This week, we’re catching up on the chaos of the past few days, from the never-ending rain to Nikki’s lingering cold (plus a couple of perfectly timed feline interruptions)

Book Talk

We tackle our ever-growing TBR towers, debate how to actually define fantasy subgenres, and confess to Hannah’s less-than-stellar book-group track record.

Plus, Hannah makes it her personal mission to convince Nikki to download fewer books and actually buy physical copies, and we introduce our new “book jar” idea — a hopeful attempt to push our reading habits beyond the usual comfort zones.

Current Reads

Nikki is reading

Writers & Lovers - Lily King

The Knight and the Butcherbird - Alix E. Harrow

From Nikki’s TBR:

The Warm Hands of Ghosts – Katherine Arden

Ninth House – Leigh Bardugo

Hellbent – Leigh Bardugo

The Familiar – Leigh Bardugo

My Sister the Serial Killer – Oyinkan Braithwaite

Hannah is reading:

Room 706 - Ellie Levenson

From Hannah's TBR:

The Swell – Kat Gordon

My Husband Simon - Mollie Panter-Downes

Episode Takeaways:

• Exploring class divides through the lens of an alternative universe
• The power and precision of world-building in fantasy fiction
• Why a writer might choose short fiction over long-form (and vice versa)
• Extramarital affairs and how they unfold within the realities of motherhood and marriage
• Living with the fallout when lies start to unravel
• Building empathy for characters who make morally messy choices
• The power (and frustration) of an unresolved ending
• Crafting a compelling character within a historical setting
• The influence of time and history on a writer’s work

Next episode:

A Walk in the Park – Jill Mansell

There's still time to join us and read along! If you enjoyed this episode, please do leave us a review and recommend us to your friends!