Books On The Go

Anna and Annie find some book recommendations to read along with Taylor Swift's new album The Tortured Poets Department.

Our book of the week is Question 7 by Richard Flanagan. This memoir encompasses H. G. Wells, nuclear physics and the atomic bomb and ends in Tasmania, Australia. Memories, encounters and fictional vignettes are woven together into a beautiful tapestry that show how words don't suffice. The title references Chekhov and gives a hint of the absurd. Much to discuss!

Coming up: Thunderhead by Miranda Darling.

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Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the 2024 Stella Prize shortlist.

Our book of the week is Butter by Asako Yuzuki translated by Polly Barton. Described as 'a novel of food and murder' this follows Riko, a journalist, who investigates serial killer Manako Kajii. Kajii allegedly seduced rich men with her cooking before killing them, and she encourages Riko to cook and appreciate food. Inspired by a true story, this has been a cult Japanese best-seller.

Coming up: Question 7 by Richard Flanagan.

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Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the 2024 Stella Prize Shortlist.

We reveal our favourite recent crime reads. Our recommendations are:

The Many Lies of Veronica Hawkins by Kristina Perez Death of a Lesser God by Vaseem Khan The Sleeping Nymph by Ilaria Tutti translated by Ekin Oklap To Love and Be Wise by Josephine Tey The Fugitives by Jamal Mahjoub Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan Coming up: Question 7 by Richard Flanagan Follow us! Email: [email protected] Facebook: Books On The Go Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

A special episode: we chat with author Jenny Hollander about her debut crime novel EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD.

Charlie Colbert is an editor at a major magazine and engaged to a publishing heir. But she witnessed a tragedy at her elite journalism school and lied to the police 9 years ago. Now a classmate is making a film about the events, which threatens the life Charlie has built. This is a gripping, twisty thriller described as 'a delicious crime debut' (Red) and 'knife-sharp' (Woman's Own) and is a USA Today Bestseller.

Jenny recommends the authors Lisa Jewel, Sarah Sheppard, Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth and the podcast Unreal.

Coming up: our crime reading recommendations.

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Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the inaugural Women's Prize for Non-Fiction longlist, including Anna Funder's Wifedom.

Our book of the week is THE VULNERABLES by Sigrid Nunez. This is the third in a loose trilogy after THE FRIEND and WHAT ARE YOU GOING THROUGH. A writer, a college drop-out and a talking parrot share an apartment in New York during the Covid pandemic. This is subtler than the first two books but we loved the mix of story and Nunez's reflections on life and writing.

Coming up: our Crime reading recommendations.

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Email: booksonthegopodcast @ gmail.com

Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

It's the Shawn and Anna Book Club!

Our first book is Home Reading Service by Fabio Morábito translated by Curtis Bauer. Eduardo is sentenced to a year of community service reading aloud to the elderly and disabled. Set in Mexico, this novel is witty and poignant. It even inspired us to discuss poetry! And the fine line between whacky and eccentric.

Also mentioned:

Shawn's Bite Sized Book Chat with Stu aka Winston's Dad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PubR7KrANvE&t=40s

Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai translated by Polly Barton

Book Club Review Podcast

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Youtube: Anna Baillie-Karas and Shawn the Book Maniac

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie reveal our book recommendations for the holiday season.

Our favourite holiday reads this year are:

THE CLUB by Ellery Lloyd

NOW YOU SEE US by Balli Kaur Jaswal

WEST HEART KILL by Dann McDorman

FLIGHT by Lynn Steger Strong

THE LIBRARIANIST by Patrick deWitt

ROMANTIC COMEDY by Curtis Sittenfeld

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Instagram: @ abailliekaras and @ mr_annie

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the Booker Prize 2023 winner, PROPHET SONG by Paul Lynch.

We reveal the best books we read in 2023. In no particular order, they are:

Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren translated by Agnes Broomé

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton

Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

The Fraud by Zadie Smith

The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor

Loot by Tania James

Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Coming up: our Holiday Reading recommendations

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Anna and Annie discuss authors' concerns about Spotify streaming books and highlights from the 2024 Adelaide Writers Week lineup.

Our book of the week is Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren translated by Agnes Broomé. Sandgren has been described as "Sweden's Sally Rooney" (The Times). Collected Works is a thought-provoking, intellectual novel set in Gothenburg. At the heart of it is the mystery of the disappearance of Martin's wife, Cecilia. Anna loved it but Annie would have preferred more Cecilia and less Martin!

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Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Special guest Shawn Mooney of Shawn the Book Maniac joins Anna for Book Club!

We discuss TRUE BIZ by Sara Nović and Y/N by Esther Yi. These books have taken us down rabbit holes of deaf culture (True Biz) and super fandom (Y/N). Two interesting and thought-provoking reads!

Shawn recommends the interview with Esther Yi on Jaylen's The Bar and the Bookcase podcast.

We're currently reading:

GIBBONS OR ONE BLOODY THING AFTER ANOTHER by James Morrison (and see the book launch on Shawn's channel)

SMALL WORLDS by Caleb Azumah Nelson

LEOPOLDSTADT by Tom Stoppard

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Email: [email protected]

Facebook: Books On The Go

Instagram: @abailliekaras and @shawnthebookmaniac

YouTube: Shawn the Book Maniac

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz