Curious Readers

Join Amanda and Joseph for their annual (slightly unhinged) Booker Prize shortlist review, along with their latest book news and an update on what they plan to read next. Bookish NewsEast of Eden by John SteinbeckEast of Eden adaptation (Netflix) by Zoe Kazan @zoe.kazanThe Nobel Prize for LiteratureAutobiography of Red by Anne CarsonEros the Bittersweet by Anne CarsonThe Kirkus PrizeKin by Tayari Jones @tayariThe Booker shortlist reviewThe Booker Prize shortlistThe End of Everything by M. John Harrison @m_john_harrisonThe Disappearers by Marlon James @marlonjameswriterBlack Bag by Luke Kennard @lukekekennnardMay We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry @poorsasquatchThe Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout @liztroutauthorJohn of John by Douglas Stuart @douglas_stuartThe Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran DesaiFlashlight by Susan ChoiAudition by Katie Kitamura @_katiekitamuraThe Shadow of the Object by Chloe AridjisWimmy Road Boyz by Sufiyaan Salam @sufiyaansalamMy New Face by Amina Cain @amina_memoryCurious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudioFollow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes

This week is a bit of a departure for the Curious Readers, as Joseph and Amanda discuss all things related to pen and paper. Join them for a whole episode dedicated to stationery (with an ‘e’) in which they cover their favourite reading-adjacent supplies and where to get them - but not without a review of the Booker and National Book Award shortlists first.Bookish NewsThe Booker Prize shortlistReplica foodThe National Book AwardsParadiso 17 by Hannah Lillith Assadi @hillithThe Disappearers by Marlon James @marlonjameswriterThe Renovation by Kenan OrhanPython’s Kiss by Louise ErdrichDèy by Edwidge Dandicat @dandicatedwidgeBeginning Middle End by Valeria Luiselli @valeria_luiselli@amicus.domusCurrent ReadsUprising by Tahmima Anam @tahmimaThe Understory by Chloe Benjamin @cholekbenjaminThe Exorcist by William Peter BlattyEast of Eden by John SteinbeckReading accessoriesTaotronic goose neck LED @taotronics_officialMini clip on reading lights IKEA @ikeaMornington studio Clarity Floor Standing reading light @morningtonstudioGlocusent original neck reading lightStabilo ‘swing cool’ highlighters @stabiloCreator’s Friend @creatorsfriendPaper Republic @paper_republicTraveler’s Company @travelers_companyMark and Fold @markandfoldMidori @thejournalshopDaigo Japan @thejournalshopUni-ball Eye Micro Black Rollerball Pen @uniball_ukMitsubishi Pencil Company @uni_mitsibushi-pencilMontblanc @montblancCaran D’Ache @carandachePelikan fountain pen @pelikan_passionPilot Kakuno @artfromtheheart_ukEllington Pens @ellington.pensYStudio @ystudiostyleArt from the Heart @artfromtheheart_ukPresent & Correct @presentandcorrectThe London Graphic Centre @londongraphiccentreMuji @muji_globalBlueprint Coffee @coffeeblueprintBounty Whitstable @bountywhitstableWhat we’re reading nextThe Wedding People by Alison Espach @alison.espachI Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell @maggieofarrellofficialThe Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers @theerinsomersAttacking Earth and Sun by Mathieu Belezi and translated by Lara Vergnaud @mathieubelezi @laravergnaudJohn of John by Douglas Stuart @douglas_stuartDusk by Robbie ArnottAlso mentionedCurious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio

As the nights draw in, Joseph and Amanda look forward to all the autumn releases they hope to get through before December. Along the way, they meander through prize news, current reads and discover circular themes about the Epic of Gilgamesh, pianos and Dickens – and that’s all before they get to the mimmoths. Bookish NewsA Tale of Two Cities, a Marlowe Theatre ProductionThe Hugo AwardsThe Everlasting by Alix E Harrow @alix.e.harrowThe River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar @amalelmohtarThis Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone @max.gladstoneA Wizard Of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel by Ursula K. LeGuin and Fred FordhamLud-In-The-Mist by Hope MirleesA Drop Of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett @r.jackson.bennettThe Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson BennettCurrent ReadsThere Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak @shafakelifLand by Maggie O’Farrell @maggieofarrellofficialSophie, Standing There by Meg Mason @meg_mason_writerSorrow and Bliss by Meg MasonAutumn PreviewPly by Hernan DiazTrust by Hernan DiazAmerican Hagwon by Min Jin Lee @lee_minjinEnd Times Fascism by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor @naomiklein @astraamouraThe Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson @jennyjacksonpineapplePineapple Street by Jenny JacksonThe Wedding People by Alison Espach @alison.espachThe Strangers by Naomi Alderman @naomi_aldermanThe Power by Naomi AldermanPartita by Barbara Kingsolver @barbara.kingsolverMinihorror by Barbi Marković translated by Jen Calleja @barbimarkovich @jencalleja_Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte @tonytulaOff The Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones @stephengrahamjonesThe Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham-JonesGilgamesh by Simon Armitage @simonarmitage_officialLessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus @bonnie_garmus_authorPeck & Peck by Bonnie GarmusStations by Louise Kennedy @louisekennedywriterTrespasses by Louise KennedyFurious, Disney PlusWidow’s Bay on Apple TVGaining Ground by Joan Barfoot (also know as Abra in Canada)Six Four by Hideo YokoyamaLady Joker by Kaoru TakamuraOn The Calculation of Volume - Volume V by Solvej BalleThe Pen: A Human History by Simon GarfieldThe Missing Ink: How Handwriting Made Us Who We Are by Philip HensherThe Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland AlanHudson by Hernán Ronsino, translated by Mallory Craig-KuhnFruit Fly by Josh SilverLook What You Made Me Do by John LancasterCapital by John LancasterCurious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudioFollow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes

As we bid farewell to Summer Break, we take questions from our listeners in a special post bag episode - and of course, we can’t help but make some recommendations along the way. And don’t worry, normal service will be resumed on 11 September when return to the mics for a deep dive into Ann Patchett's latest novel, Whistler.Recent ReadsThe Calamity Club by Kathryn StocktonPost Bag QuestionsClaude.aiOur Wives Under the Sea by Julia ArmfieldMy Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again by M. John HarrisonLost Lambs by Madeline CashAn Apprenticeship, or The Book Of Pleasures by Clarice Lispector The Passion According to G.H. by Clarice Lispector The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector The Hypocrite by Jo HamyaThe Life of M by Rachel CuskAudition, by Katie KitamuraEnter Ghost by Isabella Hammad@apairofbookendspodMaus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art SpiegelmanThe Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave GibbonsPersepolis by Marjane SatrapiAlison by Lizzie StewartThe Wreck by Lizzie StewartDucks by Kate BeatonFrom Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie CampbellBlack Hole by Charles BurnsThe Property by Rutu ModanSomething Will Happen, You’ll See by Christos IkonomouLittle Infamies by Panos KarnezisGreekling by Kostya TsolakisThe Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson Circe by Madeline MillerSong of Achilles by Madeline MillerStone Blind by Natalie HaynesHot Milk by Deborah LevyWhat We’re Reading NextWhistler by Ann PatchettCurious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudioFollow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes

How many times have Amanda and Joseph joined the ‘Just One Book’ Deception Society? Too many to count. This week they are talking about the joy of browsing and the bookshops they love visiting across the UK. Plus, as always they’ll be chatting about what they’ve been reading recently and the titles they're hoping to pick up next.  Recent ReadsI Want You To Be Happy by Jem CalderService by John TottenhamBookshops and browsingSweet Valley High series by Francine PascalThe Book of Lost Tales (Volume 2) by J R R TolkienPersephone Books, Bath and London @persephonebooksIf The Boot Fits by Rebekah WeatherspoonCharco Press @charcopressDaunt Books, Marleybone or Cheapside @dauntbookspubBookmongers, Brixton @bookmongersbrixtonHarbour Books, Whitstable @harbourbooksA Passage North by Anuk ArudpragasamIn The Distance by Hernan DiazLondon Review of Books Bookshop, London @londonreviewofbooksJudd Books, London @juddbooksBook Bar, London @bookbarukHatchards, St Pancras @hatchstpancrasBrick Lane Bookshop, London @bricklanebookshopPages of Hackney, London @pagesofhackneyThe Margate Bookshop, Margate @themargatebookshopLittle Green Bookshop, Herne Bay @thegreenbookshopMichael’s Bookshop, Ramsgate @michaelsbookshopramsgatePlunder Books, Ramsgate @plunderbooksHeffers, Cambridge @heffers_cambridgeBody in the Bookshop, Cambridge @bodiesinthebookshopMurder and Mayhem, Hay on Wye @murder_and_mayhemRichard Booth’s Bookshop, Hay on Wye @richardboothsbookshopWhat We’re Reading NextThe Calamity Club by Kathryn StocktonThe Disappearing Act by Maria StepanovaAlso mentionedCurious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudioFollow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes

Join Amanda and Joseph as they set out to excavate Land, Maggie O’Farrell’s latest historical novel and family drama which is set in 1860s Ireland, a decade after the Great Famine. Plus, as always they chat about what they've been reading recently and what they hope to pick up next. Bookish NewsChildren’s Booker PrizeFrank Cottrell-Boyce @frank_cottrellboyceWide Sargasso Sea by Jean RhysThe Bookshop by Penelope FitzgeraldBeast in View by Maragert MillarMrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth TaylorGreat Granny Webster by Caroline Blackwood@herrealtakeRecent ReadsThe Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet @lyse.doucetHer Majesty’s Royal Coven series by Juno Dawson @junodawsonParallel Lives: A Love Story from a Lost Continent by Iain PearsSelected Books of Maggie O’Farrell @maggieofarrellofficialThe Vanishing Act of Esme LennoxInstructions for a HeatwaveThis Must Be the Place Hamnet The Marriage Portrait LandWhat We’re Reading NextThe Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan @theodysseymovieCrossing The Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature by Emily WilsonI Want You To Be Happy by Jem CalderCurious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio

Join Amanda and Joseph as they go through the looking glass into the fascinating (and anxiety inducing) world of artificial intelligence - and recommending some fiction and non-fiction picks about Large Language Models, bots, and the machines learning to live like us. Plus, as always they'll be chatting about what they've been reading recently and what they hope to pick up next. Bookish NewsLambda Literary Awards @lambdaliteraryNova Scotia House by Charlie Porter Black Panther Woman by Mary Frances Phillips @maryfrancisphillips The Lilac People by Milo Todd @todd_miloVirago Modern Classics @viragopressFrost In May by Antonia White Peking Picnic by Ann BridgeRecent ReadsThe Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout @lizstroutauthorSoft Core by Brittany Newell @frottage_industryGood Girl by Aria Aber @aria.aberThe Spare Room by Helen GarnerHow to End a Story by Helen GarnerSmall Rain by Garth Greenwell @ggreenwellThe Ghost in the ManuscriptOlga Tokarczuk @tokarczuk_olgaMartin Scorcese @martinscorceseKane Parsons @kanepixelsJosh Johnson @joshjohnsoncomedyField Work as a Sex Object by Meena Kandasamy @k.a.n.d.a.s.a.m.yThe New Age of Sexism by Laura Bates @laura_bates_Meditations for the Anxious Mind @meditationsfortheanxiousmindHow to Talk to AI (and How Not To) by Jamie Bartlett @jamiejbartlettAnnie Bot by Sierra Greer @sierra_greer_writerMachines Like Me by Ian McEwanThe Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI by Cory DoctorowWhat We’re Reading NextWhistler by Ann Patchett @annpatchettCurious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio

In the height of Prize Season, Amanda and Joseph are back with a bumper episode asking what all the hullabaloo is about - how are prizes judged and awarded, and are the winners worth our time? Plus, they talk about Amanda’s recent trip to the Women’s Prize ceremony, and as always, what they’ve been reading recently and what they hope to pick up next. Bookish NewsHay FestivalCareless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams @sarahww_Women’s PrizeWomen’s Prize Live and other eventsRivals on Disney+Felicity Blunt @thebluntofficeLaura WadeKatherine Parkinson @parkinson.katherineField Work as a Sex Object by Meena Kadasamy @k.a.n.d.a.s.a.m.yRapture by Emily Maguire @emilymaguirewriterThese Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany @salmaelwardanyThe Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet @lyse.doucetThe Correspondent by Virgina Evans @virginia.l.evansDominion by Addie E. Kitchens @addie_citchensThe Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson @marxia1Recent ReadsAir by Christian KrachtEurotrash by Christian KrachtImperium by Christian KrachtYou With the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate @christinapplegatePrizes and Prize-Worthy RecommendationsThe Nobel Prize for LiteratureThe Pulitzer Prize for FictionThe Booker PrizeNational Book Award Milkman by Anna Burns‘The Hemingway Veto’ and For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest HemingwayThe Riders In The Chariot by Patrick WhiteThe Tree of Man by Patrick WhiteThe Rabbit Hutch by Tess GuntyMartyr by Kaveh Akbar @kavehakbar.kavehakbarMoon Tiger by Penelope LivelyTrust by Hernan DiazWhat We’re Reading NextThe Beautiful Ones by Prince and Dan Piepenbring The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout @lizstroutauthorAlso mentionedCurious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudioFollow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes