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.

Sara welcomes bestselling novelist Patrick Gale back to the Radio 2 Book Club.

They chat about his new novel, 'Love Lane', a sequel (sort of) to one of his earlier books 'A Place Called Winter'. Patrick explains what made him want to return to this story and the characters and talks about the incredible treasure trove of family trinkets and secrets that he inherited, which allowed him to write a story based on his own family history.

Patrick narrates the audiobook himself, so we hear a little clip of that - and - get some cracking reading recommendations from him as well!

Here's the blurb for 'Love Lane':

When veteran Canadian wheat farmer, Harry Cane is obliged to sell up and sail home to an England transformed by two world wars, his arrival triggers unwelcome self-examination for the family he abandoned, and for whom he has never been more than a distant myth.

His daughter feels duty bound to take him in but is riven with doubt and ambushed by a long buried anger she has never before expressed. Harry's effect on the next generation is less predictable, and enables his granddaughter to deal with an unspeakable trauma, while her gentle husband feels seen for who he truly is.

Can Harry stay and make a new life before it's too late, or will he find himself cast out again, punished for having witnessed and understood too much?

Debut novelist Tara Menon joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club to discuss her new novel, 'Under 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 'Under 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

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!

Come with Sara Cox on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Royal Library in Windsor Castle. Housing over 45,000 items, this library is a treasure trove for book lovers, with texts dating back hundreds of years.

Our guide is one of the curators, Elizabeth Clark Ashby, who tells us the history of the library, what her job entails day-to-day, and picks out four amazing artifacts to show us. These are:

A handwritten manuscript by Mozart (aged 11)

The complete works of Shakespeare, which was owned by Charles I

A tiny jeweled miniature book, made for Queen Mary's dolls house

A copy of Jane Eyre, inscribed by Queen Victoria to Albert

Windsor Castle played host to the Gran Final of 500 Words - the UK's most celebrated children's writing competition. Exceptional young writers from all across the UK were invited to a reception, hosted by Her Majesty The Queen, honouring their imagination, creativity and remarkable stories.

The Grand Final was hosted by Alex Jones and Roman Kemp and the six winning entries – to be revealed in a special edition of The One Show on Friday 6th March - were read at the event by Sara Cox, Jodie Whittaker, Joanna Page, Bradley and Barney Walsh, Big Zuu and Paterson Joseph.

*you can hear more from Sara's trip to Windsor on her teatime show on Radio 2, on Thursday 5th March.

Author Charleen Hurtubise joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club to chat about her new novel, 'Saoirse'

They talk about her inspirations for the story, the fine line between dishonesty and reinvention, beekeeping and giving her son's cat a cameo in the book.

We also hear a snippet of the audiobook - and - get a great book recommendation too!

Here's a little bit more about the novel:

In the wilds of Donegal, Ireland, 1999, Saoirse is an artist living an outwardly idyllic life. Her tender husband Daithí and two beloved daughters are regular subjects for her work, and in them she has found the safe home that she has always longed for. She tends not to talk about her past, and those that love her have learned to accept that the full story is too painful for her to disclose.

When her Dublin exhibition unexpectedly wins a prestigious award that invites a swarm of publicity, Saoirse is left panic stricken. The unanticipated recognition threatens to expose a decade's worth of buried memories and past crimes. Because what her family and friends don't know is that Saoirse has been on the run since she was seventeen, she has stolen an identity to survive, and whilst Ireland might now be her home, it wasn't her first - and now her past life is poised to reclaim her.

The novel weaves between flashbacks to a complicated childhood in Michigan, and Saoirse's journey to and in Ireland to forge safety for herself.

Barrister turned author, and recent 'Traitors' star - Harriet Tyce - joins Sara for a chat about her new novel.

She talks about stepping out of her comfort zone and writing a male protagonist, her inspirations for the book and if her time in the Traitors castle has inspired a new story.

Harriet also gives a great book recommendation too.