Books On The Go

A podcast where we talk about our book of the week. Read along with us!

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks 04/26/2025

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks Anna and Annie discuss the . Our book of the week is by Geraldine Brooks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of . This is a moving and honest memoir of Brooks' time grieving her late husband Tony Horwitz and also a portrait of their marriage. Partly set on a remote island off the coast of Tasmania, it is our final Australian book for #AussieApril. Coming up: by Nussaibah Younis. Follow us! Email: Instagram: and Substack: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/36322955

Sea Green with Pink Shorts Press 04/17/2025

Sea Green with Pink Shorts Press A special episode! Anna is joined by Emily Hart and Margot Lloyd, founders of . We discuss the exciting launch of this new publisher and the . Our book of the week is by Barbara Hanrahan, re-issued by Pink Shorts Press this year with an introduction by Laura Elizabeth Woollett. This semi-autobiographical novel tells the story of Virginia, a school-teacher and artist who travels from Adelaide to London in the 1960s. An Australian feminist classic, it explores the clash between a conservative upbringing with an artistic life. Other books mentioned - perfect for a bad feminist Aussie April! MY BEAUTIFUL FRIEND by Elena Ferrante translated by Anne Goldstein THE TRANSIT OF VENUS by Shirley Hazzard MONKEY GRIP by Helen Garner THEORY AND PRACTICE by Michelle de Kretser WEST GIRLS by Laura Elizabeth Woollett Coming up: MEMORIAL DAYS by Geraldine Brooks Follow us! Email: Instagram: and Substack: Pink Shorts Press: / Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/36202710

Somebody Down There Likes Me by Robert Lukins 04/13/2025

Somebody Down There Likes Me by Robert Lukins Anna and Annie discuss the and some upcoming book-to-screen adaptations: , , and . Our book of the week is by Robert Lukins. A dysfunctional family comes together in Connecticut when the parents announce they have lost everything. This will appeal to SUCCESSION fans – we’re ready for the tv adaptation! Coming up: Aussie April continues with by Barbara Hanrahan with Emily and Margot from Pink Shorts Press, and by Geraldine Brooks. Follow us! Email: Instagram: and Substack: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/36112475

The Season by Helen Garner 04/07/2025

The Season by Helen Garner Anna and Annie discuss the for fiction, including WOO WOO by Ella Baxter and HIGHWAY 13 by Fiona McFarlane. Our book of the week is by Helen Garner. This is a memoir of a year Garner spent following her grandson's club football team. It explores masculinity, the sense of community at the local club and being a grandmother. As always with Garner's books, there is much to discuss. Coming up: by Robert Lukins. Follow us! Email: Instagram: and @mr_annie Substack: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/36033275

The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoevsky 04/01/2025

The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoevsky Geoff and Anna discuss by Fyodor Dostoevsky translated by David McDuff. This is a fictionalised account of the four years Dostoevsky spent in a Siberian prison camp after he was arrested for taking part in a political conspiracy. Sold as a novel but with the feel of a documentary, it contains fascinating details and joins a collection of Russian prison memoirs. Other books discussed: by Alexei Navalny translated by Arch Tait and Stephen Dalziel by Nelson Mandela by Behrouz Boochani translated by Omid Tofighian by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Coming up: by Helen Garner Follow us! Email: Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/35957685

White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky translated by Ronald Meyer 03/18/2025

White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky translated by Ronald Meyer Anna and Geoff discuss by Fyodor Dostoevsky translated by Ronald Meyer. A man meets a woman on the street in St Petersburg and falls in love in this short story. It has become a in recent months and Penguin has commissioned to be read by Bridgerton’s Luke Thompson. Dostoevsky was in his romantic, millennial era when he wrote this (notably, before he spent four years in prison and escaped a death sentence). Other books mentioned: by Teffi translated by Anne Marie Jackson by Fyodor Dostoevsky by Fyodor Dostoevsky by Stefan Zweig translated by Anthea Bell Coming up: by Dostoevsky Follow us! Email: Instagram: Substack: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/35742570

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower 03/11/2025

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower A special episode: Anna chats with Kate Slotover of the . Our book of the week is by Beth Brower. Recommended by our friend Shawn Mooney of , we enjoyed this novel set in Victorian London about a young woman returning to claim her inheritance. Light and witty, these books have been compared with Jane Austen and P. G. Wodehouse. Kate has become obsessed with the series and has now read all eight books. But will she convince Anna to do the same? Books mentioned: by Susanna Clarke by Georgette Heyer by Georgette Heyer by Georgette Heyer by Georgette Heyer by Laura Shepherd-Robinson Coming up: WHITE NIGHTS by Fyodor Dostoevsky Follow us! Kate: Instagram: @ Web: Substack: Anna: Instagram: @ Substack: Email: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/35645160

Ep 284: Patriot by Alexei Navalny with special guest John Wood 03/07/2025

Ep 284: Patriot by Alexei Navalny with special guest John Wood A special episode: Anna is joined by author and founder . We discuss our reactions to the 2025 . Our book of the week is by Alexei Navalny translated by Arch Tait with Stephen Dalziel. This is Navalny’s autobiography detailing his rise to be a Russian opposition leader, but is also a prison diary following his arrest in January 2021. He died in prison in February 2024. A New York Times bestseller, best book of the year (New Yorker, Atlantic, NPR) and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. We highly recommend it - essential reading. Books mentioned SO BIG by Edna Ferber DAYS IN THE CAUCASUS by Banine translated by Anne Thompson-Ahmadova by Bill Browder by Masha Gessen by Svetlana Alexievich translated by Bela Shayevich by Geoffrey Robertson KC by Ian Frazier DISAPPEARING EARTH by Julia Phillips A SWIM IN A POND IN THE RAIN by George Saunders Films Coming up: WHITE NIGHTS and THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD by Fyodor Dostoevsky Follow us! John: Linkedin : Anna: Instagram: Substack: Email: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/35568790

Ep 283: Eurotrash by Christian Kracht translated by Daniel Bowles 03/03/2025

Ep 283: Eurotrash by Christian Kracht translated by Daniel Bowles 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: Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/35507915

Ep 282: The Husbands with Holly Gramazio 02/23/2025

Ep 282: The Husbands with Holly Gramazio 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 Montgomery by C S Lewis by Langston Hughes Follow us! Holly: Website: Bluesky: @hollygramazio.bsky.social Instagram: @holly_gramazio Anna: Substack: Instagram: Email: /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/35392945

Ep 281: Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst 02/18/2025

Ep 281: Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst 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 Greenwell (his latest is on our TBR) Alan Hollinghurst’s earlier work (Geoff’s favourite: ) Coming up: with Holly Gramazio Follow us! Email: Instagram: Substack: Credit Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/35332065

Ep 280: City of Destruction with Vaseem Khan 02/11/2025

Ep 280: City of Destruction with Vaseem Khan 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. We loved it! Vaseem recommends these crime series: The Wyndham and Banerjee series by The by Philip Kerr Vaseem’s upcoming books are GIRL IN CELL A and , the first in a new series featuring Q from the James Bond franchise. Coming up: OUR EVENINGS by Alan Hollinghurst Follow us! Vaseem: and podcast Email: Instagram: Substack: /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/35240230

Ep 279: Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan 02/04/2025

Ep 279: Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan 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: / Substack: Storygraph: @mr_annie Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/35142850

Ep 278: Loose Lips with Kemper Donovan 01/27/2025

Ep 278: Loose Lips with Kemper Donovan 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 Imogen West-Knights by Gary Shteyngart by Agatha Christie by Ruth Ware by Stuart Turton by Carter Dickson (John Dickson Carr) podcast Coming up: by Nicola Dinan Follow us! Kemper: Website: Podcast: Facebook: Kemper Donovan Books X: @allaboutthedame Insta: @allaboutagatha Anna: Insta: @abailliekaras Substack: Email: /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/35025955

Ep 277: Book Recommendations with Anthony Nocera 12/20/2024

Ep 277: Book Recommendations with Anthony Nocera 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 /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/34545365

Ep 276: Best Books of 2024 12/14/2024

Ep 276: Best Books of 2024 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 Email: Coming up: Book recommendations with author Anthony Nocera /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/34442675

Ep 275: Australian Literature with Farrin Foster 12/09/2024

Ep 275: Australian Literature with Farrin Foster 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] /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/34343335

Ep 274: Comfort Reading Recommendations 12/01/2024

Ep 274: Comfort Reading Recommendations 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: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Email: [email protected] /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/34220720

Ep 273: James by Percival Everett 11/15/2024

Ep 273: James by Percival Everett Anna and Annie discuss the , Parade by Rachel Cusk, and ghostwriters in crime writing. Our book of the week is by Percival Everett. This re-telling of Huckleberry Finn has been an instant New York Times best-seller, shortlisted for the Booker Prize and National Book award and described as 'genius' (The Atlantic). Coming up: our comfort reading recommendations. Follow us! Email: Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/33940752

Ep 272: All Fours by Miranda July 11/09/2024

Ep 272: All Fours by Miranda July Anna and Annie discuss . Our book of the week is by award-winning author and artist Miranda July. Described as July's 'peri-menopause novel', ALL FOURS tells the story of a woman who escapes married life and creates a space for herself. A finalist for the 2024 National Book Award and instant New York Times bestseller, it's funny, frank and causing a stir amongst book clubs. We recorded this before the US election but some of the themes will resonate. Coming up: JAMES by Percival Everett. Follow us! Email: Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/33858292

Ep 271: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney 11/01/2024

Ep 271: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney Anna and Annie discuss the 2024 . Our book of the week is by award-winning author Sally Rooney. Intermezzo is a novel about two brothers who deal with grief, family and relationships. Intimate and poignant, it's been an instant New York Times bestseller, shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards Book of the Year and one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of the Year. We discuss Sally Rooney's popularity, the backlash and what it says about women's fiction. Coming up: by Miranda July. Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Email: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/33727162

Ep 270: The Valley with Chris Hammer 10/23/2024

Ep 270: The Valley with Chris Hammer A special episode! Anna chats with author about his new crime novel , the fourth in the Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic series. Chris' award-winning debut was an instant bestseller and is now a . 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 and the TV show based on the books by Mick Herron. Coming up: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney Follow us! Email: Instagram: @abailliekaras / @thehammernow Chris: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/33581702

Ep 269: Book Club recommendations with Kate Slotover 10/09/2024

Ep 269: Book Club recommendations with Kate Slotover A special episode! Kate Slotover from the joins Anna to discuss what makes a good book club book and our top recommendations. We tried to keep it to three each, and failed. Our best book club books are: by Charlotte Wood by Miranda July by Percival Everett by Anna Funder by Rachel Lyon by Julius Taranto by Oliva Laing by Lauren Groff by Helen Garner by Claire Dederer by Patti Smith by Carys Davies Coming up: INTERMEZZO by Sally Rooney Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras and @bookclubreviewpodcast Email: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/33387462

Ep 268: Woo Woo by Ella Baxter 09/06/2024

Ep 268: Woo Woo by Ella Baxter Anna and Annie discuss the . Our book of the week is by Ella Baxter. The latest novel from the award-winning author of New Animal, this tells the story of Sabine, an artist about to open her exhibition. She faces the pressure of the show and the terror of being stalked. Both disturbing and funny, Baxter's writing is strong, visceral and on point. We loved this one! Coming up: by Percival Everett Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Email: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/32949632

Ep 267: The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes 08/28/2024

Ep 267: The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes Anna and Annie discuss the . Our book of the week is by Caoilinn Hughes. We loved this Irish novel about four eccentric sisters each grappling with their dysfunctional family in different ways. Gripping, humane and funny, we highly recommend this one. Coming up: WOO WOO by Ella Baxter. Follow us: Email: Instagram: @ abailliekaras and @mr_annie Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/32773492

Ep 266: Best Books of the Year So Far 06/25/2024

Ep 266: Best Books of the Year So Far Anna and Annie discuss the 2024 winners. We reveal our best books of 2024 so far. Our favourite reads are: by Caoilinn Hughes by Fabio Morábito translated by Curtis Bauer by Hannah Ritchie by Miranda Darling by Rachel Khong by Laura Shepherd-Robinson Follow us! Instagram: @mr_annie and @abailliekaras Email: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/31878407

Ep 265: The Busy Body with Kemper Donovan 05/20/2024

Ep 265: The Busy Body with Kemper Donovan A special episode! Anna chats with author Kemper Donovan about his new crime novel , the first in the Ghostwriter series. A contemporary murder mystery told in the spirit of the Golden Age by the host of the , THE BUSY BODY has been described as Veep meets Agatha Christie and a 'witty and highly entertaining mystery' (Sophie Hannah). Dorothy Gibson, failed presidential candidate aka That Woman, invites her ghostwriter to Maine to pen her memoir, but the dream assignment comes unstuck when a woman is murdered next door. We loved this one and can't wait for the next in the series, LOOSE LIPS! Kemper recommends the work of Agatha Christie and and the podcasts and . Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras and @allaboutagatha Facebook: Books On The Go and All About Agatha X: Kemper Donovan Email: Credits: Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/31379517

Ep 264: Thunderhead by Miranda Darling 05/09/2024

Ep 264: Thunderhead by Miranda Darling Anna and Annie discuss the and the . Our book of the week is Thunderhead by Miranda Darling. A black comedy, set in suburbia, about one woman's struggle to be free, it has been described as a 'feminist triumph and homage to Virginia Woolf' (Australian Book Review). We love a short novel and this is a gem. Coming up: with author Kemper Donovan. Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Email: Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/31211717

Ep 263: Question 7 by Richard Flanagan 05/01/2024

Ep 263: Question 7 by Richard Flanagan Anna and Annie find some to read along with Taylor Swift's new album The Tortured Poets Department. Our book of the week is by Richard Flanagan. This memoir encompasses H. G. Wells, nuclear physics and the atomic bomb and ends in Tasmania, Australia. Memories, encounters and fictional vignettes are woven together into a beautiful tapestry that show how words don't suffice. The title references Chekhov and gives a hint of the absurd. Much to discuss! Coming up: by Miranda Darling. Follow us! Email: Facebook: Books On The Go Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/31067588

Ep 262: Butter by Asako Yuzuki translated by Polly Barton 04/18/2024

Ep 262: Butter by Asako Yuzuki translated by Polly Barton Anna and Annie discuss the . Our book of the week is by Asako Yuzuki translated by Polly Barton. Described as 'a novel of food and murder' this follows Riko, a journalist, who investigates serial killer Manako Kajii. Kajii allegedly seduced rich men with her cooking before killing them, and she encourages Riko to cook and appreciate food. Inspired by a true story, this has been a cult Japanese best-seller. Coming up: Question 7 by Richard Flanagan. Follow us! Email: Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Facebook: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz /episode/index/show/booksonthego/id/30880963

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