The Radio 2 Book Club

Debut novelist Tara Menon joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club to discuss her new novel, 'Open Water'.
They talk about what inspired the novel, her research and why it took so long (8 years) to write.
Tara also gives us a couple of great book recommendations too.
Here's a little more about 'Open Water':
When six-year-old Marissa loses her mother, she is taken by her father to live on a small Thai island in the Andaman Sea. There, she forms a deep friendship with Arielle and together they explore the fragile wonders of its forests, reefs, and beaches. Holding their breath for minutes at a time, they learn to dive into the deep, as effortlessly synchronized as the manta rays they come to know by name. Then, on Boxing Day 2004, when the Indian Ocean tsunami makes landfall, they are swept up by the first wave and separated.
Eight years later, Marissa is living in New York. She spends her days wandering through the city and her nights seeking solace in the beds of strangers. As the city prepares for a devastating storm, Marissa reflects on her past and learns how to sustain herself in a precarious world.

Sara welcomes one of our superstar librarians to the podcast.
Maggie Ross works for the Royal Borough Of Windsor & Maidenhead libraries - and has been part of our Radio 2 Book Club panel for many years. She chats with Sara about her job, the brilliance of libraries - and some of the books she's looking forward to coming out later this year
Her Top Five Reads of this year are:
A Family Matter by Claire Lynch
The Family Way by Laney Katz Becker
The Killer Question by Janice Hallett
Show Me Where it Hurts by Claire Gleeson
The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson

A thriller, a romance, a hugely successful podcast; those are the ingredients for Tiffany Crum's debut novel, 'This Story Might Save Your Life'.
Sara chats to Tiffany about her former career in Hollywood, writing romantically about Los Angeles, following your dreams, how to choose the best character names - and what she loves so much about podcasts.
We also hear a clip from the audiobook - and - get a cracking book recommendation too!
Here's a little more info about Tiffany's novel:
Benny and Joy like to say that they've been saving each other's lives since the moment they met.
Until the day Joy disappears and Benny is accused of her murder.
Best friends Benny and Joy host a beloved 'comedy survival' podcast, gleefully finding life-affirming humour in near-death experiences.
When Benny arrives at Joy and her husband's home one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house.
With Joy missing and the hours ticking by, not even their most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets they have hidden from the world - and from each other.
If Benny wants to find Joy in time, and clear his own name, he'll have to solve the highest stakes survival story yet.

Former lawyer turned novelist, Ela Lee, joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club for a chat about her new novel, 'Minbak'.
They chat about the inspirations behind the story (including a dinner table convo where Ela's mum just casually mentioned that she had been a journalist during the 1985 uprising) and why it took an agent being very honest to get the best out of this book.
We also get a cheeky little listen to the audiobook (which Ela narrates herself) and a couple of cracking book recommendations too.
Here's a little more about 'Minbak':
Incheon, South Korea, 1985. The country is revolting against a dictatorship, but in the local boarding-house, the chaos inside is only just beginning. When Hana is pulled from school to work in her family’s minbak, all she wants is to escape her small town. When she finally does, she leaves as an exile, a ruin, or a martyr, depending on who you ask. Her mother Youngia is left behind with the torment of both of their decisions.
London, 2008. Ada knows little about her mother, Hana. When tragedy hits, Hana has no choice but to move her daughter and ailing mother into a single room and turn the rest of their home into a minbak. As the past collides with the present, Ada is determined to unearth her mother’s secrets. But her obsession will lead to a discovery that unravels not just her family’s dark past, but that of an entire country’s.
From Korea’s industrial estates to London’s suburbs, the three women cross continents and generations to find truth, forgiveness and compassion.

Comic book artist Jamie Smart joins Sara in the Book Club for a World Book Day special!
The Bunny Vs Monkey creator chats to Sara about his award-winning series, his inspirations, encouraging kids to draw - and - recommends us a couple of great books.
We also sent some copies of 'Total Chaos' to a school in Manchester, to see what our Junior Book Club thought of his new book!
Happy World Book Day everyone!