For this month's Book Club episode, Hannah was joined by Women's Prize long listed author of 'Small Pleasures', Clare Chambers, to discuss her latest novel Shy Creatures. 
They discuss the true stories that inspired her books, her research into psychiatry, why the suburbs is such a great setting to write about and lots more. If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe as it's a free way to support the pod and means the world.
For less than £3 a month and for extra exclusive content you can support us via Patreon.
You can follow Clare here and to buy her books or any books mentioned in this episode visit our bookshop.org page.
You can follow us via Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok

Books & other mentions in this episode: 
Missing Person: Alice by Simon Mason
The Muslim Cowboy by Bruce Omar Yates
The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves by Stephen Grosz
Sanity, Madness and the Family by R.D Laing and Aaron Esterson
Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates by Erving Goffman
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
This House of Grief by Helen Garner
The Good Life (Now TV)
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (Amazon Prime)
Keeping Up Appearances (BBC Iplayer)
One Foot in the Grave (U)

Thanks so much for listening, until next time- happy reading!

Welcome back Bookends! On today's Debut Spotlight episode, Hannah chatted to debut author Bruce Omar Yates about his new novel The Muslim Cowboy (Dead Ink Books) 
(This discussion is spoiler free!)
We discuss the various tropes of Westerns, the journey from song-writing to novel writing, the iconic camel character in Bruce's book & loads more!
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, it's a free way to support the pod and it means the world. You can also support & gain exclusive content via Patreon.
You can follow Bruce via Instagram or Twitter, & to buy The Muslim Cowboy or any books mentioned in this episode click here.
You can also follow us via Instagram, Twitter & Tik Tok

Books & other mentions in today's episode:
The Story of the Jews by Simon Schama
Great Short Stories of the Masters edited by Charles Neider
Shane (1953)
The Mandalorian
The Last of Us
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Harder They Fall (Netflix)
Patrick Melrose by Edward St Aubyn

Thanks so much for listening, until next week-happy reading!

For today's very exciting bonus episode Hannah was joined by the Women's Prize longlisted author of 'The Most Fun We Ever Had' Claire Lombardo to chat all about her new novel 'Same As It Ever Was' (out now in the US, published by Doubleday! UK folk you can pre-order!)
We chat about her favourite family saga novels, writing 'nice' men & complicated women, her debut novel's upcoming adaptation and so much more! If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe to boost us in the charts!
You can follow Claire via Instagram or Twitter
For more exclusive content & for less than £3 a month, join us on Patreon, you can also follow us via Instagram, Twitter & Tik Tok

Books mentioned in today's episode: 
Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
Brother Of The More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido

Thanks so much for listening! If you want to get in touch you can do so via apairofbookendspod@gmail.com

Welcome Back Bookends and Happy Pride Month!

We have a treat in store for you this episode. Not only are we chatting about the outstanding Heartstopper books by Alice Oseman and its’ gorgeous Netflix adaptation but we also have a very special guest! Joining us this month is the incomparable author and playwright Emma Hinds. So enjoy our chat this month, in which we talk about the importance of LGBTQIA+ representation in literature past and present, our fave Pride TV and Film recommendations and shout about our favourite LGBTQIA+ authors and books.

Sponsored by @deargreenreads , the perfect place for all your bookish needs.

Authors and Books:

Alice Oseman:
Heartstopper 1-4
Solitaire
Winter
Nick and Charlie
Loveless
Radio Silence

Weird Fucks by Lynne Tillman
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
Veronica by Mary Gaitskill
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Red White and Royal Blue by Casey Mcquiston
One Last Stop by Casey Mcquiston
The Colour Purple- Alice Walker
Oranges are Not the Only Fruit- Jeanette Winterson
Call Me by Your Name - Andre Aciman
The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
You Exist Too Much- Zaina Arafat
Kirsty Logan
Daisy Johnson
Bridget Collins
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez

TV and Media Mentions:
Looking- HBO
Netflix:
It’s a Sin
Sex Education
Atypical
AJ and the Queen
American Horror story
Brooklyn Nine Nine
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
The Haunting of Bly Manor
Queer Eye
Sex Education
Shadow Hunters
Pose

Everything I Know about Love- BBC

Alice’s Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/aliceoseman

Support Emma’s work:

https://www.patreon.com/EmmaLouiseWrites

https://instagram.com/elphreads?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Additional People & Places:
@humphreads
Queer Lit bookshop - https://www.queerlit.co.uk/

Follow us on Instagram @apairofbookendspod and let us know what you'd like us to read next! Please do rate and review us as it helps to boost us in the charts.

Welcome back Bookends!
Hope you're excited for the FIRST in our brand new series 'Top Of Your TBR' where we invite the people we admire to give four of their stand-out book recommendations for us to read and discuss! Our first ever feature on the podcast is none other than the Writer and Broadcaster, the one & only - Pandora Sykes.
Pandora is the author of 'How do we know we're doing it right?' an essay collection about the anxieties of modern life, her journalism has been published by Elle, Vogue, GQ and the Sunday Times and she was the co-creator and co-host of the chart-topping pop culture podcast 'The High Low' alongside her pod-wife Dolly Alderton. As we have mentioned them so much already on the podcast, it was only right that she was our go-to guest. We hope you enjoy!

To buy Pandora's debut essay collection:
https://uk.bookshop.org/books/how-do-we-know-we-re-doing-it-right-and-other-thoughts-on-modern-life/9781786091000

To subscribe to Pandora's Books subscription:
https://www.pandorasbooks.co.uk/

Books & Authors mentioned:

One Day by David Nicholls
The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (And Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) by Philippa Perry
Strong Female Lead by Arwa Mahdawi
Hot Little Hands by Abigail Ulman

Salt Slow by Julia Armfield
Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades
Ella Risbridger
Nora Ephron
Dolly Alderton
The School For Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
Meg Mason
Why I No Longer Write Poems by Diana Anphimiadi

Other mentions:
Sycorax Collective- https://sycoraxcollective.weebly.com/
Somewhere to Belong Archive- https://www.somewheretobelong.co.uk/

Follow us @apairofbookendspod to see updates on our Book Club episodes & future guest updates!

Welcome back Bookends! This month's book club episode features Vladimir, the exciting new debut novel from Julia May Jonas. Our deep dive includes chat on complex female protagonists, sexual fantasies, power dynamics and dark academia. As usual, we give you our cultural recommendations and books we'd recommend as companion reads to Vladimir.

Books & Authors mentioned:
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
10 Minutes 38 Seconds by Elif Shafak
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

@meg.in.a.book- Meg Picks
The Reader on the 6.27 by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent
Life as a Unicorn: A journey from shame to pride and everything inbetween by Amrou Al-Kadhi

Cultural Recommendations:
Bridgerton Season 2- Netflix
Vigil- BBC Iplayer
Pop Fiction Women Podcast- Conversations with friends (novel) - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5W1KPabWPs3YwQ3ed1hj49
This is Us - Amazon Prime

We hope you love these book club episodes as much as we love making them. Please do rate, review and subscribe as it helps to boost us in the charts! Give us a follow on Instagram @apairofbookendspod or email us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com if you'd like to suggest future reads.

Welcome back Bookends! Join us for our not so mini-minisode and explore the books that shaped us. We delve into our childhood faves, those angsty teenage picks and our ultimate recommendations.

Sponsor: @deargreenreads.gifts https://deargreenreads.co.uk/

Books and Authors Mentioned:

This One Sky Day by Leone Ross
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
Harry Potter Series
The Love Songs of W.E.B Dubois by Honoree Fenonne Jeffers
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
Narnia Series by C.S Lewis
Elmer by David McKee
Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Alun Ahlburg
Baby Love, Love, Frankie ,Girls in love series, Midnight, Clean Break, Lola Rose by Jaqueline Wilson
We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver
19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult
My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem
Happy Fat by Sofie Hagan
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
The Stand by Stephen King
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood
Our Wives under the Sea and Salt Slow by Julia Armfield
On Beauty and White Teeth by Zadie Smith
Queenie by Candice Carty Williams
The places I’ve cried in public by Holly Bourne
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny

Author Shoutouts:
Meg Mason, Katherine Heiny, Bernadine Evaristo, Kate Elizabeth Russell, Meg Nolan, Douglas Stuart, Tayari Jones, Elif Shafak, Sally Rooney, Nora Ephron

Media Mentions:
Everything is Copy documentary - Nora Ephron
When Harry Met Sally
I May Destroy You
It’s a Sin
Boiling Point
Literary Friction podcast
The High Low Podcast
Pandoras Books Box Subscription
@meg.in.a.book

Follow us on Instagram @apairofbookendspod and let us know what you'd like us to read next! Please do rate and review us as it helps to boost us in the charts.

Welcome back Bookends! This month's book club episode features the captivating debut novel from Julia Armfield. We discuss this literary horror about love, loss and grief. We also answer your questions, dive into our current reads and recommend some gems we've been enjoying recently.

Books & Authors mentioned:
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley-Heller
Milkman by Anna Burns
The Promise by Damon Galgut
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
The Doloriad by Missouri Williams
Thinner by Stephen King
Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King
The Stand by Stephen King
Pet Semetary by Stephen King
The Colorado Kid by Stephen King
Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
Life of Pi by Yan Martel
Magma by Thora Hjorlefsdottir
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
The Missing Word by Concita De Gregorio
Sally Rooney

Boyf Picks: Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Crawford

TV, Music and Film:
Succession- HBO
The Fly- David Cronenberg
Fleabag- Phoebe Waller-Bridge
The Babadook- Jennifer Kent
The Shape Of Water- Guillermo Del Toro
The Center Will Not Hold- Netflix
This Is Us- Amazon
The Sinner- Netflix

People & Publishers Mentioned:
@savidgereads
@meg.in.a.book
@supposedlyfun
@montanabookco
@tandemcollectiveuk
@bettyandthebooks

Follow us on Instagram @apairofbookendspod and let us know what you'd like us to read next! Please do rate and review us as it helps to boost us in the charts.

Welcome back Bookends! In this minisode of A Pair of Bookends we will be discussing all things Women's Prize. From our thoughts on the longlist, the books we are most excited for to our own shortlist picks. Come join us for a natter about our favourite literary prize!

Books mentioned:
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Unsettled Ground by Clare Fuller
No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Grown Ups by Marian Keyes
This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
A Door Behind a Door by Yelena Moskovich
What a Shame by Abigail Bergstrom
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson
The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini
Salt Lick by Lulu Allison
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
Flamingo by Rachel Elliot
Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejide
Remote Sympathy by Catherine Chidgey
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
Careless by Kirsty Capes
This One Sky Day by Leone Ross
Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

Podcasts Mentioned:
Book Off!
Literary Friction

People and Publishers mentioned:
@savidgereads
@meg.in.a.book
@supposedlyfun
@skyartsbookclub
@serenbooks
@influxpress
@tandemcollectiveuk

Follow us on Instagram @apairofbookendspod and let us know what you'd like us to read next. Please do subscribe to us to be sure you never miss an episode and we would love it if you could rate and review the podcast to ensure other bookends can find us. Thanks for listening!

Welcome to our FIRST episode of A pair of bookends!
This month, we have chosen to wax lyrical about the incredible new novel To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara. In this episode we talk about our thoughts on the book, meeting Hanya and a whole host of bookish things.

Books mentioned:
To Paradise
A Little Life
The People in the trees, All by Hanya Yanagihara
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley-Heller
1984 by George Orwell
Vox by Christina Dalcher
The Power by Naomi Alderman
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
Still Life by Sarah Winman
Tin Man by Sarah Winman

Other recommendations:
The High Low Podcast
This is going to hurt- BBC Iplayer
The Lost Daughter- Netflix

Boyf Pick-
The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes

Follow us on Instagram @apairofbookendspod and let us know what you'd like us to read next.

Please do subscribe to us to be sure you never miss an episode and we would love it if you could rate and review the podcast to ensure other bookends can find us.

To celebrate Independent Bookshop Week 2024, Hannah interviewed one of her local indie bookshops Serenity Booksellers. We chat about how Kelly and her partner Chris turned their bookshop dreams into a reality, what exciting things they have coming up, why it's important to support our indies and a HUGE list of book recommendations! 
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you. 
You can find Serenity Booksellers via their website (subscribe to their mailing list to be in with a chance of winning a £100 voucher for their store) or via Instagram or Facebook.
If you're unable to make it in store and wish to support them, the below book recs are linked to Serenity Booksellers bookshop.org page.
For more on Independent Bookshop Week visit https://www.booksaremybag.com/

Books, indie bookshops & other mentions in this episode: 
The Coast Road by Alan Murrin
Want by Gillian Anderson
The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley
A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe
October, October by Katya Balen
Ghostlines by Katya Balen
James by Percival Everett
Hard By A Great Forest by Leo Vardiashvili
Three Burials by Anders Lustgarten
The Many by Wyl Menmuir
The Draw of The Sea by Wyl Menmuir
The Heart of The Woods by Wyl Menmuir
Small Hours by Bobby Palmer
The Castle (1997 movie, on Amazon Prime)
Simply Books, Bramhall
Dark Peak Books & Gifts, Glossop
Booka Bookshop, Oswestry
Truman Books, Leeds
Wife by Charlotte Mendelson
The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson
Still Life by Sarah Winman
Homecoming by Kate Morton
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
Breakdown by Cathy Sweeney
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Green Dot by Madeleine Gray
Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
Dirt Music by Tim Winton
Breath by Tim Winton
Gould's Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan
Wanting by Richard Flanagan
For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain by Victoria Mackenzie
You Are Here by David Nicholls
Rare Singles by Benjamin Myers
The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne by Freya North
Other Women by Emma Flint
Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor
Stand Up Guy by Nina Kaye
Baby Reindeer- Netflix 
Sparrow by James Hynes

Thanks so much for listening, until next time happy reading! 

For today's episode Hannah was joined by Irish author Sarah Gilmartin, to chat all about her latest novel Service (Pushkin Press, out now in paperback)
Please be aware this episode contains reference to SA & statistics of SA cases
We chat about what it was like to write from the perspective of a man accused of sexual assault, her experience of working in restaurants, how the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre helped shape the writing of the case in the book and more. It was such an insightful conversation and the book is in Hannah's top reads of the year! 
If you enjoyed this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you!
You can follow Sarah via https://twitter.com/sarahgilmartin_
You can email us via apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or follow us Instagram, Twitter  & Tik Tok
For more exclusive content with Hannah and friend of the pod Emma Hinds, head to https://www.patreon.com/APairofBookends

Books & other mentions on the pod:
Dinner Party by Sarah Gilmartin
Old Romantics by Maggie Armstrong
Multitudes by Lucy Caldwell
Intimacies by Lucy Caldwell
Openings by Lucy Caldwell
Blue Lights- BBC Iplayer

Thanks so much for listening! Until next time, happy reading!

For today's episode I deep dived into the world of Romantasy with social media sensation Carissa Broadbent. We chat about why this genre is so successful, her writing process, what readers have to look forward to with the rest of the series and lots more! If you enjoy this episode, please do rate, review & subscribe so I can reach more of you! 

The Serpent and the Wings of Night and it's sequel The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King are available now everywhere (UK folk, the sequel is out tomorrow so go pre-order!)

You can follow Carissa via Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter
You can also follow us via Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok

Books & other recs mentioned: 
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Castlevania - Netflix
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J.Maas
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

For books discussed on each episode, head to: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/apairofbookendspod

Thanks so much for listening & until next time, happy reading!

Bobby Palmer is back on the pod! Back in November 2022, we chatted to Bobby about his debut novel Isaac and the Egg and had an absolute blast so it was only right to bring him back to chat about his second book Small Hours (out now)
We chat about how his relationship with nature has evolved, writing about a memory loss condition, masculinity, writing his third book and all the book reccs your heart could desire! 
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you. 
Follow on Instagram @apairofbookendspod, Twitter @apairofbookends and Tik Tok  @apairofbookendshttps://www.tiktok.com/@apairofbookends
Follow on Patreon for more content: https://www.patreon.com/APairofBookends

Follow Bobby via Instagram
Bobby's Small Hours Spotify playlist
For new episodes of Book Chat with Bobby and Pandora, head to Pandora's Substack https://pandorasykes.substack.com/
Charity mentioned: https://foxproject.org.uk/

Books, authors & other reccs mentioned in this episode:
Rare Singles by Benjamin Myers
Cuddy by Benjamin Myers
The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers
Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy
You are Here by David Nicholls
Where the wild things are by Maurice Sendak
Max Porter
George Saunders
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
One Day by David Nicholls
Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr.Seuss
West by Carys Davies
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/8-bridget-joness-diary-and-high-fidelity/id1657017360?i=1000622998970
Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
Erasure by Percival Everett
James by Percival Everett
The Trees by Percival Everett
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid
The Terror (Amazon Prime)
The Bear (Disney +)
Another Round (Amazon Prime)

Thanks so much for listening! Until next time, happy reading!

For today's episode Hannah and Ericka had a completely feral two hours of laughing and talking rubbish and somehow Hannah has managed to edit together an episode! 
We chat about mothers and daughters, autism, death and grief and so much more, we hope you enjoy! Please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps us to reach more of you. You can follow us via Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok
For extra content head on over to Patreon

Buy yourselves a copy of Goodbye Birdie Greenwing and Dog Days and once you have send either myself or Ericka a DM and Ericka will be sending out hand-crocheted ghosts to 'haunt your TBR' 
You can follow Ericka via Instagram & Twitter 
For more of her books and dog chat head to her website

Books & other mentions in today's episode:
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Essential Help for your nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes
Joined up writing podcast with Ericka Waller
https://www.writing.ie/interviews/the-difficult-second-novel-goodbye-birdie-greenwing-by-ericka-waller/
The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
One Day - Netflix
The Last Murder at The End of the World by Stuart Turton
The Devil and The Dark Water by Stuart Turton
Hold Back The Night by Jessica Moor
Young Women by Jessica Moor
How we named the stars by Andres N. Ordorica
Leave no trace by Jo Callaghan
In the blink of an eye by Jo Callaghan

For all books mentioned in episodes and to support indie bookshops, head here
Thanks so much for listening! See you next week for a bonus episode! 

For our May Book Club episode we were joined by Women's Prize long-listed author Kirsty Capes, to chat about her new novel Girls, out tomorrow! 
We chat about sisterhood, art, mental health, grief and so much more and 'Girls' is a devastating and remarkable book that we couldn't recommend enough. 
You can follow Kirsty via Instagram or Twitter
If you enjoyed this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you! Follow us via Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok



This is Lydia's final episode on the pod, we couldn't have ever predicted the podcast to take off in the way it has & we've worked on so many incredible interviews together like this one and if you want to keep up with Lydia's book chat you can find her via https://www.youtube.com/@LydiaLostthePlot


Books & other recs mentioned in this episode: 
Careless by Kirsty Capes
My Sister, the serial killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Little Miss Sunshine- Disney +
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Lady Bird - Netflix
The Florida Project
A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews
Women Talking - Prime
Green Dot by Madeleine Gray
Penance by Eliza Clark


Thanks so much for listening & for your support! See you next week, Hannah x

Some podcast updates & an exciting announcement! 
Go follow over on Patreon to support us, it's been a v weird time and I hope you'll stay with me on this journey. Big love x

For today's episode in the Debut Spotlight series, I was joined by author Alan Murrin to chat all about his upcoming novel 'The Coast Road' which is out in the UK tomorrow (Bloomsbury).
You can order your copy of The Coast Road here.
We chat about our favourite Irish phrases, writing complicated women, that Gillian Anderson endorsement and much more. If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so I can reach more of you! You can also follow me @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and Tik Tok. 

Book tix for Alan's upcoming event: https://allevents.in/london/alan-murrin-lucy-caldwell-and-sarah-crossan-at-waterstones-tcr/10000884067929977

Books & other mentions on this episode: 
A Case of Knives by Candia McWilliam
What to look for in Winter by Candia McWilliam
William Trevor
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín
The Green Road by Anne Enright
The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright
Landscapers - Now TV
Critics at Large- The New Yorker podcast

To buy any of the books mentioned today click here

Thanks so much for listening, until next time- happy reading! 

Welcome back Bookends to the first in the 4th season of our Debut Spotlight series, for today's episode Hannah was in conversation with author Nathan Newman! Aswell as deep diving into their debut novel 'How to leave the house', we chat about their experience of being mentored by Zadie Smith, adapting their novel for TV and life lived online. If you enjoy this ep, please do rate, review & subscribe so I can reach more of you!

