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Books On The Go

261 episodes - English - Latest episode: 30 days ago - ★★★★★ - 20 ratings

A podcast where we talk about our book of the week. Read along with us!

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Episodes

Ep 259: The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez

February 28, 2024 22:39 - 20 minutes - 27.9 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the inaugural Women's Prize for Non-Fiction longlist, including Anna Funder's Wifedom. Our book of the week is THE VULNERABLES by Sigrid Nunez. This is the third in a loose trilogy after THE FRIEND and WHAT ARE YOU GOING THROUGH. A writer, a college drop-out and a talking parrot share an apartment in New York during the Covid pandemic.  This is subtler than the first two books but we loved the mix of story and Nunez's reflections on life and writing.   Coming up: ...

Ep 258: Home Reading Service with Shawn Mooney

February 06, 2024 11:09 - 26 minutes - 36.4 MB

It's the Shawn and Anna Book Club! Our first book is Home Reading Service by Fabio Morábito translated by Curtis Bauer. Eduardo is sentenced to a year of community service reading aloud to the elderly and disabled.  Set in Mexico, this novel is witty and poignant.  It even inspired us to discuss poetry!  And the fine line between whacky and eccentric. Also mentioned: Shawn's Bite Sized Book Chat with Stu aka Winston's Dad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PubR7KrANvE&t=40s  Mild Vert...

Ep 257: Holiday Reading Recommendations

December 17, 2023 04:25 - 18 minutes - 26 MB

Anna and Annie reveal our book recommendations for the holiday season. Our favourite holiday reads this year are: THE CLUB by Ellery Lloyd NOW YOU SEE US by Balli Kaur Jaswal WEST HEART KILL by Dann McDorman FLIGHT by Lynn Steger Strong THE LIBRARIANIST by Patrick deWitt ROMANTIC COMEDY by Curtis Sittenfeld Follow us! Email: booksonthegopodcast @ gmail.com Facebook: Books On The Go Instagram: @ abailliekaras and @ mr_annie Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Ep 256: Best Books of 2023

December 07, 2023 22:56 - 24 minutes - 33.9 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the Booker Prize 2023 winner, PROPHET SONG by Paul Lynch. We reveal the best books we read in 2023.  In no particular order, they are: Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren translated by Agnes Broomé Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison The Fraud by Zadie Smith The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor Loot by Tania James Blac...

Ep 255: Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren translated by Agnes Broomé

November 13, 2023 07:32 - 21 minutes - 29.2 MB

Anna and Annie discuss authors' concerns about Spotify streaming books and highlights from the 2024 Adelaide Writers Week lineup. Our book of the week is Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren translated by Agnes Broomé. Sandgren has been described as "Sweden's Sally Rooney" (The Times).  Collected Works is a thought-provoking, intellectual novel set in Gothenburg.  At the heart of it is the mystery of the disappearance of Martin's wife, Cecilia.  Anna loved it but Annie would have preferred ...

Ep 254: True Biz and Y/N Book Club with Shawn Mooney

October 31, 2023 04:58 - 28 minutes - 39.2 MB

Special guest Shawn Mooney of Shawn the Book Maniac joins Anna for Book Club! We discuss TRUE BIZ by Sara Nović and Y/N by Esther Yi.  These books have taken us down rabbit holes of deaf culture (True Biz) and super fandom (Y/N). Two interesting and thought-provoking reads! Shawn recommends the interview with Esther Yi on Jaylen's The Bar and the Bookcase podcast. We're currently reading: GIBBONS OR ONE BLOODY THING AFTER ANOTHER by James Morrison (and see the book launch on Shawn's...

Ep 253: Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life by Anna Funder

October 09, 2023 10:31 - 26 minutes - 35.7 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the 2023 Booker Prize Shortlist and the authors taking action over the generative AI use of their work. Our book of the week is WIFEDOM: MRS ORWELL'S INVISIBLE LIFE by Anna Funder.  An innovative biography of Eileen Orwell by the Miles Franklin and Samuel Johnson prize winner, it has been described as a masterpiece and we think would make a great book club book. Coming up: Book Club with Shawn Mooney Follow us! Facebook: Books On The Go Instagram: @ abailli...

Ep 252: Chai Time At Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran

September 29, 2023 04:27 - 21 minutes - 29.2 MB

Anna and Amanda discuss the Nero Book Awards which will commence in 2024. Our book of the week is CHAI TIME AT CINNAMON GARDENS by Shankari Chandran.  A layered story about a nursing home in Sydney whose residents have traumatic memories of the civil war in Sri Lanka, this won the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award.  Coming up: WIFEDOM by Anna Funder. Follow us! Email: [email protected] Instagram: @ abailliekaras and @ vibrant_lives_podcast Credits Artwork: Sascha ...

Ep 251: Book Club with Shawn Mooney

September 18, 2023 10:34 - 41 minutes - 57.5 MB

A special episode: Anna chats with Shawn Mooney of Shawn the Book Maniac. We recommend three books and each choose one to read for our next episode: the Anna and Shawn book club! Books discussed: The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard True Biz by Sara Nović Y/N by Esther Yi Loop Tracks by Sue Orr Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life by Anna Funder The Recent East by Thomas Grattan   Coming up: Chai Time in Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran Follow us! Email: bo...

Ep 250: Women in Translation Recommendations

August 29, 2023 12:59 - 24 minutes - 33.8 MB

Anna and Annie discuss a recent study on reading to young children. We wrap up Women in Translation month.  The books we read (or Annie did at least!) and recommend are: Slime: A Natural History by Susanne Wedlich translated by Ayca Turkoglu Heaven by Mieko Kawakami translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd What You're Looking For Is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama translated by Alison Watts Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren translated by Agnes Broomé My Devotion by Julia Kern...

Ep 249: The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor

August 14, 2023 06:36 - 27 minutes - 37.8 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the 2023 Booker Prize Longlist.   Our book of the week is The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor. A novel about friends and lovers set in Iowa City, it is both intimate and explores wider issues in contemporary life and art. Taylor was short-listed for the Booker Prize for Real Life and won the Story Prize for his collection Filthy Animals.  The Late Americans is an instant national bestseller and was a Most Anticipated Book of the year by Vogue, Elle, Oprah Daily, th...

Ep 248: This Other Eden by Paul Harding

August 03, 2023 12:43 - 16 minutes - 23.1 MB

Anna and Amanda discuss Elizabeth Gilbert pulling her novel The Snow Forest from publication because of its Russia theme. Our book of the week is This Other Eden by Paul Harding. Based on a true story, an island community of castaways and misfits is disrupted when a well-meaning but racist preacher enters their lives.  It has biblical feels yet resonates today.  Described as 'a harrowing tale of paradise lost' (New York Times) and 'sure to be a stand-out of 2023' (Los Angeles Times), sin...

Ep 247: The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland

June 29, 2023 13:09 - 22 minutes - 31.1 MB

Anna and Amanda discuss the Women's Prize winner Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Our book of the week is The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland.  This tells the true story of Rudolf Vrba who escaped from Auschwitz with Fred Wetzler and their attempt to tell Jewish leaders the truth about the Final Solution and prevent more deaths.  A Sunday Times Best-Seller and shortlisted for the 2022 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, w...

Ep 246: Sadvertising with Ennis Ćehić

June 21, 2023 23:13 - 25 minutes - 34.9 MB

A special episode:  Anna chats with author Ennis Ćehić about his debut collection of short stories, Sadvertising. Ćehić is based in Melbourne and Sarajevo and writes about displacement, creativity and existentialism. The stories in Sadvertising are set in the advertising world and explore the tension between art and capitalism.  Satirical and very funny, with elements of meta-fiction and the surreal.  "A work of thrilling, audacious verve and wit ... deserves a standing ovation" (Christo...

Ep 245: The Half Brother with Christine Keighery

June 14, 2023 08:04 - 21 minutes - 29.7 MB

A special episode: Anna chats with author Christine Keighery about her new novel The Half Brother. Christine Keighery has written over 35 novels for children and young adults (as Chrissie Perry).  The Half Brother is her first novel for adults.  It's a psychological suspense story about a family, secrets and coercive control. Described as "sinister, suspenseful and tightly written, with an ending I didn't see coming" (Vikki Wakefield).  There are no spoilers in this episode so you'll have...

Ep 244:The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard

May 29, 2023 06:53 - 28 minutes - 39.4 MB

Anna and Amanda discuss The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard.  This novel set in Japan and Hong Kong in 1947 explores the colonial era with a forbidden love story at its centre.  Described as "the last masterpiece of a vanished age of civility" (Wall Street Journal) it won the 2003 Miles Franklin Award and the National Book Award for Fiction and was shortlisted for the 2004 Orange Prize. We also recommend Shirley Hazzard: A Writing Life by Brigitta Olubas. Follow us! Facebook: Books On ...

