Sara & Cariad's Weirdos Book Club - Christmas Round Up 2024

Episode Date: December 12, 2024

Welcome to the 2024 Weirdos Book Club round up and Christmas gift guide!In this episode Sara and Cariad discuss the books from this series that have stuck with them, easy Christmas gift wins, honourable book mentions from this year, to read piles, listener suggestions and what they're looking forward to coming out in 2025! Thank you for reading with us this year. We like reading with you!You can find a list of all the books we've discussed on the series so far here.Trigger warning: In this episode we mention sexual abuse.Cariad’s children's book The Christmas Wish-tastrophe is available to buy now.Sara’s debut novel Weirdo is published by Faber & Faber and is available to buy here.Cariad’s book You Are Not Alone is published by Bloomsbury and is available to buy here.Tickets for Sara's tour show I Am A Strange Gloop are available to buy from sarapascoe.co.ukFollow Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club on Instagram @saraandcariadsweirdosbookclub and Twitter @weirdosbookclub Recorded and edited by Naomi Parnell for Plosive.Artwork by Welcome Studio.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Pasco. Hello, I'm Carriad Lloyd. And we're weird about books. We love to read. We read too much. We talk too much. About the too much that we've read. Which is why we've created the Weirdos Book Club.

Join us. A space for the lonely outsider to feel accepted and appreciated. A place for the person who'd love to be in a real book club, but doesn't like wine or nibbles. Or being around other people. Is that you? Join us. Check out our Instagram at Sarah and Carriad's Weirdos Book Club for the upcoming books we're going to be discussing. You can read along and share your opinions.

Or just skulk around in your raincoat like the weirdo you are. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you. We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas. We really do. We really do. We wish you a merry book must and a big pile of books.

So, Carriac, there's a rum that going around. Why did I just sing the actual song? That's much better. Because you're probably obeying the parody laws in this country where you have to give more money if you change the words to a song than if you sing the original. In my head, it's Oliver Cromwell, I'm just glad to be singing a cheery song.

Yeah. Ding-dong, he's dead. Burry him in five pieces. Let's have a mince pie. So, sorry, trigger warning. If you are a fan of Oliver Cromwell, Carriads, there's a rumour going round. Yeah. That you went to a real book group in real life. I did. Yeah?

I went to an actual book group. You were addicted to book groups now. I was nervous. Oh, of course. Yeah, because it was like a proper book group. Oh, to talk about all fours by Miranda July. Yeah. at someone's house around the corner, wine and cheese.

So there was nibbles. There was wine. Can I say it's a fucking great nibbles. Yeah. Really good. We'll have to change our intro. Make your own nibbles. I'd already eaten spaghetti bolognais, spag bowl with the kids.

And then I had to pretend, oh, I haven't, you know, think, to then eat all the cheese and wine. And then I was so hormonal, she brought out some bars of chocolate. And you know what women do? They'll just want a little cute for me. I cracked over like half the bar. Well, the other people like, oh, I'm full, and you were like... Yeah, they were all like doing polite nibbling. And I was, I just can't, can you do polite nibbling?

I got Tony's in every pocket. I have this thing, I can't do polite nibbling. Like, I just don't have it in me. These are addictive foods. It's like, if, actually, I'm a bit similar with drinking, but if we're going to drink, let's drink then. See, I can do it with drinking. I can have half a glass of wine, it doesn't bother me. Like, I will forget to ask for more wine, but like, it's cheese and biscuits and chocolate in front of me.

And they do that thing when it's like, a couple of squares left, no one's going to take them. And I was like, fuck that, I'm having them. Yeah, people do do that. Like, the last ones. Look at us all not shoving it in. Oh, shoveling it in. Anyway, it was a lovely book group. Sounds nice.

It was really interesting people and it was really nice. And what a great book to discuss. Yeah, it was good. It was good. So was it all women. It was all women. Of a certain age. Of a certain age.

All, um, who'd all read it and either pass it to another woman and had lots of like, oh my God, I need to talk to someone about this. Wow. And I felt a bit because I was like, I've actually talked to a lot of people about them. Yeah. Sort of Annie Mac was sort of message me. So we sort of met up in real life to talk about it. I did say that.

I said we covered it with Annie Mac. But it was very interesting because there was a writer there and a woman who works in publishing and a woman who does lots of book events. And then they suggested another lady who's a journalist said, oh, I've been told about a precursor to all fours in terms of perimenopause lit. Before the Dark by Doris Lessing, which we haven't read.

Well, I've started the Golden Notebook and that is one that I really want to read, but it's quite sizable. And we're pumping through these episodes this year. Hence why we've got this special Christmas episodes. Because it is hard to read in between the books we're reading for the podcast. Firstly, thank you for listening to us all year. As we know, you have been listening to every episode, reading every book.

