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Book Off!

Book Off!

A fun, upbeat, accessible show about brilliant books, writing and culture.


Each episode sees two authors go head to head in a war of the words, championing a book they love and think we should all read...but only one can win.


This book podcast features an incredible array of authors from across the globe and some amazing, and sometimes unexpected, book recommendations.


#books #bookpodcast #authors #writers #booklovers #writing #literature #bookrecommendations #bookworms

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  • 21 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 49 min
  • English

Episodes 21

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  • S16 · E2
    Monday · 40 min

    Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena

    International bestselling authors, Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena, go head to head in a war of the words! They join Joe Haddow to chat about their new novels, creepy houses, instagram life vs real life, and why some authors (mainly men) shouldn't write sex scenes in their books. The authors also discuss how dark they will go in their own books, why they like reading really gruesome things, tell us about authors they admire - and give us some brilliant book recommendations too. THE BOOK OFF 'Lie With Me' by Sabine Durrant VS 'Five' by Ilona Bannister And here's a little more about out guest's latest books! 'Getting Away With Murder' by Shari Lapena Jill and Ted adore their New York brownstone the way others adore their children. They have carefully, expensively, made every inch of it their own. It reflects who they are, their status and tastes. With the grand mahogany staircase and state-of-the-art kitchen, it is the stuff of glossy magazines and real-estate dreams. It is their sanctuary. So when Ted’s inheritance runs out and he makes a bad investment, they panic. How can they protect their beloved home and enviable lifestyle? The answer is obvious. Or at least, it is obvious to Jill and Ted. The death of one wealthy family member could solve all their problems. Together, they will get away with murder. As long as they trust each other. And as long as there are no surprises . . . 'It Could Have Been Her' by Lisa Jewell Newly divorced and feeling a little lost, Jane Trevally agrees to accompany a man she doesn't know to his house in the darkest corner of Hampstead Heath. She's offered a drink. She steps inside.And then she hears a scream.Jane runs. Twenty five years later, Jane finds herself outside the same house, this time to return a dog who's been found near her home. A dog whose owner has just been reported missing. A fleeting glimpse of a haunted looking woman through the window sends Jane on a mission to uncover the house's secrets - secrets more terrifying than she could have ever imagined. And she can't stop thinking: It could have been her . . . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S16 · E1
    September 11 · 44 min

    Bobby Palmer and Claire Daverley

    We're baaaaack! HELLO SERIES 16! And for the first episode in our new series, authors Bobby Palmer and Claire Daverley go head-to-head in a war of the words. They discuss their latest novels ("Main Characters" and "People In Love") and discover that they both have exactly the same taste in books! Joe chats to them about rom-coms, Richard Curtis, and the many different beautiful and frustrating angles of writing about love. We also get some cracking book recommendations from them as well...and there are several cameos from Dougal the dog! THE BOOK OFF 'Shark Heart' by Emily Habeck VS 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte And if you liked the sound of Bobby and Claire's books - here's a little more info on their novels: "People In Love" by Claire Daverley One bright blue day, on a bench by the river, Nora’s partner Robin proposes. It is unexpected; they’d always agreed that they didn’t need a wedding. But after a decade of in-jokes, dancing in the low-lit kitchen and sharing morning toast in bed, Nora says yes. Why wouldn’t she? The answer lands on the night of their engagement party, when Bren turns up on her doorstep. Growing up, Bren and Nora were the sort of best friends who everyone swore would end up together. But when a sudden heartbreak turned their lives upside down, Bren left, Nora stayed, and the silent longing between them remained unspoken. Now, he’s back, and their tentative yet undeniable spark reignites, forcing Nora to ask herself: How can you know your heart, if it feels like it’s split in two? "Main Characters" by Bobby Palmer Clara and Seb are about to fall in love. They don't know it yet. But everybody else does. When Clara and Seb meet in a quiet corner of London, it's the start of something. She wants to be a director. He's an actor, unsure what he wants from life. Their connection is magnetic. Everyone can see that falling in love looks something like this. But when Clara casts Seb in the film that will make her name, what should be the happiest time of their lives ends with a gut-wrenching betrayal. Some love stories are bigger than just two people. This one is told through the eyes of friends, flatmates, exes and strangers who see all the sides of Seb and Clara, from their first date to the moment they fell apart. Everyone has their version of events. But only Clara and Seb can decide how their story ends... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • July 3 · 55 min

    Justin Currie and Debsey Wykes

    Justin Currie - lead singer of Del Amitri - and Debsey Wykes - frontwoman of Dolly Mixture - join Joe for a natter about their memoirs, music, writing, forgotten histories and much more. Justin talks about touring America, then and now, how the US took Del Amitri under their wings and, essentially, helped him buy a house! Debsey talks about touring with The Undertones and U2, keeping an archive - and writing to remember. They also recommend us some brilliant books that they have enjoyed recently! THE BOOK OFF 'The Haunting Of Hill House' by Shirley Jackson VS 'Train Dreams' by Denis Johnson Here's a little more info on our guest's memoirs: 'The Tremelo Diaries' by Justin Currie It’s 2022 and we join Justin at the doctor’s office, looking down the barrel of a Parkinson’s diagnosis. After concerned fans noticed a tremor in his hand, Currie sought the medical advice which led him to the discovery that would throw his future into uncertainty. The immediate fallout of his diagnosis is laid bare in Currie’s candid, stream of consciousness voice. A voice that is also by turns poetic, self-deprecating and darkly humorous across a series of diary entries that capture Justin’s innermost feelings ― part travelogue, part confessional. Following a coming to terms with the situation whilst on tour in the U.S, the second half of the story joins Currie in 2024, supporting Simple Minds on tour with Del Amitri. Anger, heartbreak and a looming sense of finality concoct a terse relationship between what once was and what may never be. Yet, page after page, what prevails is the achingly perfect timing of his acerbic wit. The Tremolo Diaries is a beautiful and unique meditation on illness and aging. It is a twilight years reflection on band life in the 21st Century. It’s a travelogue around the world’s art galleries, parks, bars and sites of natural beauty. And most importantly, it is about love and friendship, adversity and courage, life and loss. In a first-of-its-kind exploration of Parkinson’s by a multi-platinum selling musician, The Tremolo Diaries looks the dramatic irony of Currie’s affliction in the eye, puts down the guitar, and returns the needle to the start of the song. 'Teenage Daydream: We Are The Girls That Play In The Band' by Debsey Wykes Debsey Wykes' memoir is a vivid coming-of-age story from one of the UK’s earliest female post-punk musicians. As bassist and vocalist in cult trio Dolly Mixture, Wykes was thrown into the male-dominated music world of the late 1970s, brushing against fame with an unlikely No.1 hit alongside Captain Sensible before finding long-term acclaim through her work with Saint Etienne. Told with charm and defiance, the book revisits a youth shaped by DIY ethics, schoolgirl friendship, and the thrill of performance. It features appearances from key figures of the era — including Paul Weller, Madness, and The Pogues — and captures the spirit of a scene where handmade hula skirts met Top of the Pops. Now performing with both Saint Etienne and her group Birdy, Wykes reflects on the enduring appeal of Dolly Mixture, whose reissues remain in high demand. Teenage Daydream is a rare, first-hand account of a woman forging her path through punk’s golden age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • June 26 · 58 min

    Pip Landers-Letts and Laura Evans

    Two authors go head to head in a war of the words! This week - Laura Evans and Pip Landers-Letts join Joe Haddow for a natter. They chat about writing sapphic fiction, big skies, eerie landscapes, the Amazon Kindle Storyteller Award...and the joys of writing in Ikea! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • June 19 · 55 min

    Ken Follett and Amy Jeffs

    Multi-million selling superstar author, Ken Follett, returns to Book Off and goes head to head in a war of the words with author and artist Amy Jeffs. Ken discusses his latest novel 'Circle Of Days' and his fascination with Stonehenge. He talks about the challenges of writing in different historic periods, deep research and how to turn lots of factual information into a brilliantly engaging, page-turning novel. Amy chats about her book 'Old Songs', and her fascination with folk songs and ballads. Amy steeped herself in medieval history and has studied this period and the songs of this time extensively. The two guests also give us some brilliant book recommendations - and Ken tells about his short-lived comedy writing career in the 70s! THE BOOK OFF 'The Man Of Property' by John Galsworthy VS 'Moonfleet' by J. Meade Falkner But which one will win? Here's a little more info on our guests' books: 'Circle Of Days' by Ken Follett A FLINT MINER WITH A GIFT Seft, a talented flint miner, walks the Great Plain in the high summer heat, to witness the rituals that signal the start of a new year. He is there to trade his stone at the Midsummer Rite, and to find Neen, the girl he loves. Her family lives in prosperity and offers Seft an escape from his brutish father and brothers, within their herder community. A PRIESTESS WHO BELIEVES THE IMPOSSIBLE Joia, Neen's sister, is a priestess with a vision and an unmatched ability to lead. As a child, she watches the Midsummer ceremony, enthralled, and dreams of a miraculous new monument, raised from the biggest stones in the world. But trouble is brewing among the hills and woodlands of the Great Plain. A MONUMENT THAT WILL DEFINE A CIVILISATION Joia's vision of a great stone circle, assembled by the divided tribes of the Plain, will inspire Seft and become their life's work. But as drought ravages the earth, mistrust grows between the herders, farmers and woodlanders - and an act of savage violence leads to open warfare . . . 'Old Songs' by Amy Jeffs and Gwen Burns Old Songs fuses short stories, histories, lyrics and illustrations in an enthralling reimagining of traditional folk ballads. Sunday Times Bestselling historian Amy Jeffs and Illustrator Gwen Burns combine forces to create a rich compendium, singing of travel, mystery, magic and the essential urges of humanity. Featuring iterations of fairy tales and sinister descendants of Greek myths and bible stories, as well as a cast of lesser-known characters with names like Tam Lim, Child Wynd and Maisery, Old Songs threads a tapestry of Britain's landscape, history and cultures. At the base of hills we can visit to this day, elf queens kidnap hapless poets and carry them through rivers of blood; and at the foot of a tree whose offspring still stand in the forests of Northumberland, a girl mimes combing the hairless head of a dragon who was once her brother. In spellbinding tales of brown-skinned girls who danced on their lovers' graves, of golden-masted ships captained by the Devil, of fiddles that cried "Murder!", of men kidnapped by fairies and boys married at fourteen, we find narrative motifs as ancient as humanity itself. In the histories interconnecting the stories, we find the fantastical rooted in the everyday, bringing to light the real experiences of great swathes of people to whom such story-songs were not only familiar, but a way of escaping into the extraordinary and returning gratefully home. Bringing enchantment to familiar landscapes, ballads were created anew by each singer and passed down from fireside to fireside, at the knees of childhood nurses, in manuscripts and in early printed pamphlets. Now, ten stories are gathered here, beautifully recreated for modern readers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • June 12 · 44 min

    Tayari Jones and Lily King

    Women’s Prize shortlisted author, Lily King, and previous Women's Prize winner, Tayari Jones, join Joe for this week’s Book Off! They discuss their new novels, co-parenting Koalas, Ann Patchett, lovers, desire, chosen family, female friendship, mothers, Oprah and the many many forms of love. We LOVED this chat - and hope you do too! THE BOOK OFF 'The Transit Of Venus' by Shirley Hazzard VS 'Song Of Solomon' by Toni Morrison And here's a little more info on our guests' new novels: 'Kin' by Tayari Jones A yearning for their missing mothers pulls Vernice and Annie apart. It will take a devastating tragedy to bring them back together. Vernice and Annie are 'cradle friends', born days apart in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, both destined never to know their mothers. The girls are inseparable, bound by a friendship far deeper than sisterhood. But this is the American south in the 1950s. Black girls like Vernice and Annie have to fight for every opportunity they can, and neither one can build the future they hope for in Honeysuckle. Gradually, inevitably, the girls drift apart. Vernice pursues her education; Annie is lured by the promise of a heady first love affair and a growing obsession with finding her mother. But her search pulls her even further into a world of danger that soon leaves her oldest friend battling to save her. 'Heart The Lover' by Lily King Our narrator understands good love stories - their secrets, their highs and free falls. But her greatest love story, the one she lived, never followed the rules. She was in her senior year of college when star students Sam and Yash swept her into an intoxicating world of academic fervour, rapid-fire banter and raucous card games. Their lives became quickly intertwined - with friendship but also with unpredictable passions and the intimations of first love. Decades later, she is a successful writer, living a comfortable life with her husband and children, when a surprise visit brings the past crashing into the present, forcing her to confront the decisions and deceptions of her youth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • June 5 · 47 min

    Ava Glass and Anna Mazzola

    Authors Ava Glass and Anna Mazzola go head to head in a war of the words - pitting a book they love and think that everyone should read against each other in The Book Off! They also chat to Joe Haddow about their new novels, the corrupt world of billionaires (and their exclusive ski resorts), haunted houses, spies, writing inspirations - and - why writers have pseudonyms. They also give us some great book recommendations too. THE BOOK OFF 'The Thirteenth Tale' by Diane Setterfield VS 'The Likeness' by Tana French Which one do YOU think should win? Find out which Joe picks on the latest episode. Remember you can follow and subscribe on Spotify and Apple - and follow us on instagram and bluesky! Here's a little more info on our guests new novels! 'The Hiding Season' by Ava Glass (AC Glass) Maya Landry is in desperate need of a fresh start. Alone and heartbroken, she finds work as a caretaker at an exclusive ski resort for the elite in the mountains of Montana. Quiet and empty in the summer months, it's the perfect escape. All Maya wants is to be alone. But she's not alone on the mountain. Someone else is there. A killer with his next victim in his sights. After Maya finds a body, she must run for her life. One man tells her that he can save her. But can she trust him? Is he everything he claims to be? Only one thing is certain: the killer will stop at nothing. And Maya is the only witness to their crime . . . 'Notes On A Drowning' by Anna Mazzola (Anna Sharpe) Alex knows she risks getting fired from her law firm if she takes on another unpaid case, but when she hears Rosa's desperate voice at the other end of the phone, she knows she has to help: the body of Rosa's shy teenage sister, Natalia, has been dragged, lifeless, from the Thames. Alex can't help but think of her own missing little sister. She knows how a lack of answers can eat you alive. Kat has worked hard to become Special Adviser to the Home Secretary, and is eager to finally put the dark and tragic part of her past behind her. But when she discovers a series of cover-ups, she begins to wonder whether her seemingly perfect new boss could be involved. Then she's shocked to discover a letter that raises worrying questions about a girl found drowned in London... Natalia. There are complex and painful reasons for Alex and Kat not to work together, but when it becomes clear that there are powerful people involved in Natalia's death, and that other girls are at risk, Alex and Kat must overcome their differences to find answers. Will they save the girls and discover the truth? Or will the high-powered players in this game stop Alex and Kat for good? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • May 28 · 47 min