Ep 243: Girl in a Pink Dress with Kylie Needham

May 16, 2023 07:32 - 23 minutes - 32 MB

A special episode: Anna chats with author Kylie Needham about her debut novel, Girl In A Pink Dress. Girl in a Pink Dress centres on Frances, an artist in her 40s who is invited to her former lover's exhibition opening in Sydney.  A beautiful, spare novel that explores the idea of two artists living together and female rage, against the backdrop of the Australian landscape.  Described as "a quiet triumph" (Heather Rose) and "breathtakingly good" (David Wenham), we loved this book. Kylie...

Ep 242: The New Life by Tom Crewe

May 11, 2023 12:32 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the Stella Prize shortlist (belatedly!) Our book of the week is The New Life by Tom Crewe.  A brilliant debut novel about two marriages and sexual freedom in 1890s London, it evokes the time and place beautifully but feels modern and resonates today.  It reminded us of Colm Tóibín, with "the spirit of Forster" (Washington Post). Coming up: The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard. Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Facebook: Books On The Go Email...

Ep 241: Women's Prize Shortlist

May 02, 2023 13:17 - 27 minutes - 38.4 MB

Anna, Annie and Amanda react to the 2023 Women's Prize Shortlist and give our winner predictions. And Annie has news! The shortlist is: Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris Pod by Laline Paull Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks Trespasses by Louise Kennedy The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Coming up: The New Life by Tom Crewe and The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard. Follow us! Facebook: Books On The Go Email: booksonthegopod...

Ep 240: Stella Prize Shortlist and Winner Prediction

April 26, 2023 12:23 - 28 minutes - 39.1 MB

Annie, Anna and Amanda discuss the shortlist for the 2023 Stella Prize and give their winner predictions. The shortlist is: We Come With This Place by Debra Dank  big beautiful female theory by Eloise Grills  The Jaguar by Sarah Holland-Batt  Hydra by Adriane Howell  Indelible City by Louisa Lim  Bad Art Mother by Edwina Preston Coming up: The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard and our Women's Prize Shortlist episode. Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras , @mr_annie and @vibra...

Ep 239: All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien

April 03, 2023 10:26 - 15 minutes - 20.6 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the 2023 Dylan Thomas Prize Shortlist. Our book of the week is All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien.  This debut novel tells the story of Ky, a Vietnamese-Australian woman who looks for answers when her brother is killed in Cabramatta, Sydney.  It won the 2023 Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction.  Coming up: The New Life by Tom Crewe. Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Email: [email protected] Facebook: Books On The Go Twitter...

Ep 238: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

March 27, 2023 05:40 - 21 minutes - 28.9 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the books they are keeping or culling, including Pure Colour by Sheila Heti The Invention of Medicine by Robin Lane Fox Troy by Stephen Fry Our book of the week is Stone Blind, the latest novel by Natalie Haynes.  It tells the story of Medusa from a feminist perspective, is witty, rich with details from Greek mythology and has been long-listed for the 2023 Women's Prize for Fiction. We loved this one.   Coming up: All That is Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien. ...

Ep 237: I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

March 20, 2023 06:02 - 27 minutes - 38.3 MB

Anna and Annie react to the 2023 Women's Prize Longlist and the Booker International Longlist. Our book of the week is I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai, the follow-up novel to her Pulitzer Prize winning best-seller The Great Believers. The story centres on podcaster Bodie, who is drawn back to a murder case from her boarding school days and starts to fear that the wrong man has been imprisoned.  A gripping mix of crime, #MeToo and campus drama, this is perfect for book cl...

Ep 236: The Soulmate with Sally Hepworth

March 14, 2023 06:34 - 21 minutes - 30 MB

A special episode: Anna and Amanda chat with best-selling author Sally Hepworth about her new novel The Soulmate. The Soulmate is a gripping story about Pippa and Gabe, who are happily married until a woman dies near their home and they become entangled in the mystery that follows.  A compulsive read which raises questions about marriage and loyalty, we could not put this down. Sally also recommends: Authors Jane Harper, Liane Moriarty, Kate Morton and Holly Ringland; Podcasts The Firs...

Ep 235: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

March 07, 2023 12:05 - 28 minutes - 38.7 MB

Annie and Anna discuss the 2023 Stella Prize Longlist. Our book of the week is Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, the follow-up to his best-selling and Pulitzer Prize winning novel All the Light We Cannot See. Cloud Cuckoo Land was on the New York Times bestseller list for over 20 weeks and was a National Book Award finalist.  Set in 15th century Constantinople, modern day Idaho and a future spaceship, it is about children in times of peril who find hope in a book.   Coming up: The So...

Ep 234: She Too with Eve Thomson

February 27, 2023 09:56 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MB

A special episode as we chat with Eve Thomson about her debut novel She Too. She Too is a legal thriller about a young lawyer who acts for a man accused of being an abusive husband as he sues a news website for defamation.  It looks at the nature of truth, celebrity and power. Eve recommends the book Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr and the podcasts Conversations, Chat 10 Looks 3 and Head Noise. Coming up: Cloud Cuckoo Land. Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras Facebook: Book...

Ep 233: Louise Adler, Adelaide Writers' Week Director

February 20, 2023 10:23 - 15 minutes - 20.8 MB

A special episode - our interview with Louise Adler, Director of Adelaide Writers' Week!  We discuss Louise's 'Director's Picks', some new authors to discover and the challenges of curating a literary festival. Books discussed: Tom Stoppard: A Life by Hermione Lee Beat the Devil by David Hare Shirley Hazzard: A Writing Life by Brigitta Olubas The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard Trespasses by Louise Kennedy The Singularities by John Banville We Don't Know Ourselves: A Per...

ep 232: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel

February 13, 2023 06:14 - 25 minutes - 34.7 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the 2023 Dublin Literary Award Longlist.  Our book of the week is Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel. Like Station 11 and The Glass Hotel, it is speculative fiction with warmth, heart and great story-telling.  A New York Times Bestseller and a Best Book of 2022 (New York Times, Oprah Daily, NPR) it has been described as 'transporting and brilliant and generous' (USA Today).   Coming up: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. Follow us! Email: booksonthegop...

Ep 231: Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

January 24, 2023 06:51 - 22 minutes - 31.4 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the man arrested for stealing manuscripts and whether new AI technology ChatGPT can write novels.  Our book of the week is Trespasses by Louise Kennedy. Set in 1970s Belfast during the Troubles, it tells the story of a young Catholic woman and her affair with a married Protestant man. Described as "brilliant, beautiful, heartbreaking" (New York Times) and named a Best Book of the Year by the Washington Post, we loved this book. Louise Kennedy will be at Adelaide...

Ep 230: The Master and Margarita

January 02, 2023 03:29 - 26 minutes - 35.7 MB

Anna and Annie discuss Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf and Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka in our Keep or Cull segment. Our book of the week is The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov translated by Michael Glenny. We have been meaning to read this Russian classic for ages.  A surreal, absurdist satire, it features Satan, Pontius Pilate, a poet and a talking cat.  Not what we were expecting!  We'll be back in a few weeks. Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_anni...

Ep 229: Best Books of 2022

December 16, 2022 22:16 - 30 minutes - 41.4 MB

Anna, Annie and Amanda discuss our best books of 2022. Our favourite reads were: The Comfort Book by Matt Haig Border by Kapka Kassabova Devotion by Hannah Kent Love Marriage by Monica Ali Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin The Hummingbird by Sandro Veronesi translated by Elena Pala The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide translated by Eric Selland Limberlost by Robbie Arnott Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra Follow us! Instagram: @abaill...

Ep 228: Holiday Reading Recommendations and TBR

December 12, 2022 23:56 - 28 minutes - 38.7 MB

Anna and Annie discuss how BookTok is helping young people discover a passion for reading. Our holiday reading recommendations are: Willowman by Inge Simpson The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn Better the Blood by Michael Bennett The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margo by Marianne Cronin Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff Tom Stoppard: A Life by He...

Ep 227: Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen

December 01, 2022 05:52 - 21 minutes - 29 MB

Anna and Amanda discuss book shopping on TikTok.  Our book of the week is Crossroads by award-winning author Jonathan Franzen.  This is a family drama set in 1971 American suburbia and is the first in a trilogy.  It was an instant New York Times best-seller, a Guardian Best Fiction Book of 2021 and has been described as 'a Middlemarch-like triumph' (The Telegraph).  Coming up: our Holiday Reading Recomendations and TBR. Follow us! Email: [email protected] Instagram: @a...

