Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2025-12-12T13:24:53.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Joanna Trollope on ditching 'Aga sagas' for career women and gay relationships
items: Jane Austen’s enduring and universal appeal revealed by hit writers, from Pride & Prejudice 1995 screenwriter to David Baddiel
items: The Witcher's Joey Batey reveals how his new novel embraces his Northern identity and being "forgotten" by those in power
items: 23 best sci-fi books to help you escape reality: From Dune to The Martian
items: 23 best romance books to make you believe in love again: From Emily Henry to Jilly Cooper
items: Blackadder's Ben Elton reveals how Stephen Fry responded to his "few-holds-barred" portrayal in new memoir
items: Best book advent calendars for 2025 to get you in the Christmas mood
items: Ruth Jones books in order: Guide to Gavin & Stacey creator's fiction and non-fiction
items: What to read after When Gavin Met Stacey: 17 books for TV-obsessed readers
items: Medieval Prince Harry "would have killed" William, imagines Young James Bond author – as he compares King Charles to a murdered monarch
items: "Very special book" championed by Dua Lipa wins Booker Prize 2025
items: When Gavin Met Stacey details how a party brought about the finale
items: Joanna Page on When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between
items: James Bond spin-off author reveals why he feared becoming public enemy no. 1 with new book
items: Sally Magnusson dishes on King Charles III reporting the weather – and why she doesn't miss Reporting Scotland following 27-year run
items: Michael Palin reveals how a Monty Python sketch saved him from being thrown in a Venezuelan jail
items: Stephen Graham unveils "era-defining" book on fathers and sons – and you could take part in it
items: Jilly Cooper: "I just think I'm a drip with no confidence"
items: Steph McGovern reveals hopes for TV adaptation of book - with very famous Teessider in lead role
items: From page-turners to prizewinners: The best 27 books of 2025 so far
items: Penny Lancaster on Gregg Wallace facing “justice” – and why husband Rod Stewart will never retire
items: 23 best historical fiction books: From Taylor Jenkins Reid classic to Outlander
items: How to read James Patterson’s Alex Cross books in order
items: 17 books to read if you're already missing The Summer I Turned Pretty
items: Gavin & Stacey icon Joanna Page dishes on her new memoir Lush! - and why she wrote it in the car at 5am
items: The Impossible Fortune review: A new dawn for The Thursday Murder Club
items: 27 best autobiographies you have to read in 2025
items: Slow Horses author speaks out on the potential for more books in the series after Clown Town
items: Adam Kay books in order: from fiction to non-fiction
items: Alan Davies reflects on childhood abuse, dealing with anger and being diagnosed with cancer

Joanna Trollope on ditching 'Aga sagas' for career women and gay relationships
type: item
date: 2025-12-12T13:00:37.000Z
creator: Liz Hoggard
subject: Books
subject: Going Out
subject: News
subject: TV
description: The writer spoke to Radio Times magazine in 2017 about redressing the balance with her novel, City of Friends.
encoded: Joanna Trollope, who has died aged 82, was a novelist with an unerring eye for the tensions shaping modern life. Though often – and inaccurately – labelled the "queen of the Aga saga", she bristled at the tag, arguing that it diminished the seriousness of her work. As Fay Weldon once put it, Trollope had “a gift for putting her finger on the problem of the times”, whether she was writing about marriage, family, faith or the shifting expectations placed on women. That instinct is clear in this Radio Times interview from 2017, resurfaced to mark her passing, in which Trollope discusses City of Friends, her novel about women, power and work in the City. Speaking with characteristic candour, she explains why she felt compelled to write about professional women on their own terms, challenging the idea that ambition, authority and success must look male. At 73, she remained sharply observant, intellectually curious and determined to interrogate the world as it was, rather than as clichés suggested it to be. This article was originally published in February 2017 in Radio Times magazine. "I just didn't think there were any serious novels about women and work," says Joanna Trollope. "There were a few novels about women in the City, on the trading floor, behaving like men, getting drunk and having sex with clients. They were tough-girl, ladette novels. But I couldn't find one about the way women work – because I don't think they work the same way as men." So the 73-year-old writer has set about redressing the balance. Her new novel, City of Friends, focuses on four 47-year-olds, who first met studying economics at university and are now City high-flyers. And it's an impressively diverse group. "I wanted to include a marriage that had no children, a marriage that had children, a gay relationship and a single mother, because that sort of covered everything." City of Friends is Trollope's 20th novel. The Oxford-educated daughter of a rector (and distant relative of novelist Anth…

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Jane Austen’s enduring and universal appeal revealed by hit writers, from Pride & Prejudice 1995 screenwriter to David Baddiel
type: item
date: 2025-12-03T17:01:35.000Z
creator: Caroline Frost
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: As Radio 4 marks 250 years since Jane Austen’s birth, Philippa Perry explains why the author remains so influential today
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. This year, the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen, has seen ample celebration of the life and works of this singular observer of English life in the early 19th century. So far on TV, we’ve had a three-part documentary exploring Austen’s rebel spirit, the drama Miss Austen starring Keeley Hawes, and soon to follow is another version of Pride and Prejudice, this time with some big Netflix bucks and an all-star cast. When it comes to Austen, it seems broadcasters never scrimp, and Radio 4 is proving no exception – celebrating this important anniversary in style, with a dedicated season that has already featured a new take on Northanger Abbey, Radio 4 Extra mining its archive of classic dramas, and newly commissioned radio dramatisations of Pride and Prejudice (see below right) and, next weekend, Sense and Sensibility. The latter is also explored in a special episode of Bookclub on Tuesday (Austen’s 250th birthday) with Emma Thompson. Fans can also feast on a ten-part factual series, When I Met Jane Austen, in which her biographer, Dr Paula Byrne, asks a star line-up of guests – David Baddiel, Katherine Rundell, Val McDermid, Kate Atkinson, Andrew Davies, Amy Heckerling, Gurinder Chadha, Marlon James, Colm Tóibín and Philippa Perry – about how Austen’s work has shaped and influenced their lives and own creative efforts. Like so many of Austen’s many millions of fans across the world, psychotherapist and bestselling author Perry can barely remember life without recourse to the wit and wisdom of the author she credits with “changing her life” after she first encountered her work aged 12, and studied Pride and Prejudice for English O-level. So, what is so special about Austen’s small but peerless collection of works that includes six novels (Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion), one novella (Lady Susan) and the tantalisingly unfinished The Watsons and …

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The Witcher's Joey Batey reveals how his new novel embraces his Northern identity and being "forgotten" by those in power
type: item
date: 2025-12-03T16:20:55.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
subject: Exclusive
subject: RT Book Club
description: Joey Batey's ambitious new novel shows life in the North - and the creativity that stems from there.
encoded: If anyone sings the ditty "Toss a coin to your Witcher", you'd immediately hear the voice and see the face of Joey Batey. The 36-year-old was propelled to fame after his appearance in the hit Netflix series where he performed the catchy tune. But acting is purely one string to Batey's impressive bow; he's one half of indie folk band The Amazing Devil and he's also an author, with his remarkable debut novel the topic of conversation with RadioTimes.com when we caught up. It's Not A Cult is an ambitious folk horror novel, centred around a rebellious band in the North East of England. Callum, Melusine and Al have no band name, but they take their sound across pubs in the locality which tell stories of the 'Solkats', fictional gods of small things. While no one really knows what they're singing about, the band is happiest when they're playing music together - until an act of violence at a pub catches the eye of an influencer and the band suddenly go from having a cult following to having that cult following them. Callum insists the Solkats just want to have an effect on the world, but as their music grows far and wide, and their gigs become more tumultuous, they soon discover that the fictional mischief they've been singing about might just be real after all - and in demand of a sacrifice. It's ambitious and expensive, potentially owing to the fact it had been sitting with Batey for a long time. "When I was about 19, I had met these characters," Batey explained. "I knew the outline of what I wanted to write, but for some reason I was hesitant to put it to paper. I ended up writing a number of other novels throughout my 20s and 30s, just to cut my teeth. I got to a couple of years ago and thought, 'This story's been banging on the door for so long that I think now's the time'. In those years, with the introduction of social media, the story suddenly felt like it was relevant. "I felt like I got all the ingredients for it but I just hadn't put the oven on. When I started …

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23 best sci-fi books to help you escape reality: From Dune to The Martian
type: item
date: 2025-12-03T10:42:22.000Z
creator: Fleurine Tideman
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: From epic space operas to mind‑bending thrillers, these are the sci‑fi stories that will transport you to other worlds.
encoded: Whether you’re craving distant galaxies, futuristic tech or alternate realities, sci‑fi offers the perfect escape from the everyday. From the sprawling deserts of Dune to the high‑stakes survival of The Martian, these 23 unmissable books will take you on journeys that stretch the imagination, challenge perception and remind us why we fell in love with the genre in the first place. There’s something for everyone on this list of the best sci-fi books, so buckle up and prepare to enter the stratosphere with us. 23 best sci-fi books Dune by Frank Herbert The Martian by Andy Weir Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell Brave New World by Aldous Huxley The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin Hyperion by Dan Simmons The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman Kindred by Octavia E. Butler Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Ready Player One by Ernest Cline The Road by Cormac McCarthy The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone Jade City by Fonda Lee Red Rising by Pierce Brown The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine 1. Dune by Frank Herbert Before it became a blockbuster film starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, Dune was Frank Herbert’s bestselling sci-fi epic, followed by five sequels that many fans still consider the pinnacle of the genre. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, it follows Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling a hostile world where the most precious resource is the “spice” melange, a substance that extends life and heightens awareness. When House Atreides is betrayed, Paul is thrust into a perilous journey; one that will shape not only his destiny, but the fate of an entire universe. 2. The Martian…

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23 best romance books to make you believe in love again: From Emily Henry to Jilly Cooper
type: item
date: 2025-12-02T15:25:33.000Z
creator: Fleurine Tideman
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: Will it be love at first page? Crack open one of these swoon-worthy romances and find out.
encoded: When dating apps leave you frustrated or your other half is working late again, it’s time to escape into a great romance novel. From Emily Henry’s sun-soaked, self-discovery-filled summers to Jilly Cooper’s glamorous, high-stakes romantic sagas, these 23 books prove that the best romances can make you fall in love with every page. Covering everything from first crushes and second chances to enemies-to-lovers and heart-racing chemistry, they capture love in all its messy, magical glory and will have you believing in it all over again. 23 best romance books As a Last Resort by Kristin Wollett Rivals by Jilly Cooper Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt Funny Story by Emily Henry We Met Like This by Kasie West Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston It Happened on a Sunday by Tracy Wolff First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter Dukes and Dekes by Torie Jean The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks The High Dive by Chelsea Fagan Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey The Hating Game by Sally Thorne The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn August Lane by Regina Black 1. As a Last Resort by Kristin Wollett Sam left her small-town Florida roots behind years ago and never looked back. But when her work nemesis falls ill, she’s forced to take his place on a resort development project – right in the hometown she swore she’d escaped. Suddenly, Sam is face-to-face with everything she ran from: her addicted mother, her estranged best friend and the high school bullies now settled down with families of their own. The one bright spot? Austin Marcs, the town golden boy and her childhood crush, who seems determined to swoop in whenever she needs saving. Their chemistry is undeniable, but how can Sam imagine a futur…

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Blackadder's Ben Elton reveals how Stephen Fry responded to his "few-holds-barred" portrayal in new memoir
type: item
date: 2025-11-28T17:01:14.000Z
creator: Ed Grenby
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Author, comedian and dramatist Ben Elton found writing his autobiography therapeutic – but will the many famous friends he mentions agree?
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Ben Elton, it’s obvious, is slightly floored by the question – but it’s actually pretty straightforward: “Why does everybody hate you?” Maybe it’s because the query comes not from me, interviewing him over Zoom from Australia where he now lives. (In fact I find him the very opposite of hateable: frank, funny, thoughtful, self-aware and generous.) No, the question in question comes from the publisher of Elton’s new autobiography – and good friend – Larry. “When I took him the idea, it was his first comment,” says Elton. “Not ‘Oh great, I can’t wait to hear you on the subject of Blackadder’, but ‘You’ll have to address the question: Why does everybody hate you?’” The answer – like everything else in Elton’s book/life – is tackled with head-on humour. “Everybody doesn’t hate me. That’s why I’ve written 16 novels,” he says (modestly neglecting to mention the smash-hit musicals, seminal stand-up routines and million-dollar movies he’s written, nor even national-fabric sitcoms such as The Young Ones, Blackadder and Upstart Crow). “But clearly I irritate some people. My gaucheness, my enthusiasm, my Mickey Rooney tendencies – ‘Let’s do the show! It’s going to be brilliant!’ – I can see how that would irritate people, especially in Britain, which has a default approval of false humility. If my dear friend Stephen is doing an interview about his book, he’ll say [excellent impression of Mr Fry], ‘Oh, it’s awful, pure nonsense. Don’t read it, let’s talk about something else!’ – and people love that. “But I’ll say, ‘It’s the best thing I’ve done, I’m so pleased with it, please read it!’ – and that doesn’t seem to wash. In the book, I deal with a few people who’ve been mean about me [they really have, and he really does], but I think I’ve done it in a nice way and paid respect. I think I’ve got it just right – but there I go again!” So why write a memoir and not, say, novel number 17? “I started to think about an autobiography…

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Best book advent calendars for 2025 to get you in the Christmas mood
type: item
date: 2025-11-25T09:52:14.000Z
creator: Joanna Magill
subject: Books
description: From beloved children's characters like the Gruffalo to classic literature, there's a book advent calendar for everyone.
encoded: Eggnog, mistletoe, decorating the tree... when it comes to Christmas, there's no shortage of traditions. One of our favourites has got to be advent calendars. There's nothing that helps to build up the excitement leading up to Christmas quite like an advent calendar. Opening a little gift every day is just a reminder of the excitement that's to come once the big day itself arrives. Now, you can get an advent calendar perfectly tailored to any type of interest. And bookworms will be glad to know that the options when it comes to book advent calendars are endless. Whether you're trying to find the perfect kids book advent calendar for your little one, or you're looking for an excuse to add to your own personal library, we've rounded up the best book advent calendars to buy in the run-up to Christmas 2025. For more on how to celebrate Christmas, we've rounded up the best Christmas shows and pantomimes in London. We've also got our list of gaming advent calendars if you're looking for something a bit different this year. Jump to: Christmas book advent calendars at a glance Book advent calendars for adults Kids book advent calendar Christmas book advent calendars at a glance The Gruffalo and Friends Advent Calendar Book Collection | £25 £5 (save £20 or 80%) Bluey Awesome Advent Book Bundle | £25 £5 (save £20 or 80%) Stitch Advent Calendar 5-Minute Stories | £15.99 £8.99 (save £7 or 44%) Little People, BIG DREAMS: Advent Calendar Book Collection: 2025 Edition | £21.99 £11.99 (save £10 or 45%) A Heart for Christmas: An Advent Novel | £20 £11.44 (save £8.56 or 43%) Books Are Magic Advent Calendar | £24.99 £21.99 (save £3 or 12%) Book Lovers Advent Calendar | £55 Seven Days Of Reading Birthday Advent Calendar | £59.99 Baby And Toddler Book Advent Calendar | £84.99 £72.24 (save £12.75 or 15%) 24 Days Of Books Advent Calendar | £149.99 Book advent calendars for adults Book Lovers Advent Calendar Rare Birds is a book shop based in Edinburgh that offer a truly unique book advent…

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Ruth Jones books in order: Guide to Gavin & Stacey creator's fiction and non-fiction
type: item
date: 2025-11-25T07:00:28.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: Immerse yourself in Ruth Jones's glorious literary worlds.
encoded: If you're a fan of When Gavin Met Stacey, you'll no doubt be familiar with Ruth Jones and her work on TV – but did you also know she's a fantastic author of novels? So far, Jones has released four fictional books which have been extremely popular. If you've finished the Radio Times Book Club, sponsored by Dr. Oetker Ristorante choice for November, you'll no doubt want to read even more from the talented Welsh woman. Read on for your guide to the books written by Ruth Jones and in which order you'd be best off reading them. Ruth Jones books in order: Never Greener (2018) Us Three (2020) Love Untold (2022) By Your Side (2025) When Gavin Met Stacey: And Everything In Between (2025 - with James Corden) Never Greener (2018) When Kate was 22, she had an affair with a married man, called Callum, and though it ended in heartbreak, Kate would go on to be a successful actress living in London with her lovely family. And while Callum also was happy in Scotland, a chance encounter between the pair changes everything. Should they risk everything for what could be? Us Three (2020) We all make a promise with someone to stay friends forever, but that can be a little tricky to stick to... Lana Judith and Catrin were best friends throughout primary school and were always there for each other, come what may. But an unexpected event shakes the group to the core and their future as a trio is now in doubt... can they recover what they once had before it's too late? Love Untold (2022) Grace is about to turn 90 and she absolutely doesn't want any fuss – the only thing she really desires is that her family's rift is healed. To do that, she must find her daughter Alys, the only person who can put things right, but she's been away for 30 years... with a lot left unsaid and too many wounds to mention, will Grace get her wish? By Your Side (2025) Linda Standish has been a friend to the friendless for over 30 years through her role at the council's Unclaimed Heirs Unit, and finally it's time for…

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What to read after When Gavin Met Stacey: 17 books for TV-obsessed readers
type: item
date: 2025-11-18T07:00:34.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: If you've raced through When Gavin Met Stacey, here's what you should read next...
encoded: If you've raced through the Radio Times Book Club sponsored by Dr. Oetker Ristorante pick for November already, you'll be on the look-out for some more books like it. When Gavin Met Stacey: And Everything In Between tells the story of the inception and subsequent creation of the iconic TV sitcom from the two people who made it, Ruth Jones and James Corden. From humble beginnings when Corden went to a wedding with a bunch of unique people to the very final episode which would be watched by over 19 million people, this is the definitive story of the sitcom that would capture hearts across the nation. You don't just have to be a fan of the show to love this one, though, if you're interested in TV production, that one would've no doubt been a fun read for you. So, if you're looking for your next TV-based read, whether fiction or non-fiction, read on to find out more. 17 books to read after When Gavin Met Stacey Parky: My Autobiography by Michael Parkinson The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series by Jessica Radloff Normal People: The Scripts by Sally Rooney, Alice Birch and Mark O'Rowe We're Falling Through Space: Doctor Who and Celebrating the Mundane by J David Reed Succession season one: The Complete Scripts by Jesse Armstrong Inside No. 9: The Scripts series 1-3 by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith Love That Journey For Me: The Queer Revolution of Schitt's Creek by Emily Garside Lush! by Joanna Page Peaky Blinders - The Real Gangs and Gangsters by Carl Chinn Out of Character by Alison Steadman This Time Next Year by David Jason Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones No Lessons Learned: The Making of Curb Your Enthusiasm by Larry David Fleabag: The Scriptures by Phoebe Waller-Bridge TV: Big Adventures on the Small Screen by Peter Kay Life on Air by Sir David Attenborough Poirot and Me by David Suchet Parky: My Autobiography by Michael Parkinson Michael Parkinson enjoyed one of the most successful careers as an interviewer to da…

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Medieval Prince Harry "would have killed" William, imagines Young James Bond author – as he compares King Charles to a murdered monarch
type: item
date: 2025-11-18T00:01:10.000Z
creator: Ed Grenby
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Singer, comedian, actor, author... not one to rest on his laurels, Charlie Higson's latest book is a joyful and irreverent romp through 1,000 colourful years of the British monarchy.
encoded: When I thank Charlie Higson for joining me, he says, “Oh, it’s a pleasure to talk about myself!” Which is awkward, as we’re not really here to talk about him at all. It’s not that he’s not interesting: he’s been lead singer in an 80s funk-punk band; the genius behind 90s catchphrase-jackpot The Fast Show; and the acclaimed writer of James Bond novels, children’s books and several successful TV dramas. It’s just that the subject of his new book is even more interesting – red-hot-poker-up-the-bottom interesting, in fact. Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee is a history of our country’s kings and queens, from William I to Charles III. As Higson says, those “bemoaning the behaviour of present-day royals such as Prince Harry… [need reminding of the] alarming, violent, often sordid” stuff their predecessors got away with, including (look away now, Wills) fratricide. Had Harry been a medieval prince, reckons Higson, “he would have killed his brother, locked his father up, taken the throne for himself, and everyone would have said, ‘Hooray! Finally, a good strong king!’ That style of monarchy would have suited him. As an ‘army chap’, he’d have promoted himself as a warrior for his country. Out of all of them, he probably would have been the one who succeeded.” View oEmbed on the source website The outlook would have been less rosy for Meghan: “This idea that she’s corrupted him – turned him into a woke, Netflix-documentary-making poodle – would have seen her besmirched as a she-wolf, like Queen Isabella [of France]”. And not much better for Charles: Higson sees the current King as a modern-day Edward II (he of red-hot poker fame), whose “own wife shoved him into a castle, locked him up and murdered him. That would have been Charles’s fate”. My conversation with Higson took place before the latest revelations concerning the King’s own errant brother, Andrew, but the author’s not shy about making criminal comparisons. “It’s like The Godfather,” he says. “There’s this family dynasty, …

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"Very special book" championed by Dua Lipa wins Booker Prize 2025
type: item
date: 2025-11-11T10:41:01.000Z
creator: Molly Moss
subject: Books
subject: News
description: "It's just not like any other book", said panel chair Roddy Doyle.
encoded: British-Hungarian author David Szalay has won the 2025 Booker Prize for his novel Flesh. Szalay’s sixth work of fiction, which traces the life of one man, István, from his youth to midlife, was unanimously chosen as the winner, panel chair Roddy Doyle, who received the prestigious prize in 1993, confirmed. "What we particularly liked about Flesh was its singularity. It's just not like any other book," Doyle said. "It's a dark book, but we all found it a joy to read." Actor Sarah Jessica Parker joined Doyle on this year’s panel, along with the writers Chris Power, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ and Kiley Reid. The novel has also attracted praise from pop singer Dua Lipa and rapper Stormzy. Lipa called it a “tense and gripping read” when she picked it for her book club last month, while Stormzy recorded an extract of the book for a short film that was played at this year’s ceremony. Szalay was presented the prize at a ceremony held in London on Monday night (10th November), during which he said that writing the book “felt risky”. Taking to the stage, he said: "There was a sense of risk being taken. And I think it's very important that we did take those risks. Fiction can take risks – aesthetic, formal or even moral risks. It's important the novel community embraces risk." He continued: "This wasn't easy to write. I didn't cope that graciously or wisely to the pressure – the only person witness to that was my wife," he adds, who he then thanks for sharing the experience with him. Flesh follows the emotionally detached and withdrawn István from adolescence to old age, as his life is unravelled by a series of events beyond his grasp, and explores masculinity, class, power, intimacy and migration. Read more: Best book advent calendars for 2025 to get you in the Christmas mood Stephen Graham unveils "era-defining" book on fathers and sons – and you could take part in it Check out more of our Audio and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guideand Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For …

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When Gavin Met Stacey details how a party brought about the finale
type: item
date: 2025-11-11T07:00:59.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
subject: Magazine
subject: RT Book Club
description: Warm, funny and unforgettable… Gavin & Stacey went out on a high – and all because of a Mexican mariachi party.
encoded: This month’s Radio Times Book Club, sponsored by Dr. Oetker Ristorante, pick tells the story of one of Britain’s best-loved comedies, in a series of conversations between its co-creators James Corden (Smithy) and Ruth Jones (Nessa). In this excerpt, they discuss how last Christmas's finale – watched by more than 20 million people — came to be… James: I’d always thought we should do another one. By the end of series three we had ten million viewers. And it just felt like the show wasn’t going away. People would keep saying, “Go on, do another one". Ruth: It was Mexico that clinched it. James: It was my 40th [in 2018] and my wife, Jules, organised a birthday weekend in Mexico. She flew in my oldest school friend, Sheddy, and she had friends from all over the world fly in. But it was all a massive surprise. Ruth: Julia messaged me and asked, “Would you consider coming to Mexico for it?” And it was strange, because you and I hadn’t really been massively in touch. In fact, I think the last time we’d seen each other was the previous Christmas, when you came over from LA and were staying in a hotel in London, and I remember going there to see you, and being very polite in front of you. Because at that stage you’d so gone into the stratosphere, fame-wise. And I think that disparity is difficult for people sometimes. So Mexico was really key, because then we spent time talking about what a new Gavin & Stacey episode would be. [Before that] I just didn’t want to go back there at all. And I think you did. Then in Mexico we all had to hide away. We knew that you were going to be inside this villa thing, and we all had to gather outside and put sombreros on. One by one, people had to go in. James: Yes, suddenly this mariachi band strikes up, and all these people come in. John Bishop’s there, and all these people I know are marching in wearing sombreros. Then someone opens my laptop, and Tom Cruise is on it, telling me that my mate Sheddy is here, and then he walks in, and then J…

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Joanna Page on When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between
type: item
date: 2025-11-04T09:08:20.000Z
creator: Rhiannon Thomas
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: Joanna Page gives her thoughts on the latest book in the Radio Times Book Club sponsored by Ristorante.
encoded: Joanna Page – our Radio Times and Dr. Oetker Ristorante Book Club ambassador – shares her thoughts on this month’s choice, one very close to home: When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between, by Ruth Jones and James Corden. Make sure to join the Radio Times Book Club sponsored by Dr. Oetker Ristorante to read or watch our full interview with Joanna and what she thought of this behind-the-scenes memoir. What did you think of the book? I would give this book six out of five stars. It’s got the lot. As a fan reading it, you want to get an insight into what it was like filming. What were the funny moments? What bits went wrong? How was it supposed to start? So, you get all of that, but you get so much more – an insight into how it all began, how James and Ruth first met. What was your favourite part? The book is a conversation between Ruth and James that makes it feel like you genuinely are sitting in the room with them. It’s very informal, all sorts of bits and bobs and honesty and truth and arguments and bickering, it all comes out! Did it bring back any Gavin & Stacey memories that you’d forgotten? The book is just so full of anecdotes and gorgeous stories and really brought back memories of Rob Brydon doing his karaoke: we heard this noise, pulled back a curtain and there was Rob doing a full vocal warm-up! The love that we all shared really shines through in this book. Who would you recommend the book to? All lovers of TV, all lovers of Wales and Essex, lovers of sitcoms and fans of Gavin & Stacey. I’m pairing this with a Hawaii pizza from Ristorante, because, in my opinion, ham and pineapple are a dream duo, just like Smithy and Nessa – and it’s my favourite flavour! Now, I’m slightly biased, but I absolutely adored this pairing. HUNGRY FOR MORE? For this month’s midweek treat, Joanna read When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between while enjoying her favourite pizza: Hawaii from Dr. Oetker Ristorante – a hotly debated topping that works perfectly together…

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James Bond spin-off author reveals why he feared becoming public enemy no. 1 with new book
type: item
date: 2025-10-31T07:00:17.000Z
creator: Morgan Jeffery
subject: Books
description: Crime author Vaseem Khan talks reinventing 007's beloved gadget-master Q and a surprising twist in his new novel.
encoded: Only a handful of authors have ever been gifted the opportunity to play in the James Bond sandbox originally devised and expanded by Ian Fleming across a series of 14 007 books. So, for award-winning writer Vaseem Khan, best known for his Baby Ganesh Detective Agency novels, being asked to pen a new series of spin-off novels featuring Bond's beloved gadget-master Q as the lead felt incredibly exciting, but at the same time "tempered by the feeling that people are so wedded to this iconic character". "If I were to make a mess of this..." he tells Radio Times. "...I'd be public enemy number one for Bond fans." Helping to temper his nerves somewhat is that Quantum of Menace – the first in the new Q series – is not a Bond continuation novel in the strictest sense. Instead, it's a sidestep that, according to Khan, "sits somewhere between Mick Herron's Slow Horses and Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club". "It's not a spy novel," he's quick to clarify, with the story of this debut book seeing Q unexpectedly ousted from his role at MI6. Returning to his quiet hometown of Wickstone-on-Water, the man also known as Major Boothroyd soon becomes entangled in an investigation into the death of a childhood friend – renowned quantum computer scientist Peter Napier – and learns that Napier’s cutting-edge work may have drawn dangerous attention. Besides being a successful author, Khan is the Business Development Director at the UCL Security and Crime Science Department, where he helps manage the UCL Dawes Centre for Future Crime. Their work exploring how emerging technologies – such as quantum computing – could be exploited by criminals has directly influenced the themes of his book. The ambition was to provide us with a whole new outlook on Bond's world – and an entirely new Q, too. "It's taking a character that we think we know, and completely reinventing him," says Khan. "He hardly appeared in the [Fleming] books at all… we know very little about him. And in the movies, it's alwa…

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Sally Magnusson dishes on King Charles III reporting the weather – and why she doesn't miss Reporting Scotland following 27-year run
type: item
date: 2025-10-28T00:01:35.000Z
creator: Ed Grenby
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: After an eventful three decades on TV news, broadcaster Sally Magnusson is refocusing her efforts on her literary endeavours.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Ask Sally Magnusson what she misses after finishing her 27-year run on Reporting Scotland six months ago, and the long pause while she tries to think of something is as telling as her actual answer. “I’ll be incredibly honest with you,” she says eventually. “I don’t really miss it. I miss colleagues, but I’m still on the WhatsApp group, and we meet up.” So she now gets all the perks with none of the work? “Well, yes. But I don’t get the money, either.” Certainly Magnusson earned her wages: across her years on Reporting Scotland, Breakfast Time and others, she recalls covering such dark times as Dunblane, Lockerbie, Zeebrugge, Princess Diana’s funeral and Covid – which she found just as harrowing in its way as those other, more dramatic stories. But there were happier moments, too (“so many!”). And, pushed for examples, this time there is no hesitation at all. “One of the most joyful was the day that Prince Charles and Camilla came and did the weather on my programme. That was a huge amount of fun, especially trying to get Camilla to do it. Charles read off the autocue with great aplomb and did the whole thing very well, but when I asked Camilla she said, ‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly!’ Charles encouraged her, though, and he held her handbag while she had a go. She wasn’t quite as good as him… but be careful how you tell that story, because I don’t want to make it look as if she was terrible.” (If you’re worried that RT has just blown Magnusson’s chances of an honour, relax: she got her MBE in 2023.) Now, at any rate, the 70-year-old has time to write. Previously, she’d squeezed her literary output in around the day job and bringing up five children – all the more remarkable when you consider the breadth of her work, from a moving memoir of her mother’s dementia (“I wanted to describe her at each stage, so I would never forget how she smiled, or moved her hands through her hair, or put her lipstick on”) to children’s st…

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Michael Palin reveals how a Monty Python sketch saved him from being thrown in a Venezuelan jail
type: item
date: 2025-10-20T20:00:34.000Z
creator: Ed Grenby
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Sir Michael Palin’s wanderlust is undimmed at 82, but how does the comedian defuse a dangerous situation?
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. You could almost hear the sigh of collective disappointment from the country’s female population. I’d asked Michael Palin – perhaps a little insensitively, given it’s only two and a half years since his wife of 57 years died – if he might be looking for a new travelling companion. And the answer was polite (of course) but emphatic: “I do miss Helen very much on holidays. I was away with all my children and grandchildren in Italy recently, and it was lovely, but I realised I was 25 years older than the next oldest person there. You do need someone your own age to share your perspective and roll your eyes with – but I’m not really in the market for meeting anyone else.” Bad news for the nation’s womenfolk, perhaps – anyone who’s seen any of his TV travelogues knows he’d be the perfect person to squire you around foreign climes – but at least we all get to accompany the former Python in his witty, insightful, lightly learned written accounts. The latest of these, Michael Palin in Venezuela, accompanies September’s three-part series of the same name. But why Venezuela? “The decisions on where we go are taken by myself and Neil Ferguson, the director. He’s the one who says, ‘I want to go somewhere else,’ while I’m saying, ‘I’d rather stay in bed for a couple more days.’ But I never really want to stay in bed or sit in one place too long: I love travelling. It’s a form of global fidgeting.” It sounds like he has a travel companion already then. Do they bicker like a couple? “Oh no, I’m far too agreeable. We have constructive conversations. I say, ‘I’m 82. I might fall over if I go there.’ He says, ‘You’ll be fine.’ And Channel 5 – who are presumably paying the insurance bill – seem very keen to keep me travelling, too.” That still doesn’t explain Venezuela, I point out. “It’s always been a mysterious country to me, but with something seductive about its name. It also fits the bill for what we try to do in these shows, w…

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Stephen Graham unveils "era-defining" book on fathers and sons – and you could take part in it
type: item
date: 2025-10-15T09:15:01.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: Books
subject: News
description: What advice would you give to your son about being a man? Fathers are being invited to share their perspectives.
encoded: Stephen Graham will continue the difficult conversation he started with Adolescence in a new book titled Letters to Our Sons, which is currently seeking contributions. The collection will be comprised of letters written by fathers to their young sons, offering advice and insight into what it means to be a man, with Graham's letter being one of the varied entries. The recent Emmy winner is developing the project with psychology lecturer Orly Klein, which is inspired by an idea that the latter had when her own son was turning 13 years old. Other letters featured will come courtesy of members of the public, with publisher Bloomsbury inviting fathers from all walks of life to submit their entries for consideration, in what it hopes will be an "era-defining" work. In a note on the book's website, Graham and Klein explain: "We want you to write a letter to him, to tell him what you wish you had known when you were younger, what advice you would like to pass on to him, and what – in your opinion – being a man should be about." They add: "You don't need to be a great writer, we just want you to speak from the heart. If you’re a bit stuck, we've got some prompts for you which might help inspire you. "And by the way, if you want to be anonymous, that's completely fine, and of course we plan to protect the identity of your son." You can hear Graham and Klein introduce and discuss Letters to Our Sons in a YouTube video from Bloomsbury. Full terms and conditions, and instructions on how to enter your piece, can be found on the publisher's website. Graham explained that it was the enormous impact of Adolescence, which he starred in and co-created alongside The Hack's Jack Thorne, that made clear to him the "greater need for communication between fathers and sons". He commented: "There is arguably an even bigger disconnect than ever before, and I would love to help create more opportunity for fathers to reach out to their sons and carry on the conversation. "We want to hear from m…

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Jilly Cooper: "I just think I'm a drip with no confidence"
type: item
date: 2025-10-06T12:55:22.000Z
creator: Andrew Duncan
subject: Books
subject: Interview
description: In 1996 the late Jilly Cooper welcomed RT's Andrew Duncan into her Gloucestershire home for a memorable interview over lunch.
encoded: This article was first published in Radio Times magazine in April 1996, when Jilly Cooper featured on Radio 3's Private Passions as her novel Appassionata was being released. What more is there to say about Jolly Jilly, the everlasting Essex girl [born in Hornchurch, but brought up in Yorkshire], gap-toothed and voluble, batty about animals who she claims love her more than people, flattering as only the deeply insecure can be? It takes a heart of stone not to preen at all those, "Gosh, you are brilliants", even though you realise she says it to every boy, girl, dog, cat, and cockatoo for all I know. She has enough compassion to fuel a nunnery and enough sexual imagination to empty it in a hurry. Her latest bonkbuster, Appassionata, does for the world of orchestras what her previous four have done for showjumping, polo, television and toyboys in her fictional county of Rutshire, and includes many of her familiar heroes such as dastardly Rupert Campbell-Black. It is a world of divinely masterful men, women who worry about their breast size, characters twee at times and robustly sexual [there’s a coupling on the glockenspiel] at others. Her husband Leo, a publisher of military history who spends a few days each week at his London office, says her own life is entwined in her fiction (her sadly departed dog Barbara is forever immortalised as the mongrel "Gertrude"), and although he skims the books – he is only human – he coined the pun "sex and Chopin" for Appassionata. Her mother adds that she was always attracted to preppy, blond, upper-class cads. Certainly, her own life is a sitcom, only more amusing and, sometimes sadly, over the top. It would be tempting, in this cynical age, to believe it is all a good marketing ploy, but the glorious thing about her is that she is genuine. No one could pretend to be that seriously dippy. On the other hand, could anyone that seriously dippy spend three years writing such long books? Real life is a mystery, so we might as well rel…

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Steph McGovern reveals hopes for TV adaptation of book - with very famous Teessider in lead role
type: item
date: 2025-10-03T10:00:00.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
subject: Exclusive
subject: Interview
description: Steph McGovern reveals her favourite ever books.
encoded: Steph McGovern is arguably one of the busiest women in the entertainment industry. In the midst of juggling various shows (including the newly-announced role as Crimewatch host), she's also firmly planting herself in the world of books following a successful debut and an upcoming appearance at Cheltenham Literature Festival. "In my job as a journalist, I get to interview authors and I'm obviously obsessed with reading, but to be going to one of the biggest book events to be interviewed as an author? It's just really surreal," McGovern exclusively tells RadioTimes.com. "I get more nervous about that than I do if suddenly I had to go and explain something complicated about fiscal policy." McGovern released her debut novel, Deadline, in July of this year to rave reviews. It follows a broadcast journalist, Rose, who has her earpiece hijacked by someone who is kidnapping her child. She then finds herself at the mercy of this figure as she tries to work out what's going on, and how she can stop anything truly terrible from happening. It's nail-biting stuff, and deeply-rooted in the world McGovern knows all too well. But it was also some words of encouragement from one very famous writer that got her over the finish line. "I knew I had this hook of a TV reporter being hijacked on air, but I didn't know why or who did it. Ann Cleeves gave me the confidence to let the characters tell me; that gave me confidence in writing because I didn't have everything set in my head and I thought you would probably have to be like that, so it was really liberating," McGovern explained. "I'm a massive crime reader, so I'm always thinking about the 'what if?'. So for me, my ordinary situation would be, at that point, being live on telly– the extraordinary thing would be it being hijacked." McGovern has now moved on to writing her second novel – and seems to be enjoying the process a lot. While she's leaving the TV set behind her for the follow-up, Rose, the lead character is coming with her…

