Curious Readers

A bi-weekly bookchat podcast by Joseph Dance and Amanda Moulson, two time-poor curious readers with eclectic TBRs. Every two weeks we meet to talk all things books and deliver some recommendations for new, classic, and contemporary titles you might want to read next. We cover everything from backlist to frontlist, prize winners to debuts, and we are generally spoiler free.

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September 27 · 58 min
Ep 43: It's Finally Sweater Weather! Our Autumn Preview for 2026
As the nights draw in, Joseph and Amanda look forward to all the autumn releases they hope to get through before December. Along the way, they meander through prize news, current reads and discover circular themes about the Epic of Gilgamesh, pianos and Dickens – and that’s all before they get to the mimmoths. Bookish News A Tale of Two Cities, a Marlowe Theatre Production The Hugo Awards The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow @alix.e.harrow The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar @amalelmohtar This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone @max.gladstone A Wizard Of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel by Ursula K. LeGuin and Fred Fordham Lud-In-The-Mist by Hope Mirlees A Drop Of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett @r.jackson.bennett The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett Current Reads There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak @shafakelif Land by Maggie O’Farrell @maggieofarrellofficial Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason @meg_mason_writer Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason Autumn Preview Ply by Hernan Diaz Trust by Hernan Diaz American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee @lee_minjin End Times Fascism by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor @naomiklein @astraamoura The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson @jennyjacksonpineapple Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson The Wedding People by Alison Espach @alison.espach The Strangers by Naomi Alderman @naomi_alderman The Power by Naomi Alderman Partita by Barbara Kingsolver @barbara.kingsolver Minihorror by Barbi Marković translated by Jen Calleja @barbimarkovich @jencalleja_ Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte @tonytula Off The Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones @stephengrahamjones The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham-Jones Gilgamesh by Simon Armitage @simonarmitage_official Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus @bonnie_garmus_author Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus Stations by Louise Kennedy @louisekennedywriter Trespasses by Louise Kennedy Furious, Disney Plus Widow’s Bay on Apple TV Gaining Ground by Joan Barfoot (also know as Abra in Canada) Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama Lady Joker by Kaoru Takamura On The Calculation of Volume - Volume V by Solvej Balle The Pen: A Human History by Simon Garfield The Missing Ink: How Handwriting Made Us Who We Are by Philip Hensher The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Alan Hudson by Hernán Ronsino, translated by Mallory Craig-Kuhn Fruit Fly by Josh Silver Look What You Made Me Do by John Lancaster Capital by John Lancaster Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 11 · 1 hr 14 min
Ep 42: Whistler by Ann Patchett (Deep Dive) & Our Views On The Booker Prize Longlist
Joseph and Amanda are back from summer break with a bumper episode deep diving into Ann Patchett’s latest novel, Whistler. They also take some time to cogitate over the Booker Prize long list, as well as catch up on what they've been reading recently and the titles they hope to pick up next. Bookish News The Imagination Library @imaginationlibraryuk Booker Prize Longlist and Predictions The Shadow of the Object by Chloe Aridjis Switzy by Emma Cline @emmanancycline Helen of Nowhere by Makenna Goodman @makenna_good The End of Everything by M. John Harrison @m_john_harrison The Disappearers by Marlon James @marlonjameswriter Black Bag by Luke Kennard @lukekekennnard The Renovation by Kenan Orhan May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry @poorsasquatch The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout @liztroutauthor John of John by Douglas Stuart @douglas_stuart All Them Dogs by Djamel White @djamelwhitewriter The Vivisectors by Missouri Williams @missouriwilliams What We’ve Been Reading Frost in May by Antonia White Novel on Yellow Notepaper by Stevie Smith Peking Picnic by Ann Bridge The Caravners by Elizabeth von Arnim The Anniversary by Andrea Bajani The Hyena’s Daughter by Jupiter Jones @jupiterjones It Will Come Back To You by Sigird Nunez East of Eden by John Steinbeck Intermezzo by Sally Rooney @sallyrooney6 Selected Books of Ann Patchett Parnassus Books @paranassusbooks The Patron Saint of Liars Taft The Magician’s Assistant Bel Canto Run State of Wonder The Dutch House Tom Lake Whistler What We’re Reading Next Astronaut! by Oana Aristide My Dreadful Body by Egana Djabbarova @egana_djabbarly Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 4 · 47 min
Ep 41: Dear Curious Readers - Summer Postbag Special
As we bid farewell to Summer Break, we take questions from our listeners in a special post bag episode - and of course, we can’t help but make some recommendations along the way. And don’t worry, normal service will be resumed on 11 September when return to the mics for a deep dive into Ann Patchett's latest novel, Whistler. Recent Reads The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockton Post Bag Questions Claude.ai Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again by M. John Harrison Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash An Apprenticeship, or The Book Of Pleasures by Clarice Lispector The Passion According to G.H. by Clarice Lispector The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector The Hypocrite by Jo Hamya The Life of M by Rachel Cusk Audition, by Katie Kitamura Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad @apairofbookendspod Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Alison by Lizzie Stewart The Wreck by Lizzie Stewart Ducks by Kate Beaton From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell Black Hole by Charles Burns The Property by Rutu Modan Something Will Happen, You’ll See by Christos Ikonomou Little Infamies by Panos Karnezis Greekling by Kostya Tsolakis The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson Circe by Madeline Miller Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes Hot Milk by Deborah Levy What We’re Reading Next Whistler by Ann Patchett Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 1 · 57 min
Ep 40: We Only Went In For One Book - Our Love of Browsing and Bookshops (London/South East Edition)
How many times have Amanda and Joseph joined the ‘Just One Book’ Deception Society? Too many to count. This week they are talking about the joy of browsing and the bookshops they love visiting across the UK. Plus, as always they’ll be chatting about what they’ve been reading recently and the titles they're hoping to pick up next. Recent Reads I Want You To Be Happy by Jem Calder Service by John Tottenham Bookshops and browsing Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal The Book of Lost Tales (Volume 2) by J R R Tolkien Persephone Books, Bath and London @persephonebooks If The Boot Fits by Rebekah Weatherspoon Charco Press @charcopress Daunt Books, Marleybone or Cheapside @dauntbookspub Bookmongers, Brixton @bookmongersbrixton Harbour Books, Whitstable @harbourbooks A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam In The Distance by Hernan Diaz London Review of Books Bookshop, London @londonreviewofbooks Judd Books, London @juddbooks Book Bar, London @bookbaruk Hatchards, St Pancras @hatchstpancras Brick Lane Bookshop, London @bricklanebookshop Pages of Hackney, London @pagesofhackney The Margate Bookshop, Margate @themargatebookshop Little Green Bookshop, Herne Bay @thegreenbookshop Michael’s Bookshop, Ramsgate @michaelsbookshopramsgate Plunder Books, Ramsgate @plunderbooks Heffers, Cambridge @heffers_cambridge Body in the Bookshop, Cambridge @bodiesinthebookshop Murder and Mayhem, Hay on Wye @murder_and_mayhem Richard Booth’s Bookshop, Hay on Wye @richardboothsbookshop What We’re Reading Next The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockton The Disappearing Act by Maria Stepanova Also mentioned Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 19 · 58 min
Ep 39: Land by Maggie O'Farrell (Deep Dive)
Join Amanda and Joseph as they set out to excavate Land, Maggie O’Farrell’s latest historical novel and family drama which is set in 1860s Ireland, a decade after the Great Famine. Plus, as always they chat about what they've been reading recently and what they hope to pick up next. Bookish News Children’s Booker Prize Frank Cottrell-Boyce @frank_cottrellboyce Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald Beast in View by Maragert Millar Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor Great Granny Webster by Caroline Blackwood @herrealtake Recent Reads The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet @lyse.doucet Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series by Juno Dawson @junodawson Parallel Lives: A Love Story from a Lost Continent by Iain Pears Selected Books of Maggie O’Farrell @maggieofarrellofficial The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox Instructions for a Heatwave This Must Be the Place Hamnet The Marriage Portrait Land What We’re Reading Next The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan @theodysseymovie Crossing The Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature by Emily Wilson I Want You To Be Happy by Jem Calder Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 3 · 1 hr 3 min
Ep 38: The Ghost In The Manuscript - Reading, Writing and Living After AI
