A Pair of Bookends

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 future minisodes if there's anything you want us to cover, you can email us [email protected]

To follow us:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/apairofbookendspod/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/apairofbookends
Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@apairofbookends
We are also on Threads @apairofbookendspod

Books discussed:
The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis
Priest by Sierra Simone
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
The Fraud by Zadie Smith
I'm A Fan by Sheena Patel
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Really Good Actually by Monica Heisey
My Husband by Maud Ventura
The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record Of BTS by BTS and Myeongseok Kang

Other recs:
Kierra Lewis on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kierralewis75?lang=en
Forza Horizon 5 (Game)
Unknown/Nth by Hozier (Song)
Daisy Jones & The Six (Amazon Prime)

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 more, it was such a joy to have Caroline on the pod and we hope you all enjoy it as much as we do.
If you do enjoy, please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps our little pod massively!

Books & Authors discussed:
Fleishman Is In Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Promising Young Women by Caroline O'Donoghue
Scenes Of A Graphic Nature by Caroline O'Donoghue

To buy The Rachel Incident: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-rachel-incident-caroline-o-donoghue/4920877?ean=9780349013558

To follow Caroline: https://www.instagram.com/czaronline/?hl=en

Listen to Sentimental Garbage Pod! Here's some of Hannah's FAVE episodes:

https://shows.acast.com/sentimentalgarbage/episodes/the-nora-ephron-christmas-spectacular-with-ella-risbridger
https://play.acast.com/s/sentimentalgarbage/sentimentalinthecity1-sex-thecity-seasonone
https://play.acast.com/s/sentimentalgarbage/reality-tv-with-pandora-sykes
https://shows.acast.com/sentimentalgarbage/episodes/girlbossing-with-otegha-uwagba
https://shows.acast.com/sentimentalgarbage/episodes/the-rachel-incident-with-dolly-alderto
https://shows.acast.com/sentimentalgarbage/episodes/luckybyjackiecollinswithjessieburton

You can follow us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter, Tik Tok & Threads.
Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

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 this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more listeners, you can also follow us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and Tik Tok.

To buy 'Second Self': https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/second-self-chloe-ashby/7351706?ean=9781398703032
To buy 'Wet Paint': https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/wet-paint-a-blistering-story-stylist-chloe-ashby/7277891?ean=9781398703001
To follow Chloë & her work: https://www.chloeashby.com/, https://www.instagram.com/chloelashby/?hl=en & https://twitter.com/chloelashby

Upcoming events with Chloë :
11th July- https://www.waterstones.com/events/chloe-ashby-in-conversation-with-rhiannon-lucy-cosslett/london-crouch-end

12th July - https://www.waterstones.com/events/gower-st-presents-jenny-mustard-and-chlo-ashby-in-conversation-with-bethany-rutter/london-gower-street

13th July - https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/events/chloe-ashby-and-stephanie-bishop-in-conversation-with-tess-little/

Books discussed:
Art Monsters by Lauren Elkin
Thunderclap: A memoir of art and life & sudden death by Laura Cumming
The Anniversary by Stephanie Bishop
Okay Days by Jenny Mustard

Thanks so much for listening! If you want to get in touch with us with book recs, author interviews or anything else, you can do so at [email protected], Han & Lyd x

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 & autonomy, Class and the complexities that brings up for working class artists and Brandon gives us yet another reason to love Curtis Sittenfeld!
If you enjoy this episode please don't forget to rate, review & subscribe and if you want to give us a follow you can do so @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and Tik Tok.

To buy Brandon's book: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-late-americans-brandon-taylor/7301654?ean=9781787334434

To follow Brandon: https://www.instagram.com/brandonlgtaylor/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/blgtylr?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Books & Recs mentioned in the episode:
The Guest by Emma Cline
When We Were Nearly Young by Mavis Gallant: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1960/10/15/when-we-were-nearly-young
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Thanks so much for listening, please share with your bookish pals, your support means the world. Han & Lyd x

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 still feels such a relevant topic and so much more, we hope you enjoy this episode.
If you do please don't forget to rate, review & subscribe to help us reach more listeners! You can also follow us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and Tik Tok.

