Tsundoku

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Tsundoku

Welcome to Tsundoku – the podcast for addicted readers.  Tsundoku is the Japanese word for that pile of books by your bed – the ones you fully intend to read – sometime!  If you can’t resist a good story, are endlessly curious about new books and love nothing better than discussing an old favourite – this is the podcast for you. In Tsundoku we’ll talk to the authors of the moment, we’ll pull out the ‘hits and memories’ from years past and chat them back into life, and we’ll talk to readers from all walks of life about how they acquired their reading passion, their all time favourites … and what books they have waiting in their Tsundoku.

  1. JAN 21

    Episode 49: To Sing of War by Catherine McKinnon + remembering Beryl Bainbridge

    Catherine McKinnon’s tense but tender tale, “To Sing of War”, immerses the reader in the lives of three characters strung across the globe during the dying days of World War II …as the days tick towards the detonation of the first nuclear weapon on Hiroshima. + Poet Ken Bolton makes a good case for why British writer Beryl Bainbridge should not be forgotten. + ABC Broadcaster and poet Mike Ladd shares what’s in his tsundoku. Guests Catherine McKinnon, author of “To Sing of War” and the Miles Franklin Award shortlisted “Storyland” Ken Bolton, Australian poet whose most recent collection is titled “Salute” Our Random Reader is ABC broadcaster and poet Mike Ladd Other books that get a mention Catherine McKinnon mentions “The Regeneration Trilogy” by Pat Barker, “Cloud Cukooland” by Anthony Doerr. Ken Bolton mentions Beryl Bainbridge’s books, “An Awfully Big Adventure”, “Injury Time”, “Master Georgie”, “The Birthday Boys”, “Watson’s Apology”, “According to Queeney” and “A Quiet Life”. Mike Ladd mentions “The story of Wy-lah, the cockatoo” by Leslie Rees, “Catch-22” by Joseph Heller, “Selected Poems’ by Elizabeth Bishop, “The Years” by Annie Ernaux, “The Pole and Other Stories” by John Coetzee and “Salt Creek” by Lucy Treloar. INSTAGRAM @cathmckinnonauthor @harpercollinsaustralia See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min

  2. 12/17/2024

    Episode 48: Robbie Arnott + Hannah Ferguson + Tsundoku’s best books of 2024

    Michaela talks to one of her favourite writers, Robbie Arnott, about “Dusk”; a beautiful and beguiling tale of siblings, so down on their luck they embark on an impossible quest to slay a puma in the Tasmanian highlands and claim a life-changing bounty. Sarah chats to stand-out millennial Hannah Ferguson about her second book, “Taboo: Conversations we never had about sex, body image, work and relationships” Then, the Tsundoku gang gets together to discuss their favourite books of 2024 and the book they’d most like to find in their Christmas stocking. Guests Robbie Arnott, author of “Dusk” Hannah Ferguson, author of “Taboo: Conversations we never had about sex, body image, work and relationships” Other books that get a mention Robbie Arnott also mentions “Creation Lake” by Rachel Kushner, “The Sound of Waves” by Yukio Mishima, “Deep Water; The world in the ocean” by James Bradley, “Old School” by Tobias Wolff and “The Hobbit” by JRR Tolkien Cath mentions “The Red Children”, “The White Children”, “My Driver” and "My Cleaner” by Maggie Gee and Belinda Bauer’s books “Snap”, “Exit”  and “The Impossible Thing” Annie mentions  “The Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St John Mandel,“The Beesting” by Paul Murray, “Caledonian Roads” by Andrew O’Hagan and the Robert Harris books, “Precipice”, “Pompeii” and “Fatherland” Sarah mentions “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin, “All Fours” by Miranda July, “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and “Stone Yard Devotional” by Charlotte Wood Michaela mentions “Other Houses” by Paddy O'Reilly and “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey INSTAGRAM @robbie_gc_arnott @macmillanaus @hannahferguson_@affirmpress See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    54 min

  3. 11/20/2024

    Episode 47: Markus Zusak’s “Three Wild Dogs and the Truth” + revisiting Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women”

    Markus Zusak uses words like “challenging” and “ complex” to describe his three dogs, Reuben, Archie and Frosty. In this interview Zusak recounts the joy of remembering his hounds in all their unvarnished glory for this, his first memoir. Also, the challenge of recording his own audio books, the old favourites he likes to read and re-read “forensically”, and which of his favourite books piqued Archie’s literary tastebuds! + Our beloved reviewers of literary classics, Kylie Cardell and Lisa Bennett, return to reassess Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women”. Kylie has read it many times and Lisa for the first time this year. The tale has obviously endured in our popular culture, movies and vernacular but is it still a “good read”?   Guests: Markus Zusak, author of “Three Wild Dogs and the Truth”. Also “The Book Thief”, “Bridge of Clay”, “The Messenger” and the young adult trilogy “The Underdog”, “Fighting Ruben Wolfe” and “When Dogs Cry”.   Associate Professor Kylie Cardell teaches and researches life narrative with the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University. Associate Professor Lisa Bennett teaches undergraduate and Honours classes in Creative Writing and English, Flinders University.   Maddie recounts the books she first fell for as a teenager, her passion for Margaret Atwood’s dystopian creations and a series that explores indigenous knowledge.     Other books that get a mention:   Annie mentions “Butter” by Asako Yuzuki and “All Fours” by Miranda July.   Michaela mentions “Want; Sexual fantasies by anonymous” edited by Gillian Anderson.   Markus mentions “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver, “All the Pretty Horses” written by Cormac McCarthy and narrated by Brad Pitt, “Cairo” by Chris Womersley, “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” by Peter Hedges, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” by Michael Chabon and “Barbarian Days; A surfing life” by William Finnegan   Maddie mentions young adult author Margaret Clark, “Puberty Blues” by Gabrielle Carey and Kathy Lette, “The Handmaid’s Tale”, “Oryx & Crake”, “The Year of the Flood” and “MaddAddam” by Margaret Atwood, the six-part “First Knowledges” series, in particular “Astronomy” edited by Margo Neale.   INSTAGRAM @markuszusak @macmillanaus @kyliesays @lisahannett ReplyForwardAdd reaction See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    45 min

  4. 10/24/2024

    Episode 46: Sean Williams; guru of speculative fiction and fantasy + Kylie Cardell dissects the “gloriously unhinged” work of Miranda July and Rachel Yoder

    Sean Williams, author of 5 million words, is famous for his hugely successful forays into the worlds of Star Wars, Dr Who, the Marvel Universe, but did you know he also writes ghost stories for young readers? ”Honour Among Ghosts” and “Her Perilous Mansion” are exciting, mysterious, witty and clever reads, officially for 8-12 year olds, but really for anyone who enjoys a rollicking adventure. + It’s a case of “Art vs Mother’ in two “gloriously unhinged…yet deeply philosophical” novels celebrated by our special guest Associate Professor Kylie Cardell. In “Nightbitch” Rachel Yoder’s protagonist unleashes her inner canine to navigate the new imperatives of motherhood. In “All Fours” Miranda July’s heroine, also at a hormonal crossroad, finds a space to explore who she is and what she will make of her changing reality. Guests Sean Williams, author of “Her Perilous Mansion” and “Honour Among Ghosts”. He’s the NYTimes Bestselling author of 50 books and over 120 short stories. Associate Professor Kylie Cardell teaches and researches life narrative with the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University. She's the author of “Dear World: Contemporary Uses of the Diary” and Editor (with Kate Douglas) of “Telling Tales: Autobiography of Childhood and Youth”. She’s also the essays Editor for the Australian scholarly journal, “Life Writing”. Other books that get a mention: Sarah mentions “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts. Michaela mentions “Three Wild Dogs and the Truth” by Markus Zusak and Robbie Arnott’s books, “Dusk” and “Limberlost” Sean mentions author Georgette Heyer, his own books “Ink” and “Impossible Music” and the series he co-wrote with Garth Nix, “Troubletwisters” Nikki mentions Hilary Mantel’s books “Wolf Hall” and “Bring up the Bodies” and Anne Patchett’s books “Tom Lake”, “The Dutch House”, “These Precious Days”, “Commonwealth” and “Bel Canto”. She also mentions “Shoe Dog” by Nike’s founder, Phil Knight. INSTAGRAM @allenandunwin @penguinrandomhouse @aucklanduniversitypress @adelaidesean @raijoy @mirandajuly See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min

  5. 10/01/2024

    Episode 45: The Romance Edition

    As Mills and Boon Australia celebrates 50 years of taking readers on journeys of love and lust, Annie speaks with Barbara Hannay about her latest novel, "The Wife's Secret", and Michaela discusses medical romance with Amy Andrews, author of "The Outback Doctor's Surprise Bride".    Guests : Barbara Hannay, author of "The Wife’s Secret" Amy Andrews, author of "The Outback Doctor's Surprise Bride" and co-founder of the "How to Write Academy" (www.howtowriteacademy.teachable.com)   Barbara’s recommendations: "Seven Little Australians" by Ethel Turner   Amy’s recommendations: "Working Class Boy" and "Working Class Man" by Jimmy Barnes "In Pieces" by Sally Fields  Annie’s recommendations:  "Yellowface" by Rebecca F. Kuang "James" by Percival Everett   Michaela’s recommendation: "Other Houses" by Paddy O’Reilly See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    40 min

  6. 09/02/2024

    Episode 44: Amy Stewart’s tales of arboreal obsession in “The Tree Collectors” + Don Binney, New Zealand’s favourite bird artist remembered in “Flight Path”

    Amy Stewart paints a powerful portrait of the human passion for plants in “The Tree Collectors” with fifty different tales of people who, for one fascinating reason or another, devote their life to trees. The book is illustrated with Amy’s vibrant watercolours of the trees and their idiosyncratic owners. Compared in his heyday to Brett Whitely, painter, printmaker, teacher, writer and ornithologist Don Binney (1940–2012) was an artistic icon in New Zealand in the 1960s. His unmistakable, stylised depictions of birds and the Te Henga coastline are imprinted upon the psyche of that nation. Don Binney was a mercurial, eccentric  and often abrasive character whose early brief fame defined his life. In “Don Binney: Flight Path” award-winning author and curator Gregory O’Brien follows the painter from the wild coast of New Zealand through Latin America and Europe, using his letters, journals, and distinctive bird paintings to take us inside Don Binney’s world. Guests Amy Stewart, NYT best-selling author of “The Tree Collectors; Tales of arboreal obsession”, “The Drunken Botanist; The Plants that Create the World’s Great Drinks” and “Wicked Plants; The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities”. Greg O’Brien: Wellington-based poet, painter and curator who has written books on art for young people as well as several other books on artists including Ralph Hotere and Pat Hanly, and co-edited several poetry anthologies besides his solo poetry collections. His most recent book of poems is “House and Contents”, Auckland University Press. Other books that get a mention Cath mentions “An Uneasy Inheritance; My family and other radicals” by Polly Toynbee and Shankari Chandran’s new novel “Safe Haven”. Michaela mentiones “The God of No Good” by Sita Walker.   INSTAGRAM @amystewart @text_publishing @aucklanduniversitypress See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min

  7. 08/12/2024

    Episode 43: “The End And Everything Before It” by Finegan Kruckemeyer + “Don’t Tell Alfred” by Nancy Mitford

    A story that is difficult to pin down to a narrative, playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer’s debut novel explores arrivals and departures, time and space, through the experiences of a curious cast of characters.  + Annie Warburton explores why we read the works of old writers, dissecting the work of Nancy Mitford in the context of her era and the happenings in the world around her.    Guests: Finnegan Kruckemeyer, playwright whose works have been performed on six continents in 12 languages.  Annie Warburton, former ABC Broadcaster and reading addict.  Danny, our Random Reader   Danny mentions the following books: “The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams Author: Ruth Parks “1984” by George Orwell “The Mayor of Casterbridge” by Thomas Hardy “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts “The Life Of Pi” by Yann Martel “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga Author: George Monbiot “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari “The Dawn of Everything” by David Graeber “Entangled Life” by Merlin Sheldrake “The Well Gardened Mind” by Sue Stuart-Smith “The Secret Life of Trees” by Colin Tudge “The Argonauts” by Maggie Nelson “My Gita” by Devdutt Pattanaik   INSTAGRAM @textpublishing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    48 min

  8. 07/25/2024

    Episode 42: “This Devastating Fever” by Sophie Cunningham + The Jewish Men’s Book Club

    Cath carries this episode with two great chats; the first with author Sophie Cunningham and the other with self-professed “book snob”, Ron Hoenig. = Ostensibly a novel about Alice, a woman who’s spent the last 20 years writing the biography of Virginia Woolf’s husband, Leonard, “This Devastating Fever” is an insightful, moving and witty tale of what it’s like to live through a time that feels like the end of days, and how we can find comfort and answers in the past.​ + Meet Ron Hoenig, member of The Jewish Men’s Book Club where weighty tomes such as “The Book of Jacob” by Olga Tokarczuk (all 1,000 pages of it) are discussed. Guests Sophie Cunningham, author of “This Devastating Fever” and six other books including “Geography” (2004) and “Bird” (2008) Ron Hoenig, enthusiastic member of the Jewish Men’s Book Club. Ron mentions “Anti-Judaism”by David Nirenberg, “Not In God’s Name: Con­fronting Reli­gious Violence”by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and “The Book of Jacob”, a novel by Olga Tokarczuk. Other books that get a mention Annie mentions “Kings in Grass Castles” by Mary Durack INSTAGRAM @ultimopress See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min
See All (58)

About

Welcome to Tsundoku – the podcast for addicted readers.  Tsundoku is the Japanese word for that pile of books by your bed – the ones you fully intend to read – sometime!  If you can’t resist a good story, are endlessly curious about new books and love nothing better than discussing an old favourite – this is the podcast for you. In Tsundoku we’ll talk to the authors of the moment, we’ll pull out the ‘hits and memories’ from years past and chat them back into life, and we’ll talk to readers from all walks of life about how they acquired their reading passion, their all time favourites … and what books they have waiting in their Tsundoku.

Information

  • Creator
    Auscast Network
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    58
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Auscast Network
  • Show Website
    Tsundoku

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