Metro Book Chat

In our very last episode of Metro Book Chat, Graeme Simsion discusses his latest book The Rosie Result. The final instalment in his Rosie series, it follows Don Tillman as he grapples with new family challenges. Contributors Ruth Gaukrodger Graeme Simsion Books mentioned The Rosie Project The Rosie Effect The Rosie Result (All Graeme Simsion) The Sellout by Paul Beatty

In the penultimate episode of Metro Book Chat's podcast, we talk to Harriet Tyce about her thrilling debut; Blood Orange. Contributors Ruth Gaukrodger Harriet Tyce Graeme Simsion Books mentioned Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough Convenience Store Woman by by Sayaka Murata A Girl Is A Half Formed Thing by Emer McBride The Plague by Albert Camus

Set in Iceland, 1686, The Glass Woman follows Rosa as she leaves home to marry an enigmatic man - whose secrets begin to creep out of the stark, frozen landscape. Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Caroline Lea Harriet Tyce Books mentioned: The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter Confessions of a Fox by Jordy Rosenberg In At The Deep End by Kate Davies

We're talking witchcraft, patriarchy and historical fiction in this week's episode! Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Stacey Halls Books mentioned: The Familiars by Stacey Halls How To Fail by Elizabeth Day The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal Blood and Sugar Laura Shepherd-Robinson What Red Was by Rosie Price

This week, we're talking with author-illustrator Alex T Smith, about his work on judging THe Blue Peter Book Awards. Here are the list of nominees: FICTION The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Raúf The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson NON-FICTION Professor Astro Cat’s Human Body Odyssey by Dr. Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman The Colours of History by Clive Gifford and Marc-Etienne Peintre The Element in the Room: Investigating the Atomic Ingredients that Make Up Your Home by Mike Barfield and Lauren Humphrey Tune in to Blue Peter on 7 March 2019 to find out the winner...

This week we're talking to Rachel about her debut YA novel, The Twisted Tree. It's a Gothic ghost story, with influences of Norse mythology. Contributors Ruth Gaukrodger Rachel Burge Stacey Halls Books mentioned The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge Dark Matter by Michelle Paver White Out by Gabriel Dylan The Familiars by Stacey Halls

We talk to Jane about her latest novel, Tell Me A Secret, a tense novel about female friendship and the difficulties of navigating promotions. Contributors Ruth Gaukrodger Jane Fallon Rachel Burge Books mentioned Tell Me A Secret by Jane Fallon Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton White Out by Gabriel Dylan

In this week's Book Chat, we talk to Sarah Moss about Ghost Wall, her latest novel that mixes folksy horror with tales of modern day abuse. Listen in to hear an extract of the novel. Plus, we have our usual 10 second review section - this week, with Jane Fallon! Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Sarah Moss Jane Fallon Books mentioned: Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss Women Talking by Miriam Toews Lost Property by Laura Beatty Apple of My Eye by Claire Allan

Welcome to Book Chat 2019! To kick things off, we chat to Søren about his gripping new thriller The Chestnut Man. Plus, we have a 10 second review from Sarah Moss. Contributors Ruth Gaukrodger Søren Sveistrup Sarah Moss Books mentioned: The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*** by Mark Manson Silver and Salt by Eleanor Dymott

This week, we catch up with author and debut-novelist Helen Cullen to talk about her book The Lost Letters of William Woolf. It's a beautiful, compact story, that looks at the complexities of love, relationships, time and communication. It's our last podcast for 2018, but we'll be back next year with more authors and book news! Contributors Ruth Gaukrodger Helen Cullen Books mentioned Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss The Lost Letters of William Woolf by Helen Cullen Less by Andrew Sean Greer

This week, we talk to Sarah Breen and Emer McLysaght about their latest book, The Importance Of Being Aisling. The writing duo’s first novel, Oh My God What A Complete Aisling, was a best-seller –and for good reason too! In Aisling, they’ve created a warm, relatable character, who’s an instant hit with readers. We caught up with the authors to learn a little bit more about their Irish heroine… Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Sarah Breen Emer McLysaght Helen Russell Books mentioned: Oh My God What A Complete Aisling by Sarah Breen and Emer McLysaght The Importance Of Being Aisling by Sarah Breen and Emer McLysaght Bridget Jones by Helen Fielding Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes The Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella The Queen And I by Sue Townsend The Magic Faraway Tree (series) by Enid Blyton Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

What is happiness? And does it mean different things in different countries? In this week’s podcast, we talk to Helen Russell about her latest book The Atlas Of Happiness, and look at how different countries quantify and seek out contentment. Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Helen Russell Books mentioned: The Atlas of Happiness by Helen Russell The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell Happy by Derren Brown Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

This week on we’re talking with best-selling Australian author Bram Presser. His debut novel, The Book of Dirt, is a tale of love and survival in the time of the holocaust. A deeply personal project, it interweaves fiction and non-fic, myth and lore as the author goes in search of his ancestor’s stories. Contributors: Alex Holmes Bram Presser Ruth Gaukrodger Books mentioned: The Book of Dirt by Bram Presser The Governesses by Anna Serre Census by Jesse Ball Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

We caught up with Heather to talk about her novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz. It follows the true story of Lale Sokolov, who became the chief tattooist in the Nazi camp. Here, he endured great hardships, but also fell in love with one of the young women he tattooed. Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Heather Morris Alex Holmes Books mentioned: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell On Writing by Stephen King Lady Sings The Blues by Billie Holiday Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

We caught up with award winning author Sarah Perry to talk about her chilling tale, Melmoth. Join us as we discuss legends, myth, horror stories and favourite spooky anecdotes. Not one to miss! Contributors: Alex Holmes Ruth Gaukrodger Sarah Perry Heather Morris Books mentioned: Daphne Du Maurier - Rebecca Shirley Jackson Hilary Mantel - Beyond Black Mary Shelley - Frankenstein Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

We caught up with best-selling author Liane Moriarty as we discuss her latest novel, Nine Perfect Strangers. The story is about nine stressed city dwellers are keen to drop their literal and mental baggage, and absorb the meditative ambience while enjoying their hot stone massages. Miles from anywhere, without cars or phones, they have no way to reach the outside world. Just time to think about themselves, and get to know each other...until chaos ensues... Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Alex Holmes Liane Moriarty Sarah Perry Books mentioned: The Accidental Tourist - Anne Tyler Patrick Gale - Take Nothing With You Kate Atkinson - Transcription Flood - Hilary Mantel Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

We caught up with John to talk about his prize-winning novel The Heart’s Invisible Furies, an epic book which follows the life of a gay man living in Ireland. The book takes us from the 1940s up until the (near) present, and tracks the way that the writer’s home country has changed in those years. Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger John Boyne Alex Holmes Liane Moriarty Books mentioned: The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne A History Of Loneliness by John Boyne A Ladder To The Sky by John Boyne From A Low And Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan Feminists Don't Wear Pink (And Other Lies) by Scarlett Curtis Transcription by Kate Atkinson Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

This week we caught up with Gail Jones to talk about her latest novel, The Death of Noah Glass. We discuss family, grief, and the themes of masculinity that run throughout her book. Plus, we have our usual book news section, where we discuss the Booker shortlist, and we round it all off with a 10 second review from John Boyne. Contributors: Gail Jones Alex Holmes Ruth Gaukrodger John Boyne Books mentioned: The Death of Noah Glass by Gail Jones The Cockatoos by Patrick White In Our Mad and Furious City by Guy Gunaratne Normal People by Sally Rooney Everything Under by Daisy Johnson Milkman by Anna Burns Washington Black by Esi Edugyan The Sellout by Paul Beatty Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

We caught up with famous children's author and all-round good egg Cressida Cowell. We talk about the first book in her new series, Twice Magic, and the magical creatures that inhabit the world. Contributors: Alexander Holmes Cressida Cowell Ruth Gaukrodger Gail Jones Books mentioned: Twice Magic by Cressida Cowell How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Wonder by R. J. Palacio Wonky Donkey by Shh! by Salley Grindley Ponti by Sharlene Teo The Girls' Guide To Hunting And Fishing by Melissa Banks How To Love A Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs The New Testament by Jericho Brown

This week, we caught up with best-selling author James Oswald to talk about No Time To Cry, the first in a new series of books focusing on Constance Fairchild, a detective constable in the Met. Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Alexander Holmes James Oswald Cressida Cowell Books mentioned: No Time To Cry by James Oswald Binti by Nnedi Okorafor A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee Embers Of War by Gareth L Powell Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

This week we have author Alicia Drake who joins Metro Book Chat to speak about her novel ' I Love You Too Much'. In our Books and Views section, we speak about: - The Financial Times Weekend article about how new reading trends were directly affected by the financial crash, -The #ShareYourRejections movement; -The Guardian's article on social media influencing book cover designs; - And Literary Hub's piece on why every author should include a school on their book tours. Contributors: Alex Holmes Ruth Gaukrodger Alicia Drake Not one to miss. Make sure you rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on: Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

We caught up with Sophie to talk about her debut novel The Water Cure, a brilliant book about three sisters growing up on an island in the near future. Isolated from the world, with only their parents for company, they distrust everything that comes from ‘the mainland’. When a group of men arrive on their shores, the balance of the girls’ lives is changed irreversibly. Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Sophie Mackintosh Alicia Drake Grace Harrison Books mentioned: Vox by Christina Dalcher Red Clocks by Leni Zumas I'll Go On By Hwang Jungeun America Is Not The Heart by Elaine Castillo Year Of The Drought by Roland Buti The Secret Life by Andrew O'Hagan Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

We caught up with Daisy to talk about Everything Under, her Booker-longlisted novel about family, fate, language and belonging. Books mentioned: Everything Under by Daisy Johnson Transcription by Kate Atkinson The Long Take by Robin Robertson Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Daisy Johnson Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

We caught up with Ottessa to talk about My Year Of Rest And Relaxation, her latest novel about a young woman on a quest to hibernate. Books Mentioned: My Year Of Rest And Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh Fresh Water by Akwaeke Emezi Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Ottessa Moshfegh Daisy Johnson Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

We caught up with Belinda to talk about Snap, her latest novel which has been longlisted for the Man Booker 2018 prize. We discuss feminism in thrillers, doing deep dive research, and how screenwriting can shape our approach to narrative. Books Mentioned: Snap by Belinda Bauer Darkside by Belinda Bauer Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson Normal People by Sally Rooney Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Alex Holmes Belinda Bauer Becky Short Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

We caught up with Tomi to talk about her chart-topping debut, Children of Blood and Bone! This is a long-form, in-depth interview with the author, which offers a deep dive into Tomi’s writing methods, and shows how she drew from real-life instances of racism to create an allegory for the modern-day black experience. (Ten second reviews will be back next week.) Books Mentioned: Children Of Blood And Bone by Tomi Adeyemi The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas An Ember In The Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir Six Of Crows series by Leigh Bardugo Shadowshaper series by Daniel José Older Four Dark Queens by Astrid Scholte The Poppy War by R F Kuang Contributors: Alex Holmes Ruth Gaukrodger Tomi Adeyemi Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

For August, we’re reading The Plus One! A great literary romp that has been penned by Sophia Money Coutts. Listen in for details of our giveaway, then get involved with the chat through our Twitter and Facebook. Books Mentioned: The Plus One by Sophia Money Coutts Gone With The Windsors by Laurie Graham The Bonfire Of The Vanities by Tom Wolfe The Reading Cure by Laura Freeman A Very Large Expanse Of Sea by Tahereh Mafi Contributors: Alex Holmes Ruth Gaukrodger Sophia Money-Coutts Tomi Adeyemi Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

Welcome to Metro Book Chat! This week we’re talking to Nikesh Shukla about his book The One Who Wrote Destiny— it’s a deeply moving and funny novel that delves into the lives of a British-Asian family. Books Mentioned: The One Who Wrote Destiny by Nikesh Shukla This Really Isn’t About You by Hannah Edelstein Heads Of The Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Nikesh Shukla Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

Welcome to Metro Book Chat! This week we interview Kate Murray-Browne, author of The Upstairs Room — a haunting, cross-genre novel that was partly inspired by real-life events. Don't forget to listen in at the end of the episode, for details of this week's giveaway. Along with a lengthy chat about Kate's research and writing process, we have our usual ten second review section, where we give our verdict on a recent release. Books Mentioned: The Upstairs Room by Kate Murray-Brown The Woman In Black by Susan Hill The Stranger On The Bridge by Jonny Benjamin Free Woman by Lara Feigel Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Kate Murray-Browne Alex Holmes Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

Welcome to Metro Book Chat! This week we interview two literary figures: Bridget Lawless, founder of The Staunch Book Prize, and Sabine Durrant, a brilliant thriller writer. Along with a lengthy chat about the role of female victim narratives in modern day thrillers, we have our usual ten second review section, where we give our verdicts on some great new releases. Books Mentioned: Take Me In by Sabine Durrant Based on a True Story Paperback by Delphine de Vigan Liar’s Candle by August Thomas The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy Sight by Jessie Greengrass There There by Tommy Orange Our Friends In Berlin by Anthony Quinn After The Party by Cressida Cowell Contributors: Ruth Gaukrodger Alex Holmes Bridget Lawless Sabine Durrant Kate Murray-Browne Follow us on Twitter.com/metrobookchat Facebook.com/metrobookchat Tinyurl.com/metroentale

Welcome to Metro Book Chat! This week, we caught up with Abigail Tarttelin to talk about her latest feminist crime thriller, Dead Girls. Along with a chat about global issues that women face, and the toxic narratives around missing girls, we have our ten second book review section, for time-poor book lovers who want snappy opinions on recent releases.

Welcome to the all-new Metro Book Chat podcast! This week, we caught up with Ruth Ware to talk about her latest psychological thriller, The Death Of Mrs. Westaway. Along with book chat about feminism and thrillers, we introduce our ten second review section, for any time-poor book lovers who want snappy opinions on recent releases. Books mentioned: The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King The Queen Of Bloody Everything by Joanna Nadin Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin Ponti by Sharlene Teo (reviewed by Nikesh Shukla) Contributors Ruth Gaukrodger Ruth Ware Nikesh Shukla Follow us on Twitter @metrobookchat Facebook/metrobookchat Youtube tinyurl.com/metrobookchat tinyurl.com/metroentale

A trailer for the new Metro Book Chat podcast.