Books

Filled with stories of people in the grip of illness or in the triumphant wake of recovery, this life-affirming audiobook shows how true health is possible—if we are willing to embrace authenticity above social expectations. The Myth of Normal is Gabor Maté's most ambitious, compassionate and urgent book yet.

The Myth of Normal, by Dr Gabor Mate

Read by Roger Wayne

“The Lords of Discipline is, simply, an American classic.” -- Larry King

The Lords of Discipline is a novel about coming of age, brotherhood, betrayal, and a man’s forging of his own personal code of honor. Will McLean, a senior on the cadets’ honor court, is an outsider by nature: a basketball star at a school that prizes military prowess above athletics, a military man in training who dares to question the escalating Vietnam war. And yet his greatest struggle will be with the corrupt institution of which he is a part. Rich in humor and suspense, abounding in a rare honesty and generosity of feeling, this novel established Pat Conroy as one of the strongest fictional voices in a generation.

“A work of enormous power, passion, humor, and wisdom.” – Washington Star

“God preserve Pat Conroy.” – Boston Globe

The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy

Read by Alan Carlson

“A masterpiece that can compare with Steinbeck’s East of Eden. … Some books make you laugh; some make you cry; some make you think. The Prince of Tides is a rarity: It does all three.” — Detroit Free Press

A modern American classic and a family saga that spans decades, this is the story of the volatile Tom Wingo, his brilliant but troubled twin sister, Savannah, and the complex and damaging family legacy they share. Moving between the sparkling glamour of New York City and the vanishing beauty of the South Carolina low country, The Prince of Tides is Pat Conroy’s masterwork.

“A big, sprawling saga of a novel…the kind you hole up with and spend some days with and put down feeling you have emerged from a terrible, wonderful spell.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“A literary gem . . . The Prince of Tides is in the best tradition of novel writing. It is an engrossing story of unforgettable characters.” —The Pittsburgh Press

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE PHENOMENAL INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER - 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD.

Transform your life with tiny changes in behaviour, starting now.

People think that when you want to change your life, you need to think big. But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way. He knows that real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions: doing two push-ups a day, waking up five minutes early, or holding a single short phone call.

He calls them atomic habits.

In this ground-breaking book, Clears reveals exactly how these minuscule changes can grow into such life-altering outcomes. He uncovers a handful of simple life hacks (the forgotten art of Habit Stacking, the unexpected power of the Two Minute Rule, or the trick to entering the Goldilocks Zone), and delves into cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience to explain why they matter. Along the way, he tells inspiring stories of Olympic gold medalists, leading CEOs, and distinguished scientists who have used the science of tiny habits to stay productive, motivated, and happy.

Atomic Habits

From the master of tragicomedy and award-winning author of Skippy Dies: a tour de force new novel about family, fortune, and the struggle to be a good person when the world is (maybe) ending...

Irresistibly funny, wise and thought-provoking, a state-of-the-nation novel about one unhappy family in the midst of meltdown.

The Bee Sting 1. Cass

BBC Radio adaptations of Aldous Huxley’s finest works – plus a bonus documentary programme.

Philosopher, pacifist, psychonaut and prophet, Aldous Huxley was one of the 20th century’s pre-eminent intellectuals and writers. The author of over 50 books, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize nine times, and elected Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature in 1962, a year before his death. Known for his mordant satire and visionary ideas, Huxley spanned the period from post-First World War disillusionment to mid-century mysticism, and the works in this collection reflect his literary evolution.

Antic Hay, his witty, ironic portrait of the glittering hedonism of 1920s London, is dramatised by award-winning playwright Mike Harris, and stars James Cooney and Emily Pithon.

Originally a short story, Huxley’s dark comedy of manners The Gioconda Smile was adapted as a hit West End play in 1948. This BBC Radio dramatisation stars Peter Bowles as the womanizing Henry Hutton, about to marry his second wife but accused of killing his first.

Brave New World is Huxley’s classic 1932 tale of a future totalitarian dystopia, where promiscuity is the norm, eugenics a respectable science and the drug Soma is freely available. Adapted for Radio 4, it stars Jonathan Coy, Justin Salinger, Milton Lopes and Anton Lesser.

Aldous Huxley’s 1953 novel The Devils of Loudon, an imagined account of a real-life witch trial in 17th-century France, was revamped for the stage as The Devils in 1960. A gripping tale of mass hysteria, religious and sexual obsession and alleged demonic possession, this radio version stars Michael Bryant and Sarah Badel.

The Dwarves, a full-cast drama based on Chapter 13 of Crome Yellow, tells the story of Sir Hercules and his wife Filomena, whose country-house haven for dwarves like themselves is unexpectedly threatened. David Learner, Claire Faulconbridge and Garard Green star.

Concluding our collection are readings of five of his short stories set in the 1920s and a fascinating biographical documentary. Edward Petherbridge reads ‘Cynthia’, ‘The Bookshop’, ‘Eupompus Gave Splendour to Art by Numbers’, ‘Fard’ and ‘The Portrait’, while the documentary All Those Vile Bodies explores the contradictions of the satirist of the brittle 20s turned prescient critic of 20th-century progress. Valentine Cunningham presents, with contributions from Sybille Bedford, Lord Jenkins, Sir Stephen Spender, Gavin Ewart, Julian Symons and Lewis Wolpert, and archive recordings of Huxley, his brother Julian and contemporaries.

First published 1920 (‘Cynthia’, ‘The Bookshop’, ‘Eupompus Gave Splendour to Art by Numbers’), 1921 (‘The Dwarves’), 1923 (Antic Hay), 1924 (‘Fard’, ‘The Portrait’), 1932 (Brave New World), 1948 (The Gioconda Smile), 1960 (The Devils)

© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.(P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Aldous Huxley: A BBC Radio Collection audiobook extract

The inspiration for the film from Oscar award-winning director Barry Jenkins.

'Achingly beautiful' Guardian

Harlem in the 1970s: the black soul of New York City. Tish is nineteen and the man she loves - her lifelong friend and the father of her unborn child - has been jailed for a crime he did not commit. As their families come together to fight for his freedom, will their love be enough?

'Soulful . . . Racial injustice may flatten "the black experience" into one single, fearful, constantly undermined way of life - but black life, black love, is so much larger than that . . . It's one of the signature lessons of Baldwin's work that blackness contains multitudes' Vanity Fair

'If Beale Street Could Talk affirms not only love between a man and a woman, but love of a type that is dealt with only rarely in contemporary fiction - that between members of a family' Joyce Carol Oates

©1974 James Baldwin (P)2024 Penguin Audio

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin, read by Bahni Turpin

Final words and heartfelt remembrances from bestselling author Pat Conroy take center stage in this winning nonfiction collection, supplemented by touching pieces from Conroy&rsquo;s many friends. &#160; This new volume of Pat Conroy&rsquo;s nonfiction brings together some of the most charming interviews, magazine articles, speeches, and letters from his long literary career, many of them addressed directly to his readers with his habitual greeting, &ldquo;Hey, out there.&rdquo; Ranging across diverse subjects, such as favorite recent reads, the challenge of staying motivated to exercise, and processing the loss of dear friends, Conroy&rsquo;s eminently memorable pieces offer a unique window into the life of a true titan of Southern writing. With a beautiful introduction from his widow, novelist Cassandra King, A Lowcountry Heart also honors Conroy&rsquo;s legacy and the innumerable lives he touched. Finally, the collection turns to remembrances of &ldquo;The Great Conroy,&rdquo; as he is lovingly titled by friends, and concludes with a eulogy. The inarguable power of Conroy&rsquo;s work resonates throughout&#160;A Lowcountry Heart, and his influence promises to endure. This moving tribute is sure to be a cherished keepsake for any true Conroy fan and remain a lasting monument to one of the best-loved masters of contemporary American letters. From the Hardcover edition.

A Lowcountry Heart by Pat Conroy, read by Scott Brick

Novelist Niven Govinden joins John and Andy to discuss James Baldwin's 1968 novel 'Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone'. Also discussed:  'The World My Wilderness' by Rose Macaulay, and 'The Gallows Pole' by Ben Myers. Oh, and Lissa Evans' scene stealing turn in 'The Finest', the film adaptation of her WWII set novel.

Timings: (may differ due to adverts)
11'01 - Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff by Michael Nesmith  
12'16 The World my Wilderness by Rose Macauley
15'51 - The Gallows Pole - Ben Myers
29'10 - Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone by James Baldwin

* To purchase any of the books mentioned in this episode please visit our bookshop at uk.bookshop.org/shop/backlisted where all profits help to sustain this podcast and UK independent bookshops.
* For information about everything mentioned in this episode visit www.backlisted.fm
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Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone by James Baldwin

Penguin Books publishes blockbusting, prize-winning, celebrated, controversial, heart-warming, thought-provoking and inspiring books by a range of authors from Ali Smith to Zadie Smith, Jeremy Clarkson to Jeremy Paxman and Jamie Oliver to Oliver Goldsmith.

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin, read by Bahni Turpin

Penguin Books UK