Women’s Prize shortlisted author, Lily King, and previous Women's Prize winner, Tayari Jones, join Joe for this week’s Book Off!

They discuss their new novels, co-parenting Koalas, Ann Patchett, lovers, desire, chosen family, female friendship, mothers, Oprah and the many many forms of love.

We LOVED this chat - and hope you do too! 

THE BOOK OFF

'The Transit Of Venus' by Shirley Hazzard

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'Song Of Solomon' by Toni Morrison

And here's a little more info on our guests' new novels:

'Kin' by Tayari Jones

A yearning for their missing mothers pulls Vernice and Annie apart. It will take a devastating tragedy to bring them back together.

Vernice and Annie are 'cradle friends', born days apart in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, both destined never to know their mothers. The girls are inseparable, bound by a friendship far deeper than sisterhood. But this is the American south in the 1950s. Black girls like Vernice and Annie have to fight for every opportunity they can, and neither one can build the future they hope for in Honeysuckle. 

Gradually, inevitably, the girls drift apart. Vernice pursues her education; Annie is lured by the promise of a heady first love affair and a growing obsession with finding her mother. But her search pulls her even further into a world of danger that soon leaves her oldest friend battling to save her.

'Heart The Lover' by Lily King

Our narrator understands good love stories - their secrets, their highs and free falls. But her greatest love story, the one she lived, never followed the rules.

She was in her senior year of college when star students Sam and Yash swept her into an intoxicating world of academic fervour, rapid-fire banter and raucous card games. Their lives became quickly intertwined - with friendship but also with unpredictable passions and the intimations of first love.

Decades later, she is a successful writer, living a comfortable life with her husband and children, when a surprise visit brings the past crashing into the present, forcing her to confront the decisions and deceptions of her youth.

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Authors Ava Glass and Anna Mazzola go head to head in a war of the words - pitting a book they love and think that everyone should read against each other in The Book Off!

They also chat to Joe Haddow about their new novels, the corrupt world of billionaires (and their exclusive ski resorts), haunted houses, spies, writing inspirations - and - why writers have pseudonyms.

They also give us some great book recommendations too.

THE BOOK OFF

'The Thirteenth Tale' by Diane Setterfield

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'The Likeness' by Tana French

Which one do YOU think should win? Find out which Joe picks on the latest episode.

Remember you can follow and subscribe on Spotify and Apple - and follow us on instagram and bluesky!

Here's a little more info on our guests new novels!

'The Hiding Season' by Ava Glass (AC Glass)

Maya Landry is in desperate need of a fresh start.

Alone and heartbroken, she finds work as a caretaker at an exclusive ski resort for the elite in the mountains of Montana. Quiet and empty in the summer months, it's the perfect escape.

All Maya wants is to be alone. But she's not alone on the mountain. Someone else is there. A killer with his next victim in his sights.

After Maya finds a body, she must run for her life. One man tells her that he can save her. But can she trust him? Is he everything he claims to be?

Only one thing is certain: the killer will stop at nothing. And Maya is the only witness to their crime . . .

'Notes On A Drowning' by Anna Mazzola (Anna Sharpe)

Alex knows she risks getting fired from her law firm if she takes on another unpaid case, but when she hears Rosa's desperate voice at the other end of the phone, she knows she has to help: the body of Rosa's shy teenage sister, Natalia, has been dragged, lifeless, from the Thames. Alex can't help but think of her own missing little sister. She knows how a lack of answers can eat you alive.

Kat has worked hard to become Special Adviser to the Home Secretary, and is eager to finally put the dark and tragic part of her past behind her. But when she discovers a series of cover-ups, she begins to wonder whether her seemingly perfect new boss could be involved. Then she's shocked to discover a letter that raises worrying questions about a girl found drowned in London... Natalia.

There are complex and painful reasons for Alex and Kat not to work together, but when it becomes clear that there are powerful people involved in Natalia's death, and that other girls are at risk, Alex and Kat must overcome their differences to find answers. Will they save the girls and discover the truth? Or will the high-powered players in this game stop Alex and Kat for good?

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Joe Haddow welcomes two more authors to the Book Off studio - for a war of the words!

This week, he's joined by debut novelists Fran Fabriczki and Sam Beckbessinger, who discuss their new books, writing processes and inspirations.

They talk about Los Angeles (the loves / the hates), wry humour, peri menopause, forging anger into stories and legendary mums. We also get some pretty great book recommendations too.

THE BOOK OFF

'The Book Of George' by Kate Greathead

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'We Have Always Lived In The Castle' by Shirley Jackson

Here's a little more info on our guest's books:

'Femme Feral' by Sam Beckbessinger

EVER FELT READY TO HOWL?

Hyper-competent start up CFO Ellie is 46-year-old and like most women, is already juggling too much. Daughter's not talking to her, husband's not listening to her, and she's got a promotion coming up at work. It's an inconvenient time to be beset by mid-life symptoms: coarse hair in new places, hot flushes, insomnia, losing time . . . finding bloodstains on all her clothing, howling at the moon.

Her doctor diagnoses perimenopause. But it's another 28-day cycle that's taking hold. One involving fur, and teeth, and a not insignificant amount of rage.

Suddenly the troubles in her life - hot flushes, thankless family, spiralling to-do list, oblivious husband, the w*nker promoted above her at work - seem almost . . . bite-size.

'Porcupines' by Fran Fabriczki

Los Angeles, 2001. Sonia is raising her daughter, Mila, alone in the sunny but somnolent suburbs of LA. Her days are a blur of not-quite-illegal business activities, avoiding other moms, and baking birthday cakes laced with rum: minor mistakes that nevertheless remind her she doesn’t belong.

Mila, meanwhile, is juggling violin and swimming lessons and navigating the treacherous social politics of school – all the while trying to get her mother to share something, anything, about her past.

But there are just too many things that Mila doesn’t know:

• She doesn’t know that her mother grew up in Soviet Hungary (where getting your hands on a banana was one of the greatest thrills in life)
• She doesn’t know that her mother has a sister called Rina (whom she hasn’t spoken to in 10 years)
• The only thing she does know about her father is that he was a ‘good time’ (according to her mother)
• Crucially, she doesn’t know that there is a very good reason why her mother dodges everyone, from traffic cops to vice principals.

So, Mila concocts a scheme to get her mother, and the man Mila is kind of sure must be her father to reconnect. It involves corralling Sonia into chaperoning an orchestra of ten-year-olds (most of whom seem to be called Megan) on a road trip from LA to San Francisco, and it may just cause their carefully constructed lives to implode.

Moving between Budapest before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Washington, DC in the tense years of the Cold War and the bright sunshine of early 2000s Los Angeles, Porcupines is an irresistible novel about mothers and daughters, belonging and reinvention, the things we carry with us, and those we tell ourselves we’ve left behind.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Hilary and Sabine Durrant join Joe Haddow for a Book Off!

They chat about their new novels, choosing their settings, 'chalk n cheese' detective duos and balancing darkness and light.

Sarah's book ('The Drowning Place') has ghostly elements to it, so they discuss ghosts and whether the authors believe in them...

THE BOOK OFF

'The Mahe Circle' by George Simenon

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'Your Blue-Eyed Boy' by Helen Dunmore

If you're enjoying the podcast - please do like and subscribe - and maybe even leave us a review! It helps to spread the word.

Here's a little more info on our guests' books:

'The Drowning Place' by Sarah Hilary

Every place has its ghosts.

Edenscar, a town in the Peak District, has more than most. 17 years ago, its inhabitants were hit by tragedy when a school bus veered off the road and everyone on board drowned. Everyone, that is, except Joseph Ashe. His miraculous survival has haunted him and the town ever since.

Now a Detective Sergeant in the local police, Joe is called to the scene of a brutal and apparently inexplicable crime. The whole town is spooked, but Joe’s new boss, DI Laurie Bower, more used to inner-city police work, has no time for superstition. She just wants to find the very real killer who has left no trace and apparently had no motive.

Joining forces, Joe and Laurie work to uncover the secrets of Edenscar, both past and present. But when you dig up the dead, expect to get your hands dirty…

'Dead Heat' by Sabine Durrant

Former journalist Matt Grimshaw's life is at a low ebb. He's been 'let go' by the paper where he's worked for years, and his relationship with his long-term girlfriend has come unstuck.

So when an invitation arrives from his two closest friends, Celia and Adam Murphy, to join them at their house in Greece, he jumps at it. It may be harsh and unwelcoming on the Mani Peninsula but Matt determines to stay there for the whole summer and to write his much put-off screen-play.

But then the Murphys plus children arrive, and a wealthy newcomer to the area starts throwing loud and lavish parties in his big house across the bay.

As the nights become hotter and the parties wilder, everyone's motivations darken. Envy rises, resentments grow - until a terrible accident stops the summer in its tracks.

At least, it looks like an accident…

Set over one blazing Mediterranean summer, Sabine Durrant’s new thriller is tense, claustrophobic and utterly gripping.

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Joe Haddow welcomes two bestselling authors - Claire Douglas and Jane Harper - to Book Off to go head-to-head in a war of the words!

They chat about making fictional settings seem as real as possible, how a sense of place can shape a novel, and why you should ALWAYS write down your ideas, you never know when you might need them.

Jane and Claire also talk about knowing when to give up on a novel - rather than pushing through if something's not working - and how some books come easier than others.

The two authors also give us some brilliant book recommendations - and writing advice!

THE BOOK OFF

'The 13 Storey Treehouse' by Andy Griffiths

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'Tom's Midnight Garden' by Philippa Pearce

But which one will win?

Here's a little more about our guests' new books:

'Last One Out' by Jane Harper 

Five years ago, Sam Crowley vanished on his twenty-first birthday. The only clues were his footprints in the dust of three abandoned houses.

One set in. One set out.

Now, his mother Ro returns to the dying town of Carralon Ridge. The community is a ghost of its former self, fractured by the encroaching mining operation and years of unspoken grief.

Ro is looking for answers. But in a town where everyone is leaving, the few who remain are guarding closely held secrets.

In this disappearing landscape, can Ro find the truth before the dust settles forever?

'The Family Friend' by Claire Douglas

When Imogen is told she’s inherited a country house near Bath, she thinks it must be a mistake. She last saw its owner, reclusive artist Dorothea Roe, sixteen years ago, during a tragic summer which changed her life for ever.

Now, with partner Josh in tow, it’s a chance for a fresh start.

But after discovering an old box with her name on it in Dorothea’s abandoned study, Imogen starts to believe the woman was trying to send her a secret message.

And when rumours begin to swirl that Dorothea was murdered, she starts to suspect that this gift might not be the life-line she thought it was.

Who would want to kill Dorothea?

Could it be tangled up in Imogen’s own dark family history?

And what if Imogen is now the one in danger?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jessie Burton and Katy Hessel join Joe Haddow for a war of the words.

They discuss great women artists, mudlarking, the influence of family histories, museums and galleries, getting children interested in art and finding a writing voice.

Katy and Jessie also recommend some brilliant books - including 'The Wreck' by Lizzy Stewart (graphic novel) and 'The Artist' by Lucy Steeds (novel)

THE BOOK OFF

'What I Loved' by Siri Hustvedt

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'The Lonely City' by Olivia Laing

And here is a little more info on each of our guests books!

'Hidden Treasure' by Jessie Burton

From the bestselling author of The Miniaturist. Jessie Burton's Hidden Treasure is the phenomenal page-turning story of two children whose lives collide when they find an ancient treasure with the power to return to them the most precious thing they have ever lost

For the people who live on the banks of the Thames, the river is a living, breathing thing. It can take your treasures. It can hide your treasures. And, sometimes, it can give them back.

Bo and Billy are two children who have never met. Billy is an orphan. Bo’s dad died when she was small and now her brother is off to war. Both children are poor, but they have each found half of a priceless treasure, given up by the river. A treasure which – when the pieces are reunited – holds the power to give back to one of them the most precious thing they have ever lost.

But should the treasure be put back together again? And why has the river given it up now?

'The Story Of Art Without Men' by Katy Hessel (illustrated by Ping Zhu)

A beautiful journey through the untold stories of art, adapted from the global sensation The Story of Art Without Men, by expert art historian and bestselling author Katy Hessel.

Step into the incredible lives of the women artists who have gone uncelebrated for too long.

Journey through history, from the Renaissance to the Second World War, and across the globe, from Cornwall to Manhattan, Nigeria, Japan and more, to discover the stories of women who changed the world with their incredible art.

You'll learn about the extraordinary lives of freedom fighters, game changers and adventurers - and be astounded by the art they made, with its striking landscapes, hidden messages and calls for women's rights.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Kadis (ex Smash Hits journo and music manager) goes head to head with Tanya Sweeney (columnist and journo) in a war of the words.

They chat about their debut novels, their inspirations and their complex central characters.

Plus, there's a lot of chat about Smash Hits, music, Bros, One Direction - and - stalking!

THE BOOK OFF

'Olga Dies Dreaming' by Xochitl Gonzalez

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'High Fidelity' by Nick Hornby

Here's a little more info on each of our guest's new novels:

'Esther Is Now Following You' by Tanya Sweeney

You're the love of Esther's life. You just don't know it yet...

Esther first sees Ted walking in a park in London. They lock eyes and for a fraction of a second, she feels something she’s never felt before.

She starts by reading up about his life in Canada and his work as an actor. Then she watches every interview with him online. It isn’t long before she’s joined Ted’s fan site online where her and the ‘Tedettes’ stalk his every move.

When Ted gets a new celebrity girlfriend, Esther decides that things have gone far enough. She leaves her husband, takes all their savings, and buys a one-way ticket to Canada.

After all, Ted might not know it yet, but they are meant to be together – he just needs a little bit of persuading...

'Big Nobody' - by Alex Kadis

For Constance ‘Connie’ Costa, life is just beginning. She dreams of leaving behind her dull, dreary life in ‘70s East London, shaking off her deeply embarrassing Greek-Cypriot community of interfering Aunties and pretend ‘cousins’, and running away with her best mate Vas (fellow misfit; NHS specs; soul of a poet). She is determined to take her rightful place alongside her hero, David Bowie, onstage at Wembley Stadium.

Only one thing stands in her way: her father, The Fat Murderer. No longer content with being an absolute imbecile and general abomination of nature, he has dialled up his campaign to ruin Connie’s life ever since the untimely death of her mother.

If she ever wants to claim the destiny that is rightfully hers, Connie has only one option left: to kill him.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Debut novelists Tobi Coventry and India-Rose Bower join Joe Haddow for a war of the words.

They chat about their new novels ("He's The Devil" and "We Call Them Witches") as well as their love for the horror genre, their inspirations - and why queer horror is in a renaissance right now. Tobi and India also give us some brilliant book recommendations too.

(whilst this episode celebrates the horror genre - you don't have to be a 'horror fan' to enjoy it!)

THE BOOK OFF

'The Perks Of Being A Wallflower' by Stephen Chboskey

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'Last To Leave The Room' by Caitlin Starling

And here's more info on our guests novels:

'He's The Devil' by Tobi Coventry

Simon has always been a good boy. He’s invariably employee of the month at the seasonal small plates restaurant where he works, he neurotically tidies his home, he keeps on top of repairs on behalf of his twenty-something, permanently-abroad landlord and tries to do right by everyone. But when his best and only friend, Josh, moves out of their shared flat, Simon is lonelier than ever – until in moves a new flatmate, the strange (and strangely sexy) Massimo.

But Massimo’s brought something with him. Odd sounds emerge from Massimo’s room, smells of earth and meat drift through the corridor and Simon’s nights fill with disturbing and tantalising dreams. Massimo is awakening something in Simon, something wild and exciting and horrifying that could be the end of him – or maybe a new beginning. But whatever’s in Massimo, whatever’s in the flat, isn’t finished. It wants more.

'We Call Them Witches' by India-Rose Bower

Sara and her family must keep moving. Every few months, they’re discovered, and they have to pack up and get out quick.

For the twins it’s all they’ve ever known, for Danny, Noah and Ma, it’s a reminder of all they’ve lost.

For Sara, it’s just another day. In yet another abandoned house, one they surround with Pagan wards – the only thing that protects them – Sara and her family think they might be safe, for a while at least.

And then they find a strange girl in the garden. Parsley can’t remember where she came from or how she got here. The family sees only a threat, but Sara sees hope.

But outside they are waiting. The eldritch creatures. The ones they call Witches.The ones who already stole everything.

And now, just days after the Parsley arrives, they steal something even more valuable: Noah. It's time to stop running. It's time to leave the safety of the wards, and try to find Noah in the witches' lair. It's just that no-one has ever done that and come out alive...

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Authors Curtis Sittenfeld and Erin White join Joe Haddow for a war of the words...

Curtis and Erin are best mates - which makes for a very competitive Book Off!

Erin talks about her debut novel 'Like Family' which has themes of desire in middle age, queer domestic love and life, navigating the world as a teenager - and much more.

Curtis discusses her latest short story collection 'Show Don't Tell' which is a witty and tender collection of tales, featuring a cast of characters that feel like old friends.

They also give some writing tips and recommend us some brilliant books too!

THE BOOK OFF

'Colored Television' by Danzy Senna

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'Unless' by Carol Shields

Here's a little more on our guests' books!

'Like Family' by Erin White

What if everything you wanted is no longer enough?

Meeting for an autumnal swim in an idyllic pond, Caroline's friend Ruth tells her about a family secret that has recently been exposed. Caroline was looking forward to a celebration they'd been planning together with her sister-in-law, Tobi, but suddenly everything seems complicated.

Tensions that have long been buried are bubbling to the surface. These three couples, who have so much to enjoy in their lives - growing children, affectionate marriages, work they love - must confront the truths they've never shared. More than that, they will have to reconcile the lives they've built with the ones they desire: the old dreams both fulfilled and denied, and the new ones that appeared right when they thought they had all they'd ever hoped for.

'Show Don't Tell' by Curtis Sittenfeld

In this compulsive collection of twelve witty stories, Sittenfeld shows why she’s as beloved for her short fiction as she is for her novels, as she conjures up characters so real that they seem like old friends.

In ‘The Patron Saints of Middle Age,’ a woman visits two friends she hasn’t seen since her divorce. In ‘A for Alone,’ a married artist embarks on a project intended to disprove the so-called Mike Pence Rule, which suggests that women and men can’t spend time alone together without lusting after each other. And in ‘Lost but Not Forgotten,’ Sittenfeld gives readers of her novel Prep a new window into the world of her beloved character Lee Fiora, decades later, when Lee attends an awkward school reunion.

Witty, confronting and full of tenderness, Sittenfeld peels back layer after layer of our inner lives, keeping us riveted to the page with her utterly distinctive voice.

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Alexandra Potter and Madeleine Gray join Joe Haddow for a war of the words!

They chat about their new novels, conmen, queer love, writing women without making them victims - and give us some great book recommendations too.

THE BOOK OFF

'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte

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'How To Be Both' by Ali Smith

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