    Fran Fabriczki and Sam Beckbessinger

    Joe Haddow welcomes two more authors to the Book Off studio - for a war of the words! This week, he's joined by debut novelists Fran Fabriczki and Sam Beckbessinger, who discuss their new books, writing processes and inspirations. They talk about Los Angeles (the loves / the hates), wry humour, peri menopause, forging anger into stories and legendary mums. We also get some pretty great book recommendations too. THE BOOK OFF 'The Book Of George' by Kate Greathead VS 'We Have Always Lived In The Castle' by Shirley Jackson Here's a little more info on our guest's books: 'Femme Feral' by Sam Beckbessinger EVER FELT READY TO HOWL? Hyper-competent start up CFO Ellie is 46-year-old and like most women, is already juggling too much. Daughter's not talking to her, husband's not listening to her, and she's got a promotion coming up at work. It's an inconvenient time to be beset by mid-life symptoms: coarse hair in new places, hot flushes, insomnia, losing time . . . finding bloodstains on all her clothing, howling at the moon. Her doctor diagnoses perimenopause. But it's another 28-day cycle that's taking hold. One involving fur, and teeth, and a not insignificant amount of rage. Suddenly the troubles in her life - hot flushes, thankless family, spiralling to-do list, oblivious husband, the w*nker promoted above her at work - seem almost . . . bite-size. 'Porcupines' by Fran Fabriczki Los Angeles, 2001. Sonia is raising her daughter, Mila, alone in the sunny but somnolent suburbs of LA. Her days are a blur of not-quite-illegal business activities, avoiding other moms, and baking birthday cakes laced with rum: minor mistakes that nevertheless remind her she doesn’t belong. Mila, meanwhile, is juggling violin and swimming lessons and navigating the treacherous social politics of school – all the while trying to get her mother to share something, anything, about her past. But there are just too many things that Mila doesn’t know: She doesn’t know that her mother grew up in Soviet Hungary (where getting your hands on a banana was one of the greatest thrills in life) She doesn’t know that her mother has a sister called Rina (whom she hasn’t spoken to in 10 years) The only thing she does know about her father is that he was a ‘good time’ (according to her mother) Crucially, she doesn’t know that there is a very good reason why her mother dodges everyone, from traffic cops to vice principals. So, Mila concocts a scheme to get her mother, and the man Mila is kind of sure must be her father to reconnect. It involves corralling Sonia into chaperoning an orchestra of ten-year-olds (most of whom seem to be called Megan) on a road trip from LA to San Francisco, and it may just cause their carefully constructed lives to implode. Moving between Budapest before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Washington, DC in the tense years of the Cold War and the bright sunshine of early 2000s Los Angeles, Porcupines is an irresistible novel about mothers and daughters, belonging and reinvention, the things we carry with us, and those we tell ourselves we’ve left behind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • May 22 · 54 min

    Sarah Hilary and Sabine Durrant

    Sarah Hilary and Sabine Durrant join Joe Haddow for a Book Off! They chat about their new novels, choosing their settings, 'chalk n cheese' detective duos and balancing darkness and light. Sarah's book ('The Drowning Place') has ghostly elements to it, so they discuss ghosts and whether the authors believe in them... THE BOOK OFF 'The Mahe Circle' by George Simenon VS 'Your Blue-Eyed Boy' by Helen Dunmore If you're enjoying the podcast - please do like and subscribe - and maybe even leave us a review! It helps to spread the word. Here's a little more info on our guests' books: 'The Drowning Place' by Sarah Hilary Every place has its ghosts. Edenscar, a town in the Peak District, has more than most. 17 years ago, its inhabitants were hit by tragedy when a school bus veered off the road and everyone on board drowned. Everyone, that is, except Joseph Ashe. His miraculous survival has haunted him and the town ever since. Now a Detective Sergeant in the local police, Joe is called to the scene of a brutal and apparently inexplicable crime. The whole town is spooked, but Joe’s new boss, DI Laurie Bower, more used to inner-city police work, has no time for superstition. She just wants to find the very real killer who has left no trace and apparently had no motive. Joining forces, Joe and Laurie work to uncover the secrets of Edenscar, both past and present. But when you dig up the dead, expect to get your hands dirty… 'Dead Heat' by Sabine Durrant Former journalist Matt Grimshaw's life is at a low ebb. He's been 'let go' by the paper where he's worked for years, and his relationship with his long-term girlfriend has come unstuck. So when an invitation arrives from his two closest friends, Celia and Adam Murphy, to join them at their house in Greece, he jumps at it. It may be harsh and unwelcoming on the Mani Peninsula but Matt determines to stay there for the whole summer and to write his much put-off screen-play. But then the Murphys plus children arrive, and a wealthy newcomer to the area starts throwing loud and lavish parties in his big house across the bay. As the nights become hotter and the parties wilder, everyone's motivations darken. Envy rises, resentments grow - until a terrible accident stops the summer in its tracks. At least, it looks like an accident… Set over one blazing Mediterranean summer, Sabine Durrant’s new thriller is tense, claustrophobic and utterly gripping. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S15 · E7
    May 14 · 49 min

    Jane Harper and Claire Douglas

    Joe Haddow welcomes two bestselling authors - Claire Douglas and Jane Harper - to Book Off to go head-to-head in a war of the words! They chat about making fictional settings seem as real as possible, how a sense of place can shape a novel, and why you should ALWAYS write down your ideas, you never know when you might need them. Jane and Claire also talk about knowing when to give up on a novel - rather than pushing through if something's not working - and how some books come easier than others. The two authors also give us some brilliant book recommendations - and writing advice! THE BOOK OFF 'The 13 Storey Treehouse' by Andy Griffiths VS 'Tom's Midnight Garden' by Philippa Pearce But which one will win? Here's a little more about our guests' new books: 'Last One Out' by Jane Harper  Five years ago, Sam Crowley vanished on his twenty-first birthday. The only clues were his footprints in the dust of three abandoned houses. One set in. One set out. Now, his mother Ro returns to the dying town of Carralon Ridge. The community is a ghost of its former self, fractured by the encroaching mining operation and years of unspoken grief. Ro is looking for answers. But in a town where everyone is leaving, the few who remain are guarding closely held secrets. In this disappearing landscape, can Ro find the truth before the dust settles forever? 'The Family Friend' by Claire Douglas When Imogen is told she’s inherited a country house near Bath, she thinks it must be a mistake. She last saw its owner, reclusive artist Dorothea Roe, sixteen years ago, during a tragic summer which changed her life for ever. Now, with partner Josh in tow, it’s a chance for a fresh start. But after discovering an old box with her name on it in Dorothea’s abandoned study, Imogen starts to believe the woman was trying to send her a secret message. And when rumours begin to swirl that Dorothea was murdered, she starts to suspect that this gift might not be the life-line she thought it was. Who would want to kill Dorothea? Could it be tangled up in Imogen’s own dark family history? And what if Imogen is now the one in danger? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S15 · E6
    April 9 · 54 min

    Jessie Burton and Katy Hessel

    Jessie Burton and Katy Hessel join Joe Haddow for a war of the words. They discuss great women artists, mudlarking, the influence of family histories, museums and galleries, getting children interested in art and finding a writing voice. Katy and Jessie also recommend some brilliant books - including 'The Wreck' by Lizzy Stewart (graphic novel) and 'The Artist' by Lucy Steeds (novel) THE BOOK OFF 'What I Loved' by Siri Hustvedt VS 'The Lonely City' by Olivia Laing And here is a little more info on each of our guests books! 'Hidden Treasure' by Jessie Burton From the bestselling author of The Miniaturist. Jessie Burton's Hidden Treasure is the phenomenal page-turning story of two children whose lives collide when they find an ancient treasure with the power to return to them the most precious thing they have ever lost For the people who live on the banks of the Thames, the river is a living, breathing thing. It can take your treasures. It can hide your treasures. And, sometimes, it can give them back. Bo and Billy are two children who have never met. Billy is an orphan. Bo’s dad died when she was small and now her brother is off to war. Both children are poor, but they have each found half of a priceless treasure, given up by the river. A treasure which – when the pieces are reunited – holds the power to give back to one of them the most precious thing they have ever lost. But should the treasure be put back together again? And why has the river given it up now? 'The Story Of Art Without Men' by Katy Hessel (illustrated by Ping Zhu) A beautiful journey through the untold stories of art, adapted from the global sensation The Story of Art Without Men, by expert art historian and bestselling author Katy Hessel. Step into the incredible lives of the women artists who have gone uncelebrated for too long. Journey through history, from the Renaissance to the Second World War, and across the globe, from Cornwall to Manhattan, Nigeria, Japan and more, to discover the stories of women who changed the world with their incredible art. You'll learn about the extraordinary lives of freedom fighters, game changers and adventurers - and be astounded by the art they made, with its striking landscapes, hidden messages and calls for women's rights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S15 · E5
    March 27 · 1 hr 3 min

    Tanya Sweeney and Alex Kadis

    Alex Kadis (ex Smash Hits journo and music manager) goes head to head with Tanya Sweeney (columnist and journo) in a war of the words. They chat about their debut novels, their inspirations and their complex central characters. Plus, there's a lot of chat about Smash Hits, music, Bros, One Direction - and - stalking! THE BOOK OFF 'Olga Dies Dreaming' by Xochitl Gonzalez VS 'High Fidelity' by Nick Hornby Here's a little more info on each of our guest's new novels: 'Esther Is Now Following You' by Tanya Sweeney You're the love of Esther's life. You just don't know it yet... Esther first sees Ted walking in a park in London. They lock eyes and for a fraction of a second, she feels something she’s never felt before. She starts by reading up about his life in Canada and his work as an actor. Then she watches every interview with him online. It isn’t long before she’s joined Ted’s fan site online where her and the ‘Tedettes’ stalk his every move. When Ted gets a new celebrity girlfriend, Esther decides that things have gone far enough. She leaves her husband, takes all their savings, and buys a one-way ticket to Canada. After all, Ted might not know it yet, but they are meant to be together – he just needs a little bit of persuading... 'Big Nobody' - by Alex Kadis For Constance ‘Connie’ Costa, life is just beginning. She dreams of leaving behind her dull, dreary life in ‘70s East London, shaking off her deeply embarrassing Greek-Cypriot community of interfering Aunties and pretend ‘cousins’, and running away with her best mate Vas (fellow misfit; NHS specs; soul of a poet). She is determined to take her rightful place alongside her hero, David Bowie, onstage at Wembley Stadium. Only one thing stands in her way: her father, The Fat Murderer. No longer content with being an absolute imbecile and general abomination of nature, he has dialled up his campaign to ruin Connie’s life ever since the untimely death of her mother. If she ever wants to claim the destiny that is rightfully hers, Connie has only one option left: to kill him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • March 6 · 41 min

    Tobi Coventry and India-Rose Bower

    Debut novelists Tobi Coventry and India-Rose Bower join Joe Haddow for a war of the words. They chat about their new novels ("He's The Devil" and "We Call Them Witches") as well as their love for the horror genre, their inspirations - and why queer horror is in a renaissance right now. Tobi and India also give us some brilliant book recommendations too. (whilst this episode celebrates the horror genre - you don't have to be a 'horror fan' to enjoy it!) THE BOOK OFF 'The Perks Of Being A Wallflower' by Stephen Chboskey VS 'Last To Leave The Room' by Caitlin Starling And here's more info on our guests novels: 'He's The Devil' by Tobi Coventry Simon has always been a good boy. He’s invariably employee of the month at the seasonal small plates restaurant where he works, he neurotically tidies his home, he keeps on top of repairs on behalf of his twenty-something, permanently-abroad landlord and tries to do right by everyone. But when his best and only friend, Josh, moves out of their shared flat, Simon is lonelier than ever – until in moves a new flatmate, the strange (and strangely sexy) Massimo. But Massimo’s brought something with him. Odd sounds emerge from Massimo’s room, smells of earth and meat drift through the corridor and Simon’s nights fill with disturbing and tantalising dreams. Massimo is awakening something in Simon, something wild and exciting and horrifying that could be the end of him – or maybe a new beginning. But whatever’s in Massimo, whatever’s in the flat, isn’t finished. It wants more. 'We Call Them Witches' by India-Rose Bower Sara and her family must keep moving. Every few months, they’re discovered, and they have to pack up and get out quick. For the twins it’s all they’ve ever known, for Danny, Noah and Ma, it’s a reminder of all they’ve lost. For Sara, it’s just another day. In yet another abandoned house, one they surround with Pagan wards – the only thing that protects them – Sara and her family think they might be safe, for a while at least. And then they find a strange girl in the garden. Parsley can’t remember where she came from or how she got here. The family sees only a threat, but Sara sees hope. But outside they are waiting. The eldritch creatures. The ones they call Witches.The ones who already stole everything. And now, just days after the Parsley arrives, they steal something even more valuable: Noah. It's time to stop running. It's time to leave the safety of the wards, and try to find Noah in the witches' lair. It's just that no-one has ever done that and come out alive... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • February 19 · 53 min

    Curtis Sittenfeld and Erin O White

    Authors Curtis Sittenfeld and Erin White join Joe Haddow for a war of the words... Curtis and Erin are best mates - which makes for a very competitive Book Off! Erin talks about her debut novel 'Like Family' which has themes of desire in middle age, queer domestic love and life, navigating the world as a teenager - and much more. Curtis discusses her latest short story collection 'Show Don't Tell' which is a witty and tender collection of tales, featuring a cast of characters that feel like old friends. They also give some writing tips and recommend us some brilliant books too! THE BOOK OFF 'Colored Television' by Danzy Senna VS 'Unless' by Carol Shields Here's a little more on our guests' books! 'Like Family' by Erin White What if everything you wanted is no longer enough? Meeting for an autumnal swim in an idyllic pond, Caroline's friend Ruth tells her about a family secret that has recently been exposed. Caroline was looking forward to a celebration they'd been planning together with her sister-in-law, Tobi, but suddenly everything seems complicated. Tensions that have long been buried are bubbling to the surface. These three couples, who have so much to enjoy in their lives - growing children, affectionate marriages, work they love - must confront the truths they've never shared. More than that, they will have to reconcile the lives they've built with the ones they desire: the old dreams both fulfilled and denied, and the new ones that appeared right when they thought they had all they'd ever hoped for. 'Show Don't Tell' by Curtis Sittenfeld In this compulsive collection of twelve witty stories, Sittenfeld shows why she’s as beloved for her short fiction as she is for her novels, as she conjures up characters so real that they seem like old friends. In ‘The Patron Saints of Middle Age,’ a woman visits two friends she hasn’t seen since her divorce. In ‘A for Alone,’ a married artist embarks on a project intended to disprove the so-called Mike Pence Rule, which suggests that women and men can’t spend time alone together without lusting after each other. And in ‘Lost but Not Forgotten,’ Sittenfeld gives readers of her novel Prep a new window into the world of her beloved character Lee Fiora, decades later, when Lee attends an awkward school reunion. Witty, confronting and full of tenderness, Sittenfeld peels back layer after layer of our inner lives, keeping us riveted to the page with her utterly distinctive voice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S15 · E2
    February 5 · 49 min

    Madeleine Gray and Alexandra Potter

    Alexandra Potter and Madeleine Gray join Joe Haddow for a war of the words! They chat about their new novels, conmen, queer love, writing women without making them victims - and give us some great book recommendations too. THE BOOK OFF 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte VS 'How To Be Both' by Ali Smith Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S15 · E1
    January 29 · 46 min

    Libby Page and Ellie Levenson

    LIbby Page and Ellie Levenson join Joe Haddow for a natter about their new novels - and - go head to head in a War Of The Words! Libby's new novel - 'This Book Made Me Think Of You' - is a heartwarming, uplifting story about grief and love (and a love letter to books, reading and bookshops!) Ellie's new novel - 'Room 706' - is a tense page-turner about a woman trapped in a hotel room with her lover Both authors share their inspirations for their new books, give us some good book recommendations - and of course - take part in The Book Off! THE BOOK OFF 'Conversations On Love' by Natasha Lunn VS 'The Wild Robot' by Peter Brown And here's a little more on our featured authors' books: This Book Made Me Think Of You - Libby Page When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly, because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. Mainly, because Joe died five months ago… The gift is simple – twelve carefully chosen books from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him. And so begins a reading-inspired journey that takes Tilly around the world; from bustling sidewalks in New York and the tree-lined avenues of Paris to the tranquil Tuscan countryside and the white sands of Bali. With the help of the bookshop owner, Alfie, Tilly starts to discover who she is now, after Joe. But can Tilly’s year of books show her how to love again? Room 706 - Ellie Levenson Kate stretches her legs and turns on the TV while James washes away the traces of their morning. She watches in horror at the unfolding news: the hotel they are staying in has been taken under siege. She should be making her way home, working on appearing normal, getting ready to re-enter family life with her loving husband Vic and their two adored children. Instead, she is trapped somewhere she shouldn't be, with a man she definitely doesn't love. How will she begin to tell Vic what she is doing here? If her body is found, will it give up the secret of what she's been up to? She's been so careful hiding the evidence of her affair: write nothing down, leave no trace. Will he begin to understand why? For now, Kate can only hide, take a deep breath, and reflect on the series of choices she's made that have brought her to this moment. What will her marriage and her life look like, if she makes it out? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S14 · E19
    Nov 6, 2025 · 38 min

    Tim Burgess and Tom Sheehan

    Charlatans lead singer, Tim Burgess, and music photographer, Tom Sheehan, join Joe Haddow for a war of the words. Tim and Tom have worked together on and off for over 30 years - and during that time, Tom has captured some of the most iconic images of Tim's band. They chat about their new collaboration 'How High: A Portrait Of The Charlatans' as well as some of their favourite music biographies, artists they've worked with - and the new Charlatans album too. THE BOOK OFF 'Amusing Ourselves To Death' by Neil Postman VS 'Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky' by Patrick Hamilton Here's a little more info on their gorgeous photography book 'How High' This is the inside story of The Charlatans, told through the lens of legendary photographer Tom Sheehan and the words of the band's frontman Tim Burgess. More than 250 of Sheehan's photographs - blending iconic shots with those seen here for the first time - are accompanied by moving and insightful text from Burgess, sharing his memories of a band at the very height of their powers. Covering a decade of the band's story, the book captures recording sessions, live performances, cover shoots, tours and intimate moments snatched backstage and around the world. Beautifully presented in a cloth-bound hardback, this book is a stunning visual history of The Charlatans, one of the defining bands of a generation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S14 · E18
    Oct 30, 2025 · 44 min

    Lisa Smith and Marcia Hutchinson

    This week Joe welcomes two debut authors - Lisa Smith and Marcia Hutchinson - who get head to head in a war of the words. They chat about their writing journeys, black voices in literature, coming to writing later in life and why sometimes, you can just use books as a way of getting back at people! THE BOOK OFF 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison VS 'Small Island' by Andrea Levy Here's a little more about our guests new novels: 'Jamaica Road' by Lisa Smith South London, 1981: Daphne is the only Black girl in her class. All she wants is to keep her head down, preferably in a book. The easiest way to survive is to go unnoticed. Daphne’s attempts at invisibility are upended when a boy named Connie Small arrives from Jamaica. Connie is the opposite of small in every way: lanky, outgoing, and unapologetically himself. Daphne tries to keep her distance, but Connie is magnetic, and they form an intense bond. As they navigate growing up in a volatile, rapidly changing city, their families become close, and their friendship begins to shift into something more complicated. When Connie reveals that he and his mother “nuh land”—meaning they’re in England illegally—Daphne realizes that she is dangerously entangled in Connie’s fragile home life. Soon, long-buried secrets in both families threaten to tear them apart permanently. Spanning one tumultuous decade, from the industrial docklands of the Thames to the sandy beaches of Calabash Bay, Jamaica Road is a deftly plotted and emotionally expansive debut novel about race and class, the family you’re born with and the family you choose, and the limits of what true love can really conquer. 'The Mercy Step' by Marcia Hutchinson Bradford, December 1962. A precocious Mercy makes her reluctant entrance into the world, torn from the warm embrace of her mother’s womb, to a chaotic household that seems to have no place for her. Her siblings do not understand her, her mother’s attention is given to the Church, and the entire family lives at the whims of her father’s quick temper. Left to herself, Mercy finds solace in books, her imagination, and the quiet comfort of her faithful toy, Dolly. But escapism has its limits, and as the grip of family, faith and fear threatens to close in, Mercy learns she must act if she wants a different future; one where she is seen, heard, and her family set free. The Mercy Step is a sharply-witted and tender portrait of a young girl’s quiet rebellion, and her refusal to be broken. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S14 · E17
    Oct 23, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min

    Joe Hill and Joe Abercrombie

    Bestselling authors Joe Hill and Joe Abercrombie join another Joe (the host) for a natter about books, films, horror, fantasy and much more. They discuss their brilliant new novels, 'King Sorrow' and 'The Devils', their writing processes and routines, Stephen King, James Cameron, film adaptations, comics - and - give us some brilliant book recommendations too. THE BOOK OFF 'Lonesome Dove' by Larry McMurtry VS 'The Night Always Comes' by Willy Vlautin Heres some more info on our guests brilliant novels! 'King Sorrow' by Joe Hill Bookish dreamer Arthur Oakes is a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters and beautiful buildings. But his idyll - and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot - is shattered when local drug dealers force him into a terrible crime: stealing rare and valuable books from the exceptional college library. Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for help: the wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren; brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen. Together they dream up an impossible, fantastical scheme that they scarcely imagine will work: to summon the fabled dragon King Sorrow to kill those tormenting Arthur. But the six stumble backwards into a deadly bargain - they soon learn they must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow each year or one of them will become his next victim. Unleashing consequences they can neither predict nor control, this promise will, over the course of four decades, shape and endanger their lives in ways they could never expect. 'The Devils' by Joe Abercrombie Europe stares into the abyss. Plague and famine stalk the land, monsters lurk in every shadow and greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions. Only one thing is certain: the elves will come again, and they will eat everyone. Sometimes, only the darkest paths lead towards the light. Paths on which the righteous will not dare to tread . . . And so, buried beneath the sacred splendour of the Celestial Palace, is the secret Chapel of the Holy Expediency. For its congregation of convicted monsters there are no sins that have not been committed, no lines that will not be crossed, and no mission that cannot be turned into a disastrous bloodbath. Now the hapless Brother Diaz must somehow bind the worst of the worst to a higher cause: to put a thief on the throne of Troy, and unite the sundered church against the coming apocalypse. When you're headed through hell, you need the devils on your side. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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