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Zoe Ball Book Club

The Zoe Ball Book Club ran on ITV in 2018 was shown every Sunday morning throughout the summer to encourage the country to read more. Each week, Zoe is discussing a book with a celebrity guest, and inviting viewers to get involved on social media using @ZBoS or #ZBoS. There are 10 different books to cover the 10 weeks of the show, and we would love to know your thoughts on them! You can leave a review on our website with your thoughts on each book – positive or negative, we want to hear them!

You can catch up on the launch of the Book Club on the ITV website.

Are you looking for the Radio 2 Book Club hosted on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show? Find out about it.

Week 1 – Sunday 17 June

This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay

Both hilarious and heartbreaking, Kay shows us the reality of being a junior doctor in the NHS – the endless days, the bodily fluids, the low pay, and the crucial life-or-death decisions doctors make every day.

Week 2 – Sunday 24 June

The Summer of Impossible Things by Rowan Coleman

“If you could change the past, would you?”

A novel about family, courage, sacrifice and love in all its guises, Luna travels back in time to try and save her mother’s life, while possibly sacrificing her own.

Week 3 – Sunday 1 July

Never Greener by Ruth Jones

22 year-old Kate thought she would never get over her heartbreak from having an affair with a married man. 17 years later, they meet again and have a choice: either they walk away from each other, or risk finding out what might have been…

Week 4 – Sunday 8 July

Dark Pines by Will Dean

A story of murder and secrets in a forest near a remote Swedish town. Tuva Moodyson, a deaf reporter for the local paper is looking for her big break and covers the story, not knowing what she will uncover.

Week 5 – Sunday 15 July

The Man I Think I Know by Mike Gayle

James and Danny form an unlikely and unexpected friendship in a story of life, second chances and daring to believe in better things.

Week 6 – Sunday 22 July

I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell

A memoir with a difference – the story of one woman’s many near-death experiences, reflecting on her life and vulnerability.

Week 7 – Sunday 29 July

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

A gripping ghost story as the newly widowed Elsie sees out her pregnancy at her late husband’s crumbling country estate, thinking that she only has her husband’s awkward cousin for company. However, behind the door of locked room, lies a painted wooden figure that looks strangely like Elsie.

Week 8 – Sunday 5 August

Killer Intent by Tony Kent

A life-or-death race against the clock, as three strangers’ lives overlap after an attempted assassination and chaos overthrowing the government. A political thriller that will keep you hooked until the end.

Week 9 – Sunday 12 August

The Sealwoman’s Gift by Sally Magnusson

A story of abduction and slavery in 17th century Iceland and Algeria, where although the facts are acknowledged, little is known about what happened to the women and children. The stories in her head keep Ásta – the Icelandic pastor’s wife recently enslaved – alive, protecting her mind and keeping her happy.

Week 10 – Sunday 19 August

A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee

In 1920s India, following the assassination of the Maharajah’s son, Captain Sam Wyndham gets caught up in the mystery to find his murderer, whilst grappling with Indian politics, religion and traditions.

Get involved

What do you think about the chosen books? Join in the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #ZBoS.

Leave a review of any of the books on the Reading Groups for Everyone website.

Find out more about the Zoe Ball Book Club.

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Resources

How to start a reading group

Interested in joining a reading group or starting one of your own? Download our quick guide to getting started. You can also download icebreaker questions to help get your discussion started, and a social media guide to show how you can share your reading with others online.

News

Discussion guides

We know how useful a discussion guide is for your book club meeting, so here you’ll find some recent guides provided by publishers. Free to download, you can use them to help choose your next book and guide your discussion.

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