Debut novelist and illustrator, Seth Insua, joins Sara for the Radio 2 Book Club to discuss his book "Human, Animal"

He talks about his inspirations for the book, from growing up in rural England to the Brexit vote of 2016. They discuss his publishing journey and how, after many years of thinking about it, the book was written in such a short time.

Seth is also an illustrator, but wasn't allowed anywhere near his own cover...for reasons that become apparent in the chat.

Sara delves into the themes of the book, what it means to be a farmer in 2025 - and - we hear a snippet of the audiobook as well.

Here's the blurb!

Dairy farmer George Calvert is fighting to keep the family business afloat. Worried about the future but resistant to change, he refuses to face the reality of his failing farm, his elderly mother's declining health and his troubled relationship with his youngest son, Tom.

Newly returned from university, Tom isolates himself in his childhood bedroom, guarding the truth of his burgeoning identity.

When animal rights activists break into the cowshed one morning and Tom appears to side with the protesters, father and son lock horns. As the Calverts begin to unravel, a decades-old secret surfaces – one that might rip them apart completely, or finally unite them.

This week's episode is all about recommendations! Listener Harriet Thomas joins Sara to go through her Top Five Reads of the year (and last year)

She picks: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell.

The Unseen by Roy Jackobson Shuggie Baine by Douglas Stewart

A Fortnight In September by RC Sherriff

Plus, we get her thoughts on our latest Radio 2 Book Club choice - "Nesting" by Roisin O'Donnell

Our latest Radio 2 Book Club choice is 'Nesting' by Roisin O'Donnell.

It is a beautiful but tense novel about hope and resilience, which contains themes of coercive control.

Roisin has been wanting to write ever since she was really young, but only started taking her writing 'seriously' a few years ago. She worked on writing short stories to hone her craft, before sitting down to write her novel in the evenings and on weekends, outside of a day job and being a single mum to two girls.

Sara chats to Roisin about her publishing journey, the NINE WAY AUCTION for her book and the influence that fellow Irish writer Claire Keegan had on her.

They also discuss how important it was to make the book as authentic as it could be, with such serious and important themes.