A Good Read

Latest Episodes:

Neil Brand and Tiff Stevenson Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

Neil Brand the silent film accompanist and presenter of BBC4's Sound of Cinema chooses a book he loved as a teenager: England Their England by A.G. Macdonell. He calls it 'social history by the backdoor'. Published in 1933 its fictional Scots character Donald Cameron is commissioned by a Welsh publisher to write a book about the English from a foreigner's viewpoint. It is a satirical take on an England of the past but still throws up ideas of national identity that are relevant today. Tiff Stevenson is an actor and stand up comedian whose TV roles include The Office and People Just Do Nothing. Her satirical Twitter account ‘ Bridget Trump’s Diary’ went viral , was featured on TV in the US and landed her regular satirical writing gigs for ‘Mashable’. Tiff's choice is I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings the first of Maya Angelou's books of memoirs about her childhood in the southern USA under segregation. It's a book Tiff loved as a schoolgirl and still loves today. The final book in the mix this week is Harriett Gilbert's choice which unsurprisingly is a crime novel: Exit by Belinda Bauer. As the title suggests it starts with assisted dying carried out by pensioner Felix Pink who has to then go on the run from the police when things take a dramatic turn.

Producer: Maggie Ayre

Poppy Jay and Catherine Johnson Aug 03, 2021

Show notes

The host of the Brown Girls Do It Too podcast Poppy Jay and the writer of Mamma Mia Catherine Johnson join Harriett Gilbert to discuss their favourite books. They talk about moggies, a wrestling princess and grief...

Catherine chooses George Saunders' Lincoln in the Bardo, Harriett goes for Doris Lessing's On Cats and Poppy tells us why Judy Corbalis' children's book The Wrestling Princess still stands as her favourite of all time.

Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol: Caitlin Hobbs

Join our Instagram book club: @agoodreadbbc

Vanessa Redgrave and Eileen Atkins Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

Vanessa Redgrave is 'in love with' Rachel Holmes' biography of Sylvia Pankhurst, Eileen Atkins has chosen a very different biography, Oliver Soden's imagining of the life of Jeoffrey, the cat who lived with the poet Christopher Smart 250 years ago. Harriett goes even further back in time with her selection, The Testament of Mary by Colm Tóibín.

Tell us what you think of these books on Instagram: agoodreadbbc

Produced by Sally Heaven for BBC Audio in Bristol

Lloyd Cole and Francis Macdonald Jul 07, 2021

Show notes

Lloyd Cole is a singer/songwriter whose hits with his band The Commotions include Perfect Skin. His choice of A Good Read is The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. For him it's all about the smart dialogue and lavish use of similes. Francis Macdonald's pick is the autobiography of the Scottish comedian Limmy: Surprisingly Down to Earth and Very Funny. While he admits Limmy's work and persona is 'marmite' to people - they either love him or hate him - he says the book covers a lot of important topics that young men don't often discuss - mental health being the main one. Harriett recommends a noir novel in the same vein as Chandler - The Expendable Man by Dorothy B Hughes who did not receive the same acclaim even though she was writing at the same time and also had books optioned and made into Hollywood movies.

Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol: Maggie Ayre

Yanis Varoufakis and Patrick McGrath Jun 29, 2021

Show notes

Greek politician Yanis Varoufakis and novelist Patrick McGrath join Harriett Gilbert to discuss books by Margaret Atwood, Nigel Balchin and Kiley Reid.

Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth by Margaret Atwood Publisher: Bloomsbury

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Publisher: Bloomsbury

Darkness Falls From The Sky by Nigel Balchin Publisher: W&N

Producer: Maggie Ayre

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2021.

Janey Godley and Mel Hudson Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

Janey Godley's choice is a thriller Remember Me This Way by Sabine Durrant. It's a page turner with a neat twist and tackles coercive behaviour in an interesting way. And it features a dog called Howard. Janey says it has made her think differently about her own mother's relationship with a controlling man.

Mayflies by Andrew O Hagan is Harriett's choice. It's an 80s tale of male friendship through music set in Ayrshire and Manchester and following two of the young men into adulthood.

Mel Hudson chooses The Map & The Territory by Michel Houllebecq. To say it divides opinion is to put it mildly.

Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol: Maggie Ayre

Jason Watkins & Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Jun 15, 2021

Show notes

Actor Jason Watkins and journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown join Harriett Gilbert to discuss their favourite books by Vladimir Nabokov, Kate Chopin and Jane Gardam.

Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov [Translation by Vladimir Nabokov] Publisher: Penguin

The Awakening by Kate Chopin Publisher: Penguin

The People on Privilege Hill by Jane Gardam Publisher: Abacus

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2021.

Isy Suttie & Vick Hope Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

Comedian and writer Isy Suttie and BBC Radio 1's Vick Hope join Harriett Gilbert to discuss their favourite books by Zadie Smith, Patrick Süskind and Patrick Ness.

Swingtime by Zadie Smith Publisher Penguin

The Pigeon by Patrick Süskind (translated by John E. Woods) Publisher Penguin

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness Publisher Walker Books

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2021.

Bryony Gordon & Hollie McNish Mar 30, 2021

Show notes

Writer and podcaster Bryony Gordon and poet and author Hollie McNish join Harriet Gilbert to discuss favourite books by Marian Keyes, Walter Tevis and Nina Stibbe.

Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes Publisher: Penguin

The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis Publisher: Weidenfeld and Nicholson

Reasons to be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe Publisher: Penguin

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2021.

Adjoa Andoh & Andy Day Mar 23, 2021

Show notes

Actress Adjoa Andoh and CBeebies presenter Andy Day join Harriett Gilbertt to discuss their favourite books by Aminatta Forna, Virginia M Axline and Kate Clanchy.

Ancestor Stones by Aminatta Forna Publisher Bloomsbury

Dibs - In Search of Self by Virginia M. Axline Publisher Penguin

Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy Publisher Picador

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2021.