Join Amanda and Joseph as they go through the looking glass into the fascinating (and anxiety inducing) world of artificial intelligence - and recommending some fiction and non-fiction picks about Large Language Models, bots, and the machines learning to live like us. Plus, as always they'll be chatting about what they've been reading recently and what they hope to pick up next. Bookish News Lambda Literary Awards @lambdaliterary Nova Scotia House by Charlie Porter Black Panther Woman by Mary Frances Phillips @maryfrancisphillips The Lilac People by Milo Todd @todd_milo Virago Modern Classics @viragopress Frost In May by Antonia White Peking Picnic by Ann Bridge Recent Reads The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout @lizstroutauthor Soft Core by Brittany Newell @frottage_industry Good Girl by Aria Aber @aria.aber The Spare Room by Helen Garner How to End a Story by Helen Garner Small Rain by Garth Greenwell @ggreenwell The Ghost in the Manuscript Olga Tokarczuk @tokarczuk_olga Martin Scorcese @martinscorcese Kane Parsons @kanepixels Josh Johnson @joshjohnsoncomedy Field Work as a Sex Object by Meena Kandasamy @k.a.n.d.a.s.a.m.y The New Age of Sexism by Laura Bates @laura_bates_ Meditations for the Anxious Mind @meditationsfortheanxiousmind How to Talk to AI (and How Not To) by Jamie Bartlett @jamiejbartlett Annie Bot by Sierra Greer @sierra_greer_writer Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI by Cory Doctorow What We’re Reading Next Whistler by Ann Patchett @annpatchett Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 21 · 1 hr 15 min
Ep 37: Are Literary Prizes A Reading List? Inside the Nobel, Pulitzer, Booker & National Book Award
In the height of Prize Season, Amanda and Joseph are back with a bumper episode asking what all the hullabaloo is about - how are prizes judged and awarded, and are the winners worth our time? Plus, they talk about Amanda’s recent trip to the Women’s Prize ceremony, and as always, what they’ve been reading recently and what they hope to pick up next. Bookish News Hay Festival Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams @sarahww_ Women’s Prize Women’s Prize Live and other events Rivals on Disney+ Felicity Blunt @thebluntoffice Laura Wade Katherine Parkinson @parkinson.katherine Field Work as a Sex Object by Meena Kadasamy @k.a.n.d.a.s.a.m.y Rapture by Emily Maguire @emilymaguirewriter These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany @salmaelwardany The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet @lyse.doucet The Correspondent by Virgina Evans @virginia.l.evans Dominion by Addie E. Kitchens @addie_citchens The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson @marxia1 Recent Reads Air by Christian Kracht Eurotrash by Christian Kracht Imperium by Christian Kracht You With the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate @christinapplegate Prizes and Prize-Worthy Recommendations The Nobel Prize for Literature The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction The Booker Prize National Book Award Milkman by Anna Burns ‘The Hemingway Veto’ and For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway The Riders In The Chariot by Patrick White The Tree of Man by Patrick White The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty Martyr by Kaveh Akbar @kavehakbar.kavehakbar Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively Trust by Hernan Diaz What We’re Reading Next The Beautiful Ones by Prince and Dan Piepenbring The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout @lizstroutauthor Also mentioned Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 5 · 1 hr 5 min
Ep 36: We Have Opinions - Our 2026 Mid-Year Reading Check-In
Where have the last six months gone? Join Amanda and Joseph as they check in on the reading goals they set themselves in January. Find out if they’ve stuck to their promises, or if they’ve bombed out on their reading resolutions. Plus, they talk about more prize news, and as always, what they’ve been reading recently and what they hope to pick up next. Bookish News Hay Festival Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-zi (translated by Lin King) John of John by Douglas Stuart @douglas_stuart Ruth Ozeki @ozekiland Carol Shields Prize for Fiction Canon by Lee Lai @_leelai Hellions by Julia Elliott @jelliottic6 A Guardian and A Thief by Megha Majumdar @megha.maj Women’s Prize The Booker Prize Recent Reads Famesick by Lena Dunham @lenadunham May We Feed The King by Rebecca Perry @poorsasquatch Stone Fruit by Rebecca Perry Our Mid-Year Reading Goals Buckeye by Patrick Ryan @patrickryanyc The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine @wednesdaywerskin Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke @caroclaireburke The Wreck by Lizzy Stewart @lizzy_stewart Prairie Oyster by Sophoe Robinson @sophiepoetry London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe @praddenkeefe Dominion by Addie E. Kitchens @addie_citchens The Correspondent by Virgina Evans @virginia.l.evans Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash @madelinecash Middlemarch by George Eliot The Guardian’s ‘100 Best Novels of All Time’ The Little Friend by Donna Tartt Ordinary People by Haldor Laxness Death’s End by Cixin Liu Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves by Sophie Gilbert @sophiegilbertwrites A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness by Michael Pollan @michael.pollan You With the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate @christinapplegate Indignity by Leah Ypi Winter In The Blood by James Welch The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones @stephengrahamjones The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman The Oldest Bitch Alive by Morgan Day @yeah_okday The Sleep Thief by Ibtisam Azem @ibitisam.azem Charco Press 2026 Fiction Bundle @charcopress Die, My Love by Ariana Harwicz @arianaharwiczw Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly Angel Down by Daniel Kraus @kraus_author Kin by Tayari Jones @tayari Every One Still Here by Liadan Ní Chuinn On The Calculation of Volume series by Solvej Balle Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Practice by Rosalind Brown Land by Maggie O’Farrell @maggieofarrellofficial The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout @lizstroutauthor Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason Exit Party by Emily St John Mandel @emilystjohnmandel What We’re Reading Next John of John by Douglas Stuart The Left and the Lucky by Willy Vlautin Also mentioned Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 24 · 1 hr 6 min
Ep 35: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (Deep Dive)
It seems everyone is talking about Yesteryear, and now Joseph and Amanda are too. Join them for their latest deep dive into the most hotly anticipated debut of the year, and hear about what they've been reading recently and which books they hope to pick up next. Bookish News The Hay Festival Hayplayer Recent Reads Cannon by Lee Lai @_leelai The Correspondent by Virginia Evans @virginia.l.evans Dominion by Addie E Citchens @addie_citchens Deep Dive The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin (adapted for screen by Bryan Forbes) Trad Wife by Sarah Langan @sarahlangan Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer @saratogaishere The Trad Wife by Carrie Hughes @carriehughesbooks Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke @caroclaireburke Diabolical Lies podcast Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn @thegillianflynn What We’re Reading Next River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer @eleanorbshearer Kingfisher by Rozie King The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson @marxia1 Prairie Oyster by Sophie Robinson @sophiepoetry Also mentioned Ramsgate Literary Festival @ The Book Hotel, Ramsgate Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 9 · 56 min
Ep 34: Beyond the Countryside - How Nature Writing Asks Us to Pay Attention
Join Amanda and Joseph for this week’s episode as they delve into the best that nature writing has to offer. Plus, as always, they talk about their current reads and what they're looking forward to picking up next, as well as the latest from the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist. Bookish News Women’s Prize shortlist Recent Reads Pearl Oyster by Sophie Robinson @sophiepoetry London Falling, by Patrick Radden Keefe @praddenkeefe Tilt by Emma Pattee Nature Writing Helm by Sarah Hall Bewilderment by Richard Powers The Overstory by Richard Powers A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness by Michael Pollan @michael.pollan Crow Planet by Lyanda Lynn Haupt @lyandahaupt Walden by Henry David Thoreau Silent Spring by Rachel Carson The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald @emerillon Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton @chloedaltonuk Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer @robinwallkimmerer An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong Soundings: Journeys In The Company of Whales by Doreen Cunningham @doreenwriting My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell Wintering by Katherine May @katherinemay_ Intertidal: A Coast And Marsh Diary by Yuvan Aves @a_naturalists_column The Peregrine by J.A. Baker The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane @robertmacfarlane Dart by Alice Oswald What We’re Reading Next California Gold by Jodie Chapman @jodiechapman The Italian Girl by Iris Murdoch The Bell by Iris Murdoch The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch Also mentioned Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April 25 · 1 hr 8 min
Ep 33: Crime Fiction After Agatha - Whodunit Got A Whole Lot Weirder
Join Amanda and Joseph for this week’s episode as they delve into the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, remember Agatha Christie and talk about their favourite mysteries. This time, they really try to be spoiler free! Bookish News International Booker Prize shortlist short flims Helen DeWitt and Windham Campbell Literary Award Recent Reads There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm (Sam Hughes) The Wreck by Lizzy Stewart @lizzy_stewart Alison by Lizzy Stewart The Novels of Agatha Christie and Golden Age Detective Fiction Snow Upon the Desert by Agatha Christie Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie Death On The Nile by Agatha Christie Evil Under The Sun by Agatha Christie And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie The Murder of Roger Akroyd by Agatha Christie A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie A is for Arsenic by Kathryn Harkup V is for Venom by Kathryn Harkup The Knox Decalogue S.S. Van Dine’s Commandments Fair Play by Louise Hegarty Our Favourite Mysteries In the Woods (The Dublin Murder Squad series) by Tana French @tanafrenchwrites The Trees by Percival Everett The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett @r.jackson.bennett The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett @janice.hallett The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman The Whitstable Pearl by Julie Wassmer The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith ‘Only Murders in the Building’ The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Høeg The Girl in the Maze by R K Jackson @randal.jackson1 The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai @rebeccamakkai What We’re Reading Next Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag The Oldest Bitch Alive by Morgan Day @yeah_okday Prairie Oyster by Sophie Robinson @sophiepoetry Also mentioned Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April 10 · 55 min
Ep 32: Spring Preview - 10 Upcoming Books We Want To Read Next
Join Joseph and Amanda as they discuss the reads they are most looking forward to this Spring, plus a few more updates from prize season. We also introduce a new segment – DNF corner, where we talk about the books we couldn’t wait to put down. Bookish News Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist International Booker Prize shortlist Recent Reads The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin The Discomfort of Evening by Lucas Rijneveld The Winner by Teddy Wayne Companion Piece by Ali Smith Joan Is Okay by Weike Wang Top Ten Reads for Spring Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Land by Maggie O’Farrell Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell Kin by Tayari Jones The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett American Marriage by Tayari Jones Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones Devotions by Lucy Caldwell Openings by Lucy Caldwell If We Cannot Go At The Speed Of Light by Kim Cho-yeop, translated by Anton Hur Transcription by Ben Lerner Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner My Year In Paris With Gertrude Stein by Deborah Levy You With The Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate Famesick by Lena Dunham ‘Too Much’ by Lena Dunham ‘Girls’ by Lena Dunham Your Presence Is A Danger To Your Life by Samar Yazbek, translated by Leri Price Second Hand Time by Svetlana Alexivich London Falling: Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe Tell Noone by Patrick Radden Keefe Ghost Stories: A Memoir by Siri Hustvedt Mother Mary Comes To Me by Arundhati Roy One Aladdin, Two Lamps by Jeanette Winterson DNF Corner My Friends by Frederick Backman Britt-Marie Was Here by Frederick Backman Workhorse by Caroline Palmer Also mentioned Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
March 27 · 55 min
Ep 31: The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine (Deep Dive) & the Carol Shields Prize Longlist
Join Amanda and Joseph for their next deep dive into Wendy Erskine’s debut novel, The Benefactors, a polyphonic story about a sexual assault and the lengths that three mothers will go to to keep their sons from being held accountable. Along the way, they discuss the latest prize news, with the Carol Shields Prize longlist topping the episode. (0:49) Bookish News (1:52) Carol Shields Prize for Fiction longlist (5:12) Recent Reads (5:18) The Brittle Age by Donatella Di Pietrantonio (11:13) The Only Story by Julian Barnes (14:07) Deep Dive into The Benefactors The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine Sweet Home by Wendy Erskine Dance Move by Wendy Erskine Close to Home by Michael Magee Magnolia, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson The Bee Sting by Paul Murray (51:27) What We’re Reading Next (51:33) Waiting For The Fear by Oguz Atay (52:04) The Door by Magda Szabo (52:58) Indignity by Lea Ypi Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
March 13 · 58 min
Ep 30: The Books That Made Us & International Booker Prize Longlist
This week, join Amanda and Joseph for one of their most personally revealing episodes yet, as they discuss the books that made them: the teenage obsessions, the gateway reads, and the unforgettable titles, passages and writers that made us the readers they are today. (1:20) Bookish News (1:40) The Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist (2:49) Gloria Don't Speak by Lucy Apps @lucy.emma13 (3:10) The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson @marxia1 (4:32) The International Booker Prize Longlist (5:36) The Nights Are QuietIn Iran by Shida Bazyar (5:59) Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur (6:28) Taiwan Travelogue Yáng Shuāng-zǐ (8:08) Recent Reads (8:17) Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves by Sophie Gilbert @sophiegilbertwrites (12:52) The Missing Ink by Philip Hensher @philiphensher (17:43) The Books That Made Us (23:16) The Odyssey by Homer (various translations including Robert Fagles and Emily Wilson) (24:27) O’ Brother, Where Art Thou directed by Joel and Ethan Cohen (24:54) 'Penelope' by Carol Ann Duffy (28:43) The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (32:48) Elidor by Alan Garner (32:53) His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman (34:58) The Odyssey directed by Christopher Nolan (36:56) The Continuous Life: Poems by Mark Strand (40:16) The Colour Purple by Alice Walker (41:25) The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter (46:34) Gilead by Marilyn Robinson (49:38) A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam (53:55) In the Distance by Hernan Diaz (54:36) What We’re Reading Next (55:00) No Friend of This House by Natalie Haynes @nataliehaynesauthor (55:12) One Aladdin, Two Lamps by Jeanette Winterson (56:07) Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (56:43) EveryDay Is For The Thief by Teju Cole @_tejucole Also mentioned Tate Modern, Nigerian Modernism (on until 16 April 2026) Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
February 27 · 57 min
Ep 29: Romance For Cynics & Women's Prize For Non-Fiction Longlist
This week, Joseph and Amanda tackle romance. But this is romance with a twist, no tropes or formulas, just good writing that even the most hard-hearted cynic can enjoy. And before that, as Prize season is upon us, they dish the latest on prestigious longlists, and top and tail the episode with current and future reads. (0:52) Bookish news (1:03) The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction (2:52) Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypi (4:03) Ask Me How It Works: Love in an Open Marriage by Deepa Paul @storiesbydeepa (4:29) The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet @lyse.doucet (6:04) Mother Mary Comes to Me a memoir by Arundhati Roy @arundatiroyauthor (6:17) International Booker Prize (6:45) The National Book Critics Circle Awards (NBCC) (7:16) Dublin Literary Award (7:56) What I Know About You by Eric Chacour @ericchacour (8:09) The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu (8:37) Live Fast by Brigitte Giroud (9:13) Recent Reads (9:21) Every One Still Here by Liadan Ní Chuinn (14:19) Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash @madelinecash (17:45) Romance for Cynics (19:15) Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin (19:29) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (24:09) Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid @rachelreidwrites (25:38) Emma & Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (26:30) Persuasion by Jane Austen (26:56) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (27:09) Villette by Charlotte Bronte (29:03) The books of Lily King @lilykingbooks (29:23) Minor Black Figures & The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor @brandonlgtaylor (29:23) Memorial: A Novel by Bryan Washington (30:05) Normal People by Sally Rooney @sallyrooneyofficial (30:37) You Are Here by David Nicholls @davidnichollswriter (31:17) Happy All The Time by Laurie Colwin (35:46) Reasons To Be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe @ninastibbe (39:17) Crush by Ada Calhoun @adacalhoun (42:58) Good Material by Dolly Alderton @dollyalderton (47:13) The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller @madeline.e.miller (47:47) The Disenchantment by Celia Bell (48:22) The Lovers by Paolo Cognetti (49:24) Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason @meg_mason_writer (50:26) Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey @monicaheisey (51:50) You, Again by Kate Goldbeck @kategoldbeck (52:25) Heartburn by Nora Ephron (53:15) What We’re Reading Next (53:26) Midnight Is Not In Everyone’s Reach by António Lobo Antunes @antonio.lobo.antunes (54:16) White Spines: Confessions of a Book Collector by Nicholas Royle @nicholasroyle (55:15) Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones @tayari (55:21) Kin by Tayari Jones (55:47) My Friends by Frederik Backman @frederickbackman (56:00) The Winner by Teddy Wayne The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine @wednesdaywerskin Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
February 13 · 1 hr 3 min
Ep 28: Short Stories To Start The Year - Debuts to Classics
This week, Joseph and Amanda talk about some of their favourite short story collections - ranging from canonical gems to new voices - plus, as always, they talk about what they’ve been reading recently and discuss what they’re excited to read next. (1:24) Bookish news (2:20) Birchbark Books (2:27) Inkwell Books (2:40) Red Balloon Books (2:56) Excelsior Bay Books / Milkweed Books / Black Garnet Books (3:08) Shop Minneapolis bookshops from anywhere at Bookstore.org and libro.fm (4:31) Standwithminnesota.com (5:36) The TS Eliot Prize (6:03) Wellwater by Karen Solie (7:17) Recent Reads (7:27) Buckeye by Patrick Ryan @patrickryanyc (12:40) A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell (17:14) Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (18:17) Short Story Collections (18:26) Joseph's Short Story Quiz (25:38) Games and Rituals by Katherine Heiny @katherineheiny (30:59) Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny (34:32) Mslexia (34:45) Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by Z.Z. Packer @zzpacker56 (40:42) In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway (46:37) The Latehomecomer: Essential Stories by Mavis Gallant (51:18) Furies: Stories of the Wicked, Wild and Untamed by Margaret Atwood and others @therealmargaretatwood (52:21) Stories of Place:///zinc.level.blindfold edited by Niamh McAnally @niamh_mcanally (53:00) The Woman Dies by Aoko Matsuda @matsudaoko (56:40) You Glow in the Dark by Liliana Colanzi @lilianacolanzi, translated by Chris Andrews (58:06) Selected stories by Nikolai Gogol (59:19) Every One Still Here by Liadan Ní Chuinn (59:59) What We’re Reading Next (1:00:13) I’m Glad My Mother Died by Jennette McCurdy @jennettemccurdy (1:00:50) Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy (1:01:19) Palaver by Bryan Washington @bry.washing Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 30 · 1 hr 2 min
Ep 27: Angel Down by Daniel Kraus (Deep Dive)
This week, Amanda and Joseph go into the trenches with Daniel Kraus’s repulsively propulsive Angel Down. They also discuss what they’ve been reading recently, including the new Ian McEwan novel and a slew of non-fiction, as well as what they’re looking forward to picking up next. (2:40) Bookish news (2:44) Storygraph (@josephjdance and @itsmoleyreads) (3:47) Faversham Literary Festival, 20 February to 1 March, 2026 (4:44) Chocolat and Vianne by Joanne Harris (5:41) Recent reads (6:00) Books, A Manifesto: Or, How To Build A Library by Ian Patterson (7:19) Trees In Winter by Richard Shimell (richardshimell.co.uk) (8:21) Hiroshima by John Hersey (10:33) What We Can Know by Ian McEwan (14:05) Deep Dive - Angel Down (14:45) The Shape of Water by Daniel Kraus (14:53) Trollhunters by Daniel Kraus (15:04) The Monster Variations by Daniel Kraus (15:27) Rotters and Scowler by Daniel Kraus (15:46) The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch by Daniel Kraus (15:57) Whale Fall by Daniel Kraus (19:13) Angel Down by Daniel Kraus @krausauthor (23:49) Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman (24:04) Zone by Mathias Enard (24:18) Septology by Jon Fosse (38:56) 1917, directed by Sam Mendes (38:59) All’s Quiet on the Western Front (2022), directed by Edward Berger (41:39) In Memoriam by Alice Winn (57:33) Final thoughts (59:38) What We’re Reading Next (59:44) A High Wind In Jamaica. Or The Innocent Voyage by Richard Hughes (1:00:59) The Woman Dies by Aoko Matsuda Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 16 · 54 min
Ep 26: Our Reading Plans for 2026
Happy New Year! Start the year with Amanda and Joseph as they talk about their reading intentions for 2026. (2:09) Bookish News (2:36) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (directed by Emerald Fennell) (2:46) Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell (directed by Chloe Zhao) (2:59) Die My Love by Ariana Harwicz (directed by Lynne Ramsey) (3:34) Train Dreams by Dennis Johnson (directed by Clint Bentley) (3:51) A Pair of Bookends podcast (7:15) What We’ve Been Reading (7:19) Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (8:22) The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (13:51) Reading Resolutions (23:28) The Little Friend by Donna Tartt (24:39) Independent People by Halldór Laxness (25:05) Death’s End by Cixin Liu (26:29) Farewell Fountain Street by Selçuk Altun (26:42) Cold Nights of Childhood by Tezer Özlü (26:54) Journey To The Edge of Life by Tezer Özlü (27:00) Snow by Orhan Pamuk (28:17) My Clavicle and Other Major Misalignments by Marta Sanz (31:12) Steering the Craft by Ursula K Le Guinn (31:21) On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King (31:45) Consider This by Chuck Palahniuk (33:51) Katabasis by RF Kuang (34:06) The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami (34:14) The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (35:14) On The Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle (37:05) Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (45:17) Rougon-Macquart Cycle by Emile Zola (46:26) The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji (50:31) What We’re Reading Next (50:44) Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy (52:27) Money by Emile Zola (53:20) Angel Down by Daniel Kraus Also Mentioned Whitstable Silent Book Club @silentbookclubwhitstable Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 19, 2025 · 1 hr 17 min
Ep 25: Top 10 Books of 2025 (& Our Biggest Disappointments)
