Reading Materials

In this week’s bonus episode, Lucia is joined by a very special guest — Tatyana, host of  The Bookish Banter Podcast — to discuss  Iron Widow  by Xiran Jay Zhao. We dig into this bold sci-fi dystopia, chat about Hunger Games comparisons, and question the decision-making skills of some very short-sighted YA protagonists. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:10 - Introduction to Tatyana 07:50 - Intr...

First published in 1939 under a different and highly controversial title, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is the world's best-selling mystery. Join us as we round off our season of classics with our special guest, Madina, as we talk about red herrings, rhymes and recent TV adaptations. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:20 - An Introduction to Our Special Guest 05:35 - Spoiler Wa...

First published in 1920, The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting follows a world-famous animal doctor and his voyage to Africa to save the monkeys from a mysterious disease. Tune in this week to hear our thoughts on animal names, the history of vaccines and the importance of full disclosure when books are revised for modern audiences. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:20 - Life Updates 02:...

First published in 1911, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett tells the story of orphaned girl Mary who comes to live in an English country house and discovers a magical garden. Celebrate our podcast 2 year anniversary with us and hear our thoughts on friendship, character development and the restorative properties of the Yorkshire Moors. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:25 - Life Upda...

First published in 1864,  The Journey to the Center of the Earth  by Jules Verne is a sci-fi adventure novel about a geology professor and his nephew, who set off across Iceland to find a route to the Earth's core. Join us for our discussion of this classic and hear our thoughts on the difference between a mile and a Danish mile, the loyalty of Hans and the feasibility of surviving a volcanic...

First published in 1927,  To the Lighthouse  by Virginia Woolf follows the lives of the Ramsay family beginning with their trip to the Isle of Skye. Join us as we continue our season of classics and hear our thoughts on strained familial relationships, the stream-of-consciousness style of writing and the significance of the letter Q. Full disclosure - we really didn’t like this book. Episode Timep...

First published in 1815, Emma is the last novel by Jane Austen to be released during her lifetime. Join us for our discussion of this ‘comedy of manners’ and hear our thoughts on unlikeable characters, riddles and relationships in Georgian-Regency England. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:15 - Life Updates 07:00 - An Introduction to the Author 15:50 - Spoiler Alert 22:35 - The Blurb 23:00 - Ou...

First published in 1903 in a serialized format, The Call of the Wild by Jack London tells the story of Buck, a dog stolen from his home in California and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska during the 1890’s Klondike Gold Rush. Join us as we discuss this moving story of survival and Buck’s return to primitivism, and hear our thoughts on how this book explores human nature, its depiction of v...

Published in 1890, The Picture of Dorian Gray was a scandalous book that gained further notoriety when it was used against the author - Oscar Wilde - himself as evidence in court. Join us as we unpack this gothic novel and hear our thoughts on abridged editions of books, amorality and how this story of decadence and leading a double life is still relevant today. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 0...

We continue our season of classics with Dodie Smith’s coming of age story ‘ I Capture the Castle .’ Published in 1948, it is the most recently released book we will be covering this season. Join us to hear our thoughts on young love, marrying for money, writer’s block and romantic depictions of the British countryside. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:35 - Life Updates 02:20 - Spoiler Warning...

We kick off our season of classics with Lewis Carroll’s beloved children’s stories ‘ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ’ and ‘ Through the Looking Glass .’ Join us to hear our thoughts on mad hatters, hookah-smoking caterpillars, beheadings and whether literary nonsense is anything more than just literally nonsense. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:20 - Life Updates 03:00 - Intro to Season 5 06...

Happy New Year! 2022 went by in a blur of books - a combined 123 books, in fact. In this bonus episode we reflect on our reading journeys in 2022 and look ahead at what 2023 has in store. Join us to hear about our favourite books, characters, podcast moments and more! Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:20 - Life Updates 03:10 - Our 2022 Podcast Stats 07:45 - Our 2022 Reading Goals 11:40 - Our Fa...

Published in November 2022,  Kiss Her Once for Me  by Alison Cochrun is a queer Christmas romance brimming with snow, second chances, and found family. So grab a cookie and something warm to drink, and join us as we dive into fake dating tropes, festive traditions, complicated family dynamics, and the joy of seeing diverse love stories on the page. Happy holidays, everyone, and as always - thank y...

