Virginia and Louise do a deep dive into Barbara Kingsolver’s Pullitzer Prize winning and compelling novel Demon Copperhead and talk all things Charles Dickens as well as adding some shameful new entries to the infamous Ick Register. Books Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, 1838 Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, 1854 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, 2023  More Deep Dives Emma, by Jane Austen Television Emma, mini series,  2009  Slow Horses, series 1-3 Apple TV+ One Day, Netflix 2023

Louise and Virginia thought it might be fun to do an episode on books that they feel a bit embarrassed to have never read (until now). There were a lot of books to choose from, but they discuss four in this conversation.      During this chat they also create an Ick Register for authors who use words that give the ick, so that readers can be warned in advance (kind of like a trigger warning, but more basic).     Books   The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro   Norwegian Wood by Haruki...

Louise and Virginia have a great conversation about a lovely Western Australian novel. Salt River Road by the very talented debut author Molly Schmidt captures the large Tetley family at the worst time of their lives. Their wife and mother, Elena, has died after a long illness and left them all devastated. Although the book looks at grief through the eyes of several different characters, it has a forward-moving arc, plenty of heart, and a wonderful ending, with an authentic Western...

Louise and Virginia have a conversation about two books with many overlaps, one fiction and one non-fiction, and reflect on the fact that none of this information was taught in the classroom when they were at school. Books Killing for Country by David Marr Edenglassie by Melissa Lukashenko TV Show The Crown – Netflix Podcasts The Rest is History – Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland The Rest is Entertainment – Richard Osman and Marina Hyde

Virginia and Louise dive into four new releases some of them from our favourite authors!   They also encourage everyone to get their hands on Salt River Road by Molly Schmidt for a bookclub deep dive episode coming up.   Books   The Fraud, Zadie Smyth, 2023, Hamish Hamilton Penguin   Normal Rules Don’t Apply, Kate Atkinson, 2023, Penguin Random House   Tom Lake, Ann Patchett, 2023, Harper Collins   Pearl, Sian Hughes, 2023 UQP   London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency: A Memoir, Kate...

Louise and Virginia have finally had a conversation about six literary controversies/hoaxes/scandals and it’s a lot of fun! This is  a Topic they both find fascinating so it was great to select three stories each and dive in.    Authors    Norma Khouri  John Hughes  Carmen Mola  Antonio Mercero  Agustin Martinez  Jorge Diaz  Harold Stewart  James McAuley  Dawn Dorland  Sonya Larson  Helen Demidenko/ Darville    Books The Dogs by John Hughes Forbidden Love by Norma Khouri The...

Virginia and Louise have read a swag of newly released books both well-known authors and others new  - and only some with the hype they deserve. Books Yellowface  R F Kuang Harper Collins 2023 Crook Manifesto Colson Whitehead    2023 The Sitter Angela O’ Keefe Queensland University Press 2023 Old God’s Time Sebastian Barry 2023 Podcasts The Trial of Lucy Letby UK The Mail Metro Media Inside Design Jane Ledger Theatre ‘A Twelfth Night’ - Bell Shakespeare Company 

This time it’s Louise’s turn to talk about the massive French classic that she has been reading, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo. Louise tells Virginia about a very impertinent act by the original translator of the novel, and they discuss the aspects that Louise loved and some that she wasn’t so keen on. Hugo and Dumas were both born in 1802 and were literary confrères throughout their lives, so Notre-Dame and Monte Christo make a great pairing.      Book   The Hunchback of...

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas      Streaming   Au Coeur de Peloton/Tour de France: Unchained   Arnold      SBS on Demand   Rogue Heroes      ABC iView   Dangerous Remedy      Podcast    Strict Scrutiny  

Virginia and Louise immerse themselves in the meadows, riverbanks, orchards, high tides and deep snow to explore the deep connection and chasms between community, environment and climate change, in the emerging genre and precious language of eco-fiction.  Books The Offing by Benjamin Myers, 2019 Stolen by Ann-Helene Laestadius, 2023 Also consider A Month in the Country by JL Carr Limberlost by Robbie Arnott, 2022. Cuddy by Benjamin Myers 2023 The Stella Prize 2023 winner Sarah Holland Batt...

Virginia and Louise are excited to share some must-read new releases including compelling stories about activist guerilla gardeners, true crime podcasters, writers rooms, surveillance and murder as well as the pitfalls and power dynamics of modern relationships, social media, dating apps and late night sketch TV. Books I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkah, 2023, Flint Publishing Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton, 2023, Granta Publishing Search History by Amy Taylor, 2023, Allen and...

Louise and Virginia jet off to San Francisco in the episode, where they discuss the origins of the City and County, and why it became the home and haven for people wanting to discard façades and identities they may have held in their home towns. They also discuss the original gold rush and the modern tech gold rush and the impact these have had on the city, as well as the serialisation of novels and they way this can shape the overall architecture of a novel. They also revisit the issue of...

Louise and Virginia do a deep dive into the very contentious topic of Cancel Culture and the trend of cancelling books and authors. They also touch on the subject of banning books (and indeed burning books), which always have the opposite effect of that sought. Virginia and Lou both have very strong opinions on the subject and it’s such an interesting conversation. They also discuss a few great non-bookish things they’ve been diving into of late. Books The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by...

Louise and Virginia have been immersed in some armchair travel to Tokyo, which has made them both very keen to travel there. These four books are great to read if you have a trip to Japan on your horizon or your bucket list. They also discuss some fabulous TV series to get streaming, a podcast, and they’ve both had very different recent experiences meeting Yotam Ottolenghi (although both evenings were great fun).    Books   Death in Tokyo by Keigo Higashino, translated by Giles Murray....

From soccer teams, eerie forests, dysfunctional families and loyal companions, Louise and Virginia ventured back into the world of books for younger readers.   Books A Walk in the Dark by Jane Godwin – Lothian Hachette Football Fever by Kristin Darell - Penguin Take Me with You When You Go by David Levithan and Jennifer Niven – Penguin 2022 Runt by Craig Silvey – Allen and Unwin 2022, Illustrated by Sara Acton Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden – Penguin 2022 Podcasts Maintenance...

Louise lost her beautiful Lagotto dog Buster, two months ago, and so today Virginia and Louise want to dedicate this episode to him and to celebrate the wonder and loyalty that is a dog. In this conversation they discuss four lovely dog-related books as well as a few other things they’ve been diving into lately.   Books Dog Stories – Everyman’s Pocket Classics Ava’s Apartment by Jonathan Lethem The Emissary by Ray Bradbury Dog Days by Ericka Waller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the...

Louise and Virginia have been reading some books by debut writers as well as a charming re-release from the 1960s. These are all great books which they enjoyed enormously. They also discuss a few other non-bookish things they’ve been diving into.   Books A Helping Hand by Celia Dale Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn   TV Marriage with Nicola Walker and Sean Bean Annika with Nicola Walker   BBC Radio Annika...

After a long break Virginia and Louise are excited to be back in their makeshift cushion studios to discuss some new releases by authors they absolutely love……. as well as some other popular culture they have been diving in to.   Email [email protected]  Instagram @diving_in_podcast  Virginia’s Instagram @virginia_reads Louise’s Instagram @louise_cooks_and_reads   Song ‘Diving In’ – original music and lyrics written and performed by Laura Adeline – https://linkt.ree/llauraadeline...

Louise and Virginia conclude their dive into Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes in this Book Club episode. They discuss Part 2 of Don Quixote, published over 10 years after Part 1, after an imposter had published a fake sequel. Virginia and Louise discuss several characters, the infamous cave scene and much more .

Louise and Virginia dive into Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes in this Book Club episode. They discuss Part 1 of Don Quixote, first published in Spain in 1605 and regarded as the first modern novel. The conversation covers madness, quests, Shakespeare, naval battles, fools, heroes and the role of the sidekick.

Hello dear friends! Virginia and Louise share some truly excellent Spanish writers and stories in preparation for our up-coming deep dive into Don Quixote. Books The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon As I walked out one Midsummer morning - Laurie Lee The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway The Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving Television Television Peaky Blinders Season 6 A Call to Spy The White Queen Podcast The Teachers Trial - The Australian Newspaper

Louise and Virginia chat about two books that they've been eagerly looking forward to. Louise went down the Crime route with a gripping detective story that spans Tokyo and London. Virginia finally got her hands on Nina Stibbe's new novel and as also with Nina Stibbe, the book is a complete delight. Books The Fine Art of Invisible Detection by Robert Goddard One Day I Shall Astonish the World by Nina Stibbe Netflix The Staircase (Docuseries and Dramatisation) Podcast This American Life...

Louise and Virginia have been reading Ghost Stories, a new release and some classic collections. The Louise Erdrich novel is a must-read for book lovers, and the classic ghost stories are the perfect place to start if you love this genre. Louise and Virginia also announce the book they will reading for a Book Club 'deep dive' in June. Books The Turn of the Screw by Henry James Ghost Stories by M R James The Sentence by Louise Erdrich The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton Podcast The Rest...

Virginia and Louise dive into the Greek Myths but barely scratch the surface. They also celebrate their 50th episode with a list of their 50 favourite authors Books The Theban Plays By Sophocles Antigone by Sophocles The Song of Achille by Madeline Miller The Penelopiad By Margaret Attwood Greek Myths By Charlotte Higgins Heroines of Olympus by Ellie Mackin Roberts Television Bridgerton by Chris van Dusen and Shonda Rhimes Podcasts Deeply Human by Dessa The Rest is History by Tom...