Everything you need to know about the books that have got us talking in 2018

By Fraser McAlpine, 11 October 2018

As the nights get shorter and the hours of daylight fade, it's the perfect time to settle down for the evening with a good book.

To help you pick the perfect reading companion, the Radio 2 Book Club has returned, with Sara Cox celebrating new fiction and classic titles every other week.

In the first edition of the new Book Club, Graham Norton joins Sara live in the studio to discuss his new novel, The Keeper. We also get to hear what Chelmsford Book Club thought of it. Listen back in full and in the clip below.

If you want to get cracking on more new reads, here are a selection of this year's most talked-about books across a variety of topics. There are novels, non-fiction, children's books, biographies and more, each with a distinctive story to tell.

What is it about?
The fourth in JK Rowling's Cormoran Strike series of detective novels (under her Robert Galbraith pen name), Lethal White sees her hero approached by a young man called Billy who remembers seeing a crime when he was a child. Details are hazy, and Billy is clearly troubled by his past, but Strike's newfound fame starts to interfere with his ability to do his job.

What do they say about it?
Rowling says: "I set myself the challenge of writing what I think is a classic whodunnit with all of the golden-age atmosphere of having one or two people working undercover, in a very contemporary setting. So Strike and Robin are a bit of an anomaly in crime fiction at the moment."

You need to read it if you... love a mystery that unfolds one clue at a time.

What is it about? This astonishingly successful novel has been the Gone Girl (or Girl on a Train) of 2018. It's a thriller about Anna, a reclusive woman in New York who suffers from agoraphobia. She leads quite a solitary existence, talking online and watching her neighbours, but one day, she believes she sees a crime taking place outside the house of one of her neighbours. Did she see it? Was it real? These are the questions readers have to ask themselves.

What do they say about it? Finn says: "Anna grapples with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and agoraphobia, and these are all conditions with which I myself have grappled, so in decanting these experiences into my character I had a chance to explore them myself."

You need to read it if you... are a fan of psychological thriller where reality seems to warp and shift around you as you try and work out just what has happened.

What is it about? The life and times of a modern pop star, told with brutal honesty. The frank narrator of both fortunes and misfortunes, Lily talks about her mistakes, the things she's had to cope with, all while pulling not a single punch. Things go very well, things go badly wrong, but the book is mostly about how you cope with living an extraordinarily public life.

What do they say about it? Allen says: "I was processing everything that happened by means of writing this book. It's definitely been cathartic for sure... I didn't show the book to anybody until it had been done... I knew that if I'd shown it to my mum and my dad and other people they'd have said 'could you maybe take those bits out'. But I put those bits in there because I felt it was important stuff."

You need to read it if you... want to read the most honest, entertaining and true pop memoir in recent memory.

What is it about? The strange world of professional football sees young talents paid exceptional amounts, but most quickly come to realise that their career span is short. Peter Crouch's memoir details some of the odd things that comes part of such an environment. It acts as both a handy instruction manual on dealing with success and a stark warning as to the risks that come with inexperience, an abundance of money and acclaim.

What do they say about it? Crouch says: "Some of the characters... they've probably got quite a bit of money and a bit of time on their hands and end up spending money on things that they probably later regret. There was one player that did get a huge tropical tank that had sharks in it. It was like a scene from a Bond movie."

You need to read it if you... have ever wondered what it's like to have the world at your feet (literally).

What is it about? Much like Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw, Dolly Alderton is known for her newspaper column about dating. In her memoir, she looks back on the tumultuous world of modern romance. Sometimes she wins, sometimes she loses, but whatever happens, she remains relatable throughout.

What do they say about it? Alderton says: "It's kind of about growing up in the last decade of my life, my 20s, and finding all different kinds of love along the way that might not necessarily be romantic love."

You need to read it if you... worry you're the only one with a disastrous love life or a closet stuffed full of embarrassing skeletons.

What is it about? Jonny Benjamin's life was saved in his darkest moment - by someone he had never met before. Since then, Benjamin has come to terms with his diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, seen himself reunited with his Good Samaritan and become a motivational speaker, guiding others about living with mental health issues.

What do they say about it? Benjamin says: "We all want to jump in and we want to help people when we hear someone in distress, but [the person who saved me] had an amazing way of holding space and just listening... because of his non-judgement and his groundedness."

