What books have you read because of radio 4

Off the top of my head I can think of The Colour of Magic, The book of Ebenezer Le Page. The technology of orgasm : "hysteria," the vibrator, and women's sexual satisfaction and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day all books that I read soley because of Radio4.

No doubt you can think of others. I have just tagged mine radio4. Why don't you do likewise?

Simon, I already had "Miss Petigrew Lives for a Day" but the serialisation made me read it.

It is published by Persephone Books, who produce excellent books and a quarterly newsletter that is sent free to those who order through their London shop.

Yes I like the distinctive Persephone covers very distinguished in an old fashioned way. I suspect it keeps artist costs down as well. What a mass of prejudices Miss Pettigrew presents to the modern reader.

I'm A Teacher, Get Me Out Of Here, Long Way Round, Attention All Shipping, and a fair few more. I'm a big fan of the Book of the Week.

The Other Side of the Dale was another one that I read because of radio4.

Hi! I'm new here! :)

A little more than a year ago, I believe, Radio 4 had an interview with Vikram Seth and they serialised A Suitable Boy.

I didn't catch all of the serialisation but I liked what I heard. I still haven't read the book because my library didn't have it, but they did have An Equal Music which I read & highly recommend.

Hi Molly I could not think of a thing to say so I finally just decided on Welcome.

My first encounter with Radio 4's late night book at bedtime, was my first term away at university (my family listen to R2!). I heard an amazing adaptation of Behind the scenes at the museum, was totally hooked, and saved up and went and bought it. I can still remember the opening music.

Out of the top of my head I read the following having heard about them on Radio 4. I especially enjoy A Good Read and Open Book.

Zusak, Markus
The Book Thief

Hislop, Victoria
The Island (Charnwood Library)

Michael Morpurgo
Private Peaceful

Roberts, Gregory David
Shantaram

Rhys, Jean
Wide Sargasso Sea (Penguin Modern Classics)

I have just read an amazing book, after hearing an interview with the author, on Radio 4, it's about Adoption from the adoptees' point of view called 'Reconstructing Stephen'
and is written by Stephen Francis, recounting his life and experiences as an adopted boy in the 60s and his life up to the present day.
You can find it on the net.

After yesterday's book programme, I've been inspired to start John Cooper Powys Maiden castle. He sounds an amazing writer, compared to Dostoyevsky and admired by a number of fine writers.

I think it was one of Melvyn Bragg's 'In Our Time' programmes that prompted me to read Deep Time by Henry Gee.

I posted before about reading The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett; it's highly amusing if anyone is interested. He's on Women's Hour today.

This week's dramatisation of Mrs. Lirriper by Charles Dickens is completely new to me, I'd never heard of it.

Shopping, Seduction and Mr. Selfridge has a sort of melancholy appeal too.

Cheers!

I love "A Good Read" (and now you can listen to the latest episode on the BBC website!). The latest book I read because of A Good Read was The Penelopiad, which was just as wonderful as Sue McGregor said...

I listened to an all too brief article about Winifred Holtby on Woman's Hour earlier this year. I have since read most of her novels as a consequence, the exception being The Crowded Street largely because I can't find a copy.

Listening to Front Row also reminded me that I hadn't read Alan Bennett's Untold Stories, which I am now reading and listening to the Reith Lectures also persuaded me to read The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs.

Hello Again, I've now read, The Island VICTORIA HISLOP and The Book Thief ZUSAK MARKUS I truly love Radio 4s 'Book of the week', But not as much as I love 'Librarything', its the best toy I've ever played with.

I've just read An Expert in Murder after hearing Nicola Upson being interviewed on Radio 4. The book is also being dramatised on Women's Hour this week.

The Rest Is Noise (Alex Ross). Book Of The Week has from time to time steered me towards some wonderful discoveries. . . but The Rest Is Noise is one of the best and teh accompanying website provides plenty of audio examples to fill in any gaps in one's musical knowledge.

Whoops - typo - the

Some non-fiction books I discovered via BBC 4:

Nella Last's War
Nella Last's Peace
How to Get Things Really Flat
For all the Tea in China

I also read Attention All Shipping - really funny in places - especially on the subject of drunk Norwegians on trips to Denmark (I live in Norway now and recognise the situation! Alcoholis expensive here) Made me feel nostalgic just reading all those names - and I longed to hear Sailing By!

It was on BBC 7 rather than Radio 4 but did anyone else get hooked on The Daughter of Time. Wonderful reading of the book by Paul Young- and haunting music too.

I heard Bearded Tit : A Love Story with Feathers, written and read by Rory McGrath and just had to buy it. I was surprised that so 'blokey' a comedian could be so sensitive and funny at the same time. I was quickly caught up in the story, enjoyed the first love feelings and then felt devastated when he was dumped by JJ. Well written and well read.

I also want (but have yet to buy), Richard Holmes The Age of Wonder and Jane's Fame by Claire Harman.

The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross, which I recorded and only listened to much later.

And from Afternoon Reading, from their "Anger" theme: Andy McNabs biography Immediate Action (which was published in 1995, but still interesting).

>22 Bowerbirds-Library: I'm reading Jane's Fame at the moment (my library had a copy). I'm finding it quite entertaining so far...

I bought and read the following after hearing them serialised on Radio 4: The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney; The Importance of Music to Girls by Lavinia Greenlaw; Shadow Baby by Margaret Forster and Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym.

There are also two novels which I intended to read but decided not to after hearing them serialised: The Golden Notebooks by Doris Lessing and The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.

I'm browsing through Feast by Nigella Lawson, while listening to her being interviewed on 'Food for Thought'.

18> 23> I, too bought The Rest is Noise after listening to A Book at Bedtime, though I haven't got round to reading it yet.

I did read Captain Corelli's Mandolin after hearing Robert Powell read an adaptation on ABaB, about eleven or twelve years ago.

I've just realised I missed The Shuttleworths tonight. Oh no!

Recently, Radio 4 had a program commemorating the 70th anniversary of a series of short talks given by J. B. Priestley on the BBC Home Service during the darkest days of the war. I've just purchased a collection of these talks, Postscripts by J. B. Priestley, which is now in my "to read" queue.

I will read South Wind when I get it, as recommended by Barry Humphries in a special edition of Open Book which I heard twice around Christmas. He was excellent.

One of last year's Book At Bedtime abridgments prompted my to buy, and read, Tove Jansson's The True Deceiver.

One day I'll get around to reading some of Ian Rankin's Rebus stories . . .

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx. It was book of the week and I went out and bought it as a reault.

edited to add touchstone

@ 25 Soupdragon

I read Jane and Prudence and The Tenderness of Wolves after listening to the serialisations. Similarly I decided against The Elegance of the Hedgehog and gave it to my mum.

I might follow your lead and check out the Greenlaw and Forster, as I seem to have similar taste to yours!

>32 FemmeNoiresque:: That's interesting- you obviously have good taste ;-)

I do recommend the Foster and Greenlaw books though I have to say a lot of the appeal of Greenlaw's memoir, The Importance of Music to Girls for me was that I grew up at the same time as her in a village a few miles from her!

I am reading Gravity and Grace following hearing about Simone Weil on Great Lives

Longbourn. A book at bedtime back in june.

Just My Type comes to mind, from 'Book of the Week' a few years back. Also, hearing Stephen Fry talk about P.G. Wodehouse I think on "Fry's English Delight" got me to finally pick up the source material (I had, of course, watched the TV series with Fry and Hugh Laurie).

Also, Radio 4's production of the complete Holmes canon with Clive Merrison and Michael Williams changed my internal voice when reading the originals -- I 'hear' it in their voices now.

The one noteworthy book & audiobook, which I vaguely associate with BBC4, is: The Devil in Amber, written and read by Mark Gatiss. And yes, I listened to the audiobook, while meditating, or falling asleep. Still, there is a proper book version, and it is noteworthy. Both, in British humor and in the underestimated competences of Mark Gatiss.

I regularly hear parts of serialised books on Radio 4 and want to read the whole thing - especially Book of the Week - I add books to my Kindle wishlist and, normally, reserve them from the library when I can.

I've read quite a lot of literary biographies after hearing parts on the non fiction Book of the Week - a biography of Angela Carter a few years ago. I'm keen to read the new biography of Barbara PYm which has been serialised this week. There are lots of others.