Join Amanda and Joseph for an end-of-year bibliofest as they talk about their top 10 books of the year, plus they dish the dirt on the titles that sadly didn’t live up to their expectations over the last twelve months. (1:20) Bookish News (1:24) The Warwick Prize For Women In Translation (1:44) And The Walls Became The World All Around by Johanna Ekström and Sigrid Rausing, translated by Sigrid Rausing (3:33) The New Yorker at 100 (Netflix) (5:22) Our Top 10 Books of 2025 (#10 to #6) (6:55) New York Times Best Books of 2025 (8:32) The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai (8:55) Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood (9:52) Angel Down by Daniel Kraus (10:41) The Director by Andrew Kehlmann (11:15) You Should Have Left by Andrew Kehlmann (11:53) The Sisters by Jonas Hassan Khemiri (12:55) Wild Thing: A Life Of Paul Gauguin by Sue Prideaux (13:01) A Marriage At Sea / Maurice & Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst (15:34) We Are Free to Change the World: Hannah Arendt's Lessons in Love and Disobedience by Lyndsey Stonebridge (18:16) The Lasting Harm: Witnessing the Trial of Ghislaine Maxwell by Lucia Osborne-Crowley (20:06) Objects Of Desire by Neil Blackmore (#10) (21:47) Playworld by Adam Ross (#9) (23:08) A Person Is A Prayer by Ammar Kalia (#8) (24:58) Good Girl by Aria Aber @aria.arber (#7) (27:16) Sad Tiger by Neige Sinno translated by Natasha Lehrer (#6) (31:13) Christmas Cracker Questions Speed Round (32:11) The Story of a Heart by Dr Rachel Clarke (34:10) Nevada by Imogen Binnie (36:21) A Big Storm Knocked it Over by Laurie Colwin (38:37) Margo’s Got Money Trouble by Rufi Thorpe (39:17) The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe (41:15) I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol (41:42) Close to Home by Michael Magee (42:31) Heart the Lover by Lily King (42:37) The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (43:25) Flashlight by Susan Choi (44:38) Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab (44:55) The Names by Florence Knapp (48:29) In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust (48:51) A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell (49:26) On the Calculation of Volume, volumes I, II and III by Solvej Balle (49:54) A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah K Maas (50:26) Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson (50:51) Our Top 10 Books of 2025 (#5 to #1) (51:02)The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai (#5) (53:24) The Coin by Yasmin Zaher (#4) (56:26) Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (#3) (1:02:16) My Clavicle and Other Major Misalignments by Marta Sanz and translated from the Spanish by Katie King (#2) (1:02:44) Unwell Woman by Elinor Cleghorn (1:04:48) One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (#1) (1:07:37) Spent by Alison Bechdel (#1) (1:10:24) All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert (1:11:56) Twist by Column McCann (1:12:32) Moderation by Elaine Castillo (1:14:11) What We’re Reading Next (1:14:28) Angel Down by Daniel Kraus (1:14:40) Whale Fall by Daniel Kraus (1:16:24) A Dance to the Music of Time by Antony Powell Also mentioned Gordon Burn Prize For New Writing Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 5, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min
Ep 24: Graphic Novels That Break The Mould & National Book Award Winners
Join Amanda and Joseph as they get graphic – about the best graphic novels they’ve read and the ones they are keen to add to their TBRs. Along the way, they talk about their recent reads and discuss the books they hope will close out their reading year. (0:47) Bookish News (5:41) National Book Award (6:00) The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine (6:45) One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (7:46) The Intentions of Thunder by Patricia Smith (8:25) The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri (8:48) We Are Green and Trembling by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara (9:52) Recent Reads (9:56) 11.22.63 by Stephen King (15:20) Ultraluminous by Katherine Faw (21:12) Graphic Novels (25:35) Alison by Lizzy Stewart (26:19) Ducks by Kate Beaton (30:11) Sabrina by Nick Drnaso (30:17) Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls (30:57) The Sad Ghost Club by Lize Meddings (36:59) Goodnight Pun Pun by Inio Asano (37:22) Sheets by Brenna Thummler (38:02) Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson (38:13) Blankets by Craig Thompson (45:05) Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall, illustrated by Hugo Martinez (49:15) Walk Me To the Corner by Anneli Furmark (53:34) Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast (54:13) Florrie: A Football Love Story by Anna Trench (54:46) Cats of the Louvre by Taiyo Matsumoto (55:53) Firefly by Robert Macfarlane and Luke Adam Hawker (56:34) Walking Distance by Lizzy Stewart (57:12) The Once and Future Riot by Joe Sacco (58:02) This Beautiful, Ridiculous City by Kay Sohini (59:04) What We’re Reading Next (59:29) On The Calculation of Volume: Volumes II and III by Solvej Balle (1:00:28) The Silver Book by Olivia Laing (1:00:43) Books: A Manifesto, Or, How To Build A Library by Ian Patterson (1:01:11) The Riders in the Chariot by Patrick White Also mentioned The Liverpool Maritime Museum and International Slavery Museum @harbourbooks Curious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudio Follow us on Instagram @curiousreaderspodcast and Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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