BONUS BOOK CLUB: Cursed Bread with Sophie Mackintosh

enMarch 08, 2023

A Pair of Bookends

About this Episode

Hello to all you fabulous Bookends! We are so delighted to be bringing you a Bonus Book Club episode this month, where we are in conversation with the incredible Man Booker Prize longlisted author Sophie Mackintosh with her latest novel, the Women's Prize long-listed 'Cursed Bread'. We chatted to Sophie about her experiences with rejection, how a historical poisoning in rural France inspired her latest book and why intimacy and desire are some of our favourite themes ever! We hope you enjoy this chat and if you do, as always, please do give us a rate, review and subscribe as it helps us to reach other Bookends!

To buy Cursed Bread: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/cursed-bread-sophie-mackintosh/7079548?ean=9780241539613

Give Sophie a follow: https://www.instagram.com/sophmackintosh/?hl=en / https://twitter.com/fairfairisles?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Books & Authors discussed:

My Husband by Maud Ventura
Barbara Cummings
The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh
Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh
Owlish by Dorothy Tse
End of Nightwork by Aidan Cottrell- Boyce

Other cultural bits discussed:
The Banshees of Inisherin
Dogville
Listen to Sunday Salon podcast ep with Sophie Mackintosh: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sophie-mackintosh/id1449117087?i=1000437232007

Follow us on Instagram @apairofbookendspod or on Twitter and Tik Tok @apairofbookends. Thank you so much for listening, until next time- happy reading!

Recent Episodes from A Pair of Bookends

March Book Club: Unearthing with Kyo Maclear

Welcome to our March Book Club episode where today our episode coincides with the release of the breathtaking memoir Unearthing by Kyo Maclear. We were so thrilled to be joined by Kyo to chat all about her book, we discuss the DNA test that changed her life, her evolving relationship with her mother, finding an appreciation for nature and how that helped her through the grieving process and so much more. This was such a wonderful conversation and we really hope you get as much from it as we did! Please do rate, review & subscribe if you can as it helps us reach more of you!
To gain extra exclusive content from us, follow our Patreon
You can also give us a follow via Instagram, Twitter or Tik Tok or email us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com

To grab your own copy of Unearthing, you can buy it here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781911590958
To follow Kyo: via Instagram

Books & authors mentioned on the episode:
Wrong Norma by Anne Carson
Maurice Sendak
John Berger
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Kyo's recommendation:
My Brilliant Friend (TV adaptation) - Now TV

Thanks so much for listening. Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

enMarch 06, 2024

Feb Book Club: Hard by a Great Forest with Leo Vardiashvili

Welcome back Bookends, we apologise for the delay on this one but after some difficult news last week we needed to postpone editing.
Here is our Feb Book Club episode with the astounding debut author Leo Vardiashvili, his book Hard by a Great Forest has been endorsed by the likes of literary legend Khaled Hosseini and was swept up by Bloomsbury in an overnight pre-empt and we cannot emphasise enough how much we loved it.
On this episode we discuss Leo's experiences as a refugee and how that informed his novel, Georgian hospitality, the hysterical true story of Zoo animals storming the streets of his home town and so much more. Please do rate, review & subscribe if you enjoy this episode, it helps us hugely!

If you wish to buy Leo's book (you should!): https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781526659828
To follow Leo: Goodreads & Twitter
For more exclusive content from us please head on over to our Patreon
You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok

Leo's upcoming events:
https://oxfordliteraryfestival.org/literature-events/2024/march-21/memories-of-flight-fictionalising-georgias-2008-war-with-russia
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-leo-vardiashvili-tickets-779317618977

Books discussed on this episode:
Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin
Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R.Tolkien
The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable

Thanks so much for listening. Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

enMarch 04, 2024

Monthly Culture Round-up: Women's Prize for Non-Fiction, One Day, BAFTAs & BeyoncÃ©

It's monthly culture round-up time, yay! On today's episode aswell as giving our recommendations for the month, we chat all about the inaugural Women's Prize for Non-Fiction longlist, the BAFTAs and what we're excited for in the coming month!

Apologies for Hannah's echo-ey sound on this one, we've done our best to rectify on the edit!

If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you! You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok or you can email us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com
For extra exclusive content head on over to our Patreon!

Currently reading:
Unearthing by Kyo Maclear

Lydia's picks:
One Day (Netflix)
Texas Hold'Em - BeyoncÃ©
In Ascension by Martin MacInnes
https://www.youtube.com/@SavidgeReads
Nyad (Netflix)

Hannah's picks:
One Day (Netflix)
Texas Hold'Em - BeyoncÃ©
Booker Prize podcast on Sally Rooney's Normal People: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/why-sally-rooneys-normal-people-is-more-than-just-a/id720041386?i=1000643759310
All of Us Strangers

Other mentions:
For the full list of books mentioned in today's episode visit: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/february-monthly-culture-round-up
https://www.instagram.com/archivist_reader
Da'vine Joy Randolph BAFTA acceptance speech-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXR5i6Tq3tE
Samantha Morton BAFTA acceptance speech-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRWsuuZTRLM
The High Low Podcast on Unconscious Bias: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/womens-unconscious-bias-towards-other-women-kim-kardashians/id1211338187?i=1000401176120
Marriage Story (Netflix)
Sky Arts Book Club

What we're excited for in March:
Oscars
Alice & Jack (Channel 4)
Prima Facie by Suzie Miller
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
Paper Names by Susie Luo
Small Hours by Bobby Palmer

Thanks so much for listening, Han & Lyd x

enFebruary 26, 2024

S3 Debut Spotlight- 5. Miranda Pountney

Welcome back to the latest episode in our Debut Spotlight series, for this episode we were joined by the wonderful Miranda Pountney, author of 'How to be somebody else'.
We chat about the impact Tessa Hadley had on her road to publication, what living in New York is really like, affairs (obviously!) and so much more, we hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

If you have time please do rate, review & subscribe so we can reach more of you!
Follow us on Patreon, Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok

To buy 'How to be somebody else': https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-be-somebody-else-miranda-pountney/7496635?aid=13480&ean=9781787332102

To follow Miranda: https://www.instagram.com/mirandapountney

Books & other recommendations disccused on this episode:
In the cut by Susanna Moore
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
Here is New York by E.B White
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf
Motherhood by Sheila Heti
Alphabetical Diaries by Sheila Heti

Miranda's Recommendation:
https://www.instagram.com/heyemmet/?hl=en

Thanks so much for listening! Until next time, happy reading x

enFebruary 21, 2024

Bonus Books: Body Friend with Katherine Brabon

For today's Bonus Books we were joined by Australian Author Katherine Brabon, whose latest novel Body Friend completely blew us away.
We chat about her experiences of living with chronic pain, what it was like to transfer that onto the page, creating characters that personified the inner struggle of choosing to rest and so much more, this was such a great conversation and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

If you like what we do and want to support our work & gain exclusive content for less than Â£3 a month, follow us on Patreon.
Please do rate, review & subscribe on your preferred podcast platform, it means the world!
To follow us: Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok.

To buy Body Friend (UK): https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781761152597
To follow Katherine: https://www.instagram.com/katherinebrabon/

Books, authors & other recs mentioned on today's episode:
The Long Form by Kate Briggs
A Shining by Jon Fosse
Natalia Ginzburg
Helen Garner
Gerald Murnane
Alexis Wright
In Plaster poem by Sylvia Plath
Sally Rooney
Rachel Cusk
W.G. Sebald
Septology by Jon Fosse
Aliss At The Fire by Jon Fosse
Killers of the flower moon (Movie)

Thank you so much for listening. Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

enFebruary 14, 2024

S3. Debut Spotlight- 4. Sarah Marsh

Welcome back Bookends to another episode in our Debut Spotlight series, where we shine the light on the freshest authors and their work. Today we bring you an episode with the wonderful Sarah Marsh, author of 'A Sign of Her Own' which is out now and published by Tinder Press.
We chat about the importance of community for Deaf people, Sarah's research process (including bringing Alexander Graham Bell back to life!), the writers that have inspired her and so much more!

If you enjoy this episode, please do rate review & subscribe as it helps us more than you can imagine! You can now also gain an exclusive extra monthly episode amongst other benefits for less than the price of a cup of coffee by supporting us on Patreon. If you want to follow us you can do so @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter or Tik Tok or email us with your book recs and feedback at apairofbookendspod@gmail.com

Podcast Transcript: https://freepodcasttranscription.com/transcription/e808b8c3edd2d7f1a7b651aec5cd1010567dadec.srt

To buy 'A Sign of Her Own': https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781035401611
To follow Sarah: https://twitter.com/SarahCMarsh
Book tix for Sarah's upcoming event: https://www.favershamliteraryfestival.org/index.php/purls/2024-events-url/2024-main-events-table/sarah-marsh-and-lesley-mcdowell

Books & authors discussed:
Pod by Laline Paull
Sebastian Barry
Marilynne Robinson
True Biz by Sara Novic
The Perseverance by Raymond Antrobus
Chattering: Stories by Louise Stern
Ismael and His Sisters by Louise Stern

Until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

enFebruary 07, 2024

Monthly Culture Round-Up: Saltburn, Dolly Alderton's Good Material & Paul Mescal

Hey Bookends! Welcome to the FIRST in our brand new series: the monthly culture round-up where we chat about all of the recommendations we've been enjoying over the last month and boy are you in for a treat today!

As always if you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps us massively and if you have any recommendations you want to get in touch with please do send them us via DM on Instagram, Twitter or Tik Tok. You can also email us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com

Currently Reading:
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Piglet by Lottie Hazell

Lydia's Picks:
Saltburn (Amazon Prime)
The New York Times Book Review Podcast
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
Society of the snow (Netflix)
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Netflix)

Hannah's Picks:
Good Grief (Netflix)
Paul Mescal on Chicken Shop Date
My Husband by Maud Ventura
Sentimental Garbage Podcast - Robbie Williams with Dolly Alderton
Blue Lights (BBC)

Other mentions:
Dan Levy on How to Fail
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
Hot Ones
Amelia Dimoldenberg on The Louis Theroux podcast
Paul Mescal on The Louis Theroux podcast
Money Heist (Netflix)
Yellowjackets (Paramount +/ Amazon Prime)
Robbie Williams Docuseries (Netflix)
Everything is Content podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-7-mob-wife-winter-reboot-fatigue-and-poor-things/id1719284496?i=1000642162941
Strangers by Taichi Yamada
Poor Things by Alasdair Gray
I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning by Keiran Goddard
Hourglass by Keiran Goddard
Nuclear Family by Kate Davies
In at the deep end by Kate Davies
In Ascension by Martin MacInnes

Thanks so much for listening! Han & Lyd x

enFebruary 02, 2024

S3 Debut Spotlight- 3. Madeleine Gray

The woman of the hour, the book of the moment! On today's show we bring you the incredible Madeleine Gray, author of GREEN DOT- whose publishing journey is unlike anything we've heard before. We chat about why we love an affair narrative, why she wanted to write about working in retail, the representation of positive father/daughter dynamics and so much more. It was a DELIGHT to chat to Madeleine and we hope you love this episode as much as we did!

If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps us to reach more listeners and means the absolute world.
You can follow us on all social platforms: https://linktr.ee/apairofbookendspod or get in touch with us via email apairofbookendspod@gmail.com

You can also follow Madeleine: here

Book tix for upcoming events with Madeleine: https://www.waterstones.com/events/in-conversation-with-madeleine-gray/manchester-deansgate
https://www.waterstones.com/events/madeleine-gray-in-conversation-with-pandora-sykes-at-waterstones-piccadilly/london-piccadilly
https://www.book-ish.co.uk/event/an-evening-with-madeleine-gray/

To buy the books discussed on today's episode including Green Dot (published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and out in the UK tomorrow!) : https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/madeleine-gray-episode?
Other recommendations mentioned:

My Education by Susan Choi
A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu
Dress Rehearsals by Madison Godfrey
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/the-evil-mistress-trope-is-tired-i-empathise-with-the-other-woman-20230921-p5e6i2.html
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/21/madeleine-gray-a-shop-can-be-your-castle-adventures-in-the-retail-train
Deadloch (Prime)

Thanks so much for listening, until next time- happy reading! Han & Lyd x

enJanuary 31, 2024

Minisode: My Beautiful Psychosis with Emma Goude

Welcome back Bookends to an exciting January minisode where we were joined by the brilliant, award-winning documentary filmmaker Emma Goude. We discuss how she turned her experiences with psychosis into her memoir My Beautiful Psychosis, the importance of having a support system in place and her time working at the BBC. If you wish to follow more of Emma and her work you can do so here.

To check out Emma's book and other books/authors we discussed on today's episode: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/emma-goude-episode?
Other recommendations mentioned:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/if-i-ruled-the-world-by-gillian-burke/id1715887715

If you enjoyed this episode, please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps us to reach more of you! If you wish to follow us you can do so here.

Thanks so much for listening and until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

enJanuary 24, 2024

S3 Debut Spotlight - 2. Kate Brody

Welcome back Bookends to a new Debut Spotlight episode, this time we were joined by the incredible Kate Brody, author of 'Rabbit Hole' which is out in the UK TODAY! (Our lucky U.S listeners have had it a couple of weeks already!)
Aswell as hearing about the journey in having her debut novel published, we chat about sister dynamics, grief and so much more... Hannah of course also asked how a debut novelist ended up with an endorsement from actor Mila Kunis?!
We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did, as always please do rate, review & subscribe as it helps to boost us in the charts!
If you want to follow us you can do so via this link: https://linktr.ee/apairofbookendspod
To follow Kate: Instagram & Twitter/ X

To buy 'Rabbit Hole' and to see all other recommendations discussed today: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/kate-brody-episode?

Other recs discussed:
Book of Ayn by Lexi Freiman
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
Yours For The Taking by Gabrielle Korn

If you wish to get in touch with recommendations, feedback or for interview requests please email us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com, we love to hear from you! Thanks so much for listening & until next time, happy reading! Han & Lyd x

enJanuary 18, 2024