A Pair of Bookends

For the next instalment in our Debut Spotlight series, Hannah was joined by author Bar Fridman-Tell to discuss her debut novel Honeysuckle. In this episode they discuss autonomy, ecological body horror, the welsh myth that inspired this story, lots of book recommendations 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 Bar via Instagram & www.barfridmantell.com

Books & other mentions in this episode:
The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link
The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman
Sinners (2025)
Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
Sylvia Plath- Poetry
The Brides by Charlotte Cross
The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula
Homebound by Portia Elan
Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers
Deathbringer by Sonia Tagliareni

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 next instalment in our Debut Spotlight series, Hannah was joined by author of Cleaner, Jess Shannon. In this episode they discuss the book that directly influenced this novel, unnamed narrators and stream-of-consciousness, George Saunders' writing advice & Ru Paul's Drag Race... lots to unpack!
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 Jess via Instagram & jessshannonauthor.com

Books & other mentions in this episode:
You Are Here by David Nicholls
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
The Secret Diary & Growing Pains of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ by Sue Townsend
Petite Fleur by Iosi Havilio
Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Miranda (BBC)
RuPaul's Drag Race (UK)

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 Cross to discuss her debut novel The Brides.
In this episode they discuss the spark of inspiration that led to this novel, building the backstory of the Brides of Dracula, writing historical fiction for the modern reader, book recommendations 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 Charlotte via Instagram. 
Buy The Brides here.

Books & other mentions in this episode:
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Alfred King of the English by Carola Oman
Who Is Dracula's Father? by John Sutherland
Longbourn by Jo Baker
The Vampire Diaries
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
The Vampyre by John Polidori
Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell

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 Anna Brook-Mitchell to discuss her amazing debut novel Motherfaker, this episode was recorded live at Serenity Booksellers as part of Anna's UK book tour. 
In this episode they discuss the difference between screenwriting & novel writing, representing life in Guernsey, the discussion around being childfree by choice 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 Anna via Instagram.
Buy Anna's book here.
Watch Anna's short film Man Eater here.

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
A Sociopath's Guide To A Successful Marriage by M.K Oliver
Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Dandelion is Dead by Rosie Storey
The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh

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 February Book Club episode Hannah was joined by author Michelle Steinbeck to discuss her latest novel Favorita, which you can buy here. Favorita was translated by writer/translator Jen Calleja, you can follow her work here. 
In this episode, Hannah and Michelle discuss the writer/translator relationship, how Shame shows up in this novel, the misogyny experienced by the female characters in this book 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. 

Books & other mentions in this episode:
My Father was a Man on Land and a Whale in the Water by Michelle Steinbeck, translated by Jen Calleja
Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima, translated by Geraldine Harcourt
Love, Loosha: The Letters of Lucia Berlin & Kenward Elmslie, edited by Chip Livingston
A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin
Franz Kafka
Daniil Kharms
Elena Ferrante
Dacia Maraini
Goliarda Sapienza
Maggie Nelson
Guestbook: Ghost Stories by Leanne Shapton
My Work by Olga Ravn

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 fourth instalment in the Books to Screen series, Hannah was joined by author and friend of the pod Catherine Airey to discuss the adaptation of the moment - Wuthering Heights! This film has attracted so much attention and has been at the centre of the cultural conversation in the last week so it would have been silly not to cover this in this series. In this episode, Hannah and Catherine discuss the controversial casting of a white actor as Heathcliff, whether this was a faithful adaptation or fan fiction, our thoughts on Nelly as a villain, Isabella's new trajectory 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 buy Catherine's novel here or you can pre-order the paperback here. 
You can follow Catherine via Instagram. 
Buy tickets for Catherine's upcoming event with Roxy Dunn here. 

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Twilight
I Capture The Castle (2003)
I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
As Young As This by Roxy Dunn
The Odyssey (2026)
Vladimir (2026)
Margo's Got Money Troubles (2026)
The Rachel Incident (Upcoming)
Anna Karenina (2012)
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Wuthering Heights (2011)
Wuthering Heights (1939)
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Saltburn (2023)
Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett- Wuthering Heights / Class article

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 author Rhiannon Lucy Coslett to discuss her latest novel Female, Nude. In this episode they discuss the choice to become a mother, Rhiannon's research into various female & non-binary artists whose art was impacted by motherhood, wealth divides in friendships, the beauty of Greece 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 Rhiannon via Instagram.

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
Artists & works referenced in Female, Nude
The Year of the Cat by Rhiannon Lucy Coslett
The Republic of Parenthood by Rhiannon Lucy Coslett
The Tyranny of Lost Things by Rhiannon Lucy Coslett
The Original by Nell Stevens
Sarah Waters
Bad Sex in Fiction Awards
Bad Behaviour by Mary Gaitskill
Elena Ferrante
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (BBC)

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 third instalment in the Books to Screen series, author/musician Sophie Crawford joins us to discuss a very unique adaptation, Shakespeare's The Taming of The Shrew to Ten Things I Hate About You (1999). In this episode Hannah and Sophie discuss how it's unbelievable that the play is considered a comedy, the sexism and misogyny in the play and the film, the romcom magic the film has, the various castings 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 buy Sophie's debut novel here.
You can follow Sophie via sophiecrawford.co.uk & Instagram.

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Faust - Jan Švankmajer (1994)
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Clueless (1995)
Dykes To Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Wuthering Heights (2026)
Hamnet (2025)
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Tales of The City by Armistead Maupin
Tales of The City (2019)
Michelle Tea
Peter Panic by James Baldwin
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Watership Down (1978)

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

In today's instalment of our Debut Spotlight series Hannah chats to author Elspeth Wilson about her debut novel These Mortal Bodies. In this episode they discuss how beneficial journaling is to the creative process, the messiness of grief, setting the novel at an elite university and the secret societies that can be found there plus some excellent book recs.
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 Elspeth via Substack & Instagram.

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
How It Works Out by Myriam Lacroix
She's Always Hungry by Eliza Clark
https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/girls-only-drinking-societies-dark-academia
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Venus Fly Trap by Emma Medrano
https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/elspeth-wilson-shares-her-favourite-dark-academia-reads?&new-list-page=true

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 first episode in Season 7 of our Debut Spotlight series Hannah spoke to Rebecca Ferrier about her debut novel The Salt Bind. They discuss her writing journey, how a D&D actor inspired one of her characters, Cornish folklore 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 Rebecca via Instagram & TikTok

Books & other mentions in this episode:
Solace House by Will Maclean
The Folklore of Cornwall by Ronald. M James
Practical Magic (1998)
Dimension 20- Podcast
BBC- The Reith Lectures - Hilary Mantel

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