A disturbing and eye opening novel by Lionel Shriver that raises difficult questions. What happens when a mother does not connect emotionally with her child? What if this child commits mass murder? Is the mother to blame? Has her lack of affection created a sociopathic killer?  

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Sue Klebold's TED Talk

The Hay Festival is an annual literary festival in the town of books, Hay-on-Wye, in Wales. I spent 10 days at the festival this year taking in all the incredible energy. In total I attended about 20 events, each one packed with things to think about.

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Day 1 mentions:

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

For Ian Charleson by Ian McKellen

Bibliomaniac by Robin Ince

Day 2 mentions:

BBC Radio 4 Podcast You’re Dead to Me: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07mdbhg 

Eat Your Words - Oyster mushroom grow kits: https://superfungi.co.uk/store/p/mushroomgrowkit 

Shelterbox Book club: https://shelterbox.org/book-club/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwu8uyBhC6ARIsAKwBGpRda82E9BICGEGd_p49goVogFYXUloiVdnU9VXmaEpv73U-7D6uWasaAhMfEALw_wcB 

Field & Found: https://www.fieldandfound.com/ 

Happy Maki: https://www.happymaki.co.uk/ 

Shepherds Ice Cream: https://www.shepherdsicecream.co.uk/

La Bonne Crepe: https://www.facebook.com/LaBonneCrepeBristol/?locale=en_GB

Day 3 mentions: 

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

After Me Comes the Flood by Sarah Perry

Enlightenment by Sarah Perry

The Morningside by Tea Obreht

Taste Tibet by Julie Kleeman and Yeshi Jampa

Taste Tibet: https://tastetibet.com/

Lauren Silver Boutique: https://www.laurensilverboutique.com/

Day 4 mentions: 

Working on a Song: The Lyrics of Hadestown by Anais Mitchell

Oakchurch Farm Shop: https://www.oakchurch.net/ 

Two Farmers Hand Cooked Crisps: https://twofarmers.co.uk/ 

Skittery Apple Juice: https://www.jusapples.co.uk/ 

Cradoc's Savoury Biscuits: https://cradocssavourybiscuits.co.uk/

Why We Build the Wal by Anais Mitchelll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBGUqMyyvnI

Day 5 mentions:

We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Mania by Lionel Shriver

Lionel Shriver talks to Stephanie Merritt: https://www.hayfestival.com/p-21851-lionel-shriver-talks-to-stephanie-merritt.aspx?skinid=16#:~:text=Hay%20Festival%202024%2C%20Tuesday%2028%20May%202024&text=What%20if%20calling%20someone%20stupid,qualification%20to%20be%20a%20doctor

The Self-Sufficiency Garden by Huw Richards and Sam Cooper

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben 

Our Little Farm by Peter and Miriam Wohlleben

Day 6 mentions:

Meat & Greek: http://www.meatandgreek.co.uk/ 

Coal Town Coffee: https://www.coaltowncoffee.co.uk 

Day 7 mentions: 

Killing for country by David Marr.

Hay Cinema Bookshop: https://www.haycinemabookshop.co.uk/

The Beefy Boys: https://thebeefyboys.com/

Day 8 mentions:

Eve by Cat Bohannon

Womb by Leah Hazard

What about Men? By Caitlin Moran

My Octopus Teacher documentary: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81045007?trackId=14277281&tctx=-97%2C-97%2C%2C%2C%2C%2C%2C%2C81045007%2CVideo%3A81045007%2C 

Amphibious Soul by Craig Foster

Lola’s Fish and Chips: https://modern-amusement.com/lolas-ethical-seafood-sustainable-fish-and-chips-at-music-festivals-and-events-across-the-uk

Day 9 mentions:

Matrescence by Lucy Jones

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer 

The Fritter Shack: https://thefrittershack.co.uk/ 

P&G Hats: https://www.pandghats.co.uk/ 

Day 10 mentions:

Less by Patrick Grant

Community Clothing: https://communityclothing.co.uk/ 

A Very Private School by Charles Spencer

This week I'm looking at the classic novel Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov. A controversial tale of Humbert Humbert, a middle aged man who falls in love with a 12-year-old girl. 

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This week I'm reviewing a short story by Ghassan Kanafani. Men in the Sun follows three Palestinian refugees in the early 1960s who are being smuggled across the border from Iraq to Kuwait in search of a better life.

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This week's book is A Horse Walks into a Bar by David Grossman, winner of the 2017 Man Booker International prize. Watch as Dovaleh slowly descends into madness while giving a stand-up comedy show at a comedy club in Netanya. Dovaleh's breakdown is perhaps a physical and emotional manifestation of the damaged psyche of a nation trying to live a normal existence, under extremely abnormal circumstances.

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David Grossman’s interview with The Harvard Gazette: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/10/israels-grossman-reflects/ 

B'Tselem, NGO mentioned in the episode: https://www.btselem.org/

This week's book is Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara. Kara travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo, to the heart of the cobalt mining communities where unimaginable atrocities are happening on a daily-basis in the process of mining for cobalt, a vital element in the manufacturing of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. He gives first hand accounts of those being exploited by the cobalt mining industry. This is the very bottom of the manufacturing chain that makes it possible for all of us to use our phones, laptops, tablets and electric cars.

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Interview with author on Joe Rogan: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/1914-siddharth-kara/id360084272?i=1000644538881 

Interview with John Bernthal on Joe Rogan: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/1916-jon-bernthal/id360084272?i=1000644538935 

Join me and my friend Jeni in a conversation about books we’ve read, loved and hated. We talk about motherhood and the social and neurological changes that come with it; audio books and why many of us think of it as cheating; the controversy surrounding support for non-offending pedophiles and so much more!

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Books mentioned in this episode:

Films/shows mentioned in this episode:

Other materials:

This week's book is Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, another historical fiction novel. The story spans 300 years, alternating between Ghana and the United States in the midst of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and leading up to modern times. It's a tale of inherited trauma and its evolution across multiple generations of persecution. 

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The Guardian Books Podcast: https://www.theguardian.com/books/series/books 

Yaa Gyasi on The Guardian Books Podcast: https://www.theguardian.com/books/audio/2017/feb/17/reclaiming-history-yaa-gyasi-chibundu-onuzo-books-podcast

This week's book is The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. A historical fiction novel that reimagines the life of Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob. In The Bible, Dinah is very briefly mentioned in relation to the tragic loss of her husband at the hands of her brothers. In Diamant's novel, the Gods still have plans for Dinah who lives a long life beyond the tragedy. One of my all time favourite novels, it is a captivating tribute to womanhood.

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Book mentioned in this episode: Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes.

When my masters thesis becomes available in the public domain, I will post a link to it here :)

This week's non-fiction book is Stolen Focus by Johan Hari. In my personal opinion, it is one of the most important books of the decade. We should all read this one.

Hari explores our collective inability to pay attention, and why this has increased over the last ten years. He interviews a number of experts to find out how and why our phones have been designed to keep us distracted. Is this something we are doing to ourselves, or is this being done to us?

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Johan Hari's interview with Oprah Winfrey:

Johan Hari's other books:

Other book mentioned in this episode: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.

Johan's conversation with Nir Eyal (chapter 8): https://stolenfocusbook.com/audio/