Tea or Books?

By Simon and RachelArts

Tea or Books? episodes

November 08, 2018 Tea or Books? #65: cars vs bicycles, and Hons and Rebels vs Tory Heaven
https://www.stuckinabook.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Tea-or-Books-episode-65.mp3

We are finally back! Apologies for the lengthy break – all is explained in this episode. We’re not back as soon as intended, because we recorded an episode a few days ago that… didn’t record. The podcasters’ nightmare! Nothing daunted, here we are.
In the first half, we look at cars in books and bicycles in books, as I have long threatened to do. Rachel gave in, and it turned into a fun discussion. In the second half, we look at two books that are very different but both a lot about politics – Jessica Mitford’s memoir/autobiography Hons and Rebels and Marghanita Laski’s novel Tory Heaven.
You can find us on iTunes, and now on Spotify too! (Have a search for us there.) You can also support the podcast on Patreon, and there are various rewards available there.
Oh, and the bookshop Rachel raves about has a website too.
Books and authors we mention in this episode are:
Little by Edward Carey
Alva and Irva by Edward Carey
Observatory Mansions by Edward Carey
Larchfield by Polly Clark
This Little Art by Kate Briggs
Vanity Fair by W.M. Thackeray
I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell
The Love-Child by Edith Olivier
To The North by Elizabeth Bowen
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
London Belongs to Me by Norman Collins
Toad of Toad Hall by Kenneth Grahame
Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee
Ann Veronica by H.G. Wells
Mapp and Lucia series by E.F. Benson
The Amorous Bicycle by Mary Essex
Tea Is So Intoxicating by Mary Essex
A.A. Milne
Elizabeth Taylor
Miss Read
Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford
Tory Heaven by Marghanita Laski
Love on the Supertax by Marghanita Laski
The Village by Marghanita Laski
London War Notes by Mollie Panter-Downes
The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters ed. by Charlotte Mosley
Miss Ranskill Comes Home by Barbara Euphan Todd
The American Way of Death by Jessica Mitford
A Fine Old Conflict by Jessica Mitford
The Devastating Boys by Elizabeth Taylor
The Demon Lover by Elizabeth Bowen
52 min
September 12, 2018 Tea or Books? #64: WW1 vs WW2 and Coronation vs Love of Seven Dolls
Paul Gallico and two World Wars – quite a mix!
https://www.stuckinabook.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Tea-or-Books-episode-64.mp3

In the first half of this episode, we look at the books of the World Wars – whether written at the time or later – and decide which we are more drawn to. Thanks to Faith for the suggestion!
In the second half, we compare two novels by Paul Gallico – Coronation and Love of Seven Dolls. I deleted the bit where we talked about books we’d do next time – we’d talked about The Demon Lover by Elizabeth Bowen vs The Devastating Boys by Elizabeth Taylor, but we might have to postpone that. Watch this space!
You can visit our iTunes page or our Patreon, should you so wish!
The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
The Millstone by Margaret Drabble
The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks
Sleepwalking Land by Mia Couto
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Vanity Fair by W.M. Thackeray
Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man by Siegfried Sassoon
Memoirs of an Infantry Officer by Siegfried Sassoon
Sherston’s Progress by Siegfried Sassoon
Wilfred Owen
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
Regeneration by Pat Barker
A Curious Friendship by Anna Thomasson
Siegfried’s Journey by Siegfried Sassoon
The Weald of Youth by Siegfried Sassoon
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves
Undertones of War by Edmund Blunden
Diary Without Dates by Enid Bagnold
…Not So Quiet by Helen Zenna Smith
William – An Englishman by Cicely Hamilton
London War Notes by Mollie Panter-Downes
Doreen by Barbara Noble
To Bed With Grand Music by Marghanita Laski
Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski
The Provincial Lady in Wartime by E.M. Delafield
Put Out More Flags by Evelyn Waugh
Henrietta’s War by Joyce Dennys
One Fine Day by Mollie Panter-Downes
On the Other Side by Mathilde Wolff-Monckeberg
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
A House in the Country by Jocelyn Playfair
Love of Seven Dolls by Paul Gallico
Coronation by Paul Gallico
The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico
Flowers For Mrs Harris by Paul Gallico
Jennie by Paul Gallico
The Fur Person by May Sarton
The Foolish Immortals by Paul Gallico
Too Many Ghosts by Paul Gallico
The Snowflake by Paul Gallico
The Poseidon Adventure by Paul Gallico
55 min
August 28, 2018 Tea or Books? #63: First Edition vs Worst Edition and Parnassus on Wheels vs The Education of Harriet Hatfield
Women opening bookshops, and how we feel about the physical book.
https://www.stuckinabook.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Tea-or-Books-episode-63.mp3

In the first half of this episode, we look at first edition vs worst edition – in a fairly sprawling discussion about whether we care about first editions, how the physical condition and appearance of the book affects us, and all that sort of thing. In the second half, we look at two novels about women starting selling books – from opposite ends of the 20th century. Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley was published in the 1910s and The Education of Harriet Hatfield was published in the 1980s – but which would we prefer?
You can support the podcast at Patreon and you can visit the iTunes page. Do let us know if you have any suggestions for books or topics for future episodes – we always love to hear from you!
The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
Two Lives by Janet Malcolm
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein
Blood on the Dining Room Floor by Gertrude Stein
Virginia Woolf
Howards End by E.M. Forster
Queen of the Tambourine by Jane Gardam
A Florence Diary by Diana Athill
Where the God of Love Hangs Out by Amy Bloom
Old Books, Rare Friends by Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Other Day by Dorothy Whipple
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Muriel Spark
The American Way of Death by Jessica Mitford
E.V. Lucas
Rose Macaulay
Willa Cather
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
According to Mark by Penelope Lively
Possession by A.S. Byatt
Henry Thoreau
The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley
The Magnificent Spinster by May Sarton
As We Were by May Sarton
Joanna and Ulysses by May Sarton
A Woman of My Age by Nina Bawden
The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
Sylvia Townsend Warner
Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead by Barbara Comyns
Safety Pins by Christopher Morley
Coronation by Paul Gallico
Love of Seven Dolls by Paul Gallico
56 min
August 13, 2018 Tea or Books? #62: Internet vs Bookshop and Mr Pim Passes By vs Four Days’ Wonder
Two novels by A.A. Milne and we get deep about Amazon.
https://www.stuckinabook.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Tea-or-Books-episode-62.mp3

In the first half, we talk buying books in bookshops vs buying books online – taking our cue from a suggestion by Karen – and then we wander into a discussion about Amazon that isn’t especially conclusive. In the second half, we compare two books by my favourite (probably) author – Mr Pim Passes By and Four Days’ Wonder. You can see a filming of the play Mr Pim Passes By on YouTube.
You can see our iTunes page, and you can support the podcast at Patreon. Or you can just listen via the sound file above or through any podcast app. The blog I mention is Indie Lit Fic.
The books and authors we mention – including a mass of Hardy! – are:
Heat Wave by Penelope Lively
A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Tess of the D’Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy
In a Summer Season by Elizabeth Taylor
Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford
Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Hackenfeller’s Ape by Brigid Brophy
Edith Olivier
The Dover Road by A.A. Milne
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
R.C. Sherriff
The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne
Patricia Brent, Spinster by Herbert Jenkins
Chloe Marr by A.A. Milne
Two People by A.A. Milne
The Table Near The Band by A.A. Milne
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
The Education of Harriet Hatfield by May Sarton
Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley
1 hr 2 min
July 24, 2018 Tea or Books? #61: Do We Care What Characters Eat? and The French Lieutenant’s Woman vs Remarkable Creatures
John Fowles, Tracy Chevalier, and eating in books – Lyme and limes, if you will!
https://www.stuckinabook.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Tea-or-Books-episode-61.mp3

Sorry for a bit of a delay (because I had to read two quite long books) – and advance apologies for the delay before our next episode, as Rachel moves house and completes her dissertation. Thanks for bearing with us! In this episode, we use a recommendation from my friend Rachel (a different one) and ask about characters and food. In the second half, we compare John Fowles’ The French Lieutenant’s Woman with Tracy Chevalier’s Remarkable Creatures. Do let us know your thoughts on either!
You can support the podcast and get various rewards at Patreon, or visit our iTunes page. Rate and review if you can work out how and would like to!
The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
The Brontes by Juliet Barker
Letters by Virginia Woolf
The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
Famous Five series by Enid Blyton
Malory Towers series by Enid Blyton
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
The Debt to Pleasure by John Lanchester
Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood
The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard
The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch
Edith Wharton
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen
Provincial Lady series by E.M. Delafield
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Golden Hill by Francis Spufford
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
Patricia Brent, Spinster by Herbert Jenkins
Speaking of Love by Angela Young
Concert Pitch by Theodora Benson
Mr Pim Passes By by A.A. Milne
Four Days’ Wonder by A.A. Milne
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
Animal Farm by George Orwell
58 min
June 27, 2018 Tea or Books? #60: married vs unmarried characters, and Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day vs Patricia Brent, Spinster
This episode is all about married and unmarried people – in general, and two ‘spinsters’ in particular. Buckle up!
https://www.stuckinabook.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Tea-or-Books-episode-60-1.mp3

(Apologies if the podcast in your app overlaps the intro music with the intro chat… this one doesn’t, but I don’t know how it’ll appear elsewhere!)
In the first half, we look at books with married or unmarried characters. Yes, I’m aware that that is all books. We do narrow down a little! And in the second half we narrow down to two particular unmarried women – in Winifred Watson’s Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day and Herbert Jenkins’ Patricia Brent, Spinster. Very many thanks to Karen for suggesting the topic. It is perhaps our most controversial one ever!
The episode with me on my brother’s podcast, C to Z of Movies, is now live! Listen to us discuss films beginning with S – either on Soundcloud or via your podcast app of choice. Other links – you can support the podcast on Patreon, or visit our iTunes page, or rate and review through various apps.
The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
A Lost Lady by Willa Cather
The Professor’s House by Willa Cather
Turtle Diary by Russell Hoban
Mansfield and Me called Sarah Laing
Brecht Evens
Peter Pan and Wendy by J.M. Barrie
Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Dear Mrs Bird by A.J. Pearce
Greenery Street by Denis Mackail
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield
Hostages to Fortune by Elizabeth Cambridge
They Knew Mr Knight by Dorothy Whipple
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Mr Bridge by Evan S. Connell
Mrs Bridge by Evan S. Connell
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
Mr Pim Passes By / Mr Pim by A.A. Milne
Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner
The Love Child by Edith Olivier
The Rector’s Daughter by F.M. Mayor
Alas, Poor Lady by Rachel Ferguson
Consequences by E.M. Delafield
Thanks Heaven Fasting by E.M. Delafield
Life and Death of Harriett Frean by May Sinclair
The Odd Women by George Gissing
Emma by Jane Austen
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamond Lehmann
Frost in May by Antonia White
The Way Things Are – E.M. Delafield
Fell Top by Winifred Watson
Mary Webb
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
The Return of Albert by Herbert Jenkins
Bindle by Herbert Jenkins
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles
50 min
June 13, 2018 Tea or Books? #59: Hard vs Easy Holiday Reading, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle vs The Haunting of Hill House
Shirley Jackson and holiday reading – welcome to episode 59!
https://www.stuckinabook.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Tea-or-Books-episode-59.mp3

In the first half of this episode, we look at holiday reading – chiefly whether we prefer easy or difficult books when we go off on holiday, but we also look at other potential reading options. In the second half, we look at two novels by the wonderful Shirley Jackson – We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House.
The episode of Colin’s podcast isn’t live yet, but you can see The C to Z of Movies on Soundcloud.
You can support the podcast on Patreon – with various rewards, including books and letters and whatnot.
And you can download Tea or Books? through any podcast app, or see our iTunes page. Ratings and reviews always welcome!
The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar
Beverley Nichols
E.F. Benson
By Auction by Denis Mackail
Greenery Street by Denis Mackail
Ian and Felicity by Denis Mackail
The Majestic Mystery by Denis Mackail
Chelbury Abbey by Denis Mackail
Guard Your Daughters by Diana Tutton
Finnegans Wake by James Joyce
Philip Larkin
Elizabeth Taylor
Dorothy Whipple
Virginia Woolf
Buttercups and Daisies by Compton Mackenzie
Illyrian Spring by Ann Bridge
A Favourite of the Gods by Sybille Bedford
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
Stephen Leacock
Italo Calvino
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
Tom Hanks
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson
The Sundial by Shirley Jackson
Daphne du Maurier
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life by Ruth Franklin
Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson
Raising Demons by Shirley Jackson
Provincial Lady series by E.M. Delafield
The Bird’s Nest by Shirley Jackson
The Road Through the Wall by Shirley Jackson
Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
Patricia Brent, Spinster by Herbert Jenkins
54 min
May 29, 2018 Tea or Books? #58: Book Groups (yes or no), and The Fountain Overflows vs Invitation to the Waltz
Rebecca West, Rosamond Lehmann, and book groups – welcome to episode 58!
https://www.stuckinabook.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Tea-or-Books-episode-58.mp3

I can hardly believe that we’ve not done an episode on book groups before – but here we are! In the first half, Rachel and I talk about whether or not we’re in book groups, and what would constitute our ideal book group. In the second half, we discuss Rebecca West’s 1956 novel The Fountain Overflows and compare it with Rosamond Lehmann’s 1932 novel Invitation to the Waltz – both the beginning of series, and both about young women entering the world.
We’re always very happy to hear suggestions for topics or authors – do let us know if there’s anything you think we should cover.
Our iTunes page is here, and you can support the podcast through Patreon – and get various ‘rewards’, including a book a month picked by us.
The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gower
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
Stonecliff by Robert Nathan
Portrait of Jennie by Robert Nathan
The Train in the Meadow by Robert Nathan
Mr Whittle and the Morning Star by Robert Nathan
Golden Hill by Francis Spufford
Being Dead by Jim Crace
Reading Groups by Jenny Hartley
Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras
Regeneration by Pat Barker
Thomas Hardy
Guard Your Daughters by Diana Tutton
Jose Saramago
George Macdonald Fraser
P.G. Wodehouse
Ivy Compton-Burnett
Immortality by Milan Kundera
E.M. Delafield
Illustrado by Miguel Syjuco
To The North by Elizabeth Bowen
Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker
The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macaulay
Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamond Lehmann
The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West
This Real Night by Rebecca West
Cousin Rosamund by Rebecca West
The Weather in the Streets by Rosamond Lehmann
Illyrian Spring by Ann Bridge
Barbara Comyns
Rachel Ferguson
Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West
The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
The Echoing Grove by Rosamond Lehmann
Dusty Answer by Rosamond Lehmann
Virginia Woolf
Thank Heaven Fasting by E.M. Delafield
‘Her First Ball’ by Katherine Mansfield
Harriet Hume by Rebecca West
H.G. Wells
Rebecca West by Victoria Glendinning
Random Commentary by Dorothy Whipple
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
57 min
May 14, 2018 Tea or Books? #57: save vs binge, and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd vs The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Murder mysteries and binge-reading – enjoy episode 57!
https://www.stuckinabook.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Tea-or-Books-episode-57.mp3

In this episode, we compare an uncharacteristically modern novel – The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, published in 2018 – with Agatha Christie’s classic Poirot novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. In the first half, we debate whether we binge-read authors or spread them out to save them.
Feel sorry for Rachel this week – she’s rather croaky with a cold, but she powers on admirably! I’ve edited out most of her coughing, poor thing, but apologies for any that have snuck in.
You can check out our Patreon account – where you can support the podcast at various different reward levels, including having a book sent each month. We also have our iTunes page, and you can read Rachel’s reviews of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar
Charlotte Bronte: A Life by Claire Harman
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
Iris Murdoch
A.A. Milne
E.M. Delafield
Richmal Crompton
Ivy Compton-Burnett
Charles Dickens
P.G. Wodehouse
Jane Austen
Miss Read
Enid Blyton
Point Horror
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard
The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks
Albert the Dragon by Rosemary Weir
Further Adventures of Albert the Dragon by Rosemary Weir
Barbara Pym
Dorothy Whipple
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Bowen
Sanditon by Jane Austen
The Watsons by Jane Austen
Lady Susan by Jane Austen
Night and Day by Virginia Woolf
Beverley Nichols
Anne Tyler
Rose Macaulay
The Loved One by Edith Olivier
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamond Lehmann
The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West
Cousin Rosamund by Rebecca West
1 hr
April 23, 2018 Tea or Books? #56: Review vs Recommendation and The Lark vs High Wages
We’ve finally done the reviewers vs recommendations episode! Also: E Nesbit and Dorothy Whipple.
https://www.stuckinabook.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Tea-or-Books-episode-56.mp3

Every now and then, the critics vs bloggers debate rears its head. In the first half of the episode, we take a slightly different look at that – newspaper reviews vs friend’s recommendations – but we also talk about blogs along the way, unsurprisingly. In the second half, we pit two novels about women finding jobs against each other – E Nesbit’s The Lark (1922) and Dorothy Whipple’s High Wages (1930).
You can support the podcast (and get some rewards) at our Patreon page – including the first bloopers reel! And our iTunes page is here. As always, let us know if you have any suggestions for topics etc. And rate/review if you can work out how to!
If you’re after the complete E Nesbit ebook, it’s available here or through wherever you buy ebooks.
The books and authors we mention in this episode are:
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar
The Akeing Heart by Peter Haring Judd
Sylvia Townsend Warner by Claire Harman
Marilynne Robinson
Oliver Sacks
Touching the Rock by John Hull
Dan Brown
Hilary Mantel
A Life of One’s Own by Claire Tomalin
Apple of My Eye by Helene Hanff
The Lark by E. Nesbit
High Wages by Dorothy Whipple
The Incredible Honeymoon by E Nesbit
Greenbanks by Dorothy Whipple
They Were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple
Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple
A Pin to See the Peepshow by F Tennyson Jesse
The Enchanted Castle by E Nesbit
They Knew Mr Knight by Dorothy Whipple
Penelope Lively
Lifting the Veil by Ismat Chughtai
Birds of America by Mary McCarthy
Meatless Days by Sara Suleri
Kamila Shamsie
The Group by Mary McCarthy
Cover designs by Martha Rich!
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
56 min