Curious Readers

Join Amanda and Joseph as they go through the looking glass into the fascinating (and anxiety inducing) world of artificial intelligence - and recommending some fiction and non-fiction picks about Large Language Models, bots, and the machines learning to live like us. Plus, as always they'll be chatting about what they've been reading recently and what they hope to pick up next.  Bookish News...

In the height of Prize Season, Amanda and Joseph are back with a bumper episode asking what all the hullabaloo is about - how are prizes judged and awarded, and are the winners worth our time? Plus, they talk about Amanda’s recent trip to the Women’s Prize ceremony, and as always, what they’ve been reading recently and what they hope to pick up next.  Bookish News Hay Festiva l Careless Peopl...

Where have the last six months gone? Join Amanda and Joseph as they check in on the reading goals they set themselves in January. Find out if they’ve stuck to their promises, or if they’ve bombed out on their reading resolutions. Plus, they talk about more prize news, and as always, what they’ve been reading recently and what they hope to pick up next.  Bookish News Hay Festiva l Taiwan Trave...

It seems everyone is talking about Yesteryear , and now Joseph and Amanda are too. Join them for their latest deep dive into the most hotly anticipated debut of the year, and hear about what they've been reading recently and which books they hope to pick up next. Bookish News The Hay Festival Hayplayer Recent Reads Cannon by Lee Lai @_leelai The Correspondent by Virginia Evans @virginia.l.evans Do...

Join Amanda and Joseph for this week’s episode as they delve into the best that nature writing has to offer. Plus, as always, they talk about their current reads and what they're looking forward to picking up next, as well as the latest from the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist. Bookish News Women’s Prize shortlist Recent Reads Pearl Oyster by Sophie Robinson @sophiepoetry  London Falling,...

Join Amanda and Joseph for this week’s episode as they delve into the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, remember Agatha Christie and talk about their favourite mysteries. This time, they really try to be spoiler free!   Bookish News International Booker Prize shortlist short flims  Helen DeWitt and Windham Campbell Literary Award Recent Reads There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm...

Join Joseph and Amanda as they discuss the reads they are most looking forward to this Spring, plus a few more updates from prize season. We also introduce a new segment – DNF corner, where we talk about the books we couldn’t wait to put down.  Bookish News Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist International Booker Prize shortlist Recent Reads The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by...

Join Amanda and Joseph for their next deep dive into Wendy Erskine’s debut novel, The Benefactors, a polyphonic story about a sexual assault and the lengths that three mothers will go to to keep their sons from being held accountable. Along the way, they discuss the latest prize news, with the Carol Shields Prize longlist topping the episode. Bookish News Carol Shields Prize for Fiction longlist R...

This week, join Amanda and Joseph for one of their most personally revealing episodes yet, as they discuss the books that made them: the teenage obsessions, the gateway reads, and the unforgettable titles, passages and writers that made us the readers they are today. (1:20) Bookish News   (1:40) The Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist (2:49) Gloria Don't Speak by Lucy Apps @lucy.emma13 (3:10)...

This week, Joseph and Amanda tackle romance. But this is romance with a twist, no tropes or formulas, just good writing that even the most hard-hearted cynic can enjoy. And before that, as Prize season is upon us, they dish the latest on prestigious longlists, and top and tail the episode with current and future reads.  (0:52) Bookish news (1:03) The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction (2:52) Indig...

This week, Joseph and Amanda talk about some of their favourite short story collections - ranging from canonical gems to new voices - plus, as always, they talk about what they’ve been reading recently and discuss what they’re excited to read next.  (1:24) Bookish news (2:20) Birchbark Books (2:27) Inkwell Books (2:40) Red Balloon Books (2:56) Excelsior Bay Books / Milkweed Books / Black Garn...

This week, Amanda and Joseph go into the trenches with Daniel Kraus’s repulsively propulsive Angel Down. They also discuss what they’ve been reading recently, including the new Ian McEwan novel and a slew of non-fiction, as well as what they’re looking forward to picking up next.  (2:40) Bookish news (2:44) Storygraph (@josephjdance and @itsmoleyreads) (3:47) Faversham Literary Festival , 20...

Happy New Year! Start the year with Amanda and Joseph as they talk about their reading intentions for 2026.  (2:09) Bookish News   (2:36) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (directed by Emerald Fennell) (2:46) Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell (directed by Chloe Zhao) (2:59) Die My Love by Ariana Harwicz (directed by Lynne Ramsey) (3:34) Train Dreams by Dennis Johnson (directed by Clint Bentley)...

Join Amanda and Joseph for an end-of-year bibliofest as they talk about their top 10 books of the year, plus they dish the dirt on the titles that sadly didn’t live up to their expectations over the last twelve months.  (1:20) Bookish News   (1:24) The Warwick Prize For Women In Translation   (1:44) And The Walls Became The World All Around by Johanna Ekström and Sigrid Rausing, tra...

Join Amanda and Joseph as they get graphic – about the best graphic novels they’ve read and the ones they are keen to add to their TBRs. Along the way, they talk about their recent reads and discuss the books they hope will close out their reading year.  (0:47) Bookish News   (5:41) National Book Award   (6:00) The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alame...

Join Amanda and Joseph for another deep dive, this time into Heart the Lover, Lily King’s tale of first loves and lost opportunities. Plus, as always, they talk about their recent reads and discuss the titles they’re keen to pick up next.  (1:23) Book News (1:23) The Booker Prize 2025 (1:34) Flesh by David Szalay   (2:09) The Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction (2:12) How to End a Story...

Join Amanda and Joseph on this week’s episode as they discuss the Booker Prize 2025 shortlist and talk in depth about what worked and what didn’t work for them with each of the six nominated books. They also chat book news and have a look at some of the upcoming titles they’re looking forward to reading next.  (0:32) Book News (1:12)  Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth (4:50) Gresham College Lec...

Creeps, chills, and carefully crafted dread - join Joseph and Amanda for this week’s episode as they recommend a stack of mood-heavy reads for spooky season. Plus, Team CR talks László Krasznahorkai - this year’s winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature - and as always they discuss what they’ve been reading lately and what they’re looking forward to picking up next.  (0:44) Book News (0:51) No...

Just in time for Banned Books Week (5-11 October), Joseph and Amanda talk about literary censorship and recommend the samizdat titles they think are worth exploring. They also chat about this year's Booker Prize Shortlist which was announced on 23 September and run through their picks from the Baillie Gifford Prize shortlist, one of the UK's biggest literary prizes for non-fiction. Plus, as always...

In the latest episode Joseph and Amanda launch into Atmosphere with an in-depth discussion of the queer-coded astronaut love story by Taylor Jenkins Reid. They also take a look at the recently announced fiction and non-fiction longlists from the National Book Award, plus share what they’ve been reading lately and the titles they’re looking forward to picking up next.   Book News The Book...

In the latest episode Joseph and Amanda step into the world of sci-fi and speculative fiction and chart a course through some of their favourite fictional forays into evolutionary biology, artificial intelligence, deep space exploration, and the perils of the Oort Cloud. They also discuss the latest news from the Hugo Awards, talk about what they’ve been reading recently, and as always, run throug...

In this week’s episode, we respond to our listeners with all our deepest, darkest DNF secrets: why we do it, when we do it, and how we feel when it happens. We also talk about the books we’ve read recently as well as the backlist titles and new releases we hope to explore in the coming weeks.  Book News (2:31) The Sealey Challenge (4:25) The Wild Iris by Louise Glück (4:48) Midden Witch by Fi...

On this week’s bumper episode we cover the Booker Prize longlist before exploring some of our favourite fiction and non-fiction about art. We ask why books featuring artists seem to be so perennially popular and what is it about the artist’s life that keeps us coming back for more. Book News The Booker Prize Long List  Love Forms by Claire Adam  The South by Tash Aw Universality by Natas...

Book News The Hugo Awards Galle Literary Festival , 22-25 January 2026 Edinburgh International Book Festival , 9-24 August 2025  Current reads Free Play: Improvisation in Life & Art by Stephen Nachmanovitch On Elizabeth Bishop by Colm Tóibin The Names by Florence Knapp Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins-Reid Deep Dive into Kristin Hannah  Firefly Lane  The Nightingale The Winter Garde...

Join us this week as we delve into our favourite memoirs and recommend some bizarre stories of fame, feuds, cults, and figure skating. Of course, we also share the latest book news, current reads and what we plan to read next. Book News Close to Home by Michael Magee Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe Current reads A Thousand Threads by Neneh Cherry  Lost Souls Meet Under A Full Moon by Mizu...