Buy How To Leave The House here (out tomorrow)
Follow Nathan on Instagram
You can follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok

Books & other recs mentioned on this ep: 
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith
Grand Union by Zadie Smith
Sons and Lovers by D.H Lawrence
Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H Lawrence
Baby Reindeer- Netflix 

For the full list of recs mentioned in all episodes click here
Thanks so much for listening, until next time- happy reading! x

For today's Bonus episode before a little Summer break, Hannah was joined by the wonderful Claire Daverley, author of Talking at Night. 
They discuss Summer reading plans, success after rejection, writing about OCD, the books Claire has loved this year & lots more, thank you also to those of you who submitted questions for Claire! 
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe as it's a free way to support the pod and it means the world! For more exclusive content you can also support via https://www.patreon.com/APairofBookends
You can follow Claire via Instagram & Twitter/ X
and you can follow us via Instagram, Twitter & Tik Tok

For the full list of books mentioned in today's episode, visit our bookshop.org pagehttps://Bookshop.org

Books mentioned on this episode: 
Breakdown by Cathy Sweeney
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
The Offing by Benjamin Myers
All The Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
Butter by Asako Yuzuki
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
Sandwich by Catherine Newman
We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
True Love by Paddy Crewe
As Young As This by Roxy Dunn
Green Dot by Madeleine Gray

If you want to get in touch you can email via apairofbookendspod@gmail.com
Thanks so much for listening. Have a great summer!

For today's episode we were joined by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth to chat all about her latest novel Darling Girls (as always, spoiler free!)
We talk about her research into foster care, her infamous plot twists, how she writes a book every year and more! If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you. 

To buy Sally's book 'Darling Girls', click here.
You can also follow Sally on  Instagram  and to find out more about her work you can head to her website.
You can follow us via Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok.

Books, authors & other recs mentioned in this episode: 
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Liane Moriarty
Jane Harper
Emily Giffin
Dr Death - Amazon Prime 

Thanks so much for listening! Until next time, happy reading! 

Welcome to our April Book Club episode where Hannah spoke to bestselling thriller author Harriet Tyce about her latest novel, our book pick for April 'A Lesson in Cruelty'. We spoke about her journey from barrister to author, representation of criminals, why she chooses to explore alcoholism in her writing and much more, we also get a sneaky insight into what Harriet is working on next! If you enjoy this episode, please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you! 

To buy A Lesson in Cruelty and for the full list of books & authors mentioned in today's episode click here.
You can follow Harriet via Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok
If you'd like to follow us you can do so via Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok

Thanks so much for listening! Until next time, happy reading x

Welcome back Bookends to the FINALE of Season 3 in our Debut Spotlight series, can you believe it?! For this episode we thought who better than Georgina Moore, her debut novel The Garnett Girls is a Sunday Times bestseller and not only that but Georgina is also an award-winning book publicist who has worked with prolific authors such as Maggie O'Farrell! We chat about what it's like working on both sides of the industry, why the Isle of Wight is such a special place to her, writing older female characters and so much more! If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps us to reach more of you!
Please note: this episode contains discussion around alcoholism. 

Buy your copy of The Garnett Girls here.
You can follow Georgina on Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok
If you want to give us a follow you can do so via Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok or you can email us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com

Books mentioned in this episode: 
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Careless by Kirsty Capes
Girls by Kirsty Capes
Behind the scenes at the museum by Kate Atkinson
The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley
The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard
Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller

Thanks so much for listening and until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Welcome back Bookends to another episode in our Debut Spotlight series, for this episode we were joined by author of The Voyageur which is out tomorrow & published by Swift Press. 
We spoke to Paul about the real people that inspired his novel, why he thinks it's important to write bodily functions, not shying away from brutality and violence in his writing and more. If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you! 
For more exclusive content please head to our Patreon and if you'd like to follow us you can do so here: https://www.instagram.com/apairofbookendspod/ https://twitter.com/apairofbookends & https://www.tiktok.com/@apairofbookends

To buy Paul's book: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781800753150
You can also follow Paul on Goodreads


Books & other recs mentioned: 
For our full online shop click here
The Name of The Rose by Umberto Eco
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
McGlue by Ottessa Moshfegh
By Gaslight by Steven Price
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Salem's Lot by Stephen King
The Book Review podcast: Looking Back at 50 Years of Stephen King
Tennis Lessons by Susannah Dickey
Common Decency by Susannah Dickey
Sparrow by James Hynes
The Guest by Emma Cline
The Girls by Emma Cline

Thanks so much for listening! Until next time, happy reading. Han & Lyd x

Welcome back Bookends to another episode in our Debut Spotlight series, for today's episode we were joined by author of 'Sparks of Bright Matter' which is published by Eriu in the UK & Ireland tomorrow! We chat to Leeanne about her literary influences, creativity and motherhood, her research process for the book and so much more! Let us know if you enjoy this episode by leaving us a rating or a review wherever you get your podcasts.

To buy the book: Sparks of Bright Matter (11th April)
To follow Leeanne: Instagram
To listen to Leeanne's podcast: Into The Mythic - Ancient Irish Stories for Modern Times

Books mentioned: 
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett
1984 by George Orwell
The Waves by Virginia Woolf
Matrescence by Lucy Jones
Colours of London: A History by Peter Ackroyd
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Missing Persons, Or My Grandmother's Secrets by Clair Wills
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

For more exclusive content follow us on Patreon for less than £3 a month
You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok
Thanks so much for listening, until next time- happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Welcome back Bookends to a bumper monthly culture round-up to make up for the delay, unfortunately Lydia was unable to record so Hannah was joined by friend of the pod and author of The Knowing, Emma Hinds. Aswell as our recommendations for March we discuss the Women's Prize for Fiction longlist, those Emily Henry casting theories and the iconic Cowboy Carter album. 

Currently reading: 
Emma- Meet Me at the Surface by Jodie Matthews
Hannah- The Voyageur by Paul Carlucci

Emma's Recs
Hozier- Unheard EP
American Fiction - Amazon Prime
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
Eleanor Among The Saints by Rachel Mann
@aljazeeraenglish

Hannah's Recs
Jamie Dornan on Desert Island Discs
Poor Things- Disney + 
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
Mr Bates vs The Post Office - ITVX
Matrescence by Lucy Jones

Link to Emma's upcoming event: Coming Out of the Cage: A Queer Genre Panel at Waterstones Piccadilly
Follow Emma: https://www.instagram.com/elphreads/

Other mentions: 
Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
The Bear - Disney +
Shameless Podcast
Ian Wright on Desert Island Discs
Kinds of Kindness Trailer - New Yorgos Lanthimos & Emma Stone movie
The End We Start From by Megan Hunter

If you enjoyed this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you! Link to our bookshop page to buy the books mentioned today, support us and local bookshops. Follow us on Patreon for more exclusive content. You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok.
Thanks so much for listening & happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Welcome back Bookends! With lots going on in the background we were unable to record our episode for last week so we hope you'll forgive us for missing a week. The new installment in our Debut Spotlight series is with the incredible writer/performer Roxy Dunn, whose debut novel 'As Young As This' publishes tomorrow with Penguin Fig Tree.

For this episode we discuss the life of a creative, rejection, fertility and so much more. If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you!
For exclusive content from us sign up to our Patreon for less than £3 a month!
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok.

To buy 'As Young As This': https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780241632697
You can follow Roxy on Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok

Books & other recs mentioned: 
As Young As This by Roxy Dunn
Big Sexy Lunch by Roxy Dunn
Clowning by Roxy Dunn
The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez
What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez
The Panic Years by Nell Frizzell
The Panic Years podcast
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
Lucy By The Sea by Elizabeth Strout
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney 
Margaret Drabble
American Fiction (Film)- adapted from Erasure by Percival Everett
One Day - Netflix
Poor Things- Disney +

Thanks so much for listening! Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Hey Bookends! Apologies for the lack of episode last week, it's been a hectic month so we had a week off but are back with the latest instalment in our Debut Spotlight series! For this episode we chatted to the brilliant Ursula Villarreal-Moura, author of debut novel Like Happiness and the flash fiction collection Math for the self-crippling.

We chat about how she kept the faith in her novel after it went out on submission 3 times before being picked up, writing power dynamics in relationships, why she rereads books and so much more. As Ursula is a professor aswell as a writer, her recommendations were truly top tier in this! 

We hope you enjoy & please do rate, review & subscribe to the pod to show your support, it means the world. To get extra exclusive content you can sign up to our Patreon for less than £3! 
You can follow us on Instagram,Twitter and Tik Tok
To contact Ursula and keep updated on her work you can find her here.

Books & Authors mentioned in this episode: 
Confessions by Kanae Minato
When The Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen
What Remains at the End by Alexandra Ford
Roberto Bolaño
The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark
Robinson by Muriel Spark
Sigrid Nunez
Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H
There There by Tommy Orange
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan
Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

Thanks so much for listening, until next time- happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Welcome to our March Book Club episode where today our episode coincides with the release of the breathtaking memoir Unearthing by Kyo Maclear. We were so thrilled to be joined by Kyo to chat all about her book, we discuss the DNA test that changed her life, her evolving relationship with her mother, finding an appreciation for nature and how that helped her through the grieving process and so much more. This was such a wonderful conversation and we really hope you get as much from it as we did! Please do rate, review & subscribe if you can as it helps us reach more of you!
To gain extra exclusive content from us, follow our Patreon
You can also give us a follow via Instagram, Twitter or Tik Tok or email us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com

To grab your own copy of Unearthing, you can buy it here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781911590958
To follow Kyo: via Instagram

Books & authors mentioned on the episode:
Wrong Norma by Anne Carson
Maurice Sendak
John Berger
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Kyo's recommendation:
My Brilliant Friend (TV adaptation) - Now TV

Thanks so much for listening. Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Welcome back Bookends, we apologise for the delay on this one but after some difficult news last week we needed to postpone editing.
Here is our Feb Book Club episode with the astounding debut author Leo Vardiashvili, his book Hard by a Great Forest has been endorsed by the likes of literary legend Khaled Hosseini and was swept up by Bloomsbury in an overnight pre-empt and we cannot emphasise enough how much we loved it.
On this episode we discuss Leo's experiences as a refugee and how that informed his novel, Georgian hospitality, the hysterical true story of Zoo animals storming the streets of his home town and so much more. Please do rate, review & subscribe if you enjoy this episode, it helps us hugely!

If you wish to buy Leo's book (you should!): https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781526659828
To follow Leo: Goodreads & Twitter
For more exclusive content from us please head on over to our Patreon
You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok

Leo's upcoming events:
https://oxfordliteraryfestival.org/literature-events/2024/march-21/memories-of-flight-fictionalising-georgias-2008-war-with-russia
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-leo-vardiashvili-tickets-779317618977

Books discussed on this episode:
Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin
Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R.Tolkien
The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable

Thanks so much for listening. Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

For today's Debut Spotlight episode Hannah was joined by author and content creator behind @thechamberofsecretbooks on Instagram & @chamberofsecretbooks on Tik Tok to chat all about her debut novel 'I'll Look For You, Everywhere' which can be bought here.
We discuss how her followers helped her throughout the writing process, what it was like to write those spicy scenes, her dream casting and so much more! 
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps to boost us in the charts and means the world. If you want to give us a follow you can do so via Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok
If you wish to support us further & gain exclusive content, for less than £3 a month you can sign up to our Patreon

Books & other recs mentioned in this episode: 
The Guest by Emma Cline
Not In Love by Ali Hazelwood
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
Normal People - BBC Iplayer
Baby- Netflix
Fleabag - BBC Iplayer
Medici- Netflix
Talking at Night by Claire Daverley
My Lady Jane - Amazon Prime

Thanks so much for listening! Until next time, happy reading! 

It's monthly culture round-up time, yay! On today's episode aswell as giving our recommendations for the month, we chat all about the inaugural Women's Prize for Non-Fiction longlist, the BAFTAs and what we're excited for in the coming month!

Apologies for Hannah's echo-ey sound on this one, we've done our best to rectify on the edit!

If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you! You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok or you can email us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com
For extra exclusive content head on over to our Patreon!

Currently reading:
Unearthing by Kyo Maclear

Lydia's picks:
One Day (Netflix)
Texas Hold'Em - Beyoncé
In Ascension by Martin MacInnes
https://www.youtube.com/@SavidgeReads
Nyad (Netflix)

Hannah's picks:
One Day (Netflix)
Texas Hold'Em - Beyoncé
Booker Prize podcast on Sally Rooney's Normal People: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/why-sally-rooneys-normal-people-is-more-than-just-a/id720041386?i=1000643759310
All of Us Strangers

Other mentions:
For the full list of books mentioned in today's episode visit: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/february-monthly-culture-round-up
https://www.instagram.com/archivist_reader
Da'vine Joy Randolph BAFTA acceptance speech-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXR5i6Tq3tE
Samantha Morton BAFTA acceptance speech-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRWsuuZTRLM
The High Low Podcast on Unconscious Bias: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/womens-unconscious-bias-towards-other-women-kim-kardashians/id1211338187?i=1000401176120
Marriage Story (Netflix)
Sky Arts Book Club

What we're excited for in March:
Oscars
Alice & Jack (Channel 4)
Prima Facie by Suzie Miller
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
Paper Names by Susie Luo
Small Hours by Bobby Palmer

Thanks so much for listening, Han & Lyd x

Welcome back to the latest episode in our Debut Spotlight series, for this episode we were joined by the wonderful Miranda Pountney, author of 'How to be somebody else'.
We chat about the impact Tessa Hadley had on her road to publication, what living in New York is really like, affairs (obviously!) and so much more, we hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

If you have time please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you!
Follow us on Patreon, Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok

To buy 'How to be somebody else': https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-be-somebody-else-miranda-pountney/7496635?aid=13480&ean=9781787332102

To follow Miranda: https://www.instagram.com/mirandapountney

Books & other recommendations disccused on this episode:
In the cut by Susanna Moore
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
Here is New York by E.B White
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf
Motherhood by Sheila Heti
Alphabetical Diaries by Sheila Heti

Miranda's Recommendation:
https://www.instagram.com/heyemmet/?hl=en

Thanks so much for listening! Until next time, happy reading x

For today's Bonus Books we were joined by Australian Author Katherine Brabon, whose latest novel Body Friend completely blew us away.
We chat about her experiences of living with chronic pain, what it was like to transfer that onto the page, creating characters that personified the inner struggle of choosing to rest and so much more, this was such a great conversation and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

If you like what we do and want to support our work & gain exclusive content for less than £3 a month, follow us on Patreon.
Please do rate, review & subscribe on your preferred podcast platform, it means the world!
To follow us: Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok.

To buy Body Friend (UK): https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781761152597
To follow Katherine: https://www.instagram.com/katherinebrabon/

Books, authors & other recs mentioned on today's episode:
The Long Form by Kate Briggs
A Shining by Jon Fosse
Natalia Ginzburg
Helen Garner
Gerald Murnane
Alexis Wright
In Plaster poem by Sylvia Plath
Sally Rooney
Rachel Cusk
W.G. Sebald
Septology by Jon Fosse
Aliss At The Fire by Jon Fosse
Killers of the flower moon (Movie)

Thank you so much for listening. Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Welcome back Bookends to another episode in our Debut Spotlight series, where we shine the light on the freshest authors and their work. Today we bring you an episode with the wonderful Sarah Marsh, author of 'A Sign of Her Own' which is out now and published by Tinder Press.
We chat about the importance of community for Deaf people, Sarah's research process (including bringing Alexander Graham Bell back to life!), the writers that have inspired her and so much more!

If you enjoy this episode, please do rate review & subscribe as it helps us more than you can imagine! You can now also gain an exclusive extra monthly episode amongst other benefits for less than the price of a cup of coffee by supporting us on Patreon. If you want to follow us you can do so @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter or Tik Tok or email us with your book recs and feedback at apairofbookendspod@gmail.com

Podcast Transcript: https://freepodcasttranscription.com/transcription/e808b8c3edd2d7f1a7b651aec5cd1010567dadec.srt

To buy 'A Sign of Her Own': https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781035401611
To follow Sarah: https://twitter.com/SarahCMarsh
Book tix for Sarah's upcoming event: https://www.favershamliteraryfestival.org/index.php/purls/2024-events-url/2024-main-events-table/sarah-marsh-and-lesley-mcdowell

Books & authors discussed:
Pod by Laline Paull
Sebastian Barry
Marilynne Robinson
True Biz by Sara Novic
The Perseverance by Raymond Antrobus
Chattering: Stories by Louise Stern
Ismael and His Sisters by Louise Stern

Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Hey Bookends! Welcome to the FIRST in our brand new series: the monthly culture round-up where we chat about all of the recommendations we've been enjoying over the last month and boy are you in for a treat today!

As always if you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps us massively and if you have any recommendations you want to get in touch with please do send them us via DM on Instagram, Twitter or Tik Tok. You can also email us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com

Currently Reading:
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Piglet by Lottie Hazell

Lydia's Picks:
Saltburn (Amazon Prime)
The New York Times Book Review Podcast
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
Society of the snow (Netflix)
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Netflix)

Hannah's Picks:
Good Grief (Netflix)
Paul Mescal on Chicken Shop Date
My Husband by Maud Ventura
Sentimental Garbage Podcast - Robbie Williams with Dolly Alderton
Blue Lights (BBC)

Other mentions:
Dan Levy on How to Fail
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
Hot Ones
Amelia Dimoldenberg on The Louis Theroux podcast
Paul Mescal on The Louis Theroux podcast
Money Heist (Netflix)
Yellowjackets (Paramount +/ Amazon Prime)
Robbie Williams Docuseries (Netflix)
Everything is Content podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-7-mob-wife-winter-reboot-fatigue-and-poor-things/id1719284496?i=1000642162941
Strangers by Taichi Yamada
Poor Things by Alasdair Gray
I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning by Keiran Goddard
Hourglass by Keiran Goddard
Nuclear Family by Kate Davies
In at the deep end by Kate Davies
In Ascension by Martin MacInnes


Thanks so much for listening! Han & Lyd x

The woman of the hour, the book of the moment! On today's show we bring you the incredible Madeleine Gray, author of GREEN DOT- whose publishing journey is unlike anything we've heard before. We chat about why we love an affair narrative, why she wanted to write about working in retail, the representation of positive father/daughter dynamics and so much more. It was a DELIGHT to chat to Madeleine and we hope you love this episode as much as we did!

If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps us to reach more listeners and means the absolute world.
You can follow us on all social platforms: https://linktr.ee/apairofbookendspod or get in touch with us via email apairofbookendspod@gmail.com


You can also follow Madeleine: here

Book tix for upcoming events with Madeleine: https://www.waterstones.com/events/in-conversation-with-madeleine-gray/manchester-deansgate
https://www.waterstones.com/events/madeleine-gray-in-conversation-with-pandora-sykes-at-waterstones-piccadilly/london-piccadilly
https://www.book-ish.co.uk/event/an-evening-with-madeleine-gray/

To buy the books discussed on today's episode including Green Dot (published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and out in the UK tomorrow!) : https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/madeleine-gray-episode?
Other recommendations mentioned:

My Education by Susan Choi
A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu
Dress Rehearsals by Madison Godfrey
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/the-evil-mistress-trope-is-tired-i-empathise-with-the-other-woman-20230921-p5e6i2.html
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/21/madeleine-gray-a-shop-can-be-your-castle-adventures-in-the-retail-train
Deadloch (Prime)

Thanks so much for listening, until next time- happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Welcome back Bookends to an exciting January minisode where we were joined by the brilliant, award-winning documentary filmmaker Emma Goude. We discuss how she turned her experiences with psychosis into her memoir My Beautiful Psychosis, the importance of having a support system in place and her time working at the BBC. If you wish to follow more of Emma and her work you can do so here.

To check out Emma's book and other books/authors we discussed on today's episode: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/emma-goude-episode?
Other recommendations mentioned:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/if-i-ruled-the-world-by-gillian-burke/id1715887715

If you enjoyed this episode, please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps us to reach more of you! If you wish to follow us you can do so here.

Thanks so much for listening and until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Welcome back Bookends to a new Debut Spotlight episode, this time we were joined by the incredible Kate Brody, author of 'Rabbit Hole' which is out in the UK TODAY! (Our lucky U.S listeners have had it a couple of weeks already!)
Aswell as hearing about the journey in having her debut novel published, we chat about sister dynamics, grief and so much more... Hannah of course also asked how a debut novelist ended up with an endorsement from actor Mila Kunis?!
We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did, as always please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps to boost us in the charts!
If you want to follow us you can do so via this link: https://linktr.ee/apairofbookendspod
To follow Kate: Instagram & Twitter/ X

To buy 'Rabbit Hole' and to see all other recommendations discussed today: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/kate-brody-episode?

Other recs discussed:
Book of Ayn by Lexi Freiman
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
Yours For The Taking by Gabrielle Korn

If you wish to get in touch with recommendations, feedback or for interview requests please email us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com, we love to hear from you! Thanks so much for listening & until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Happy new year Bookends! Our first Book Club episode of the year is dedicated to The Knowing by friend of the pod Emma Hinds, it was only right that we brought Emma back to chat all about her debut novel, how she kept going in the face of rejections, why it's important to represent disabled characters in the way she did, the feminist issues she feels particularly passionate about writing and so much more.
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you and if you'd like to give us a follow on socials or contact us, you can do so here: Get in touch!

Buy Tickets for 'The Knowing' Book Launch @ Queer Lit, Manchester
To buy 'The Knowing': https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-knowing-emma-hinds/7565411?ean=9781915798138
To follow Emma: Instagram & Twitter
To follow Mya (Illustrator of The Knowing): Instagram

Books & Authors discussed on this episode:
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark
The Wager by David Grann
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë


The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Sarah Waters
Pat Barker
Kirsty Logan
Julia Armfield
The Matrix by Lauren Groff
Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca


Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami/ Translation by Allison Markin Powell


Morgan is my name by Sophie Keetch
Circe by Madeline Miller
Hex by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight


A Memoir of My Former Self: A Life in Writing by Hilary Mantel

Thank you so much for listening! Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Merry Christmas Bookends! What a gorgeous way to end 2023 with our finale - the Christmas special of dreams with the brilliant Saphire from Book Bodega! As always if you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe as it massively helps us to reach more of you.

We chat through our top books of the year, what 2024 books should be on your pre-order lists and the bookish ghosts of our past, present and future, all of this and more in today's episode...

To get the full list of the books spoken about in today's episode please visit: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/a-pair-of-bookends-guest-episode

Follow Book Bodega: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/bookbodega, https://www.instagram.com/bookbodega/?hl=en

Listen to Novel Thoughts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/novel-thoughts/id1721722638

To follow us: https://linktr.ee/apairofbookendspod

Thanks so much for listening, for reasons beyond our control Lydia was unable to record the Christmas special but we both wish you a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year, we'll see you for more in 2024 but until then, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

For this month's Book Club episode Hannah was joined by 'Little Scratch' author Rebecca Watson to chat about her latest novel 'I Will Crash' (out now & published by Faber).
We discuss what and who inspires her unique writing style, family estrangement and how pertinent that feels now following the story of Alice Munro, how it felt having her work adapted to stage and lots more! If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps to boost us in the charts and means the world! 
If you want to give Rebecca a follow you can do so via Instagram & Twitter
You can also follow her work via https://rebeccawatson.substack.com/
You can follow us via Instagram, Twitter & Tik Tok& for extra exclusive content for less than £3 a month, subscribe to us on Patreon

Books & other mentions on this episode: 
Little Scratch by Rebecca Watson
I Will Crash by Rebecca Watson
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/my-stepfather-sexually-abused-me-when-i-was-a-child-my-mother-alice-munro-chose/article_8415ba7c-3ae0-11ef-83f5-2369a808ea37.html
Virginia Woolf
Crave by Sarah Kane
The Lasting Harm: Witnessing the Trial of Ghislaine Maxwell by Lucia Osborne-Crowley

Thank you so much for listening & if you want to let us know your thoughts you can do so via apairofbookendspod@gmail.com, until next time happy reading!

Welcome back Bookends to a very exciting episode in collaboration with the 2023 Polari Prize. For today's episode Hannah was joined by writer Julia Armfield to discuss her award-winning debut novel 'Our Wives Under The Sea' which our OG Bookends will remember was our second ever Book Club pick! To read more about this year's Polari Prize: https://www.polarisalon.com/copy-of-polari-prize-1

Aswell as discussing her Polari prize win, we chat about the ways in which Julia has been inspired by Stephen King, the parallels she has found between horror and romance and how a place in her novel represents the horror of bureaucracy!
In today's episode we also feature some questions from some of our wonderful listeners who you can follow below:
Emma Hinds (author of The Knowing, out Jan 2024) - https://www.instagram.com/elphreads
Meg (Book Blogger- https://www.instagram.com/meg.in.a.book/?hl=en-gb)
Georgia (Book Blogger- https://www.instagram.com/georgiadoesbooks/)
Alice (Book Blogger- https://www.instagram.com/mostardentlyalice/?hl=en)

To buy Our Wives Under The Sea: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/our-wives-under-the-sea-julia-armfield/6454886?ean=9781529017250
To pre-order Private Rites: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/private-rites-julia-armfield/7593552?ean=9780008608033
To follow Julia: https://www.instagram.com/juliakarmfield/

Books/ Authors/ Other media discussed:
K2: Triumph and Tragedy by Jim Curran
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
The Stand by Stephen King
It by Stephen King
'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Misery by Stephen King
Danse Macabre by Stephen King
Sarah Waters
Portrait of a lady on fire - Netflix
My Summer of Love by Helen Cross
Sugar Rush - Channel 4
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
Blue Nights by Joan Didion
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
The Secret History by Donna Tartt

If you enjoy this episode, please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps to boost us in the charts! You can follow us @apairofbookendspod on instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and Tik Tok. Thanks so much for listening, until next time, happy reading! x

Welcome Bookends to our December Bonus Books Special with the brilliant author & journalist Sarra Manning. Here to chat about her latest novel 'The Man Of Her Dreams', we deep-dive into all things rom-com, what makes them good, what makes them bad and what is it like to write the sex scenes? Aswell as this, Hannah invites Sarra into a festive quick-fire round where we find out what Sarra really thinks of Richard Curtis films, what her favourite festive read is and which Pride and Prejudice adaptation she thinks is best. All of this and more in today's ep!

To buy The Man of Her Dreams: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-man-of-her-dreams-the-brilliant-new-rom-com-from-the-author-of-london-with-love-sarra-manning/7438105?ean=9781399707831

To follow Sarra: https://www.instagram.com/sarra_manning/?hl=en

To follow us or drop us an email: https://linktr.ee/apairofbookendspod

As always, if you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you!

