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Explore every episode of the podcast Tea or Books?
Dive into the complete episode list for Tea or Books?. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #153: Do We Care If Writers Exaggerate? and When The Cranes Fly South vs Only About Love | 16 août 2026 | ||
Liars, Lisa Ridzen, and Debbi Voisey – welcome to episdoe 153! In the first half, we talk about our expectations of truth in the non-fiction we read, inspired by the hoo-ha over The Salt Path. In the second half, we compare When | |||
| #152: Novels about women’s home life vs work life, and The Professor’s House by Willa Cather vs The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout | 28 juil. 2026 | ||
Elizabeth Strout, Willa Cather, and women’s lives – welcome to episode 152! In the first half, Rachel and Simon discuss whether we prefer reading novels about women’s professional lives or their home lives. In the second half, we compare two | |||
| #151: A Q&A special! (part 2) | 02 juil. 2026 | ||
Thanks again for all your questions for our special Q&A episode of Tea or Books? It took longer than planned, but here is part 2… Do get in touch at teaorbooks[at]gmail.com with suggestions and questions for future episodes! | |||
| #150: A Q&A special! (part 1) | 25 mai 2026 | ||
Thank you so much for all your questions for episode 150 of ‘Tea or Books?’! Because we had so many questions, we’re doing it over two episodes – so today’s is the first half. Watch out for part 2, next | |||
| #149: Do We Like Campus Novels? and Two Books By Muriel Spark | 16 avr. 2026 | ||
Muriel Spark and campus novels – welcome to episode 149! In the first half of this episode, we answer Lisa’s question: do we like campus novels? In the second half, we compare two novels by Muriel Spark. Not necessarily the | |||
| #148: Is There A Right Time To Read A Book? and The Dutch House vs The Party | 30 mars 2026 | ||
Ann Patchett, Tessa Hadley, and finding the right time to read a book – welcome to episode 149! In the first half, we answer the question: is there a right time for each particular book? In the second half, we | |||
| #147: Quality vs Quantity and Two Books About Artists | 28 févr. 2026 | ||
Douglas Bruton, Carolyn Trant, and quality vs quantity – welcome to episode 147 or Tea or Books?! In the first half, we discuss quality vs quantity in our reading goals (inspired by this Guardian article). In the second half, we | |||
| #146: Our Top 10 Books of 2025 | 17 janv. 2026 | ||
Our favourite reads of the year! Welcome to episode 146. We turn the whole episode over to our run-down of our ten favourite books from a year in reading. As has become a tradition, we will then choose one book | |||
| #145: Younger vs Older Authors and Rhine Journey vs Fenny | 16 déc. 2025 | ||
Ann Schlee! Lettice Cooper! Authors! Welcome to episode 145 of Tea or Books? In the first half of this episode, we discuss whether we prefer younger authors or older authors (thank you Lindsey for the suggestion!) In the second half, | |||
| #144: Simple vs Ornate Style, and Sylvia Plath vs Janet Malcolm | 25 nov. 2025 | ||
Sylvia Plath, Janet Malcolm and our thoughts on writing style – welcome to episode 144! In the first half of this episode, we discuss whether we prefer writing style to be ornate or simple. In the second half, we compare | |||
| #143 : Do We Avoid Books That Will Upset Us? and Agatha Christie vs Ethel Lina White | 31 oct. 2025 | ||
Agatha Christie, Ethel Lina White, and sad books – welcome to episode 143! In the first half, we use Geraldine’s suggestion – do we avoid books that will upset us? In the second half, we compare They Came To Baghdad by Agatha | |||
| #142: Can We Like A Character Who Makes Stupid Decisions? and Other People vs A Five Year Sentence | 27 sept. 2025 | ||
Celia Dale! Bernice Rubens! Stupidity! Welcome to episode 142 of Tea or Books? In the first half of the episode, we ask if we can like characters in novels who make stupid decisions. In the second half, we compare Other People | |||
| #141: Do We Care About Weather in Novels? and Crooked Cross vs The Spring Begins | 20 août 2025 | ||
Sally Carson, Katherine Dunning, and the weather – welcome to episode 141! In the first half, Rachel and I discuss significant weather scenes in novels, and whether knowing about the weather in novels makes a difference to us. In the | |||
| #140: Our 10 Favourite Books from 10 Years | 21 juil. 2025 | ||
It’s time for our favourite 10 books from 10 years of ‘Tea or Books?’! Rachel and I have looked through the books we read for the first ten years of the podcast and have each picked our ten favourites – | |||
| #139: 10th anniversary special! O Caledonia vs The Sundial, and celebrating 10 years | 28 juin 2025 | ||
Shirley Jackson, Elspeth Barker, and your emails – welcome to episode 139 of Tea or Books?! Can you believe we’ve been going for ten years? It’s wild to me! In the first half of the episode we compare two gothic-inspired | |||
| Help us celebrate 10 years of Tea or Books?! | 26 mai 2025 | ||
A super quick mini-episode – well, not really an episode – asking for your contributions to the next episode of ‘Tea or Books?’. It will be TEN YEARS since Rachel and I first put an episode out into the ether | |||
| #138: Do We Care About Authors’ Personal Lives? and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne vs The Beautiful Visit | 11 mai 2025 | ||
Elizabeth Jane Howard, Brian Moore, and authors’ personal lives – welcome to episode 138! In the first half of the episode, we do a question that Lindsey suggested: do we care about authors’ personal lives? It takes us to questions | |||
| #137: Resolved or Unresolved Endings? and Perfection vs Catherine Carter | 04 avr. 2025 | ||
Resolved endings, Pamela Hansford Johnson, Vincenzo Latronico – welcome to episode 137 of Tea or Books?! In the first half of the episode, we take a suggestion from Lindsey – do we prefer resolved or unresolved endings? In the second half, | |||
| #136: Does Reading Make Us Better People? and And Then There Were None vs The Invisible Host | 11 mars 2025 | ||
Agatha Christie, Gwen Bristow, Bruce Manning and reading morality – welcome to episode 136 of Tea or Books?! In the first half of this episode, we discuss whether or not we take moral instruction from the books we read – | |||
| #135: Can Literary Fiction Be A Comfort Read? and Enter Ghost vs Lady Living Alone | 06 févr. 2025 | ||
Isabella Hammad, Norah Lofts, comfort reads – welcome to episode 135! In the first half, we discuss whether or not literary fiction can be comfort reads – thank you for the suggestion, Marcy! In the second half, we compare | |||
| #134: Our Top 10 Books of 2024 | 01 janv. 2025 | ||
Happy new year! In episode 134, Rachel and I share our favourite books reads in 2024 – counting down from ten to one. And we each pick one of the other’s top 10 to read for our next episode! Thanks | |||
| #133: Do We Have Reading Rules? and Two Willa Cather Novels | 13 déc. 2024 | ||
Willa Cather and reading rules – welcome to episode 133 of ‘Tea or Books?’! In the first half, we discuss reading rules – when we’re picking up a book, are there certain things that will definitely put us off? In | |||
| #132: Interview: Edward Carey on Edith Holler | 24 oct. 2024 | ||
Edward Carey joins us to discuss his latest novel, Edith Holler. Welcome to episode 132! Rachel and I both love Edward Carey’s novels, so it was a real joy to have the opportunity to interview him. We discuss how he | |||
| #131: Do We Read Deeply or Shallowly? and One Year’s Time vs Which Way? | 04 oct. 2024 | ||
Angela Milne, Theodora Benson, and reading deeply – welcome to episode 131 of Tea or Books?! In the first half of the episode, we discuss a topic suggestion by Heidi – do we read deeply or shallowly? Do we like critical | |||
| #130: Do Books Need Romance? and The Ladies’ Paradise vs Babbacombe’s | 24 août 2024 | ||
Emile Zola, Noel Streatfeild, and romantic books – welcome to Tea or Books? episode 130! In the first half of this episode, we do a topic suggested by Lindsey – do books need a romantic storyline? In the second half, we | |||
| Tea or Books? #129: Authors Who Wrote Too Much vs Not Enough and A Room of One’s Own vs A Bookshop of One’s Own | 14 juil. 2024 | ||
Virginia Woolf, Jane Cholmeley, and authors who wrote too much or not enough – welcome to episode 129! In the first half, we use a great topic suggestion by David – do we prefer authors who wrote too many books | |||
| Tea or Books? #128: Do We Read Plays? and Fifty Sounds vs The Housekeeper and the Professor | 08 juin 2024 | ||
Polly Barton, Yoko Ogawa, and plays – welcome to episode 128! In the first half of today’s ‘Tea or Books?’ episode, Rachel and I revisit a topic from years ago – plays! Specifically, do we think that plays should be | |||
| Tea or Books? #127: Do We Have Guilty Pleasures? and A Clergyman’s Daughter vs The Vicar’s Daughter | 25 avr. 2024 | ||
George Orwell, E.H. Young, guilty pleasures – welcome to episode 127! In the first half of the episode, we ask: what is our guiltiest reading pleasure? Has that changed over time? Do we feel guilty about anything connected with reading? | |||
| Tea or Books? #126: Should Books Be Banned? and Lessons in Chemistry vs Dear Mrs Bird | 18 mars 2024 | ||
Banned books, Bonnie Garmus and A.J. Pearce – welcome to episode 126! In the first half of the episode, we discuss banned books – should books ever be banned? Does a book being banned make us want to read it | |||
| Tea or Books? #125: Do We Read Celeb Memoirs? and Day vs Landscape in Sunlight | 10 févr. 2024 | ||
Celeb memoirs, Michael Cunningham, Elizabeth Fair – welcome to episode 125! In the first half, Rachel and I discuss celebrity memoirs – do we read them? What do we count as a celebrity memoir? In the second half, we each | |||
| Tea or Books? #124: Our Favourite Reads of 2023 | 08 janv. 2024 | ||
Our favourite books from 2023 – or reads, because of course we mostly read ‘backlisted’ titles. Always a fun one to record – this time with the added bonus that we were each going to choose one from the other’s | |||
| Tea or Books? #123: Critical or Charitable Reading? and Sheep’s Clothing vs Harriet Said… | 14 déc. 2023 | ||
Beryl Bainbridge, Celia Dale, critical and charitable reading – welcome to episode 123! In the first half of the episode we use a suggestion from Susannah – do we read charitably or critically? In the second half we compare too | |||
| Tea or Books? #122: Mary Lawson novels w/ Mary Lawson! | 22 nov. 2023 | ||
Mary Lawson joins us to talk about all her novels – welcome to episode 122! I can’t quite believe I’m writing this, but THE Mary Lawson – Canadian author of Crow Lake, The Other Side of the Bridge, Road Ends, and A Town Called | |||
| Tea or Books? #121: Should Books Have A Message? and Two Jane Gardam Novels | 14 oct. 2023 | ||
Jane Gardam and messages in books – welcome to episode 121! In the first half of the episode, Rachel and I discuss whether or not we think books should have a message. In the second half we pit two Jane | |||
| Tea or Books? #120: Travel Inspiration from Fiction or Non-Fiction? and The English Air vs The Morning Gift – with Claire / The Captive Reader | 02 sept. 2023 | ||
D.E. Stevenson, Eva Ibbotson, travel inspo – welcome to episode 120! We have our first returning guest – the wonderful Claire, who blogs at The Captive Reader. In the first half of this episode, we talk about inspiration from travel | |||
| Tea or Books? #119: Amateur Sleuths or Professional Detectives? and Women Talking vs Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead | 30 juil. 2023 | ||
Miriam Toews, Olga Tokarczuk and detective fiction – welcome to episode 119! In the first half of this episode, we discuss detective fiction – do we prefer the mystery-solver to be a professional or an amateur? And in the second | |||
| Tea or Books? #118: Do We Read Children and Adult Books By The Same Author? and Lucy vs The Buddha in the Attic | 28 juin 2023 | ||
Julie Otsuka, Jamaica Kincard, adults’ and children’s books – welcome to episode 118! In the first half – a topic suggested by Aileen, where we discuss authors who wrote both children’s and adult’s books and whether we read both. In | |||
| Tea or Books? #117 w/ Lucy Scholes – Do We Like Unnamed Characters? and Ex-Wife vs Sally On The Rocks | 06 juin 2023 | ||
Ursula Parrott, Winifred Boggs, unnamed characters – welcome to episode 117! We are so delighted to welcome Lucy Scholes as a guest for this episode. She’s is a reprint/old books superstar – you might know her Re-Covered column for the Paris | |||
| Tea or Books? #116: Do We Like Books About Sport and Quick Curtain vs It Walks By Night | 12 mai 2023 | ||
John Dickson Carr, Alan Melville, sports – welcome to episode 116! In the first half, we talk about sports in books – do we like them? Will we be able to think of any? Thank you to Lindsey for suggesting | |||
| Tea or Books? #115: Do We Like Books About Bookshops? and Quartet in Autumn vs Journal of a Solitude | 17 avr. 2023 | ||
Barbara Pym, May Sarton, and bookshops – welcome to episode 115! In the first half of the episode, we take up Sally’s suggestion of topic – and discuss whether or not we like books set in bookshops and libraries. More | |||
| Tea or Books? #114: Linear vs Non-linear Narratives and Winter in the Air vs A World of Love | 20 mars 2023 | ||
Sylvia Townsend Warner, Elizabeth Bowen, linear narratives – welcome to episode 114! In the first half of this episode, we use a suggestion from listener Sarah – do we prefer linear or non-linear narratives? In the second half we look | |||
| Tea or Books? #113: Do We Like Literary Retellings? and South Riding vs Ruth | 15 févr. 2023 | ||
Elizabeth Gaskell, Winifred Holtby, and more – welcome to episode 113! In the first half of this episode, we look at literary retellings – by which we mean authors using fairy tales or Greek mythology or basically whatever we fancy | |||
| Tea or Books? #112: Best Books of 2022 and They Were Sisters vs The Three Sisters | 11 janv. 2023 | ||
Dorothy Whipple, May Sinclair, and favourite books of 2022 – welcome to episode 112! Happy new year! Welcome to the first episode of Tea or Books? for 2023 – recorded on two different days, so hopefully it’s not too awkward. | |||
| Tea or Books? #111: Do We Care What Characters Look Like? And Good Behaviour vs Full House | 08 déc. 2022 | ||
Molly Keane, M.J. Farrell, and characters’ appearances – welcome to episode 111! In the first half, Rachel and I discuss what characters look like – do we care, do we notice if it’s mentioned, etc. In the second half, we | |||
| Tea or Books? #110: Do We Care Where Characters Work? and A Helping Hand vs The True Deceiver | 06 nov. 2022 | ||
Tove Jansson, Celia Dale, jobs in books! Welcome to episode 110 A bit of a longer break than usual because I lost my voice. But we’re back, asking – in the first half of the episode – whether we care | |||
| Tea or Books? #109: Boarding House Novels vs Living Alone and Heat Wave vs Heat Lightning | 03 oct. 2022 | ||
Penelope Lively, Helen Hull, boarding houses and isolation – welcome to episode 109! In the first half of this episode, Rachel and I compare boarding houses novels and novels where people live alone – up to and including complete isolation. | |||
| Tea or Books? #108: Books with Bite or No Bite; Late and Soon vs A Game of Hide and Seek | 27 août 2022 | ||
Bite, E.M. Delafield, Elizabeth Taylor – welcome to episode 108! In the first half of this episode, we discuss a topic suggested by Gina – do we prefer books with bite or without bite? All will be explained in due | |||
| Tea or Books? #107: Do We Care What Characters Read? and Two Stella Gibbons Novels | 04 août 2022 | ||
Books in books and Stella Gibbons – welcome to episode 107! In the first half, we continue our ‘do we care…’ series with ‘do we care what characters read?’ By which we mean we’re looking at the books that characters | |||
| Tea or Books? #106: Book or Movie First, and The Feast vs Grand Canyon | 11 juil. 2022 | ||
Margaret Kennedy, Vita Sackville-West, and film adaptations – welcome to episode 106! In the first half of this episode, Rachel and I discuss whether you should read the book before you watch the film. In the second half, we pit | |||
| Tea or Books? #105: Big Families vs Small Families and Animal Farm vs Nineteen Eighty-Four | 09 juin 2022 | ||
George Orwell and families – welcome to episode 105! Rachel is busy this month, so I put a shout-out on our Patreon page to see if anybody would be willing to step in and take her place. I was delighted | |||
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