Ep 283: Eurotrash by Christian Kracht translated by Daniel Bowles
Books On The Go
Anna and Geoff react to the 2025 . Our book of the week is by Christian Kracht translated by Daniel Bowles. A middle-aged man goes on a dubious road trip through Switzerland with his 80-year old mother, recently discharged from a mental institution. Blackly comic and written as autofiction, this was the Financial Times Best Translated Book of 2024 and a Time best book of 2024 and has been longlisted for the 2025 Booker International Prize. Other books discussed: by Will Self (the story THE NORTH LONDON BOOK OF THE DEAD) by Graham Greene by Patrick deWitt Follow us! Email: ...
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Ep 282: The Husbands with Holly Gramazio
Books On The Go
A special episode: Anna chats with author about her debut novel . When Lauren returns to her flat in London one night, she finds a husband called Michael: the only problem is, she isn’t married. It turns out that her attic is producing an endless supply of husbands. An instant New York Times best-seller, we loved this genre-bending comedy. Holly talks about her inspiration for THE HUSBANDS, why she loves attics and the unusual setting for her next novel. Books discussed: by Sylvia Townsend Warner by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan by Nora Ephron by Zen Cho by Ellen...
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Ep 281: Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst
Books On The Go
Anna and Geoff review the new novel by Booker Prize-winning author Alan Hollinghurst. Dave Win is a Burmese-British actor reminiscing about his life, growing up as a gay man in the 1960s through to 2019. We loved the exact and beautiful prose but found it slow. The blurb also suggests a tension between Dave and bully Giles whereas the story is more of a (fictional) memoir of Dave and his mother. The called it 'the best novel that's been written about contemporary Britain in the past ten years.' An interesting read and much to discuss! If you enjoyed this book, we recommend: Garth...
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Ep 280: City of Destruction with Vaseem Khan
Books On The Go
A special episode: Anna speaks with author about his new crime novel . This is the fifth in the Malabar House series set in 1950s Bombay after Partition. Persis Wadia is India’s first female police detective and is sent to work in Malabar House. In CITY OF DESTRUCTION, a gunman attempts to assassinate the Defence Minister at a political rally and Persis shoots him dead. The Minister wants war with Pakistan, MI6 agents are involved and Persis is sent to investigate another case. An intriguing mystery set against the backdrop of India’s history and written with warmth and wit....
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Ep 279: Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan
Books On The Go
Anna and Annie discuss the success of Rebecca Yarros’s new book , the third in the Emperyean series. Annie gives her views about why they have been and the popularity of romantasy. Our book of the week is by Nicola Dinan. This buzzy new novel by the author of centres around Max, a 30 year-old trans woman who starts dating Vincent but is unsure whether she is cut out to be a trad wife. Chosen as a ‘Best Book of 2025’ by Stylist, Vogue, GQ, Elle and Cosmopolitan, this is funny, moving and original. We loved it. Coming up: by Helen Garner Follow us! Email: Instagram: ...
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Ep 278: Loose Lips with Kemper Donovan
Books On The Go
A special episode! Anna chats with USA Today best-selling author Kemper Donovan about his new novel , the second in the Ghostwriter series after the best-selling (see ep 265). Kemper hosts the podcast and his crime novels bring the Golden Age of murder mysteries into a contemporary setting. LOOSE LIPS finds our ghost-writer on a literary cruise hosted by publishing celebrity Payton Garrett. A mysterious death occurs and the cruise becomes a murder investigation. Described as KNIVES OUT meets high seas intrigue, this is a fun and clever mystery. We loved it! Kemper recommends: by...
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Ep 277: Book Recommendations with Anthony Nocera
Books On The Go
A special episode : Anna chats with author Anthony Nocera. We discuss Anthony’s brilliant essay WEDNESDAY BANG in the current issue of and his upcoming plays: Log Boy, My Hair is Thinning and Someone Like You. Anthony’s book recommendations: by by Emma Cline by Paul Dalla Rosa Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras and @anocera02 Anthony: Email: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz
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Ep 276: Best Books of 2024
Books On The Go
Anna, Annie and Amanda reveal our favourite reads of 2024! Books discussed: MAGIC PILL by Johann Hari ALL THE BEAUTY IN THE WORLD by Patrick Bringley THE ALTERNATIVES by Caoilinn Hughes THIS STRANGE AND EVENTFUL HISTORY by Claire Messud RAPTURE by Emily Maguire WOO WOO by Ella Baxter THE GENTLEMAN FROM PERU by André Aciman JUICE by Tim Winton (Annie recommends the audiobook) INTERMEZZO by Sally Rooney QUESTION 7 by Richard Flanagan THE WYCH ELM by Tana French Children’s Pick LANDOVEL by Emily Rodda Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras / @mr_annie / @vibrant_lives_podcast ...
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Ep 275: Australian Literature with Farrin Foster
Books On The Go
A special episode: we chat with about new literary journal and emerging Australian authors. We talk about authors who are also musicians, autofiction and taking a book of poetry in your bag for waiting times. Farrin recommends the work of: Seamus Lonergan – KT Major Olivia De Zilva ROCK FLIGHT by Hasib Hourani Dom Guerrera Rapture by Emily Maguire Coming up: Our Best Books of 2024 Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras and @splinterjournal Email: [email protected]
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Ep 274: Comfort Reading Recommendations
Books On The Go
Anna and Annie discuss the 2024 ORBITAL by Samantha Harvey. Our comfort reading recommendations are: ARGYLLE by Elly Conway WE SOLVE MURDERS by Richard Osman LOOSE LIPS by Kemper Donovan THE SPY COAST by Tess Gerritsen THE ROM COMMERS by Katherine Center THE WEDDING FORECAST by Nina Kenwood WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY by Michiko Aoyama translated by Alison Watts HAPPY GO LUCKY by David Sedaris WINTERING by Katherine May THE GARDEN AGAINST TIME by Olivia Laing WHAT I ATE IN A YEAR by Stanley Tucci TRAVELS IN EUROPE by Charles Dickens Follow us! Instagram:...
info_outlineA special episode! Anna chats with author Chris Hammer about his new crime novel THE VALLEY, the fourth in the Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic series.
Chris' award-winning debut SCRUBLANDS was an instant bestseller and is now a TV series. THE VALLEY is his seventh novel and follows detectives Nell and Ivan as they investigate a murder in rural Australia and the victim's connections with logging, politics and an abandoned gold mine. We discuss why Chris has been compared to Shakespeare and how the Australian landscape inspires his stories.
Chris recommends books by Peter Temple and the TV show Slow Horses based on the books by Mick Herron.
Coming up: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Follow us!
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @abailliekaras / @thehammernow
Chris: https://chrishammerauthor.com/
Credits
Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz