A special episode this week as we're joined by comedian, actor and author Rob Delaney to talk about his book A Heart That Works. As so often with books that pack a powerful emotional punch this deals with a difficult subject as Rob tells the story of the death of his young son Henry, and considers his own journey through the grieving process. It's also a deeply moving, funny, thought-provoking and altogether wonderful read. Listen in as Rob and Kate share their stories, which to forewarn you, to...
Nov 12, 2022•46 min•Ep. 131
A stack of books for Autumn nights: Laura dives in to the page-turning but 'questionable' Run by Anne Patchett, and is riveted by Gwendolyn Riley's My Phantoms , while all Kate can think about is mushrooms thanks to Merlin Sheldrake's Entangled Life . She's also been dipping into Empire of Pain author Patrick Radden Keefe's essay collection, Rogues . Also discussed Amazon reviews vs. Goodreads, how 'good but flawed' is often quite a good sign in a book-club read, the marketing history of quorn, ...
Nov 06, 2022•37 min•Ep. 130
Our most demanding, but possibly also our favourite episode of the year as we're joined by Chrissy Ryan of Bookbar and journalist Phil Chaffee to discuss and debate this year's six shortlisted books. Although we might rail at this much required reading all in one go, the truth is we love tackling the Booker shortlist, which expands our horizons and stretches us as readers like nothing else. So listen in to find out which books we loved, which ones we wished we could have avoided, and which one w...
Oct 16, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 129
Since publication in 2019 The Hummingbird , by Italian Sandro Veronesi (translated into English by Elena Pala), has wowed readers and fellow-authors alike. 'A gripping masterpiece', 'a life-affirming triumph' 'unforgettable'... Just what is all the fuss about? We're joined by pod regular Phil Chaffee and first-timer Jo Norman, both members of Laura's book club, to find out. We've also got four unmissable novels by international authors we think you should know about. Booklist Marzahn, Mon Amour ...
Oct 02, 2022•46 min•Ep. 128
Back together again after the summer, Kate and Laura are catching up on all the books they managed to get through. So listen in for their reactions to summer must-read Tomorrrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. They also covered three books from the Booker Longlist, Trust by Hernan Diaz, The Trees by Percival Everett and After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz. And a couple of long reads: for Kate Lonesome Dove , Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer-winning novel about cowboys in the Old West, and a ...
Sep 18, 2022•55 min•Ep. 127
Step back in time with us as Kate visits Charleston home of Vanessa Bell and important gathering place for the members of the Bloomsbury Group, that collection of writers and artists including Virginia Woolf that coalesced around Gordon Square in London. Undaunted by the ghosts of her relatives Nino Strachey, author of a new book, Young Bloomsbury , joins us to discuss the up-and-coming younger generation, such as writer Julia Strachey, sculptor Stephen Tomlin and photographer Cecil Beaton, who ...
Aug 07, 2022•41 min•Ep. 126
We love a prize and we love a special episode, and so we're delighted to have an excuse to get together to discuss the 2022 Women's Prize shortlist and its winner, The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki. The Women's Prize is the UK's annual book award that celebrates the best books written by women. Key criteria for the Prize are accessibility, originality and excellence in writing. Judges are asked to ignore the reviews, publicity spends, an author's previous reputation, and any sense of ...
Jul 29, 2022•56 min•Ep. 125
The Inseparables is a novel that was never published in Simone de Beauvoir's lifetime. The story goes she showed it to Jean-Paul Sartre and he held his nose. It tells of the intense childhood friendship between Sylvie and Andrée, who were Beauvoir's fictional models for herself and her real-life friend Zaza Lacoin. The translation is by Lauren Elkin, author of Flâneuse , and the book comes with an introduction by Deborah Levy , and an afterword by Sylvie le bon de Beauvoir, plus a captivating se...
Jul 15, 2022•34 min•Ep. 124
Dull account of one woman's day or rich and resonant masterpiece? Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf has divided readers since it was published and continues to spark debate today. In London, one day in June, 1923, society hostess Clarissa Dalloway sets out to buy flowers for a party she is giving that evening. Returning home later she is visited by an old friend, Peter Walsh, who rekindles memories and feelings from her youth. Meanwhile making his own path through London traumatised soldier, Septim...
Jul 04, 2022•46 min•Ep. 123
Whether you're soaking up Nutcrackers on Rockaway beach like Kate's book-reviewing heroine Molly Young , throwing down a picnic rug in your garden or the local park, fighting your way through airport chaos with the promise of a trip abroad or cosying up with a warm blanket in the Southern Hemisphere, we've got the Summer Reading show for you. It's packed full of recommendations including our own favourite beach reads and tips from booksellers, authors and other friends of the pod. So if you're c...
