Books On The Go

Anna and Annie discuss the 2023 Booker Prize Shortlist and the authors taking action over the generative AI use of their work.

Our book of the week is WIFEDOM: MRS ORWELL'S INVISIBLE LIFE by Anna Funder. An innovative biography of Eileen Orwell by the Miles Franklin and Samuel Johnson prize winner, it has been described as a masterpiece and we think would make a great book club book.

Coming up: Book Club with Shawn Mooney

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Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Amanda discuss the Nero Book Awards which will commence in 2024.

Our book of the week is CHAI TIME AT CINNAMON GARDENS by Shankari Chandran. A layered story about a nursing home in Sydney whose residents have traumatic memories of the civil war in Sri Lanka, this won the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award.

Coming up: WIFEDOM by Anna Funder.

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Instagram: @ abailliekaras and @ vibrant_lives_podcast

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

A special episode: Anna chats with Shawn Mooney of Shawn the Book Maniac.

We recommend three books and each choose one to read for our next episode: the Anna and Shawn book club!

Books discussed:

The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard

True Biz by Sara Nović

Y/N by Esther Yi

Loop Tracks by Sue Orr

Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life by Anna Funder

The Recent East by Thomas Grattan

Coming up: Chai Time in Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran

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Instagram: [a] abailliekaras and [a] shawnthebookmaniac

Youtube: Books On The Go and Shawn the Book Maniac

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss a recent study on reading to young children.

We wrap up Women in Translation month. The books we read (or Annie did at least!) and recommend are:

Slime: A Natural History by Susanne Wedlich translated by Ayca Turkoglu

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd

What You're Looking For Is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama translated by Alison Watts

Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren translated by Agnes Broomé

My Devotion by Julia Kerninon translated by Alison Anderson

Sleepless by Marie Darrieussecq translated by Penny Hueston

Coming up: Chai Time in the Cinnamon Gardens and Wifedom

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Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the 2023 Booker Prize Longlist.

Our book of the week is The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor. A novel about friends and lovers set in Iowa City, it is both intimate and explores wider issues in contemporary life and art. Taylor was short-listed for the Booker Prize for Real Life and won the Story Prize for his collection Filthy Animals. The Late Americans is an instant national bestseller and was a Most Anticipated Book of the year by Vogue, Elle, Oprah Daily, the Washington Post, Buzzfeed and Vulture.

Coming up: Chai Time in Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran.

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Litsy: @abailliekaras

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Amanda discuss Elizabeth Gilbert pulling her novel The Snow Forest from publication because of its Russia theme.

Our book of the week is This Other Eden by Paul Harding. Based on a true story, an island community of castaways and misfits is disrupted when a well-meaning but racist preacher enters their lives. It has biblical feels yet resonates today. Described as 'a harrowing tale of paradise lost' (New York Times) and 'sure to be a stand-out of 2023' (Los Angeles Times), since we recorded this episode it has been long-listed for the Booker Prize.

Coming up: The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor.

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Litsy: @abailliekaras

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Amanda discuss the Women's Prize winner Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.

Our book of the week is The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland. This tells the true story of Rudolf Vrba who escaped from Auschwitz with Fred Wetzler and their attempt to tell Jewish leaders the truth about the Final Solution and prevent more deaths. A Sunday Times Best-Seller and shortlisted for the 2022 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, we could not put this down.

Coming up: This Other Eden by Paul Harding.

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Litsy: @abailliekaras

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

A special episode: Anna chats with author Ennis Ćehić about his debut collection of short stories, Sadvertising.

Ćehić is based in Melbourne and Sarajevo and writes about displacement, creativity and existentialism. The stories in Sadvertising are set in the advertising world and explore the tension between art and capitalism. Satirical and very funny, with elements of meta-fiction and the surreal. "A work of thrilling, audacious verve and wit ... deserves a standing ovation" (Christos Tsiolkas) and "powerful, inventive and self-assured" (Australian Book Review). We loved this book!

Ennis recommends:

Hunger by Knut Hamsen translated by George Egerton

Authors Rachel Cusk , Deborah Levy and Ottessa Moshfegh

The Appointment by Katharina Volckmer

The Shakespeare and Company podcast

Coming up:

This Other Eden by Paul Harding

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Twitter: @abailliekaras

Litsy: @abailliekaras

Credits

Artwork: Sascha WIlkosz

A special episode: Anna chats with author Christine Keighery about her new novel The Half Brother.

Christine Keighery has written over 35 novels for children and young adults (as Chrissie Perry). The Half Brother is her first novel for adults. It's a psychological suspense story about a family, secrets and coercive control. Described as "sinister, suspenseful and tightly written, with an ending I didn't see coming" (Vikki Wakefield). There are no spoilers in this episode so you'll have to read it to see what the twist is!

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Twitter: @ abailliekaras

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Christine: chrissieperry.com

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Amanda discuss The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard. This novel set in Japan and Hong Kong in 1947 explores the colonial era with a forbidden love story at its centre. Described as "the last masterpiece of a vanished age of civility" (Wall Street Journal) it won the 2003 Miles Franklin Award and the National Book Award for Fiction and was shortlisted for the 2004 Orange Prize.

We also recommend Shirley Hazzard: A Writing Life by Brigitta Olubas.

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Facebook: Books On The Go

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @abailliekaras and @vibrant_lives_podcast

Twitter: @abailliekaras

Litsy: @abailliekaras

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz