For the final episode in season 7 of our Debut Spotlight series, Hannah was joined by author & editor Natalie Adler to discuss her debut novel Waiting On A Friend, which you can buy here (US) and here (UK).
In this episode they discuss the AIDS crisis, the research that helped Natalie to explore this subject, how relevant it still is and how dangerous medical misinformation can be. They also dive into the beautiful friendships of this book and the importance of Community, especially for Queer people. Aswell as this they talk about the work its taken to get to publication, how she immersed herself in 80s New York and of course, a ton of book recommendations for you. 
Apologies for the change in audio quality halfway through (for Hannah), laptop/mic/port issues, very boring but apologies all the same!
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok. 
You can follow Natalie via Instagram & natalie-adler.com

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
New Skin by Sarah Wang
Let The Record Show by Sarah Schulman
The Undying by Anne Boyer
https://lithub.com/why-does-sickness-feel-so-isolating-when-everyone-is-sick/
Russian Doll (2019)
Natalie Adler- Waiting On A Friend Research
People in Trouble by Sarah Schulman
Rat Bohemia by Sarah Schulman
Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980–1983 by Tim Lawrence
Fear City: New York's Fiscal Crisis and the Rise of Austerity Politics by Kim Phillips-Fein
Waiting on a Friend: The Playlist
YouTube- 5ninthavenueproject
Voyagers by Meg Charlton
The Red Sacrament by Sara Hinkley

Let us know your thoughts by emailing us [email protected] or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

For today's episode Hannah was joined by returning guest of the pod Sarah Gilmartin to discuss her latest novel Little Vanities which you can buy here.
In this episode they discuss how Harold Pinter's Betrayal influenced this novel, why betrayal and desire are such great themes for writers to explore, long covid and illness, some great books by Irish authors & much more!
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok. 
You can follow Sarah via LinkedIn or via her books: 
Dinner Party by Sarah Gilmartin
Service by Sarah Gilmartin

Other mentions in this episode:
The Woman in the Water by Henrietta McKervey
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Home Economics: A Memoir by Caitríona Lally
Eggshells by Caitríona Lally 
Wunderland by Caitríona Lally
Betrayal by Harold Pinter
Old Times by Harold Pinter
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Smile by Roddy Doyle
The Sopranos (1999)
Rituals by Danielle McLaughlin

Let us know your thoughts by emailing us [email protected] or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

For our May Book Club episode, Hannah was joined by author Cecile Pin to discuss her latest novel Celestial Lights which is out now and you can buy here (UK) and here (US).
In this episode they discuss Space and the amount of research that went into this novel, Ambition & Sacrifice, picking sides with your characters plus lots of recs including new books, classics, documentaries & more!
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok. 
You can follow Cecile via Instagram 
You can buy her previous novel Wandering Souls here.

Books & other mentions in this episode:
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Revolutionary Road (2008)
Free Solo (2018)
The Fabelmans (2022)
The Odyssey (Emily Wilson translation)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Future of Humanity by Michio Kaku
Past Lives (2023)
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
The Devoted by Catherine Cho
Lost in the Jungle (2025)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Employees by Olga Ravn
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
To The Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage

Let us know your thoughts by emailing us [email protected] or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

For the latest instalment in our Debut Spotlight series, Hannah was joined by author, podcaster & comedy and lifestyle creator Brooke Averick to discuss her debut novel Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It which you can buy here (UK) and here (US).
In this episode they discuss anxiety, therapy, platonic love, niche crushes, romance & romantasy novels and more. 
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok. 
You can follow Brooke via Instagram, Tik Tok & you can listen to Brooke and Connor Make A Podcast here.

Books & other mentions in this episode:
Heated Rivalry
House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2) by Sarah J.Maas
House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City #3) by Sarah J.Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J.Maas
Throne of Glass by Sarah J.Maas
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
The Office: Superfan Episodes

Let us know your thoughts by emailing us [email protected] or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

For the latest instalment in our Debut Spotlight series Hannah was joined by author Charlotte Paradise to discuss her novel Overspill (spoiler free!) In this episode they discuss why chronic illness/chronic pain will always appear in Charlotte's work, the hierarchy of sex, 'growing around the grief', how screenwriting affects her novel writing and Charlotte shares lots of film recs with us! 
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok. 
You can follow Charlotte via Instagram or Tik Tok.
You can buy Overspill here
You can watch Chronic here

Books & other mentions in this episode:
Strange Girls by Sarvat Hasin
bookbaruk.com
Dying For Sex (2025)
Before Sunrise (1995)
The Outrun (2024)
Sorry, Baby (2025)
How to Have Sex (2023)
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (2025)

Let us know your thoughts by emailing us [email protected] or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

For the latest instalment in our Debut Spotlight series, Hannah was joined by author Eden McKenzie-Goddard to discuss his debut novel Smallie. In this episode they delve into the Windrush scandal, how the Windrush generation were mistreated, the dehumanisation of immigrants & more. They also discuss his route into publishing, the impact of music on his writing and the music & literature Eden has been inspired by.
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok. 
You can follow Eden via Instagram or via emgoddard.net
Buy Smallie here.
Sign the Windrush legal aid petition here.

Books & other mentions in this episode:
Don't Alert The Stans podcast
Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor
Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Afrori Books
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
rum.gold
Elmiene
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Small Island by Andrea Levy
Every Light in the House Burnin' by Andrea Levy

Let us know your thoughts by emailing us [email protected] or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

Happy Bank Hol! For a bonus bank holiday treat, I'm giving you this week's Books to Screen episode early. For this instalment, I was joined by the iconic author Hannah Beer to discuss and dissect all things Heated Rivalry and boy are we obsessed... 
In this episode we discuss all things from the incredible sex scenes to the parent/child relationships & their impact on each character, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as the perfect castings, how the book and TV adaptation are in conversation plus so much more. 
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok. 
You can follow Hannah via Instagram, read her Substack here.
Buy I Make My Own Fun here (UK) and here (US)

Books & other mentions in this episode:
The Talented Mr.Ripley (1999)
Little Women (1994)
The Other Bennet Sister (BBC Iplayer)
Romeo & Juliet (1996)
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Enough Said (2013)
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Boy Parts- Play
Wuthering Heights (2026)
Tell Me Lies (Disney +/Hulu)
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
Game Changer by Rachel Reid
Heated Rivalry (Crave/HBO Max/Sky)
Spare Parts Podcast- Jacob Tierney Episode
Tonsil Hockey Podcast
https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a69638125/heated-rivalry-sex-scenes-intimacy-coordinator-interview/
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
It's A Sin (Channel4)
Yellowjackets
The Long Game by Rachel Reid
I'll Believe in Anything- The Making of Heated Rivalry by Jacob Tierney

See you back at the cottage for season 2!
Let us know your thoughts by emailing us [email protected] or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

This is a free preview of a paid episode: Listen in full here.

Full details on Children's Booker Prize 2027: thebookerprizes.com/the-childrens-booker-prize
Support Afrori Books: afroribooks.co.uk

You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok. 
You can follow Emma Hinds via Instagram

Let us know your thoughts by emailing us [email protected] or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

For the latest episode in our Debut Spotlight series, Hannah was joined by author Rosie Storey to discuss her debut novel Dandelion is Dead (spoiler free!). In this episode they discuss loss, the sister dynamic, continuing to write in the face of rejection plus much more! 
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok. 
You can follow Rosie via Instagram
You can buy Dandelion is Dead here (UK) & here (US)

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
Heart the Lover by Lily King
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Black Bag by Luke Kennard
Motherfaker by Anna Brook-Mitchell
No One Belongs Here More Than You: Stories by Miranda July
All Fours by Miranda July
"Roy Spivey" by Miranda July
https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-writers-voice/david-sedaris-reads-roy-spivey-by-miranda-july
The Book of Other People- Edited by Zadie Smith

Let us know your thoughts by emailing us [email protected] or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

For the latest instalment in our Books to Screen series, Hannah was joined by Australian author Katherine Brabon to discuss Shy by Max Porter and it's Netflix film adaptation Steve. In this episode they discuss perspective and the use of it in storytelling, Cillian Murphy & Jay Lycurgo's performances, Porter's experimental style plus lots more!
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok. 
You can follow Katherine via Instagram or via katherinebrabon.com
You can buy her novel Body Friend here (UK)
You can buy her latest novel Cure here (UK) or here (AUS)

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
Shy by Max Porter
Steve (2025)
Burning (2018)
Barn Burning by Haruki Murakami
Romeo & Juliet (1996)
My Brilliant Friend (2018)
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
The New Boy (2023)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Our Secret History Episode
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
Hot Milk (2025)
The Quiet Girl (2022)
Foster by Claire Keegan
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Small Things Like These (2024)
Ripley (2024)
The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Love & Virtue by Diana Reid
Sense and Sensibility (2026)
The Odyssey (2026)
Frankenstein (2025)
Mary Shelley (2017)
Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux
Simple Passion (2020)
The Death of Francis Bacon by Max Porter
All of This Unreal Time (2021)
All of This Unreal Time by Max Porter
My Husband by Maud Ventura

Let us know your thoughts by emailing us [email protected] or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!