A Good Read

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Chris Lintott and Neil McCormick Mar 13, 2012

Show notes

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - astronomer and Sky at Night presenter, Chris Lintott and Chief Music Critic for The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick - discuss favourite books by Anne Tyler, Olaf Stapledon and Marie Darrieussecq.

A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler Publisher: Vintage

White by Marie Darrieussecq Publisher: Faber

First Men by Olaf Stapledon Publisher: Gollancz

Producer: Toby Field

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2012.

Deborah Meaden and Eliza Carthy Mar 06, 2012

Show notes

Harriett Gilbert invites Deborah Meaden from Dragons' Den, and folk-singer and songwriter Eliza Carthy to pick their favourite books.

Eliza chooses Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer - a story of a young man who goes to the Ukraine in search of the woman who saved his Grandfather from the Nazis, aided by a blind old man, a randy dog and a very, very bad translator.

Deborah's choice is the historical detective story The Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears, the tale of a young woman, Sarah Blundy, accused of murder set against the backdrop of religious, political and intellectual ferment that surrounded England in the 1600s.

Harriett's choice is the idiosyncratic The Emperor's Babe by Bernardine Evaristo. It's a book written entirely in verse and set in Roman Britain, which tells the story of Zuleika, the feisty and precocious daughter of Sudanese immigrants whose head is turned by the arriving Emperor, Septimus Severus.

Producer: Toby Field

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.

Brian Sewell and Wendy Cope Feb 28, 2012

Show notes

Harriett Gilbert's guests this week are the art critic Brian Sewell and the poet Wendy Cope.

Books chosen:

"From the City, From the Plough," by Alexander Baron

"The Moving Toyshop," by Edmund Crispin

"Evening in the Palace of Reason," by James Gaines

Producer Christine Hall

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.

Martin Stephen and Augustus Casely-Hayford Feb 21, 2012

Show notes

Harriett Gilbert and her guests, historian, Gus Casely-Hayford and educationalist Martin Stephen discuss books by Aminatta Forna, Dan Vyleta and Thomas Hardy.

Gus chooses a fictional account of the fall-out from the conflict in Sierra Leone, Aminatta Forna's "The Memory of Love", which has a natural resonance with Harriett's own choice, "Pavel and I". This is a first novel from Dan Vyleta, set in post-war Berlin.

Martin Stephen brings with him “Poems of Thomas Hardy” selected by Claire Tomalin.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2012.

Eleanor Updale and Andrea Oliver Feb 14, 2012

Show notes

Harriett Gilbert talks to children's writer Eleanor Updale and TV and radio presenter Andrea Oliver about favourite books by William Trevor, Mohsin Hamid and Laura Esquivel.

'Love and Summer' by William Trevor Publisher: Penguin

'Like Water for Chocolate' by Laura Esquivel Publisher: Black Swan

'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' by Mohsin Hamid Publisher: Penguin

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2012.

Bonnie Greer and Simon Brett Feb 07, 2012

Show notes

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - writer, Bonnie Greer and scriptwriter, Simon Brett - discuss their favourite books by Alberto Méndez, Michael Green and Annie Proulx.

'Blind Sunflowers' by Alberto Mendez Publisher: Arcadia Books

''The Art of Coarse Acting' by Michael Green Publisher: Samuel French

'The Shipping News' by Annie Proulx Publisher: Fourth Estate

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2012.

Lucy Worsley, Barbara Stocking Nov 29, 2011

Show notes

Chief Executive of Oxfam Barbara Stocking, and historian Lucy Worsley discuss their favourite paperbacks with Harriett Gilbert.

Barbara's choice is Antonia Fraser's intimate portrait of her relationship with Harold Pinter: Must You Go.

Lucy's book is a kitchen classic: Food in England by Dorothy Hartley.

Harriett's choice is the seedy crime thriller that gave us the malevolent character Pinkie: Brighton Rock by Graham Greene.

Producer: Toby Field.

Rachel Johnson and Martin Kelner Nov 22, 2011

Show notes

Journalist, Rachel Johnson, and journalist/broadcaster Martin Kelner join Harriett Gilbert to discuss favourite books by Beth Gutcheon, Norman Collins and Beryl Bainbridge.

Rachel's choice is about every parent's worst nightmare - the disappearance of a child: Still Missing by Beth Gutcheon.

Martin opts for a weighty story of the capital city and its characters during the Second World War: London Belongs to Me by Norman Collins.

Harriett's choice is the witty and poignant tale of two women, desperately seeking love, lust and wine: The Bottle Factory Outing by Beryl Bainbridge.

First broadcast on Radio 4 in November 2011.

Nerina Pallot and Peter Molyneux Nov 15, 2011

Show notes

Harriett Gilbert is joined by award-winning singer-songwriter Nerina Pallot and computer games industry pioneer Peter Molyneux to discuss their favourite books.

Nerina's choice is an elegiac story of loss and life - The Sportswriter, by Richard Ford.

Peter has picked the gripping and intimate father-son story - The Road, by Cormac McCarthy.

Harriett's book is an intriguing and occasionally torrid collection of short stories - The Ballad of the Sad Café, by Carson McCullers.

Producer: Toby Field

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2011.

Trevor Phillips and David Morrissey Nov 08, 2011

Show notes

Harriett Gilbert is joined by actor David Morrissey and Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Trevor Phillips to discuss some of their favourite books.

David Morrissey's choice is the 1934 crime classic 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' by James M Cain.

Trevor Phillips chooses 'The War of the End of the World' by Peruvian Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa.

Harriett's choice this week is 'A Handful of Dust' by Evelyn Waugh.

Producer: Mary Ward-Lowery.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2011.

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