Book Off!

This week Joe welcomes two debut authors - Lisa Smith and Marcia Hutchinson - who get head to head in a war of the words.

They chat about their writing journeys, black voices in literature, coming to writing later in life and why sometimes, you can just use books as a way of getting back at people!

THE BOOK OFF

'Beloved' by Toni Morrison

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'Small Island' by Andrea Levy

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

'Jamaica Road' by Lisa Smith

South London, 1981: Daphne is the only Black girl in her class. All she wants is to keep her head down, preferably in a book. The easiest way to survive is to go unnoticed. 

Daphne’s attempts at invisibility are upended when a boy named Connie Small arrives from Jamaica. Connie is the opposite of small in every way: lanky, outgoing, and unapologetically himself. Daphne tries to keep her distance, but Connie is magnetic, and they form an intense bond. As they navigate growing up in a volatile, rapidly changing city, their families become close, and their friendship begins to shift into something more complicated. When Connie reveals that he and his mother “nuh land”—meaning they’re in England illegally—Daphne realizes that she is dangerously entangled in Connie’s fragile home life. Soon, long-buried secrets in both families threaten to tear them apart permanently.

Spanning one tumultuous decade, from the industrial docklands of the Thames to the sandy beaches of Calabash Bay, Jamaica Road is a deftly plotted and emotionally expansive debut novel about race and class, the family you’re born with and the family you choose, and the limits of what true love can really conquer.

'The Mercy Step' by Marcia Hutchinson

Bradford, December 1962.

A precocious Mercy makes her reluctant entrance into the world, torn from the warm embrace of her mother’s womb, to a chaotic household that seems to have no place for her. Her siblings do not understand her, her mother’s attention is given to the Church, and the entire family lives at the whims of her father’s quick temper. 

Left to herself, Mercy finds solace in books, her imagination, and the quiet comfort of her faithful toy, Dolly. But escapism has its limits, and as the grip of family, faith and fear threatens to close in, Mercy learns she must act if she wants a different future; one where she is seen, heard, and her family set free. 

The Mercy Step is a sharply-witted and tender portrait of a young girl’s quiet rebellion, and her refusal to be broken. 

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Bestselling authors Joe Hill and Joe Abercrombie join another Joe (the host) for a natter about books, films, horror, fantasy and much more.

They discuss their brilliant new novels, 'King Sorrow' and 'The Devils', their writing processes and routines, Stephen King, James Cameron, film adaptations, comics - and - give us some brilliant book recommendations too.

THE BOOK OFF

'Lonesome Dove' by Larry McMurtry

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'The Night Always Comes' by Willy Vlautin

Heres some more info on our guests brilliant novels!

'King Sorrow' by Joe Hill

Bookish dreamer Arthur Oakes is a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters and beautiful buildings.

But his idyll - and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot - is shattered when local drug dealers force him into a terrible crime: stealing rare and valuable books from the exceptional college library.

Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for help: the wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren; brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen. Together they dream up an impossible, fantastical scheme that they scarcely imagine will work: to summon the fabled dragon King Sorrow to kill those tormenting Arthur.

But the six stumble backwards into a deadly bargain - they soon learn they must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow each year or one of them will become his next victim. Unleashing consequences they can neither predict nor control, this promise will, over the course of four decades, shape and endanger their lives in ways they could never expect.

'The Devils' by Joe Abercrombie

Europe stares into the abyss.

Plague and famine stalk the land, monsters lurk in every shadow and greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions. Only one thing is certain: the elves will come again, and they will eat everyone.

Sometimes, only the darkest paths lead towards the light. Paths on which the righteous will not dare to tread . . .

And so, buried beneath the sacred splendour of the Celestial Palace, is the secret Chapel of the Holy Expediency. For its congregation of convicted monsters there are no sins that have not been committed, no lines that will not be crossed, and no mission that cannot be turned into a disastrous bloodbath.

Now the hapless Brother Diaz must somehow bind the worst of the worst to a higher cause: to put a thief on the throne of Troy, and unite the sundered church against the coming apocalypse.

When you're headed through hell, you need the devils on your side.

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This week we welcome bestselling authors Saara El-Arifi and Callie Hart to the podcast, who go head to head in a war of the words.

We chat fantasy, romantasy, maps, sexy fairies - and also learn a new word 'Chussy' (don't google it!)

Callie and Saara also give us some brilliant book recommendations and some top writing tips! (oh, and di we mention the interpretive dance?)

THE BOOK OFF

'Gideon The Ninth' by Tamsyn Muir

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'I Medusa' by Ayana Gray

And here's a little more on our guests latest books:

'Cursebound' by Saara El-Arifi

Yeeran and Lettle are no longer prisoners to the fae court, but now they’re bound by the shackles of their hearts …

Yeeran was born for war but is unprepared for love. She has left her new lover, the Queen of the fae, to return to her homeland, only to find that her former lover now threatens war against the fae. Left behind, her sister Lettle is determined to break the curse that binds the fae to their realm.

When a stranger appears in the city, Lettle is convinced he’s the key. But the Fates that once spoke to her have fallen silent.

Can Lettle and Yeeran discover the secret behind the curse – and unite these two worlds before they destroy each other?

'Brimstone' by Callie Hart

Saeris Fane doesn't want power. The very last thing she needs is her name whispered on an entire court's lips, but now that she's been crowned queen of the Blood C ourt, she's discovering that a queen's life is not her own. A heavy weight rests upon her shoulders.

Her ward - and her brother - need her back in her homeland . . . but the changes that have strengthened Saeris have also made her weak. Born under blazing suns, Saeris will surely die if she makes her way home through the Quicksilver. Which means that, once again, she must send someone else in her stead . . .

Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate has defeated armies and survived all manner of horrors, but traveling back to Zilvaren with C arrion Swift might just be the death of him. The male just will not shut up. Hidden dangers await them down the narrow alleyways of the Silver C ity. Unfolding secrets pose impossible threats. Fisher must wrangle the smuggler and accomplish his goals quickly if he wants to see his mate again.

A darkness falls across Yvelia. The realm and their friends are in danger. Together, Saeris and Fisher will pass through fire and brimstone to save them.

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We welcome two brilliant debut novelists to Book Off this week, who go head to head in a war of the words...

Xenobe Purvis and Gurnaik Johal have both recently published their first novels - and they are both brilliant!

Hear them discuss their inspirations, writing and research techniques. how to choose a good title and why reading slowly is good.

In a Book Off first - Gurnaik pitches a book he hasn't even finished yet! And there are some great recommendations all round.

THE BOOK OFF

'The Portrait Of A Lady' by Henry James

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'Lonesome Dove' by Larry McMurtry

And here's a little more about our guests' books:

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis

Many stories are told about the five Mansfield sisters. They are haughty, thinking themselves better than their neighbours in the picturesque village of Little Nettlebed. They have taken the death of their grandmother hard. They are liars, troublemakers, untamed and dangerous... Accounts of their behaviour differ, but the villagers all agree that the girls are odd.

One long summer, a heatwave descends. Bloated sea creatures wash up along the parched riverbed, animals grow frenzied, ravens gather on the roofs of those about to die. As the stifling heat grips the village, so does a strange rumour: the Mansfield sisters have been seen transforming into a pack of dogs.

With the witch trials only a recent memory, hysteria sets in. Slowly but surely, the villagers become convinced that something strange is taking root in Little Nettlebed. And when a bark finally leads to a bite, the sisters will be the ones to pay for it.

Visceral and richly atmospheric, The Hounding plunges its reader into 18th century Oxfordshire, where the power of a man’s word is absolute, and it is safer to be a wild animal than an unconventional young woman.

'Saraswadi' by Gurnaik Johal

Centuries ago, the holy river Saraswati flowed through what is now Punjab. Many dismiss this as myth, but when Satnam arrives in his ancestral village for his grandmother's funeral, he finds water in the dried-up well behind her house. The discovery sets in motion a contentious scheme to unearth the lost river as an act of Hindu nationalist pride.

The river changes the course of Satnam's life, and those of six others. As legends and histories resurface, the distant relatives - from a Canadian eco-saboteur to a Mauritian pest exterminator to a Bollywood stunt double - are brought together in a rapidly changing India. Ambitious, moving and brimming with folklore, Saraswati is a tour de force from one of Britain's most feted young writers.

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Two debut novelists, Wendy Erskine and Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin join Joe Haddow for a war of the words!

They discuss their brilliant new novels ('The Benefactors' and 'Ordinary Saints') as well as giving us some brilliant book recommendations too.

They also chat about 'queer literature', the Women's Prize, how to cast a book and the joy of free writing.

THE BOOK OFF

'The Price Of Salt' ('Carol') by Patricia Highsmith

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'Hunchback' by Saou Ichikawa

Here's a little more about our guests' novels:

Ordinary Saints

An arresting, unmissable debut novel shortlisted for the Women's Prize Discoveries award - an exploration of family, grief, queer identity, and the legacy of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

'Can you imagine it? I'd say to them. Can you imagine me there in the front row in Saint Peter's Square? The lesbian sister of a literal saint.'

