Book Off!

Two top crime and thriller writers, Ragnar Jonasson and Simon Kernick, go head to head in a war of the words!They share their love of Agatha Christie, why scary crime fiction doesn't have to be gory and tell us about their latest novels. ("Death At The Sanitorium" and "You All Die Tonight")We also get some cracking book recommendations from them too.THE BOOK OFF!'The Murder On The Links' by Agatha ChristieVS'McNally's Luck' by Lawrence SandersQUICK NOTE!For a limited time, you can get £100 off off any HD light and free UK delivery. Just visit seriousreaders.com/bookoff to claim your discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're so excited to bring you this episode of Book Off, featuring two of our favourite poets and humans - Salena Godden and Hollie McNish. We've been wanting to bring these two together for a long time, and now it's finally happened! They talk about their latest poetry collections ('With Love Grief and Fury' and 'Lobster'), the freedom of performance, why they love the form so much and why you can't start with a poem about blow jobs. They also give us some brilliant book recommendations too! Hollie McNish's collection 'Lobster' is written out of both hate and love for the world. As people, we are capable of both love and hate; amazement and disgust; fun and misery. So why do we live in a world that is constantly telling us to hate, both ourselves and others? We are told constantly to be repulsed by our own bodies, bodies that let us laugh and sweat and eat toast, amongst other activities; to be ashamed of pleasure; to be embarrassed by fun. In this brand-new collection, Hollie McNish brings her inimitable style to the question of what have been taught to hate, and if we might learn to love again.Salena Godden's collection 'With Love Grief And Fury' contains love poems, for people and the planet. Grief poems brimming with compassion, mourning what was and contemplating what could be. And poems of fire and fury that will kick some ass, tell the truth and inspire change and hope. Like a big sister’s arm around your shoulder, With Love, Grief and Fury is important and nourishing for the soul. THE BOOK OFF 'Everything Is Going To Be Alright' (selected poems) - edited by Cecilia KnappVS 'Parable Of The Sower' by Octavia E ButlerQUICK NOTE! For a limited time, you can get £100 off off any HD light and free UK delivery. Just visit seriousreaders.com/bookoff to claim your discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

M.L. Rio and Kate Weinberg arrive as friends, but will they still be so chummy with each other after the Book Off?They chat to Joe Haddow about their latest books, Trump, the importance of publishing at a time when books are being banned and why Scooby Doo is a great influence.They also give us some briiiilliant book recommendations too - so apologies to your TBR pile in advance.Here's more on our authors and their books...and what they picked for the Book Off! (we hope you enjoy the episode)M.L Rio's new novella is called Graveyard Shift. Every night, in the college's ancient cemetery, five people cross paths as they work the late shift: a bartender, a rideshare driver, a hotel receptionist, the steward of the derelict church that looms over them, and the editor-in-chief of the college paper, always in search of a story. One dark October evening in the defunct churchyard, they find a hole that wasn't there before. A fresh, open grave where no grave should be. But who dug it, and for whom?Kate Weinberg's latest novel is called There's Nothing Wrong With Her. Vita Woods is on the brink. She has a good job and a successful doctor boyfriend, Max, with whom the sex is great and the chat sufficient; a vivacious and charming sister Gracie, and she’s even got a goldfish called Whitney Houston, who brightens her days by showing her she's not the only one going round in circles. Because it’s the days that are Vita’s problem. Vita is not leaving the house. In fact, Vita rarely exits the basement apartment where she lives, since Vita is in “The Pit” – a place of deep exhaustion and semi-consciousness. One day an unexpected courier delivery forces Vita upstairs, into the light – and into a chance encounter with her neighbours. Suddenly, Vita finds herself faced with an even trickier dilemma. She likes her new friends; she’ll even sneak upstairs to see them while Max is out, against all medical advice but something about her “condition” is nagging at the borders of her mind. After all, what is a house-bound girl to do when she can’t keep the light, her new friendships, or – worst of all – her memories out? The problem might be Vita herself but as far as anyone can prove... there’s nothing wrong with her.THE BOOK OFF'Moon Tiger' by Penelope LivelyVS''Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang' by Kate WilhelmPlus - for a limited time, you can get £100 off off any HD light and free UK delivery. Just visit seriousreaders.com/bookoff to claim your discount! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Authors Rachel Abbott and Hannah Lynn go head to head in a war of the words. They talk to Joe Haddow about their self-publishing journeys, the pros and cons and how things have changed on that side of the industry over the last 10 years. They also discuss their new novels, how the weather can influence a chapter and why sometimes you just have to go away in the name of research! THE BOOK OFF 'Good Girl, Bad Girl' by Michael Robathan VS 'The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind' by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.