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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 skating, female friendships in sport and get a book recommendation (or two) as well!
Here's a little more about The Favourites:Everyone thinks Heath Rocha was my first love. He wasn’t. My first love was figure skating.
She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating – and each other – to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and rollercoaster relationship.
Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.
As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorised documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the ‘real story’ through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary. But she can't stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy either. So, after a decade of silence, she's telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumours have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.
Alternating Kat’s own account of her dramatic rise and devastating fall with scandalous snippets from the tell-all film, and capturing the can’t-look-away intensity of Emily Bronte’s classic novel, The Favourites is an exhilarating dance between passion, ambition, and what it truly means to win
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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 Arthur - to read and review. Listen to find out what they thought - and how Stephen reacts to their honesty!
Also in this bumper episode, Fun Kids presenter Bex Lindsay gives us a round-up of some of her favourite kids books that have been published recently. Her choices are:
Younger readers (under 7):
Charlie Higson and Nadia Shireen- What's That Noise?Gordon D'Arcy- Let's Play Rugby!James Kochalka- Green Eggs and Ham
7-9 year olds:
Nathaneal Lessore- Solving Crime is NOT My SuperpowerSerena Patel- Pia's Pet Club
Middle-Grade (9-12):
Judith Eagle- The Great Theatre RescueBrogen Murphy- WildlandsAF Steadman- Skandar
And as if that wasn't enough - we're also joined by the CEO of World Book Day - Cassie Chadderton - who reminds us of the importance of getting children reading, and explains how you can use the vouchers to get a child a free book.
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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 Hannah3. A Very Private School - Charles Spencer4. Nesting - Roisin O’Donnell5. Water - John Boyne
Sara also asks her what she thought of our latest Radio 2 Book Club choice, "Human, Animal" by Seth Insua.
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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 anywhere near his own cover...for reasons that become apparent in the chat.
Sara delves into the themes of the book, what it means to be a farmer in 2025 - and - we hear a snippet of the audiobook as well.
Here's the blurb!
Dairy farmer George Calvert is fighting to keep the family business afloat. Worried about the future but resistant to change, he refuses to face the reality of his failing farm, his elderly mother's declining health and his troubled relationship with his youngest son, Tom.
Newly returned from university, Tom isolates himself in his childhood bedroom, guarding the truth of his burgeoning identity.
When animal rights activists break into the cowshed one morning and Tom appears to side with the protesters, father and son lock horns. As the Calverts begin to unravel, a decades-old secret surfaces – one that might rip them apart completely, or finally unite them.
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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 Kingsolver
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell.
The Unseen by Roy Jackobson Shuggie Baine by Douglas Stewart
A Fortnight In September by RC Sherriff
Plus, we get her thoughts on our latest Radio 2 Book Club choice - "Nesting" by Roisin O'Donnell
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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 in the evenings and on weekends, outside of a day job and being a single mum to two girls.
Sara chats to Roisin about her publishing journey, the NINE WAY AUCTION for her book and the influence that fellow Irish writer Claire Keegan had on her.
They also discuss how important it was to make the book as authentic as it could be, with such serious and important themes.
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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 AtellaWeyward by Emilia HartHow We Named The Stars by Andres N OrdoricaLuckenbooth by Jenni FaganSlum Boy by Juano Diaz
She discusses these books in detail with Sara, as well as giving us her review of our latest Book Club choice; 'A Serial Killer's Guide To Marriage'
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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 also chat about a lost TV career and get some writing tips as well.
Asia's new novel is her third published book and tells the story of Hazel and Fox, who are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they're ex-serial killers.
They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to kill. Not many power couples know how to get away with murder. Then Hazel fell pregnant and they gave it all up for life in the suburbs; dinner parties instead of body disposal.
But recently Hazel has started to feel that itch again. When she kills someone behind Fox's back and brings the police to their door, she must do anything she can to protect her family. This could save their marriage - unless it kills them first.
**Please note during the interview there is a clip from the audiobook which references a fictional killing, with a knife.
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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!?
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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, to learn about Tehran in the 50s and 60s - and also delved into the family recipe book to make the food as authentic as it could be!
As well as discussing the novel, and her own writing journey, in true Book Club styel Marjan also recommends us a book that she has been reading and enjoying!
Remember we love to hear from you about what you've been reading and enjoying recently, so drop us a line anytime! [email protected]
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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 Troy was born and raised in the little town of Faha, but his responsibilities for the sick and his care for the dying mean he has always been set apart from his community. A visit from the doctor is always a sign of bad things to come. His youngest daughter, Ronnie, has grown up in her father's shadow, and remains there, having missed her chance at real love – and passed up an offer of marriage from an unsuitable man.
But in the advent season of 1962, as the town readies itself for Christmas, Ronnie and Doctor Troy's lives are turned upside down when a baby is left in their care. As the winter passes, father and daughter's lives, the understanding of their family, and their role in their community are changed forever.
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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, which were published earlier in the year. We absolutely loved reading them and hope you will too? They are:
"The Coast Road" by Alan Murrin "Margo's Got Money Troubles" by Rufi Thorpe"The Ministry Of Time" by Kaliane Bradley
(and each author gives us a great book recommendation too)
Remember, you can get in touch with us anytime you like to tell us about what you have been reading, recommend us something or apply to be a listener reviewer! The email is: [email protected]
*Please be aware that this episode contains discussions of adult themes
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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 easier.
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This week on the Radio 2 Book Club podcast, Sara welcomes listener reviewer Sadia Rana to share her Top 5 Reads of 2024 so far. She has been reading really widely and recommends us five different novels, new and old, from Patrick Hamilton to Sebastian Barry. We also hear from three bestselling authors about their latest novels, all of which were chosen for the Radio 2 Book Club earlier in the year.Abir Mukherjee tells us about his standalone thriller 'Hunted'.Marian Keyes discusses her sixteenth novel, 'My Favourite Mistake'.And recent Booker Prize shortlistee, Percival Everett, talks about his re-telling of Huckleberry Finn, 'James'. And remember if you'd like to be a listeners reviewer, you can get in touch with us any time via the email: [email protected]
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Our latest Radio 2 Book Club choice is 'The Glass Girl' by Kathleen Glasgow. It's officially a Young Adult book, but can be enjoyed by all readers (14+). It tells the story of Bella, a teenage girl on the brink, and the bumpy road back to recovery. Kathleen joins Sara to talk about her inspirations for this novel, her writing processes and why she still loves journalling. They also talk about balancing humour with dark themes and why books like this are so important for teenagers today. We hear an extract from the audiobook as well - and learn a bit too much about Sara's husband's spooning habits!
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Sara features three books that her and the team have loved reading recently. These are:
You Are Here by international bestselling author David Nicholls.
Alter Ego by debut novelist Helen Heckety
Table For Two by international bestselling author Amor Towles.
Each author joins us to talk about their novels, the inspiration behind them and give us a book recommendation of their own too.
We're also treated to a snippet of Radio 4's Book At Bedtime adaptation of David Nicholls' book - read by Sally Phillips.
Remember, you can get in touch with the Radio 2 Book Club at anytime. We always love to know what you're reading and any new authors you have discovered. The email address is: [email protected]
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C.J. Cooke joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club to talk about her new gothic novel, The Book Of Witching. This is her tenth book and is based on a real-life Scottish Witch-Trial. She tells Sara about her inspirations for this novel, her research trip to Orkney and how the word 'Witch' is slowly, but surely being reclaimed. C.J. (Carolyn) often writes strong, female characters - and from a feminist point of view - and talks about how she handled the re-telling of a real story about real humans, in order to honour the history, but ensure its being seen through a contemporary lens.
Here's a little more about the book:
Glasgow 2024: Clem waits by her daughter’s hospital bed. Erin was found on an idyllic beach in Fynhallow Bay, Orkney with catastrophic burns and only one memory: her name is Nyx.But how did she get these burns? And how did her boyfriend end up burned alive?
Orkney 1594: Accused of witchcraft, Alison Balfour awaits trial. The punishment? To be burned alive.
Separated by four hundred years but bound by the Book of Witching, two women stand imperilled. Can they unlock a centuries-old mystery? And will Fynhallow Bay give up its secrets before someone else dies?
If you'd like to get in touch to tell us what you've been reading and enjoying recently, or to apply to be one of our reviewers, you can email at anytime.
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In this episode, Sara features three of our Book Club choices from the summer, that we think you will really enjoy. We'll hear about each of the books from the author's themselves, and get some book recommendations from them too.
This week we're featuring:
'Precipice' by the international bestselling author Robert Harris. Based on real-life events in 1914, when then Prime Minister H.H. Asquith wrote obsessively to 26-year-old Venetia Stanley, who he was having an affair with, and shared the most sensitive matters of state.
'A Case Of Mice And Murder' by former Barrister and KC Sally Smith. Her debut novel is a detective mystery set in London's law courts in 1901 and introduces us to Sir Gabriel Ward, who'll also be appearing in her next novel.
'Rare Singles' by former music journalist turned bestselling novelist Benjamin Myers. His new book tells the story of an American Soul star, Bucky Bronco, whose career is re-ignited when he's brought over to the UK for a special one-off show, by Scarborough resident and Northern Soul fanatic, Dinah.
We hope you enjoy hearing about some of our recent choices! Remember you can get in touch with us at anytime to let us know what you have been reading and enjoying - and to give a shout out to your own book group. The email is:
There'll be a new episode of the Radio 2 Book Club podcast every Tuesday. So why not click 'Subscribe' on BBC Sounds, so that you never miss an episode.
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Booker Prize winning author, Alan Hollinghurst, joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club for a chat about his new novel, 'Our Evenings'. It's been seven years since Alan published his last book - and so there has been much excitement and anticipation for this new one, and it does not disappoint.
The book is written as a memoir of an actor called Dave Win, and spans his life from when he was thirteen, to his late sixties. We learn about his life at school, and university, his first love affairs, his experimental theatre shows in London and his late-life affair which transforms his sixties. Poignant, dark and at some times wickedly funny, 'Our Evenings' gives us a portrait of modern England through the lens of one man's acutely observed and often unnerving experience.
In this episode of the Radio 2 Book Club, Sara discusses Alan's writing processes, how long his ideas bubble up for and how much of him has gone into this book.
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Vanessa Chan's debut novel - The Storm We Made - was fought over in a seven way publishing auction! It's now out in the world, and it's our first Radio 2 Book Club choice of 2024.
Zoe chats to Vanessa, from her apartment in Brooklyn, about the inspirations for the story, her Malaysian upbringing and her writing routine.
Here's a little bit more about the book: Her decision changed history. Now her family must survive it.
British Malaya, 1930s: Discontented housewife Cecily is seduced by Japanese general Fujiwara and the glorious future he is promising for ‘independent’ Malaya, free from British colonialism. As she becomes further embedded as his own personal spy, she unwittingly alters the fate of her country by welcoming in a punishing form of dictatorship under the Japanese in WWII.
Japanese-occupied Malaya, 1945: Cecily and her family are barely surviving. Her children, Jujube, Abel and Jasmin, are surrounded by threat, and look to their mother to keep them safe. But she can’t tell them about the part she played in the war – and she doesn’t know how to protect them.
Can Cecily face up to her past to save her children? Or is it already too late… ?
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