Brought up in a devout household in Ireland, Jay is now living in London with her girlfriend, determined to live day to day and not think too much about either the future or the past. But when she learns that her beloved older brother, who died in a terrible accident, may be made into a Catholic saint, she realises she must at last confront her family, her childhood and herself . . .

The Benefactors

In The Benefactors we meet Frankie, Miriam and Bronagh - very different women but all mothers to 18-year-old boys. Glamorous Frankie, now married to a wealthy, older man, grew up in care. Miriam has recently lost her beloved husband Kahlil in ambiguous circumstances. Bronagh, the CEO of a children's services charity, loves the celebrity and prestige this brings her.

They do not know each other yet, but when their sons are accused of sexually assaulting Misty Johnston, whose family lacks the wealth and social-standing of their own, they'll leverage all the power of their position to protect their children.

From the prize-winning author of Dance Move and Sweet Home, this is an astounding novel about intimate histories, class and money - and what being a parent means. Brutal, tender and rigorously intelligent, The Benefactors is a daring, polyphonic presentation of modern-day Northern Ireland. It is also very funny.

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Bestselling crime writers, MW Craven and JD Kirk go head to head in a war of the words...

They chat with Joe Haddow about their latest novels ('The Final Vow' and 'A Rock And A Hard Place'), their inspirations, meeting artists they admire and acting weird...and Terry Pratchett. There's quite a lot of Terry Pratchett chat! (Chatchett?)

As ever, we have some brilliant book recommendations for you - and of course - there's the little matter of the Book Off.

THE BOOK OFF

'Horror Movie' by Paul Tremblay

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'Nightwatch' by Terry Pratchett

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Two bestselling authors, both alike in dignity, in the fair Book Off studio - where we lay our scene...

On this episode we bring together two brilliant minds, authors and Scots - Irvine Welsh and John Niven.

They discuss their latest novels, nostalgia, returning characters...and the joy of writing in the pre-mobile phone era.

They also chat Oasis, crime fiction, the shit that appears on instagram - and give us some great book recommendations too.

*and just to warn you - there's quite a bit of fruity language throughout!

THE BOOK OFF

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It's our 150th episode!!! Can you believe it? No, we can't either...

...and celebrating our big birthday are Harriet Evans and Laura Barnett, who join Joe for a brilliant bit of Booking Off.

Sadly - there's no cake or party poppers - thanks to the terrible Thameslink service which meant Joe couldn't get to the shops in time, but there's still a lot of great book chat!

Harrie and Laura discuss their brilliant new novels, give us some fab book recommendations - and - there's also a surprise appearance from Harriet Harman.

THE BOOK OFF

'Commonwealth' by Ann Patchett

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'Expectation' by Anna Hope

And here's a little more info on our guests' new books!

The Treasures

Every family has a story to tell. Alice and Tom's begins here . . .

On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Alice Jansen collects her treasures – the keepsakes, figurines and mementoes that help her make sense of her fragile family. But the next day her heart is broken, and the final treasure, a gift from her father, is lost. Two years later, Alice answers a phone call from a stranger and runs away to New York, and tries to forget her last golden summer at the orchard on the banks of the Hudson.

Tom Raven can’t understand why he keeps losing so many of the things and people that really matter to him, but he knows for certain that something important is missing from his life. One day, he remembers a forgotten letter and makes a phone call, then leaves Sevenstones, the only place that feels like home, for a strange city.

Births, Deaths And Marriages

Zoe, Al, Rachel, Rob, Yas and Indie. Six friends who were inseparable at university, who have all had their secret or not so secret passions for each other, their hopes and fears.

Over the years, they have gone their separate ways. Rob is a history teacher, with a string of broken relationships behind him. Yas is a surgeon and very much her own woman. Indie is married and a successful coffee entrepreneur. Rachel is a stay at home mum with two children. Al, widowed young, is about to take over his father's funeral business.

When Rob's engagement party throws the gang together once more, some passions are reignited, old connections and resentments resurface. Over the next twelve months, there will, among the friends, be a birth, a marriage, and a death – but whose?

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Bestselling author Holly Smale goes head to head with Comedian and writer Cally Beaton in a War Of The Words.

The authors chat to Joe Haddow about their latest books, imposter syndrome, living in the present and what Orca's can teach us about feminism.

They also also share some great book recommendations

THE BOOK OFF

'East Of Eden' by John Steinbeck

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'The Beekeeper Of Aleppo' by Christy Lefteri

Here's more on our guest's books:

'Namaste Motherfuckers' by Cally Beaton

Part memoir, part stereotype-defying manifesto, Namaste Motherf*ckers is a funny, empowering, practical book that takes an irreverent look at the author's own story of radical midlife reinvention - taking her from meetings in the boardroom to becoming a stand-up comedian - thanks to a chance conversation with the late, great Joan Rivers encouraging her to make change happen.

Sharing stories and experiences from her career, alongside lessons learned from the many celebrities and experts that have guested on her hit podcast of the same name, Cally challenges at every turn the age-old narrative that women become invisible when they cease to be fertile.

It's also a book about defying the bullsh*t expectation that midlife women at best maintain (looks, career, relationships), at worst decline. With ambitious thinking and personal development takeouts from her time as a coach, Cally debunks many of the myths surrounding the female of the species and gives a fresh, funny and life-affirming look at what it means to be a middle-aged woman who is willing to take a chance, put herself out there and who is also willing to fail.

'I Know How This Ends' by Holly Smale

Margot Wayward is in manically gleeful self-destruct mode. Following the implosion of a ten-year relationship, she’s wilfully derailing her successful career, joyfully taking down men on dating apps, and living in total chaos.

Until one day, when Margot has a vision of herself with a man she’s never met before. She doesn’t believe in fate. But when Margot meets single-dad Henry, the vision comes true: exactly as she’d foreseen it.

As her future continues to reveal itself, a glimpse at a time, Margot realises she knows exactly what’s going to happen, and when. And there’s nothing she can do to change any of it.

So Margot has to decide how to live, how to love again, and how to be herself… Because if you can’t change your destiny, how on earth do you live your present?

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Bestselling spy novelists, David McCloskey and Paul Vidich, join Joe Haddow for a good ole fashioned booking off!

As well as discussing their new novels ('The Seventh Floor' and 'The Poets Game'), they also share some great book recommendations and talk us through their writing processes.

Spy novels are such a great way to learn about world history - and have arguably never been more popular - so we delve a little more into this genre, referencing John Le Carre - and his son, Nick Harkaway, who was a recent Book Off guest. Joe's continued reading battle with Le Carre continues, and whilst confessing this again, Paul tries to his hardest to encourage him to pick up The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.

As well as lots of book chat, Joe and David share a love of Seinfeld, £75 martinis, and there's a bit of a natter about good French wine (but luckily, Joe hasn't been on the booze pre-recording like a previous ep!)

THE BOOK OFF

'All The Colours Of The Dark' by Chris Whitaker

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'The Quiet American' by Graham Greene

We hope you're enjoying Series 14!

Please do follow us on instagram, bluesky, and the others: @ohdobookoff

(here's some more gumf on our guests brilliant books)

The Poet's Game by Paul Vidich

Alex Matthews thought he had left it all behind. His CIA career, the viper's den of bureaucracy at headquarters and the lies and stress of the cat and mouse game of double agents. But then the Director came asking for a favour.

Alex is a different man from when he had run Moscow station, where he recruited a network of 'poet spies' including the one he names BYRON. He has pieced his life back together after a tragic boating accident killed his wife and daughter but the scars remain. But Alex remains, in his mind, a patriot, and so he begrudgingly accepts the Director's request. Something, though, is off about the whole operation from the start.

The Russians seem one step ahead and the CIA suspects there is a traitor in the agency. Alex realizes that by getting back into the game he has risked everything he has worked for: his new marriage, his family’s safety, his firm. As the noose tightens around Alex, and the FSB closes in, the operation becomes a hall of mirrors with no exits. To find redemption, Alex must uncover the secrets behind BYRON or lose everything.

The Seventh Floor by David McCloskey

All your life you're CIA. Then you're not.

A Russian arrives in Singapore with a secret to sell. When the Russian is killed and Sam Joseph, the CIA officer dispatched for the meet, goes missing, Artemis Procter is made a scapegoat and run out of the service. Traded back in a spy swap, Sam appears at Procter's central Florida doorstep months later with an explosive secret: there is a Russian mole hidden deep within the upper reaches of CIA.

As Procter and Sam investigate, they arrive at a shortlist of suspects made up of both Procter's closest friends and fiercest enemies. The hunt soon requires Procter to dredge up her own checkered past in service of CIA, placing her and Sam into the sights of a savvy Russian spymaster who will protect Moscow's mole in Langley at all costs, even if it means wreaking bloody havoc across the United States.

Bouncing between the corridors of Langley and the Kremlin, the thrilling new novel by David McCloskey explores the nature of friendship in a faithless business, and what it means to love a place that does not love you back.

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