The Radio 2 Book Club

BBC Radio 2
  • 3.8 (4)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

The Radio 2 Book club celebrates the best in new fiction and recommends great reads. Sara will be interviewing top authors about their latest novels, and she’ll be catching up with librarians and reading groups from across the UK. Whether you’re after a summer blockbuster, a twist-filled thriller, or want to curl up with a heart-warming love story, Sara has you covered!

  1. 1d ago

    '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 theme of masculinity and how not growing up with a father figure helped shape and create the central relationship in his novel. Douglas also gives a great book recommendation - and - plays us a short extract from the audiobook too. Here's a little more info on 'John Of John': Out of money and with little to show for his art school education, John-Calum Macleod takes the ferry home to the island of Harris to find that not much has changed except for him. In the windswept croft where he grew up, Cal resumes his old life, caught between the two poles of his childhood: his father John, a sheep farmer, weaver, and pillar of their local Presbyterian church, and his Glaswegian grandmother Ella, who has kept a faltering peace with her son-in-law for decades. While Cal wonders if any lonely men might be found on the barren hillsides of home, John is dismayed by his son’s long hair and how he seems unwilling to be Saved. As the seasons pass, everything is poised to change as the threads holding together the fragile community become increasingly entangled.

    16 min

  2. May 26

    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 Panda: A True Story of Courage and Hope by Jake Hope – illustrated by Yu Rong Theo Of Golden by Allen Levi

    12 min

  3. May 18

    '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 (and characters). We also get a great book recommendation from Jo - and - get an exclusive extract of the audiobook too. Here's a little more info on 'Dissection Of A Murder':A dead judge. A silent defendant. And a courtroom full of liars. When Leila Reynolds is handed her first murder case, she’s shocked at how high-profile it is: the murder of a well-respected, well-known judge. This shouldn’t be the kind of case she’s leading; it’s way beyond her expertise. But the defendant, Jack Millman, is clear. He wants her, and only her. To make things worse, he’s refusing to talk. How is she supposed to prove herself on what appears to be an unwinnable case? Losing is not an option. She must find the most persuasive argument. Trials aren’t won by convincing judges or fellow barristers – they’re all about convincing a jury. Suddenly, Leila finds herself fighting not only to keep Jack out of prison, but also to keep her own secrets buried. It’s true what they say – there are two sides to every story. Guilty or not guilty? You decide . . .

    12 min

  4. May 12

    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 first ever winner of The Radio 2 Book Club Award - Roisin O'Donnell. Roisin won for her debut novel, 'Nesting', which we featured on the Book Club back in January 2025. (you can hear that interview on BBC Sounds anytime you like!) Here's a little more info on her book: On a bright spring afternoon in Dublin, Ciara Fay makes a split-second decision that will change everything. Grabbing an armful of clothes from the washing line, Ciara straps her two young daughters into her car and drives away. Head spinning, all she knows for certain is that home is no longer safe. This was meant to be an escape. But with dwindling savings, no job, and her family across the sea, Ciara finds herself adrift, facing a broken housing system and the voice of her own demons. As summer passes and winter closes in, she must navigate raising her children in a hotel room, searching for a new home and dealing with her husband Ryan’s relentless campaign to get her to come back. Because leaving is one thing, but staying away is another. What will it take for Ciara to rebuild her life? Can she ever truly break away from Ryan’s control – and what will be the cost?

    23 min

  5. May 5

    '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 couples pursue their dream of communal living in the English countryside – and then it all comes tumbling down Charlotte and Francesca were best friends at university in the mid-1970s. But tensions coursed beneath their natural affection, deepening when Fran got together with Charlotte’s friend Adrian, and the two women drifted apart. When Fran contacts Charlotte out of the blue with an unusual proposal – an invitation to live with her and Adrian in the rambling house they’ve bought in the countryside – Charlotte impulsively persuades her partner, Bill, to accept this tantalising promise of a new kind of community. At first their new life feels utopian; life and space are shared joyfully. But it doesn’t take long for old tensions to rise to the surface, shattering their illusions and showing each of them in a new light.

    13 min

  6. Apr 28

    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 Monkey), Neill Cameron (creator of Donut Squad), Jess Bradley (Super Dweeb) and Patrice Aggs and Joe Brady, on collaborating together.

    21 min

  7. Apr 21

    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 practices - and why we're still so fascinated with them. Here's a little more info on Sharon's book, 'Ripening': In this world in which all our old certainties seem to be crumbling, many women feel lost. In Ripening, Sharon Blackie insists that fairy tales are precisely the stories we need for such times. Long before they became bywords for people-pleasing princesses, these old stories – passed down to us through generations by our peasant ancestors – told us everything that women need to learn about the world. They might be set in difficult and dangerous times, but they insist that their heroines face the unfaceable and dig deep for previously unimagined inner resources. They teach us to be savvy, inspire us to grow in confidence, show us how to be bold and claim the future we dream of. More than anything, fairy tales are soul-food. They show us how to take hold of our own personal narratives and transform them into stories that might begin with trauma, but end with empowerment. They offer us images of startling resonance and beauty, while showing us how to recognise and make use of the possibilities that rise to the surface when broken systems are cracked open.

    10 min

  8. Apr 13

    '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 name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive…' Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and has the social media accounts to prove it. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What Natalie’s followers don’t know won’t hurt them. Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn't her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible.

    9 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3.8
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Radio 2 Book club celebrates the best in new fiction and recommends great reads. Sara will be interviewing top authors about their latest novels, and she’ll be catching up with librarians and reading groups from across the UK. Whether you’re after a summer blockbuster, a twist-filled thriller, or want to curl up with a heart-warming love story, Sara has you covered!

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 2
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    89
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    The Radio 2 Book Club

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