Leeanne O’Donnell is the author of Sparks of Bright Matter, a novel set in Georgian London and West Cork that follows the pursuits of scientist and alchemist, Peter Woulfe. In her thoughtful conversation with host Jessica Stone, she talks about what made Peter a subject of fascination to her, how her own near-sightedness inspired a beloved character’s way of navigating the world, and how learning about older traditions of spoken-word storytelling provoked a crisis of philosophy around the written word.

This is Leeanne’s debut novel, but she’s no stranger to telling stories—she’s made a number of award-winning radio documentaries and presents her own podcast about Irish mythology with Pol O Colmain, Into the Mythic.

Books mentioned:

Sparks of Bright Matter, Leeanne O’Donnell, narrated by Gerry O’Brien

Give the gift of audio this Christmas with a Listening Books gift membership: https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership

We’d love to hear from you! 

If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too).

You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram: @ListeningBooks

Or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ListeningBooks12

We also have more content on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningBooks

Who Are We? 

The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership 

Louise Hare is the London-based author of This Lovely City and the Canary Club Mysteries. In this conversation with host Jessica Stone, she talks about the second in that series, Harlem After Midnight—how the musical styles of ragtime and jazz support the story, how she creates a safe space for her main character, and how the historical setting resonates with current times.

Books mentioned:

Harlem After Midnight, Louise Hare, narrated by Leonie Elliott

Miss Aldridge Regrets, Louise Hare, narrated by Georgina Campbell

This Lovely City, Louise Hare, narrated by Theo Solomon and Karise Yansen

Another Country, James Baldwin, narrated by Dion Graham

Links:

https://louisehare.com/

We’d love to hear from you! 

If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too).

You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram: @ListeningBooks

Or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ListeningBooks12

We also have more content on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningBooks

Who Are We? 

The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership 

Becca Caddy is a writer and journalist who likes to explore the human side of technology, and her book Screen Time offers the information and guidance to help us take back a bit more control over our digital lives. In this conversation with host Jessica Stone, Becca talks about why our language around technology is so important and how we can be more deliberate in our use of the technological tools available to us.

Books mentioned

Screen Time: How to Make Peace with Your Devices and Find Your Techquilibrium, Becca Caddy, narrated by Julie Maisey

Hello World: How to Be Human in the Age of the Machine, Hannah Fry, narrated by the author

Irresistible: Why We Can't Stop Checking, Scrolling, Clicking and Watching, Adam Alter, narrated by the author

Apps Mentioned

Waking Up: Meditation and Wisdom

Headspace

Links

Becca Caddy's website: https://beccacaddy.com/

A special, YouTube-only episode of The Listening Books Podcast with bestselling author B.A. Paris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMuOepbkhaY

We’d love to hear from you! 

If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too).

You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram: @ListeningBooks

Or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ListeningBooks12

We also have more content on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningBooks

Who Are We? 

The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership 

Sierra Godfrey is the well-travelled author of A Very Typical Family and The Second Chance Hotel. In this joyful conversation with Jessica Stone, she talks about her first novel, her love for anything written or recommended by Marian Keyes, the nature of friendship, and even her meticulous system for tracking all the books she reads. 

Books mentioned:

A Very Typical Family, Sierra Godfrey, narrated by Gail Shalan

The Second Chance Hotel, Sierra Godfrey, narrated by Ri Paige

Watermelon, Marian Keyes, narrated by Gerri Halligan

The Unmaking of June Farrow, Adrienne Young, narrated by Brittany Pressley

Clover Hendry’s Day Off, Beth Morrey, narrated by Imogen Church and the author

Links:

https://sierragodfrey.com/

We’d love to hear from you! 

If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too).

You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram: @ListeningBooks

Or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ListeningBooks12

We also have more content on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningBooks

Who Are We? 

The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership 

Amy, Claire and Jessica each bring one ‘old’ book and one ‘new’ one to the table before Amy and Claire square off in Jess’s ridiculously challenging literary game.

Books mentioned:

Weirdo, Sara Pascoe, narrated by the author

And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie, narrated by Dan Stevens

The Canary Club Series, Louise Hare, narrated by Leonie Elliot and Georgina Campbell

Psyche and Eros, Luna McNamara, narrated by Rachel Petladwala and Joshua Riley

Persuasion, Jane Austen, narrated by Juliet Stevenson

The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck, full cast LA Theatre Works production

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver, narrated by Charlie Thurston

We’d love to hear from you! 

If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too).

You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram: @ListeningBooks

Or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ListeningBooks12

We also have more content on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningBooks

Who Are We? 

The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service reaching over 100,000 people with print impairments. It’s simple to join. Visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership 

A special festive episode discussing books that feature celebrations. Amy and Edward return for a final a face-off as Jess attempts to foil them with her literary quiz. 

Books mentioned: 

Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh 

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers 

The Party, by Elizabeth Day 

Bridget Jones’s Diary, by Helen Fielding 

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen 

Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen 

Who Are We? 

The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership 

We’d love to hear from you! 

If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too).

You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram: @ListeningBooks

Or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ListeningBooks12

We also have more content on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningBooks

Emily Woo Zeller is an American voice actress and audiobook narrator whose work has earned heaps of awards, including AudioFile’s prestigious Golden Voice Award. You may have heard her reading fantasy books like R.F. Kuang’s Poppy War series, romance novels like Helen Hoang’s The Bride Test, or perhaps a spy thriller like Chloe Gong’s Foul Lady Fortune. Today she tells us what she appreciates about those books, and a little of what she’s learned about creating a well-balanced life.

Other books mentioned:

Phoenix Extravagant, by Yoon Ha Lee

The Stress Prescription: Seven Days to More Joy and Ease, by Elissa Epel

The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer; by Elizabeth Blackburn, Elissa Epel 

Links!

Emilly Woo Zeller and Gabra Zackman’s short-form romance and erotica: https://www.lovebytesoriginals.com/

AudioFile interview: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/articles/interview-with-golden-voice-narrator-emily-woo-zeller/

Give the gift of audio this Christmas with a Listening Books gift membership: https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership

Members' Choice Award

To vote for your favourite audiobook to win the Members Choice Award, visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk/extra/members-choice-award

We’d love to hear from you! 

If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too).

You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram: @ListeningBooks

Or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ListeningBooks12

We also have more content on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningBooks

Who Are We? 

The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership 

Stephanie Cannon is an American voice actor, circus performer, and audiobook narrator living in England. In this conversation with host Jessica Stone, she tells us what that’s like, how walking on stilts complements reading in a box, which kinds of books she loves to narrate, and conversely which ones she'll take a pass on. We also discuss Kate Dylan’s cyberpunk dystopian novel Mindwalker and its sequel Mindbreaker, both narrated by Stephanie. 

Books and other recommendations:

• The Sharp Edge of Silence, by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum, narrated by Stephanie Cannon 
• Mindwalker, by Kate Dylan, narrated by Stephanie Cannon
• Mindbreaker, by Kate Dylan, narrated by Stephanie Cannon
• Noir, by Christopher Moore, narrated by Johnny Heller 
• Heidi’s Guide to Four Letter Words, by Tara Sivec and Andy Arndt, narrated by Andy Arndt
• The Space Race, docudrama from B7 Media, narrated by Kate Mulgrew

Links!

For more of Stephanie’s work, head to her website www.sparkthecannon.com

To vote for your favourite audiobook to win the Members Choice Award, visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk/extra/members-choice-award

 Give the gift of audio this Christmas with a Listening Books gift membership: https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership

We’d love to hear from you! 

If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too).

You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram: @ListeningBooks

Or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ListeningBooks12

We also have more content on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningBooks

Who Are We? 

The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership 

Jane McDowell is a talented actress and narrator with many credits to her name, including the Dr Ruth Galloway mystery series by Elly Griffiths. In this conversation with host Jessica Stone, Jane tells us what it was like to record the last book of the series The Locked Room during a Covid lockdown, how animals help her create character voices, and what book was so moving that she wrote the author to thank her. 

Books mentioned, all narrated by Jane: The Locked Room, by Elly Griffiths Delicious, by Nicki Pellegrino Snow Widows, by Katherine MacInnes Curlew Moon, by Mary Colwell The Hidden World of the Fox, by Adele Brand The Confession of Katherine Howard, by Suzannah Dunn A Killer's Confession, by Karen Edwards

Gift MembershipGive the gift of audio this Christmas with a Listening Books gift membership: https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership

Members' Choice AwardTo vote for your favourite audiobook to win the Members Choice Award, visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk/extra/members-choice-award

We’d love to hear from you! If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too).

You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram: @ListeningBooks

Or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ListeningBooks12

We also have more content on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningBooks

Who Are We? The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership 

Polly Lee is an award winning actress and narrator of over 200 fiction and non-fiction books. She has also narrated over 200 romance novels under the name Ashford McNab/MacNab. Raised in the UK, she has lived in the US now for 25 years working equally in both her British and American dialects. Today she tells us about some of the books that have stayed with her, including Soman Chainani’s School for Good and Evil series, and the voices she would have done differently if she’d known how the series would play out. 

Other books mentioned: 

A Place to Hang the Moon, by Kate Albus Better Late than Never: Understand, survive and thrive a midlife diagnosis of ADHD, by Emma Mahony and Sari Solden

Members' Choice Award

To vote for your favourite audiobook to win the Members Choice Award, visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk/extra/members-choice-award

We’d love to hear from you! 

If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too).

You can also give us a shout on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram: @ListeningBooks

Or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ListeningBooks12

We also have more content on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningBooks

Who Are We? 

The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit https://www.listening-books.org.uk for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to https://www.listening-books.org.uk/gift-membership