Reading Materials

Slightly messing up the timing of Season 2, here is your end of season bonus episode, a little early! We sit down to talk about 2021, and answer a few more of the listener's questions as a continuation from the Season 1 bonus.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:33 - A look back at 2021

00:04:30 - Goals for 2022

00:07:35 - Our favourite books of the year

00:15:45 - Our least favourite books of the year

00:21:30 - Books to look forward to in 2022

00:23:50 - Our goals for the podcast in 2022

00:28:25 - Questions from the listeners

00:55:05 - Season 3 books

Books mentioned in this episode:

Our top books of 2021

A Court of Thorns and Roses (series) - Sarah J. Maas

Convenience Store Woman - Sayaka Murata

The Windsor Knot - S. J. Bennet

The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman

The Morning and the Evening - Ken Follett

Pillars of the Earth (series) - Ken Follett

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V. E. Schwab

A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

The Flat Share - Beth O'Leary

Aurora Burning - Amie Kaufman

Aurora Cycle (series) - Amie Kaufman

The House in the Cerulean Sea - T. J. Klune

Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men - Caroline Criado Perez

Our Least Favourite Books

Heavily caveated with these are our personal opinions and each book is a work of art in its own right!

Foundation - Isaac Asimov

The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly

Dead Boys - Gabriel Squalia

Normal People - Sally Rooney

The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon

Daughter of Dreams and Dread - Clare Kae

Books to read in 2022

Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas

Crescent City - Sarah J. Maas

The House of Sky and Breath - Sarah J. Maas

The Cruel Prince - Holly Black

Book of Night - Holly Black

The Prison Healer - Lynette Noni

Prompted by Questions from the Listeners

Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

The Catcher in the Rye - J. D. Salinger

Fun With Food - Sarah Michelle Geller

Ministry of Food - Jamie Oliver

Made in India - Meera Sodha

Walking the Nile - Levison Wood

Mikhail Gorbachev: Memoirs

What Happened - Hilary Clinton

Casual Vacancy - J. K. Rowling

The Love Hypothesis - Ali Hazelwood

The Spanish Love Deception - Elena Armas

Books Coming Up

The Vanishing Half - Brit Bennett

Ninth House - Leigh Bardugo

Empire of the Vampire - Jay Kristoff

The Wind on Fire - William Nicholson

Book Lovers - Emily Henry

Links:

Reading Materials website

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Instagram (run by Lucia with minimal input from Corrie!!)

In this very special Christmas episode we discuss A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck, and we recommend gifts for book lovers if you stick around to the end!

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 - Welcome
01:40 - Introduction to the books
01:50 - Discussion of Christmas Day in the Morning
11:03 - Discussion of A Christmas Carol
25:05 - Our Christmas Traditions
32:30 - Returning to A Christmas Carol
42:16 - Returning to Christmas Day in the Morning
44:05 - Discussion of plans for Christmas this year
52:28 - Introduction to the next book
54:47 - Discussion of gifts for book lovers

Other books mentioned in this episode:

All by Charles Dickens:

Oliver Twist
Great Expectations
A Tale of Two Cities
The Pickwick Papers
A Christmas Carol

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez

Bookish Gift List:

Check out the blog post related to this list!

Bookily
Audible
Wick and Fable
Page Overlay
LiteraryEmporium.co.uk
Books and Thread Co
Blissfully Bookish
Redbubble
Katie Colson
Juniper Books
Owlcrate
Illumicrate
Nerdy Book Box
Hand Me Down Book Club
Book of the Month

Links:

Reading Materials on Goodreads
Lucia on Goodreads
Corrie on Goodreads

Thank you for listening! Email us at [email protected]

If you could travel back in time… but only until your coffee gets cold—would you? 

In this episode, Corrie and Lucia discuss Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, a quiet, quirky novel that brews up big emotions. Expect thoughts on regret, memory, and the strange rules of time travel (all served with a side of Japanese café vibes).

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 - Intro

00:15 - Life Updates

01:15 - An Introduction to the Author

03:55 - Synopsis of Before the Coffee Gets Cold

05:07 - A Discussion of Before the Coffee Gets Cold

45:00 - The Book We Will be Discussing Next Time

47:35 - Outro

Other Books Mentioned in This Episode:

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck

Links:

Toshikazu Kawaguchi on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Instagram

Firemen, forbidden books, and a future that feels a little too real. 

In this episode, Corrie and Lucia dive into Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury to unpack themes of censorship, control, and what happens when society stops thinking critically—and starts burning.

Episode Time Points:

00:00 - Intro and life updates

02:43 - Synopsis of Fahrenheit 451

04:10 - An Introduction to Ray Bradbury

05:16 - A Discussion of Fahrenheit 451

01:09:17 - The Book We Will Be Discussing Next Time

01:10:13 - Outro

Other Books Mentioned in This Episode:

The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury

The Fireman by Ray Bradbury

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

The Bible

Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Other Media Mentioned in This Episode:

Love Island

Great British Bake Off

The Archers

Links:

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Instagram

Magicians, mysteries, and a cursed love story that spans decades. 

In this episode, Corrie and Lucia dive into The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers, talking time travel, twisted family legacies, and whether the magic hit the mark—or missed the tent entirely.

Episode Time Points:

00:00 - Intro

00:20 - Reading Updates

05:35 - Synopsis of The Ladies of the Secret Circus

06:40 - An Introduction to Constance Sayers

08:55 - A Discussion of The Ladies of the Secret Circus

01:02:35 - The Book We Will Be Discussing Next Time

01:04:11 - Outro

Other Books Mentioned in This Episode:

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Freckles by Cecelia Ahern

The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

The Bureau of Second Chances by Sheena Kalayil

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Chaos Circus by Renee Dugan

Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kauffman

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Other Media Mentioned in This Episode:

Dark

My Favourite Murder

Gilmore Girls

Links:

Constance Sayers on Instagram

Constance Sayers on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Instagram

Victorian London, autopsies, and a bit of tea—what more could you want? 

In this episode, Corrie and Lucia dig into Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco, unpacking its blend of gore and glamour, feminist flair, and that final twist we didn’t see coming.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 Intro

02:39 A Discussion of Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

01:01:01 Summary

01:02:36 Outro

Other books mentioned in this episode:

Along Came a Spider by James Paterson

"Hunting Prince Dracula", "Escaping from Houdini" and "Capturing the Devil" by Kerri Maniscalco

"Kingdom of the Wicked" and "Kingdom of the Cursed"  by Kerri Maniscalco

"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

Links:

Kerri Maniscalco on Instagram

Kerri Maniscalco on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Instagram (run by Lucia with minimal input from Corrie!!)

We’re heading back to sci-fi with Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness - an interplanetary deep dive into gender, politics, and icy survival. 

Join Corrie and Lucia as they navigate the frozen world of Gethen, grapple with culture shock, and discuss what this classic still has to say about identity and connection.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 - Intro

02:50 - Brief life updates

02:55 - An introduction to the author

08:30 - A discussion of 'The Left Hand of Darkness'

58:45 - The book we will be reading next time

59:40 - Outro

Other books mentioned in this episode:

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

Dune by Frank Herbert

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin

The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. LeGuin

The Hainish Cycle by Ursula K. LeGuin

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

The Martian by Andy Weir

Artemis by Andy Weir

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Season 2 kicks off with Beach Read by Emily Henry - because nothing says “new season energy” like enemies-to-lovers, lakeside cottages, and a whole lot of emotional baggage.

Join Corrie and Lucia as they unpack what makes this rom-com more than just summer fluff, from grief and writer’s block to banter that actually delivers.

Previous episode: Bonus Questions with Corrie and Lucia

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 Intro

01:44 A Discussion of Beach Read by Emily Henry

01:00:04 Summary

01:03:18 Outro

Other books mentioned in this episode:

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Love that Split the World by Emily Henry

You and Me on Vacation/People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

In at the Deep End by Kate Davies

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

One Day by David Nicholls

The Flat Share or The Switch or The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

Other podcasts mentioned in this episode:

99% Invisible

Links:

Emily Henry's website

Emily Henry on Instagram

NaNoWriMo

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Instagram (run by Lucia with minimal input from Corrie!!)

It's time for a bonus episode! This week we are answering listeners' bookish questions.

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

Fishes of the Orinoco in the Wild by Ivan Mikolji

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

1984 by George Orwell

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

50 Shades of Grey by E. L. James

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

The Grey Man series by Mark Greaney

How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy

What Happened by Hilary Clinton

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Other podcasts mentioned:

99% Invisible

We wrap up Season 1 with our first-ever guest! Matt joins us to chat about Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata—a sharp, surreal look at societal norms, personal identity, and the rhythm of retail life. We discuss quirky characters, Murata’s real-life inspiration, and whether we’ve all felt a little bit like Keiko.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 Intro

00:32 Welcoming Matthew

06:00 A Discussion of Convenience Store Woman

56:25 Summary

59:00 Outro

Other Books Mentioned in this Episode:

Normal People - Sally Rooney

Never Let Me Go - Kazui Ishiguro

Until the Coffee Gets Cold - Toshikazu Kawaguchi

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

The Beekeeper of Aleppo - Christy Lefteri

Earthlings - Sayaka Murata

Will and Testament - Vigdis Hjorth

Fun Home - Alison Bechdel

Firefly - Jos Wheedon

Brave New World - Alduous Huxley

Foundation - Isaac Asimov

Extra Reading/Homework!

The New Yorker Article: Sayaka Murata’s Eerie “Convenience Store Woman” Is a Love Story Between a Misfit and a Store | The New Yorker

Interview with the author: Sayaka Murata: 'I acted how I thought a cute woman should act - it was horrible' | Sayaka Murata | The Guardian

Naoise Dolan: I thought I was too different to see myself in a novel – but Sayaka Murata got me | Naoise Dolan | The Guardian

Interview with the translator: Ginny Tapley Takemori on translating Convenience Store Woman - Books on Asia