To buy 'The Villa': https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-villa-ruth-kelly/7334577?ean=9781035001286
To follow Ruth: https://www.instagram.com/ruthywriter/?hl=en-gb

Books, Authors & other recs mentioned on this episode:
The Hike by Lucy Clarke
Harlan Coben
Unreal: A Criticial History of Reality TV (podcast) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0c5w0zm
Upstaged (BBC Three)
Verity by Colleen Hoover
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

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 Sarah about her experience working in schools and how that feeds into her character study, what it's like to write in her second language, time travel and so much more, it was a real pleasure to have Sarah on and we hope you love this conversation and her book as much as we did!

As always, if you enjoyed this episode we'd love it if you could rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more listeners. If you'd like to give us a follow you can do so @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and Tik Tok.

To buy Sarah's book (UK): https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/one-last-chance-sarah-jost/6174685?ean=9780349431536

To buy Sarah's book (US): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/five-first-chances-sarah-jost/1141663365

To follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjost_writes/
https://twitter.com/swissSarahUK?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Books & other recs in this episode:
The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane
Respire Encore (song) by Clara Luciani
Friendaholic by Elizabeth Day
How To Fail (Podcast)
Best Friend Therapy (Podcast)

If you wish to email us with suggestions for future episodes, you can do so at [email protected]. Thanks so much for listening, Han & Lyd x

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 life starts to change in unexpected ways leaving her wondering whether she can continue the path she's on.

We chatted about the differences between her experiences writing a TV show and her experience writing a novel, the inspiration for her characters, mother/daughter dynamics and so much more. It was such a great conversation and we hope you enjoy it too! If you do enjoy please rate, review & subscribe as it helps to boost us in the charts. You can also follow us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and Tik Tok!

Hotel 21 is published by Bloomsbury and available to buy now in all bookshops.

To buy Hotel 21: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/hotel-21-senta-rich/7241567?ean=9781526650498

To keep up with Senta and her work:
https://sentarich.com/

Books discussed:
I'm A Fan by Sheena Patel


Thanks so much for listening! Han & Lyd x

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, the power of social media and so much more, we hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

Buy Now You See Us (UK listeners): https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/now-you-see-us-balli-kaur-jaswal/7139575?ean=9780008433741

Buy Now You See Us (US listeners): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/now-you-see-us-balli-kaur-jaswal/1141619783?ean=9780063161603

Follow Balli: https://www.instagram.com/ballijaswal/?hl=en

Books discussed:
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

If you enjoyed this episode, please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps us to reach more listeners. You can follow us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and Tik Tok. Thank you so much for listening! x

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, her upbringing as a Maronite Catholic and how that informed her writing, Queerness, complex characters and can we get information on the TV/Film adaptation?! Find out more by giving this episode a listen and if you enjoy please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more listeners!

To buy Scorched Grace: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/scorched-grace-margot-douaihy/7406432?ean=9781805335085
To follow Margot: https://www.instagram.com/neonmargot/?hl=en
To follow us: https://www.instagram.com/apairofbookendspod/

Books & authors recommended during the episode:
My Sister, the serial killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Marcie R. Rendon
Kelly J. Ford
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Crosby

Until next time, happy reading!

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 of stillbirth and grief.
Aswell as listening to some extracts of Tiannah's work we chat about why these topics are still taboo, the importance of community in grief, creating art for change and the experience of turning her pain into her beautiful poetry. We absolutely loved chatting with Tiannah and we hope you enjoy sharing in her wonderful energy as much as we did.

To buy Tiannah's collection: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Skies-Turned-Sonshine-Tiannah-Malika/dp/B0BV49GCTC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2LBAFIEVOKY1O&keywords=gray+skies+turned+to+sonshine&qid=1684449154&sprefix=gray+skies+turned+to+sonshi%2Caps%2C442&sr=8-1

To follow Tiannah: https://www.instagram.com/lovetiannah/

As always please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more listeners and if you'd like to give us a follow you can do so @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and Tik Tok. Until next time, happy reading!