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This episode's book: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde is a bonkers alternate-history mystery where literary detective, Thursday Next, has to save Jane Eyre from a villain who is rewriting literature. A very bookish book!
This week’s guest is the delightful Kate Solly, who writes warm and feel-good cosy mystery. Her latest novel is The Paradise Heights Miniature Railway Bust-Up, and when Kate’s not writing, she’s wrangling six kids and doing crochet.
In this episode, we cover:
Audio books vs Print - some narratives suit one more than the other
Main characters - do we need to connect with them to love a story?
Rereading, DNFing and reading multiple books at once
Jasper’s literary influences (we speculate)
💋 And, of course, we rate THE EYRE AFFAIR: Kiss, Kill, or Marry.
📚 Books Mentioned in this Ep
Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Emma by Jane Austen
A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao
Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective by Kelli Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar
The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman
The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson
The Bookshop Detectives by Gareth and Louise Ward
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Tenderfoot by Toni Jordan
Tiny, Useless Hearts by Toni Jordan
Those Faraday Girls by Monica McInerney
The Other Bridget by Rachael Johns
Enid Blyton
Nancy Drew
Babysitters Club
⏰ Timestamps
0:00 – Anthea opens the show. Rach contributes by almost forgetting her own name.
1.31 - Anthea intros the charming, well-behaved and alarmingly fertile Kate Solly.
2.43 - Kate has chosen The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde – one of her all-time favourites. She does suspect, however, that Jasper has never heard of Coco Chanel.
3.40 - Rach and Anthea judges Kate's bio, become wildly jealous of her book-wraooubg skills, and marvel at the fact she once crocheted Rach a Diet Coke can. Frankly, she's showing off.
4.48 - What’s that smell? We all share the disgusting things we’ve found in our cars way too late. Perhaps this podcast should come with a biohazard warning.
6.57 - Kates reads the blurb of her chosen book - a novel on Rach and Anthea’s radar for YEARS. Thank god Kate finally made us read it.
8.43 - Time to judge Jaspers bio - there are three to choose from. Rach thinks that is two bios too many!
10.40 - Today's pick is over twenty years old. Anthea was convinced it was from the '80s. Close enough.
12.05 - Rach shares the book stats and fun facts, including Jasper's 76 rejections... then completely forgets the most interesting fact. Luckily Kate came prepared.
14.44 - Anthea explains our ratings system and, in a shocking turn of events, tries to get Rach cancelled. Again.
15.07 - Anthea explains her rating. She suspects Jasper occasionally ignores his editors, wanted more "lore" (she's down with the kids), and craved a little more heart and a few higher stakes.
17.11 - Kate promises Jasper really hits his stride in the later books, and suddenly we're considering adding several more novels to the TBR.
19.45 - Rach feels it makes sense this was his debut as it reads like a first novel. But hey, everyone has to start somewhere and this is a pretty good start.
22.58 - Kate reveals her family are thoroughly obsessed with Mr Fforde and his affairs. We also discuss the politics of sharing Kindles and Kobos.
25.01 - Rach didn't quite click with Thursday Next and suspects she may be the least interesting person in her own book.
28.24 - Plot takes centre stage, character takes the back seat, and Douglas Adams is very much in the passenger seat.
29.16 - Magic is afoot - the one-star Goodreads review Rach wanted to read aloud has mysteriously disappeared.
30.43 - Time to interrogate Kate about her reading habits: rereading, DNFing, and other controversial behaviour.
34.20 - Book formats do matter and Kate gets sweaty over our auto buy author question.
36.58 - Cozy mysteries have officially gone mainstream, and Kate shares some of her favourites.
38.45 - The loneliness of being the only person who didn't fall head over heels for a wildly hyped book.
39.59 - Reading reviews is like picking scabs. Gross? Yes. But this might just be our fave bookish analogy ever.
42.21 - An ode to Toni Jordan. (As she deserves.)
43.18 - Which book reignited Kate's love of reading?
45 - We all adore The Faraway Tree. We absolutely do not want to meet Dame Slap.
46.03 - What we're reading next, including the book that seems to be in absolutely everyone's hands right now.
👉Next Ep, we’re diving into Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke and our July guest is Tamara Moss who is making us read Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster.
July Books: 14th July - The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clark28th July - Junkyard Cats by Faith Hunter with guest author Fiona McArthur
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