Books & Other mentions:

The Painter's Daughters by Emily Howes
Green Dot by Madeleine Gray
Under Your Spell by Laura Wood
I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
Love Actually - Now TV
The Holiday - Netflix
Pride and Prejudice (1995) - BBC Iplayer

Thanks so much for listening, until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Welcome Bookends, it's been a while! We've got a fabulous November Bonus Books special for you today and as Hannah is already feeling festive, we've got something festive up our sleeves (yes that includes gifts)! Hannah was joined by author B.K Borison to discuss her romance series 'Lovelight Farms' which is out now and published by Pan Macmillan.
In line with the release of this episode, Pan Macmillan have very kindly offered to send one of our lucky listeners the full series, head to our socials to find out how you can win! https://linktr.ee/apairofbookendspod

It was a joy to be joined by B.K Borison- we discuss why her book is compared to Gilmore Girls, how social media has enhanced her author experience, those steamy sex scenes and so much more, we really hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

To buy 'Lovelight Farms': https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/lovelight-farms-the-feel-good-friends-to-lovers-romcom-sensation-b-k-borison/7413673?ean=9781035028856

To follow B.K Borison: https://www.instagram.com/authorbkborison/?hl=en

Books & Authors mentioned:
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
A Risk Worth Taking by Jessica Joyce
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Kennedy Ryan
Emily Henry
Ali Hazelwood
The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese
Wreck The Halls by Tessa Bailey
A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

Please do rate, review & subscribe if you enjoyed this episode so we can reach more of you! Thank you so much for listening, happy reading x

Welcome Bookends to an incredibly special episode in collaboration with the 2023 Forward Prizes for Poetry. For this episode, Hannah was joined by winner of Best Collection, Jason Allen-Paisant.

We talk about his experience of winning the prize, the inspiration behind his award-winning collection, how he felt connected to Shakespeare's Othello and so much more. It was a really interesting and thought-provoking conversation and such an honour to hear Jason read his work aloud, we hope you enjoy!

To buy Jason's collection 'Self-Portrait as Othello': https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/self-portrait-as-othello-jason-allen-paisant/7398755?ean=9781800173101

To buy his previous collection 'Thinking with Trees': https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/thinking-with-trees-jason-allen-paisant/5070456?ean=9781800171138

To pre-order his upcoming book 'Engagements with Aimé Césaire': https://global.oup.com/academic/product/engagements-with-aim-csaire-9780192867223?cc=gb&lang=en&

To follow Jason & his work: https://www.instagram.com/jallenpaisant/, https://www.jasonallenpaisant.com/

Books discussed:
Bad Diaspora Poems by Momtaza Mehri
A Change in the Air by Jane Clarke
Never Was by H. Gareth Gavin

If you enjoyed this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you! You can follow us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter & Tik Tok, or get in touch with us via email apairofbookendspod@gmail.com
Thanks so much for listening, until next time, happy reading! x

Welcome back Bookends! We are back with the first episode in our THIRD season of Debut Spotlight - where we bring you the freshest debut authors and their work.
For this episode we were joined by author and curator Celina Baljeet Basra, to discuss her upcoming novel 'Happy'.
We talk about the inspiration for her young, ambitious protagonist, the importance of sharing stories of migrant workers & their working conditions, the unusual structure of her novel and the space she curates for herself to write in, amongst much more!
We hope you enjoy this episode, please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you.

To pre-order 'Happy' (UK listeners): https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/happy-celina-baljeet-basra/7357029?ean=9781035405886

To follow Celina: https://www.instagram.com/celinabasra/?hl=en

If you wish to follow us, you can do so @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and Tik Tok.

Books & other recommendations discussed:
Flights by Olga Tokarczuk


Do You Remember Being Born?: A Novel by Sean Michaels
Delhi-6 (Movie)
Masakali by Mohit Chauhan (song from Delhi-6)
Uski Roti (Movie)
https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/17312 - Dough by Video Artist Mika Rottenberg

Do get in touch with us with any of your own recommendations, we love hearing them! apairofbookendspod@gmail.com

Welcome back Bookends to another Book Club episode, for October we chose Land of Milk and Honey, the second novel from Booker Prize long-listed author C.Pam Zhang. For this episode we were thrilled to be joined by the author herself to chat all about the world of her novel. Our conversation covered food, class, climate change, family and how lots of these things play into one another, it was such a thought-provoking conversation & we can't wait to hear what you think!
As always, please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you.

To get in touch please do email us at apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can follow us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and Tik Tok!

Books & other recommendations discussed:
I'm a fan by Sheena Patel
Pilgrim Bell: Poems by Kaveh Akbar
Home Body by Rupi Kaur
C.Pam Zhang for Esquire on grief & her Grandmother's cooking: https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/a45123237/c-pam-zhang-taste-of-her-care/
Women Talking - Amazon Prime
Mobility: A Novel by Lydia Kiesling
Smoking Goat (Restaurant, Shoreditch)
Ahsoka (Disney +)

To buy Land of Milk and Honey: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/land-of-milk-and-honey-c-pam-zhang/7419911?ean=9781529153668
To follow Pam: https://www.instagram.com/cpamzhang/?hl=en-gb

Thank you so much for listening! Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Welcome Bookends to our October Bonus episode where Hannah was joined by the international best-selling author Victoria Hislop to chat all about her latest novel 'The Figurine'

Unfortunately Lydia was ill for this episode but Hannah had a wonderful conversation with Victoria about her passion for Greek culture, her immersive research process, the ways in which Emily Brontë influences her writing and so much more. As always if you enjoyed this episode, please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you!

To buy Victoria's book: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-figurine-the-brand-new-novel-from-the-no-1-sunday-times-bestselling-author-of-the-island-victoria-hislop/7498481?ean=9781472263933

To follow Victoria and her work: https://www.victoriahislop.com/
https://www.instagram.com/vichislop/?hl=en-gb

To follow/contact us:
https://linktr.ee/apairofbookendspod

Books & other recs discussed:
Fifteen Wild Decembers by Karen Powell
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Oppenheimer
Boiling Point - BBC Iplayer

Thanks so much for listening, until next time- happy reading! Han & Lyd x

Welcome back Bookends to the finale of Season 2 of our Debut Spotlight series, where we shine the spotlight on the freshest authors and their work! For this episode we were joined by the brilliant Australian author of 'Sad Girl Novel', Pip Finkemeyer. We discuss why we love a sad girl novel, the beauty and intensity of female friendship, her positive debut publishing experience and so much more! We hope you enjoy this conversation and as always, please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you.

To follow us:
https://linktr.ee/apairofbookendspod

To buy Pip's book: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/sad-girl-novel-pip-finkemeyer/7438218?ean=9781399723534

To follow Pip and her work:
https://www.instagram.com/pipfink/

Books & other recs discussed in this ep:
Body Friend by Katherine Brabon
Shameless Podcast
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Breaking Bad - Netflix
Girls - Now TV
Only Murders In The Building - Disney +
The Modern by Anna Kate Blair









The diaries of Helen Garner

Thanks so much for listening. Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x