The Radio 2 Book Club

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 place. We also hear a snippet from the audiobook, get a great book recommendation - and learn about what happened to the original Mastermind chair! (Sally's Dad was the great journalist and TV Presenter Magnus Magnusson)Here's a little more info on 'The Shapeshifter's Daughter':Before she was a hideous monster, the queen of the underworld was simply Hel. But cast as a girl out of lofty Asgard, realm of the gods, by Odin the Allfather, Hel's fate as the terrible goddess of death is sealed. Half beauty, half crone, she has reigned for aeons in the starless darkness of Niflheim, grimly welcoming the most pitiful of death's travellers to her ice-locked prison. Until one day a memory shifts, and she is forced to seek out the sun in Midgard, where humans have made their home.Faced with a terminal cancer diagnosis, Helen Firth makes the impulsive decision to return to Orkney after forty years to make peace with her past. Under the wintering solstice sun, she reconnects with the ungainly but affable Thorfinn Coffin, who helps her address the real reason she has returned to the islands: to die. As Helen draws closer to death and ever closer to Thorfinn, Hel in turn is intrigued by Helen. She, too, has a past to confront and a lesson to learn: that perhaps who she believes herself to be isn't who she really is.

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 other, and why he has now chosen to write a book a year. (no more 900 pages for a while!) We also get to hear a clip from the audiobook, and a book recommendation too. Here's a little more info on Joe's novel: Bookish dreamer Arthur Oakes is a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters and beautiful buildings.But his idyll - and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot - is shattered when local drug dealers force him into a terrible crime: stealing rare and valuable books from the exceptional college library.Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for help: the wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren; brave, beautiful Allison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen. Together they dream up an impossible, fantastical scheme that they scarcely imagine will work: to summon the fabled dragon King Sorrow to kill those tormenting Arthur.But the six stumble backwards into a deadly bargain - they soon learn they must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow each year or one of them will become his next victim. Unleashing consequences they can neither predict nor control, this promise will, over the course of four decades, shape and endanger their lives in ways they could never expect.

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 university and ended up playing croquet with him! Here's a little more info on Salman's new book: Two quarrelsome old men in Chennai, India, experience private tragedy against the backdrop of national calamity. Revisiting the Bombay neighbourhood of Midnight's Children, a magical musician is unhappily married to a multibillionaire. In an English university college, an undead academic asks a lonely student to avenge his former tormentor.These five dazzling works of fiction move between the three countries that Salman Rushdie has called home – India, England and America – and explore what it means to approach the eleventh hour of life. They are the reckoning with mortality that we all must one day make, and speak deeply to what the author has come from and through.Do we accommodate ourselves to death, or rail against it? How can we bid farewell to the places that we have made home? How do we achieve fulfilment with our lives if we don't know the end of our own stories? The Eleventh Hour ponders life and death, legacy and identity with the penetrating insight and boundless imagination that have made Salman Rushdie one of the most celebrated writers of our time.

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* (*they're all very nice really) Here are our featured authors - and - the books discussed:Gemma Amor - 'Itch' Daphne Du Maurier - 'The Birds And Other Stories'Tobi Coventry - 'He's The Devil' Algernon Blackwood - 'The Willows"Bora Chung - 'The Midnight Timetable' Stephen King - 'Thinner'Andrew Michael Hurley - 'Saltwash' Mariana Enriquez - 'Things We Lost In The Fire'Oyinkan Braithwaite - 'Cursed Daughters' Vikram Paralkar - 'Night Theatre'Thomas Olde Heuvelt - 'Darker Days' Stephen King - "Pet Sematary'

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 Jacobi to read his audiobook. We also get a sneak preview of said audiobook, and Ross gives us a top book recommendation as well! Here's the blurb for 'The Murder At World's End' Cornwall, 1910. On a remote tidal island, the Viscount of Tithe Hall is absorbed in feverish preparations for the apocalypse that he believes will accompany the passing of Halley's Comet. The Hall must be sealed from top to bottom - every window, chimney and keyhole closed off before night falls. But what the pompous, dishonest Viscount has failed to take into account is the danger that lies within... By morning, he will be dead in his sealed study, murdered by his own ancestral crossbow.All eyes turn to Stephen Pike, Tithe Hall's newest under-butler. Fresh out of Borstal for a crime he didn't commit, he is the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. His unlikely ally? Miss Decima Stockingham, the foul-mouthed, sharp as a tack, 80-year-old family matriarch. Fearless and unconventional, she relishes chaos and puzzles alike, and a murder is just the thrill she's been waiting for.Together, this mismatched duo must navigate secret passages, buried grudges and rising terror to unmask the killer before it's too late...