Ep 226: The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

November 27, 2022 07:16 - 16 minutes - 22 MB

Anna and Amanda discuss the National Book Award winner for fiction, The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty. Our book of the week is The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell, the follow-up novel to her hugely successful Hamnet. It's set in the Italian Renaissance and follows Lucrezia de'Medici and her marriage aged 15 to the Duke of Ferrara.  All the ingredients for a great read, we had high expectations for this one! Coming up: Crossroads by Jonanthan Franzen and our Holiday Reading recommend...

Ep 225: The Trees by Percival Everett

November 20, 2022 04:18 - 21 minutes - 29.8 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the court blocking the acquisition by Penguin Random House of Simon & Schuster. Our book of the week is The Trees by Percival Everett. This novel set in Money, Mississippi starts with a brutal murder which detectives Ed and Jim struggle to solve.  Satirical with absurdist elements and a whodunnit, but confronting racism and lynching in America, it has been described as a 'gory pulp revenge fantasy' (Bookforum) and 'explosive in every way' (Dua Lipa). It was shortlis...

EP 224: Real Bad Things by Kelly J Ford

November 09, 2022 05:14 - 11 minutes - 16.1 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the Readings Prize winner, Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au. Our book of the week is Real Bad Things by Kelly J. Ford.  Set around the Arkansas River, this is a suspense thriller about Jane, who returns to her home town to face up to a murder that was committed years before. Described as Southern noir or Grit Lit, this was an Amazon Best Book of the Month and is recommended for Ozark fans. Coming up: The Trees by Percival Everett. Follow us! Email: booksont...

Ep 223: Classic Crime books by Margery Allingham

November 02, 2022 23:49 - 24 minutes - 33.9 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the Booker Prize winner, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka. In Keep or Cull, Anna culls Mrs March by Virginia Feito and Annie keeps Seeing Other People by Diana Reid. Our books of the week are Sweet Danger and Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham, one of the queens of classic crime. Both books feature gentleman sleuth Albert Campion. Described as 'addictive as cocaine' (Independent), Agatha Christie said 'Margery Allingham stands out like...

Ep 222: Limberlost by Robbie Arnott

October 17, 2022 06:40 - 23 minutes - 32.1 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the latest book sales and our theories on TikTok or #BookTok .  We also preview our new segment Keep or Cull, as we will be reading from our ever-growing TBR shelf! Our book of the week is Limberlost by award-winning author Robbie Arnott.  It's a coming-of-age story about Ned, who lives on an apple farm in Tasmania and spends the summer of 1944 hunting rabbits while his brothers are at war.  Annie loved this and has tipped it for the Miles Franklin already. Comin...

Ep 221: Booker Prize Special Episode

October 12, 2022 05:48 - 24 minutes - 33.6 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the death of Hilary Mantel and the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Annie Ernaux. Our books of the week are Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer and After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz, both long-listed for the 2022 Booker Prize.  We also discuss the Booker Prize Shortlist and our winner predictions. Coming up: Limberlost by Robbie Arnott Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Email: [email protected] Twit...

Ep 220: Cold Enough for Snow and Small Books

October 01, 2022 12:18 - 27 minutes - 38.2 MB

Anna and Amanda discuss our favourite small books. Our book of the week is Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au, the inaugural winner of the Novel Prize. This inspired us to talk about other short novels that we have loved: Guest Cat by Tikashi Hiraide translated by Eric Selland Ikigai by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles Japonisme: The Art of Finding Contentment by Erin Niimi Longhurst Summerwater by Sarah Moss  A Chess Story by Stefan Zweig translated by Alexander Starrit...

Ep 219: Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down

September 27, 2022 12:03 - 17 minutes - 23.8 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the 2022 Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction shortlist. Our book of the week is Bodies of Light by award-winning author Jennifer Down. This novel explores survival against the odds and is wonderfully engaging despite the subject-matter. Winner of the 2022 Miles Franklin Literary Award.  Coming up: Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au and small books. Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Facebook: Books On The Go Litsy: @abailliekaras T...

Ep 218: Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra

September 18, 2022 07:45 - 20 minutes - 28 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the death of Queen Elizabeth II and recommend these books: An Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett The Queen by Ben Pimlott The Palace Papers by Tina Brown Our book of the week is Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra. This New York Times Bestseller is set in Mussolini's Italy and 1940s Hollywood.  Described as 'a wonderful novel' (Sunday Times), 'epically entertaining' (San Fancisco Chronicle) and 'A gorgeous book ... sublime' (New York Times). We agree! ...

