A Pair of Bookends

Hey Bookends! We're back with our BONUS episode of September, this time joined by the much-loved YA and Contemporary fiction author Holly Bourne to chat about her latest YA book 'You Could Be So Pretty'! We discuss beauty standards, modern society, internet culture, body image, safeguarding in books, sensitivity readers and so much more. It was such an empowering and thought-provoking conversation...

Welcome back Bookends to another Bonus Books episode, for this episode we were joined by crime and thriller author Victoria Selman. Aswell as deep diving into Victoria's latest book 'All The Little Liars', we discuss how true crime has become such a cultural phenomenon, her writing process, toxic teenage female friendships and so much more. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. To...

Welcome back Bookends to another episode in our Debut Spotlight series! For this episode we were joined by Gabriella Braun, the Director of Working Well to chat about her debut non-fiction book 'All That We Are'. We speak about toxic work cultures, how she took psycho-analysis out of therapy rooms and into workspaces and how we can better equip ourselves in our working lives, it was such an insigh...

WE'RE BACK BOOKENDS! For the first episode in our new season, we were joined by none other than Anne Enright, a Booker Prize-winning author, no less! Aswell as deep diving into her latest novel, we chat about sibling dynamics, mothers and daughters, social media and so much more, it was an absolute JOY to chat to the Irish powerhouse herself and we hope you love this conversation as much as we did...

Hey Bookends! Welcome to our Season finale episode where we chatted to Australian novelist Eliza Henry-Jones about her latest novel Salt & Skin, which was released in Australia and New Zealand last year and was recently released in the UK & U.S. Aswell as deep diving into her beautiful genre-bending novel, we discuss how her professional experience of trauma and grief counselling influence...

Welcome back Bookends to another episode in our Debut Spotlight series where we shine the light on the freshest authors and their work! For today's episode we were joined by debut novelist of 'I Will Greet The Sun Again', the incredible Khashayar J. Khabushani. We discuss his highly contested debut, how he can read multiple books at once, why basketball means so much to him, why his mother is such...

Welcome back Bookends to another Bonus books episode where we were joined by the powerhouse that is Daisy Buchanan! A journalist, novelist and host of a number of brilliant podcast series including the fan favourite 'You're Booked', we were delighted to have Bookend royalty on the podcast and her recommendations are certainly not in short supply! TW: This conversation includes mention of difficult...

Hey Bookends! Welcome back to another episode in our Debut Spotlight series, for this episode we were joined by the incredible Emily Habeck to discuss our firm favourite read of the year 'Shark Heart'. We talk about her journey from the world of Theatre to novel writing, her research process of Great White Sharks and the wonderful help she received from Marine Biologist Greg Skomal, the protagonis...

Hey Bookends! For our July Book Club episode we were joined by the brilliant Megan Nolan, all the way from NYC! We of course deep dived into her latest novel Ordinary Human Failings, chatted about her experience with the publication of her debut novel during COVID, why pro-lifers need to read her new book, her interest in journalism and so much more, we hope you love this one and as always please...

Welcome back Bookends to another episode in our Debut Spotlight series! For today's episode we were joined by debut novelist Mikki Brammer to chat about her beautiful novel 'The Collected Regrets of Clover' which is out now & published by Viking (UK). We discuss why it's important to have more open conversations about death and grief, why New York was the perfect setting for her novel, the gor...

Welcome back Bookends to an impromptu minisode! We had an interview fall through last minute and thought what a wonderful time to bring you back an OG episode which we know lots of you have been missing! We talk about Lydia's little secret, the men she's making herself available for cough Hozier, Jeremy Allen White cough, the all important Barbenheimer debate & lots more. Let us know for futur...

It's a BONUS bonus episode because we have the incredible Caroline O'Donoghue with us for today's episode chatting all about her wonderful new novel The Rachel Incident! Aswell as doing a deep dive into what can only be classed as one of the best books of the year, we chat about 'And just like that', how Caroline personally made Mumford and Sons happen(...), representation in books and so much mor...

Welcome back Bookends to a Bonus Books episode where we chat to author and award-winning arts critic Chloë Ashby about her latest novel 'Second Self', we chat about Art, her writing style, the choice to have or to not have children, positive heterosexual relationships and much more. We loved chatting to her and hope you take away as much as we did from this conversation! As always if you enjoy thi...