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 Theo Parish

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 the teeth of a climate catastrophe, the world is left with a drastic solution: one global leader to steer it through the coming apocalypse.The final two candidates are ex-US President Lockwood, and Solomon, the world’s first political artificial intelligence.As whispers of a global conspiracy emerge, investigative journalist Marcus Tully find himself at the centre of it – when Solomon’s creator turns up murdered.Overnight, one investigation becomes two, and it’s not just the result of the election that’s at stake but the future of the species. Suddenly humanity must make an impossible choice – between salvation, or freedom.

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 Carys Davies 3. 'We The Animals' by Justin Torres 4. 'The Two Roberts' by Damian Barr 5. 'Charles Dickens: A Life' by Claire Tomalin2026 is an exciting year for Maggie - not only is the film adaptation of her novel 'Hamnet' coming out, but she's also publishing a new novel - and Sara gets the lowdown on both of these new projects too!

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 Stee' - based on his history podcast, with illustrations by Jim Moir. If you want to find out more about the 500 Words Competition, how to enter, and the all important Terms and Conditions, go to bbc.co.uk/500words

Author Dur e Aziz Amna joins Sara for the Radio 2 Book Club to chat about her new novel, 'A Splintering'. Dure 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 enjoying recently. Here's a little more about 'A Splintering':In a village in rural Pakistan, Tara is waiting and watching. The smell of dung and dust hangs over her world. She is desperate to leave the petty life of the village and escape the iron grip of her violent, unpredictable brother. Marrying a middle-class accountant allows her to escape to the capital, but she soon finds that life as a respectable housewife is not sufficient either. She wants what the rich mothers at her children’s school have. She wants what their husbands have. Her desire for wealth and freedom becomes an obsession. But can she truly shake her past? And what of the menacing spectre of her brother, a reminder of the threads that tie her to the life she left behind?Set against a hypnotic, oppressive backdrop of political violence and natural disaster, A Splintering traces the class struggle of a woman stuck between province and metropolis, between motherhood and ambition. Disquieting and utterly gripping, it is an extraordinary achievement by Dure Aziz Amna, an exploration of a complex and unforgettable character who will risk everything to carve out a life of her own.

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 audience.Remember you can get in touch with us anytime to tell us about what you're reading, about your own book group - or - to be one of our listener reviewers! The email address is: radio2bookclub@bbc.co.uk

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 brave they both were. There's a bit of ceramics chat (Damian reveals that his husband has a second love - his kiln!) and there's a bit of hazy recollection of them both being in 'Soho in the 90s' too. Damian also gives us a couple of cracking book recommendations - and - we hear a little clip from the audiobook of The Two Roberts as well.Here's a little more about the book:Scotland, 1933. Bobby MacBryde is on his way. After years grafting at Lees Boot Factory, he's off to the Glasgow School of Art, to his future. On his first day he will meet another Robert, a quiet man with loose dark curls - and never leave his side.Together they will spend every penny and every minute devouring Glasgow - its botanical gardens, the Barras market, a whole hidden city - all the while loving each other behind closed doors. With the world on the brink of war, their unrivalled talent will take them to Paris, Rome, London. They will become stars as the bombs fall, hosting wild parties with the likes of Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and Elizabeth Smart. But the brightest stars burn fastest.Stunningly reimagined, The Two Roberts is a profoundly moving story of devotion and obsession, art and class. It is a love letter to MacBryde and Colquhoun, the almost-forgotten artists who tried to change the way the world sees - and paid a devastating price.

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 as well!Here's a little more about 'Katabasis' Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek. The story of a hero's descent to the underworld.Grad student Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become the brightest mind in the field of analytic magick. But the only person who can make her dream come true is dead and – inconveniently – in Hell. And Alice, along with her biggest rival Peter Murdoch, is going after him.But Hell is not as the philosophers claim, its rules are upside-down, and if she’s going to get out of there alive, she and Peter will have to work together.That’s if they can agree on anything.Will they triumph, or kill each other trying?

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 Chantelle's choices:'Notes On An Execution' by Danya Kukafka'My Father's House' by Joseph O'connor'All The Colours Of The Dark' by Chris Whitaker'The Great Alone' by Kirstin Hannah'Wedding People' by Alison Espach

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 getting a quote from legendary director Mike Leigh, working with his writing idol Douglas Stuart, the inspiration behind an undertakers setting - and - recommends us a brilliant book as well. Here's the blurb for Dead Lucky: Jamie Fletcher should be the luckiest man in Manchester. His girlfriend Rebecca is out of his league, he has a best mate and drinking buddy in Trick, and he loves his job at a busy funeral home. Preparing the dead is not something Jamie takes lightly - whether it's choosing the right stockings for his old dinner lady, or playing the local butcher's favourite album to him before cremation. But beneath his seemingly perfect life, Jamie has been keeping a big secret - one he reveals only to the dead. His gambling addiction has left him in eye-watering debt, and he's running out of ways to keep it hidden. When Rebecca decides it's time for them to buy their first home together, he knows he has to do something to cover his tracks. Desperate, Jamie does what he knows best - he walks up to the bookies and places the biggest bet of his life. How far will he go until his luck runs out?

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 Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden Dusk by Robbie Arnott Harriet Tubman Live In Concert by Bob The Drag Queen You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

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, the pros and cons of reality TV - and - how the heck Aisling wrote The Compound in just six weeks! Here's the blurb: Lily--a bored, beautiful twenty-something--wakes up on a remote desert compound, alongside nineteen other contestants competing on a massively popular reality show. To win, she must outlast her housemates to stay in the Compound the longest, while competing in challenges for luxury rewards like champagne and lipstick, plus communal necessities to outfit their new home, like food, appliances, and a front door.Cameras are catching all her angles, good and bad, but Lily has no desire to leave: why would she, when the world outside is falling apart? As the competition intensifies, intimacy between the players deepens, and it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between desire and desperation. When the unseen producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into upsetting, even dangerous situations, the line between playing the game and surviving it begins to blur. If Lily makes it to the end, she'll receive prizes beyond her wildest dreams--but what will she have to do to win?Addictive and prescient, The Compound is an explosive debut from a major new voice in fiction and will linger in your mind long after the game ends.

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 annual celebration of crime fiction takes place at The Old Swan Hotel, which is where Agatha Christie famously disappeared to in 1926. Hear Jeremy's tour of the hotel, with General Manager David Ritson, as he learns more about her story - and takes in some of the places she would have stayed.

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

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 (the Georgian way!) Sara also shares a short clip from the audiobook - and - finds out more about the longest-running crime writing festival in the UK (which takes place in Harrogate each year)More on the book...London, 1749. Following the murder of her husband in a violent street robbery, Hannah Cole is struggling to keep her head above water. The Punchbowl and Pineapple, her confectionary shop on Piccadilly, is barely turning a profit, and her suppliers are conspiring to put her out of business. So when she learns that her husband had a large sum of money in his bank account that she knew nothing about, the surprise is extremely welcome. And when William Devereux, a friend of her late husband, tells her about a new Italian delicacy called “iced cream”, Hannah believes it might transform the fortunes of her shop.But her husband’s unexpected windfall attracts the attention of author-turned-magistrate Henry Fielding, who suspects the money was illicitly acquired. Unless Hannah can prove otherwise, her inheritance will be confiscated. As she and Devereux work to uncover the secrets of her husband’s double life, their friendship opens Hannah to speculation and gossip, locking her into a battle of wits more devastating than anything, even her husband’s murder.