Debut novelist, Grace Walker, joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club to chat about her claustrophobic, dystopian page-turner - 'The Merge'

The book asks a lot of questions for the reader, so Sara and Grace discuss some of those 'what would YOU do?' moments, as well as finding out some of the inspirations behind the plot and storylines. (it turns out, a conversation about not wanting to live in your partner's body can spark a whole novel)

Grace also gives us her book recommendation of the moment, and shares one of the horror stories from writing this particular book - the sort no writer wants to hear!

Here's some more info on 'The Merge'

Laurie is sixty-five and living with Alzheimer’s. Her daughter Amelia can’t bear to see her mother’s mind fade. Faced with the reality of losing her forever, Amelia signs them up to take part in the world’s first experimental merging process for Alzheimer’s patients, in which Laurie’s ailing mind will be transferred into Amelia’s healthy body and their consciousness will be blended as one.

Soon Amelia and Laurie join a group of other merge participants: teenage Lucas, who plans to merge with his terminally ill brother Noah; Ben, who will merge with his pregnant fiancée Annie; and Jay, whose merging partner is his unwilling addict daughter Lara.

As they prepare to move to The Village, a luxurious rehabilitation centre for those who have merged, they quickly begin to question whether everything is really as it seems.

Former librarian turned book influencer, Simon Savidge, joins Sara for a chat about his favourite books of the year - and - his recommendations for great Christmas gifts.

His choices include three novels (for that person who's already read everything!), three kids books (to inspire and entertain young minds) and three works of non-fiction (for the hard-to-buy-for person in your life).

SIMON'S RECOMMENDATIONS

Fiction: On The Calculation of Volume (Book 1) by Solvej Balle A Room Above A Shop by Anthony Shapland Love Forms by Claire Adam

Younger Readers: Dungeon Runners by Kieran Larwood Impossible Creatures by Katherine Randell Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi

Non-Fiction: Agent Zo by Clare Mulley The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein A Thousand Threads by Neneh Cherry

His go-to Christmas book: Stay Another Day by Juno Dawson

Sara welcomes former library worker turned head of all things Radio 2 Book Club, Karen McPherson, to the podcast.

They chat about how we choose our titles each year, the joy of libraries, 'the fight room' - plus - Karen also shares her Top Five Reads Of The Year.

The Names by Florence Knapp

Show Me Where it Hurts by Claire Gleeson

This Bright Life by Karen Campbell

One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford

The Greatest Possible Good by Ben Brooks