Tea or Books?

George Orwell and families – welcome to episode 105!

Rachel is busy this month, so I put a shout-out on our Patreon page to see if anybody would be willing to step in and take her place. I was delighted that Arwen said yes, and I think you’ll enjoy the chat we had. In the first half, we talk about big vs small families in literature – and in the second half, we compare Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm by George Orwell. Rachel will be back next time, to do the books we previously advertised.

You can join the Patreon at the link above – you’ll get episodes early and other bonus bits, and you might even end up on an episode yourself!

Do get in touch at teaorbooks[at]gmail.com if you’d like to suggest or ask anything. You can find our podcast at Apple podcasts, Spotify, your podcast app of choice, or the audio file above.

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

E.F. Benson

Olivia Manning, Cicely Hamilton and dreams – welcome to episode 104 of ‘Tea or Books?’!

In the first half of this episode, Rachel and I discuss whether or not we like dreams in books, and how different authors use them. In the second half, we compare two novels about couples on the brink of World Wars – The Great Fortune by Olivia Manning and William – an Englishman by Cicely Hamilton.

The podcasts I was a guest on are Lost Ladies of Lit and The Mookse and the Gripes – go and check them out!

You can get in touch at teaorbooks[at]gmail.com, find us on Patreon if you’d like to support the podcast, and listen to us through Spotify, Apple podcasts, or your podcast app of choice.

The books we mention in this episode are:

O, The Brave Music by Dorothy Evelyn Smith

Penelope Lively, Margaret Laurence, thinking and feeling – welcome to episode 103!

Apologies for the unexpected delay in recording. Blame Rachel! But we are here and raring to go. In the first half, we follow a topic suggested by Mairad (topic ideas to [email protected], please!) – do we prefer books that make us think, or books that make us feel?

In the second half, two novels that ended up having more in common than we initially imagined – Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively and The Diviners by Margaret Laurence. And no, despite the lengthy break, ONE of us hadn’t finished reading the books.

You can find us at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast app of choice. Please rate and review! And you can support us on Patreon.

(This is my first episode on a new laptop, which might explain some of the weird clicking that Rachel’s side picked up? I don’t know. Sorry about it!)

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

The Corner That Held Them by Sylvia Townsend Warner

D.E. Stevenson, Margery Sharp – and a special guest!

In this episode, we have a special guest in the form of Claire – you’ll know her blog The Captive Reader. We were delighted to have her as a guest, especially as she also came up with our topics.

In the first half, we discuss books about grief – and whether or not we are drawn to them. In the second half, we compare two novels with similar premises: Five Windows by D.E. Stevenson and Four Gardens by Margery Sharp. Both, thankfully, have recently been republished by Dean Street Press.

Get episodes a couple of days early at Patreon, and listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your podcast app of choice. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we’d really appreciate them.

Get in touch at [email protected] with any suggestions or feedback – we love hearing from you.

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

Maeve Kerrigan series by Jane Casey

Rachel takes a look at Simon’s bookshelves – will she take any books away with her??

Way back in episode 70, I was in Rachel’s flat in London and took a look around her bookcases. We planned a return visit… and then the pandemic happened. But now travel and visiting is easier, we have finally got around to organising Rachel coming out to rural West Oxfordshire to look at my bookcases.

Trailing around with a mic was a bit tricky, so the sound isn’t perfect – but hopefully plenty to enjoy nonetheless.

You can support the podcast on Patreon – where, from this episode, you’ll get episodes a few days early! Find the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get podcasts – and you can get in touch at [email protected].

The (enormous number of!) books and authors we mention in this episode are:

A Natural History of Ghosts by Roger Clark

https://www.stuckinabook.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Tea-or-Books-episode-100.mp3

Do get in touch at [email protected] if you’d like to ask anything for future episodes. Reviews and ratings very gratefully received, especially if they’re nice!

You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, podcast apps, and Patreon if you’d like to support the pod and get various bonuses and benefits.

The books and authors we mention in this are:

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Winifred Holtby, Susan Glaspell, and essays – welcome to episode 99!

Sorry for an unintended long break, but we’re back and Rachel even has a new mic – hopefully has helped with the sound issues, though there may be some teething problems while we get used to it. (I do my best but I am certainly not a professional editor!)

Don’t forget – we would love your questions for episode 100. Do send questions to [email protected], on anything you’d like to know about – from books to podcasting to tea to anything else.

In this episode, in the first half we talk about essays – and it is surprising that we haven’t done it before. In the second half, we compare two Persephone books – Winifred Holtby’s The Crowded Street and Susan Glaspell’s Brook Evans.

We’d love to hear from you – and please do review and rate the podcast, which you can find on iTunes, Spotify, or your podcast app of choice. And you can find us on Patreon too.

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L Sayers

Nature writing and some favourite novels by prizewinning women – welcome to episode 98!

As mentioned in the podcast – we’d love to hear your questions as we gear up for our hundredth episode. Just email [email protected], or put your questions in the comments to this post.

In the first half of the episode, we decide whether or not we like nature writing. In the second half, we have postponed our discussion of The Crowded Street by Winifred Holtby and Brook Evans by Susan Glaspell – instead, Rachel and I both pick three favourite books by women that have won prizes.

Do get in touch if you have any suggestions for topics we should do – and you can find us at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Patreon etc etc. We’d love you to rate and review us, if you can.

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

National Provincial by Lettice Cooper

How do we choose our reading, and E.M. Delafield – welcome to episode 97!

In the first half of the episode, we debate whether to read spontaneously or plan our reading. In the second half, two E.M. Delafield novels vie against each other: Tension, recently reprinted in the British Library Women Writers series, and Thank Heaven Fasting.

Do get in touch if you have any suggestions for future episodes, or questions for the middle section – [email protected]. You can find us at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, your podcast app of choice etc, and can support the podcast at Patreon.

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

Consequences by E.M. Delafield

In this episode, we ask whether or not offensive books should be republished – you might remember the same conversation happening here on StuckinaBook a while ago, and it was interesting to visit it with Rachel. In the second half, we pit two Barbara Pym novels against each other – Crampton Hodnet and A Glass of Blessings.

Sorry it’s been a while – we actually recorded this a couple of weeks ago but it’s been too hot for me to edit a podcast. I know that doesn’t make sense, but I’m sticking to it.

We’d love to hear from you – you can get in touch at [email protected]. You can support the podcast on Patreon, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your podcast app of choice. Do let us know if you have any questions for the middle section, or any topics you’d like us to cover.

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym by Paula Byrne