James and Ashley Stay at Home

While reading rates are falling in Australia and around the world, the good news is there are lots of great ways to make more time for the books in your life, encourage others to return to reading, and soak up all the great health benefits it gives you.

In this bonus ep, James and Ashley discuss their love of reading and the upcoming second installment of Randwick's Reading Takeover. (Come along, it's free!)

Check out Ruby's (aka Literary Luddite) recommendations for making time for reading and connecting with fellow readers.

Join us for a live recording of James and Ashley Stay at Home as part of Randwick's Reading Takeover: Celebration of Reading Author Panel on Saturday 28 November, 10am-12pm at Randwick Town Hall. Hear some of Sydney's favourite authors from across genres celebrate their favourite books. They'll share what inspires them, what keeps them reading late into the night, and what they secretly wish they'd written.

Our November panel features the legendary Kate Forsyth, debut sensation Josh Hortinela and Penguin Literary Prize winner Mary Colussi, co-hosted by Ashley Kalagian Blunt and James McKenzie Watson of James and Ashley Stay at Home.

The author talk kicks off our final Reading Takeover weekend. Stay for books signings, dedicated reading time, and snacks. Town Hall is open until 4pm for reading and writing Saturday and Sunday!

Plus, The Rose Read Bookshop will be onsite throughout the weekend, sharing some of their favourite titles as well.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Suzanne Leal
• Dinuka McKenzie
• 'A Philosopher's One-Word Theory to Explain Why the World Feels So Weird' (aka The Unicontext) by Derek Thompson
• Stephen King
• Kate Forsyth
• Josh Hortinela (from ep 135)
• Mary Colussi (from ep 131)

Other upcoming events:

• Launceston – find Ashley at the Tamar Valley Writers Festival on Saturday 17 October as part of the Killer Appetites: Crime and Thriller panel
• Sydney – James is in conversation with Chris Hammer for his latest novel, Full Circle, Manly Library, Thursday 29 Oct, 6:30pm
• Katoomba – Ashley is part of the Blue Mountains Writers Festival, taking place in Katoomba from 30 October to 1 November
• Penrith – Ashley is teaching Writing Crime as part of the Write Out West Festival, Friday 27 November, 2-4pm
• Penrith – Ashley is speaking on the Crime Stories panel as part of the Write Out West Festival, Friday 27 November, 6.30pm
• Sydney – Randwick's Reading Takeover author panel with Kate Forsyth, Josh Hortinela and Mary Colussi, hosted by James and Ashley, Saturday 28 November, 10am-12pm, free
• Sydney – Randwick's Reading Takeover workshop: Balancing Plot & Theme with Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Sunday 29 November, 10am-12pm, $15
• Randwick's Reading Takeover – Randwick Town Hall is open (and full of snacks!) for drop-in reading and writing, Saturday and Sunday 28-29 November, 12-4pm
• 2027 Winter Writing Retreat – both Ashley and James will be teaching for the Writers at the Woolshed winter retreat, running 6-11 June 2027.

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from Booktopia, your local bookshop or your local library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from Booktopia, your local bookshop or your local library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Episode 135 features debut sensation Joshua Hortinela, a beloved fixture of the Australian book scene, discussing his first novel, Hate You to Love You. A joyful celebration of rom-coms on page and screen, with a soft spot for 90s classics, the story cleverly subverts the genre's familiar tropes and doubles as a love letter to Sydney's bookshops. As his character Carlos reflects, 'If my younger self had been able to find books that represented me … maybe I wouldn't have been so scared of love.'

Josh shares whether writing came before or after bookselling, why honest queer representation matters, and what his own path to publication was like after guiding so many other authors along theirs. He also reveals how he got his publishing deal, and his top rom-com picks for readers new to the genre.

Joshua Hortinela is a writer and bookseller who also works in social media marketing. A passionate reader, he has worked in the book industry for nearly ten years. He also works as a freelance writer, photographer and moderator for events. He lives in Sydney and can tell you where to find the best coffee or cocktail in town. Hate You to Love You is his first novel.

Find Hate You to Love You through Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Emily Henry
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Sense of an Ending by Julia Barnes
• I Want You to Be Happy by Gem Calder
• Sally Rooney
• The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer
• Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser
• Hayley Scrivenor (from ep 68)
• The Graduate by Rebecca Lim
• Zeynab Gamieldien
• Zahid Gamieldien (from ep 102)

Josh's Rom Com Film Starter Pack: The Three Greats*

• You've Got Mail
• When Harry Met Sally
• Sleepless in Seattle
• *Bonus entry: Notting Hill

**We're recording a live episode of James and Ashley Stay at Home! Join us for Randwick's Reading Takeover author panel with Kate Forsyth, Josh Hortinela and Mary Colussi, hosted by James and Ashley, Saturday 28 November, 10am-12pm – free, book here**

• Sydney – Ashley is in conversation with Dinuka McKenzie about Like, Follow, Die at Kirrawee Library, Tuesday 29 September, 6.30pm
• Launceston – find Ashley at the Tamar Valley Writers Festival on Saturday 17 October as part of the Killer Appetites: Crime and Thriller panel
• Sydney – James is in conversation with Chris Hammer for his latest novel, Full Circle, Manly Library, Thursday 29 Oct, 6:30pm
• Katoomba – Ashley is part of the Blue Mountains Writers Festival, taking place in Katoomba from 30 October to 1 November
• Penrith – Ashley is teaching Writing Crime as part of the Write Out West Festival, Friday 27 November, 2-4pm
• Penrith – Ashley is speaking on the Crime Stories panel as part of the Write Out West Festival, Friday 27 November, 6.30pm
• Sydney – Randwick's Reading Takeover author panel with Kate Forsyth, Josh Hortinela and Mary Colussi, hosted by James and Ashley, Saturday 28 November, 10am-12pm, free
• Sydney – Randwick's Reading Takeover workshop: Balancing Plot & Theme with Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Sunday 29 November, 10am-12pm, $15
• Randwick's Reading Takeover – Randwick Town Hall is open (and full of snacks!) for drop-in reading and writing, Saturday and Sunday 28-29 November, 12-4pm
• 2027 Winter Writing Retreat – both Ashley and James will be teaching for the Writers at the Woolshed winter retreat, running 6-11 June 2027.

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Episode 134 features powerhouse author, publisher and podcaster Dani Vee discussing her latest picture book, My Spinning, Anxious Brain. For neurodivergent kids, this story draws on her own lived experience and mental health advocacy.

Dani says, 'I wanted a book about ADHD that didn't ignore the bad stuff and the hard stuff, but also celebrated this really unique brain.' She shares her emotions when she learned her ADHD diagnosed as an adult, how her advocacy around anxiety and mental health started by accident, and her advice as both an author and a publisher. This includes her number one key tip for writers looking to pitch their work to agents, publishers and booksellers alike.

Find My Spinning, Anxious Brain through Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library.

• My Supercharged ADHD Brain by Dani Vee and James Layton, illustrated by Ruth-Mary Smith
• Choppy Waters by Jack Heath
• Sisterhood Rules by Kathy Lette
• Counterfeit by Kristin Chen
• Jay Martin (from ep 115)
• The Lineup by Nicholas Timms
• Hayley Scrivenor
• The Graduate by Rebecca Lim

• Nowra – Ashley is in conversation at Nowra Library, Wednesday 2 September, 5.30pm
• Canberra – Ashley returns to Ginsights on Thursday 3 September, 6pm
• Kiama – join Ashley for an in-conversation at Kiama Library on Tuesday 8 September, 5.30pm
• Sydney – Randwick's Reading Takeover is a celebration of books happening over two weekends, 12-13 September and 28-29 November, and features author panels with James and Ashley, plus $15 workshops with Kavita Bedford and Ashley
• Launceston – find Ashley at the Tamar Valley Writers Festival on Saturday 17 October as part of the Killer Appetites: Crime and Thriller panel
• Katoomba – Ashley is part of the Blue Mountains Writers Festival, taking place in Katoomba from 30 October to 1 November
• Penrith – Ashley is teaching Writing Crime as part of the Write Out West Festival, Friday 27 November, 2-4pm
• Penrith – Ashley is speaking on the Crime Stories panel as part of the Write Out West Festival, Friday 27 November, 6.30pm

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

In ep 133, James and Ashley share an episode one of their favourite Australian writing podcasts – The Word Count with Jo Dixon, Fiona Taylor and Jacq Ellem. If you've not heard The Word Count before, this bonus episode will give you a taste of what it's all about. If you have, then you already know you're in for a treat.

We'll be back in a fortnight with another author interview!

The Word Count episode 59: It's the news we've been bursting to share for months … Jo spills all the behind-the-scenes details of her HUGE FOUR-BOOK DEAL with Poisoned Pen Press!

Jo shares:

• How the deal actually came about
• Why having an agent changed everything
• What happened when "the call" finally came
• And whether she's come down from cloud nine yet!

Plus our usual segments – Accountability and Goal Setting – because even life-changing book deals don't stop the writing chaos!

About the Word Count: The Word Count follows three Australian writers navigating the road from blank page to published book – and everything in between. Every fortnight, Jo, Fiona and Jacq share their progress, set new goals and hold each other accountable, with plenty of honest conversation and laughter along the way. Jo Dixon is the bestselling author of three psychological thrillers, published by HQ/HarperCollins. Fiona Taylor is the host of Three Questions with Fiona Taylor and is writing her first psychological thriller. Jacq Ellem is the host of the internationally award-winning podcast Tales From Three Corners and has her debut book forthcoming with Affirm Press.

• Brisbane – Ashley is making a special appearance at the Books@Stones crime book club on Wednesday 19 August, 6-7pm
• Sydney – Ashley is teaching From Scene Structure to Story Structure for the BAD Sydney Crime Festival, Friday 21 August, 10am-1pm, in person
• Central Coast – join Ashley for an in-conversation at Umina Book Nook on Friday 21 August, 6pm
• Nowra – Ashley is in conversation at Nowra Library, Wednesday 2 September, 5.30pm
• Canberra – Ashley returns to Ginsights on Thursday 3 September, 6pm
• Kiama – join Ashley for an in-conversation at Kiama Library on Tuesday 8 September, 5.30pm
• Sydney – Randwick's Reading Takeover is a celebration of books happening over two weekends and features author panels with James and Ashley, plus workshops with Kavita Bedford and Ashley

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

In episode 132, author Susannah Glenn joins us to discuss the creative process behind her second novel, Without a Trace, alongside her creativity coach and writing mentor, Ginger Moran.

Ginger and Susannah discuss what goes into a relationship centred on both support and skill development, and the tough love and resilience required to make a story the best it can be.

Susannah shares what initially led her to approach Susannah, when she transitioned to full-time writing while working on her first novel, and Ginger shares her approach to mentoring and the common challenges creatives face.

Susannah Glenn is a domestic noir author. She has worked as a print journalist, editor, magazine publisher and managing editor. She has also worked in corporate communications, public relations, marketing, publications, media and event management. Susannah divides her time between her farm on the Mid North Coast of NSW and Adelaide. Her debut novel was Between Husbands and Wives, and her latest novel, Without a Trace, is out now.

Dr Ginger Moran is an award-winning writer and book mentor. She has a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing, and has published books, articles and essays. She taught literature and writing in universities, schools and organisations until she became a full-time mentor.

This episode features a special guest appearance from Morwyn the collie puppy.

Find Without a Trace through Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library.

• Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden
• The Widow of Walcha by Emma Partridge
• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
• The Gambler by JP Pomare (from ep 130)
• The Couples Retreat by Mercedes Mercier
• Every Time She Wakes by Petronella McGovern
• The Wolf Tree by Laura McClusky
• It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
• London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe
• The Years by Annie Ernaux
• In the Woods by Tana French
• I Won't Bite by Rod Campbell (note: major spoilers discussed)
• She Lied First by Dinuka McKenzie
• Shari Lapena
• Paula Hawkins
• Gillian Flynn
• Sally Hepworth
• Liane Moriarty
• Kelli Hawkins
• Ali Lowe
• Virginia Woolf

• Sydney – Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern about her latest thriller, Every Time She Wakes, at Berkelouw Paddington, Thursday 30 July, 6pm
• Sydney – Ashley is part of Woollahra's Library After Dark event, happening from 6-10pm on Thursday 30 July. RSVP for free
• Central Coast – Ashley is part of the Crafting Crime Panel for Crime Fic Fest at Gosford Regional Library, Thursday 6 August, 6-7pm
• Brisbane – Ashley is making a special appearance at the Books@Stones crime book club on Wednesday 19 August, 6-7pm
• Sydney – Ashley is teaching From Scene Structure to Story Structure for the BAD Sydney Crime Festival, Friday 21 August, 10am-1pm, in person
• Central Coast – join Ashley for an in-conversation at Umina Book Nook on Friday 21 August, 6pm

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Mary Colussi says her debut novel Touch Grass, winner of the 2025 Penguin Literary Prize, is a 'Noah's ark of her weird interests.' Penguin Literary Prize judge Jack Harkin puts it a little differently: 'part warning, part screwball comedy - and a riot of brilliant, incisive writing about social media, body politics and the effects of worshiping false gods.'

In episode 131, Mary shares with James how she went from writing Buzzfeed listicles to finishing the first draft of Touch Grass in under 90 days, and how she used her writing to 'metabolise her anxieties about the future'. She describes how illness has turned her into a 'diplomat for her own physical form' and how she took inspiration from Kurt Vonnegut to juxtapose the absurd with the deeply philosophical.

Mary Colussi is an Australian American writer currently based in Sydney. A graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and the National Institute of Dramatic Art, she was shortlisted for the 2025 Katie Lees Fellowship and received a 2025 Residential Fellowship at Varuna, the National Writers' House. As well as fiction, she writes satire, plays and screenplays. Touch Grass, her first novel, won the 2025 Penguin Literary Prize.

Find Touch Grass through Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library.

• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
• Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler
• Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
• Will and Testament by Vigdis Hjorth, translated by Charlotte Barslund
• Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

Upcoming events

• Adelaide – Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for Writers SA, Saturday 27 June 10.30am
• Sydney – Ashley is reading at Twisted Fiction, a free event at the Shakespeare Hotel in Surry Hills, Tuesday 7 July, 6pm
• Sydney - James is in conversation with Nicholas Timms about his debut crime novel, The Lineup, at The Rose Red Bookshop in Summer Hill on Friday July 10, 7pm
• Penrith – Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern about her latest thriller, Every Time She Wakes, at Penrith Library, Friday 27 July, 6pm
• Geelong – join Ashley for her first-ever Geelong event with Dymocks Books in Bars, Wednesday 22 July, 6.30pm
• Sydney – Ashley is launching Dinuka McKenzie's latest thriller, She Lied First, at Gleebooks Glebe on Monday 27 July, 6.30pm
• Sydney – Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern about her latest thriller, Every Time She Wakes, at Berkelouw Paddington, Thursday 30 July, 6pm
• Central Coast – join Ashley for an in-conversation at Umina Book Nook on Friday 21 August, 6pm

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Bestselling crime author JP Pomare joins us to discuss his latest novel The Gambler, and reflects on how his writing process has changed since his debut in 2018.

He discusses his start as a sandwich artist, his impulse to write away from cliche, and his advice for aspiring authors.

JP Pomare is an award-winning author whose debut novel, Call Me Evie, won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel. In the Clearing was made into a Disney+ Original Series, The Clearing, while Tell Me Lies was shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel and the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction. The Last Guests was made into a Stan Original TV series, Watching You. Seventeen Years Later was shortlisted for both the 2025 Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction and the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, and is currently being adapted for the screen. The Gambler is his eighth novel.