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From page-turners to prizewinners: The best 27 books of 2025 so far
type: item
date: 2025-10-02T09:00:27.000Z
creator: Fleurine Tideman
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: Whether it's breakout debuts, blockbuster returns, twisty thrillers or candid memoirs, these are the 2025 releases you won't want to miss.
encoded: This year has already delivered a spectacular array of stories, essays and revelations, with 2025 shaping up to be an excellent one for literature. From heartbreaking memoirs to mind‑bending novels, laugh‑out‑loud debuts to literary masterpieces, it’s hard to pick the best books of 2025, but we’ll try our hardest. Whether you’re after escapism, insight or sheer page‑turning pleasure, our round‑up of the year’s top books offers an ultimate guide to reading this year. Get ready to discover your next obsession, with something for everyone on this list. Best fiction books of 2025 A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay Buckeye by Patrick Ryan The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovits What We Can Know by Ian McEwan The Artist by Lucy Steeds Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan Stag Dance by Torrey Peters Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson The Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery Katabasis by R.F.Kuang Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins Who Wants to Live Forever by Hanna Thomas Uose Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab 1. A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay Former doctor turned bestselling author Adam Kay makes a striking fiction debut with this medical mystery full of heart and dark humour. At its centre is Eitan Rose, a gifted doctor whose mental health struggles often hold him back. Still reeling from a breakup and haunted by the loss of his sister during his training, Eitan is just about keeping afloat when his boss dies suddenly. Convinced it’s more than natural causes, he sets out to uncover the truth. With sharp insights into medicine, an undercurrent of grief, and plenty of wit, A Particularly Nasty Case is a particularly good book to curl up with on a Sunday afternoon. 2. Buckeye by Patrick Ryan Rich with insight into the human spirit and sharp observations of American life, Buckeye is a generational tale o…

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Penny Lancaster on Gregg Wallace facing “justice” – and why husband Rod Stewart will never retire
type: item
date: 2025-09-29T20:00:52.000Z
creator: Gemma Calvert
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: “That was a refreshing piece of justice.”
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. “I’ve always loved the idea of curating my own television nature programme,” reveals photographer and Loose Women guest panellist Penny Lancaster, who can’t get enough of the great outdoors. The garden of her home on the Hertfordshire-Essex border is full of mature oak trees and topiary – and she and rock-legend husband Sir Rod Stewart are, she declares, tree huggers (“It’s really grounding”). As well as three other luxury homes (in LA, Florida and France) the couple have a floating abode. Bluebell – a bright blue narrow boat – was Stewart’s 50th birthday gift to Lancaster, now 54, after she became captivated by canal boating during their daily lockdown river walks. “We’d see these beautiful narrow boats,” she explains, “and I thought, ‘That’s a slow life, isn’t it?’. They go five miles an hour and it’s all among nature. I told my mum that I’d love one. So she was like, ‘Hint hint, Rod’.” A sanctuary for when “life gets fast”, Bluebell is a cause for near disaster, too. “We’ve got a bedroom at the front, and one time Rod was lying in there with the doors open while I was at the other end. Then I went, ‘Oh darling, hang on!’. We crashed into the bank, and a willow tree came into the bedroom,” recalls Lancaster. “Rod was lying there with a tree on top of him!” The couple started dating in 1999 and married eight years later in Portofino, Italy. Eighteen years on, they still relish surprises. “We had a doorway that was blocked, and I put a bookcase in it,” says Lancaster. “Then it was a case of, ‘Find what I’ve done!’ Or he’ll say to me, ‘Go in there’ – and there’ll be a new painting or a new statue in the room.” Balancing all that extravagance, glamour and wealth is service to the community. Most Thursdays, the former Strictly Come Dancing contestant does a night shift for the City of London Police. She became a volunteer Special Constable in 2021 after falling in love with policing in 2019 when she took part in the …

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23 best historical fiction books: From Taylor Jenkins Reid classic to Outlander
type: item
date: 2025-09-29T10:49:39.000Z
creator: Fleurine Tideman
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: Turn back the clocks with these incredible historical fiction books and lose yourself in glittering royal courts or bustling wartime cities.
encoded: There’s nothing quite like a great historical novel to sweep you away to another time and place. From glittering royal courts and bustling wartime cities to the quieter lives forever changed by history’s turning points, these stories blend fact and imagination in the most compelling way. Leave your cosy reading nook for the streets of Paris, the royal bedchamber and the bloodstained beaches of Troy, with these 23 historical fiction books. You’re guaranteed an epic, emotional and transportive experience from the very first page. Best historical fiction books <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/ALL-LIGHT-CANNOT-SEE-Breathtaking/dp/0008138303/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zifBNf37ycLt_bO7FemPph2kNxTBfFfQ9mbtnr8pTQtmom1lZoMxOOsVwB0TDn_h_OHqm6ucVHmqSZ1PA9-ZhOiIhap-wv1LLiQKCdoimoBf7VCRAlrDVq-6Y167Dt_450V-oYYU5ulLINR2dO0PI3u8YD8agYetMPLcU2Zee5zz58Aiq2_26r4--IdmGSldzsDZKrJc3-VhilflIJRTLT8Iyf7eeX2Pd4o3ty7jgzk.FfVAGF2a9Lr0Y0js93azpSHYt2TCdX6ZE2uWoZ26454&qid=1758278340&sr=1-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2310796" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nightingale-Kristin-Hannah/dp/1509898417/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1dg-3SGnHwzc6eMdBLL_DJZEtxk-WYIynZ7L---aBR2MAH8XexmkQKflvwnwrwG4jEDKtKxAdbwgX8mrtDGOL9LZSgRNsXZCB3xkG43DsIlmIlj2h232gLFiRRS7YOeL8B3_yoNHPeIZUgF_Qh15O_g-w2LXD8QZ9lehL5kf4h67uPLEnKmOtzLnIKB0a1jtl8z_fHYQTZ_MzLdgELe5s0clJZpAfr6IolszSIPevSI.hhE1LGdYzqtsAEiEqz-GtdNv6Jd07Y95usbrNAuezW4&qid=1758278362&sr=1-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2310796" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pachinko-New-York-Times-Bestseller/dp/1838930507/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rFn_9Cuz_YqjAAfuJAzKFhPNLGEW6iNc62DLFqbTCDNN7ljkYNx3KYrjPBu-9cZeIClSSalvLKX_tR-ZePC9NE78zHOQgemrAJHzwtXeJ6uqktBzLjjRXAXrrn2Dp_G7MBsKUQk1aYiuQ6hm_zjV5Aq9jWis7k2oxPTbl…

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How to read James Patterson’s Alex Cross books in order
type: item
date: 2025-09-29T08:46:45.000Z
creator: Fleurine Tideman
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: We've put together the ultimate guide to James Patterson’s Alex Cross series, from his very first case to his latest showdown.
encoded: With more than three decades of crime, psychological suspense and high-octane thrills under his belt, Alex Cross has emerged as one of suspense fiction’s most enduring characters. James Patterson is a prolific writer, producing several other series in the meantime, but Alex Cross remains a fan favourite. Whether you're a newcomer, a seasoned Cross-head, or looking for a lighter spin-off fix, you’ll find everything you need to know in this guide to Patterson’s most popular series. Here’s how you read the Alex Cross books in order. How to read the Alex Cross books in order <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Along-Came-Spider-Alex-Cross/dp/1787469727/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mjYgZFNu7nYSg81fPXUJ1HsKLUIyg60XY96S1prv8L4cWkdK0jIkANgsWRU0iyiibT2ifIM97aslIMfW7mTgTONog0xwed_Y_ch7v1BOHSmIw7gdtod21x4ld405R-Iyr4JK3p3dmKrCFIBJrqzrnf20RxAI69Sq8Enc2PM_aj2-ZVoJcN1DH6HyN-SrTtNPk1WLaktb5UHBh2PTAHNjzWL1TQmhMCzbvHQTj4OMLF8.EAObHKyDAMiSpnBhQTrJQFSR4HSrFXFhRSyjvXuIz5Y&qid=1758211353&sr=1-5&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2309236" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">Along Came a Spider (1993) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kiss-Girls-Alex-Cross-2/dp/1784757489/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mjYgZFNu7nYSg81fPXUJ1HsKLUIyg60XY96S1prv8L4cWkdK0jIkANgsWRU0iyiibT2ifIM97aslIMfW7mTgTONog0xwed_Y_ch7v1BOHSmIw7gdtod21x4ld405R-Iyr4JK3p3dmKrCFIBJrqzrnf20RxAI69Sq8Enc2PM_aj2-ZVoJcN1DH6HyN-SrTtNPk1WLaktb5UHBh2PTAHNjzWL1TQmhMCzbvHQTj4OMLF8.EAObHKyDAMiSpnBhQTrJQFSR4HSrFXFhRSyjvXuIz5Y&qid=1758211353&sr=1-11&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2309236" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">Kiss the Girls (1995) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jack-Jill-Alex-Cross-3/dp/1784757454/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mjYgZFNu7nYSg81fPXUJ1HsKLUIyg60XY96S1prv8L4cWkdK0jIkANgsWRU0iyiibT2ifIM97aslIMfW7mTgTONog0xwed_Y_ch7v1BOHSmIw7gdtod21x4ld405R-Iyr4JK3p3dmKrCFIBJrqzrnf20RxAI69Sq8Enc2PM_aj2-ZVoJcN1DH6HyN-SrTtNPk1WLaktb…

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17 books to read if you're already missing The Summer I Turned Pretty
type: item
date: 2025-09-26T10:16:54.000Z
creator: Fleurine Tideman
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: How to fill the Cousins Beach-shaped hole in your heart.
encoded: The finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty was the Gen Z/Millennial equivalent of the Friends finale. Only this time, instead of begging Rachel not to go to Paris, we were all urging Conrad to hop on a plane. Now that the kisses have been shared, the promises made, and our favourite couple is off to Brussels, we’re left with a gaping hole in our romance-loving hearts. With the nights drawing in, it’s the perfect moment to curl up with a book that can help fill the void. Here are the 17 best books to read if you’re already missing The Summer I Turned Pretty – well, until the film is released! What to read after finishing The Summer I Turned Pretty Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins Every Summer After by Carley Fortune Call It What You Want by Alissa DeRogatis Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid Happy Place by Emily Henry We Were Liars by E. Lockhart Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry But How Are You, Really by Ella Dawson Save the Date by Allison Raskin The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord The Wedding People by Alison Espach To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han 1. Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter No one could miss the Audrey Hepburn references scattered throughout season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty – the perfect nod for an old movie enthusiast like Belly. A natural follow-up is Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter, which is all about bringing that movie magic into your own life. The story follows Liz, a teen who has spent years planning her life like a romcom – right down to the grand romantic gestures – only to discover that real-life love is messier and far less predictable than any script. Like Belly learning that a wedding doesn’t solve everything and that problems follow you to Paris, Liz learns that love doesn’t always come on schedu…

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Gavin & Stacey icon Joanna Page dishes on her new memoir Lush! - and why she wrote it in the car at 5am
type: item
date: 2025-09-25T14:40:35.000Z
creator: Ed Grenby
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
subject: RT Book Club
description: From career lows to Gavin & Stacey, Joanna Page’s memoir Lush! tells all. But why did she write it in her car at 5am?
encoded: “I’m probably not even allowed to say this,” confides Joanna Page, pausing for perhaps 0.4 seconds before saying it anyway. “I wanted to call my book ‘Breathe Through Your Anus’.” The explanation tumbles out just as quickly (“It’s something our teacher at Rada told us to do, and I thought it was quite a fitting title”), but it’s typical of the way the Gavin & Stacey star talks: winningly wide-eyed, utterly unfiltered, 19 (or 20!) to the dozen, and always on the edge of laughter. In the end – and in a nod to one of Stacey’s most repeated lines – Page has called her memoir Lush! It’s no less frank or relatable (or scatologically funny) for all that, though. “When I realised I was going to write a book,” she admits in the acknowledgements, “I got over-excited, thought I was Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City and went straight out to buy a handbag I could carry my notepad and pens in. Then I realised I was going to have to actually write the thing and s**t myself.” It turns out she was right to panic, as producing a book when you’ve got four young children, four guinea pigs and two dogs to look after is no breeze. “I’d go and sit in our garage to write, and my husband would be like, ‘I’ll look after all of them’ – but that apparently involves him popping in every five minutes to ask me something. So then I started going to car parks to write, just sitting there in my car trying to get it done in the middle of the night until I thought ‘This is getting a bit dodgy’ – or maybe a bit dogging-y – so I’d go back and park outside my own house, not daring to go inside in case I woke the kids, and keep writing in my car till five in the morning.” Refreshingly for an actor’s autobiography, she’s just as candid about her career lows: lad-mag photographers getting her drunk for raunchy shoots, mendacious directors tricking her into sex scenes, a handsy TV presenter trying to feel her up on set (she won’t name him because “he’s not on telly any more. He got his comeuppance”). An…

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The Impossible Fortune review: A new dawn for The Thursday Murder Club
type: item
date: 2025-09-24T23:01:04.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
subject: Comment
subject: Review
description: The gang's back together, but dynamics have certainly changed.
encoded: The Thursday Murder Club may now have worldwide status thanks to Netflix, but in Coopers Chase it’s business as usual for Richard Osman’s unlikely detectives. The Impossible Fortune picks up after the devastating tragedy of the fourth book. Time has passed, but Elizabeth’s grief is still palpable. The gang reunites for a happier occasion (Joanna’s surprise wedding), though it isn’t long before Elizabeth is approached by the best man for help. Soon she’s drawn into a case involving a missing person, murders, and a fortune in bitcoin. And of course she has to bring the gang along for some help, being forced to rely on them a lot more than usual. The real strength of the series has always been Osman’s character work. The Last Devil to Die remains the series’ emotional peak, but this entry carries that thread forward, which proves a wise decision. Elizabeth, still mourning Stephen, isn’t as sharp as usual, and for the first time the investigation doesn’t belong solely to her. Instead, the others - Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron - step into the spotlight. Joyce shoulders much of the responsibility, rallying the group and making decisions herself, even when it puts her in danger. Ibrahim continues his curious connection with Connie the drug lord, a relationship that’s proving unexpectedly rewarding for them both. Meanwhile, Ron takes centre stage in the B-plot, wrestling with the reveal of his daughter’s abusive marriage and his own ageing body. His struggle with fading strength and identity delivers some of the novel’s most poignant passages, though admittedly leaving the reader wishing for even more. As ever, Osman uses the cosy crime frame to explore themes often overlooked in the genre: loneliness, loss and diminishing independence. Here, Ron’s journey of letting go of his old self and embracing a new one is especially affecting and the novel would be even stronger if readers were able to linger on these themes just a little longer. The mystery itself is more high-tech than u…

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27 best autobiographies you have to read in 2025
type: item
date: 2025-09-24T09:40:58.000Z
creator: Imogen Hope
subject: Books
description: Whether you're a long-time lover of non-fiction or you're new to the world of autobiographies, this is our list of the 25 best autobiographies you've got to read in 2025.
encoded: Whether you're looking for the perfect present or searching for some much-need self care time in 2025, you can't go wrong with a good book. But, while some of us might like to dive deep into the realms of fiction when we're relaxing (or commuting), many more like to stay firmly grounded in reality, which is where our guide of autobiographies comes in. Whether it's sports stars, celebrities or pioneers, there are literally thousands of autobiographies to suit your taste. Retailers like Waterstones and Amazon are choc-a-bloc the things, from age-old classics like Becoming by Michelle Obama or newer titles like 2024's Miranda Hart's I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest with You. Below, you'll find a jam-packed list of all the best autobiographies to buy this year, and be sure to take a look at Amazon to see if these books are available to purchase on your Kindle, for example, Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings costs £11.85 on paperback and £4.99 on the Kindle. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Looking for better ways to experience your favourite audiobook? Check out guides to the Audible gift card and best Audible deals. Plus, check out the best two player board games. Best autobiographies at a glance: Peter Kay’s Diary, Peter Kay | £12.50 Lush!: My Story - From Swansea to Stacey and Everything in Between, Joanna Page | £25 Source Code, Bill Gates | from £25 I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest with You, Miranda Hart | from £5.48 Dancing in the Rain, Amy Dowden | from £10.11 The Third Gilmore Girl, Kelly Bishop | from £10.11 All That Matters, Chris Hoy | £22 Diddly Squat: Home to Roost, Jeremy Clarkson | £22 Open, Andre Agassi | £10.99 Everything I Know About Love, Dolly Alderton | £10.99 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou | from £11.85 Wild Swans, Jung Chang | from £10.99 The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion | from £9.85 The Princess Diarist, Carrie Fisher | £2.19 All Creatures Great and Small, James Herriot | from £10.44 This is Going to H…

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Slow Horses author speaks out on the potential for more books in the series after Clown Town
type: item
date: 2025-09-24T07:00:47.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Books
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Apple TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Video
description: There have now been nine books in the series - and it seems more are on the way.
encoded: The first episode in the fifth season of Slow Horses is now available to stream on Apple TV+, adapting the fifth novel in Mick Herron's book series, London Rules. Seasons 6 and 7 of the show have already been commissioned, and will also be based on Herron's work, specifically the sixth, seventh and eighth books in the series. Beyond spin-off books with links to the central series, that will just leave one book left in the series to adapt – Clown Town, which was just released earlier this month. Thankfully, fans don't need to worry about the story ending there, as Herron has teased there are more novels on the way, even if he's not sure quite how many. Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com at a special An Evening with Radio Times screening of Slow Horses season 5 at the BFI, Herron was asked how long he could see the book series going on for beyond Clown Town. "There will be more to come," he said. "I haven’t decided how many yet but I’m enjoying myself and don’t plan to stop just yet." Earlier this year, Herron teased the plot of Clown Town ahead of its release, telling Radio Times: "It's to do with a very horrible, real-life operation that was carried out by the intelligence services during the height of the Troubles. It's set now, it's a Slough House novel, but it's dealing with multiple things that happened 40 years ago and the traumatic and ongoing effects that they have on the people involved. "And what it must be like for an agent to do something which is nominally for the good in the country and to safeguard the Commonwealth, if you like, but, in fact, is morally dubious and personally traumatic." At the screening, the author also revealed that season 5 of the show features "a lot of interesting departures from the book", all of which he found enjoyable and some of which he instigated himself. Slow Horses season 5 releases on 24th September 2025 on Apple TV+ – sign up to Apple TV+ now. Add Slow Horses to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app…

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Adam Kay books in order: from fiction to non-fiction
type: item
date: 2025-09-23T06:00:21.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: Books
subject: RT Book Club
description: Get to know Adam Kay's works in full, including his fiction, non-fiction and children's books.
encoded: You've definitely heard of Adam Kay following the success of his book, This Is Going To Hurt, which was later adapted into a BBC hit series. What you may not know about him is that he also had a series of successful children's novels to teach young ones about their bodies and medical marvels. Though Kay has predominantly worked across the world of non-fiction, he's stepped into the fictional space with his debut novel, A Particularly Nasty Case, which is a crime thriller about a doctor wrapped up in a serial murder mystery world. It just so happens to be the September book for the Radio Times Book Club, sponsored by Dr. Oetker Ristorante. There's one clear connecting theme between Kay's work in all its formats; it's always set in the world of medicine. Whether you're looking for a recommendation for a little one or something for yourself, here's the definitive guide to Adam Kay's work in order. Adam Kay books in order How to Be a Bogus Doctor (2011) (with Stanley Tedson) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Going-Hurt-Secret-Diaries-ebook/dp/B06XWDJRGS?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zWHRe7vggXU8KYC3Cpxita7tI0vd8m7uzXA_vYrgTjQHlxKzeMmuNVzwuX858MRZ5zXiGGp083XMyFnrVz_eyfWueKkQ4M-2RM2OBH31KF4gwkLiMCRoutVNNAXfgE3jKgaOgFzOn0piMysl5gTnAonSyTuUmmN-czVZbkRgbhrz1WJNyh0dQFAvc1Mm3idI8mhfl5klr3vdwzHYmPtfOieF1GcAY9YuGOalKhuqlYM.mYObCqLFmboofbn0_DrYgGIdGJpfLmfeTG8xWmArZq4&dib_tag=AUTHOR&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-2297416" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">This Is Going to Hurt (2017) What Seems to Be the Problem with Adam Kay and Mark Watson (2019) (with Mark Watson) <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kays-Marvellous-Medicine-Gruesome-History-ebook/dp/B08YV65TZS?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zWHRe7vggXU8KYC3Cpxita7tI0vd8m7uzXA_vYrgTjQHlxKzeMmuNVzwuX858MRZ5zXiGGp083XMyFnrVz_eyfWueKkQ4M-2RM2OBH31KF4gwkLiMCRoutVNNAXfgE3jKgaOgFzOn0piMysl5gTnAonSyTuUmmN-czVZbkRgbhrz1WJNyh0dQFAvc1Mm3idI8mhfl5klr3vdwzHYmPtfOieF1GcAY9YuGOalKhuqlYM.mYObCqLFmboofbn0_DrYgGIdGJpfLmfeTG8xWm…

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Alan Davies reflects on childhood abuse, dealing with anger and being diagnosed with cancer
type: item
date: 2025-09-22T23:01:06.000Z
creator: Gemma Calvert
subject: Books
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Abuse, cancer and other traumas have been part of Alan Davies's life – but he’s learning to look forward positively.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Flying west across the International Date Line erases a day from the calendar. For most, it’s a curious geographical twist. For Alan Davies, travelling from Los Angeles to Melbourne in the summer of 2023 became something symbolic when 3 August vanished – it was the day his father, who had sexually abused him from the age of eight to 13, took his final breath. “It was weird because, technically, I wasn’t on the planet,” says Davies, who had not seen his father for six years by the the time he died. In his courageous and acclaimed 2020 memoir Just Ignore Him, Davies exposed a harrowing childhood in Essex: the heartbreak of losing his mother suddenly from leukaemia when he was only six – then, two years later, how his accountant father began visiting his bedroom after dark. He later reported the offences to the police but because of his father’s Alzheimer’s no charges were ever brought. Two years on, Davies’s emotions toward his father remain complex. “I read a lot about forgiveness and how it can set you free and you’re a better person and it’s what Jesus would have done. But it’s a long journey because of what he did, the way he treated me,” he says. “He did a lot of damage and I really try not to pass any of that damage on to my own kids. It’s less about forgiveness and more about trying to forget. There won’t be any more memoirs.” His first, My Favourite People and Me 1978–1988, featured the 44 people who most influenced Davies growing up, and inspired his 2010 Channel 4 three-parter Teenage Revolution. His latest, White Male Stand-Up, continues Davies’s life story, charting his journey from 90s comedy circuit novice to landing his big acting break in Jonathan Creek in 1997, before becoming the only permanent panellist on QI. An ongoing thread of the memoir is Davies’s inner “angry boy”: a product, he writes, “when baked-in rage is unmanaged” and trauma is “suppressed”. Angry Boy often surfaces in the face of aut…

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