Diving In

Louise and Virginia dive deep into historical witch trials, told through four fictional stories, based on real events from the 17th and 18th centuries. They discuss the fact that much of the ignorance and prejudice against women in particular,  sadly remains in the 21st century. On a lighter note they have also been diving into two great TV shows.   Books   The Witching Tide by Margaret Meyer The...

Louise and Virginia discuss five very different books. Two very character-driven, interior novels, two set on a dream island, and one classic set during the first French Revolution. They also discuss two great shows currently streaming. Books The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal Island Calling by Francesca Segal The Palm House by Gwendolyn Riley T...

Louise and Virginia discuss five completely different books this time, some recent releases, and one old. They randomly chose to read books without any planned theme this time, but interestingly all five books feature mothers who impact their children in very different ways. Books Time of the Child by Niall Williams Infidelity and Other Affairs by Kate Legge Rachel Ray by Anthony Trollope Mother M...

Louise and Virginia discuss two big novels by Western Australian Living Treasure, Tim Winton, which reflect his, and our, changing concerns over a 35 year period. There’s much to think about here. On a lighter note Virginia has a new member of her family who is causing chaos!  Lou and Virginia also discuss a few TV shows and a podcast they’ve been diving into. Books Cloudstreet Juice TV Runaway Ho...

Louise and Virginia had a lot of fun and laughs discussing the first two novels in William Boyd’s trilogy. Gabriel’s Moon and The Predicament are both great stories about an accidental spy set against the background of actual events in the 1960s, and there was much to discuss. They also talk about a couple of other things they’ve been watching and enjoying. Books Gabriel’s Moon The Predicament   F...

Louise and Virginia loved discussing two authors who are surely two of America's great literary treasures.  Books The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Sula by Toni Morrison Other things Curtis Brown Creative writing courses, London Television Welsh television series The One that Got Away ( 2025) Keeping Faith ( 2017-2021) Hinterland (2013) Email hello@divinginpodcast.com Instagram @diving_in...

Louise and Virginia discuss two Jonathon Coe books, both of which reflect life, politics, culture, and society in the United Kingdom, past and present, as Coe always does so brilliantly.   Books Middle England by Jonathon Coe Bourneville by Jonathon Coe   Other things ‘Personal Curriculum Tok’   Television  Human,  ABC iView Under Salt Marsh, Binge   Email hello@divinginpodcast.com Instagram @divi...

Louise and Virginia dive deep into all thing’s books for Teen Readers, books categorised ‘Young Adult’ but marketed to teenagers.  They discuss the creation of the category, whether publishers should provide some sort of classification system, or content advice as well as four great books and one book that, whilst very gripping,  is surely mis-categorised - to Virginia’s dismay!  As always they fi...

Louise and Virginia have finally made it back to the Podcast Studio (Virginia’s dining room) after a gap of more than 18 months, and despite having forgotten how to do a podcast they somehow managed to review two new excellent Australian books that both have a journalist as the central character. They also chat about a few of the non-bookish things they’ve been diving into recently. Books The Wors...

Virginia and Louise do a deep dive into Barbara Kingsolver’s Pullitzer Prize winning and compelling novel Demon Copperhead and talk all things Charles Dickens as well as adding some shameful new entries to the infamous Ick Register. Books Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, 1838 Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, 1854 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, 2023  More Deep Dives Emma, by Jane Austen Te...

Louise and Virginia thought it might be fun to do an episode on books that they feel a bit embarrassed to have never read (until now). There were a lot of books to choose from, but they discuss four in this conversation.      During this chat they also create an Ick Register for authors who use words that give the ick, so that readers can be warned in advance (kind of like a trigger warning, but m...

Louise and Virginia have a great conversation about a lovely Western Australian novel. Salt River Road by the very talented debut author Molly Schmidt captures the large Tetley family at the worst time of their lives. Their wife and mother, Elena, has died after a long illness and left them all devastated. Although the book looks at grief through the eyes of several different characters, it has a...

Louise and Virginia have a conversation about two books with many overlaps, one fiction and one non-fiction, and reflect on the fact that none of this information was taught in the classroom when they were at school. Books Killing for Country by David Marr Edenglassie by Melissa Lukashenko TV Show The Crown – Netflix Podcasts The Rest is History – Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland The Rest is Ente...

Virginia and Louise dive into four new releases some of them from our favourite authors!   They also encourage everyone to get their hands on Salt River Road by Molly Schmidt for a bookclub deep dive episode coming up.   Books   The Fraud, Zadie Smyth, 2023, Hamish Hamilton Penguin   Normal Rules Don’t Apply, Kate Atkinson, 2023, Penguin Random House   Tom Lake, Ann Patchett, 2023, Harper Collins ...

Louise and Virginia have finally had a conversation about six literary controversies/hoaxes/scandals and it’s a lot of fun! This is  a Topic they both find fascinating so it was great to select three stories each and dive in.    Authors    Norma Khouri  John Hughes  Carmen Mola  Antonio Mercero  Agustin Martinez  Jorge Diaz  Harold Stewart  James McAuley  Dawn Dorland  Sonya Larson  Helen Demidenk...

Virginia and Louise have read a swag of newly released books both well-known authors and others new  - and only some with the hype they deserve. Books Yellowface  R F Kuang Harper Collins 2023 Crook Manifesto Colson Whitehead    2023 The Sitter Angela O’ Keefe Queensland University Press 2023 Old God’s Time Sebastian Barry 2023 Podcasts The Trial of Lucy Letby UK The Mail Metro Media Inside Design...

This time it’s Louise’s turn to talk about the massive French classic that she has been reading, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo. Louise tells Virginia about a very impertinent act by the original translator of the novel, and they discuss the aspects that Louise loved and some that she wasn’t so keen on. Hugo and Dumas were both born in 1802 and were literary confrères throughout their...

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas      Streaming   Au Coeur de Peloton/Tour de France: Unchained   Arnold      SBS on Demand   Rogue Heroes      ABC iView   Dangerous Remedy      Podcast    Strict Scrutiny  

Virginia and Louise immerse themselves in the meadows, riverbanks, orchards, high tides and deep snow to explore the deep connection and chasms between community, environment and climate change, in the emerging genre and precious language of eco-fiction.  Books The Offing by Benjamin Myers, 2019 Stolen by Ann-Helene Laestadius, 2023 Also consider A Month in the Country by JL Carr Limberlost by Rob...

Virginia and Louise are excited to share some must-read new releases including compelling stories about activist guerilla gardeners, true crime podcasters, writers rooms, surveillance and murder as well as the pitfalls and power dynamics of modern relationships, social media, dating apps and late night sketch TV. Books I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkah, 2023, Flint Publishing Birnam...

Louise and Virginia jet off to San Francisco in the episode, where they discuss the origins of the City and County, and why it became the home and haven for people wanting to discard façades and identities they may have held in their home towns. They also discuss the original gold rush and the modern tech gold rush and the impact these have had on the city, as well as the serialisation of novels a...

Louise and Virginia do a deep dive into the very contentious topic of Cancel Culture and the trend of cancelling books and authors. They also touch on the subject of banning books (and indeed burning books), which always have the opposite effect of that sought. Virginia and Lou both have very strong opinions on the subject and it’s such an interesting conversation. They also discuss a few great no...

Louise and Virginia have been immersed in some armchair travel to Tokyo, which has made them both very keen to travel there. These four books are great to read if you have a trip to Japan on your horizon or your bucket list. They also discuss some fabulous TV series to get streaming, a podcast, and they’ve both had very different recent experiences meeting Yotam Ottolenghi (although both evenings...

From soccer teams, eerie forests, dysfunctional families and loyal companions, Louise and Virginia ventured back into the world of books for younger readers.   Books A Walk in the Dark by Jane Godwin – Lothian Hachette Football Fever by Kristin Darell - Penguin Take Me with You When You Go by David Levithan and Jennifer Niven – Penguin 2022 Runt by Craig Silvey – Allen and Unwin 2022, Illustrated...

Louise lost her beautiful Lagotto dog Buster, two months ago, and so today Virginia and Louise want to dedicate this episode to him and to celebrate the wonder and loyalty that is a dog. In this conversation they discuss four lovely dog-related books as well as a few other things they’ve been diving into lately.   Books Dog Stories – Everyman’s Pocket Classics Ava’s Apartment by Jonathan Lethem Th...