Tea or Books?

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Simon (Stuck in a Book) and Rachel (Book Snob) debate the difficult decisions of reading and books.

Simon and Rachel


    • May 26, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 140 EPISODES

    4.8 from 76 ratings Listeners of Tea or Books? that love the show mention: persephone, novels, british, discussions, reading, intelligent, smart, enjoyable, friends, wonderful, love, long, interesting, favorite, talk, fun, thanks, like, listening, always.


    Ivy Insights

    The Tea or Books? podcast is an absolute delight for book lovers. Hosted by Simon and Rachel, this podcast offers entertaining and educational discussions about books, with a focus on mid 20th century domestic fiction. The concept of the show is brilliant, as it provides excellent conversation starters for book clubs. In the episodes I've listened to so far, I haven't heard them criticize any of my favorite books, which is a relief. Overall, it's a wonderful podcast that has helped me fall in love with books and reading again.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is listening to Simon and Rachel discuss their reading and their differing opinions on books. Their lighthearted teasing and serious consideration strike the perfect balance, making it both entertaining and insightful. They have introduced me to many new books and authors that I would not have discovered otherwise. Their passion for reading is evident in every episode, which makes it a joy to listen to.

    Another great aspect of this podcast is the sense of humor that Simon and Rachel bring to their discussions about books. It's not uncommon for me to burst out laughing while listening to them. They have a knack for making even serious topics feel light-hearted and fun. This combination of humor and passion makes for engaging and enjoyable listening.

    One drawback of this podcast is the mediocre sound quality, especially when it comes to Rachel's microphone. It's disappointing that after two years, the sound has not improved. It can be distracting at times and takes away from the overall experience. However, despite this issue, the content itself is still worth listening to.

    In conclusion, The Tea or Books? podcast is a must-listen for book lovers. Simon and Rachel provide intelligent discussions about books that go beyond mere excitement over new releases. Their insights are thought-provoking and their recommendations are sure to expand your reading horizons. Although there are some technical issues with sound quality, they are overshadowed by the podcast's entertaining and informative content. Overall, it's a fantastic podcast that will leave you wanting more.



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    Latest episodes from Tea or Books?

    Help us celebrate 10 years of Tea or Books?!

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025


    A super quick mini-episode – well, not really an episode – asking for your contributions to the next episode of ‘Tea or Books?’. It will be TEN YEARS since Rachel and I first put an episode out into the ether

    #138: Do We Care About Authors' Personal Lives? and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne vs The Beautiful Visit

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2025


    Elizabeth Jane Howard, Brian Moore, and authors’ personal lives – welcome to episode 138! In the first half of the episode, we do a question that Lindsey suggested: do we care about authors’ personal lives? It takes us to questions

    #137: Resolved or Unresolved Endings? and Perfection vs Catherine Carter

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025


    Resolved endings, Pamela Hansford Johnson, Vincenzo Latronico – welcome to episode 137 of Tea or Books?! In the first half of the episode, we take a suggestion from Lindsey – do we prefer resolved or unresolved endings? In the second half,

    #136: Does Reading Make Us Better People? and And Then There Were None vs The Invisible Host

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2025


    Agatha Christie, Gwen Bristow, Bruce Manning and reading morality – welcome to episode 136 of Tea or Books?! In the first half of this episode, we discuss whether or not we take moral instruction from the books we read –

    #135: Can Literary Fiction Be A Comfort Read? and Enter Ghost vs Lady Living Alone

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2025


    Isabella Hammad, Norah Lofts, comfort reads – welcome to episode 135!   In the first half, we discuss whether or not literary fiction can be comfort reads – thank you for the suggestion, Marcy! In the second half, we compare

    #134: Our Top 10 Books of 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2025


    Happy new year! In episode 134, Rachel and I share our favourite books reads in 2024 – counting down from ten to one. And we each pick one of the other’s top 10 to read for our next episode! Thanks

    #133: Do We Have Reading Rules? and Two Willa Cather Novels

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2024


    Willa Cather and reading rules – welcome to episode 133 of ‘Tea or Books?’! In the first half, we discuss reading rules – when we’re picking up a book, are there certain things that will definitely put us off? In

    #132: Interview: Edward Carey on Edith Holler

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2024


    Edward Carey joins us to discuss his latest novel, Edith Holler. Welcome to episode 132! Rachel and I both love Edward Carey’s novels, so it was a real joy to have the opportunity to interview him. We discuss how he

    #131: Do We Read Deeply or Shallowly? and One Year's Time vs Which Way?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2024


    Angela Milne, Theodora Benson, and reading deeply – welcome to episode 131 of Tea or Books?! In the first half of the episode, we discuss a topic suggestion by Heidi – do we read deeply or shallowly? Do we like critical

    #130: Do Books Need Romance? and The Ladies' Paradise vs Babbacombe's

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2024


    Emile Zola, Noel Streatfeild, and romantic books – welcome to Tea or Books? episode 130! In the first half of this episode, we do a topic suggested by Lindsey – do books need a romantic storyline? In the second half, we

    Tea or Books? #129: Authors Who Wrote Too Much vs Not Enough and A Room of One's Own vs A Bookshop of One's Own

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2024


    Virginia Woolf, Jane Cholmeley, and authors who wrote too much or not enough – welcome to episode 129! In the first half, we use a great topic suggestion by David – do we prefer authors who wrote too many books

    Tea or Books? #128: Do We Read Plays? and Fifty Sounds vs The Housekeeper and the Professor

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2024


    Polly Barton, Yoko Ogawa, and plays – welcome to episode 128! In the first half of today’s ‘Tea or Books?’ episode, Rachel and I revisit a topic from years ago – plays! Specifically, do we think that plays should be

    Tea or Books? #127: Do We Have Guilty Pleasures? and A Clergyman's Daughter vs The Vicar's Daughter

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2024


    George Orwell, E.H. Young, guilty pleasures – welcome to episode 127! In the first half of the episode, we ask: what is our guiltiest reading pleasure? Has that changed over time? Do we feel guilty about anything connected with reading?

    Tea or Books? #126: Should Books Be Banned? and Lessons in Chemistry vs Dear Mrs Bird

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2024


    Banned books, Bonnie Garmus and A.J. Pearce – welcome to episode 126! In the first half of the episode, we discuss banned books – should books ever be banned? Does a book being banned make us want to read it

    Tea or Books? #125: Do We Read Celeb Memoirs? and Day vs Landscape in Sunlight

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2024


    Celeb memoirs, Michael Cunningham, Elizabeth Fair – welcome to episode 125! In the first half, Rachel and I discuss celebrity memoirs – do we read them? What do we count as a celebrity memoir? In the second half, we each

    Tea or Books? #124: Our Favourite Reads of 2023

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2024


    Our favourite books from 2023 – or reads, because of course we mostly read ‘backlisted’ titles. Always a fun one to record – this time with the added bonus that we were each going to choose one from the other’s

    Tea or Books? #123: Critical or Charitable Reading? and Sheep's Clothing vs Harriet Said…

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2023


    Beryl Bainbridge, Celia Dale, critical and charitable reading – welcome to episode 123! In the first half of the episode we use a suggestion from Susannah – do we read charitably or critically? In the second half we compare too

    Tea or Books? #122: Mary Lawson novels w/ Mary Lawson!

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2023


    Mary Lawson joins us to talk about all her novels – welcome to episode 122! I can’t quite believe I’m writing this, but THE Mary Lawson – Canadian author of Crow Lake, The Other Side of the Bridge, Road Ends, and A Town Called

    Tea or Books? #121: Should Books Have A Message? and Two Jane Gardam Novels

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2023


    Jane Gardam and messages in books – welcome to episode 121! In the first half of the episode, Rachel and I discuss whether or not we think books should have a message. In the second half we pit two Jane

    Tea or Books? #120: Travel Inspiration from Fiction or Non-Fiction? and The English Air vs The Morning Gift – with Claire / The Captive Reader

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2023


    D.E. Stevenson, Eva Ibbotson, travel inspo – welcome to episode 120! We have our first returning guest – the wonderful Claire, who blogs at The Captive Reader. In the first half of this episode, we talk about inspiration from travel

    Tea or Books? #119: Amateur Sleuths or Professional Detectives? and Women Talking vs Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2023


    Miriam Toews, Olga Tokarczuk and detective fiction – welcome to episode 119! In the first half of this episode, we discuss detective fiction – do we prefer the mystery-solver to be a professional or an amateur? And in the second

    Tea or Books? #118: Do We Read Children and Adult Books By The Same Author? and Lucy vs The Buddha in the Attic

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2023


    Julie Otsuka, Jamaica Kincard, adults’ and children’s books – welcome to episode 118! In the first half – a topic suggested by Aileen, where we discuss authors who wrote both children’s and adult’s books and whether we read both. In