This is BIG guys! We had the incredible Booker-shortlisted author, literary icon Brandon Taylor on the pod to chat about his latest novel 'The Late Americans', which was our June Book Club pick. We loved this novel so so much and cannot rave about it enough, if you haven't read it yet, links are below to order your copy, please do join us in reading it! In this episode we discuss the body & au...

Welcome back Bookends to our latest offering in our Debut Spotlight series where today we have a thriller! We were joined by the lovely Ruth Kelly, journalist and author of 'The Villa', a gripping and unsettling thriller set on a reality TV show. We chatted about Ruth's own experiences working on a reality show, the kinds of thrillers she enjoys reading & watching, mental health and why it sti...

Welcome back Bookends to another episode in our Debut Spotlight series, for this episode we were joined by debut author Sarah Jost to chat about 'One Last Chance', the unconventional, life-affirming love story you'll be staying up all night to finish. TW: This conversation includes discussion around cancer and loss. Aswell as chatting about her experiences in writing her debut, we also chatted to...

Welcome back Bookends to the second season in our Debut Spotlight series, for this episode Hannah was joined by screenwriter and novelist Senta Rich to chat about her debut novel 'Hotel 21'- a story of a kleptomaniac hotel cleaner who moves from hotel to hotel as soon as anything gets personal, her need to steal being the driving force to escape dealing with past traumas but at her 21st hotel, her...

Welcome back Bookends to our BONUS episode where Hannah chats to the brilliant Balli Kaur Jaswal about her latest novel 'Now You See Us', a moving, funny and insightful book about the lives of three Fillipina domestic workers who group together after their friend is wrongfully accused of murdering their employer. We chatted about the disturbing realities of domestic workers in Singapore, privilege...

Welcome back Bookends to our May Book Club episode! Today we chat about the first in an exciting new Queer crime series 'Scorched Grace' by the incredible Margot Douaihy. Unfortunately for this episode, Lydia was in the midst of an illness so was unable to record so Hannah was a singular bookend but was joined by Margot to chat all about her fantastic, compelling debut, the inspiration behind it,...

TW: This episode contains discussion around themes of infant & pregnancy loss/ stillbirth and grief. Welcome back Bookends! Today we have a powerful & important minisode for you, we were joined by American poet, artist and filmmaker Tiannah Malika (also known as Spike Tee) to chat about her debut collection 'Gray Skies Turned To Sonshine', a book of art and poetry exploring her experiences...

Welcome back Bookends to Season 2 in our Debut Spotlight series, for today's episode we were joined by Natasha Calder, author of the brilliant and eerie 'Whether Violent or Natural' which was published by Bloomsbury in the UK yesterday! We chatted to Natasha about her experiences from her first book 'The Offset' which she co-authored with friend Emma Szewczak to writing solo for her debut novel. A...

Welcome back Bookends to Season 2 of our Debut Spotlight series where we shine the light on the freshest new authors and their work, we recorded this back at the start of April and are thrilled to bring you this conversation with the incredible best-selling debut author of 'Collected Works', Lydia Sandgren. Aswell as deep diving into this wonderful tome of a novel, we chat about the characters tha...

Welcome Bookends to a very exciting bonus episode in collaboration with The Rathbones Folio Prize 2023, we were joined by all three of this year's winners of the prize: Margo Jefferson, Michelle de Kretser and Victoria Adukwei Bulley. It was truly an honour to chat to these three incredible women about their winning books and learning more about their process, their inspirations and their feelings...

Welcome Bookends to our April Book Club episode! This month we're inviting you to delve into 'The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa', a tragicomic coming-of-age tale of Andy Africa, a Nigerian teenager who amidst debating theories of anifuturism and mathematics takes a fascination in blonde, white women. Set amidst a backdrop of political and social unrest and a complex family life, this sma...

Welcome back Bookends to another episode in our Debut Spotlight series where we shine the light on the freshest new authors and their work. For this episode we were joined by Julia Boggio who is the author of the sizzling romance of the season 'Shooters' and the co-host of the Two Lit Chicks podcast. As Julia was a professional photographer herself for 15 years, there's little she doesn't know abo...