The Booklover Banter

Olivia Spooner
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Enter the wonderful world of books - booksellers and passionate readers Olivia, Rachel and Laura give a behind the scenes glimpse into the life of a bookseller and offer reading recommendations and more. They'll also be interviewing authors, publishers, fellow booksellers and a host of other people working in the exciting world of books.

  1. Latest reads and the lost art of letter writing

    04/29/2025

    Latest reads and the lost art of letter writing

    Liv and Laura talk about books they've read recently and discuss the Women's Prize for fiction shortlist. Laura also candidly shares her love of handwriting - whether it be writing in her diary, or sending letters and postcards. Join us for a lovely chat. Books mentioned in this podcast: The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey Pretty Ugly by Kirsty Dunn When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji All Fours by Miranda July Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden Fundamentally by Nissaibah Younis The Good Mistress by Anne Tiernan The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

    36 min
  2. Book chats and recs from the team

    04/01/2025

    Book chats and recs from the team

    Liv, Rach and Laura are back to chat about what they've read, all the new releases they are excited about, and other random bookish musings including a debate on the category of chick-lit - to be or not to be... Books mentioned in this podcast: The Cafe with No Name by Robert Seethaler 33 Brugmann Place by Alice Austen The Mademoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester See How They Fall by Rachel Paris Swept Away by Beth O'Leary Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry Best, First and Last by Amy Matthews Better Days by Claire Zorn Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey Proof of my Innocence by Jonathan Coe Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins The Mysterious Bakery on Rue to Paris & The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods Hastings by Dick Frizzell No Words for This by Ali Mau 38 Londres St by Philippe Sands Luminous by Sylvia Park The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami The Usual Desire to Kill by Camilla Barnes Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall Dream State by Eric Puchner Wild Dark Shore & Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy Three Wee Bookshops by Ruth Shaw The Bookshop Detectives 2 by Gareth and Louise Ward The Eights by Joanna Miller

    35 min
  3. Summer reading highlights and what's to come in 2025

    02/04/2025

    Summer reading highlights and what's to come in 2025

    Wahoo! We're back with Season 2 of Booklover Banter. In our first episode of 2025 the team discuss the newly released Ockham Longlist, what they've been reading over the summer and what they are looking forward to in the year to come. You'll want a notebook and pen (or notes on your phone) handy because we talk about A LOT of great books. Books mentioned in this podcast: The Mires by Tina Makereti Delirious by Damien Wilkins The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey Unreel by Diana Wichtel Feijoa by Kate Evans In the Half Light of a Dying Day by CK Stead Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud by Lee Murray Three Days in June by Anne Tyler Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr The Women by Kristin Hannah The Postcard by Anne Berest Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese The Pool by Hannah Tunnicliffe Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks The Secrets of Maiden Cove by Erin Palmisano Sorrow Spring by Olivia Isaac Henry One Dark Night by Hannah Richell When the Deep Dark Bush Swallows You Whole by Geoff Parkes Dog Man series by Dave Pilkey Inkbound by Philippa Leathley Ghostlines by Katya Balen Crookhaven series by J J Arcanjo Skandar series by A F Steadman Novacene by James Lovelock How to Feed the World by Vaclav Smil The Serviceberry by Robyn Wall Kimmerer The Abundant Garden by Niva and Yotam Kay LifeStyled: Your Guide to a More Organised and Intentional Life by Shira Gill Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry Katabasis by RF Kuang Twist by Colum McCann 38 Londre St by Philippe Sands

    41 min
  4. Booklover Bumper Episode: 2024 Wrapped!

    12/03/2024

    Booklover Bumper Episode: 2024 Wrapped!

    This is a bumper episode where we reflect on the year that was 2024. Hear about our top ten bestsellers, our favourite books, the highlights, the challenges and the joys of being booksellers. There's laughing, there's screaming, there's Christmas lights and music and...well, cockroaches. Books mentioned in this episode: Place of Tides by James Rebanks Table for Two by Amor Towles Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Dusk by Robbie Arnott The Husbands by Holly Gramazio Juice by Tim Winton The Songbirds of Florence by Olivia Spooner Moon Road by Sarah Leipciger The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour/Jude Dobson You Are Here and One Day by David Nicholls Orbital by Samantha Harvey James by Percival Everett Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton The Women by Kristin Hannah The Space Between by Lauren Keenan Precipice by Robert Harris All Fours by Miranda July Days of Innocence and Wonder by Lucy Treloar North Woods by Daniel Mason Because All Fades by Freddie Giles Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst Playground by Richard Powers The City and its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami 17 Years Later by JP Pomare Eden Undone by Abbott Kahler Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese Ruby Loud Mouse by Alice Pearce Well Woman by Dr Frances Pitsilis Marry Me in Italy by Nicky Pellegrino Lioness by Emily Perkins The Wild Robot by Peter Brown Runt by Craig Silvey Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty Wild Dark Shore & Once there Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy The Postcard by Anne Berest The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Delirious by Damien Wilkins The Kill Factor by Ben Oliver Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari The Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell The Knowledge Gene by Lynne Kelly The Horse by Timothy Winegard

    1h 10m
  5. Olivia chats about her new book The Songbirds of Florence

    10/28/2024

    Olivia chats about her new book The Songbirds of Florence

    Olivia chats with Rachel and Laura about her new book The Songbirds of Florence. Find out about her research, the editing process, why the title changed and plenty more...

    31 min
  6. The Booklover team are together talking books, books and more books!

    09/30/2024

    The Booklover team are together talking books, books and more books!

    Liv, Rach and Laura talk about books, books and more books: what they've read, what they are excited to read, book covers, book embargoes. Plus hear about what they've been watching, superstitions, pick-up lines and so much more... Books mentioned in this podcast: Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson Gabriel's Moon by William Boyd James by Percival Everett The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden The Sanatorium, The Retreat and The Wilds by Sarah Pearse Death at the Sanatorium by Ragnar Jonasson Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty Intermezzo by Sally Rooney The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable Precipice by Robert Harris Marry Me in Italy by Nicky Pellegrino A Very French Affair by Maria Hoyle Entitlement and Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich Juice by Tim Winton There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak Time of the Child by Niall Williams The Alaska Sanders Affair by Joel Dicker The City and its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami The Wild Robot by Peter Brown Runt and Honeybee by Craig Silvey The Age of Enchantment: The Chronicles of Whetherwhy by Anna James Holmes and Moriarty by Gareth Rubin Films/TV series mentioned in this episode: Emily in Paris Maxton Hall The Wild Robot Runt

    43 min
  7. Live Interview with Ruth Shaw at The Booksellers Conference

    09/08/2024

    Live Interview with Ruth Shaw at The Booksellers Conference

    In this deeply personal and emotion-filled chat, Olivia talks with Ruth Shaw live on stage during the recent NZ Booksellers Conference held at the Crown Plaza in Auckland. They discuss what life is like being both an author and a bookseller and Ruth reveals what she is writing next plus plenty more. Books by Ruth Shaw mentioned in this episode: The Bookseller at the End of the World Bookshop Dogs

    26 min
  8. A backstage pass to The Booksellers Conference

    08/18/2024

    A backstage pass to The Booksellers Conference

    Join us at the Booksellers Conference, the biggest event of the year for us booksellers. Come behind the scenes, meet some amazing people, and share in our joy as we chat about what it means to win NZ Bookshop of the Year 2024.

    47 min
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About

Enter the wonderful world of books - booksellers and passionate readers Olivia, Rachel and Laura give a behind the scenes glimpse into the life of a bookseller and offer reading recommendations and more. They'll also be interviewing authors, publishers, fellow booksellers and a host of other people working in the exciting world of books.

Information

  • Creator
    Olivia Spooner
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Olivia Spooner
  • Show Website
    The Booklover Banter

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