You need to read it if you... want to learn more about this extraordinary life story.

What is it about? Tomi Adeyemi wrote Children of Blood and Bone, a book labelled "Africa's Harry Potter", after being inspired by her West African heritage and the Yoruba mythology that had previously been untapped in the world of young adult fiction. It tells the story of Zélie, who remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with the magic that has since been banned by a ruthless king. Anyone with powers risks being seized and taken away, so with the help of a lost princess she has to learn to control her powers, in secret, and battle her own feelings along the way.

What do they say about it? Adeyemi says: "We don't have these stories. When you pick up this book you see this magical dark-skinned girl on the cover. When you open the pages you see blacks of all shades on the cover. You see us celebrated as the hero, you see us in epic battles, you see us get these big twisty romances. We have this story for all of us to celebrate."

You need to read it if you... loved Harry Potter and want a bit more magic in your life.

What is it about? In his fifth book for children, David Baddiel asks the question, "what would happen if a strict head teacher and the naughtiest child in school swapped bodies?" He then throws in a visit from school inspectors to ratchet up the tension. Ryan Ward is the master of practical jokes, Mr Carter his fearsome new head teacher, and their Freaky Friday-esque experience is enough to rock the school to its foundations.

What do they say about it? Baddiel says: "I'm not great with discipline. I sit down every day and write... and I spend a lot of time not writing. I spend a lot of time on the internet and a lot of time staring out of the window but I do get it all done... I find with kids books, once you're into them, there's a real joy in getting to the end of the story."

You need to read it if you... have ever dreamt of getting one back on that pompous authority figure in your life.

What is it about? For this must-read book, author Scarlett Curtis reached out to various inspiring women - from Hollywood stars to young activists - about what feminism means to them. Their responses are all different. Helen Fielding writes as Bridget Jones, and there are contributions from Karen Gillan, Keira Knightley, Gemma Arterton, Jameela Jamil, Saoirse Ronan and more. Each one provides a different perspective, all while dispelling commonly held myths surrounding modern feminism.

What do they say about it? Curtis says: "Whenever we reached out to people, even if they were the most incredible feminist activists, so many people replied saying 'I don't think I know enough about feminism to write something on it for this book'... that is a huge lie we've been told about feminism, that you need a degree in it to talk about it. It's just the story of women's emotions."

You need to read it if you... are interested in social justice - whether as a novice or expert.

• Saoirse Ronan speaks to Steve Wright about the film On Chesil Beach, her career and an early role as a clown
• Karen Gillan in conversation with Graham Norton
• Gemma Arterton tells Chris Evans about the role of Catrin Cole in her film Their Finest

What is it about? Ó Briain's Secret Science may be full of scientific facts aimed at 7-11 year olds, but it's written by a one of the UK and Ireland's best loved comedians, so you know it'll be a lot of fun too. It includes everything from elementary biology to the First Law of Thermodynamics, as well as some scientific experiments that will bewilder.

What do they say about it? Ó Briain says: "There's stuff in it, there's actual facts in it. And they're not all silly, the silliness is sideways on to the science... there's all sorts of things we touched on but in the way of giving kids that this is a cool thing that happens."

You need to read it if you... struggle with science, or know a young person who'd relish finding out how the world words, while giggling.

What is it about? Like Lily Allen, Gary covers the heights of Take That's success and the low points that followed their breakup with equal frankness in his new book. A Better Me is a sequel to Barlow's 2006 biography My Take, and covers Take That's return to active duty and Gary's return to prime fitness, mentally and physically.

What do they say about it? Barlow says: "I think especially for men, it's becoming a playing field now where men can open up more and talk about these issues and be open and have an audience that is ready to listen to them."

You need to read it if you... want motivation to make serious and positive changes in your life.

What is it about? Educated is a coming-of-age memoir with a difference. Tara Westover grew up in the mountains of Idaho to survivalist parents who were stockpiling food and supplies for the end of the world. She was 17 before she ever set foot in a classroom, but eventually found herself firmly in higher education - and this book is about that tricky transition.

What do they say about it? Westover says: "One of my first lectures that I attended as an undergraduate, I raised my hand and asked what the Holocaust was, because I'd never heard of it... I think they thought I was making a joke."

