The Dabblers' Book Club

Maggie Gee's 17th novel, The Red Children, is out this week and Curtis and Hajar will be chatting about it when we kick off our review episodes again! In this guest special, Maggie speaks to Hajar all about the craft of writing, fitting in at Oxford, and why it's so important to have the freedom to figure out what you actually think. The Orange Prize shortlisted author also treats us to readings from The Red Children, a fable about migration and global warming that will restore your belief in the power of human kindness. Listen to the interview and read along with us!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Losing motivation to get that first novel done? This is the episode for you. Hajar talks to the brilliant Lorraine Brown, debut author of The Paris Connection, all about her journey to authordom! We talked about her previous jobs, the struggle artists with day jobs have to call themselves professionals, and why cities are so great to write about. We also can't help but bring up Emily in Paris and the disappointing Sex and the City reboot! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back!! Hajar finally read a book! We chat about Women's Prize-winning Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, and enjoy ourselves as we read the countless 'Emperor's New Clothes!!!' one-star reviews. Read the novel? Tweet us what you think... @dabblersbooksSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hajar's still not in the reading swing of things and only managed half of Crome Yellow, so she and Curtis decided to get on with an episode for the hell of it, and talk a bit about the last few months - what they've read, what they haven't read, and why Crome Yellow was a no-go for both of them! This is an apology episode for being SO behind, but we promise we'll be back reading and chatting again!!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Colin Lancaster is a Wall Street professional who's run two of the highest profile global macro businesses for the top-performing hedge funds in the world.... it's an alien world to Haj but Colin's managed to make it that bit more accessible by turning his experiences into a novel.Fed Up! is a fictional take on Colin's life as a macro trader and offers an inside view of the 2020 market crash. He joined Haj to talk about writing the book, wealth inequality and moral dilemmas in a money-driven world.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hajar met AJ Pearce in 2015 on a writing retreat in North Wales, where they were both tutored by the brilliant Rowan Coleman and Julie Cohen.  In the six years since, AJ didn't just pick up agent, get published, and find herself shortlisted for a British Book Award, she's also about to release her second novel, Yours Cheerfully. Picking up where her debut Dear Mrs Bird left off, Yours Cheerfully follows Emmeline Lake as she manages career, family and friendship in wartime London. Hajar loved Dear Mrs Bird and recommends you load up on cake and tea before devouring the first two books in the Emmeline Lake chronicles. They finally catch up to talk about writing, the pressure of the second book, and AJ shares a brilliant tip for writers needing a little extra inspiration.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hajar had a whale of a time talking with the brilliant poet Joelle Taylor. Joelle's latest collection C+nto is an exploration of gender and sexuality through the private lives of women from the butch counterculture, telling the inside story of the protests they led in the '90s to reclaim their bodies as their own - their difficult balance between survival and self-expression. We didn't intend this interview to coincide with Pride Month but it's as good a time as any to celebrate Joelle and her work! Enjoy!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Haj dislocated her knee (update - she actually tore her ACL!) and Curtis has been reading all sorts of horrifying things. This episode is just a quick hello to say sorry for the delay and that we haven't forgotten about books altogether! Curtis talks a bit about Marquis de Sade's 120 Days of Sodom and we look at a couple of 1-star reviews. REMINDER: please leave your book reviews on the website - head to dabblersbookclub.com/submit-a-guest-post to submit your quick book review or guest post! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Describing himself as 'working-class by Radio 4 standards', comedian and BBC Sounds podcaster Jacob Hawley shares some fascinating and funny insights into class, culture and life as a comedian and new father in a pandemic. Bucking the 'books that changed my life' trend, Jacob opts to talk about one of the trashiest novels he's ever read, The Trench (part of The Meg series), as well as giving a nod to a more traditional choice in Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. Listen to the podcast, then check out his standup special on Radio 4.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We were joined by the brilliant Vicki Kellaway to talk about this 2021 Women's Prize shortlisted novel. Vicki is a writer, editor, translator and university teacher amongst many, many things! She lives in Bogota, Colombia and you can find her brilliant books on Amazon. She makes a very strong case for this rather divisive novel that touches on online culture, Twitter conversations and grief. Enjoy!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for our overdue fourth episode where we talk about the utterly charming Japanese bestseller, 'Before the Coffee Gets Cold'. This is a short and sweet time-travel novel set in a Tokyo cafe, and while it didn't leave us with a huge amount to delve into, it did spark conversation about who we'd travel back in time for, and our position on spoilers. Haj describes this novel as an 'ice cream sundae' of books, so if you want a little light relief, it'll take you two hours to get through before you join us for this latest episode. Enjoy! Swear-warning - the C- and F-bombs come out quite quickly in this episode, so plug those earphones in if little ones are around, and don't offend yourself!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The wonderful, warm and wise Douglas Stuart joined Hajar for a very special guest episode and she's still buzzing from the chat! You don't have to have read the Booker Prize winner Shuggie Bain to soak up Douglas's fascinating insights into class, identity and familial love, but we definitely recommend you get yourself the paperback - it's out now! You can thank us later.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Haj's first introduction to Kafka was through the Bridget Jones movie where Bridget introduces 'Kafka's Motorbike' as one of the 'top thirty books of our time... at least', it's no surprise that she doesn't quite get on with The Trial. Curtis did a little better and seemed to have paid more attention to Kafka's words about Joseph K., the protagonist who's on trial for what, no one seems to know. Philosophical, absurdist, dystopian, whatever you call it this book is not an easy holiday read, but the one-star reviews were absolutely topnotch and well worth tuning in for!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hajar's mother joins us for this episode! A former teacher with a degree in English and American Literature, we remembered why Trudi Miles is 'quite good to talk about books with'.We discuss what we all agreed was the stunning 2003 debut from Khaled Hosseini and gave a little airtime to a few Amazon reviews. Expect Trudi and Hajar's memories of Iran, deep dives into morality and parenting, and Curtis barely saying two words without getting interrupted. If you haven't read this book yet, we definitely recommend you do. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're really racking up the guest specials now and our fifth one is with Tawseef Khan. He's an immigration lawyer and human rights activist and has just released his book “The Muslim Problem: Why we're wrong about Islam and why it matters”.We talk about female authors, planning your holidays around reading and why shouldn't be apologetic about wanting change. Also, check out his brilliant podcast "Muslim, Actually" for open, honest and surprising chat about the Muslim experience.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well this book really affected us! Douglas Stuart's Booker-winning debut about a young Shuggie Bain growing up in working-class Glasgow with an alcoholic mother is not the most uplifting of reads but it had a huge impact on us. We talk parents, council estates and Curtis's 55-day drinking bender. Expect more swearing than usual and some cracking one-star reviews from angry people. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you only listen to one DBC episode, make it this one! You'll get serious wisdom and insight into life, society and thoughts on writing. Hashi Mohamed came to the UK age 9 as a Kenyan-born Somali refugee. He grappled with poor housing, schooling and prospects to find his way to a career as barrister - one of the UK's most elite professions. He talks to Hajar about his memoir People Like Us: What it Takes to Make it in Modern Britain and two of his favourite novels: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig and Disgrace by JM Coetzee. For more on Hashi, head to his website hashimohamed.comSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We caught up with founder and editor of Strong Words magazine, Ed Needham, to find out all about his literary loves and why, in a digital age, he started a paper magazine all about books. Strong Words "takes the guesswork out of your next purchase, introduces you to books, authors and genres that were previously off your radar..." To find out more and to subscribe, head to strong-words.co.ukSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we kick off Series 3, we're treating you to another super special guest episode! We spoke to Jess Impiazzi about the books that changed her life and how writing her memoir Silver Linings helped her to heal after trauma. From dropping out of stage school to care for her blind mother to the mirky world of reality TV, her book's an honest reflection on her life and its lessons. Recording this episode was a BRILLIANT reminder of why we should always seek out stories from unfamiliar worlds.  