Episodes
-
Virginia and Louise do a deep dive into Barbara Kingsolver’s Pullitzer Prize winning and compelling novel Demon Copperhead and talk all things Charles Dickens as well as adding some shameful new entries to the infamous Ick Register.
BooksOliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, 1838
Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, 1854
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, 2023
More Deep Dives
Emma, by Jane Austen
Television
Emma, mini series, 2009
Slow Horses, series 1-3 Apple TV+
One Day, Netflix 2023
-
Louise and Virginia thought it might be fun to do an episode on books that they feel a bit embarrassed to have never read (until now). There were a lot of books to choose from, but they discuss four in this conversation.
During this chat they also create an Ick Register for authors who use words that give the ick, so that readers can be warned in advance (kind of like a trigger warning, but more basic).
BooksThe Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Television ShowsScrublands - Stan
Boy Swallows Universe – Netflix
PodcastsThe Children of Rutherford County – Serial
The Queen’s Reading Room
-
Missing episodes?
-
Louise and Virginia have a great conversation about a lovely Western Australian novel. Salt River Road by the very talented debut author Molly Schmidt captures the large Tetley family at the worst time of their lives. Their wife and mother, Elena, has died after a long illness and left them all devastated. Although the book looks at grief through the eyes of several different characters, it has a forward-moving arc, plenty of heart, and a wonderful ending, with an authentic Western Australian, 1970s feel.
Book
Salt River Road by Molly Schmidt, 2023, published by Fremantle Press
Binge TV
Strife
Netflix
The Crown
-
Louise and Virginia have a conversation about two books with many overlaps, one fiction and one non-fiction, and reflect on the fact that none of this information was taught in the classroom when they were at school.
Books
Killing for Country by David Marr
Edenglassie by Melissa Lukashenko
TV Show
The Crown – Netflix
Podcasts
The Rest is History – Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland
The Rest is Entertainment – Richard Osman and Marina Hyde -
Virginia and Louise dive into four new releases some of them from our favourite authors!
They also encourage everyone to get their hands on Salt River Road by Molly Schmidt for a bookclub deep dive episode coming up.
Books
The Fraud, Zadie Smyth, 2023, Hamish Hamilton Penguin
Normal Rules Don’t Apply, Kate Atkinson, 2023, Penguin Random House
Tom Lake, Ann Patchett, 2023, Harper Collins
Pearl, Sian Hughes, 2023 UQP
London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency: A Memoir, Kate MacDougall, 2021 William Morrow
Salt River Road, Molly Schmidt, 2023 Fremantle Press
Streaming
Welcome to Wrexham, Disney
Podcasts
The Whistleblowers, ABC Background Briefing
-
Louise and Virginia have finally had a conversation about six literary controversies/hoaxes/scandals and it’s a lot of fun! This is a Topic they both find fascinating so it was great to select three stories each and dive in.
Authors
Norma Khouri
John Hughes
Carmen Mola
Antonio Mercero
Agustin Martinez
Jorge Diaz
Harold Stewart
James McAuley
Dawn Dorland
Sonya Larson
Helen Demidenko/ Darville
Books
The Dogs by John Hughes
Forbidden Love by Norma Khouri
The Hand that Signed the Paper by Helen Demidenko/Helen Darville
Article
Who is the Bad Art Friend? by Robert Kolker – The New York Times Magazine 2021 -
Virginia and Louise have read a swag of newly released books both well-known authors and others new - and only some with the hype they deserve.
Books
Yellowface R F Kuang Harper Collins 2023
Crook Manifesto Colson Whitehead 2023
The Sitter Angela O’ Keefe Queensland University Press 2023
Old God’s Time Sebastian Barry 2023
Podcasts
The Trial of Lucy Letby UK The Mail Metro Media
Inside Design Jane Ledger
Theatre
‘A Twelfth Night’ - Bell Shakespeare Company
-
This time it’s Louise’s turn to talk about the massive French classic that she has been reading, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo. Louise tells Virginia about a very impertinent act by the original translator of the novel, and they discuss the aspects that Louise loved and some that she wasn’t so keen on. Hugo and Dumas were both born in 1802 and were literary confrères throughout their lives, so Notre-Dame and Monte Christo make a great pairing.
Book
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo
Related Blog:The Gothic Wanderer Wordpress
-
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Streaming
Au Coeur de Peloton/Tour de France: Unchained
Arnold
SBS on Demand
Rogue Heroes
ABC iView
Dangerous Remedy
Podcast
Strict Scrutiny
-
Virginia and Louise immerse themselves in the meadows, riverbanks, orchards, high tides and deep snow to explore the deep connection and chasms between community, environment and climate change, in the emerging genre and precious language of eco-fiction.
BooksThe Offing by Benjamin Myers, 2019
Stolen by Ann-Helene Laestadius, 2023
Also consider A Month in the Country by JL Carr
Limberlost by Robbie Arnott, 2022.
Cuddy by Benjamin Myers 2023
The Stella Prize 2023 winner Sarah Holland Batt for The Jaguar.
PodcastThe Rest is History podcasts on the Coronations
Wiser than Me with Julia Louis Dreyfuss
StreamingUnstable
The Diplomat
Queen Charlotte
-
Virginia and Louise are excited to share some must-read new releases including compelling stories about activist guerilla gardeners, true crime podcasters, writers rooms, surveillance and murder as well as the pitfalls and power dynamics of modern relationships, social media, dating apps and late night sketch TV.
Books
I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkah, 2023, Flint Publishing
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton, 2023, Granta Publishing
Search History by Amy Taylor, 2023, Allen and Unwin
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld, 2023, Penguin Random House
Streaming
Succession HBO
Netflix
The Diplomat
Line of Duty
Podcasts
Mel’s Electric Adventures
KicPod, Keep It Cleaner Podcast
-
Louise and Virginia jet off to San Francisco in the episode, where they discuss the origins of the City and County, and why it became the home and haven for people wanting to discard façades and identities they may have held in their home towns. They also discuss the original gold rush and the modern tech gold rush and the impact these have had on the city, as well as the serialisation of novels and they way this can shape the overall architecture of a novel. They also revisit the issue of Nazism and the presence of monsters living in plain sight among us.
Books
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, 1941
Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin, 1978
Daughter of Fortune by Isabelle Allende, 1998
Mr Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, 2012
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry, 2016
Television
Clarkson’s Farm – Prime
My Mother and Other Strangers, BBC, ABC iView
Blog
Literary Hub by Megan Abbott
https://lithub.com/megan-abbott-on-the-difference-between-hardboiled-and-noir/
-
Louise and Virginia do a deep dive into the very contentious topic of Cancel Culture and the trend of cancelling books and authors. They also touch on the subject of banning books (and indeed burning books), which always have the opposite effect of that sought. Virginia and Lou both have very strong opinions on the subject and it’s such an interesting conversation. They also discuss a few great non-bookish things they’ve been diving into of late.
Books
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne, 2006, DoubledayAll the Bright Places by John Boyne, 2022, Doubleday
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, 1969
Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D H Lawrence, 1928.
The Trial of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Edited by CH Rolphe
TV Shows
Vardy v Rooney-Binge
Murder on the Homefront – Netflix
Significant Others – ABC iView
Nolly – Foxtel
Podcast
The Banned Books Podcast -
Louise and Virginia have been immersed in some armchair travel to Tokyo, which has made them both very keen to travel there. These four books are great to read if you have a trip to Japan on your horizon or your bucket list. They also discuss some fabulous TV series to get streaming, a podcast, and they’ve both had very different recent experiences meeting Yotam Ottolenghi (although both evenings were great fun).
Books
Death in Tokyo by Keigo Higashino, translated by Giles Murray. Published by St Martin’s Publishing Group
The Book of Tokyo – A City in Short Fiction, edited by Michael Emmerich, Jim Hinks and Masashi Matsuie.
Tokyo Redux by David Peace. Faber 2021
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata and translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori
Streaming TV series
Vardy v Rooney – Foxtel
Happy Valley – Binge
Bump – ABC
Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast
Yotam Ottolenghi – Test Kitchen
-
From soccer teams, eerie forests, dysfunctional families and loyal companions, Louise and Virginia ventured back into the world of books for younger readers.
Books
A Walk in the Dark by Jane Godwin – Lothian Hachette
Football Fever by Kristin Darell - Penguin
Take Me with You When You Go by David Levithan and Jennifer Niven – Penguin 2022
Runt by Craig Silvey – Allen and Unwin 2022, Illustrated by Sara Acton
Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden – Penguin 2022
PodcastsMaintenance Phase – Debunking junk science behind health fads
The Daily – George Santos
Streaming ShowsEmily in Paris
Yellowstone
Colin from Accounts
Slow Horses
-
Louise lost her beautiful Lagotto dog Buster, two months ago, and so today Virginia and Louise want to dedicate this episode to him and to celebrate the wonder and loyalty that is a dog. In this conversation they discuss four lovely dog-related books as well as a few other things they’ve been diving into lately.
Books
Dog Stories – Everyman’s Pocket Classics
Ava’s Apartment by Jonathan Lethem
The Emissary by Ray Bradbury
Dog Days by Ericka Waller
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Murder Most Royal by SJ Bennett
Podcast
The Crown : The Official Podcast with Edith Bowman
TV Series
The Sandhamn Murders (SBS Australia)
Instagram accounts@jennybloomfield
@catherine.rayner
Streaming
Shetland Series 6 and 7
Julia - with Sarah Lancashire
-
Louise and Virginia have been reading some books by debut writers as well as a charming re-release from the 1960s. These are all great books which they enjoyed enormously. They also discuss a few other non-bookish things they’ve been diving into.
Books
A Helping Hand by Celia Dale
Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn
TV
Marriage with Nicola Walker and Sean Bean
Annika with Nicola Walker
BBC Radio
Annika Stranded
Podcast
Off Air with Jane Garvey and Fi Glover
-
After a long break Virginia and Louise are excited to be back in their makeshift cushion studios to discuss some new releases by authors they absolutely love……. as well as some other popular culture they have been diving in to.
Email [email protected]
Instagram @diving_in_podcast
Virginia’s Instagram @virginia_reads
Louise’s Instagram @louise_cooks_and_reads
Song ‘Diving In’ – original music and lyrics written and performed by Laura Adeline – https://linkt.ree/llauraadeline
Podcast sound production and editing by Andy Maher.
Graphics by Orla Larkin - [email protected]
Books
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O' Farrell 2022, Hachette
Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson, 2022, Penguin Books
The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves 2022, Pan Macmillan
Exiles by Jane Harper, 2022, Pan Macmillan
Television
Louise recommends This England and DI Ray
Virginia recommends Sherwood and Savage River
MoviesVirginia recommends See How They Run
PodcastLouise recommends Empire with Anita Anand and William Dalrymple
-
Louise and Virginia conclude their dive into Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes in this Book Club episode. They discuss Part 2 of Don Quixote, published over 10 years after Part 1, after an imposter had published a fake sequel. Virginia and Louise discuss several characters, the infamous cave scene and much more .
-
Louise and Virginia dive into Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes in this Book Club episode. They discuss Part 1 of Don Quixote, first published in Spain in 1605 and regarded as the first modern novel. The conversation covers madness, quests, Shakespeare, naval battles, fools, heroes and the role of the sidekick.
- Show more
