Welcome to the one year anniversary episode of the Reading Materials Podcast, in which we get passionate about Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro! Join us for a delightful discussion of life, donations, and what it means to be creative and free. 

Episode Timepoints:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:17 - Happy Anniversary to our Podcast

00:02:40 - Life Updates

00:04:50 - Introduction to Never Let Me Go

00:05:49 - Spoiler Warning

00:06:21 - An Introduction to the Author

00:11:26 - The Blurb 

00:12:33 - A Discussion of 'Never Let Me Go'

01:15:17 - The Book We Will be Discussing Next Time

01:16:58 - Outro

Books we discussed in this episode:

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

MORT by Terry Pratchett

Links:

Kazuo Ishiguro on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

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

Thank you for listening! You can send your feedback, thoughts, questions and book recommendations to us at [email protected].

We continue our discussion of the Crescent City series this week as we tackle the eagerly awaited House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas. We share our thoughts on characters old and new, on the idea of mates and on the explosive ending that has split fans’ opinion.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 - Intro

00:15 - Life Updates

01:20 - Spoiler Warning

03:05 - An Introduction to the Author

03:55 - Blurb for House of Sky and Breath

04:50 - Our Discussion of House of Sky and Breath

01:09:40 - The Book We Will Be Discussing Next Time

01:10:50 - Outro

Other Books Mentioned in This Episode:

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Links:

Sarah J. Maas on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

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

Thank you for listening! You can send your feedback, thoughts, questions and book recommendations to us at [email protected].

In this episode we bring back a favourite author from season 1 as we dive into House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas. We talk about best friends, fierce female heroines, chemistry between characters and our predictions for the next book in the Crescent City series. 

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 - Intro

00:25 - Life Updates

04:00 - An Introduction to the Author

07:45 - Blurb for House of Earth and Blood

09:25 - Spoiler Warning

10:30 - A Discussion of House of Earth and Blood

01:25:00 - The Book We Will Be Discussing Next Time

01:27:00 - Outro

Other Books Mentioned in This Episode:

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

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

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

Links:

Sarah J. Maas on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

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

Thank you for listening! You can send your feedback, thoughts, questions and book recommendations to us at [email protected].

This week we tackle possibly our biggest read yet, Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. Covering topics from vampires to religion, originality and sciencific accuracy, we get our teeth stuck into this enormous book!

Please note it is difficult to put trigger warnings in the below timepoints, as there is discussion of death, murder, blood, gore, rape and bad language throughout this episode. 

Timepoints:

00:00:16 - Introduction

00:01:25 - A bit about Jay Kristoff

00:03:58 - Discussion of Empire of the Vampire

01:07:39 - Future predictions

01:14:22 - The book we are reading next time

Books mentioned in this episode:

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

The Aurora Cycle by Jay Kristoff and Amy Kauffman

Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

Other things mentioned in this episode:

True Blood

The Witcher

Links:

Jay Kristoff on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

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

Thank you for listening! You can send your feedback, thoughts, questions and book recommendations to us at [email protected].

In the third episode of season 3 we discuss meritocratic regimes and go on a fantastical adventure with Kestrel, Bowman and Mumpo in William Nicholson's 'The Wind Singer.'

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 - Intro

00:18 - Life Updates

01:05 - An Introduction to the Author

04:05 - The Blurb for The Windsinger

05:15 - Our Discussion of The Windsinger

54:15 - A Brief Outlander Reading Update from Corrie

58:45 - The Book We Will Be Reading Next Time

01:02:20 - Outro

Other Books Mentioned in this Episode:

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

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The Sisters of Auschwitz by Roxane van Iperen

The Miniatuarist by Jessie Burton

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

Links:

William Nicholson on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

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

Thank you for listening! You can send your feedback, thoughts, questions and book recommendations to us at [email protected].

In this episode we take a trip to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where we explore the world of hidden societies, really really dark magic, and a really strong, independent, badass woman in the form of Galaxy 'Alex' Stern. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is a dark academia novel that takes us to a world many of us will never have the opportunity to discover for ourselves, and boy are we changed for it!

Please note there will be spoilers for Ninth House in this episode, and if you haven't read it yet we suggest you read it before you listen to this. 

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 - Introduction

00:36 - Life updates

01:45 - Intro to the book

03:16 - A bit about Leigh Bardugo

05:31 - Ninth House blurb

06:50 - A discussion of Ninth House

43:20 - TW: non-consensual sex

49:44 - Back to the discussion

01:03:33 - A little about our tattoos

01:12:00 - Back to the discussion

01:15:32 - The book we will be discussing next time

Books mentioned in this episode:

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Robert Langdon books by Dan Brown

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

The Matthew Corbett books by Robert McCammon

Links:

Leigh Bardugo on Goodreads

Leigh Bardugo on Instagram

Leigh Bardugo's website

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

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

Thank you for listening! You can send your feedback, thoughts, questions and book recommendations to us at [email protected].

We start season 3 with a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing in Brit Bennet’s award-winning novel ‘The Vanishing Half’.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 – Intro

00:20 – Life Updates

02:10 – An Introduction to the Author

07:10 – A Discussion of The Vanishing Half

56:40 – The Book We Will Be Reading Next Time

58:00 – Outro

Other Books Mentioned in This Episode:

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Why I’m No Longer Talking About Race to White People by Reni Eddo-Lodge

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Links:

Brit Bennett on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

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

Thank you for listening! You can send your feedback, thoughts, questions and book recommendations to us at [email protected].

In this surprise bonus episode we sit down to talk about a recent bookclub read - The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Topics of discussion include the scientific art of rating books, diversity of characters and the hidden depths contained in this quirky murder mystery.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 - Intro

01:45 - An Introduction to the Author

05:20 - A Discussion of The Thursday Murder Club

23:30 - 24:30 SPOILER ALERT for The Man Who Died Twice

51:20 - The Book We Will Be Discussing Next Time

51:50 - Outro

Other Books Mentioned in This Episode:

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Links:

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

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

Thank you for listening! You can send your feedback, thoughts, questions and book recommendations to us at [email protected].

We round off Season 2 with another special guest - Lucia's good friend, Jessica. In this episode we discuss her book choice, which was 'A Face Like Glass' by Frances Hardinge. Join us to hear our thoughts on naive young protagonists, mad geniuses and the parallels that can be drawn between literature and current world affairs. Oh, and giggling - lots of giggling.

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 - Intro

00:30 - An Introduction to our Special Guest

03:10 - An Introduction to the Author

05:50 - A Discussion of A Face Like Glass

54:15 - Outro

Other books mentioned in this episode:

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

Skin Full of Shadows by Frances Hardinge

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly

Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Links:

Frances Hardinge on Goodreads

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

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

Thank you for listening! You can send your feedback, thoughts, questions and book recommendations to us at [email protected].

In the ninth episode of season 2 we tackle the truly delightful The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune. As well as discussing some pretty important topics, we wax lyrical about the amazing characters, charming setting and heart-warming story. This one is not to be missed!

Episode Timepoints:

00:00 - Intro

00:15 - Life Updates

05:43 - An Introduction to the Book

09:57 - Discussion of The House in the Cerulean Sea

59:00 - The Book We Will be Discussing Next Time

01:00:26 - Outro

Other Books Mentioned in This Episode:

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Under the Whispering Door by T. J. Klune

Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding

Podcasts and resources tackling the Sixties Scoop:

The Canadian Broadcasting Company

This Place

Telling Our Twisted Histories

The Secret Life of Canada

Muddied Water

KIWEW

Pieces

Inuit Unikkaangit

Links:

My Favorite Murder

The Wine and Crime Podcast

Jensen and Holes

T. J. Klune on Goodreads

T. J. Klune on Instagram

Reading Materials on Goodreads

Lucia on Goodreads

Corrie on Goodreads

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

Thank you for listening! You can send your feedback, thoughts, questions and book recommendations to us at [email protected].