We found Silver Linings - and our interview with Jess - both uplifting and heartwarming.  Enjoy!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're saying goodbye to a miserable year and welcoming in what will probably be an even shitter one, but who cares? At least we still have books! At the end of our second series, we have a little chat about our reading highlights both on and off our book list, and make our New Year's Book Resolutions for 2021.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you haven't watched the Netflix series yet, READ THE BOOK FIRST! Our final episode of the series, and the year, marks a whole year of The Dabblers' Book Club... and Haj is letting her stress show in this episode. She's triggered by a trigger warning. Listen to hear what we thought about the book that inspired the Netflix smash, and take everything Haj rants about with a pinch or two of salt. It's been a hard year.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Booker shortlisted Burnt Sugar is Avni Doshi's searing debut about living with the demons of parental cruelty as roles reverse. In our penultimate episode of the series, we end up giving the book the same score, despite very different overriding feelings towards it. A shortish novel, but nonetheless weighty in subject matter, we definitely think it's worth a read!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered what life would've been like if one ancestor had made a slightly different decision? Well, BBC World journalist and TV producer Nadia Ragozhina saw all the possibilities in her research for her family memoir, Worlds Apart. She discovered  a web of incredible stories from two cousins finally united almost a century after their fathers left turn-of-the-century Warsaw. One brother left for Switzerland, the other for Russia.  Nadia joins us to talk about two of her favourite novels, 1Q84 and A Little Life, and what it was like writing her fascinating book. Don't miss this episode!!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sooooo wanted to like this book. Loved the concept, loved the writing but it all just fell a bit flat. Have a listen for our ranty takes on what didn't quite work for us about Ishiguro's 2005 Booker shortlisted dystopian sci-fi about human clones raised in a private school-like setting for organ harvesting. We realise we say 'test-tube babies' a lot in this pod. Clones. We mean clones.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The book that inspired Bukowski sees young writer Arturo Bandini trying to make it in LA. Of course he meets a girl. Of course he's arrogant and refers to himself in the third person, but will Haj hate Bandini as much as Chinaski? This is a quick read, so get through it and have a listen!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hajar and Curtis feel even more stupid than usual as they talk about classicist Madeline Miller's retelling of Circe - some sort of Greek goddess/witch, who Homer mentioned in The Odyssey. We don't think you need to know all about Greek gods and goddesses to appreciate this book, but we didn't half feel dumb. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Dabblers took it back to the 1930s with Curtis's recommendation to read one of his favourite novels (by probably his favourite author), Keep the Aspidistra Flying.Listen to find out how Curtis ended up in a Frankie Says Relax t-shirt and why this book sent Haj on a home-making frenzy. We hope you'll read along and join us for chat about working class creativity, and how Orwell really gets to the heart of that living-on-a-shoestring insecurity that can see you on a negative downward spiral.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features our first ever guest! Our good friend, musician and keen reader Ricardo Bonito recommended Death at Intervals by the late Nobel Prize winning Portuguese author, José Saramago. Ricardo has read the book in Portuguese and English and gave us an education on this fascinating author and his works. Truly, one of our most enjoyable episodes to record - we hope you love it!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk about C Pam Zhang's stunning debut about two young orphans surviving in the twilight of the American Gold Rush. This book takes some reading and the podcast is mainly Hajar rambling her way through how she felt about it, but we highly recommend you get yourself a copy. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but it's an absolute work of art. We discuss the usual topics of identity and class with a healthy dose of swearing but unfortunately just one disappointingly flat one-star review. Great news for the author, not so good for us.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We almost managed to put Peep Show to one side for our chat about Robert Webb's debut novel, Come Again. Grieving Kate Marsden is struggling to see the point in anything following the death of her husband Luke. After a deep sleep she wakes up in her 18-year-old body at freshers' week at York Uni, where she realises she has a chance to save her future husband. We ramble a lot about Webb and read out a smattering of one-star reviews. If you want to get to the actual book chat rather than our thoughts on the author and general fandom, we recommend starting at about minute 7.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hajar and Curtis are back from their break to talk about modern classic, The Collector, by the late John Fowles. Expect tangents galore, the usual swearing, and a few one-star reviews. Make no mistake, we loved this book, so if you've not read it, run along and read it first before joining us for the latest pod!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a surprising turn of events, Curtis and Hajar weren't too blown away by this Booker longlisted novel from Kevin Barry. And in fact, to save a long podcast bemoaning work we probably just didn't understand, we kept it a bit shorter this week. Still, listen for some beautiful excerpts and chat about why we couldn't quite connect with the characters. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hajar and Curtis talk about debut novelist Oyinkan Braithwaite's pacy and perfect account of Korede and her younger sister, serial killer Ayoola. This was a horrifying but humorous breath of fresh air in the midst of global lockdown, and we highly recommend you spend a morning reading it before joining us for all the usual sweary spoilers as we talk about family dynamics and Instagram influencers... and Hajar gets a little angry. Just as with Fleishman is in Trouble, it appears some 1* Amazon reviewers can't help but lace/completely underpin their reviews with racism, so when we get to the review part, if you don't want to hear that stuff, we suggest leaving us there.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Curtis and Hajar were blown away by this shocking dystopia by Agustina Bazterrica, translated from Spanish by Sarah Moses. If everyone else was eating human meat, would you? The book is gruesome but important, and of course expect the usual swearwords and spoilers from your podcast hosts... but this week, unfortunately (fortunately for the author) there are NO AMAZON ONE-STAR REVIEWS! Read the book and join the Dabblers' Book Club. Warning: do not, under any circumstances, read it while eating.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hajar and Curtis learn more about (how little they know about) the natural world, as they discuss the story of Kya Clark, locally known as the 'Marsh Girl' who raises herself from the age of six in the North Carolina marshland, and finds herself caught up in a murder investigation. Do not listen to this podcast if you plan on reading the book, but haven't yet done so, as there are MAJOR SPOILERS. Expect the usual swearing, one-star Amazon reviews and a few childhood memories.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hajar and Curtis talk marriage and divorce and how their opinions of Toby Fleishman changed over the course of reading Taffy Brodesser-Akner's debut, 'Fleishman is in Trouble'.Obviously there's swearing and the usual laughing at one-star reviews, but it's worth pointing out that one of the reviews turned out to be hideous and anti-semitic. We've kept it in because well, we wanted to keep in our shock and despair at it, but if you don't want to hear that sort of stuff, do skip the 31st to the 35th minute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Curtis set Hajar the challenge of reading one of his favourite books. With all her pre-conceptions of Bukowski and her encounters with his fans, will Hajar be pleasantly surprised? Expect swearing straight away, adult themes and discussion about sexual violence.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chatting about Sally Rooney's award-winning fiction, Normal People, Curtis and Hajar talk university years, sexuality, toxic masculinity, and trying to feel human when you're barely an adult.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Curtis got Hajar reading one of his favourite books of all time: Fahrenheit 451. Expect sighing, swearing, and Hajar realising she probably needs to read it all over again in a better mood.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hajar and Curtis chat about The Testaments, Margaret Atwood's long-awaited sequel to her 1985 dystopian smash, The Handmaid's Tale. Should it have won the Booker? Does it work on its own? Does Hajar remember all three protagonists' names? Expect f-words, Amazon reviewers disappointed that the 'wrong religion' is 'maligned', and Curtis getting his head bitten off for suggesting Atwood is a 'lovely old lady'.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hajar and Curtis discuss 'The Last of Her Kind', a novel by American writer Sigrid Nunez. First published in 2006 in the USA, the book has only just this year been released in the UK by Virago. Expect university nostalgia, head-scratching over the central characters, Rolling Stones trivia, nods to F Scott Fitzgerald, and general awe at Nunez's literary skill.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-dabblers-book-club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.