Yeah. Or, you know, we're so grateful even if you dip in an hour. I think I like that guest or I'm interested in that book. We love you. We're so grateful for you. It's too much reading for us, so I don't expect people to catch up. No, and also the great thing about podcasts is they will continue existing as long as the internet exists. Yes, as long as I'm interested.

Doesn't break. Whenever that apocalypse comes. Yep. Yeah. So this is our Christmas Roundup, taking us to any minutes. Christmas roundup of books that we've enjoyed this year, gifting ideas. I'm giving you the contents. Gifting ideas, books we'd like. Books who are excited about for 2025. And some listener suggestions. Also, I've bought Carriad a book Christmas present. Awkward because I haven't bought you one. Well, I bought you one for me as well. Because I didn't want to turn up, having not told you I was doing that. Okay. Oh, no.

So I'm one from me to you? Yes. And you know what's really great? Yeah. I mean, this is pretty great. Yeah. The guy in the shop said, when he saw the one I'd bought for myself from you, he laughed. He went, ha, ha, ha, this one's really weird.

And then he looked at me like he knew I was part of the weirdo's book club. Maybe he didn't. Maybe he just thought as a weird woman. Either way, he said weird in a, there was a note of knowingness. This one's weird. This is weird. And I said, that's exactly what I'm looking for. First question, Sarah.

Okay. for our Christmas round up. Books that we've read that we're still thinking about. So books that we've read for the podcast. Oh. Stayed in your mind. Um, I want to say all of them.

Not many actually. None of them. The book I'm going to mention, I think you're going to be, because it's young mongo. And so exactly. So it's like, do you want to be still be thinking about it? Of course I'm still thinking about it. Oh, and when ordinary time came out, that episode,

I sort of went back into the world of that book. Yes. I agree with you. So both of those ones, such brilliant books I probably wouldn't have read apart from the podcast. That's the one that has definitely stayed in my head, Octavia Butler's Kindred. Yes. Because I just keep thinking about how good a story it was. Tom Lake is the other one that stayed with me this year.

Of course, Tomlake, yes. Oh, I watched a clip if you're talking about Jim Amanda. And then a bookshelfy. We haven't done yet on the podcast. No. And we should probably just do a run of episodes, like all of her books. We could just talk about all of them. Because you talk.

She's got a new one coming out. Well, this is ideal. You talking about her reminded me how much I love her and how it's impossible to be reserved. It's like you just, you gush. It's like when someone's just falling in love and their eyes get all dey. So this is Chimamanda Nogesia Dice

and I was talking about half a yellow sun on the bookshelfy podcast, the Women's Prize bookshelf, which is brilliant, hosted by Vic Hope. That's another sort of book club we've got going on, isn't it? You've done it.

But if you haven't read half a yellow son, fucking hell. Yeah. And Americana as well. Americana, Purple Hibiscus. Everything. All of it. Yeah, she's got a new one coming out next year. So we can do that.

Yeah, we can. Right. Okay. Okay. I've got a couple of books, I think, just headline good gifts. All right. All right. All round.

Good gifts. It feels like a book person because Janice Hallett. Yes. We love the appeal. She has a book called the Christmas Appeal. She does. Yes. Where they do a pantomime.

Yeah. Really perfect. Haven't read it. I love the appeal. Desper to read it. And I bet you that's a proper snuggly. Can read it over Christmas. I bet that's going to be a great book.

with loads of carbs in your belly and your feet under a nice hot water bottle. Hot dog. Jacqueline Wilson, famous children's offer, has written an adult version called Think Again, which is characters that were in a kid's book. So if you've got a woman of a certain age, I actually think me and you are a smith too old for Jacqueline Wilson.

And I think she really hits underneath us. Yes, I didn't really read her growing up, yeah. I think she really hit like the 35 girls. And we're younger millennials. We are 36. We're elder millennials. So we're 36. Okay.

Obviously, if you have any 9 to 11 year olds in your life, I can highly recommend the Christmas wish tashy. I can recommend it. You've read it. I can recommend it. And it doesn't, I know that this 9 to 11 year old thing is. Well, that's the guide. Yeah, but you can read it to younger children and older children. And because it's so Christmassy and it's magical and it's funny because a comedian wrote it. Carrie Ed Lloyd, I don't know if you've heard of her.

I've heard of her. On every level, it's there for everything you want from the story. Do you know what I will say, which might be, they probably won't want me to say, what I did try and write was not too Christmas it's a wintery book. Oh yes, yeah. So it's not so like, if you are particularly unreligious. Well, I would say it's the good stuff about Christmas,

which is it's snugly. It's ugly. There's food is nice. Smells are nice. Snow, holly, woods, that sort of thing. Maybe some family drama. Yes. I don't know.

Like family drama. It's wintertime. So have you got a younger person in your life? Yeah. That's a really good Christmas present. So those my like instant Christmas thoughts. Sarah, you had a suggestion. Maybe a nice double.

Because when you said what's a good Christmas present, And all I could think was imagine how awkward it would be giving a mother-in-law a copy of Julian Anderson's anthology. So Julian Anderson has compiled. And I really admire her for this. I admire her. I admire her in lots of ways. Obviously incredibly talented, very beautiful woman. But no, like, did you ever read My Secret Garden, Nancy Friday?

I thought you meant the secret garden. The kids book. And I was like, yeah, great. So I found that book on my auntie's shelf when I was far too young. And it's a smutty. It's a smutty. Smutty. Oh, it's worse than smutty.

It's not just erotica. Because it's not written to be sexy. Do not put that next to the secret garden. We all have within us. By Francis Hodgson-Bernet. And just sort of a really filthy bitch. Wow, so it's like deep. So it's women writing anonymously about what turns them on.

And so it's very different from like prescribed ideas. And so because Gillian Anson... And she's written one of them anonymously. Yes, so you're sort of guessing which one is she. And then that's what she's done. Very naughtyly in introduction. An alien comes in. Oh, that's Jillian's.

Yeah. I don't know. He smells like David DeGromoney. Because of sex education, and she's written a really brilliant introduction. Oh, that's why they got her to do it. I think she's so interested because she was getting people writing to her about what it feels like to have a woman confidently being in charge of her own sexuality and sexual pleasure. And it is revolutionary.

It was revolutionary when Nancy Friday was trying to do it. And it still is because it's sort of unexplored territory. And physical representations of sex. isn't doing it. Yeah. I mean, I think it's doing it for lots of straight men

but not for women. And there's a huge, huge market in like erotic literature for women. Like that's a brand new, absolutely thing. People read you on their Kindle

reading on the YouTube no one can see what you're doing. Of course you can't. Well, was Julian Anderson's book's got basically a clit on the front. I couldn't deal with the cover. Well,

they sent, they sent me a... Yes, you've got personalized proof. But with my name on it said like, it was like, hey Sarah, come and get it with a real juicy clip and I said,

I can't, you know, I can't give this to keep this in my house. I can't give it to the charity shop. Anyone in the hit this shop called Sarah? But I'm prudish. I'm prudish. You know me. You know me. I'm a prude.

Yeah, but it took me so long because it's supposed to be like a light switch, I think. But it doesn't look like a light switch. It knows what he looks like. Yeah, exactly. But I found it like really. Is that supposed to be a light switch? I think they're trying to like get away with it being a light switch, but it doesn't look like a light switch. Shall we write in and complain?

I did not like the cover at all. I found the cover really like. I think it's confronting, isn't it? Well, I just found it like a magic eye picture. I couldn't understand. Anyway, I think sometimes Christmas and gifting can be a time. If you're, I do you know what's, okay, what's worse? Giving that to your mother-in-law or your mother-in-law giving it to you. What's worse?

Oh, they're both terrible. An ex of mine, I got his mother a copy of vagina, the biography, by Naomi Klein. Wolf. Oh, fucking, oh, sorry. Sorry to all the nominees. Sorry to any of you are. Sorry, Mrs. Klein. But Naomi Klein did have to write entire book about people doing that.

Naomi Wolf, before she was sort of massively, as unfashionable as she is now and discredited, that book was a talking point, you know, and I thought his mum was a therapist. I thought she'd find it really interesting. And he forbade me from giving it to her. And he was like, do you want to ruin my Christmas? Right. Any books that we've read this year that we haven't covered, but we would like to honourably mention? Yes.

So when we both have read, but we haven't covered because it's a non-fiction. and that's not always suitable. I would really recommend it. I would definitely recommend it. It is matriessence by Lucy Jones. I don't know how to pronounce that word. I was confident but not sure. That is beautiful, when you see it?

Because it's like adolescence. Oh, is it? Matre essence. Okay. I think matrescence. Okay. You said it differently, but it's always beautiful. Matrecese.

Lucy Jones, who's also really, really worth following on social media because she shares a lot of her information and I really love how, you know, how she engages with nature in her book. She also engages with nature in the world. She has written a book also about nature before Metrescence, yeah. And basically I would just love to follow her around the woods looking at mushrooms. So Matrescence is about like what happens to women's brains.

The change. Had a baby and she's done some deep scientific work, which actually proves there's a change in the brain. We've all sort of absorbed like little studies or things that are printed in the sort of popular press. Like women's brains get smaller. Men get postnatal depression too. Like little snippets of science and this is someone who actually understands all of the studies. And it's really sort of exploratory, non-judgmental, and I think supportive of it's the biggest hormonal change

you know, a body could go through. Oh my God. When she says like there's that bit where she says like, your hormones don't muck around, they increase by 200 to 300% one hormone. And then the crash afterwards. Yeah. You think how quickly it happens.

And then the crash afterwards, it does make, and I read it obviously is a quite newly postpartum woman. And it does make you want to be gentle on yourself. and anything that explains to you. I wish I'd read it. I mean, I read it with an 8-year-old and a 4-year-old. I wish I'd had that book existed when my daughter was younger. Because it was so much stuff that I thought, God, I just didn't know that. And also about other pregnant animals.

I find something so moving when she talks about sort of spiders letting their young eat them while you're trying. But emotionally, it can feel like that. I found that upsetting. Oh, yeah, but it is upsetting. Yeah, it's confronting. Oh, God, that's what it feels like. If you know someone who's had a child, I would say no matter how

how old are they still in young I would definitely recommend that and it is beautifully written is it worth being it's like it's such a well written brilliant book and talking about it's making me desperate to reread it all of a sudden it's really I think like everyone if you if you

make that choice to have a child or unable to make that choice it's a book you should read because I think what she's writing is into and I again playground with other mums was like spilling out some facts and so many were like what it does what and I was like yeah we don't know this We have no idea what's happening to us when this thing happens.

The uterus makes milk. I don't remember that bit. The uterus makes a little bit of milk. Yeah. It's astonishing. And the baby can smell you. And they already know the smell of you. Yeah, I know.

It's just... And the fact that they can look at women's brains six years after they've had a baby and they can identify which brain from a brain scan had a baby and didn't have a baby because it's so affected by it. I mean, that's like fundamental. The remapping.

Yeah. And the more time that... this might not be in the book because it's about men, but the more time dads spend with their children, the more their brain changes. We recommend that. Really recommend it, really interesting. But I would also recommend,

and I think maybe you've started it, the Time Travelers Guide to Regency Britain as another non-fiction. Yes, by Ian Mortimer, by time halfway through. And sometimes with history, I can think, oh, no, I'm going to find this hard work. Like, I want to know the information, but it's going to feel like, and he just is such a funny writer, and it brings the time so a lot.

live and the concept of it because he's got other ones. He's on loads, doesn't he? Yeah. That you have just sort of dropped into. So you are a modern person. Yeah. And he's like explaining to you. Yeah. Like a Google map. Yeah. So if you went over here, this would happen. If you were rich, this would be happening. If you're poor, you're going here. Yeah. This is where you'll be going to the toilets. This is what you'll be eating.

It's like a grown up horrible history. Yeah. A bit more detail. And I really loved Claire Tomlin's Jane Austen. Oh, yes. Yeah. Biography. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. Claire Tomlin just wrote by herself. And then added in, I've read Jane Austen. Jane Tomlin, I mean, Jane, Austin. Sarah, you also read, which I really want to read, but I haven't had time.

So Rachel Cusks Coventry, which is a series of essays. And I was in Edinburgh, and obviously I had too many books to read, and I was up there to do my show and look after children. And I'd gone to a bookshop to do a book signing. And it was so odd because Topples, this amazing bookshop, has got sort of like 10, they have to climb ladders to get to the books. It's one of those shops that just... It's like an old church, isn't it?

I mean, it's just magical. It's just so beautiful. It's so beautiful. And unfortunately, it makes you want to buy loads of books. And it sort of shined at me. It twinkled at me. Cusk was twinkling. Rachel Cusk, Coventry.

And I've read lots of Rachel Cusk and adored every single one. And I thought, I don't know that one. But it called me like, you need me now. Oh. And I think I did because... Oh, I love that. When you get the right book at the right time. It was like...

Oh, it was actually like something magical had happened because it's about not speaking to parents or parents not speaking to you. Being sent to Coventry by your parents is what that first essay is about. And then there's essays on things like driving and I don't drive and it's sort of about why the personality types of people

who decide not to drive, but she is a driver. Wow. But sort of reflecting on the people she knows who don't drive and what that. Anyway, and then there's some essays in there are literary as well. And it's just her writing, her intelligence. Did any Rachel Kask?

Oh God, I'm just... I mean, she's so... Interesting. I think you'd like her book about having children. Yeah, I think it got recommended a lot after I'd have my daughter and I think, you know, again, you do feel a bit beat my head. It's really hard. Yeah, and also if you're... And I read a she, the Hetty one.

Oh, yes. Motherhood. Yeah, I think I found it a bit bleak. But that's about not having children. Yeah. And she's hard to have children. I think that was the wrong time to read that. These things are...

I mean, is it just like there are sometimes the absolute right time your brain needs it. Sometimes you go, oh, I'm finding this hard. now. Sheila Hetty's book on Motherhood, oh my God, that was right. As a sort of 38-year-old woman thinking I wasn't going to have children that 40 was the line in the sand. It was ideal for me. I think I read it after someone gave to me after I had a baby. I think it was a bad timing. So Rachel Coventry. I loved it so much. And then that made me discover one of the books that's on my to read pile. So I read The Little Virtues. So it's Natalia Ginsburg. And also I had never heard of. And now I'm obsessed with Italian. Italian. Her Heart. I'm a lot. I read the Little Virtues. So it's Natalia Ginsburg. And also I had never heard of. And now I'm obsessed with Italian. Italian. Italian. Her heart. husband was a political dissident and was murdered. And again, essayist and novelist, I haven't started it yet. But you know, like, you can't make Ferranti right faster. So it feels like Latalia Ginsburg is, oh, that's where I can go to to get my big, chunky,

amazing novels. And you read the same as it ever was, didn't you? Claire Lombardo. I haven't actually finished it. But you liked it so far. I also finished a swim in the pond in the rain by George Saunders. Which my dad is reading. Oh, I can't recommend it enough.

Yeah, because I've got copies, yeah. And especially if any, if you know, that's a good Christmas gift. If you know anyone who is writing, wants to write, talks about writing or storytelling or an improviser as well. Like it is, it's so good. And it's got the Russian short stories in it. And then he basically has like a written lecture after it, like what that writer's doing. And he goes through all sorts of things like structure and characters and patterns. And it just, yeah, it's such a, and again, you can, I sat and read the whole thing, but you could easily.

dip into each chapter. And there was loads of stories that I'd like heard of but never read properly, like Gogol's, the nose and the Tolstoy stories and Chekhov stories that I was like, oh yeah, I remember

I've been at a party where I pretended to know that story and to actually read it. It was like, yeah, the toll stories were just... And then I guess if you don't have a book group, reading a book like that because it's someone sharing

their learning with you. It's the most I've ever felt like I was back at university in a really good lecture. Yeah. And also he does this thing where he discusses what he thinks. And then just as you think, I don't know if I agree with you, George. He goes, maybe you don't agree with me.

And that's okay. I don't want you to agree with me. I want you to think what you think, like a really cool American teacher. Oh, that's lovely. Thanks, sir. Yeah. And he's like, I want you to have this reaction. I'm just telling you what I'm noticing. I'm sharing my.

And then he'll say, but then years later, another student pointed out this. And I realized I'd never thought of that either. So he like makes you, if you love books and stories, he's really like, he's just talking to the crowd. It's like a great sermon. So I'd highly recommend that. I think that's the only thing I managed to read that wasn't homework. Homework is books for the show.

We've done a lot, haven't we? To be read Pile. To be Red Pile. Which I don't know about you is now so large. It's going to kill me. So one that's on my, that I bought, which I know we won't be able to cover on the pod because we've done her is Bell Canto. Yes, whereas I've read the Dutch house, which you have to read as well.

And the thing is we're going to have to read all. But someone else who's a Dutch house. is Kathy Sweeney because we break down. Yeah. When I was on between the covers with Graham Norton, his book that he bought, I'd never heard of this author, William Maxwell, So Long See You Tomorrow. Okay. He's a famous American author.

Okay. And he said it's kind of set in like, it's like cowboy Midwest type thing. Sorry, Graham. And it's a really thin one. Of course she loved it. It's so thin. Well, one of my to reads is the book I stole that Alan Davies brought in to talk about very different vibes to what you're talking about.

It's called Will and Testament. by Vidgiz Hujjjors. Let me see that. Well, you're always confident with the pronunciation. It's Norwegian name. And it's about sexual abuse in the family. And then she wrote about what it was like to write things about your family. Oh, that sounds good.

Yeah. And obviously Alan Davis has written. His book's brilliant. His book's amazing. Just Ignore Him, which is so amazing. So brilliant. So worth reading. It's very hard read.

And so when he recommends you a book and says, because actually I think what he said was the thing that people say to me that my book did for them, this book did for me. Oh wow. So I was like swacked it straight off his table afterwards. So I can't wait to read that. I was buying books for homework. So I think I was getting like Young Mungo and I was getting like another one.

And the person, maybe it was Al Books in Kentish Town, said to me, you should read this and it was Second Self by Chloe Ashby. Never heard of it. But the pile I had, oh, I had Tom Lake, Young Mungo. And Kathy Sweeney, and she said this one as well. Which I still haven't picked up. It's a way to be red pile. but she was very insistent.

