A Pair of Bookends

For our second instalment of Books to Screen, Emily Goulding joins us to discuss the adaptation that got away... The Secret History. In this episode Hannah & Emily discuss the failed attempts to adapt this hugely popular novel, what they loved about the book, why Emily thinks The Goldfinch didn't work as an adaptation + lots of recommendations!
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 Emily via Instagram 
Read her reviews here: Times Literary Supplement, Irish Times

Books & other mentions in this ep:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
My Brilliant Friend- NowTV
A Series of Unfortunate Events - Netflix
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
Chlorine by Jade Song
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Normal People (BBC)
Shirley Jackson
The Haunting of Hill House
Hamnet (2025)
The Goldfinch (2019)
The Pitt (2025)
The Girlfriend (2025)
Weapons (2025)
BBC Radio 4 Book Club Podcast- Donna Tartt (2014)
Zero to Well-Read Podcast- The Secret History
Once Upon a Time... at Bennington College Podcast
Frida Slattery As Herself by Ana Kinsella
The Tower by Thea Lenarduzzi
Swimming Studies by Leanne Shapton
Heart the Lover by Lily King
Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild
The Age of Calamities by Senaa Ahmad
The Book of Mysteries by Rebecca Tamás

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

Joining Hannah for today's episode is returning guest, Roxy Dunn. Roxy appeared on the podcast back in 2024 to dicuss her incredible debut novel As Young As This and she's back now to talk about her second novel Wants and Needs (spoiler free ofc!)
They discuss what drew Roxy to exploring modern dating through the lens of ethical non-monogamy (in her writing), what she's learnt from rejection, the mother/daughter relationship + 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 Roxy via Instagram.

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
Wants and Needs by Roxy Dunn
As Young As This by Roxy Dunn
Alison by Lizzy Stewart
The Wreck by Lizzy Stewart
People in Love by Claire Daverley
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Everyone I know is Dying by Emily Slapper
New York Times' The Book Review: 'The Correspondent' Author Virginia Evans On Her Breakout Year
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

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

Welcome to our first episode of Books to Screen, to kick us off author and friend of the pod Emma Hinds has joined us to deep dive into one of the most anticipated adaptations, Hamnet. 
In this episode Hannah and Emma discuss the differences between the book and the film, the scenes they loved, the scenes they missed and Emma puts their historical fiction writer cap on and talks about some historical inaccuracies in the film. Aswell as this, Emma reveals some of their own favourite adaptations and castings, we hope you enjoy! 
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 Emma via Instagram, Tumblr & Patreon
Buy Emma's books: The Knowing, The Quick and The Dead & Witchlore

Books & other mentions in this ep: 
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Hamnet (2025)
War & Peace (BBC)
Wolf Hall (BBC)
Pride and Prejudice (BBC)
All of Us Strangers (2023)
Strangers by Taichi Yamada
Little Women (2019)
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Enola Holmes (Netflix)
Earlyfate by Nat Reeve
Nettleblack by Nat Reeve
Serenity Booksellers
H is For Hawk (2025)
H is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald
The Odyssey (2026)
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Persuasion (2022)
Julia Armfield
Lucy Rose
The Betrayal of Thomas True by A J West
The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore
The Essex Serpent (2022)
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell
Pre-order Nightcurse by Emma Hinds (US)
Pre-order Nightcurse by Emma Hinds (UK)
One Day (2011)
One Day (Netflix)

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

Welcome back to our first Book Club episode of 2026, this month Hannah spoke to debut author Grace Murray about her novel Blank Canvas. They discuss how Grace balanced work, studies & writing this novel, writing advice for budding writers & her experience of being on Penguin's WriteNow scheme. They also discuss chat through campus novels, writers that inspire Grace, lies and deception and 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 Grace via Instagram. 

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
The Difficult Ghost: Searching For Truman Capote by Leila Guerriero
Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor
Real Life by Brandon Taylor
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
Mrs. S by K. Patrick
Small Rain by Garth Greenwell
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
Heated Rivalry (NowTV)

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

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! For the final episode of the year, Hannah brought in friend of the pod Emma Hinds, each bringing their 5 favourite reads of 2025. They also discuss what their year has been like in reading, what books they didn't get to, what books they're hoping to read over Christmas, reading goals for 2026 & 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 Emma via A03, Instagram & Tumblr.
You can buy Emma's books here: Witchlore, The Quick and the Dead & The Knowing

