The Bookshelf

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The Bookshelf

What are you reading, loving or being challenged by? We review the latest in fiction for dedicated readers and for those who wish they read more.

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    France, Sweden, New Zealand: books from around the world

    Cassie and Kate read Marie-Hélène Lafon’s The Son’s Story, a family story that spans the twentieth-century, full of melancholy beauty and secrets. Crime writer Hayley Scrivenor reads Geoff Parkes’ When the Deep Dark Bush Swallows You Whole, a story of small towns, envy and threat in New Zealand; and documentary maker Johan Gabrielsson reads Swedish bestseller The Group, by Sigge Eklund, in which art, sun, wealth and beautiful people meet and mingle in Madrid. BOOKS Marie-Hélène Lafon, The Son’s Story (translated from the French by Stephanie Smee), MLP Geoff Parkes, When the Deep Dark Bush Swallows You Whole, Penguin Random House Sigge Eklund, The Group (translated from the Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles), Ithaka Press GUESTS Hayley Scrivenor, crime writer whose books are Dirt Town and – her latest – Girl Falling Johan Gabrielsson, documentary maker: longtime Australian resident, he was born in Sweden OTHER BOOKS MENTIONED Mary McCarthy, The Group Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mr Ripley Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Cold Truth Sara Foster, When She Was Gone Samantha Byres, Dead Ends James Bridle, Ways of Being Slavoj Zizek, Too Late To Awaken    CREDITS Presenter: Kate Evans, Cassie McCullagh Producer: Kate Evans, Sarah Corbett Sound engineer, Roi Huberman, Harvey O'Sullivan Executive producer, Rhiannon Brown

    54 min

  2. 23 JAN

    Escaping a drunken rant in Catherine Jinks' Panic

    Kate and Cassie are back for 2025 to discuss Panic by Catherine Jinks, about a young woman looking for a fresh start after posting a drunken rant that went horrifically viral. Novelist George Haddad, and Professor Sue Turnbull, who specialises in crime drama and fiction, are also along, to take a look at new novels by Miles Franklin winner Shankari Chandran and American author Garth Greenwell. BOOKS Catherine Jinks, Panic, Text Garth Greenwell, Small Rain, Picador Shankari Chandran, Unfinished Business, Ultimo Press GUESTS George Haddad, novelist, artist and lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Western Sydney. His novel Losing Face was published in 2022 Sue Turnbull, Professor of Communication and Media at the University of Wollongong, who specialises in crime drama and fiction. She is also chief crime fiction reviewer for The Age and SMH OTHER BOOKS MENTIONED Kaliane Bradley, The Ministry of Time Alice Winn, In Memoriam Richard J. Evans, Hitler's People George Eliot, Middlemarch Caroline Darian, I'll Never Call Him Dad Again:  Turning our family trauma of Chemical Submission into a collective fight Curtis Sittenfeld, Show Don't Tell; Romantic Comedy; Eligible Garth Greenwell, Cleanness Shankari Chandran, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens Katherine Brabon, Body Friend Ben Watt, Patient  Alexandros Papadiamantis, The Murderess Michelle de Kretser, Theory and Practice Ronni Salt, Gunnawah  Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Cold Truth; Dark Mode Katherena Vermette, The Stranger family trilogy   CREDITS Presenter: Kate Evans, Cassie McCullagh Producer: Kate Evans, Sarah Corbett Sound engineer: Tegan Nicholls, Harvey O'Sullivan Executive producer: Rhiannon Brown

    54 min

  3. 17 JAN

    Summer Reading: Quick, give me a recommendation!

    Reading Percival Everett's James, Dylin Hardcastle's Language of Limbs and James McBride's The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store Cassie and literary interviewer Michaela Kalowski discussed Percival Everett's James in a conversation first broadcast on 15 March 2024 Kate and Jonathan Green reviewed Dylin Hardcastle's Language of Limbs on 19 July 2024 And James McBride spoke to Kate about The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store for Radio National's 2024 Big Weekend of Books