    Tea or Books? #117 w/ Lucy Scholes – Do We Like Unnamed Characters? and Ex-Wife vs Sally On The Rocks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2023


    Ursula Parrott, Winifred Boggs, unnamed characters – welcome to episode 117! We are so delighted to welcome Lucy Scholes as a guest for this episode. She’s is a reprint/old books superstar – you might know her Re-Covered column for the Paris

    Tea or Books? #116: Do We Like Books About Sport and Quick Curtain vs It Walks By Night

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2023


    John Dickson Carr, Alan Melville, sports – welcome to episode 116! In the first half, we talk about sports in books – do we like them? Will we be able to think of any? Thank you to Lindsey for suggesting

    Tea or Books? #115: Do We Like Books About Bookshops? and Quartet in Autumn vs Journal of a Solitude

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2023


    Barbara Pym, May Sarton, and bookshops – welcome to episode 115! In the first half of the episode, we take up Sally’s suggestion of topic – and discuss whether or not we like books set in bookshops and libraries. More

    Tea or Books? #114: Linear vs Non-linear Narratives and Winter in the Air vs A World of Love

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2023


    Sylvia Townsend Warner, Elizabeth Bowen, linear narratives – welcome to episode 114! In the first half of this episode, we use a suggestion from listener Sarah – do we prefer linear or non-linear narratives? In the second half we look

    Tea or Books? #113: Do We Like Literary Retellings? and South Riding vs Ruth

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2023


    Elizabeth Gaskell, Winifred Holtby, and more – welcome to episode 113! In the first half of this episode, we look at literary retellings – by which we mean authors using fairy tales or Greek mythology or basically whatever we fancy

    Tea or Books? #112: Best Books of 2022 and They Were Sisters vs The Three Sisters

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2023


    Dorothy Whipple, May Sinclair, and favourite books of 2022 – welcome to episode 112! Happy new year! Welcome to the first episode of Tea or Books? for 2023 – recorded on two different days, so hopefully it’s not too awkward.

    Tea or Books? #111: Do We Care What Characters Look Like? And Good Behaviour vs Full House

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2022


    Molly Keane, M.J. Farrell, and characters’ appearances – welcome to episode 111! In the first half, Rachel and I discuss what characters look like – do we care, do we notice if it’s mentioned, etc. In the second half, we

    Tea or Books? #110: Do We Care Where Characters Work? and A Helping Hand vs The True Deceiver

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2022


    Tove Jansson, Celia Dale, jobs in books! Welcome to episode 110 A bit of a longer break than usual because I lost my voice. But we’re back, asking – in the first half of the episode – whether we care

    Tea or Books? #109: Boarding House Novels vs Living Alone and Heat Wave vs Heat Lightning

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2022


    Penelope Lively, Helen Hull, boarding houses and isolation – welcome to episode 109! In the first half of this episode, Rachel and I compare boarding houses novels and novels where people live alone – up to and including complete isolation.

    Tea or Books? #108: Books with Bite or No Bite; Late and Soon vs A Game of Hide and Seek

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2022


    Bite, E.M. Delafield, Elizabeth Taylor – welcome to episode 108! In the first half of this episode, we discuss a topic suggested by Gina – do we prefer books with bite or without bite? All will be explained in due

    Tea or Books? #107: Do We Care What Characters Read? and Two Stella Gibbons Novels

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2022


    Books in books and Stella Gibbons – welcome to episode 107! In the first half, we continue our ‘do we care…’ series with ‘do we care what characters read?’ By which we mean we’re looking at the books that characters

    Tea or Books? #106: Book or Movie First, and The Feast vs Grand Canyon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2022


    Margaret Kennedy, Vita Sackville-West, and film adaptations – welcome to episode 106! In the first half of this episode, Rachel and I discuss whether you should read the book before you watch the film. In the second half, we pit

    Tea or Books? #105: Big Families vs Small Families and Animal Farm vs Nineteen Eighty-Four

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2022


    George Orwell and families – welcome to episode 105! Rachel is busy this month, so I put a shout-out on our Patreon page to see if anybody would be willing to step in and take her place. I was delighted

    Tea or Books? #104: Do We Care What Characters Dream? and William – an Englishman vs The Great Fortune

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2022


    Olivia Manning, Cicely Hamilton and dreams – welcome to episode 104 of ‘Tea or Books?’! In the first half of this episode, Rachel and I discuss whether or not we like dreams in books, and how different authors use them.

    Tea or Books? #103: Thinking vs Feeling and Moon Tiger vs The Diviners

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2022


    Penelope Lively, Margaret Laurence, thinking and feeling – welcome to episode 103! Apologies for the unexpected delay in recording. Blame Rachel! But we are here and raring to go. In the first half, we follow a topic suggested by Mairad

    Tea or Books? #102: Do We Read Books about Grief? and Five Windows vs Four Gardens – with Claire The Captive Reader

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2022


    D.E. Stevenson, Margery Sharp – and a special guest! In this episode, we have a special guest in the form of Claire – you’ll know her blog The Captive Reader. We were delighted to have her as a guest, especially

    Tea or Books? #101: Rachel explores Simon's shelves

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2022


    Rachel takes a look at Simon’s bookshelves – will she take any books away with her?? Way back in episode 70, I was in Rachel’s flat in London and took a look around her bookcases. We planned a return visit…

    Tea or Books? #100: Q&A Special

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2021


    For our special hundredth episode, Rachel and I are doing a question and answer. Thanks so much to everybody who sent in questions – we didn’t get to all of them, but hopefully we answered at least one of yours.

    Tea or Books? #99: Do We Like Essays? and Brook Evans vs The Crowded Street

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2021


    Winifred Holtby, Susan Glaspell, and essays – welcome to episode 99! Sorry for an unintended long break, but we’re back and Rachel even has a new mic – hopefully has helped with the sound issues, though there may be some

    Tea or Books? #98: Nature Writing (yes or no) and Favourite Women Prize Winners

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2021


    Nature writing and some favourite novels by prizewinning women – welcome to episode 98! As mentioned in the podcast – we’d love to hear your questions as we gear up for our hundredth episode. Just email teaorbooks@gmail.com, or put your

    Tea or Books? #97: Spontaneous or Planned Reading, and Tension vs Thank Heaven Fasting

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2021


    How do we choose our reading, and E.M. Delafield – welcome to episode 97!   In the first half of the episode, we debate whether to read spontaneously or plan our reading. In the second half, two E.M. Delafield novels

    Tea or Books? #96: Should Offensive Books Be Republished? and two Barbara Pyms

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2021


    In this episode, we ask whether or not offensive books should be republished – you might remember the same conversation happening here on StuckinaBook a while ago, and it was interesting to visit it with Rachel. In the second half,

    Tea or Books? #95: Woolf vs Austen and The Foolish Gentlewoman vs The Half-Crown House

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2021


    Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, Margery Sharp, Helen Ashton – welcome to episode 95. In the first half, we take a detour from our usual practice and pit two authors against each other. And it’s two very big hitters – Jane

    Tea or Books? #94: Do We Care Where Authors Live? and Dusty Answer vs Frost in May

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2021


    Rosamond Lehmann, Antonia White, and authors’ houses – welcome to episode 94! In the first half of this episode, we do a topic suggested by Gillian – do we care where authors live? That is, do we want to visit

    Tea or Books? #93 Do We Care What Characters Are Called? and Two Tove Jansson Novels

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2021


    Summer, Winter, names – welcome to episode 93. In the first half, we ask: ‘Do we care what characters are called?’, looking at the strange and ordinary names that characters are given. In the second half, we compare Tove Jansson’s

    Tea or Books? #92: Do We Care What Characters Wear? and Girl, Woman, Other vs Life After Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2021


    Bernadine Evaristo, Kate Atkinson, and clothes – welcome to episode 92. In the first half of the episode, Rachel and I discuss clothes in books – do we care what characters wear? I forgot to mention, but do check out

    Tea or Books? #91: Familiar or Unfamiliar Settings? and Two Elizabeth von Arnim novels

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2021


    Elizabeth von Arnim and settings of novels – welcome to episode 91! In the first half of the novel, we look at the settings of novels, and ask whether we prefer familiar or unfamiliar settings. In the second half, we

    Tea or Books? #90: Good or Bad Reading Year? and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn vs O, The Brave Music

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2020


    Betty Smith, Dorothy Evelyn Smith, and a review of our reading years… In the first half, we look back over a very unusual year and ask – was it a good reading year or a bad reading year? We’ve not

    Tea or Books? #89: Do we care about gardens?, and Gilead vs Home

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2020


    Marilynne Robinson and gardens – welcome to episode 89! We are scraping the barrel a little in our first half, and arguably repeating ourselves, but please enjoy our musings on gardens. In the second half, after answering a question from

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