I love it. And it sounds quite good when Cathy and Noah first got together, neither saw children in their future. Eight years later, they're happily married and Kathy isn't so sure. And it's basically about,

yeah, like motherhood and babies and all that sort of thing. So that looks very interesting. Yeah. Well, I should say actually that the Claire Lombardo that's also about someone who has just had a child

and is having a really, really miserable time and what that does to her marriage and what it does to her sort of, I guess, a friendship she attaches to another one, woman who's got grown-up children has been through it already, and then whether you should have another child. And so, and that's that, in that, in that realm. We love books about complicated motherhood. Yeah, we do. I want to read James by Percival Everett. You've got loads. The other day,

I did Sheffield Book Festival, Literature Festival, so great. What a great literary festival. Shout out to Sheffield, one of the best places in Britain. It's up there, isn't it? And the the woman running the event, we were talking about all the books I've been reading recently for the podcast, and she said, have you read Isabella Hammond, Enter Ghost? Oh, I've heard of that. No, I haven't. And she said it's just so fantastic. It got nominated for the women's prize.

I think it was shortlisted. And it just looks amazing. Let me list it to you. So it's a book of the year for The Times, Sunday Times, New York Times, Vulture and Washington Post, okay? After years away from her family's homeland and reading from a disastrous love affair, actress Sonia Nasir returns home to visit her sister Hanine. On her arrival, she finds her relationship to Palestine.

It's fragile, both bone deep and new. Oh, that sounds amazing. When Sonia meets the charismatic Miriam, a local director, she joins a production of Hamlet in the West Bank. That's what it's about. Yeah, that one. Yes, that sounds amazing. So it sounds like everything, everything I want right now.

So that's top of the pile. The Pigeon by Patrick Suskind, because it looks really weird, and I haven't read anything apart from perfume. Yeah, I've read perfume a long time ago. At the time the pigeon affair ever took him, unhinging his life from one day to the next, Jonathan Noll, already past 50, could look back over a good 20-year period of total uneventfulness

and would never have expected anything of importance could ever overtake him again, other than death someday. Just sounds great. The Outrun by Amy Lippertrott. I can't believe it's taking me this long. Have you not read it? No. Oh, I've read it.

Oh, you've read it already? Yeah, read it. Yeah, I've read it. And now it's a film underplaced. Jess Fosterkew's girlfriend, Steph, has written a play of it. And obviously, it's just so incredible and I just haven't read it yet. Oh, yeah. No, the out one of our listeners.

Oh, yeah. Who gave us a copy of her book, Fledging by Rose Deut. And it's about a girl who lays an egg. It looks really cool. I've got it on my desk. And we thought we both... And we've got her contact details. I want this so much because I want to start an episode by going,

so we met you in a queue. You gave us a book and now we loved it. It's her debut novel and yeah, it's about a girl who lays an egg. It sounds right up our street. Right up our street. What else is on your TV? Okay, so there's a book called Waiting for Ted. Ooh.

After all these years, I was surprised to find that we were still in the process of trying to assemble two fully self-sustaining parts into one. It's the destruction of Rosalind and Ted's relationship at the hands of an expensive Shaylong. Rosie dreams of being a traditional housewife to her big, strong working man, cooking, tending the house and Instagramming her perfect life. It's about a woman who's trying to

sort of do everything for Instagram, but she needs to fill her house with things that she can Instagram. So when Ted bans her from spending any more of her father's money, she begins to scheme, only to watch her schemes unravel and the rest of her life with them. Oh, that sounds good. Told over the course of one evening. Oh my God. It just sounds really fun.

Yeah. I think I saw that on Instagram of like weird books, weird and usual books. And also Foe by Ian Reed. Your TBR pile. Oh my God. Yeah, it's big. I think it's, it's, that's a sort of sci-fi, eerie horror. And it's got beetles all over the car, beetles all over it. And I need to read the myth of Sisyphus because I'm trying to write stand-up about it. Okay. About Sisyphus. What, just the actual myth of Sisyphus? Yeah. A bit of both. He's catch up with it. I've got to read, read some Camu anyway. Okay. Maybe that would be my over Christmas. But I want to write about how, because everyone's

always like, oh, you know, it's so Sisyphian about housework, but actually I think I'd much rather be outside pushing a rock up a hill. Yeah, agreed. Also, he's fit. Have he seen him? He's absolutely buff. He's at the gym, mate. Yeah. He's basically gym. That's it. It's crossfit. Yeah. And it's not the same as clean up sweet potato

for the eighth time today from the cracks of my floor. All I yesterday's is the novel by Natalia Ginzburg. I'm going to read. Yeah. And then do you want your presents? Yes, it's present time. We wish you a Merry Christmas. I haven't wrapped up. Okay, well the reason I got it for you is because you sent me a meme of this author the other day. And I read this book and then I broke up with a relationship.

This is over a decade ago. And then people always read it before they break out with their partner. But you're in such a strong relationship. That's why I think it's safe to give it to you. I'm just prefacing. But just so anyone listening. Even 2025, something happens. We'll go back to this episode.

I recommend this book so much if you're trying to leave someone. Anyway, it's just so interesting. I'm giving this to me. No, but I know that you're just... Oh. And it's so fantastic. She has given me, listeners, a name in, Henry and June. I love that book.

And also because we're probably never going to do a Henry Miller. Well, do you know how much I hate Henry Miller? That's why I'm saying probably never going to cover Henry Miller. Have I talked about how much I hate him? Yes, yes. She talked about it. But I've not read this. I didn't know, I don't think I knew they were together.

Wow. Yeah. Oh. And then I got you another one. And this is because this one is on my to read pile. Okay. And it sounds so fun. Okay.

And it sounds like really a bit of you as well. And then we can read it at the same time. I'm doing it for the podcast. Wang Zhaobo, golden age. Read the back though. So he's quite handsome. He is handsome. 21-year-old Wang Er

stationed in a remote mountain commune. I'm already there. Spent his days, herding oxen, napping and dreaming of losing his virginity. His dreams come true in the shape of the beautiful doctor Cheng Xin Yang.

Writerously funny story of the illicit love affair and blistering satire of life in communist China. That's a bit of you, in it? Translated by Yan. This is amazing.

Also, it doesn't look like Vanessa? It's a very beautiful picture. I just think, I think it's massively famous and isn't as well known here and has just been sort of translated really well. Well, look, and I'll tell you what, it's a good wait. Well, my one's three sides to sides of that, so I think you must have small writing.

And so here's the book, I got you from me. Okay, give it to you and I got me from you. Yeah, okay, here we go. Sarah, I've got something for you. Thank you. I just saw it and I knew, I knew that Sarah would want it. I can't believe you haven't got it. If you do the title, you wouldn't be saying this.

And I just absolutely, I'm so. excited to give this to you. The moustache? You saw this and you thought of me. The moustache and a razor. Emmanuel, I just saw it. Whenever you see a moustache you think of me? Yeah, it's fine.

I have a fine, I have a fine moustache. We both suit massages. Well, yes. No, you know, we're wearing them. Yes. I had to wear one for one QI and they all were like, and I said, I know, I look good in it. And you have that.

Don't remember many times people say, we've got jaw lines. We can't help them. One morning, a man shaves off his long-worn mustache hoping to amuse his wife and friends but when nobody notices this is like wasniak when you see him without moustache it's disturbing nobody noticed or pretends not to have noticed what started out as a simple trick turns to terror as doubt and denial bristle and every aspect of his life threatens to topple into madness a disturbing solution comes into view taking us on a dramatic

flight across the world and this is the one that the man in the shop very kindly shout out to the man in waterstone said oh it's funny and weird yeah that looks amazing it does look great isn't it Translated by Lainey Goodman. Oh, so what's it? Is it French? French, yes, French man. Yeah. These look amazing, thank you so much.

Those look delicious. This is the trouble with books. This is the trouble like cakes. It's not like cheese and chocolate and stuff where you eventually get full. You get hungrier and hungrier. Who's getting full on chocolate? Okay. Well, for most people, it's not like cheese and chocolate.

If you're full on chocolate, have some cake, then you'll come back round. It's an exciting new year of reading ahead of us. Oh, God, very excited. We need to stop doing the other things. things in our lives. So we can concentrate in a professional reading. Oh, we should say, because we haven't said on the podcast, we got those lovely lamps that

help reading. Do you know what? I just said, I was on Daisy Buchanan's lovely podcast, your book. And completely organically, we were talking about reading and I was like, have you ever tried the serious, are they called serious readers? Seish readers, yeah. I said, have you tried serious reader lumps? And she was like, what? I said, they're actually really good. And they made a huge difference in my life. She said,

are you doing an advert? And I'm not. I'm not. I genuinely love them. Yeah. It's really, it's really, really, really, really wonderful. So that's, again, maybe a good Christmas present if you need to get an expensive present for somebody who loves reading. They are pricey. But it's a proper weighty 10 year guaranteed. We are now doing an advert for free.

I can't tell you, my eyes haven't, my eyes, my eyes aren't hurting. That's the whole point of it is it supposed to be easier for your eyes. Like the wavelength or something. So shout out to them for actually creating an incredible product. And do you know what? When I get into bed, I'm like excited to read. I'm like, we're like, oh, I can't make to put that lamp on. Yeah.

Yeah. Who are we? Right. We ask the listeners for their wish list. Oh, lovely. And some lovely listeners sent in, obviously, we talk a lot. So we've got time.

But a couple of ones they chose that I had not even, wasn't aware of, Eliza Clark has a new one. Short stories. Short stories. Yes, she does, yeah. She's always hungry, is the name of the title. And it's available from November.

A teenager longs for perfect skin. A scientist tends to fragile alien flora. A young man takes the night into his own hands. Each of these characters has a desperate desire. Can any of them be sated? Oh, sounds great. So I thought that was a good, we love Eliza Clark, one of our original guests. Deborah Levy has a new one.

Again. This is a collection of essays, some apparently have like a paragraph long, called The Position of Spoons. Series of Essays thoughts about artists and writers, including Colette, Lee Miller, Francesca Woodman, and Cafe Life in Freud's Vienna. Oh, gosh. I actually thought that would be a perfect Christmas present for you. Yeah, I would be. I was like a bit annoyed that I hadn't seen that in the bookshop and I couldn't present that for you. Sarah, I've got you.

this new look it's the position of spoons that's out now oh wow oh that is a nice Christmas present and it sounds like nice because it's essays

and so it's a bit of a dipy I think you can dip in I'm a huge Lee Miller and Francesca Woodman fan so I was like oh god this sounds amazing another one that someone

suggested was audition by Katie Kitamura oh yeah that looks incredible yeah that looks really really good definitely gonna read that that isn't out till next year

so you could do a sneaky pre-order two people meet for lunch in a Manhattan restaurant she's an accomplished actress in rehearsals for an upcoming premiere, he's attractive, troubling, young, young enough to be her son. Who is he to her and who is she to him?

In this compulsively readable, brilliantly constructed novel, two competing narratives unspool. Oh, that sounds fantastic. Yeah. Really great. Which I hadn't heard of Katie Kittamura, but she's done a lot of stuff. And I thought that sounded really good. That was a suggestion. Now, the suggestion from my listeners was Shy Creatures by Claire Chambers.

She wrote The Amazing Small Pleasures. And she's been writing. You read that, didn't you? Yeah. I really enjoyed it. It was a really great read. And she's one those writers that's been going for absolutely ages and then like one book hit.

Yes, and it was really small publisher. I should shout out because I got sent it and I cannot wait to read it. It's Jenny Slate's Lifeform. And I love The Little Weird so much her book of essays and I love her writing so much. I've still got your copy of Little Weirds. I have you.

I think I bought it for you. I bought five copies in a minute. I finished it. It was one of those. Needed everyone to read it. But Lifeform was about becoming an alien because you have a baby. The alien process of having a baby.

Oh, interesting. Yeah. Also, we just wanted to shout out. books that are coming out in 2025. Yeah. So another good gift thing you can do for someone who's read everything. Book token. It's a pre-order. Oh, pre-order. Oh, that's so even better.

So you know they can guarantee if you've got someone in your life who reads too much, if you pre-order, they won't have read it. Yes. So this is a good one to, you can give them the print out and be like, I know it's not a book, but in February you'll get a book. A Story is a Deal by Will Store. I love Will Store so much. Well, he wrote Heretics, which is one of my favorite nonfiction books ever and so interesting.

I haven't read that one. He wrote a book about story because he teaches. So my favourite book that he's written. And he wrote... It's the science of storytelling. And he wrote one about ego. He wrote one about... Selfie.

Selfie. He wrote selfie. And he wrote the one that was about... Status game. Yeah. So I... He's a brilliant writer. I really love his book, The Science of Storytelling.

I do too. I keep on my desk permanently. It's really helpful for writing. I think it's brilliant. Again, so this book is out in February. It's called A Story is a Deal. So I think again, if you know any writers, or anyone interested in writing.

I would 100% recommend that. I got sent a proof The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce, which is out in April. And this was on the cover for fans of Anne Patchett, Maggie O'Farrell. Oh God, come on, then. Straight into my bones.

There was a heat wave across Europe. Goose and his three sisters gather at the family's house by Lake Orta in Piedmont, Italy. Their father, a famous artist, has recently remarried a younger woman and decamped to Italy to finish his masterpiece. Now he is dead, and there's no sign of a painting.

So I thought that looked really good. and I got sent these are proofs I haven't read yet What's the name of that one again? That's the homemade god by Rachel Joyce who's written loads of stuff and I think this is a debut

fundamentally by Nisai by Eunice which is out in February when academic Nadia is disowned by her puritanical mother and dumped by her lover she decides to make a getaway accepting a UN job in Iraq

tasked with rehabilitating ISIS women Nadia becomes mired in the opaque world of international aid surrounded by bumbling colleagues then Nadia meets Sarah a precocious and sweary East Londoner who joined ISIS at just 15,

and she's struck by how similar their stories are. So, do you want something like to exciting news? Yes. Carriad, Christmas present time. Yeah. With Booked Nas on the podcast. What? Yes.

She's coming on to talk about fundamentally. So you will have to read it. Wow. Sounds amazing. It sounds amazing. It's out in February 2020, 2025. As our podcast with her will also be. And I'm so exciting about some of our upcoming guests.

We've got lots of exciting guests. That's all our roundup, I think, of books that we've enjoyed and books that are coming out. Exciting book gossip. Yeah, book gossip. Anyone? Thank you for reading with us. We like jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle.