Books On The Go
Anna Baillie-Karas, Annie Waters and Amanda Hayes
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Books On The Go is a book podcast where the hosts talk about their book of the week. Each episode they share their thoughts on a particular book, what they enjoyed or found interesting, and why you might want to read it too. The show is designed for readers to follow along, picking up the same book and joining the discussion. With a relaxed, friendly tone, it's a great companion for anyone looking for book recommendations.
Епізоди
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The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley 17.08.2026 31хвAnna and Geoff discuss THE PALM HOUSE by Gwendoline Riley. Set in London, it centres on friends Laura and Putnam, both journalists facing a changing work landscape. It is longlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize. We enjoyed this book, especially the spare writing. It got us talking: How important is plot? Is this a comic novel? Geoff's alternative title for the book. We also pick our next reads from the Booker Prize Longlist. Other books mentioned: The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey Capture by Amanda Lohrey The Gate at The Stairs by Lorrie Moore Birds of America by Lorrie Moore Foster by Claire Keegan The Friend by Sigrid Nunez Coming up: All Them Dogs by Djamel White Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Summer Holiday Reading Recommendations 24.07.2026 55хвA special episode: Anna and Geoff are joined by Kate Slotover of the Book Club Review Podcast, on location in London. We discuss our top holiday reading recommendations. Our picks: FAMESICK by Lena Dunham THE PALACE PAPERS by Tina Brown ENOUGH SAID by Alan Bennett SLOUGH HOUSE by Mick Herron WAITING ON A FRIEND by Natalie Adler LEAVING THE ATOCHA STATION by Ben Lerner PARADISO by Michele Masneri translated by Richard Village RECEIPTS FROM THE BOOKSHOP by Katie Clapham THE LINE OF BEAUTY by Alan Hollinghurst Also discussed: TRANSCRIPTION by Ben Lerner VILLA COCO by Andrew Sean Greer THE SILVER BOOK by Olivia Laing SUNSTRUCK by William Hunter THE PAPER PALACE by Miranda Cowley Heller EUROTRASH by Christian Kracht translated by Daniel Bowles EARTH 7 by Deb Olin Unferth Pressing questions: What makes a good holiday read? How many ghosts are too many? Is running a bookshop the dream job? Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras (Anna) / @bookclubreviewpodcast (Kate) Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector translated by Benjamin Moser 14.07.2026 23хвAnna and Geoff discuss the Dublin Literary Award winner, Gliff by Ali Smith. Our book of the week is HOUR OF THE STAR by Clarice Lispector translated by Benjamin Moser. Lispector was the Ukrainian-Brazilian novelist writing from the 1940s to 1970s who is widely referenced and is having a moment on BookTube and BookTok. She was compared with Virginia Woolf and Cubist artists. A short book (80 pages) but not a quick read as we discovered. Geoff has an intriguing theory about the first section (spoiler alert). Anna found it too abstract and meta but maybe it all makes sense? Apologies for the audio quality, Anna's microphone was not working (we realised belatedly)! Coming up: our top holiday reads. Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
John of John by Douglas Stuart 23.06.2026 24хвAnna and Geoff react to the 2026 Women's Prize winners: Virginia Evans' THE CORRESPONDENT for Fiction, which prompts Geoff to recommend 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD, and Lyse Doucet's THE FINEST HOTEL IN KABUL for Non-Fiction. Our book of the week is JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart, the Booker Prize-winning author of SHUGGIE BAIN. Set in the remote Scottish Hebrides among a weaving community, this story of John and his son Cal was an Oprah Book Club pick, a finalist for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction and picked by many as a Most Anticipated Book of 2026. Is it more Brokeback Mountain or Greek tragedy, or something else? Coming up: HOUR OF THE STAR by Clarice Lispector translated by Benjamin Moser. Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe 03.06.2026 36хвAnna and Geoff discuss the 2026 Stella Prize winner, CANNON by Lee Lai and the 2026 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction shortlist. We also react to the Guardian list of 100 best books of all time. Is there a difference between your 10 favourite novels and your top 10 best books of all time? Our book of the week is LONDON FALLING by Patrick Radden Keefe. This is Keefe's latest book, after his widely acclaimed EMPIRE OF PAIN. It explores the death of 19 year old Zac Brettler, who had been posing as a Russian oligarch's son and became entangled with the London underworld. LONDON FALLING was a Most Anticipated book of 2026 and is a New York Times Best Book of the Year So Far. There are twists and turns aplenty and much to discuss: Were the Met police incompetent or was there more to it? If your teenager has £850,000 in their bank account, is this a red flag? What did we think of the ending? Coming up: JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Transcription by Ben Lerner 20.05.2026 29хвAnna and Geoff react to the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner, ANGEL DOWN by Daniel Kraus, a World War 1 novel written in one sentence. We also discuss Dwight Garner's New York Times article about the lack of book critics and our views on book influencers and reviews that make news, such as the Harper's review of To Paradise by Hana Yanagihara. Our book of the week is TRANSCRIPTION by Ben Lerner. This novel about a writer who writes an article about his mentor from his memory of their interview after dropping his phone in a sink tackles issues such as phone addiction, parenting and eating disorders. It was a Telegraph 'most anticipated book of 2026' and a New York Times 'book everyone will be talking about'. Recommended for book clubs. We had to ask: Why did he not put his phone in a bowl of rice? Is this a book about tech addiction? How does it differ from an Ian McEwan novel? How many unreliable narrators do we have here? Read-alikes: AUDITION by Katie Kitamura LEAVING THE ATOCHA STATION by Ben Lerner Coming up: LONDON FALLING by Patrick Radden Keefe Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Lázár by Nelio Biedermann translated by Jamie Bulloch 11.05.2026 21хвAnna and Geoff discuss the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist. Is it more commercial than usual? Our book of the week is LÁZÁR by Nelio Biedermann translated by Jamie Bulloch. This sweeping historical novel about the aristocratic von Lázár family during the 20th century from the Austro Hungarian empire through to Russian occupation is a buzzy debut which has received much praise. Patti Smith, Dua Lipa and Christian Kracht are fans. It prompted some questions: Is One Hundred years of Solitude a good comparison? What is the meaning of the translucent skin and gothic forest? Can you spot the modern literature references (Anna missed most of them!) Here are some read-alikes if you enjoyed Lázár: Held by Anne Michaels Beddebrooks by Thomas Mann The Director by Daniel Kehlmann translated by Ross Benjamin The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth translated by Michael Hofmann Coming up: TRANSCRIPTION by Ben Lerner Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo translated by Douglas J. Weatherford 26.04.2026 37хвAnna and Geoff discuss the news that Helen deWitt has turned down the Windham Campbell prize. Are authors expected to do too much publicity? Our book of the week is PEDRO PÁRAMO by Juan Rulfo translated by Douglas J. Weatherford. 'Wuthering Heights located in Mexico written by Kafka' gives a hint - this book is a trip. It broke Anna's brain but Geoff found it richly rewarding once you get into it. Pedro Páramo inspired a generation of Hispanic writers including Gabriel Garcia Márquez and is considered a classic. It's now a Netflix film - but is it too faithful to the book? We needed the Wikipedia plot summary for this one. Read-alikes THE SOUND AND THE FURY by William Faulkner AS I LAY DYING by William Faulkner ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE by Gabriel Garcia Marquez A SUNNY PLACE FOR SHADY PEOPLE by Mariana Enriquez translated by Megan McDowell HURRICANE SEASON by Fernanda Melchor translated by Sophie Hughes Coming up: LÁZÁR by Nelio Biedermann translated by Jamie Bulloch Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Heart The Lover by Lily King 19.04.2026 18хвAnna and Annie discuss the 2026 Booker International Shortlist. Our book of the week is HEART THE LOVER by Lily King. This buzzy novel follows three friends at university and into adulthood. A follow up from King's best-seller WRITERS AND LOVERS, it is an instant New York Times best-seller and is long-listed for the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction (shortlist to be announced on 22 April). It's also Zadie Smith's pick for 'the book that made me weep uncontrollably.' More literary romances: THE EVENING OF THE HOLIDAY by Shirley Hazzard SEEING OTHER PEOPLE by Diana Reid Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar 11.04.2026 23хвAnna and Annie discuss the news that Hachette has pulled the book SHY GIRL by Mia Ballard from publication after concerns it was written by AI. Our book of the week is A GUARDIAN AND A THIEF by Megha Majumdar. This follow-up to her novel A Burning is set in near-future, dystopian Kolkata. A GUARDIAN AND A THIEF is full of ethical dilemmas, flawed characters and memorable food scenes - a good book club pick. It has been long listed for the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction. Read-alikes: THE DIRECTOR by Daniel Kehlmann translated by Ross Benjamin (iykyk) LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam Coming up: HEART THE LOVER by Lily King Follow us! Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Seascraper by Benjamin Wood 30.03.2026 26хвAnna and Geoff discuss the 2026 International Booker Prize longlist. We're intrigued by Women Without Men: A novel of Modern Iran by Shahrnush Parsipur translated by Faridoun Farrokh and The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar translated by Ruth Martin. Our book of the week is SEASCRAPER by Benjamin Wood. This short novel about a man who works as a shanker on a foggy beach and a film-maker who wants to set a movie there was long listed for the 2025 Booker Prize. There is much to discuss: Are we now shrimping experts? How do we feel about dreams in novels? Do we like bleak, isolated settings? Annas suggests two read-alikes if you enjoyed Seascraper: The Horse by Willy Vlautin Clear by Carys Davies Follow us! Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Departures by Julian Barnes 21.03.2026 30хвAnna and Geoff discuss the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction longlist, including Flashlight, The Correspondent and Audition. Some of the other long-listed books feature writers as characters, which gets us talking about turn-offs in novels. Our book of the week is DEPARTURE(S) by Julian Barnes. This is the final book by the Booker Prize-winning author. It is a novel about a couple who reunite later in life, with authobiographical elements from Barnes' own life, or it could be a memoir containing a short story. There is also Proust, philosophy and some observations on memory. Described as 'elegant' (The Times) and 'unmistakably Barnes' (Observer), it got us thinking: Where is the line between memoir and novel? Is DEPARTURE(S) a love story? Are the memory bits too Oliver Sacksy? Coming up: SEASCRAPER by Benjamin Wood. Follow us: Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden 18.01.2026 24хвAnna and Geoff discuss the cancellation of Adelaide Writers' Week 2026 amid the controversy after the Adelaide Festival Board disinvited Palestinian-Australian writer Dr Randa Abdel-Fatteh. Among the authors who withdrew from Writers' Week was Richard Flanagan, who wrote this article (sorry for the paywall). Director Louise Adler resigned with this letter to the Guardian. Since we recorded this episode, the new Board has retracted the decision and apologised to Dr Abdel-Fatteh. In other book news, Random House has dropped David Walliams, as discussed on this episode of The Rest is Entertainment podcast. Our book of the week is THE SAFEKEEP by Yael van der Wouden, a debut novel set in 1960s Netherlands which was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and won the 2025 Women's Prize. Coming up: SEASCRAPER by Benjamin Wood. Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Best Books of 2025 08.12.2025 33хвIt's our best books of the year episode! Anna, Amanda and Annie reveal our favourite reads of 2025: Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden The Time of the Child by Niall Williams The Granddaughter by Bernhard Schlink translated by Charlotte Collins A Guardian and a Thief by Megan Majhumdar Eurotrash by Christian Kracht translated by Daniel Bowles Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngoze Adichie (and audio book) Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor (and substack Sweater Weather) Heart the Lover by Lily King Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner 26.11.2025 43хвAnna and Geoff discuss their reaction to the 2025 Booker Prize winner, FLESH by David Szalay, and the winner of the Baillie Gifford prize for non-fiction, Australian author Helen Garner for her collection of diaries HOW TO END A STORY. Our book of the week is CREATION LAKE by Rachel Kushner. Her follow-up novel after the Booker-shortlisted Mars Room, this centres on Sadie Smith, an undercover agent who infiltrates a commune in rural France. It was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize. This raised questions we weren't expecting from a literary novel, such as: Is it a spy thriller? Is Sadie enough of a slob to be compared with Jackson Lamb? Which Sesame Street character does Bruno remind us of? Coming up: NESTING by Roisin O'Donnell Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Flashlight by Susan Choi 09.11.2025 39хвAnna and Geoff discuss their Booker Prize winner predictions. We haven't read enough of the shortlist to know who will win, but Geoff is tipping THE LAND IN WINTER (a DNF for Anna). Our book of the week is FLASHLIGHT by Susan Choi. This is Choi's follow-up novel after winning the National Book Award for TRUST EXERCISE. It is a sweeping family saga set in America, Japan and Korea. Shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, we could not say we loved this one but it got us talking. How much cat litter detail is too much? Would Tobias really have gone to Japan or would he be trekking around Nepal? Could we read a whole novel of Serk? How many unlikeable characters in a novel is too many? And we revisit 'that year' when Margaret Atwood and Bernadine Evaristo won jointly. Coming up: CREATION LAKE by Rachel Kushner. Follow us! Instagram: @abailliekaras Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Seed with Bri Lee 22.10.2025 23хвAnnie was lucky enough to catch Bri Lee on her book tour for her second novel, Seed. Set in Antarctica, Seed follows two scientists, Mitch and Frances, as they spend a month at the seed vault that they have been creating and protecting. But as strange things keep happening to the facility, culminating in their helicopter failing to pick them up, they both have to grapple with their life choices and the secrets they have been keeping from each other and themselves. We chat about Bri's research trip to McMurdo Sound, interrogating the Antarctic literary tradition, visions of utopia and Bri's ongoing project News & Reviews. Bri's latest book crush is Plain Life by Antonia Pont - an essay collection she describes as life changing. Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @mr_annie / @brilee Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
I Make Envy On Your Disco with Eric Schnall 26.09.2025 39хвA special episode: Anna chats with author and Tony-award winning Broadway producer Eric Schnall about his debut novel I MAKE ENVY ON YOUR DISCO. Sam Singer flies to Berlin for an art gallery opening, needing a break from his partner in New York. He meets enigmatic hotel receptionist Magda and ex-pat Jeremy, goes clubbing, and discovers the 2000s nostalgia for East and West Berlin. Named a GQ Editor's Pick and winner of the Barbara DiBernard Prize in Fiction, we loved this novel and recommend the audiobook read by Charlie Carver. Eric tells us some of the surprising reactions to Disco, a great game for book clubs, why Jennifer Egan is his literary hero, how to receive writing advice from Joan Didion, and his recommendations for books set in Berlin. Eric recommends the podcast Tracks of Our Queers and the TV show Somebody Somewhere. Coming up: SEED with author Bri Lee. Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras / @ericschnall Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
Endling by Maria Reva 22.09.2025 23хвAnna and Annie discuss the settlement offer by Anthropic to pay $1.5bn to settle a book piracy lawsuit and the 2025 National Book Awards fiction longlist. Our book of the week is ENDLING by Maria Reva. Yeva is a snail conservationist in Ukraine who becomes caught up in Nastia and Sol's scheme to disrupt the romance tour industry. A heist ensues but everything changes when Russia invades Ukraine. Longlisted for the Booker Prize and one of the New Yorker's Best Books Of The Year So Far, this is Reva's debut novel. We can't wait to see what she does next. Coming up: I MAKE ENVY ON YOUR DISCO by Erica Schnall Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz -
A Woman Talks to Her Tongue with Alison Gorman 15.09.2025 22хвA special episode: Anna chats with award-winning poet Alison Gorman about her debut poetry collection A WOMAN TALKS TO HER TONGUE. These poems examine family secrets, silences and women's voices. Beautiful and assured, we loved this book. Alison joins us fresh from her sold-out launch in Sydney to discuss the moving themes from the collection and other favourite poets, including Judith Beveridge, Eileen Chong, Sarah Holland-Batt, Audrey Molloy, Ada Limón and Sharon Olds. Alison recommends podcasts Poetry Off The Shelf, Poetry Unbound, Close Readings and The Literary Life. Coming up: ENDLING by Maria Reva Follow us! Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras and @alisongorman Substack: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz
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