Find The Gambler through Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library.

Books & authors discussed in this episode

• On Writing by Stephen King
• Karl Ove Knausgaard
• Tierney Page
• Sally Hepworth
• He Read, She Read podcast with author Sarah Bailey
• The Genetic Book of the Dead by Richard Dawkins
• Land by Maggie O'Farrell
• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
• In the Woods by Tana French
• Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
• Dune by Frank Herbert (aka 'June')
• Vigil by George Saunders
• Departure(s) by Julian Barnes
• The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
• Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung
• The Midnight Timetable by Bora Chung
• The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

Upcoming events

• Darwin – join Ashley for her first-ever Darwin event, part of NT Writers Festival, Sunday 31 May, 10.15am
• Darwin – join Ashley in conversation for a Book Besties Darwin special event, Monday 1 June, 6pm
• Sydney – join James for the launch of Touch Grass by Mary Colusi, Tuesday 2 June, 6.30 pm
• Sydney – join Ashley and Petronella McGovern at Balmain Library, Thursday 4 June, 6.30pm
• Sydney – join Ashley for a **free** workshop, Connecting with Your Creative Practice, Friday 19 June, 10am-2pm
• Adelaide – Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for Writers SA, Saturday 27 June 10.30am
• Winter Writing Retreat – join Ashley for a multi-day writing retreat from Writers at the Woolshed, 12-17 July in the Southern Highlands
• Geelong – join Ashley for her first-ever Geelong event with Dymocks Books in Bars, Wednesday 22 July, 6.30pm
• Central Coast – join Ashley for an in-conversation at Umina Book Nook on Friday 21 August, 6pm

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

In March, Ashley launched her new thriller 'Like, Follow, Die.' In episode 129, hear a live recording of the very special Sydney launch event at Gleebooks, Glebe, where James interviewed Ashley and superstar actor and audiobook narrator Claudia Karvan.

Claudia Karvan is one of Australia's most respected and acclaimed film and television actors. She co-created, produced, and starred in the Stan series Bump, earning AACTA and Silver Logie nominations for her performance, and the 2026 AACTA Award for Best Narrative Comedy Series. Claudia also appeared in Disney+'s The Clearing. Earlier, she co-created and produced Doctor Doctor for Nine Network and co-created, produced and starred in the Foxtel series Spirited and Love My Way, winning two Silver Logies and two AFI Awards for the latter. In 2023, she was honoured with an Order of Australia for her service to the industry.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Clown World: Four Years Inside Andrew Tate's Manosphere by Matt Shea and Jamie Tahsin
• Alain de Botton

Find Like, Follow, Die through Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library, or listen to the audiobook only from Audible, narrated by Claudia Karvan, Ryan Corr and Laurence Boxhall.

Upcoming events

• Sydney – join Ashley in conversation at Avalon Library, Wednesday 6 May, 5.45pm
• Sydney – join Ashley for her Memoir Writing workshop as part of Writer's Toolbox Day at Kirrawee Library, Saturday 9 May
• Online – Ashley is teaching Online: Crime Writing for Faber Academy starting 12 May
• Orange, NSW – join Ashley for her first-ever Orange author talk on Thursday 14 May, 5.30pm
• Bathurst, NSW – join Ashley for her first-ever Bathurst author talk on Friday 15 May, 15 May
• Sydney – join Ashley, Pip Drysdale, Hayley Scrivenor and Rachael Johns for Booked for Lunch, a special She Journeys celebration of books and writing, Saturday 16 May, 9am-3pm
• Sydney – join Ashley at the BAD Sydney Crime Book Club to discuss the spoilers and behind-the-scenes of Like, Follow, Die, Wednesday 27 May, 12.30pm
• Darwin – join Ashley for her first-ever Darwin event, part of NT Writers Festival, Sunday 31 May, 10.15am
• Darwin – join Ashley in conversation for a Book Besties Darwin special event, Monday 1 June, 6pm
• Sydney – join James for the launch of Touch Grass by Mary Colussi, Tuesday 2 June, 6.30 pm
• Sydney – join Ashley for a **free** workshop, Connecting with Your Creative Practice, Friday 19 June, 10am-2pm
• Adelaide – Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for Writers SA, Saturday 27 June 10.30am
• Winter Writing Retreat – join Ashley for a multi-day writing retreat from Writers at the Woolshed, 12-17 July in the Southern Highlands
• Geelong – join Ashley for her first-ever Geelong event with Dymocks Books in Bars, Wednesday 22 July, 6.30pm

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

In episode 128, author Susan Francis joins James and Ashley to share the insidious ways invisible illness and ageism have impacted her sense of self and forced her to reframe her thinking.

At 65 years old, Susan lives with atrial fibrillation (AF), a type of arrhythmia that can lead to heart failure. She shares the challenges of this condition and her creative efforts to be a good (literary) friend despite the limitations of her health.

Susan also discusses her shift from memoir to fiction, and how she crafted her debut historical novel, Revelation Beach, which explores East Timor during the era of the Balibo Five.

Plus, in this month's What Are You Reading segment, Ashley and Susan go deep into Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (warning: slight spoiler), we return to the frustration/brilliance of Tana French's In the Woods, and James introduces his razor-blade theory of novel endings.

Susan Francis is a writer, teacher and editor. Her memoir The Love that Remains was published in 2020. Her debut novel, Revelation Beach, came out in 2025. Find Revelation Beach and Susan's memoir at Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
• So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan
• The Twenty Days of Turin by Giorgio De Maria, translated by Ramon Glazov
• The Gambler by JP Pomare
• Recursion by Blake Crouch
• In the Woods by Tana French

Upcoming events

• Central Coast – join Ashley and Anna Downes for the launch of Like, Follow Die on Thursday 27 March, 6pm
• Sydney – James and Ashley are in conversation with Claudia Karvan for the launch of Like, Follow – Tuesday 31 March, 6pm at Gleebooks, Glebe
• Adelaide – join Ashley and Michelle Prak for the launch of Like, Follow, Die on Tuesday 14 April, 6pm
• Orange, NSW – join Ashley for her first-ever Orange author talk on Thursday 14 May, 5.30pm
• Bathurst, NSW – join Ashley for her first-ever Bathurst author talk on Friday 15 May 14, link to come
• Sydney – join Ashley, Pip Drysdale, Hayley Scrivenor and Rachael Johns for Booked for Lunch, a special She Journeys celebration of books and writing, Saturday 16 May, 9am-3pm
• Sydney – join Ashley at the BAD Sydney Crime Book Club to discuss the spoilers and behind-the-scenes of Like, Follow, Die, Wednesday 27 May, 12.30pm
• Darwin – Ashley's first NT author events TBA soon!
• Winter Writing Retreat – join Ashley for a multi-day writing retreat from Writers at the Woolshed, 12-17 July in the Southern Highlands
• Online – Ashley is teaching Online: Crime Writing for Faber Academy starting 12 May

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

A bonus episode to announce Ashley's upcoming national book tour for the launch of Like, Follow, Die, plus a very special Sydney launch event!

Upcoming events:

• James is speaking at Fresh Voices: The Penguin Literary Prize Shortlist on Wednesday 11 March
• Ashley is on book tour across Australia with events in Canberra, Perth, Bowral, Hobart, Launceston, Brisbane, Melbourne, Mornington, Wollongong, the Central Coast, Sydney and Adelaide (and Darwin TBA)
• Ashley will be in conversation with Claudia Karvan, hosted by James, for a very special Like, Follow, Die launch event at Gleebooks, Sydney on Tuesday March 31
• Ashley is Teaching Unexpected Editing Strategies in person at Avid Reader on Sunday 15 March
• Ashley is at Manly Writers Festival on Friday 20 March
• James is teaching Setting & Landscape for Writers at the Woolshed on Saturday 21 March
• Ashley is teaching Online: Crime Writing for Faber Academy starting 12 May

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible or pre-order the book – out 24 February 2026!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson