about Los Angeles, following your dreams, how to choose the best character names - and what she loves so much about podcasts. We also hear a clip from the audiobook - and - g
'Minbak' by Ela Lee
Former lawyer turned novelist, Ela Lee, joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club for a chat about her new novel, 'Minbak'. They chat about the inspirations behind the story (including a dinner table convo where Ela's mum just casually mentioned that she had been a journalist during the 1985 uprising) and why it took an agent being very honest to get the best out of this book. We also get a cheeky littl
Jamie Smart joins us for World Book Day!
Comic book artist Jamie Smart joins Sara in the Book Club for a World Book Day special! The Bunny Vs Monkey creator chats to Sara about his award-winning series, his inspirations, encouraging kids to draw - and - recommends us a couple of great books. We also sent some copies of 'Total Chaos' to a school in Manchester, to see what our Junior Book Club thought of his new book! Happy World Book Day
The Royal Library at Windsor Castle (celebrating 500 Words)
Come with Sara Cox on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Royal Library in Windsor Castle. Housing over 45,000 items, this library is a treasure trove for book lovers, with texts dating back hundreds of years. Our guide is one of the curators, Elizabeth Clark Ashby, who tells us the history of the library, what her job entails day-to-day, and picks out four amazing artifacts to show us. These are: A h
'Saoirse' by Charleen Hurtubise
Author Charleen Hurtubise joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club to chat about her new novel, 'Saoirse'They talk about her inspirations for the story, the fine line between dishonesty and reinvention, beekeeping and giving her son's cat a cameo in the book. We also hear a snippet of the audiobook - and - get a great book recommendation too! Here's a little bit more about the novel:In the wilds of Do
Harriet Tyce on her new novel 'Witch Trial' (and The Traitors)
Barrister turned author, and recent 'Traitors' star - Harriet Tyce - joins Sara for a chat about her new novel. She talks about stepping out of her comfort zone and writing a male protagonist, her inspirations for the book and if her time in the Traitors castle has inspired a new story. Harriet also gives a great book recommendation too.
'The Keeper Of Lost Children' by Sadeqa Johnson
Bestselling author, Sadeqa Johnson, joins Sara for a natter about her new novel. 'The Keeper Of Lost Children' is a powerful and beautifully told novel about hidden secrets and the hunger to belong. Sadeqa talks about her inspirations for the book, the real-life characters that inspired the story - and why it's so important to write people of colour back into the history books. We also hear a clip
Cressida Cowell on the joy of reading
Cressida Cowell (bestselling children's author of the 'How To Train Your Dragon' series) joins Sara for a natter about the joy of reading. As an ambassador for The National Year Of Reading, Cressida is passionate about getting people reading for pleasure - especially children - and chats to Sara about the various plans in place this year to encourage more people to pick up a book, comic, graphic n
'This Book Made Me Think Of You' by Libby Page
Libby Page joins Sara in the Book Club to chat about her new novel, "This Book Made Me Think Of You" They discuss their love of bookshops, the genre they write in and why sometimes we just need a bit to make us smile (and cry a bit maybe?) Libby talks about her trips to New York and Paris for some of the scenes in this new novel, and her obsession with books about bookshops. She also gives us a b
Superstar Librarian Phoenix Cooper shares their Top Five Reads Of The Year (well, 2025)
Phoenix Cooper - of Kent Libraries fame - shares their Top Five Reads Of The Year so far (but mainly, of 2025) They chat to Sara about their love of libraries, their role, being part of the Radio 2 Book Club panel - and give a shout out to their mum's book group too. Phoenix's Top Five Reads:Raven scholar by Antonia Hodgson
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
The Goblin Emperor by Katherin
'The Poet Empress' by Shen Tao
Our first Book Club pick of 2026 is 'The Poet Empress' by debut novelist, Shen Tao. The book is an epic tale of female empowerment, love and the power of words. It might also win the award for best cover of the year! Shen talks to Sara about world building, her inspirations for the protagonist and why she loves the Fantasy genre so much. She also mentions the eight unpublished novels which went b
Superstar librarian Louisa Steel picks her Top Five Reads Of The Year
Louisa Steel - one of our superstar librarians - joins Sara for a natter about books. They chat about the Radio 2 Book Club panel, reading ruts and why book clubs are good for getting you out of your comfort zone. Louisa also shares her Top Five Reads Of The Year (well, of 2025). They are:The Offing by Benjamin MyersJames by Percival EverettStory of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress and Dr Crippe
The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell
Our last book choice of 2025 is The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell. Alex joins Sara for a chat about the novel, the inspiration behind it, the obstacles that come with writing a time travel narrative and working out a writing routine for busy working mums. We also hear a clip from the audiobook - and - Alex gives us a great book recommendation too. (one that keeps cropping up!)Here's a litt
Celebrating Jane Austen
Sara welcomes Rachel Parris and Jessica Bull to the Radio 2 Book Club for a celebration of Jane Austen. Jess writes the 'Miss Austen Investigates' series, whilst Rachel performs in the improvisational group Austentatious - and has just published her first novel, inspired by an Austen character. They chat with Sara about when their love of Austen began, their favourite books and adaptations - and -
'The Merge' by Grace Walker
Debut novelist, Grace Walker, joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club to chat about her claustrophobic, dystopian page-turner - 'The Merge' The book asks a lot of questions for the reader, so Sara and Grace discuss some of those 'what would YOU do?' moments, as well as finding out some of the inspirations behind the plot and storylines. (it turns out, a conversation about not wanting to live in your p
The Radio 2 Book Club Christmas Special
Former librarian turned book influencer, Simon Savidge, joins Sara for a chat about his favourite books of the year - and - his recommendations for great Christmas gifts. His choices include three novels (for that person who's already read everything!), three kids books (to inspire and entertain young minds) and three works of non-fiction (for the hard-to-buy-for person in your life). SIMON'S RE
Superstar Librarian, Karen McPherson, shares her Top Five Reads of the Year
Sara welcomes former library worker turned head of all things Radio 2 Book Club, Karen McPherson, to the podcast. They chat about how we choose our titles each year, the joy of libraries, 'the fight room' - plus - Karen also shares her Top Five Reads Of The Year. The Names by Florence KnappShow Me Where it Hurts by Claire GleesonThis Bright Life by Karen CampbellOne Yellow Eye by Leigh RadfordThe
'The Shapeshifter's Daughter' by Sally Magnusson
Broadcaster and author Sally Magnusson returns to The Radio 2 Book Club once more, to discuss her new novel 'The Shapeshifter's Daughter'. The book is a re-telling of the Norse myth of Hel - set across the mythological realm of Asgard and present day Orkney Islands. Sally chats to Sara about her fascination with Scandanavia, the challenges of re-writing a myth and why Orkney is such a special plac
'King Sorrow' by Joe Hill
Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller, Joe Hill, joins Sara to chat about his epic new novel 'King Sorrow'. This book has been 10 years in the making and, as Joe explains, is the first novel he published after getting married to his wife - so wanted to impress her. Sara and Joe chat about his inspirations behind the book, how his family (all of whom are writers) share their work with each oth
'The Eleventh Hour' by Salman Rushdie
Sara welcomes Sir Salman Rushdie to the Radio 2 Book Club to talk about his new collection of stories. 'The Eleventh Hour' consists of five stories, some short stories and some novellas. Salman talks about his inspiration behind the work, including why he wanted to return to the world of 'Midnight's Children' - and regales us with some great stories - including the time he met E M Forster at unive
Halloween Special
Whether you're into the Halloween thing or not - we thought it was as good a time as any to celebrate some spooky, scary, dark, ghostly, chilling books which have recently come out - and - get some cracking recommendations. Sara has invited six brilliant authors - who write in the horror genre - to tell us about their latest novels and their favourite scary book.LISTEN IF YOU DARE MWAAAHAHAHA*
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'The Murder At World's End' by Ross Montgomery
As the nights draw in, it's the perfect time for some cosy crime - and our latest book choice will fit the bill. The Murder At World's End has been described as Downton Abbey meet Knives Out, and is the debut adult novel from bestselling children's author Ross Montgomery. Sara chats to Ross about his fascination with the Victorians, plotting a murder mystery and how he managed to get Sir Derek Jac
Superstar librarian Kelly Greenwood picks her Top Five Reads Of The Year
Superstar librarian Kelly Greenwood joins Sara for a natter about working in libraries and being a children's book specialist. She gives us her Top Five Reads Of The Year (so far) and also talks about being on our Book Club panel. Her picks are: Roar by Manjeet Mann
You Could Be So Pretty by Holly Bourne,
24 Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds
The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson
Homebody by
'Artificial Wisdom' by Thomas R. Weaver
Debut novelist Thomas R. Weaver joins Sara for a chat about his new techno-thriller 'Artificial Wisdom'. They discuss Thomas' thoughts on AI, his entrepreneurial background and how he came to be a novelist. We also play out a little taster of the audiobook - and get some brilliant book recommendations too. Here's a little more about the book:Who would you trust with the future?The year is 2050. In
Maggie O'Farrell on Writing
Sara welcomes international bestselling author, Maggie O'Farrell, to the Book Club. They discuss a brand new writing prize, set up in Hilary Mantel's name, which is open to all unpublished budding writers. Maggie gives some great writing advice, talks us through her own writing routine - and - reveals her Top Five Reads Of The Year (so far)! 1. 'Glorious Exploits' by Ferdia Lennon
2. 'Clear' by
A 500 Words Special: with Charlie Higson
500 Words - the UK's largest children's writing competition (for 5 - 11 year olds) - is back!
On this week's episode, Sara is joined by bestselling children's author, actor and screenwriter - Charlie Higson - who is one of the judges for the prize. They chat about the prize, how to enter - and give some writing inspiration and tips. They also chat about Charlie's new book - 'Willie Willie Harry S
'A Splintering' by Dur e Aziz Amna
Author Dur e Aziz Amna joins Sara for the Radio 2 Book Club to chat about her new novel, 'A Splintering'. Dur e got the idea for the novel from a walk with her husband, after which the character of Tara came fully formed. She talks to Sara about her inspirations for this story, how important hope is in a book, no matter how serious the themes and also recommends us what she has been reading and e
Dawn O'Porter (recorded at Radio 2 In The Park)
Broadcaster and bestselling author, Dawn O'Porter, joins Sara for a special edition of The Radio 2 Book Club. Recorded live in Hylands Park, Chelmsford (at Radio 2 In The Park), Dawn and Sara chat about her books and writing, in front of an intimate audience of bookworms. Dawn also gives us her Top Five Reads Of The Year so far, and answers some questions about her writing process from our audienc
'The Two Roberts' by Damian Barr
Sara welcomes author and broadcaster Damian Barr to the Book Club, to chat about his new novel 'The Two Roberts'. They discuss how he first discovered the real-life characters (artists Bobby MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun) and what drew him to them.He was actually writing something else but had to stop and turn his attention to their story, because he was so taken with the love between them and how
'Katabasis' by R.F. Kuang
Sara welcomes the international bestselling author of 'Yellowface' - R.F. Kuang -to the Radio 2 Book Club. Her latest novel, 'Katabasis', sees Rebecca return to her fantasy roots - and tell an unexpected love story, set in hell. They chat about her inspirations for this incredible story, her research - and how her Philosopher husband came in handy. There's also a guest star appearance from a cat a
Listener reviewer Chantelle picks her Top Five Books of the year
Chantelle Tijhaar is this week's listener reviewer, and has some great recommendations for us. She works as a librarian, and as well as being in The Radio 2 Book Club - she's also a member of two other book groups, including a fantasy book club! On this episode, Sara chats to Chantelle about her Top Five Reads of the year so far - and what books she's looking forward to later in the year. Here are
'Dead Lucky' by Connor Hutchinson
Debut novelist, Connor Hutchinson, joins Sara for the Book Club to tell us all about his new book - 'Dead Lucky'. Connor is originally from the North of England, and it was very important to him that the book was set near where he's from, and that he told a working class story. When he was growing up, he didn't see many characters in books that reflected his own upbringing. He tells Sara about get
A Summer Reads Special (with Simon Savidge)
Sara welcomes former librarian turned book vlogger extraordinaire - Simon Savidge - to share his top five Summer Reads! As well as recommending a range of great books - he picks out a few former Radio 2 Book Club choices which would go down well on the sun lounger - and tells us all about his recent induction to the Royal Society Of Literature. Simon's Summer ReadsPassiontide by Monique Roffey
The
'The Compound' by Aisling Rawle
Debut novelist Aisling Rawle joins Sara for a chat about her brilliant new page-turner, 'The Compound'. It has been described as Lord Of The Flies meets Love Island - and will be a great book to keep you entertained on your holiday. Aisling is a former Bookseller and English teacher and her debut novel is a pacy, binge-able tale with twists and turns aplenty. Sara discusses what inspired the book,
Lee Child, Kate Mosse, Abir Mukherjee and more join Jeremy Vine for a crime fiction special
In this bumper episode of the Radio 2 Book Club, crime author and Agatha Christie fan, Jeremy Vines, takes a trip to the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival. He chats to Lee and Andrew Child about their latest Reacher collaboration, debut novelist Kelly Mullen, the creator of Broadchurch Chris Chibnall, bestselling author Kate Mosse and the winner of the Crime Novel Of The Year, Abir Mukherjee. The a
Listener reviewer Rose picks her Top Five Reads of the year so far
Sara chats to Rose Kooper Johnson about her own book group, living in Bristol and how she discovered the Radio 2 Book Club through 'Ordinary Saints'. Rose's Top Five Reads of the year (so far) are:'Disappoint Me' by Nicola Dinan
'Agatha of Little Neon' by Claire Luchette
'Some Strange Music Draws Me In' by Griffin Hansbury
'The Original' by Nell Stevens
'The Safekeep' by Yael Van Der Wouden
'The Art Of A Lie' by Laura Shepherd Robinson
Laura Shepherd Robinson is the author of four crime novels, set in the Georgian era.In this episode, she tells Sara all about her latest book, 'The Art Of A Lie', a cat-n-mouse thriller that follows a widowed confectioner, drawn into a web of love, betrayal, intrigue and a battle of wits.They chat about her fascination with the 18th Century, the crime-writing community and how to make ice cream (t
Celebrating Pride Month: with the Queer Girls Book Club
To celebrate Pride Month, we're putting the spotlight on some brilliant queer literature, courtesy of the Queer Girls Book Club. Ayse Huseyin joins Sara for a chat about their group and shares with us her Top Five Reads Of The Year so far. We also sent the book club a copy of 'Ordinary Saints' by Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin (a previous choice of ours) and captured a little bit of their discussion. It turn
'Atmosphere' by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid (the author of 'Daisy Jones & The Six', 'Malibu Rising', 'The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo' and many more) joins Sara for a chat about her new book, 'Atmosphere'. They discuss space travel in the 1980s, how women were treated at that time in a very male dominated space, her inspirations for this story and her love of the night sky. We also get a snippet from the audiobook
'The Rush' by Beth Lewis
Author Beth Lewis joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club to discuss her new historical novel, The Rush. Beth has set her latest book in the gold rush era in Canada, and has chosen to tell it from the point of view of female protagonists (rather than gnarled face old men we're used to hearing about) Sara chats about her fascination with this era, her research and why lots of women have been written ou
The Carnegies 2025!
Librarian Ros Harding tells Sara all about The Carnegies - the UK's longest running children's book awards. Ros is this year's Head Of Judges - and tells us why these awards are important for recognising writers and illustrators, and why encouraging children to read is so vital. She also shares her Top Five Reads Of The Year!Louisa Reid - 'Handle with Care'
Sarah Crossan - 'Where the Heart Should
'Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil' by V.E. Schwab
V.E. Shwab returns to the Radio 2 Book Club to discuss her new novel, 'Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil' She has written and published 25 books in just 15 years (quite an achievement!) and was featured on the pod for her last novel - 'The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue' She talks to Sara about 'fantasy with a small f', reading outside your comfort zone, writing queer love stories and why she lik
Superstar Librarian Luke shares his Top Five Reads
Luke Burton is one of our Superstar Librarians who helps choose our Radio 2 Book Club titles. He's now a big cheese at Arts Council England, and talks to Sara about the importance of libraries and...how he comes from a family of qualified librarians (so it really is in his blood!) He shares his Top Five Reads - and the books he's looking forward to reading this year. Here is his list:'In the Blink
'The Book Of Guilt' by Catherine Chidgey
Sara welcomes author Catherine Chidgey to the Radio 2 Book Club. They discuss her new novel, 'The Book Of Guilt', which is an eerie, dark, chilling story set in England, in the late 1970s (but a slightly different England to what we know now) Catherine talks about her inspirations, the things she does in the name of research (going on a rollercoaster even though she's terrified of them) and how sh
Listener Reviewer Stef Loughrey
Listener Reviewer, Stef Loughrey, shares the five books she has loved reading recently. She also tells Sara about her job as a TV producer, sharing books on Insta - and - which new novels she's looking forward to coming out this year... Here are her picks: Penance by Eliza ClarkLong Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-AknerAll The Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah HarmanThe Most Fun We Ever Had by C
'The Correspondent' by Virginia Evans
Our Book Club pick this week is 'The Correspondent' by Virginia Evans. She joins Sara down the line from the USofA to tell us all about the inspiration behind this novel, why she loves writing letters and how she once lost a draft of an entire book on her laptop! She also gives us some great book recommendations too! If you have read any of our choices recently, well we'd love to hear from you. Re
Superstar librarian, Becki Pritchard, shares her Top Five Reads
Becki works for Barnsley Libraries, and is also a member of the Radio 2 Book Club panel, who help choose our book choices. She tells Sara which books have been flying off the shelves recently, shares her Top Five Reads of the year so far - and - reviews one of our previous Book Club choices ('The Favourites' by Layne Fargo) Remember, if you'd like to be one of our listener reviewers on a future ep
'Ordinary Saints' by Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin
Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin joins Sara in the Book Club to chat about her debut novel, 'Ordinary Saints'.She discusses her writing journey, the weaving of many different themes in one book and why ultra marathons and writing go hand in hand! Niamh also recommends us a book she has loved reading recently and confesses to leaving the first draft of her novel in a pub (which was, thankfully, retrieved)Book B
Clare Kenney's Top Five Reads
This week, listener reviewer Clare Kenney joins us, to share her Top Five Reads of 2025 so far...and tell us a little bit about the WI! Sara learns about Clare's book group, her happy reading place (a VW Camper no less) and why she loves Taylor Jenkins Reid so much. Here Top Five Reads are:Foster by Claire KeeganThe Mad Women's Ball by Mas VictoriaThe Reading List by Sara Nisha AdamsThe Silent Pa
'Who Wants To Live Forever' by Hanna Thomas Uose
This week’s book choice is a time-bending romance novel, which is bold and inventive and brilliant to read. If you were a fan of previous Book Club choices ‘Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ‘ or ‘The Ministry Of Time’ – then we think you’ll love this too. It's called 'Who Wants To Live Forever' - and is the debut novel by Hana Thomas Uose. Sara chats about Hanna's inspirations, whether she WOUL
'Fundamentally' by Nussaibah Younis
Sara welcomes debut author Nussaibah Younis to the Book Club to discuss her debut novel, 'Fundamentally'.They discuss Nussaibah's previous life (advising top people in Washington DC on contemporary Iraq), why she felt it was important to write this book, and how she balanced humour with very serious issues. She also gives us a reading recommendation! Book Blurb here:Nadia is an academic who’s been
The Favourites by Layne Fargo
This week on the pod we're recommending 'The Favourites' by Layne Fargo. Dubbed as "Wuthering Heights on ice", the book is a rip-roaring page-turner, set against the glitzy backdrop of competitive ice skating. Layne joins Sara down the line from Chicago to discuss the book, where the Wuthering Heights inspiration came from and why she gave it this unique twist. They also discuss the world of ice s
A World Book Day Special: with Stephen Mangan
To celebrate World Book Day, Sara is joined by actor, screenwriter and children's author Stephen Mangan. His new book, 'The Fart That Broke World Book Day', was written specifically for...well you guessed it...World Book Day, alongside books by Julia Donaldson, Bluey, Paddington and many more. We sent his book to a school in Sheffield, for our Junior Book Club reviewers - Noah, Lily, Ayla and Arth
Listener Reviewer, Rebecca, gives us her Top Five Reads
This week on the pod we welcome listener reviewer Rebecca Chalmers. She gives us her Top Five Reads of the year (and last year) so far - as well as a bit of Argentine Tango chat. Yes! Her choices are:
1. You are here - David Nicholls
2. The Women - Kristin Hannah
3. A Very Private School - Charles Spencer
4. Nesting - Roisin O’Donnell
5. Water - John BoyneSara also asks her what she thought of ou
Seth Insua discusses his debut novel, "Human, Animal"
Debut novelist and illustrator, Seth Insua, joins Sara for the Radio 2 Book Club to discuss his book "Human, Animal" He talks about his inspirations for the book, from growing up in rural England to the Brexit vote of 2016. They discuss his publishing journey and how, after many years of thinking about it, the book was written in such a short time.Seth is also an illustrator, but wasn't allowed an
Listener Reviewer: Harriet Thomas
This week's episode is all about recommendations! Listener Harriet Thomas joins Sara to go through her Top Five Reads of the year (and last year) She picks:
Demon Copperhead by Barbara KingsolverThe Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell. The Unseen by Roy Jackobson
Shuggie Baine by Douglas StewartA Fortnight In September by RC SherriffPlus, we get her thoughts on our latest Radio 2 Book Club cho
Sara welcomes debut novelist Roisin O'Donnell to the Radio 2 Book Club to talk about 'Nesting'
Our latest Radio 2 Book Club choice is 'Nesting' by Roisin O'Donnell. It is a beautiful but tense novel about hope and resilience, which contains themes of coercive control. Roisin has been wanting to write ever since she was really young, but only started taking her writing 'seriously' a few years ago. She worked on writing short stories to hone her craft, before sitting down to write her novel i
Sara is joined by listener reviewer Fiona Buckland, who gives us her Top 5 Reads of the Year (well, 2024)
Listener Fiona Buckland joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club to give us some fab recommendations. Being a voracious reader, she has very broad taste - as her list shows! Her Top 5 Reads of the Year are:The Salt Flats by Rachelle Atella
Weyward by Emilia Hart
How We Named The Stars by Andres N Ordorica
Luckenbooth by Jenni Fagan
Slum Boy by Juano DiazShe discusses these books in detail with Sara, as
Author Asia Mackay talks about 'A Serial Killer's Guide To Marriage'
Our latest Radio 2 Book Club choice is 'A Serial Killer's Guide To Marriage' by Asia Mackay. Asia was a runner up of the CWIP prize back in 2018, which gave her the confidence to write more - and that eventually led to her getting a publishing deal.Sara chats to Asia about her writing journey, why she is drawn to slightly dark subject matters and if she gets funny looks at the school gates. They a
The Radio 2 Book Club Christmas Special
Jeremy Vine, Angela Griffith, Dermot O'Leary, Mark Goodier, Shaun Keaveny and The Reverend Kate Botley share their favourite festive fiction with Sara. Maybe you'll discover a book for your own stocking!?
Author Marjan Kamali discusses her new novel 'The Lion Women Of Tehran'
Marjan Kamali joins Sara from Boston USA to talk about her brilliant new novel, 'The Lion Women Of Tehran'. This book has been four years in the making and Marjan is thrilled to have it out in the world. It's a story of friendship, feminism, and political activism, set against three transformative decades in Tehran - and we think it's a cracking read! Marjan interviewed her Mum a lot for research
Bestselling author Niall Williams joins Sara for a chat about his new novel, 'Time Of The Child'
Niall gives us some brilliant writing tips - and shares a little of his own writing routine too. As well as talking about his brilliant new novel, which takes place in the same village as his previous. He tells Sara about his fascination with this made-up village - Faha - and why he doesn't want to leave it on the page. The novel tells the story of Doctor Jack Troy and his daughter, Ronnie. Doctor
Alan Murrin, Rufi Thorpe and Kaliane Bradley discuss their new novels
This week's listener reviewer is Rosa Miller from Bedfordshire. She gives us a review of our latest Book Club choice - "Playground" by Richard Powers - as well as telling us her Top 5 reads of this year. Sara also quizzes Rosa about her book group! (they've been going for over 9 years, and have read over 50 books dontcha know!?)We also hear from three authors about their brilliant new novels, whic
Pulitzer Prize winning author, Richard Powers, joins Sara for the Book Club
Our latest Book Club choice is 'Playground' by Richard Powers. Richard won the Pulitzer in 2019, for his novel 'The Overstory' and his latest book is an epic tale told through three different stories, covering themes of AI, the environment and our shared humanity. Sara chats to Richard about his love and fascination with coral reefs, his writing processes and whether publishing a book gets any eas
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