Jun 20, 2022•45 min•Ep. 122
Join us as we venture to the frozen north in the very enjoyable company of Tété-Michel Kpomassie, who left his home of Togo, West Africa to pursue his dream of living in Greenland. While we may not have been 100% sold on the cuisine, we were fascinated by his experiences and the unique perspective he brings to his observations about the society he encounters there. First published in English in 1981 the book was recently re-issued by Penguin as part of their Modern Classics series. But do we thi...
Jun 11, 2022•42 min•Ep. 121
This episode is all about finding the extraordinary in the everyday, in the little things that may pass us by if we don't pay attention. And so join us as we talk to Miranda Keeling about her book The Year I Stopped to Notice, a joyful, poignant and familiar portrait of everyday life that Neil Gaiman called 'beautiful' and Philip Pullman 'a delight'. Together with Miranda we also recommend six other books that tap into this spirit of observing and capturing moments. Booklist Nobody Told You by H...
May 31, 2022•31 min•Ep. 120
Join us as we catch up on our recent reads outside of book club, the books we're picking and choosing for ourselves. Laura enjoys The Sixteen Trees of the Somme by Lars Mytting, declaring it 'unputdownable', and a good antidote to the brilliant but rather more serious novel The Sympathiser by Viet Thanh Nguyen (her Vancouver book club's pick). We're joined by journalist Phil Chaffee who shares his recent holiday reading, The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco and My Fourth Time We Drowned by Sally ...
May 14, 2022•37 min•Ep. 119
Author Salman Rushdie called it 'an exceptional novel' while Claire Messud 'didn't want it to end' but what did Laura's book club make of this first book in a new trilogy from French-Moroccan sensation Leïla Slimani? We're joined by regular pod-listener Youssra, who gave us her insight into how the book has been received in her native Morocco. And we've got our usual round of book recommendations to help you find your next great read. Book recommendations Une année chez les français by Foud Laro...
May 01, 2022•44 min•Ep. 118
Our bookshelf shows are the ones where we get to cut loose and follow our own preferences, so listen in as Kate tries to figure out the best way to show up for her life after reading Oliver Burkeman's 4,000 Hours. Meanwhile Laura is drawn into 'A dark world of desire and fantasy' with French prizewinner No Touching by Ketty Rouf, we figure out via an emergency call to an Irish friend how to pronounce Colm Tóibín, but unfortunately this doesn't help Kate in her struggle with his book about Thomas...
Apr 09, 2022•48 min•Ep. 117
It's Mother's Day here in the UK and as there's nothing Kate loves more than a special episode we've put together a show on the theme of Motherhood. We're joined by Claire Lynch, author of Small: On Motherhoods, her literary memoir of her own unusual journey into motherhood. Elizabeth Morris of Crib Notes book club joins us too – who better to help us pull together our essential reads on the topic. We've got laughter, we might shed a few tears, and brilliant books to cover all eventualities. BOO...
Mar 27, 2022•53 min•Ep. 116
Book recommendations galore from author Francesca Beauman, who is also publisher and bookshop proprietor of Persephone Books. In her latest book, The Literaray Almanac , Francesca aims to guide readers in choosing books that chime with moments in the year – from hopeful books to read in March to school curriculum classics not-nearly-as-boring-as-you-remember them in September. We also explore the delights of the Persephone publishing list with old favourites and some exciting new titles. So list...
Mar 23, 2022•30 min•Ep. 115
Join us as we discuss Benjamin Labatut's Booker International shortlisted novel When We Cease to Understand the World , 2020 Baillie Gifford prizewinner One, Two, Three, Four: The Beatles in Time by Craig Brown and 2021 Costa biography prizewinner Fall: A Life of Robert Maxwell by John Preston, The Outlander by Gil Adams, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab and The Sanitorium by Sarah Pearse. Did we love them? Did we loathe them? Listen in to find out. Booklist When We Cease to Unde...
Mar 06, 2022•44 min•Ep. 114
We've all felt the lure of the short, sweet read, one of those slim books you can finish in a few hours, maybe over a hot cup of tea. But what about the books that may take weeks, even months, to read? The door stoppers, the heavy weights, the long reads. Think Dickens, Tolstoy, and George Eliot, think Hilary Mantel, David Foster Wallace, and Donna Tartt. We dive into The Magic Mountain, Thomas Mann's 226,000 book set in a sanitorium in the Swiss Alps in which not much happens. What did we think...
Feb 27, 2022•48 min•Ep. 113
Wondering what books 2022 has in store for you? What will be your next great read? We're joined by industry insiders Chrissy Ryan, of dream bookshop Bookbar, and Elizabeth Morris of the Crib Notes newsletter to talk what's hot and what to look forward to. We've got your #tbr future-proofed. Book list: Beautiful World Where Are You by Sally Rooney Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades The Heavens and The Men by Sandra Newman A Little Life and To Paradise by Hanya Yanigahara Violets by Alex Hyde ...
Feb 12, 2022•46 min•Ep. 112
Dazzling, original, heartfelt and exhilarating, or bleak, depressing, incoherent and unrealistic? What did Kate's book club make of The Promise , Damon Galgut's Booker-winning novel, which tells the story of one white South-African family, and the promise made to their black servant, Salome. Join us as we discuss the book with Stuart Marshall and listen out for our follow-on book recommendations, from Trevor Noah's Born A Crime to Claire Keegan's impactful novella Small Things Like These . See P...
Feb 03, 2022•42 min•Ep. 111
Charmingly eccentric tale with a sharply feminist point of view or a 'hot mess' – what did Laura's book club make of Lolly Willowes by Silvia Townsend Warner? Meanwhile The Heart is a Lonely Hunter Carson McCullers explores loneliness, the human need for understanding and the search for love. What did Kate's book club think. Should you pick it up? Listen in to find out. We also discuss Furious Hours by Casey Cep and A Start in Life by Anita Brookner. Robert McCrumb's 100 Best Novels Written in E...
Jan 16, 2022•42 min•Ep. 110
It's part 2 of our end-of-year special, in which we look back over the books we read outside of book club, the ones we chose for ourselves, and pick out our favourites. And so listen in for more book recommendations than you can shake a stick a, plus recommendations from our book clubs and friends of the pod. We also look ahead to some new releases coming out in 2022. Booklist Kate's top three favourites from 2021 Don't Touch My Hair , Emma Dabiri A Ghost in the Throat , Doireann ní Ghríofa Lea...
Dec 27, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 109
In part one of our 2021 end-of-year special episode we look back over the books we've covered for book club. Which ones have stayed with us? Which were our stand outs? And which are we going to crown our book club book of the year. Whether you're looking for your next book club read or just a great book for your personal reading pile, don't miss it. We also look forward to new book club plans and projects for the coming year. For our best books of 2021 (from our own personal reading piles) go to...
Dec 27, 2021•49 min•Ep. 109
Join us as we talk all things books, apocalypses, whales and the Costa Prize shortlist with Kate Sawyer, author of The Stranding. It's a novel about a woman who survives the end-of-the-world by hiding inside the belly of a whale. Find out why we loved it, as we consider its place in the canon of apocalypse novels from Z for Zachariah to The Road. We've also got a ton of book club recommendations, find out what Kate's been reading recently and have some follow-on read suggestions for when you've ...
Dec 12, 2021•45 min•Ep. 108
Join us as we dive, in spoiler-free fashion, into Lauren Groff's latest novel, Matrix. It tells of Marie de France, a cast-off from Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine's court, exiled to be a prioress at a run-down Abbey inhabited by starving nuns. Devastated and grieving the young Marie thinks only of regaining the queen's favour and returning to court. Gradually, though, she comes to see that if she is to stay, she must change, and the Abbey with her. The book has been a New York Times bestseller and N...
Nov 27, 2021•49 min•Ep. 107
Join us as we discuss the 2021 Booker shortlist in typical book club style, with journalist Phil Chaffee and Chrissy Ryan, owner of Bookbar . We livestream the Booker ceremony so you can catch our immediate reactions to the winner. Did we agree? Was there a book we loved more? Was there one we loathed? Whether we loved them or loathed them, as ever, you can be assured of good debate. We thoroughly recommend any and all of these books for a good read and good discussion. Notes The Paris Review ar...
Nov 05, 2021•59 min•Ep. 106
It's our latest Book Club episode, and we're discussing Rachel Cusk's latest novel, Second Place. It was longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize, but didn't make the cut for the shortlist. Sally Rooney calls it 'masterful', saying it 'achieves a kind of formal perfection' while the Observer newspaper lauds it as 'A landmark in twenty-first-century English literature.' But what did Laura's book club make of it? And who would we rather have to dinner, Rachel Cusk or Deborah Levy? Listen in to find ou...
Oct 09, 2021•49 min•Ep. 105
We've shaken the sand from our flip-flops and put our suitcases away. Now it's back to business as Kate and Laura catch up on their recent reads, everything from this year's Booker International Prize winner to a fantasy romp about teenage wizards. Booklist Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop Mud and Stars by travel writer Sara Wheeler A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik Re-Educated by Lucy Kellaway We also discu...
Sep 27, 2021•43 min•Ep. 104
"Ashto" and "Jonesy" are two Australians who devour books on everything from self-improvement to business and marketing for their weekly podcast, What You Will Learn. They've recently launched their own book, The Sh*t They Never Taught You. They joined Kate to discuss what books have taught them, and provide her with some personal bibliotherapy to kick her out of her counter-productive ways. Listen in to find out what you can learn. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California ...
Sep 18, 2021•25 min•Ep. 103