You need to read it if you... want to read a thoroughly marvellous story about growing and developing.

What is it about? Former Monty Python star and seasoned world traveller Michael Palin was moved to write about the HMS Erebus after it was discovered in 2014. The ship had been a veteran of several groundbreaking exploratory missions to both poles, including the trip in which it was discovered that there is land under the ice and snow of Antarctica. It disappeared in the Arctic Ocean in 1848.

What do they say about it? Palin says: "The leaders of the expedition did it because they saw a great opportunity to discover the world... the world was at peace it was time for the British Navy to get out there and name the world, catalogue the world, so they had a great sense of mission."

You need to read it if you... love to discover about how humans deal with the extremities of nature and all the wonders the world has to offer.

What is it about? The Miniaturist author Jessie Burton's first book for children is an interpretation of The 12 Dancing Princesses by the Brothers Grimm. In Jessie's retelling, Queen Laurelia dies in a car crash, leaving twelve daughters and an overbearing father who curtailed their freedoms. Burton's tale shows how the sisters overcome their ordeal with wit and ingenuity.

What do they say about it? Burton says: "The girls in my story rescue themselves, so there's no prince at the end, nobody to come and ruin their happiness or to rescue them. They've very much a sisterhood... there are qualities in each of us that we don't have to look to someone else to validate."

You need to read it if you... have children to read to or who are learning to read and you want to inspire young minds to reach out and explore their creativity.

What is it about? Liane Moriarty's eighth novel is set in a health retreat. The characters are far from home, without electronic distractions as contact with the outside world is cut off. The resort's director wants to push them, to transform them into very different people, but her methods and philosophy leave something to be desired.

What do they say about it? Moriarty says: "I don't want to tell about all the characters because I want the reader to have a feeling that they're going there too, but the one character I will tell you about is Frances Welty, who is a formerly bestselling romantic novelist. My husband said '...everybody will say this character is based on you' and I said, 'I know, that's why I made her as charming as possible'."

You need to read it if you... are naturally suspicious of wholesome living, or simply like a story riddled with creeping unease.

What is it about? Comedian Richard Herring developed his Emergency Questions as a genuine problem-solver while interviewing fellow comics for his Leicester Square Theatre podcast. Should the conversation dry up, he could fall back on one of his collection of odd enquiries - such as "Is there anything purple within ten feet of you?" - to see what they say. Having self-published two volumes of weird questions, he's now collected the very best into a mega-volume, including some hilarious celebrity answers.

What do they say about it? Herring says: "It's for everyone to use... You're not always going to get an answer, but if you get an answer it's often just brilliant because they discover something they haven't thought of themselves."

You need to read it if you... have a big event coming up and worry that you won't know what to say. Or have a boring commute that needs spicing up with giggles.

What is it about? Zing Tsjeng's Forgotten Women series corrects a few historical wrongs. It celebrates women that have been overlooked within their fields - whether that's science, writing, art. These are women whose names deserve to be mentioned in the same awed tones as the male counterparts, and Tsjeng's book is a good start at righting these wrongs.

What do they say about it? Tsjeng says: "Some of these women were overcoming incredible odds to do what they did. And a lot of the time they either seemed to take it in their stride or they actually went out there and battled the odds."

You need to read it if you... want to be inspired, or read about some very inspiring women - some of which you (unfortunately) may never have heard of before.

What is it about? We may know Derren Brown as an illusionist, but he's no slouch as a photographer. Meet the People with Love, his book of street-level photography, shows a different artistic side to the star. It's based in urban environments and features lots of candid shots of people as they go about their business.

What do they say about it? Brown says: "Photography's actually something very simple in terms of what you're actually doing. It's light coming into a box and recording it on something... It changed my whole experience of being out and about and it became my number one thing of the past four years."

You need to read it if you... are fascinated by scenes that only occur for a fraction of a second and would otherwise vanish and be lost, had they not been captured on film.

• Janet Ellis chats about new Blue Peter book, Here's One I Made Earlier
• Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty chats about latest novel, Nine Perfect Strangers
• Dr Liz O'Riordan will discuss the book The Complete Guide To Breast Cancer with Steve Wright on Thursday 11 October
• Romesh Ranganathan will talk to Steve Wright about his autobiography Straight Outta Crawley on Friday 12 October

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