Diving In

Virginia and Louise do a deep dive into Barbara Kingsolver’s Pullitzer Prize winning and compelling novel Demon Copperhead and talk all things Charles Dickens as well as adding some shameful new entries to the infamous Ick Register.BooksOliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, 1838Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, 1854Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, 2023 More Deep DivesEmma, by Jane AustenTelevisionEmma, mini series, 2009 Slow Horses, series 1-3 Apple TV+One Day, Netflix 2023

Louise and Virginia thought it might be fun to do an episode on books that they feel a bit embarrassed to have never read (until now). There were a lot of books to choose from, but they discuss four in this conversation. During this chat they also create an Ick Register for authors who use words that give the ick, so that readers can be warned in advance (kind of like a trigger warning, but more basic). Books The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro ...

Louise and Virginia have a great conversation about a lovely Western Australian novel. Salt River Road by the very talented debut author Molly Schmidt captures the large Tetley family at the worst time of their lives. Their wife and mother, Elena, has died after a long illness and left them all devastated. Although the book looks at grief through the eyes of several different characters, it has a forward-moving arc, plenty of heart, and a wonderful ending, with an authentic Western Australian...

Louise and Virginia have a conversation about two books with many overlaps, one fiction and one non-fiction, and reflect on the fact that none of this information was taught in the classroom when they were at school.BooksKilling for Country by David MarrEdenglassie by Melissa LukashenkoTV ShowThe Crown – NetflixPodcastsThe Rest is History – Dominic Sandbrook and Tom HollandThe Rest is Entertainment – Richard Osman and Marina Hyde

Virginia and Louise dive into four new releases some of them from our favourite authors! They also encourage everyone to get their hands on Salt River Road by Molly Schmidt for a bookclub deep dive episode coming up. Books The Fraud, Zadie Smyth, 2023, Hamish Hamilton Penguin Normal Rules Don’t Apply, Kate Atkinson, 2023, Penguin Random House Tom Lake, Ann Patchett, 2023, Harper Collins Pearl, Sian Hughes, 2023 UQP L...

Louise and Virginia have finally had a conversation about six literary controversies/hoaxes/scandals and it’s a lot of fun! This is a Topic they both find fascinating so it was great to select three stories each and dive in. Authors Norma Khouri John Hughes Carmen Mola Antonio Mercero Agustin Martinez Jorge Diaz Harold Stewart James McAuley Dawn Dorland Sonya Larson Helen Demidenko/ Darville &nbs...

Virginia and Louise have read a swag of newly released books both well-known authors and others new - and only some with the hype they deserve.BooksYellowface R F Kuang Harper Collins 2023Crook Manifesto Colson Whitehead 2023The Sitter Angela O’ Keefe Queensland University Press 2023Old God’s Time Sebastian Barry 2023PodcastsThe Trial of Lucy Letby UK The Mail Metro MediaInside Design Jane LedgerTheatre‘A Twelfth Night’ - Bell Shakespeare Company

This time it’s Louise’s turn to talk about the massive French classic that she has been reading, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo. Louise tells Virginia about a very impertinent act by the original translator of the novel, and they discuss the aspects that Louise loved and some that she wasn’t so keen on. Hugo and Dumas were both born in 1802 and were literary confrères throughout their lives, so Notre-Dame and Monte Christo make a great pairing. Book The Hun...

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Streaming Au Coeur de Peloton/Tour de France: Unchained Arnold SBS on Demand Rogue Heroes ABC iView Dangerous Remedy Podcast Strict Scrutiny

Virginia and Louise immerse themselves in the meadows, riverbanks, orchards, high tides and deep snow to explore the deep connection and chasms between community, environment and climate change, in the emerging genre and precious language of eco-fiction. BooksThe Offing by Benjamin Myers, 2019Stolen by Ann-Helene Laestadius, 2023Also consider A Month in the Country by JL CarrLimberlost by Robbie Arnott, 2022.Cuddy by Benjamin Myers 2023The Stella Prize 2023 winner Sarah Holland Batt for ...