The Radio 2 Book Club

• 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 episode, all you have to do is email us your top five reads of the year so far, a little bit about yourself - and a contact number! The email is: [email protected]

  --------  

  14:47
• '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 Blurb:Brought up in a devout household in Ireland, Jay is now living in London with her girlfriend, determined to live day to day and not think too much about either the future or the past. But when she learns that her beloved older brother, who died in a terrible accident, may be made into a Catholic saint, she realises she must at last confront her family, her childhood and herself . . .Inspired by the author's own devout upbringing, Ordinary Saints is a brilliant debut novel from a fresh, exciting new voice which asks - who gets to decide how we are remembered - and who we will become?

  --------  

  19:24
• 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 Patient by Alex MichaelidesAfter I do by Taylor Jenkins ReidRemember, if you'd like to be one of our listener reviewers in future, all you have to do is email us: [email protected] (tell us a bit about yourself, and give us your Top Five Reads of 2025 so far)

  --------  

  13:43
• '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 WOULD like to live forever, and why a California writing retreat wasn't all it was cracked up to be! We also get some brilliant book recommendations too. Here's a little more about Hanna's novel:This is the greatest romance you will ever read without the happily ever after.Yuki and Sam are soulmates. They are destined to spend the rest of their lives together. They are supposed to love one another, forever.But when a miracle drug is released which can extend a human's life indefinitely, Sam chooses to live forever, instead of loving Yuki forever - and the world they know is spun inside out.WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER plunges into a parallel universe where forever is on sale to the highest bidder. What comes next is a world-building epic narrated by an intersecting cast of characters that will drive you to the edge of reality and leave you to answer biggest questions of all: What is life without death? What is life without love?

  --------  

  17:22
• '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 disowned by her puritanical mother and dumped by her lover, Rosy. She decides to make a getaway, accepting a UN job in Iraq. Tasked with rehabilitating ISIS women, Nadia becomes mired in the opaque world of international aid, surrounded by bumbling colleagues.Sara is a precocious and sweary East Londoner who joined ISIS at just fifteen.Nadia is struck by how similar they are: both feisty and opinionated, from a Muslim background, with a shared love of Dairy Milk and rude pick-up lines. A powerful friendship forms between the two women, until a secret confession from Sara threatens everything Nadia has been working for.A bitingly original, wildly funny and razor-sharp exploration of love, family, religion and the decisions we make in pursuit of belonging, Fundamentally upends and explores a defining controversy of our age with heart, complexity and humour.

  --------  

  14:36

Más podcasts de Arte

Podcasts a la moda de Arte

Acerca de The Radio 2 Book Club

The Radio 2 Book Club: Podcasts del grupo