Published in July 2022, The Night Ship by Jess Kidd explores the true story of the Batavia, an ill-fated ship that attempted to make the voyage to the Dutch East Indies in 1629, through the eyes of two children. In this, our final episode of Season 4, we are joined by our friend Dominic to discuss the nature of the supernatural, disaster at sea, and human nature in the face of adversity. Disclaime...

Published in June 2022, This Vicious Grace is the debut Y. A. Fantasy novel by Emily Thiede. Join us for our discussion of this story of good versus evil and hear our thoughts on the Chosen One, the resurrection trope and the inclusion of sex scenes in Y. A. novels. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:15 - Life Updates 01:45 - Spoiler Warning 02:20 - An Introduction to the Author 05:40 - Blurb 06...

Published in September 2020, Susanna Clarke's novel Piranesi was highly recommended to us by multiple people, so we have finally taken the jump! Join us as we explore a labyrinthine world where solitude, friendship and the nature of home and self are explored.  Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:19 - Life Updates 01:32 - Spoiler Alert 02:18 - Introduction to Susanna Clarke 07:56 - Blurb 09:...

Published in May 2022, Holly Black's debut adult fantasy novel Book of Night introduces us to a world where shadows can become sentient. Join us for our discussion of this layered and dark story - released just in time for Halloween - as we try to untangle the complex magic-system and hear our thoughts on sisterly relationships, dodgy father figures and compelling male leads. Episode Timepoints: 0...

Published in August 2022, Mohsin Hamid's "The Last White Man" tackles the topics of race, grief, challenging societal norms and managing major life-changing events. Join us as we wrap our head around the themes of the book, the way it is written, relationships between all the characters, and how we feel about this interesting recently published novel. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 01:18 -...

Published in March 2022, The Bone Orchard is the debut gothic by Sara A. Mueller. Join us for our discussion of this dense novel, full of strong female characters, political intrigue, supernatural abilities, mind control and coming to terms with past traumas. Other Books Mentioned: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels by Philippa Gregory The Last White Man by Moh...

Published in April 2022, 'Luxuria' by Colette Rhodes explores illicit fantasies, arranged marriage and a romance like no other in a world where the things that live in the shadows really are monsters - and they can be kinda hot. This episode is rated 18+ due to the mature nature of the content discussed. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 07:07 - An Introduction to the Author 08:00 - Spoiler Warnin...

Published in April 2022, Emily St. John Mandel's speculative fiction novel 'Sea of Tranquility' tells a story across centuries and space. Join us as we wrap our heads around pandemics, time-travel and simulation theory. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 03:10 - Spoiler Warning 03:30 - An Introduction to the Author 08:20 - Blurb 10:00 - Discussion of Sea of Tranquility 01:11:10 - The Book We Will B...

Continuing the theme of recent publications, Akwaeke Emezi's new book "You Made A Fool of Death With Your Beauty" gives us some real food for thought as we grapple with some interesting issues through the medium of a rather unexpected romance! Described on Emezi's Instagram account as "horny bisexual chaos", we certainly had some Thoughts and Feelings - join us to discover this rather unusual nove...

Emily Henry is back to open the new season with her newest hit, Book Lovers. Join us as we wax lyrical once again about her ability to write great characters, funny dialogue and to give her readers all the tropes they could ask for. In case you couldn't tell, we both loved this one. Episode Timepoints: 00:00 - Intro 00:20 - Life Updates 02:10 - Spoiler Warning 05:10 - The Blurb 05:55 - Discussion...

In this bonus episode, we get trapped in the eerie halls of  Mexican Gothic  by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Tune in as we explore haunted houses, unsettling family secrets, colonial undertones—and yes, magic mushrooms. This one’s all decay, dread, and dark delights. Trigger Warnings: this episode contains references to gaslighting, rape, incest and cannibalism, which some listeners might find upsetting....

In this week’s bonus episode, we dive into the tender and tear-jerking pages of  The Travelling Cat Chronicles  by Hiro Arikawa (translated by Philip Gabriel). Join us as we talk about loyal pets, lifelong friendships, and the kind of emotional gut-punch only a cat’s perspective can deliver. Tissues advised. Note: there is some background noise from about 30 minutes until the end of the episode, a...