A Good Read

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - Cabin Pressure star and writer, John Finnemore and columnist and author, Peter Hitchens - discuss their favourite books by Michael Frayn, Josephine Tey and Michael Simkins. 'The Daughter of Time' by Josephine Tey Publisher: Cornerstone 'A Landing on the Sun' by Michael Frayn Publisher: Faber & Faber 'What's My Motivaton?' by Michael Simkins Publisher: Ebury Fi...

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - broadcaster, Justin Webb and novelist, Frances Fyfield - discuss favourite books by Wallace Stegner, Iain Pears and Fred Vargas. Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner Publisher: Penguin Stone's Fall by Iain Pears Publisher: Vintage Books Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas Publisher: Random House First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2012.

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - businessman, Sir Michael Darrington and entrepreneur, Terri Duhon - discuss John Grisham, Suzanne Collins and Marguerite Duras. The Litigators by John Grisham Publisher: Hodder The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Publisher: Scholastic The Lover by Marguerite Duras - translated by Barbara Bray Publisher: Harper Perennial First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 20...

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - British mountaineer, Andy Cave and journalist and amateur climber, Ed Douglas to discuss favourite books by Lionel Terray, Nan Shepherd and Patricia Highsmith. Conquistadores of the Useless by Lionel Terray (Translated by Geoffrey Sutton) Publisher: Batten Wickes The Living Mountain - A Celebration of the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland - by Nan Shepherd Publisher...

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - crime writer, Val McDermid and comedian and neologist, Alex Horne - diccuss favourite books by Andre Agassi, Jeanette Winterson and David Malou. Why be Happy When you Could be Normal by Jeanette Winterson Publisher: Vintage Remembering Babylon by David Malouf Publisher: Vintage Open by Andre Agassi Publisher: Harper Collins First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in Octobe...

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - journalist, Kevin Maguire and columnist, Lucy Mangan - discuss their favourite books by Florence King, Peter Ackroyd and Simon Gray.. Lucy Mangan's choice: 'Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady' by Florence King Publisher: Virago Kevin Maguire's choice: 'The Clerkenwell Tales' by Peter Ackroyd Publisher: Random House Harriett Gilbert's choice: 'The Smoking Diarie...

Harriet Gilbert and her guests - comedy producer, Jon Plowman and publisher, Tim Coates - discuss favourite books by James Christie, Tobias Wolff and Patrick deWitt. Tim Coates' choice: 'Dear Miss Landau' by James Christie Jon Plowman's choice: 'Old School' by Tobias Wolff Harriett Gilbert's choice: 'The Sisters Brothers' by Patrick deWitt First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2012.

Fairtrade entrepreneur Sophi Tranchell, Radio Times television critic Alison Graham, and presenter Harriett Gilbert discuss their favourite reads. BOOKS FEATURED IN THE PROGRAMME Sophi Tranchell's choice: 'The Man from Beijing' by Henning Mankell Alison Graham's choice: 'The Rain Before it Falls' by Jonathan Coe Harriett Gilbert's choice: 'Our Man in Havana' by Graham Greene Producer: John Byrne F...

Harriet Gilbert and her guests - historian, Helen Castor and sustainability activist, Rob Hopkins, - discuss their favourite books by John Stewart Collis, William Golding and Marcelo Figeras. Rob Hopkins' choice: 'The Worm Forgives the Plough' by John Stewart Collis Publisher: Random House Helen Castor's choice: 'The Spire' by William Golding Publisher: Faber and Faber Harriett Gilbert's choice: K...

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - former barrister, Constance Briscoe and science journalist, Angela Saini - discuss favourite books by Jill Paton Walsh, Isaac Asimov and Muriel Spark. Constance's choice: 'Knowledge Of Angels' by Jill Paton Walsh Publisher: Black Swan Angela's choice: 'Foundation' by Isaac Asimov Publisher: Harper Collins Harriett's choice: 'Curriculum Vitae' by Muriel Spark Publi...

Harriett Gilbert' and her guests - actor, Larry Lamb (Gavin & Stacey) and writer, Ian Marchant.- discuss favourite books by Tim Winton, Alain Mabanckou and JL Carr. Larry Lamb's choice: ‘Dirt Music’ by Tim Winton Ian Marchant's choice: ‘How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers Won the FA Cup’ by JL Carr Harriett Gilbert's choice: ‘African Psycho’ by Alain Mabanckou. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in Jun...

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - columnist and author, Michele Hanson and Director of External Affairs at the Science Museum Group, Roger Highfield - discuss their favourite books by Tobias Smollett, Siddhartha Mukherjee and John Le Carre. Michele Hanson's choice: 'Humphry Clinker' by Tobias Smollett Roger Highfield's choice: 'The Emperor of All Maladies' by Siddhartha Mukherjee Harriett Gilbert'...

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - space scientist, Maggie Aderin-Pocock and music producer, William Orbit - discuss favourite books by John Wyndham, Janice Galloway and Tom Stoppard. 'Chocky' by John Wyndham Publisher: Penguin 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' by Tom Stoppard Publisher: Faber and Faber 'Trick Is To Keep Breathing' by Janice Galloway Publisher: Vintage First broadcast on BBC...

Deadly 60 presenter Steve Backshall and Editor of Gransnet Geraldine Bedell discuss their favourite books with Harriett Gilbert. Geraldine picks 'The Idea of Perfection' by Kate Grenville, a touching romance between two people in the eccentric little backwater of Karakarook, Australia. Steve opts for a chilling ghost-story set around a scientific expedition to the Arctic Circle in 1937 - 'Dark Mat...

Harriett Gilbert and her guests – comedian Isy Suttie and opera singer and broadcaster Beverley Humphreys - discuss favourite books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Ian McEwan and Daniel Keyes. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, which Beverly describes as a "love letter to literature." Isy picks The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan, a sinister tale of two couples in an unnamed European town, whic...

Harriett Gilbert and her guests – writer, Grace Dent and actress, Frances Barber - discuss favourite books by Nancy Mitford, Khaled Hosseini and Margaret Atwood. From Bristol at BBC Radio 4's More Than Words Listening Festival. Grace Dent chooses: Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford. Frances Barber chooses A Thousand Splendid Suns by Aghan-born novelist Khaled Hosseini. And Harriett Gilbert ch...

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - astronomer and Sky at Night presenter, Chris Lintott and Chief Music Critic for The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick - discuss favourite books by Anne Tyler, Olaf Stapledon and Marie Darrieussecq. A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler Publisher: Vintage White by Marie Darrieussecq Publisher: Faber First Men by Olaf Stapledon Publisher: Gollancz Producer: Toby Field Firs...

Harriett Gilbert invites Deborah Meaden from Dragons' Den, and folk-singer and songwriter Eliza Carthy to pick their favourite books. Eliza chooses Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer - a story of a young man who goes to the Ukraine in search of the woman who saved his Grandfather from the Nazis, aided by a blind old man, a randy dog and a very, very bad translator. Deborah's choice...

Harriett Gilbert's guests this week are the art critic Brian Sewell and the poet Wendy Cope. Books chosen: "From the City, From the Plough," by Alexander Baron "The Moving Toyshop," by Edmund Crispin "Evening in the Palace of Reason," by James Gaines Producer Christine Hall First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.

Harriett Gilbert and her guests, historian, Gus Casely-Hayford and educationalist Martin Stephen discuss books by Aminatta Forna, Dan Vyleta and Thomas Hardy. Gus chooses a fictional account of the fall-out from the conflict in Sierra Leone, Aminatta Forna's "The Memory of Love", which has a natural resonance with Harriett's own choice, "Pavel and I". This is a first novel from Dan Vyleta, set in...

Harriett Gilbert talks to children's writer Eleanor Updale and TV and radio presenter Andrea Oliver about favourite books by William Trevor, Mohsin Hamid and Laura Esquivel. 'Love and Summer' by William Trevor Publisher: Penguin 'Like Water for Chocolate' by Laura Esquivel Publisher: Black Swan 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' by Mohsin Hamid Publisher: Penguin First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in Febr...

Harriett Gilbert and her guests - writer, Bonnie Greer and scriptwriter, Simon Brett - discuss their favourite books by Alberto Méndez, Michael Green and Annie Proulx. 'Blind Sunflowers' by Alberto Mendez Publisher: Arcadia Books ''The Art of Coarse Acting' by Michael Green Publisher: Samuel French 'The Shipping News' by Annie Proulx Publisher: Fourth Estate First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in Febru...

Chief Executive of Oxfam Barbara Stocking, and historian Lucy Worsley discuss their favourite paperbacks with Harriett Gilbert. Barbara's choice is Antonia Fraser's intimate portrait of her relationship with Harold Pinter: Must You Go. Lucy's book is a kitchen classic: Food in England by Dorothy Hartley. Harriett's choice is the seedy crime thriller that gave us the malevolent character Pinkie: Br...

Journalist, Rachel Johnson, and journalist/broadcaster Martin Kelner join Harriett Gilbert to discuss favourite books by Beth Gutcheon, Norman Collins and Beryl Bainbridge. Rachel's choice is about every parent's worst nightmare - the disappearance of a child: Still Missing by Beth Gutcheon. Martin opts for a weighty story of the capital city and its characters during the Second World War: London...

Harriett Gilbert is joined by award-winning singer-songwriter Nerina Pallot and computer games industry pioneer Peter Molyneux to discuss their favourite books. Nerina's choice is an elegiac story of loss and life - The Sportswriter, by Richard Ford. Peter has picked the gripping and intimate father-son story - The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. Harriett's book is an intriguing and occasionally torrid...