Part 1 of our Spooky October Classics series is here! We start off with the classic English ghost story, The Woman in Black.  This is a textbook gothic ghost story – think old, haunted house, poltergeist-y moving objects and a ghost with an agenda.  Do we have opinions? Yes. Were we deeply traumatised by the film that was inspired by the book? Yes.  Did we have way too much fun adding creepy sound effects into this episode? Most certainly.  Join us on our Halloween reads journey this...

Needless to say, Octavia Butler is one of the most renowned Science Fiction writers we read today. With multiple Nebula and Hugo award, she was the first ever Science Ficiton writer to be awarded the MacArthur Fellowship. Kindred is the first novel of hers we both have read and whilst we loved the premise, the actual plot didn't quite sit right with us. Join us in our discussion of Kindred and we'd love to hear your thoughts on it, since we felt like we were missing something! Connect with us...

This week we read The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells, first published in 1897 – all about one man's scientific experiment of becoming invisible. Often described as an early sci-fi/horror story – but let's just say we have mixed feelings. We also chat about the 2020 film inspired by the book, starring Elizabeth Moss which definitely succeeded in giving us the creeps (in a good way). Connect with us via Instagram @throughthepagespod! 

This 1982 epistolary novel by Alice Walker is an integral part of US American literature and one that was on our radar for a long time. We now finally got to reading it and it was one of our more intense reading experiences. Told through letters to God by 14 year old Celie, we get a glimpse of what her life was like in the South of the early 1900s. Walker raises the issues of racism, sexism, classism and the strong relationships formed by women in one of the most interesting narratives we...

This week we chat about H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu, written in 1926 and published in a pulp magazine in 1928. Lovecraft is considered to be one of the pioneers of horror and sci-fi writing and has influenced countless other writing and story-telling of the same genres. But is The Call of Cthulhu an entertaining monster/horror story or a highly problematic piece detailing the author’s harmful views? And should it even still be read and counted as a classic? This and more in this...

CW: Talk about suicide, self harm, rape This was a heavy and dark read where the conversation afterwards was needed. The Bell Jar is the depiction of a period in Esther Greenwood's life as she struggles with her mental health, life and societal norms. It is a sad tale, considering also the author's own history with mental illness and is definitely one that we wouldn't recommend to just anyone. If you have read it and would like to share your thoughts, please contact us via DM...

This week we talk about Toni Morrison’s prize winning novel Beloved, published in 1987. Book discussion starts at: 10:30 This was an extremely tough, yet hauntingly beautiful read. Join the conversation as we touch on the theme of trauma, the novel’s ghost story elements, attempt an interpretation, and swoon over Morrison’s evocative writing. As always, let us know your thoughts & impressions if you’ve read the book or would like to read it – we’re @throughthepagespod on Instagram.

...aaand we're back! We're kicking off the new season with a big one - 100 Years of Solitude has been a wild ride of magical realism and is definitely one that we'll carry with us for a while.  We have also made some changes to our format and will be launching an episode every Wednesday! Book discussion starts at 10:10

A Bonus Episode before we depart on a 2 week summer break! We teamed up with The Blank Was Better Podcast (@thepodcastwasbetter on Instagram) talking about the book and movie adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley. We couldn't be more excited to share this with you as we all had a blast recording it; talking book vs. movie, a dreamy Jude Law, plot changes and the burning question: Which was better?

This summer looks a lot different than planned, but let’s talk summer reads anyway to get in that summery holiday spirit!  We chat about the perfect beach reads (even if there's no beach in sight, these can be enjoyed from a sofa or balcony!), recommend holiday books we’ve read in the past, mention books that are perfect for a bit of escapism, and talk about the books we’ll delve into this summer! Let us know what your favourite summer reads are over on Instagram...

This week we read an American classic, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (published 1952) – a story of black identity and invisibility. A heavy, at times uncomfortable, but absolutely necessary read (“was published in 1952, could have been written last year”). We discuss themes of powerlessness, disillusionment and the fight for individuality. Let us know your thoughts and get in touch via our Instagram @throughthepagespod.

What is more fun than a bookish Q+A? A bookish Q+A with a question for each letter of the alphabet! We found these fun Qs on elgeewrites.com (her instagram is @elgeewrites) and thought we'd each answer half of those in a more-or-less quickfire manner. What was your favourite question or answer? Let us know in the comments or via DM on our Instagram @throughthepagespod. 

This week, we delve into one of THE American classics – published in 1952, one of Hemingway's later works, and the shortest book yet on our list (which, to be honest, we were not too sad about). It earned a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and contributed to Hemingway being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. We chat about themes of human vs. nature, endurance and death, and the omnipresent question: why is this a classic?  Let us know your thoughts on our Instagram @throughthepagespod! 

You shouldn't judge a book by its cover - and while we agree on that, we still like our editions to be pretty! In this Minisode we discuss our favourite cover design, if we prefer paper over hardbacks and how we like to treat our books! If you want to see the covers for yourselves, head over to Instagram @throughthepagespod where we upload our #bookstagrams. Let us know about your favourite cover designs! 

Arguably the most famous dystopian novel to date, 1984 by George Orwell had us hooked from the start. In this episode we share our thoughts on this 1949 classic and talk about how much of the plot resonates with what is happening in today's world and how timeless this novel really is. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this novel - connect with us on Instagram @throughthepagespod and let us know your thoughts about it! 

For this week's Minisode we decided to share our go-to books and literary habits when the world feels heavy and anxiety spikes. These are by no means cures against anxiety, but we hope that maybe one or the other book recommendation can get you out of a negative and anxious headspace and help you take care of yourself in the overwhelming year, that is 2020.  Books mentioned: The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur, One Day by David Nicholls, Various works by Matt Haig, Thinking with Type by...

This week we discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, published in 1937.  We chat about its lyrical language, the racism its characters face, the story of a woman looking for love – and the birds and the bees! Connect with us on Instagram @througthepagespod and let us know your thoughts about the book.

It's our first Beyond the Book episode (the segment in which we chat about anything that goes beyond the book/classic we read for our book discussion the same week)!  This week we chat about the 1962 film adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Trial, starring Anthony Perkins (yes, the guy from Psycho) and directed by Orson Welles. How does it compare to the book? How well does the adaptation from a 1920s German book to the Hollywood big screen work? We have opinions!  Give it a listen and let us...

Written around 1914 and posthumously published in 1925, The Trial is a strange and absurd tale of a young man who arrested for a crime nobody ever learns what it is about - not even the reader! We discuss the dream-like nature of the novel, how frustrating the story gets and why we kind of understand how it has become a classic. This episode also includes a great bookish podcast recommendation that we are sure you will enjoy! 

We're introducing a new segment! Beyond the Book will be a short episode in which we'll chat about anything that goes beyond the book we're reading that same week! Often the story doesn't stop with the book itself – it continues in films and art and influences other writing. Consider this a "behind the scenes" of a book; an added snippet to our weekly discussions with the question "what happens before and after the book?" Stay tuned on our Instagram @throughthepagespod! 

This week we read one of the American classics: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, first published in 1850. Our first literary journey to the 19th century! That is not to say it was a smooth ride... Prepare for rambles about pesky narrators, the concept of penitence, why this story might still be relevant today – and the ultimate question: can The Scarlet Letter be read as a feminist text?! Have you read The Scarlet Letter? Let us know what you thought (and say hi!) via...

Since Tuesday featured our first non-English classic, we decided to dedicate this Minisode to our other non-English favourites! We talk about books we read in school, some of our favourite German and French literature and included our listeners' favourites, that they submitted on our instagram @throughthepagespod ! Thank you for sharing your favourite books with us! Books mentioned: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, Perfume: Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind, The Reader by...

This week's classic is our first non-English classic! Published in 1972 by Giulio Einaudi Editore, Invisible Cities is a story about storytelling with a very unusual structure, which made for a great discussion! A twist on the standard travel-literature genre, that in the end reveals more about the reader/listener than the storyteller.  Have you read any of Calvino's works before? Let us know what you thought via @throughthepagespod

This week's minisode is all about women's voices! We chat about works of women that have inspired us, our favourite books by them and some wonderful empowerment. All voices are important and that's why it's so important to read as many of them as possible! Let us know what you think @throughthepagespod Books/Authors mentioned: The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Virginia Woolf's works, Jane Austen, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Neapolitan...

In our chattiest episode yet, we discuss the characters in Little Women, the 2019 film adaptation (now finally available online as of this week) – and of course which March sister we are.  Let us know your thoughts & connect with us on Instagram @throughthepagespod!