Books On The Go

Anna and Annie discuss the winner of the 2020 Readings Prize for New Fiction, Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan.

Our book of the week is Nudibranch by Irenosen Okojie.  This collection of short stories was a Guardian Must Read Book of 2019.  We read the story Grace Jones, which won the 2020 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing.  Highly recommended.

Coming up: The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters.

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Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the Booker Prize 2020 shortlist and give our predictions on the winner.

The shortlisted books are:

The New Wilderness by Diane Cook, This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangaremba, Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi, The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste, Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, and Real Life by Brandon Taylor.

The winner will be announced on 19 November (delayed by two days to follow the publication of Barack Obama's book).

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Twitter: @abailliekaras and @mister_annie

Litsy: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez, the follow-up to her National Book Award -winning The Friend. A woman helps her friend who is dying of cancer in this erudite and drily funny novel.

In book news, Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby is being adapted for the big screen, and Hello Friend We Missed You by Richard Owain Roberts has won the Not The Booker Prize. 

Coming up: Nudibranch by Irenosen Okojie.

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Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie

Twitter: @abailliekaras and @mister_annie

Litsy: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

A special 150th episode!

Anna chats with Jennie Orchard, curator of The Gifts of Reading: the Joys of Reading, Giving and Receiving Books, inspired by Robert Macfarlane.  We could not think of a more apt book to celebrate our 150th 'birthday' than this incredible collection as today's best writers share stories about their reading life and books they have given and received. A perfect gift and a joyous read. 

Highlights include Chigozie Obioma, Candice Carty-Williams, Max Porter, Jan Morris, William Boyd, Philip Pullman, Sisonke Msimang, Marcus Zusak and Room to Read founder John Wood. 

Jennie also shares the 5 books that she most often gives as gifts:

No Friend But the Mountains by Behrouz Boochani translated by Omid Tofighian

The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri

The Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura

Necessary Losses by Judith Viorst

Coming up: Nudibranch by Irenosen Okojie and What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez.

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Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Amanda discuss the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Booker Prize plans.

Our book of the week is Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman. This social history challenges the idea that humans are selfish, arguing that we tend to be cooperative and this has driven our survival. An instant New York Times best-seller and an uplifting read, this is a great pick for Non-Fiction November.

Coming up: What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez and The Gifts of Reading inspired by Robert Macfarlane.

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Twitter: @abailliekaras

Litsy: @abailliekaras

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the National Books Awards and Goldsmiths Prize shortlists.

Our book of the week is Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby.  A crime novel with a getaway driver and 'one last' diamond heist, this has been described as 'sensationally good' (Lee Child) with a mix of Southern noir,  Ocean's Eleven and Drive.  We loved it.

Coming up: Humankind by Rutger Bregman. 

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Facebook: Books On The Go

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie

Twitter: @abailliekaras and @mister_annie

Litsy: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Amanda discuss the winner of the International Booker Prize The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, translated by Michele Hutchison.

Our book of the week is How To Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi.  In a mix of study and memoir, Kendi argues that being neutral about racism is not enough: we have to be anti-racist.  Described as "transformative" (Robin Di Angelo), "courageous" (New York Times) and "electrifying" (The Voice), this is a timely book and a New York Times and Sunday Times best-seller.

Coming up: Humankind by Rutger Bregman.

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Email: [email protected]

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Instagram: @abailliekaras and @amandalhayes99

Twitter: @abailliekaras

Litsy: @abailliekaras

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Amanda discuss the 2020 Booker Prize Shortlist.

Our book of the week is Summer by Ali Smith, the final novel in her Seasonal Quartet.  We have read and loved all four books.  An extraordinary achievement in real-time literature.  We recommend the whole series!

Coming up: Humankind by Rutger Bregman.

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Email: [email protected]

Facebook: Books On The Go

Instagram: @abailliekaras and @amandalhayes99

Twitter: @abailliekaras

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the winner of the 2020 Women's Prize, Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell.  Annie is on a winning streak!

Our book of the week is Sisters by Daisy Johnson.  Two sisters who share a close bond move to a creepy house with their mother.  There is a mystery about why they have moved and a tension that builds and builds.  A phenomenal book, we could not put this down.  

Coming up: Summer by Ali Smith.

Follow us!

Facebook: Books On The Go

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie

Twitter: @abailliekaras and @mister_annie

Litsy: @abailliekaras 

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Amanda discuss Hong Kong publishers looking to print books in Taiwan.

Our book of the week is the Korean sensation, Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo translated by Jamie Chang. This is the story of an ordinary woman but also tells of the challenges faced by all women in South Korea.  

Coming up: Sisters by Daisy Johnson and How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi.

Follow us!

Facebook: Books On The Go

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @abailliekaras and @amandalhayes99

Twitter: @abailliekaras

Litsy: @abailliekaras

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz