Reading Between Deadlines Podcast

Rachael Johns & Anthea Hodgson
  • 0.0 (0)
  • BOOKS
  • EVERY TWO MONTHS

Reading Between Deadlines is a twice-monthly podcast with Aussie authors Anthea Hodgson and Rachael Johns. Each month, we unpack a trending book in one episode and interview the author of Rachael’s Book Club Pick in the other. readingbetweendeadlines.substack.com

  1. 28 MAR

    John Purcell Makes THE FRIEND by Sigrid Nunez

    Listen above or on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or if you want to SEE us in all our glory… watch at the bottom of this post. This episode's book: The Friend by Sigrid Nunez is a quiet novel about a woman who inherits the dog owned by her best friend when he dies. Not just any breed of dog but a MAMMOTH Great Dane, oh and her rental agreement is NO DOGS. Although a novel about grieving a friend, it also offers a lot of insight into a writers life as both the MC and her friend are writers. This week’s guest is John Purcell, who we think might be one of the most well-read authors in Australia. While still in his twenties, John Purcell opened a second-hand bookshop in Mosman, Sydney, in which he sat for ten years reading, ranting and writing. He’s currently Head of Books at The Nile Australia and his latest book, The Amateur's Guide to Killing Bad Guys, will release in August this year. Shoutout to our inner circle - aka our paid subscribers. We LOVE you and we LOVE our bonus episodes that we do JUST for you!! If you’re not already inner circle, you can join for only $5 a month and you’ll get our monthly Recs and Not Recs ep as well as a surprise chat every second month. In this episode, we cover: Re-reading old faves Writing classes and the writing advice in this novel This dangerous profession and the risks of having a writer in your family Is telling really a sin? Dogs vs Cats 2nd person point-of-view The movie adaptation, which John refuses to watch. 📚 Books Mentioned in this Ep Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout A Room With a View by E.M. Forster The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman A Gentleman of Moscow by Amor Towles Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton Lee Child’s Jack Reader novels. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley Dracula by Bram Stoker Books by Bryce Courtenay, Colleen McCullough, Agatha Christie, Thomas Hardy, Deborah Levy, Rachel Cusk, Ali Smth. ⏰ Timestamps 1.0 Intro 1.25 – John apologises for loving Brother of the More Famous Jack, as well he should. 1.30 – Rachael cranks the handle on her feminine wiles. Anthea settles in to learn from the master 3.21 – John refers to Rachael as a wonderful author and Rach responds with a comment about John’s top-notch erotica. 5.20 Anthea reads the blurb in an attempt to bring down the spice! 7.21 John complains that Rach and Anthea kind of ruined his re-read of The Friend. Anthea refuses to feel bad about it. 9.33 Rach adds background info about The Friend. Anthea starts thinking about tea. 10.53 Rating time – Kiss, Kill or Marry? 12.07 Anthea goes first, and makes some excellent points 14.34 John doubles down on The Friend. Rachael captivated, Anthea suspects he’s a cat person. 18.56 Rach agrees with John about everything – but she does mention Anthea’s latest book, so Anthea agrees with herself that they can still be besties! 22.06 There’s some nonsense conversation about cats and dogs. Anthea wonders if she can make it to the kettle.. 27.05 Not naming characters – cool literary device – or just a bit wanky? 27.39 Writing in second person. Pointless? Wanky? Is the kettle on? 29.44 John discusses self-publishing and AI. A cup of tea is delivered to Anthea by an 83 year old ghost. Nice! 34.10 John loves Room With A View. Anthea wonders about the cat thing. 35.27 Rach tells John he has picked a novel that’s TOO good, with TOO much to discuss! Anthea bows to the master, and realises she still has much to learn. 36.40 Rach and John discuss the issue of offending modern audiences, and modern sensibilities. 41.40 John disses tonnes of hyped books – Rachael and Anthea are in awe. 46.37 John disses Dame Agatha Christie, which Anthea thinks is a bridge too far. 47.07 Rachael enthuses about John’s Nile posts (Anthea wishes they would get a room already..) 47.36 Thomas Hardy – John’s wingman – and one of the greatest reading experiences of John’s life 49.50 Rachael asks – are all writers monsters?? 54.23 John has lost three dogs, and has chosen to replace them with cats. Enough said. 55.25 Next book – Wild Dark Shore (and a super fond farewell from Rach!) 👉 Watch now and tell us - did you love The Friend? 👉Next Ep, we’re diving into Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy and our April guest is Mercedes Mercier who will make us read The Only One Left by Riley Sager. May Books: 14th May - Half His Age by Jeanette McCurdy28th May - Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster with guest author Tamara Moss Exciting NEWS - we’ve pretty much locked in all our books for the rest of the year! You can see them here! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingbetweendeadlines.substack.com/subscribe

    57 min

  2. 14 MAR

    We Read THE CRASH by Freida McFadden

    A couple of quick announcements from Rach: It’s come to our attention that some of you don’t realise that we still DO post a video but due to something to do with Apple and Spotify we post the audio at the top and the video at the bottom. So if you’d rather watch than listen, scroll to the end of this post. Anthea writes the FUNNIEST timestamps for the show - honestly, we’re not even sure what these are for but the wonderful Virtually Annie told us to do these so we do and I really hope people read them, cos they make me laugh so much! Also, there’s only FIVE MORE DAYS left to claim our deal to upgrade your subscription to PAID for 25% off the full price. Do you get the appeal of Pumpkin Spice? This episode’s pick: The Crash by Freida McFadden is one of her zillions of books. Her biggest hit is The Housemaid, which was recently made into a hit movie. This novel is about a hugely pregnant woman who crashes during a snow-storm is rescued by a scary yeti, but that’s only the BEGINNING of her nightmare. In this episode, we cover: The HUGENESS of Freida McFadden Twists, wildly improbable plots and stupid main characters The two main plots and how/if they related to each other The need to move during pregnancy Tuna!! 💋 And, of course, we rate it: Kiss, Kill, or Marry ⏰ Timestamps 00 – Welcome – Rach and Anthea have an Inner circle – and they are as surprised about it as anyone 1.19 – Rachael has NO aircon (Anthea decides to tread carefully for episode duration!) 2.08 – Rach reports an itchy nose. May be unrelated. This week’s book – The Crash by Freida McFadden. 4.50 Freida – what a show off. And The Crash blurb. Don’t drive in blizzards, people! 8.16 – Freida’s bio – another chance to show off – Anthea mostly impressed with her house by the ocean. Not the cat part. 10. 50 – Kiss, Kill, Marry!? Rachael’s vote possibly affected by heat stress.. 12.24 – Rachael does NOT respect Tegan’s choices. (too dumb to live??) 14.23 – Tegan’s brother. Not awesome. 14.27 – Rach and Anthea discuss all the crazy in The Crash. It takes a while. 19.04 – Tax fraud and it’s role in modern relationships 20.29 – Why Sadie, the kid from next door will never unload the dishwasher 21.23 – Is Rach addicted to crack? The role of coincidence and contrivance.. 25.31 – The Prologue DEALS IN LIES kind of. Who asked to hear from Hank, anyway? 28.09 – The importance of Point of View (and air-conditioning!) 29.50 – Anthea - pragmatist to the end. Would you TAKE THE MONEY? 31.05 – One Star reviews – always fun when it’s someone else! 32.32 – Freida – would RBD date her/read her again? 34.03 – Contrivance and character motivation, the TED talk. 37.36 – Stephen King – would have written the shit out of this! Oh, that’s right – he already did. 38.37 – What are we reading next? And will Rach get the air-con working? BYE!! 📖 Coming up next: 👉Next Ep we’re chatting to John Purcell about The Friend by Sigrid Nunez. In April, we’re diving into Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy and guest author Mercedes Mercier will make us read The Only One Left by Riley Sager. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingbetweendeadlines.substack.com/subscribe

    42 min

  3. 27 FEB

    Kayte Nunn Makes Us Read MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER by Oyinkan Braithwaite

    This episode's book: My Sister, the Serial Killer is the debut thriller novel (although Rach reckons it’s more a novella) by Oyinkan Braithwaite. It was originally published in Nigeria as Thicker Than Water. It received critical acclaim upon publication and was long listed for the 2019 Booker Prize. This week’s guest is multi-genre author, Kayte Nunn, who has the most delightful accent, probably because she grew up between England and the United States, although she’s now lived in Australia for more than twenty-five years. Kate is a lifelong book lover (which is obvious in this wonderful chat) and believes stories find their writers. Her latest book is THE PALAZZO. In this episode, we cover: Titles - original vs translation Dynamics between sisters Nigerian culture and setting Dumb guys What exactly is literary fiction? The ethics of serial killer fiction. Thoughts on Booktok. 💋 And, of course, we rate My SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER: Kiss, Kill, or Marry. 📚 Books Mentioned in this Ep How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson Jilly Cooper’s books Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth The Last Reunion by Kayte Nunn Sandwich by Catherine Newman Katherine Heiny books Trespassers by Louise Kennedy Small Pleasure by Clare Chambers And TV/Movies: The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell Timestamps 0.42 - Intro our author mate Kayte Nunn - what’s a nice girl from Wiltshire doing on a pod like this? 3.13 - Rach’s earrings get stabby - accessories for the crazy author in your life... 5.38 - Bios - boring, useful, a great way to brag about 7.10 - Anthea gives the narrator a full tick of approval - and not just because she didn’t have to read the book herself! 9.15 - A very average Goodreads rating and is the original title, classy - but boring? 11.53 - Double Kiss! Anthea commits to reporting back to RBD about her deathbed experience, and what she’d like to read before she goes.. 14.30 - Tade - a tall dark and handsome Dr - Rachael not a fan. WTF???!!! 17.15 - Anthea - pro-serial killer - not into anti little sister movement. Speaks passionately in defence of junior siblings everywhere.. 19.25 - OMG Rach admits she’s WRONG (and Anthea is very classy about it!) 21.10 - Kates raves about the symbolism and language - Fancy. 23.0 - Rach wonders about literary serial killers - just because you’re stabbing some guy, doesn’t mean you’re basic. 27.47 - Are serial killers sexy now? Is that ok? 30.02 - How does Kate read? Is she a DNF’er? YES SHE IS! 33.5 - Rach disses Anne of Green Gables and Anthea talks about the olden days. Again. And appreciates charming bloody Anne because she isn’t a total heathen! 35.25 -Car rides with Kayte’s family - NEXT LEVEL! (Best mum award goes to Kayte’s mum!) 38.02 - The historical vs contemporary fiction debate. Again. (Rach just won’t let it go) (Anthea quietly realises she’s written both, so she wins!) 40.00 - In praise of the voice. Kayte loves snark! (Anthea thinks the word snark isn’t used nearly enough) 42. 23 - Fave book adaptations (Kind of including The Talented Mr Ripley, but we forgot the name at the time!) 44.00 - Reviews - Kayte loves wallowing about in reviews - the thought alone makes Anthea reach for a stiff cup of tea. Next Ep, we’re diving into The Crash by Freida McFadden and March guest is John Purcell who will make us read The Friend by Sigrid Nunez. April Books: 14th April - Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy28th April - The Only One Left by Riley Sager with guest Mercedes Mercier This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingbetweendeadlines.substack.com/subscribe

    49 min

  4. 14 FEB

    We Read THE PUMPKIN SPICE CAFE by Laurie Gilmore

    Do you get the appeal of Pumpkin Spice? This episode’s pick: The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore exploded onto BookTok a few years ago (yes, we know we’re a little behind the times) with its cozy cover and title vibes. It’s a “grumpy-sunshine” romance set in a small town that people are saying is very like Stars Hollow, the fictional town where hit TV series, The Gilmore Girls is set. In this episode, we cover: Pretty covers, sprayed edges and other special editions. The TikTok Bookshop Awards Believable conflict and sex scenes Ghost and serial killers (spoiler, there are none) Cat behaviour What actually is pumpkin spice? 💋 And, of course, we rate it: Kiss, Kill, or Marry ⏰ Timestamps 00.00 Amazing intro expertly put there by tech genius 1.51 – We marvel at how Rachael has her finger on the pulse. (Anthea keeps her hands to herself) 4.09 – A brief rundown of The Pumpkin Spice Café.. 5.25 – Laurie Gilmore bio. Too many awards we haven’t heard of (but would probably like!) 8.26 – Who the hell is Melissa and why did she change her name? 12.02 – We Kiss, Kill, Marry… and cosy cups of tea are spat out, around the world 16.18 – Rach and Anthea search for meaning – and TENSION 23.36 – The humble house cat as a literary device 24.18 – Pumpkin spice – just smashed up pumpkin, or something a little bit fancy? 25.56 – The cover is retro - like Anthea - but cozier, and fonder of cats 28.36 – Rachael spills on her new idea for a rom-com in a rage filled diatribe 30.36 – Grumpy/sunshine trope – adorable in a novel, annoying in a husband 34.08 – Rach goes nuclear 37.02 – Chilli rating – Rach calms down – then gets frisky 41.25 – There’s a mystery in the book, but what is it? (That’s the mystery..) 42.30 – Anthea asks about other books in the series, and Rachael realises she owns most of them. 44.00 – Substack – Reading Between Deadlines is one of the greatest substacks of all time according to recent research 45.12 What we are reading next – Serial Killers!! 47.20 – Bad reviews – not as good as good reviews, but not that bad…? 📖 Coming up next: 👉Next Ep we’re chatting to Kayte Nunn about My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. In March, we’re diving into The Crash by Frieda McFadden and guest author John Purcell will make us read The Friend by Sigrid Nunez. For what we’re up to after that, click here. 🛍️ Do you read between deadlines too? Grab the merch 💎 Did you know we have at least one bonus episode a month for paid subscribers? And every now and then we’ll drop and extra episode when the zeitgeist calls for it.In our regular bonus episode we share what we’ve been reading, watching, writing, listening to, eating, and any other recs or not-reds we see fit. For only $5 a month you can get SO much more out of your RBD subscription and help us with the costs of editing, hosting platforms etc. Thanks for listening. We love ya! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingbetweendeadlines.substack.com/subscribe

    50 min

  5. 9 FEB ·  BONUS

    Reading Between Deadlines: Heated Rivalry (bonus ep)

    Surprise! We’re dropping a bonus episode to chat about HEATED RIVALRY… because we couldn’t not. If you haven’t heard about this book written by Rachel Reid’s and TV adaptation, where have you been hiding? It’s a rivals-to-lovers hockey romance that’s taken over the world! It’s currently #1 on Booktopia and Amazon AU and so many other places, and when the TV series first landed, Australian publishers sold out almost immediately. Which tells you everything you need to know. We recently read the book and then had a watch party, not just with each other but four seventeen year old girls, and in this episode we give you ALL our thoughts on both. Enjoy. Rach and Anthea. In this episode, we cover: The book vs the TV show - which is sexier? Which is more romantic? How much sex is too much sex? The term “rivalry” and the need for conflict Scott from the first book, insta-love and episode 3 Does being a writer sometimes ruin reading? Where are all the women? That scene - building intimacy or a total cop out? Original cover vs latest cover We don’t pretend to know anything about ice hockey but… Is the best part about the show the real estate? Smoothie talk. Does shock value build hype? 📖 Coming up next: 👉Next Ep we’re chatting to Virtually Annie about CIRCE by Madeleine Miller. In February, we’re diving into The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore and guest author Kayte Nunn will make us read My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. In March, we’re reading The Crash one of Freida McFadden’s ZILLION books and our guest author for the second episode will be John Purcell, who is making us read The Friend by Sigrid Nunez. For what we’re up to after that, click here. 🎽 Do you read between deadlines too? Grab the merch Thanks for following. We love ya! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingbetweendeadlines.substack.com/subscribe

    52 min

  6. 27 JAN

    Annie Bucknall Makes Us Read CIRCE by Madeline Miller

    Does CIRCE live up to the hype? This episode's pick: Circe by Madeline Miller is a beautifully written retelling of Greek myth that puts the infamous witch from The Odyssey centre stage. Banished to a lonely island for angering the gods, Circe slowly discovers her own strange, dangerous powers and starts to shape a life on her own terms. Along the way, gods, heroes and mortals drift in and out of her world - including Odysseus - and along the way Circe learns the true extent of her power and strength. This week’s guest is our friend and saviour, superstar virtual assistant, Annie Bucknall. As well as helping us get this pod off the ground, creating our gorgeous branding and rescuing Anthea from many a tech disaster, Annie is a historian/librarian by day and an aspiring writer by night. In this episode, we cover: Greek Gods - our passion or lack thereof for them. Necessity of universal of emotions in fiction. The many loves of Circe. Feminine rage and vengeance Things Anthea doesn’t believe in 💋 And, of course, we rate CIRCE: Kiss, Kill, or Marry. Which way did the votes fall? You’ll have to listen to find out. 📚 Books Mentioned in this Ep The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger The Housemaid by Freida McFadden The Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simons Road to Paradise by Paulina Simons Tully by Paulina Simons A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Alchemised Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason What Happened to Nina by Dervla McTiernan Cold Truth by Ashley Kaligian Blunt Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine And podcasts - Creative Pep Talk and Haptic and Hue. ⏰ Timestamps 1.0 - Intro our fab guest 2.35 - The best eras of history (Anthea’s pretty historical because she can remember the 70’s..) 4.30 - Shout out to long suffering Annie our RBD Queen - who managed to teach Anthea about the computer machines 7.10 - Zeus, deserted Islands and multiple book blurbs - (Are Greek gods kind of arseholes?) 8.56 - Judging Madeline’s bio - Anthea thinks it needs a few chickens. 11.24 - Circe, Goddess of magic and sorcery - (probably got her edits in on time…) 13.02 - Kiss, Kill or turn some nymph into a sea monster 14.18 - Anthea finally finishes CIRCE and enjoys time in Greece with Hermes 17.25 - Rach enjoys every one of the 124000 words of Circe as much as Prometheus enjoyed feeding his liver to that eagle. 21.14 - Annie loves the language almost as much as Circe loves love (no judgement..) 24. - Men are pigs! (Hey, Homer said it in the Odyssey, not us!) 27.48 - Circe - kind of epic - congrats, Madeline Miller. (Rach has probably had enough now..!) 30. Question Time 33.46 - Annie’s hot tip - spending a weekend with a book, then dumping it and never calling again… harsh but fair. 36. The fear of re-reading. 38. Trigger warnings - yay or nay 44.40 Annie recommends a weird podcast. Bring it on! 46.10 Rachael has us reading about pumpkins and serial killers. In that order - Goodluck! 📖 Coming up next: 👉Next Ep, we’re diving into The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore (Feb 14th) On Feb 28th guest author Kayte Nunn will make us read My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. In March we’re reading The Crash by Freida McFadden and our guest John Purcell will make us read The Friend by Sigrid Nunez. 🎽 Do you read between deadlines too? Grab the merch This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingbetweendeadlines.substack.com/subscribe

    50 min

  7. 15 JAN

    The Bookish Questions We Usually Ask Everyone Else

    Dear RBD Listeners January is a busy month for EVERYONE, so we decided instead of discussing a particular book this month, we’d ask each other the questions we usually ask our author guests instead. Enjoy the list of recommendations and non-recommendations mentioned in this ep below. Book that made you cry? Anthea - doesn’t cry in books Rach - Goodnight Beautiful by Dorothy Koomson; Pack Up the Moon by Kristin Higgins; Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White Book that got you into reading? Rach - The Baby-Sitters Club books by Ann M. Martin and late 90s chick-lit Anthea - The Folk of the Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton How do you read? Anthea - has a Kindle, loved print best but listens mostly to audiobooks these days (currently listening to Secrets by Judi Morison and Circe by Madeleine Miller. Rach - recently bought a Kobo as is loving it ALMOST as much as print. Audiobooks while cleaning (currently listening to Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan) What is the book that you wish you’d written? Rach wishes she’d written The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller. Anthea wishes she’d written her bestselling novel The War Nurses earlier. What is the book you recommend the most? Rach - The Wedding People by Alison Espach, Sandwich by Catherine Newman, The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley (and bonus mention of The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty. Anthea - somehow we skipped her!?! Where do you like to read? Anthea - reading in bed early in the morning with a cup of tea Rach - bed too but also on an aeroplane and especially on holiday. What’s your fave book-to-screen adaptation? Rach - Bridget Jones’ Diary and Gone Girl Anthea - BBS Pride & Prejudice (Hello, Colin - Rach agrees), North & South. Do you have snacks and/or drinks while you read? Anthea - nice cup of tea; no snacks Rach - Diet Coke or wine; no snacks What’s the last book you recommended? Rach - Sandwich and The Wedding People - already mentioned above Anthea - The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight (listen to our ep about it here)And a shout out to Lara in Denver!! and The Far Flung Life by ML Stedman Do you reread books? Anthea - as a rule no, but sometimes she does accidentally as she’s getting old and forgetful, but she does mention MM Kaye and her lovely British murder mysteries. Rach - wants to reread more, including Three Little Truths by Eithne Shortall, Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty, The Invisible Husband of Frick Island and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Are you embarrassed about a book you read? Anthea - The White Hotel by DM Thomas - but you’ll have to listen to find out WHY! Rach - not at all embarrassed now but might have been embarrassed once to admit she’d read a lot of M&B novels Do you have a fave go-to cookbook? Rach - Nagi’s books and Everybody Loves Cake Anthea - Jamie Oliver’s and Nagi’s books Do you DNF books? Anthea - yes; she really wants to read The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins but just can’t get into it. Rach - yes (quick mentions of Heart the Lover and Writers and Lovers by Lily King - Rach HAS read them both though) What book do you wish Booktok would know about? Anthea - The Drifter by herself (fair) Rach - The Sun Down Motel by Simone St James What’s your fave book outside your genre? Anthea - Lady of Hay and House of Echoes by Barbara Erskine Rach - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab What’s your three desert island books? Anthea - the Game of Thrones novels (um, Anthea, that’s FIVE) Rach - The Paper Palace (AGAIN), Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee, Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld. What’s a classic book you’ve never read? Rach - Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Anthea - again, we seemed to skep this! What are your three auto-buy authors? Anthea - Rachael Treasure, Emily Henry, Beth O’Leary and Kim Wilkins (Anthea can’t count) Rach - Marian Keyes, Fredrik Backman, Elin Hilderbrand and Liane Moriarty (yes, Rach can’t count either) Do you read your own reviews? Anthea - nope Rach - yes, with caution What book do you think is overhyped? Rach - Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, Heart the Lover by Lily King Anthea - never knows what is hyped ;) What book do you want to read but haven’t read yet? Anthea - anything by Jodi Piccoult (Rach raves about Plain Truth and Wish You were Here and Tenderfoot by Toni Jordan. Rach - My Friends by Fredrik Backman and Ghost Cities by Siang Lu What is your favourite book of the year so far? Anthea - The Far Flung Life (already mentioned above) Rach - The Last Encore by Rebecca Heath What is your fave book you’ve written and why? Anthea - The War Nurses, with special mention to The Drifter Rach - Man Drought (if rural), The Patterson Girls (if general fiction), but Just One Wish if she really has to pick just one! Special mention to How to Mend a Broken Heart. What are you currently writing/editing? Anthea - editing The Palace of Lost Virtue Rach - writing Someone Else’s Fortune and also The Number One Insta Detectives Agency with Mercedes Mercier SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT We’re launching a bonus episode a month for our paid subscribers!! 📖 Coming up next: 👉Next Ep we’re chatting to Virtually Annie about CIRCE by Madeleine Miller. In February, we’re diving into The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore and guest author Kayte Nunn will make us read My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. In March, we’re reading The Crash one of Freida McFadden’s ZILLION books and our guest author for the second episode will be John Purcell, who is making us read The Friend by Sigrid Nunez. For what we’re up to after that, click here. 🎽 Do you read between deadlines too? Grab the merch Thanks for following. We love ya! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingbetweendeadlines.substack.com/subscribe

    1hr 5min

  8. 28/12/2025

    Sally Hepworth Makes Us Read A MAN CALLED OVE by Fredrik Backman

    Does A MAN CALLED OVE live up to the hype? This episode's pick: A Man Called Ove follows Ove, a rigid and irritable man whose carefully ordered life is disrupted when new neighbours move in next door. As the story moves between present-day encounters and moments from Ove’s past, we begin to understand the experiences that shaped him, including his sad childhood and one great love. It’s a character-driven story about grief, love, and finding community. This week’s guest - is our friend Sally Hepworth (It’s true - Rach even has her phone number). We met Sally in the early days of her writing career and have watched her soar from height to height. Sally has now written TEN novels, including her latest Mad Mabel, hit The New York Times Bestseller list multiple times, and had her novel The Family Next Door adapted for TV, with more projects in the works. She’s based in Melbourne with her family and, despite all her success, is still the same warm, down-to-earth, utterly lovely human we first met all those years ago. In this episode, we cover: How perimenopause wreaks havoc with writing. Is this a quiet novel? How specificity elevates a story. How to write humour that isn’t cruel. Is the setting important? Differences between American and Australian readers Sally’s reading loves and hates. 💋 And, of course, we rate A MAN CALLED OVE: Kiss, Kill, or Marry? Which way did the votes fall? You’ll have to listen in… 📚 Books Mentioned in this Ep The Hiding Place – Kate Mildenhall Babysitters Club - Ann M. Martin Anything by Enid Blyton Tully – Paullina Simons Anything by Marian Keyes The Gambler – JP Pomare The Names – Florence Knapp Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens Red Belly Crossing - Candace Fox ⏰ Timestamps 1.0 Welcome to Sweden! 2.21 Intro Sally Hepworth and her mate, Mad Mabel! 4.00 Sally’s bio and her divorce dog. 5.58 Fredrik Backman – way funnier than his bio would suggest. 8.25 A Man Called Ove – a blurb put together with an Allen key and a bit of swearing. 9.57 Good Reads – almost 1.2 million people can’t be wrong… 10.49 Kiss, Kill, Marry – (just make sure you have consent). 12.08 We suspect Sally has a crush on Ove. 16.52 Anthea makes a sporting analogy, (because she knows a tonne about sport and is keen to share). 19.12 Hands off, Sally! Rachael loves Ove, too, and shares a beautiful quote for all the handymen out there. 25.41 Sally talks about being funny, without actually being funny. Alanis Morrisette would regard that as irony. 27.50 Sally recommends… 35.40 Reviews – the most fun you can have with your clothes on. 37.38 Backman scores a Did Not Finish review. Ikea closes its doors in solidarity. 38.00 Sally confirms that Australian audiences are just BETTER. (Not really, but we knew what she meant) 40.36 Rachael tricks Sally into giving us free writing advice. #masterclass 42.43 HOMEWORK.. Don’t pack up – the bell hasn’t gone yet… 📖 Coming up next: 👉Next Ep (14th Jan) Rach And Anthea grill each other in the way they normally grill their guests. Our first guest for the year is Virtually Annie (Jan 28th) - she’s making us reading Circe by Madeleine Miller and we hope you’ll read it to. In February, we’re diving into The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore (Feb 14th) and guest author Kayte Nunn will make us read My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Feb 28th). And here’s our list for the first half of 2026. 🎽 Do you read between deadlines too? Grab the merch ☕ If you’re loving the show, we’d be so grateful if you’d buy us a coffee (or a prosecco). It helps keep the pod fun, frequent, and free. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingbetweendeadlines.substack.com/subscribe

    45 min
See All (32)

Trailer

About

Reading Between Deadlines is a twice-monthly podcast with Aussie authors Anthea Hodgson and Rachael Johns. Each month, we unpack a trending book in one episode and interview the author of Rachael’s Book Club Pick in the other. readingbetweendeadlines.substack.com

Information

You Might Also Like