After reviewing their three favourite books on the longlist Kieran and Isabelle are back for a bumper round up of everything else they read on the Women's Prize Longlist for 2021. Some we loved (Susanna Clarke), some we didn't (Dawn French... sorry) and a few we're still dithering about even on the podcast (Patricia Lockwood). Books mentioned: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet, Consent by Annabel Lyon, Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller, Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood, Because of You by Dawn French, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. 

For the first time in what feels like a millennia, Kieran and Isabelle have a (COVID-friendly) face to face catch up to discuss their picks so far from the Women's Prize longlist, and pose the question...could this be the strongest longlist yet? Books mentioned: Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters - How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones - Luster by Raven Leilani Remember to rate and leave us a review if you enjoy the podcast! 

Just in time for Easter half term, we welcome bestselling author, playwright and digital producer Sam Sedgman to Back to the Books! In this episode, Kieran has a good natter with Sam about his bestselling 'Adventures on Trains' series with M.G Leonard, what it was like to write and launch a book in a pandemic and why we should all listen to the inner child within us. Plus, we discover the real reason why Kieran isn't allowed on trampolines anymore... Remember to rate and leave us a review if you enjoy the podcast!

It's that time of year again! Kieran and Isabelle discuss the Women's Prize for Fiction and pledge to read the longlist between them. Join us for a chat about our choices, what we want to read, what we don't, and what the heck Dawn French is doing on the list! CW: We briefly discuss transphobia relating to one of the longlisted authors. 

Happy Valentines Day! To get into the romantic spirit, Kieran and Isabelle discuss their first buddy read of 2021, E.M. Forster's beautifully written 'Maurice'. In this episode, they look at themes of class, masculinity, sexuality and everyone's favourite gothic trope, the uncanny. *There are some slight audio issues in the last half of the episode, apologies!* TW: we make a very short, indirect reference to the Armie Hammer situation in a light-hearted manner during the first few minutes.  Remember to rate and leave us a review if you enjoy the podcast!

After one of the most shocking eliminations ever on Drag Race UK, Kieran welcomes international cabaret sensation Joe Black to Back to the Books. They talk about *that* sashay away moment, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, what it's like to feel inspired during a pandemic and what books Joe liked to read in a Starbucks in Portsmouth.  Remember to rate and leave us a review if you enjoy the podcast!

Recorded just before Christmas,  Kieran catches up with singer-songwriter Lucy Rose to talk all things lockdown, the joy of playing tennis and of course, some of our favourite reads of 2020. Remember to rate and leave us a review if you enjoy the podcast!

Kieran and Isabelle discuss how their reading was affected by the dumpster fire of 2020, and their hopes and plans for all things bookish in 2021. Books mentioned: The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez - The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris - Words of Radiance Book ii by Brandon Sanderson - Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami tr. Allison Markin Powell - Sistersong by Lucy Holland - Unquiet Women by Max Adams. 

Back in November while Isabelle was making the most of browsing bookshops before they closed again, I managed to bag an interview with RuPaul's Drag Race UK star Divina De Campo! In this episode, we talk everything from touring while ill, the impact of the pandemic on the industry and, of course, the books we read to get through these crazy times.  - Kieran  Remember to rate and leave us a review if you enjoy the podcast!