Between the Covers Season 2 is on the way, so the BBC’s virtual book club is back in business!
Since book clubs have either moved online or cancelled, Sara Cox’s virtual book club filled that gap in late 2020. Now, the BBC’s nationwide reading circle will be back for a second series later this year.
Every book involved in the show will be marked in book stores, libraries and online to highlight them to audiences, and viewers can join in on the discussion each week by using the #BetweenTheCovers on Twitter.
Between the Covers Season 2 release date
Between the Covers returns to BBC2 on Monday 10 May at 7.30pm.
Who is hosting Between the Covers Season 2?
Sara Cox is back on hosting duties, and she’ll be joined each week by a new panel of four famous faces.
Sara tells us: "We loved the first series and we were definitely keen to do more — let’s face it, we’re never going to run out of books! So yeah, when we got the call that it was happening again, I was really chuffed. I was also really chuffed that one of the big hitters from last year, I’d already read, so that was a bonus — because obviously there’s quite a lot of reading to do with the 12 books!"
Each week, each celebrity guest will bring their favourite book of all time along to discuss with fellow guests.
"What’s really refreshing is I’m used to interviewing people about their latest podcast, or their new single or album, or their TV show or stand-ups show, and there’s none of that on this, nobody’s plugging anything, they come on just because they love books and they want to talk about books," adds Sara.
"They all say as well how lovely it is just to talk about books for a change instead of themselves, although ironically they end up talking about themselves because we ask them what this book means to them or where they read it, you know, so by default they relax and talk about themselves."
We’ve already revealed the 6 big hitters now behold the 6 fantastic BRAND NEW books we’ll be chatting about on the new series of #BetweenTheCovers - from unsettling thrillers & double crossing mysteries to stories of friendship, love & struggle - there’s something for everyone📚 pic.twitter.com/5a1sZgvBKqMarch 17, 2021
Which celebrities will be in Between the Covers Season 2?
There’s a great range of celebrity readers joining Sara Cox for this second series including Death in Paradise actor Don Warrington, Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh, celebrity chef Rick Stein, comedians like Rachel Parris, Katherine Ryan and Nish Kumar, and TV presenter Stacey Dooley.
Now that the BBC has released the full schedule and reading list for Between the Covers, we’ve got a full rundown of every celebrity guest later in this article.
What’s on the reading list?
You can’t have a book club without books, and there will be plenty of recommendations on Between the Covers! Each week, Sara Cox and her guests will focus on two books (alongside those brought along by her guests).
One book will be a so-called “big hitter”, hugely successful books that more people should have on their shelves like Shuggie Bain.
The celebrity readers will also discuss newly-published books, most of which will be published
The BBC has announced the full schedule for Between the Covers' second season. Listed in the broadcast order, the reading list is as follows:
Week 1
Newly-published book: The Fine Art Of Invisible Detection by Robert Goddard (published 18 March)
Big hitter: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Celebrity book club panel: Mel Giedroyc, Rick Edwards, Oti Mabuse and Griff Rhys-Jones.
Week 2
Newly-published book: Should We Fall Behind by Sharon Duggal (published October 2020)
Big hitter: The Lying Life Of Adults by Elena Ferrante
Celebrity book club panel: Rachel Parris, Rick Stein, Vick Hope and Rob Delaney.
Week 3
Newly-published book: Sixteen Horses by Greg Buchanan (published 29 April)
Big hitter: The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Daré
Celebrity book club panel: David Baddiel, Katherine Ryan, Adjoa Andoh and Phil Davis.
Week 4
Newly-published book: Another Life by Jodie Chapman (published 1 April)
Big hitter: Agent Running In The Field by John le Carré
Celebrity book club panel: Don Warrington, Zoe Lyons, Hugh Dennis and Giovanna Fletcher.
Week 5
Newly-published book: The Last House On Needless Street by Catriona Ward (published 18 March)
Big hitter: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Celebrity book club panel: Nish Kumar, Stacey Dooley, Robert Webb and Caitlin Moran.
Week 6
Newly-published book: The Frequency Of Us by Keith Stuart (published 25 March)
Big hitter: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
Celebrity book club panel: Ranvir Singh, Micky Flanagan, Sophie Willan and Reginald D Hunter.