Ep 217: Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

September 04, 2022 07:53 - 24 minutes - 33.5 MB

Anna and Annie discuss their predictions for the 2022 Booker Prize Shortlist. Our book of the week is Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley.  This novel about a young woman in Oakland has been described as 'an electrifying debut' (Dave Eggers). It is a New York Times Bestseller, an Oprah Book Club pick and is longlisted for the Booker Prize. We think it more than lives up to the hype! Coming up: Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down and Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra. Follow us! I...

Ep 216: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

August 29, 2022 03:05 - 21 minutes - 29.2 MB

Anna and Annie discuss literary scandals and the attack on Salman Rushdie.  Sales of his book The Satanic Verses have surged since the attack. Our book of the week is Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan.  A short novel set in Ireland in 1985, it tells the story of Bill Furlong and his moral dilemma when he sees wrongdoing by the church.  Winner of the Orwell Prize for Politcal Fiction 2022 and longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize.  We loved this one! Coming up: Bodies of Light by...

Ep 215: Violets by Kyung-Sook Shin translated by Anton Hur

August 17, 2022 12:50 - 19 minutes - 27.2 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the mystery surrounding a killing in Zambia and Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing. Our book of the week is Violets by Kyung-Sook Shin translated by Anton Hur.  This novel explores violence and loneliness in Korean society.  Described as a 'requiem to the unseen women' (Washington Independent Review of Books) it's a thoughtful book if not our favourite by this author.  We read this for Women in Translation month. Coming up: Small Things Like These by...

Ep 214: Women in Translation recommendations and TBR

August 09, 2022 07:11 - 22 minutes - 30.7 MB

Anna and Annie discuss their book recommendations for Women in Translation month.  There is also a #WITreadathon on BookTube hosted by Matthew Sciarappa, Kendra Winchester and Insert Literary Pun Here if you're interested. Our WIT month books: Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk translated by Jennifer Croft Long Live the Post Horn! by Vigdis Hjorth translated by Charlotte Barslund Second Hand Time by Svetlana Alexievich translated by Bela Shayevich The Woman in the Purple Skirt by ...

Ep 213:Bolla by Pajtim Statovci translated by David Hackston

August 03, 2022 07:32 - 30 minutes - 42 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the Miles Franklin Literary Award winner and react to the 2022 Booker Prize Longlist. Our book of the week is Bolla by Pajtim Statovci translated by David Hackston. Set in Kosovo, this novel centres on Arsim, an Albanian man who falls in love with Milos, a Serbian man, just before the Kosovan war.  It won the Finlandia Prize in its original Finnish. We echo the praise of Torrey Peters:  "Devastating in the most beautiful ways ... you are in the hands of an absolute...

Ep 212: Best Books of the Year So Far

July 02, 2022 06:44 - 31 minutes - 43.7 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the plagiarism allegations with The Dogs originally reported by The Guardian.  We love a literary scandal! Our best books of 2022 so far are: The Sentence by Louise Erdrich Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz The Candy House by Jennifer Egan The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy Devotion by Hannah Kent Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Son of Sin by Omar Sakr Annie also reacts to the Women's Prize winner and recomm...

EP 211: Wild Abandon by Emily Bitto

June 27, 2022 06:31 - 29 minutes - 39.9 MB

Anna and Amanda discuss the Women's Prize winner, The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki. Our book of the week is Wild Abandon by Emily Bitto, the follow-up to her Stella Prize-winning novel The Strays.  A heartbroken young man lands in New York City, indulges in the hedonistic art scene and then finds himself in Ohio working for Wayne, a collector of exotic animals.   Coming up: Bolla by Pajtim Statovci. Follow us! Email: [email protected] Facebook: Books On Th...

Ep 210: Comfort Reading Recommendations

June 13, 2022 06:41 - 20 minutes - 27.8 MB

Anna and Annie discuss the 2022 Miles Franklin longlist. Annie's tip to win is Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down. Our comfort reading recommendations are: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison Three Rings: A Tale of Exile, Narrative and Fate by Daniel Mendelsohn Love Marriage by Monica Ali Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au The Guncle by Steven Rowley Seventeen by John Brownlow Follow ...

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