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?

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 Keegan

The Mad Women's Ball by Mas Victoria

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

After I do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Remember, if you'd like to be one of our listener reviewers in future, all you have to do is email us: radio2bookclub@bbc.co.uk (tell us a bit about yourself, and give us your Top Five Reads of 2025 so far)

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?

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.

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

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 Superpower Serena Patel- Pia's Pet Club

Middle-Grade (9-12):

Judith Eagle- The Great Theatre Rescue Brogen Murphy- Wildlands AF 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.

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 Boyne

Sara also asks her what she thought of our latest Radio 2 Book Club choice, "Human, Animal" by Seth Insua.

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.