    54 min

  4. 10 JAN

    Summer Reading from Australia and the World

    Books you might have missed: from England, Turkey and within the Australian Tongan community Cassie and critic Beejay Silcox agree to disagree over David Nicholls' You Are Here – from a conversation first broadcast on 19 April 2024 Kate, Richard Aedy and writer Patrick Carey reviewed Oisín McKenna, Evenings and Weekends on 28 June 2024 Cassie, Beejay Silcox and academic Jioji Ravulo read Winnie Dunn's Dirt Poor Islanders on 19 April 2024 And Cassie spoke to Turkish-British author Elif Shafak ahead of the publication of her novel There Are Rivers in the Sky, on Radio National's 2024 Big Weekend of Books

    54 min

  5. 3 JAN

    Summer Reading: Fiction for a new year

    Time to reassess your TBR pile – To Be Read, that is – ready for 2025. To help, some of the best books and literary discussions from the past year. Kate and Cassie's review of Rita Bullwinkel's Headshot was first broadcast on 16 August 2024 Kate and Richard Aedy's discussion of Catherine McKinnon's To Sing of War was first broadcast on 28 June 2024 Cassie and Kate first delved into Rodney Hall's Vortex on 22 August 2024

    54 min

  6. 27/12/2024

    Summer Reading: Books to get your teeth into

    Ready for some Big Books? Ambition, money, philosophy, bodies and history – all explored through history. Cassie and Tom Wright's review of Andrew O'Hagan's Caledonian Road was first broadcast on 28 March 2024 Kate and Cassie with Polish publicist Anna O'Grady, on Olga Tokarczuk's The Empusium, was first broadcast on 20 September 2024 English writer Francis Spufford spoke to Kate about his novel Cahokia Jazz on Radio National's Big Weekend of Books in June 2024

    54 min

  7. 20/12/2024

    Summer Reading: What did you miss?

    Catch up on the best books and discussions about them from the last year. A songwriter, a plaintive guitar, time travel and a motel are all in the mix. Kate and Cassie's review of Willie Vlautin's Horse was originally was originally broadcast on 26 July 2024 Cassie and Jonathan Green's appraisal of Kaliane Bradley's Ministry of Time was originally broadcast on 30 May 2024 Kate, Kate Mildenhall and Beejay Silcox disagreed over Miranda July's All Fours back on 21 June 2024 And bookseller David Gaunt and NZ Festival Director Claire Mabey gave their book recommendations on 26 July 2024

    54 min

  8. 13/12/2024

    Crime fiction and why we keep coming back: The repeat protagonist

    Detectives, tea ladies, journos, psychologists – what's the appeal of the crime series and repeat protagonist? Kate Evans with crime writers Michael Robotham, Tim Ayliffe and Amanda Hampson onstage at the BAD Sydney Crime Festival. GUESTS Michael Robotham, internationally bestselling crime writer, whose books include the Joe O'Loughlin series and the Cyrus Haven series. His latest is Storm Child. Tim Ayliffe, journalist and novelist, whose central character is also a media man. John Bailey is his name – and the latest book in that series is The Wrong Man. Amanda Hampson is an author of many novels, whose crime novels, set in the 1960s, feature tea ladies. Her latest is The Cryptic Clue. CRIME SERIES MENTIONED IN THE DISCUSSION Ian Rankin, Rebus series Michael Connelly, Bosch and McEvoy series Anne Cleeves, Vera series Janet Evanovitch, Stephanie Plum series Kerry Greenwood, Phryne Fischer series Stieg Larsson, Lisbeth Salander series Peter Høeg, Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow Stephen King's Holly Gibney series Patricia Cornwall's Kay Scarpetta series Mick Herron's Slow Horses Tom Clancy, works Peter Temple's Jack Irish series John Le Carre, works Jack Beaumont, Frenchman series Walter Mosley, Easy Rawlins series Adrian McKinty, Sean Duffy series Sulari Gentill, Rowland Sinclair series Candice Fox, works Sujata Massey, Perveen Mistry series Chris Hammer, works Candice Fox, works Don Winslow, works Presenter: Kate Evans Producer: Kate Evans + Sarah Corbett Sound engineers: John Jacobs + Tegan Nicholls Executive Producer: Rhiannon Brown

    54 min
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About

What are you reading, loving or being challenged by? We review the latest in fiction for dedicated readers and for those who wish they read more.

Information

  • Creator
    ABC listen
  • Years Active
    2012 - 2025
  • Episodes
    445
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All right reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Bookshelf

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