Curious Readers
Curious Readers
Curious Readers
Ep 29: Romance For Cynics & Women's Prize For Non-Fiction Longlist
57 minutes Posted Feb 27, 2026 at 9:15 pm.
This week, Joseph and Amanda tackle romance. But this is romance with a twist, no tropes or formulas, just good writing that even the most hard-hearted cynic can enjoy. And before that, as Prize season is upon us, they dish the latest on prestigious longlists, and top and tail the episode with current and future reads. 
Bookish news
The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction
Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypi 
Ask Me How It Works: Love in an Open Marriage by Deepa Paul @storiesbydeepa
The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet @lyse.doucet
Mother Mary Comes to Me a memoir by Arundhati Roy @arundatiroyauthor
International Booker Prize
The National Book Critics Circle Awards (NBCC)
Dublin Literary Award
What I Know About You by Eric Chacour @ericchacour
The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu 
Live Fast by Brigitte Giroud
Recent Reads 
Every One Still Here by Liadan Ní Chuinn
Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash @madelinecash
Romance for Cynics
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid @rachelreidwrites
Emma & Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
The books of Lily King @lilykingbooks
Minor Black Figures & The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor @brandonlgtaylor
Memorial: A Novel by Bryan Washington
Normal People by Sally Rooney @sallyrooneyofficial
You Are Here by David Nicholls @davidnichollswriter
Happy All The Time by Laurie Colwin
Reasons To Be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe @ninastibbe 
Crush by Ada Calhoun @adacalhoun
Good Material by Dolly Alderton @dollyalderton
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller @madeline.e.miller
The Disenchantment by Celia Bell 
The Lovers by Paolo Cognetti 
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason @meg_mason_writer
Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey @monicaheisey
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck @kategoldbeck
Heartburn by Nora Ephron
What We’re Reading Next 
Midnight Is Not In Everyone’s Reach by António Lobo Antunes @antonio.lobo.antunes
White Spines: Confessions of a Book Collector by Nicholas Royle @nicholasroyle
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones @tayari
Kin by Tayari Jones
My Friends by Frederik Backman @frederickbackman
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Show notes
This week, Joseph and Amanda tackle romance. But this is romance with a twist, no tropes or formulas, just good writing that even the most hard-hearted cynic can enjoy. And before that, as Prize season is upon us, they dish the latest on prestigious longlists, and top and tail the episode with current and future reads. (0:52) Bookish news(1:03) The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction(2:52) Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypi (4:03) Ask Me How It Works: Love in an Open Marriage by Deepa Paul @storiesbydeepa(4:29) The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet @lyse.doucet(6:04) Mother Mary Comes to Me a memoir by Arundhati Roy @arundatiroyauthor (6:17) International Booker Prize(6:45) The National Book Critics Circle Awards (NBCC)(7:16) Dublin Literary Award(7:56) What I Know About You by Eric Chacour @ericchacour(8:09) The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu (8:37) Live Fast by Brigitte Giroud(9:13) Recent Reads (9:21) Every One Still Here by Liadan Ní Chuinn(14:19) Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash @madelinecash(17:45) Romance for Cynics(19:15) Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin(19:29) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte(24:09) Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid @rachelreidwrites(25:38) Emma & Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen(26:30) Persuasion by Jane Austen(26:56) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte(27:09) Villette by Charlotte Bronte(29:03) The books of Lily King @lilykingbooks(29:23) Minor Black Figures & The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor @brandonlgtaylor(29:23) Memorial: A Novel by Bryan Washington (30:05) Normal People by Sally Rooney @sallyrooneyofficial(30:37) You Are Here by David Nicholls @davidnichollswriter(31:17) Happy All The Time by Laurie Colwin(35:46) Reasons To Be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe @ninastibbe (39:17) Crush by Ada Calhoun @adacalhoun(42:58) Good Material by Dolly Alderton @dollyalderton(47:13) The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller @madeline.e.miller(47:47) The Disenchantment by Celia Bell (48:22) The Lovers by Paolo Cognetti (49:24) Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason @meg_mason_writer(50:26) Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey @monicaheisey(51:50) You, Again by Kate Goldbeck @kategoldbeck(52:25) Heartburn by Nora Ephron(53:15) What We’re Reading Next (53:26) Midnight Is Not In Everyone’s Reach by António Lobo Antunes @antonio.lobo.antunes(54:16) White Spines: Confessions of a Book Collector by Nicholas Royle @nicholasroyle(55:15) Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones @tayari(55:21) Kin by Tayari Jones(55:47) My Friends by Frederik Backman @frederickbackman(56:00) The Winner by Teddy WayneThe Benefactors by Wendy Erskine @wednesdaywerskinCurious Readers is mixed by the incredibly talented James Whiting @fishislandstudioFollow us on Bluesky @curiousreaderspod.bsky.social for more recommendations in between episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.