Simon Mayo's Books Of The Year

TJ Newman knows how to write a page-turner! And in this episode, she talks about her writing processes, her love of books, who she likes to read and why she prefers to write at night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Flight attendant turned bestselling thriller author, TJ Newman, joins Simon and Matt to discuss her latest novel, "Drowning" TJ wrote her first book on red eye flights when she was working, sometimes jotting ideas on napkins or scraps of paper. This formed her first book, which received 41 rejections. She talks about her writing journey and why "failure" is a positive thing. She also discusses her writing processes and why she thinks her books will be sold in airports - despite the subject matter! Here comes the science bit...Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors-but it's too late. The plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside.More than two hundred feet below the surface, engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are waist-deep in water and fighting for their lives.Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team on the surface led by professional diver Chris Kent - Shannon's mother and Will's soon-to-be ex-wife - who must work together with Will to find a way to save their daughter and rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, which is now teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff.There's not much time.There's even less air.With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family's desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them - against impossible odds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Simon and Matt put some questions to S.A. Cosby. They discuss his reading habits, where he writes best and his inspirations. There's also a cameo appearance from bestselling author, Ruth Ware! Remember you can get in touch with us at anytime by emailing booksoftheyear@yahoo.com And follow us @booksoftheyear on twitter / @pickanypage on instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"It's our favourite book so far this year"Simon and Matt have called it! And with good reason, S.A. Cosby's new novel - 'All The Sinners Bleed' - is fantastic!Shawn joins us from New York to discuss his inspirations, his made-up town of Charon, the role of Sherifs and the messages he wants readers to take from his novels.*Please note that there are some themes discussed which listeners may find triggering or difficult to hear.Here comes the science bit:A BLACK SHERIFF. A SERIAL KILLER.AND A SMALL TOWN READY TO COMBUST.Titus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia. In recent decades, Charon has had only two murders. After years of working as an FBI agent, no one knows better than Titus that while his hometown might seem like a land of moonshine, cornbread, and honeysuckle, secrets always fester under the surface.But a year to the day after Titus’s election, a school teacher is killed by a former student. The student is then fatally shot by Titus’s deputies.As Titus investigates the shootings, he unearths terrible crimes, and a serial killer who has been hiding in plain sight, haunting the dirt lanes and woodland clearings of Charon. With the killer’s possible connections to a local church and the town’s harrowing history weighing on him, Titus tries to project confidence about closing the case while concealing a painful secret from his own past. At the same time, he also has to contend with a far-right group that wants to hold a parade in celebration of the town’s Confederate history.Charon is Titus’s home and his heart. But where faith and violence meet, there will be a reckoning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, answers questions about his reading habits and writing processes. It turns out he's a big Richard Osman fan (well, who isn't?) and a big champion of libraries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Simon and Matt are joined by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.They discuss his new book, 'Breathe', and his passion and determination to change the air pollution in London - and tackle climate change in the wider world.Simon gets 'a bit 5 Live' and Matt asks if it's too late! (so, nice and light)Here comes the science bit:A seven-step guide to winning support for tough action on climate change - the first book from the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.For many years, Sadiq wasn't fully aware of the dangers posed by air pollution, nor its connection with climate change. Then, at the age of 43, he was unexpectedly diagnosed with adult-onset asthma - brought on by the polluted London air he had been breathing for decades.Scandalised, Sadiq underwent a political transformation that would see him become one of the most prominent global politicians fighting (and winning) elections on green issues. Since becoming Mayor of London in 2016, he has declared a climate emergency, introduced the world's first Ultra-Low Emission Zone, built hundreds of kilometres of new cycle lanes, led a drive for affordable insulation in council homes, and turned London into the first ever 'National Park City'.But with every year bringing more wildfires, extreme temperatures and flooding - and with around 4,000 people still dying prematurely from London's polluted air every year, with older, working class and ethnic minority Londoners most affected - there is so much more to do.Now, Sadiq draws on his experiences to identify the seven ways environmental action gets blown off course. And he reveals how to get it back on track, by:- Proving to sceptics that the climate crisis is a health crisis too;- Overcoming voters' cynicism by building coalitions across the political spectrum;- Shaking hands with everyone from your fiercest opponents to the most steadfast climate activists (even if you're a bit worried they might superglue you).Breathe is a call to action demonstrating how anyone - whether voter, activist or politician - can win the argument on climate. It will help create a world where we can all breathe again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our bonus Q&A episode, Joanne Harris answers questions about her reading and writing habits. We hear from bestselling author, and Chair of the Women's Prize For Fiction, Kate Moss, as well as discussing the British Library, scents and how a you don't need a physical writing shed, to have a writing shed. (eh!?) Joanne talks about some of the authors she loves, including Shelley Parker-Chan, whose novel 'She Who Became The Sun' is the last book she really really enjoyed reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former teacher, turned bestselling novelist, Joanne Harris joins Simon and Matt to discuss her writing and her inspirations.Her latest novel is 'Broken Light', and Joanne tells us how she came up with the idea for this new book, which in her words is 'a strange and unexpected book'. We discuss the influence of Stephen King, the joy of magic and why this is an angry book."Here comes the science bit!"A tragic incident unlocks the slumbering talents of the fifty-something Bernie Moon in this powerful tale of female ambition, ageing and taking back control from the bestselling author of Chocolat.A bold and timely novel that explores how women can feel invisible as they grow older- and what happens when they decide to take back control.Bernie Moon's ambitions and dreams have been forgotten by everyone else - including Bernie herself. At 19 she was full of promise, but now facing 50 and going through the menopause, she's a fading light. Until the murder of a woman in a local park unlocks a series of childhood memories, and with them, a talent that she has hidden all her adult life.What happens when the frustrations and power of an older woman are finally given their chance to be revealed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

International bestselling novelist, Cecelia Ahern, joins Simon and Matt to talk about her writing processes and reading habits. She tells us about her rigid schedule, why she has to write in the mornings and recommends us some great books too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Simon and Matt chat with multi-million selling author, Cecelia Ahern.They discuss colours, auras, writing post natal and why should always learn to turn your computer alerts off.Cecelia tells us the inspiration behind her new novel and how she came to name her main protagonist.Here comes the science bit...Finding your way is never a simple journey...Alice sees the worst in people. She also sees the best. She sees a thousand different emotions and knows exactly what everyone around her is feeling. Every. Single. Day.But it's the dark thoughts. The sadness. The rage. These are the things she can't get out of her head. The things that overwhelm her. Where will the journey to find herself begin? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices