This week we welcome back a Book Shambles regular, and recent Sunday Times Number One Bestseller, Philippa Perry. She joins Robin and guest co-host Bec Hill to talk about her new book, The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read, youth fiction, Janne Teller and, ah, Rocky IV... Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles to get extended editions of each and every episode. 10 bonus minutes await pledgers this week.
Everyone from Robin to Alan Moore has talked about Picnic Comma Lightning on the podcast so we thought it high time we had its author, Laurence Scott, on the show to talk about. Joined by guest co-host Bec Hill, they chat about the new reality of the digital age, the Fyre Festival, Nabokov, Virginia Woolf and more. Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles to get extended editions of each and every episode.
Recorded live at the Manchester Science Festival Robin chats to writer and psychologist Charles Fernyhough and neuroscientist Professor Sophie Scott. They chat about Charles latest book The Voices Within, it's influence on Robin's book, some of the most influential books in psychology and doing experiments on your own children... Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles to get extended editions of each and every episode. 20 bonus minutes await pledgers this week.
The journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed joins Robin and Josie this week to talk about politics, the joy of library books, the joy of putting in brand new book shelves and some of her favourite books. Also Robin is annoyed Billy Wilder wasn't forced to make more films. Support the podcast and network and get things like extended editions of each episode at patreon.com/bookshambles
US theatre and filmmaker Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam, Corrina, Corrina) was in town last week for the opening of Tony Award nominated musical Waitress for which she wrote the book based on the film of the same name. So Robin caught up with her for a Book Shambles Extra to chat about books that have inspired her, her differing experiences writing for stage and screen and writing her first musical. Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles to get extended episodes and much more.
Author JB Morrison, who you might know better as Jim Bob, frontman of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, joins Robin and Josie in the studio this week. They talk about moving from songwriter to novel writer and his new memoir In the Shadow of My Former Self which is out very soon. Plus there's chat of Cormac McCarthy, Jean Rhys and Status Quo. Because of course there is. Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles to get extended editions of each and every episode.
A Book Shambles / Science Shambles crossover. Robin is joined in studio by Professor Gina Rippon and Dr Julia Shaw to talk about their new science books, The Gendered Brain: The New Neuroscience That Shatters the Myth of the Female Brain and Making Evil: The Science Behind Humanity's Dark Side. They dive into topics like the lack of women in STEM, the myth of the male and female brain, false memories, why we are all capable of doing awful things, toxic masculinity, prison libraries and much more...
The final episode we recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, Robin and guest co-host Sarah Kendall are joined by solar physicist and author Professor Lucie Green. Recorded right after Alan Moore's episode from last week, Lucie fact checks Alan's graphic novels and then chats about building satellites in sheds, Judge Dredd regrets, space based poetry, speed reading Tina Fey and her own book about the sun. Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles to get extended editions of each and every episod...
Recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall, Robin is joined by guest co-host Sarah Kendall and Alan Moore. They chat about where real science has influenced Alan's works, why Trump's election might be a result of too many superhero films and the best motorway services in and around Milton Keynes.Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles to get extended editions of each and every episode. There's a whole twenty extra minutes of Robin, Alan and Sarah this week.
Kate Davies debut novel, In at the Deep End, comes out this week. Josie read an advanced copy and fell in love with it so we got Kate into the studio to chat about it with her and Robin. Not only that, she came armed with a list of her favourite books divided into categories! So the three of them dig into the best sexy, queer and funny books from Zadie Smith to Diana Athill, Stephen Fry and beyond. Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles to get extended editions of each and every episode...
This week Philippa Perry joins Robin as co-host and they chat with writer and performer Rebecca Peyton. They talk about the process of working with editors, psychotherapy, the joy of a good sad book and the work of Joseph Heller, Min Jin Lee, Joseph Conrad and more. Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles to get extended editions of each and every episode.