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
Neon Roses by Rachel Dawson
The Artist by Lucy Steeds
Flashlight by Susan Choi
The South by Tash Aw
Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry
Everyone I Know is Dying by Emily Slapper
It Might Never Happen by Emily Slapper
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
The Night Hag by Hester Musson
Wellcome Collection
Die, My Love by Ariana Harwicz
On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Old Soul by Susan Barker
Heart the Lover by Lily King
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
The Pretender by Jo Harkin
Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild
And He Shall Appear by Kate van der Borgh
Engleby by Sebastian Faulks
There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Mother Mary Comes To Me by Arundhati Roy
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
Girlbeast by Cecilie Lind
Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth
Animals by Emma Jane Unsworth
Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth
Days of Light by Megan Hunter
The Lamb by Lucy Rose
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Bitter Sweet by Hattie Williams
Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper
The Show Woman by Emma Cowing
Since the World is Ending by Indyana Schneider
Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth
Penelope Lively
Anne Enright

Let us know your faves of the year 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 friend of the pod, author Emma Hinds to discuss their latest book Witchlore.
In this episode they have a discussion about money and how difficult it is as creatives to get to a point of making a liveable income, they then dive into how Emma has found moving between writing historical fiction and YA fantasy, setting the novel in Manchester, growing up Queer, the world of magic & 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 Emma via A03, Instagram & Tumblr

Books & other mentions in this episode:
The Hole by Hiroko Oyamada
The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
Philip Pullman
Holly Black
The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson
aloveunlaced.com/ Instagram: a.loveunlaced
Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
You can pre-order Nightcurse in the US here (UK not yet available)
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Spirit Warriors by Ashley Thorpe
Queer Lit
Serenity Booksellers
Wave of Nostalgia

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

On today's very Christmassy December Book Club episode Hannah was joined by author Hayley Dunlop to discuss her debut novel It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas which you can buy here.
Also available for 99p on Kindle until 23/12/25 here.
In this episode they discuss the Christmas film watchalong Hayley hosts each year, how Covid/lockdown changed Hayley's writing journey, complicated families and 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 Hayley & join her watchalongs via Instagram
You can follow her work & find the content warnings for her book via hayleyjdunlop.com

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
In Love with Love by Ella Risbridger
Midnight Chicken by Ella Risbridger
In The Kitchen: Essays on Food and Life
Merry & Gay (2022)
Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas (2019)
Jingle Bell Heist (2025)
Your Christmas or Mine? (2022)
Your Christmas or Mine 2 (2023)
Love Actually (2003)
Last Christmas (2019)
Single All The Way (2021)
Send Flowers by Emily Buchanan

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 Iman Hariri-Kia to discuss her latest novel Female Fantasy. They discuss how this book became a love letter to the romance community, why romance is an important genre, her excitement for upcoming adaptations + all of the book recs your heart could desire!
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 Iman via Instagram, Substack & imanharirikia.com
You can buy Female Fantasy here (UK) &  here (US)

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
Brimstone by Callie Hart
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Exit Lane by Erika Veurink
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
Heated Rivalry (2025)
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Kiss Of The Basilisk by Lindsay Straube
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Bank Square Books, Mystic
Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
It's Different This Time by Joss Richard
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
Maxton Hall
The Love Hypothesis Adaptation
Every Summer After Adaptation
Lily Allen- West End Girl
Audrey Hobert- Who's The Clown?

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 episode Hannah spoke to Uttama Kirit Patel about her debut novel Shape of an Apostrophe.
They discuss the choice to be a mother, Indian family culture, claustrophobic settings & the books Uttama has been enjoying + 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 Uttama via Instagram & uttamapatel.com


Buy Shape of an Apostrophe here.

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
Now You See Us by Balli Kaur Jaswal
Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li


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

This episode was recorded live at the brilliant Queer Lit/ Social Refuge. For more of their upcoming events click here. The sound in this episode isn't perfect throughout, apologies for this! 
For today's episode Hannah interviewed Chloe Michelle Howarth for the launch event of her new novel Heap Earth Upon It. They discuss Chloe's creative process from ideas on a hangover to creating colour palettes for her novels, sibling dynamics, yearning, the lack of firsthand accounts of Queer people from 60's rural Ireland, writing influences & 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 Chloe via Instagram, Twitter/X& Tik Tok

Buy Heap Earth Upon It here. 
Buy Sunburn here. 

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
The Princess of 72nd Street by Elaine Kraf
Shy by Max Porter
Jeffrey Eugenides
So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan
Colm Tóibín
Mouthing by Orla Mackey
This Immaculate Body by Emma Van Straaten

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