Novel Thoughts

This week we’re deep diving into the brilliant Maggie O’Farrell’s The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, a novel about Victorian asylums, family secrets, and the tragedy of being yourself. Also this week, Saph read 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell, Joseph read Day by Michael Cunningham, and Michelle read Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. This week’s listener recommendation request comes from Skye who loved Milk Teeth by Jessica Andrews and is looking for something with a similarly lyrical first-person style. Joseph recommends Second Self by Chloe Ashby, Saph recommends Tangerine by Christine Mangan, and Michelle recommends Normal People by Sally Rooney. Also mentioned in this episode:Rebecca by Daphne du MaurierI Am I Am I Am by Maggie O’FarrellThe Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson BurnettSee the Novel Thoughts bookshop page for all books mentioned in this episode.

In celebration of International Women’s Day on 8 March 2024 on this week’s episode we talk about active female representation in contemporary fiction and recommend some of our favourite books that absolutely smash the Bechdel TestBoulder by Eva BaltasarJungle House by Julianne PachicoMatrix by Lauren GroffIf I Had Your Face by Frances ChaAlso this week, Joseph read On Reading, Writing, and Living with Books by Pushkin Press/The London Library, and Saph read The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz.This week’s listener recommendation request comes from Mollie who reads a lot of contemporary fiction set in the present day and would like to read more books set in different time periods. Joseph recommends The Dutch House by Anne Patchett, and Saph recommends Hurdy Gurdy by Christopher Wilson and The Glutton by A K Blakemore. Also mentioned in this episode:Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia ArmfieldNevada by Imogen BinnieThe Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret AtwoodDykes to Watch Out For by Alison BechdelSee the Novel Thoughts bookshop page for all books mentioned in this episode.

Join us this week as we chat about a glut of great new fiction and non-fiction releases for March, plus we reveal our top picks from the new Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction long list. March 2024 New ReleasesThe Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer CroftMona of the Manor by Armistead MaupinStone Yard Devotional by Charlotte WoodClear by Carys DaviesWho Owns the Moon? by A.C. GraylingThe Rising Down: Lives in a Sussex Landscape by Alexandra HarrisWomen’s Prize for Non-Fiction Long List - Our PicksSome People Need Killing: A Memoir of Murder in the Philippines by Lisa EvangelistaIntervals by Marianne BrookerDoppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi KleinHow To Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya SinclairWifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life by Anna FunderThis week’s listener recommendation request comes from Mike who normally enjoys cosy crime, but is looking for something a bit more heartfelt. Joseph recommends Things Can Only Get Better by David M. Barnett, and Saph recommends Skippy Dies by Paul Murray and just about anything by Fredrik Backman.Also mentioned in this episode:Shadowlands: A Journey Through Lost Britain by Matthew GreenThe Beauty Myth by Naomi WolfFlights by Olga TokarczukEileen: The Making of George Orwell by Sylvia ToppMurder Before Evensong by Richard Coles A Good Read Podcast (BBC Radio 4)See the Novel Thoughts bookshop page for all books mentioned in this episode.

Join us this week as we give our empathy muscles a workout and chat about six of the best contemporary memoirs we’ve read recently. Saph recommends This Is Not A Pity Memoir by Abbi Morgan, Taking Sides: A Memoir About Love, War, and Changing the World by Sherine Tadros, and The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions by Jonathan Rosen. Joseph recommends Stay True by Hua Hsu, In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, and Also A Poet: Frank O’Hara, My Father, and Me by Ada Calhoun. Also this week, Joseph read The Wrong End of the Telescope by Rabih Alameddine and Saph read The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin This week’s listener recommendation request comes from Sara who loved The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Daré and is looking for similar books. Joseph recommends Half A Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Saph recommends The Seven Moons of Mali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka. Also mentioned in this episode:The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le GuinWar Stories by Jeremy BowenBoy Friends by Michael PedersenFriendaholic by Elizabeth Day Platonic: How Understanding Your Attachment Style Can Help You Make and Keep Friends by Marisa G FrancoSee the Novel Thoughts bookshop page for all books mentioned in this episode.

Ahoy! Join us for our first ever author spotlight in which we dive into the award-winning novels of American author Rebecca Makkai. Makkai’s work tackles subjects as diverse as the trauma of the 1980’s AIDS crisis and the enduring legacy of the #MeToo movement, to the secrets and scandals of a mysterious artists’ colony and the modern-day politics of conversion therapy. I Have Some Questions For You The Great Believers The Hundred Year HouseThe Borrower Also this week Joseph read The End We Start From by Megan Hunter and Saph read Society of Snow by Pablo Vierci. The Novel Thoughts team also talk about Charlie Kaufman’s forthcoming adaptation of Yoko Ogawa’s The Memory Police. This week’s listener recommendation request comes from Kelly who likes a good crime novel and is looking for recommendation for her next five-star read. Joseph recommends The It Girl by Ruth Ware and Saph recommends Night Boat To Tangier by Kevin Barry. Also mentioned in this episode:The Harpy by Megan HunterStillicide by Cynan JonesThey by Kay DickTo The Friend Who Did Not Save My Life by Hervé GuibertThe Farewell Symphony by Edmund White See the Novel Thoughts bookshop page for all books mentioned in this episode.

It’s Donna Tartt appreciation week! Michelle joins us for our deep dive into The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt’s brilliant, award-winning novel about art, drugs, loss, and not always getting what you want. Also this week Joseph read Death Valley by Melissa Broder and Duty Free Art by Hito Steyerl, Michelle read A Curious History of Sex by Kate Lister and Fire and Blood by George R R Martin, and Saph read Son of Rosemary by Ira Levin and Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories. This week’s listener recommendation request comes from Edward who is looking for a great (auto)biography. Joseph recommends Girl In A Band by Kim Gordon. Saph recommends Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner and Take Away by Angela Hui. Michelle recommends Clothes Clothes Clothes, Music Music Music, Boys Boys Boys by Viv Albertine, Seabiscuit: The True Story of Three Men and a Racehorse by Laura Hillenbrand, and Educated by Tara Westover. Also mentioned in this episode:The Secret History and The Little Friend by Donna TarttMilk Fed by Melissa BroderGreat Expectations by Charles DickensWhores of Yore Twitter accounte-fluxSee the Novel Thoughts bookshop page for all books mentioned in this episode.