This week's episode is a comics special as Robin is joined in studio by our resident comics expert, comedian Nat Metcalfe and Tom Oldham of Breakdown Press. They chat about Douglas Dixon, Ken Reid, Lando and why too many comics these days are starting to read like storyboards for a future Netflix series. As always there's an extended version for Patreon pledgers and this week features and extra 15 minutes. Support us at patreon.com/bookshambles
For pretty much as long as we've been producing Book Shambles, Josie has been recommending everyone read the Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante. She even had the first book on her cape in Cosmic Superheroes. So with the My Beautiful Friend series just coming out we thought we should do a Ferrante special with Josie and two other mega fans. So joined by Sara Pascoe and Tania Edwards, they dig into her work and many other tangents. Fair warning though, spoilers abound. Support the CSN at patreon....
A triple podcast crossover this week as Vitriola's Michael Legge subs in for Josie Long and our guest is The Allusionist's Helen Zaltzman in the studio with Robin. They chat about favourite showbiz memoirs and diaries, Scientology books and the time Iggy Pop stage dived at an eleven year old and landed on his face. Extended edition for Patreon supporters as always. Become one at patreon.com/bookshambles
Geneticist, author and broadcaster Dr Adam Rutherford joins Robin and Josie in the studio this week to talk about many things including his latest book, The Book of Humans. They chat about the peril of writing books that will go out of date, bad misuses of genetics, who was racist even by Victorian standards and Adam tries to remember the difference between The Odyssey and The Iliad. Extended version available exclusively to our Patreon supporters. Become one at patreon.com/bookshambles
We lots of specials and time specific episodes towards the end of 2018, so we've yet to put out the final episode we recorded live at the Edinburgh Fringe, so here it is! Robin is joined by comedian and author Mark Watson and the new writing team Ambrose Parry, comprised of crime writer Christopher Brookmyre and anaesthetist Dr Marisa Haetzman. They chat about the differences between writing crime and historical fiction, stand up and novels and the best way to seek revenge against high school bu...
Robin and Josie have both been guests on RHLSTP so we thought it high time that we had Richard Herring on Book Shambles. He joins us in the studio to chat about favourite early comedy books from the likes of Monty Python and Not the Nine O'Clock News and then they try to work out how the Amazon book charts work as Robin and Rich's latest books battle it out on the 'Jokes and Riddles' charts. To hear an extended version of this, and almost every other episode too, you can become a patreon support...
It's part two of our multi guest end of year special where we chat to all sorts of performers from our Christmas shows about the best things they read this year. In this all-star special there's recommendations from Robin Ince, Josie Long, Brian Cox, the Octavia Poetry Collective, Ben Moor, Chris Lintott, Suzi Gage, Suzie Imber, Hannah Fry, Grace Petrie, Matt Parker, Chris Stokes, Dr Karl, Helen Czerski, Kat Arney, Ronnie Le Drew and Melinda Burton! Support the show at the network at patreon.com...
Each year we catch up with as many different people as we can at our Christmas shows to talk to them about their books of the year and this year is no different. In Part 1 we chat with Robin Ince, Alan Moore, Melinda Gebbie, Sophie Scott, Jo Neary, Ginny Smith, Dean Burnett, Gecko, Hannah Critchlow and Philip Ball. Loads more to come next week too. Thanks for listening in 2018. Big plans for 2019. Support us at patreon.com/bookshambles
Robin AND Josie are back in the studio together for a brand new batch of Book Shambles episodes. The first guest is Ariane Sherine, author of the new book Talk Yourself Better. They chat about her new book, and the experiences that led to it, plus look at Twitter, PD James, Lyne Reid, Tank Girl and much more. Support the show on Patreon (patreon.com/bookshambles) to hear extended episodes of the show each week. NB - This episode contains a discussion about abuse
Recorded live at the launch of Robin’s book ‘I’m a Joke and So Are You’ at Kings Place in London, this episode features some stand up from Robin and Josie, a performance from Grace Petrie, a conversation with Philippa Perry and an extended chat with Stewart Lee about comedy. Enjoy! Support the show at patreon.com/bookshambles
Robin is joined once again by guest co-host Natalie Haynes to chat to Jason Heller, the Hugo Award winning author of new book Strange Stars which looks at sci-fi's influence on the music of 70s. So there's plenty of chat about Bowie, Asimov, Arthur C Clarke and more. An extra ten minutes of chat this week for Patreon supporters to enjoy this week too so if you'd like to join them, head to patreon.com/bookshambles
Robin and Josie took to the stage at the London Podcast Festival in September for an episode of Book Shambles. Their guests were scientists and authors Professor Mark Miodownik and Dr Kevin Fong. They chat about their own upcoming books, books of bad science, unfortunate barbecuing incidences, Josie's return from her daughter's birth and debate whether peanut butter is a liquid or not. Live at the Festival we recorded for around 90 minutes, and if you'd like to hear the uncut version of the live...
Robin and author and cartoonist Martin Rowson just happened to be in Toronto at the same time so they recorded a Book Shambles Extra in a hotel room. Martin's got three books out of this year, including his graphic novel of The Communist Manifesto. They chat about that, the state of satire, politics, cartooning and much more. Support The Cosmic Shambles Network at patreon.com/bookshambles
When we originally announced we were doing a Book Shambles Live at QED Con in Manchester we were supposed to be joined by Mercury 13 and aviation legend Wally Funk, but sadly she had to pull out due to last minute illness. So joining Robin is author of Wally Funk's Race for Space, Sue Nelson and doing his best Josie Long impression, co-host for this week is Dallas Campbell. They chat about women in space, books that have not quite predicted the future so accurately and, of course, the great Wall...
In our second Halloween special this year, Robin is joined by guest co-host Natalie Haynes and comedian, horror enthusiast and heir to Dennis Wheatley's library of occult books, Anna Savory. They chat about said library, favourite horror films and books, Agatha Christie's lack of respect, Shirley Jackson, MR James and why goats are upsettingly easy to kill. Extended edition, plus other goodies, available for Patreon supporters. Visit patreon.com/bookshambles
The first of two Halloween specials, Robin is joined by co-creator and co-writer of The League of Gentlemen and Ghost Stories, as well as many other things, Jeremy Dyson. Recorded live at the Ilkley Literature Festival they chat about what authors drew them into both horror and comedy and influences on the League. Plus there's talk of Stephen King, Robert Aikman, Arthur C Clarke and much more. If you support the show on patreon you'll get access to extended episodes and other goodies too. There'...
International best selling author Ian Rankin returns to Book Shambles for a special episode recorded as part of our live run at the Edinburgh Fringe. He chats to Robin about Rebus, great music novels, being asked to ghost write Sean Connery's biography and how crime writers seek revenge on ex-lovers... Support the show by leaving a review at Apple Podcasts or pledging as little as $1 a month on Patreon at patreon.com/bookshambles
A couple of days before Robin's new book I'm a Joke and So Are You hit shops, we went to a Waterstones in London where Robin and Josie had a chat about the book with a lovely audience. No guest, just Robin and Josie, popping by with new daughter, to chat about comedy, wit, the birth of Book Shambles and more. Robin also did a 15 minute intro and short stand up set that is available exclusive to Patreon supporters. Become one and help us out here patreon.com/bookshambles
In Part 2 Robin, Alan and Barney continue their chat. They delve into the Alan's final comic book EVER, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest, try to work out what consciousness is, chat about Robin's new book as well as John Higgs, Camus and more. Also everyone misremembers a BBC theme tune. If you become a Patreon supporter you could listen to another exclusive extra 15 minutes for Part 2 which means a whole extra half hour of Alan Moore, Barney Farmer and Robin Ince with Part 1's...
