Favourite reads from Evanna Lynch, Dane Baptiste, Emilia Fox and Andy Parsons

10 November 2021

As BBC Two's book club Between the Covers returns for a new series, get in the mood with a look at the beloved books that Sara Cox's guests are bringing to the table. First up are Harry Potter actor Evanna Lynch, comedians Dane Baptiste and Andy Parsons, and Silent Witness star Emilia Fox.

Between the Covers is an intimate book club hosted by Sara Cox in which guests open up about their favourite reads. Four guests review the week’s book club picks and also reveal one of their favourites from their own shelf.

Episode 1 - Guests reveal their favourite books

Centred on the unnamed narrator, who is the daughter of diplomats posted to Peking / Beijing in the mid-1970s, Loving Sabotage chronicles a young girl's understanding of the struggles and pains of adult life.

Evanna says, “Amélie Nothomb is one of my favourite authors. She writes a book a year which I think is amazing!

“Loving Sabotage is written from a child’s point of view and uses child’s vocabulary. To me it captures being a kid. It’s so dramatic and the most vivid experience. She falls in love with this other girl who is very cold and cruel – and almost a Helen of Troy character – and she is desperate to impress her. It is beautifully written.”

Through a life of passion and struggle, Malcolm X became one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century.

In this riveting account, he tells of his journey from a prison cell to Mecca, describing his transition from hoodlum to Muslim minister. Here, the man who called himself "the angriest Black man in America" relates how his conversion to true Islam helped him confront his rage and recognize the brotherhood of all mankind.

Dane says: “He is one of the biggest inspirations for me. I was given enough confidence and personal validation by this book to pursue comedy. And to embrace critical thinking. This is essential reading for all men my age.”

Taddeo's book explores the sexuality of three different women.

Lina, a suburban Indiana mother, suffers a teenage rape that disrupts the course of her life. Maggie, a seventeen-year-old high school student in North Dakota, becomes entangled in an illegal affair with her married English teacher. Sloane, a successful restaurant owner in the Northeast, has a husband who likes to watch her have sex with other men and women.

Taddeo spent eight years writing this book, driving across America six times to embed herself in the lives of the three women in the title.

Emilia says, “It was recommended to me as something all women should read... and all men should read to learn about women. I love how she’s done all her research with women and gone to live with the women she’s writing about. I was slightly nervous when I started reading it – feels a bit racy – but it’s not the raciness that matters.”

Dr. Seuss's books are classics, and many of his original readers are now sharing his books with their children.

Oh, The Places You'll Go was the last of the author's books to be published before his death. It talks to the young (or adult!) reader about what life is, what they can expect as they get older and how to move through the world with joy, thankfulness, ambition and kindness. It reminds us that, though some things will be wonderful, there will be challenges along the way.

Andy says: “People say they re-read Great Expectations every year... well I don’t have time for that! I have kids who are 10 and 3 and I always try to get them to read this one. I’ve read it dozens and dozens of times. It comforts you when you’re feeling down and it is good when you’re feeling up.

“The illustrations are wonderful too. More people have got into reading through Dr. Seuss in the USA than anyone else. I’d happily give it to everyone.”