Capital XTRA Book Club with Leah Davis

For the final episode of season 2 I am joined by a force to be reckoned with, the incredibly inspiring Mikaela Loach. She is fighting for climate justice, providing a voice for the voiceless and inspiring change without spreading fear. Her new book 'It's Not That Radical' is out 6th April and it's perfect if you're scared of everything you hear about climate change but don't quite know where to begin. Reading List: It's Not That Radical - Mikaela LoachThe Hunger Games - Suzanne CollinsWe Will Not Cancel Us - Adrienne Maree BrownCrooked Kingdom - Leigh BardugoWhat White People Can Do Next - Emma Dabiri

Leah is joined this week by Iggy London, an award winning British filmmaker, artist and writer to chat all about 'Mandem'. The book is a collection of essays from his creative friends exploring what it means to be a Black man in contemporary Britain, a fascinating read! Reading List: Americana - Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieThe Sellout by Paul BeattyPoor - Caleb Femi

This week we are joined by Krystle Zara Appiah whose debut novel Rootless is about to take the world by storm. This complex love story is full of bumps in the road and family shaped obstacles that our loveable protagonists have to navigate. We got to know Krystle the British Ghanaian first time author this week, what a lovely way to celebrate IWD! Reading List: Krystle Appiah - RootlessTaiye Selasi - Ghana must goMonica Heisey - Really Good ActuallyArundhati Roy - The God of Small Things

This week we get to know Nikki May the author of Wahala. Inspired by wanting to see more stories like her own on the page she created Ronke, Simi and Boo and just as their lives were looking a little too boring the whirlwind that is Isobel is thrown into the mix. This is Nikki's first novel and it's already set to be adapted for TV, no surprises there! Reading List: Wahala - Nikki MayNearly All the Men in Lagos are Mad - Damilare KukuStation Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel

Sophia Thakur is one of the most important young voices in modern poetry and now she has gifted us with 'Wearing My Mother's Heart' a beautiful anthology dedicated to her Mother and the matriarchs in her life. Everything Sophia says feels like poetry and speaking to her was a joy, what a woman, what a mind. Reading List: Wearing My Mother’s Heart - Sophia ThakurAll About Love - Bell HooksTeaching my Mother to Give Birth - Warsan ShireDeaf republic - Ilya KaminskyThe Forty Rules of Love - Elif ShafakScribble Boy - Philip Ridley 2pac - The Rose That Grew From Concrete

This week we meet Jessica George, her novel Maame is one of the most exciting books out right now and rightly so. Maame tells the story of Maddie, an introverted young woman finding her way in the world one 'first' at a time. Fall in love with the author here first and then fall in love with Maame! Reading List: Maame - Jessica George An American Marriage - Tayari Jones Rootless - Krystle Zara Appiah Queenie - Candice Carty Williams

In Derek Owusu's second novel Losing The Plot he paints a picture of a complex relationship between a young British boy and his Ghanaian mother. From the physical toll life in the UK takes on a hard working woman to the unspoken psychological impact. In this episode Owusu sheds light on his incredible creation. Reading List: Losing The Plot - Derek OwusuMama Can't Raise No Man - Robyn TravisThe Double - Jose SaramagoThe Great Gatsby - F.Scott FitzgeraldThe Last White Man - Mohsin HamidInvisible Man Ralph Ellison

You may recognise this week's guest from your TV screen but you may not know that the incredibly accomplished David Harewood lived through a pyschotic break as young man and has been retracing what could have led to that moment in his book 'Maybe I don't Belong Here.' The book explores the links between psychosis and identity for a black man living in Britain. TW: Psychosis, Mental Health, suicidal ideation. Reading List: David Harewood - Maybe I Don't Belong HereDavid Olusoga - Black & British: A Forgotten HistoryAfua Hirsch - EmpireJeffery Boakye - I Heard What You Said

The wonderful Toni Tone's second book 'Take Note' is now, she's talking confidence, friendships and careers. You've read her words on Twitter, seen her face on Insta and now you can hear her wisdom on this weeks episode. What a woman! Reading List: Take Note - Toni ToneDear Ijeawele: Feminist Manifesto - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This week we welcome two of the six fantastic authors of Whiteout: Angie Thomas and Tiffany D Jackson. Whiteout follows several young people navigating through a snowstorm in Atlanta. They have various challenges and obstacles to overcome and love is at the heart of every individual story. The perfect winter warmer! Reading List: Whiteout - Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, & Nicola YoonRoll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Mildred D TaylorThe Coldest Winter Ever - Sister Souljah