Simon Mayo's Books of the Year

Simon and Matt chat to debut author Jo Browning Wroe. Her book, although beginning with a terrible real life tragedy, is an inspiring, uplifting read. Among other things, they chat about the embalming process, choral music and the cost of using famous lyrics in print. Tonight nineteen-year-old William Lavery is dressed for success, his first black-tie do. It's the Midlands Chapter of the Institute of Embalmers Ladies' Night Dinner Dance, and William is taking Gloria in her sequinned evening gown. He can barely believe his luck. But as the guests sip their drinks and smoke their post-dinner cigarettes a telegram delivers news of a tragedy. An event so terrible it will shake the nation. It is October 1966 and a landslide at a coal mine has buried a school: Aberfan. William decides he must act, so he stands and volunteers to attend. It will be his first job, and will be - although he's yet to know it - a choice that threatens to sacrifice his own happiness. His work that night will force him to think about the little boy he was, and the losses he has worked so hard to bury. But compassion can have surprising consequences, because - as William discovers - giving so much to others can sometimes help us heal ourselves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed recommends a variety of books including those by Hugh Ruttledge, Sam Knight, JB Priestley, Kingsley Amis and Cheeta! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed tells the amazing story of Maurice Wilson, who planned to be the first person to scale Everest. His plan was to crash a plane in to it! What could possibly go wrong? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The multi million best selling author talks us through some of his favourite books and authors which include Joseph Knox, CS Lewis, Peter Caren and John Irving Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Boyne returns to the pod for his hat-trick appearance. He has written 13 novels for for adults, 6 novels for younger readers, and a short story collection, including The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas which was a New York Times no.1 Bestseller and was adapted for a feature film, a play, a ballet and an opera, selling around 11 million copies worldwide. As of 2021, it has spent 15 years in the New York Times Top 10 Bestsellers Chart. His latest novel The Echo Chamber looks at the effects of social media. "To err is maybe to be human but to really foul things up you only need a phone." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the world's great crime writers takes our Q&A about his favourite books and authors...which include Ian Rankin, PD James and Agatha Christie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iceland's Ragnar Jonasson is a crime writing phenomenon - and it's not even his main job. He works as an investment banker in Reykjavik, in addition to teaching law at Reykjavik University. But is also a bestseller in Germany, France, the UK and Australia. From the age of 17, Ragnar translated 14 Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic. Ragnar is the co-founder of the Reykjavik international crime writing festival Iceland Noir. He has also been shortlisted for Novel of the Year in Sweden, The Barry Award in the US and the Petrona Award. The film rights for The Darkness have also been snapped up by Hollywood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The best selling author of Black Buck talks us through some of his favourite books and authors, which include...Colson Whitehead, Jason Reynolds, Iceberg Slim, John A Williams and Candice Carty Williams Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A fantastically funny interview with Mateo Askaripour about his New York Times bestseller Black Buck - a satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like, and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael is the bestselling author of thirty-six novels and one work of non-fiction. With over eighty million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theatres worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent #1 New York Times bestsellers include Dark Sacred Night, Two Kinds Of Truth, The Late Show, The Wrong Side Of Goodbye, The Crossing, The Burning Room, The Gods of Guilt, and The Black Box. Michael’s crime fiction career was honoured with the Diamond Dagger from the CWA in 2018. Michael is the executive producer of Bosch, an Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver. Bosch streams on Amazon Prime Video. He is the creator and host of the podcast Murder Book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.