Anna and Geoff react to the 2025 Booker International Longlist.

Our book of the week is EUROTRASH by Christian Kracht translated by Daniel Bowles. A middle-aged man goes on a dubious road trip through Switzerland with his 80-year old mother, recently discharged from a mental institution. Blackly comic and written as autofiction, this was the Financial Times Best Translated Book of 2024 and a Time best book of 2024 and has been longlisted for the 2025 Booker International Prize.

Other books discussed:

THE QUANTITY THEORY OF INSANITY by Will Self (the story THE NORTH LONDON BOOK OF THE DEAD)

DR FISCHER OF GENEVA by Graham Greene

FRENCH EXIT by Patrick deWitt

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Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Instagram: @abailliekaras

Substack: Books On The Go

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

A special episode: Anna chats with author Holly Gramazio about her debut novel THE HUSBANDS.

When Lauren returns to her flat in London one night, she finds a husband called Michael: the only problem is, she isn’t married. It turns out that her attic is producing an endless supply of husbands. An instant New York Times best-seller, we loved this genre-bending comedy.

Holly talks about her inspiration for THE HUSBANDS, why she loves attics and the unusual setting for her next novel.

Books discussed:

LOLLY WILLOWES by Sylvia Townsend Warner

THE SLEEPWATCHER by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

HEARTBURN by Nora Ephron

BLACK WATER SISTER by Zen Cho

THE STORY GIRL by Ellen Montgomery

VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER by C S Lewis

I WONDER AS I WANDER by Langston Hughes

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Holly:

Website: hollygramazio.net

Bluesky: @hollygramazio.bsky.social

Instagram: @holly_gramazio

Anna:

Substack: Books On The Go

Instagram: @abailliekaras

Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Anna and Geoff review OUR EVENINGS the new novel by Booker Prize-winning author Alan Hollinghurst. Dave Win is a Burmese-British actor reminiscing about his life, growing up as a gay man in the 1960s through to 2019. We loved the exact and beautiful prose but found it slow. The blurb also suggests a tension between Dave and bully Giles whereas the story is more of a (fictional) memoir of Dave and his mother. The Sunday Times called it 'the best novel that's been written about contemporary Britain in the past ten years.' An interesting read and much to discuss!

If you enjoyed this book, we recommend:
Garth Greenwell (his latest SMALL RAIN is on our TBR)
Alan Hollinghurst’s earlier work (Geoff’s favourite: THE FOLDING STAR)

Coming up:

THE HUSBANDS with Holly Gramazio

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Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Instagram: @abailliekaras

Substack: Books On The Go

Credit

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

A special episode: Anna speaks with author Vaseem Khan about his new crime novel CITY OF DESTRUCTION.

This is the fifth in the Malabar House series set in 1950s Bombay after Partition. Persis Wadia is India’s first female police detective and is sent to work in Malabar House. In CITY OF DESTRUCTION, a gunman attempts to assassinate the Defence Minister at a political rally and Persis shoots him dead. The Minister wants war with Pakistan, MI6 agents are involved and Persis is sent to investigate another case. An intriguing mystery set against the backdrop of India’s history and written with warmth and wit. We loved it!

Vaseem recommends these crime series:

The Wyndham and Banerjee series by Abir Mukherjee

The Bernie Gunther series by Philip Kerr

Vaseem’s upcoming books are GIRL IN CELL A and QUANTUM OF MENACE, the first in a new series featuring Q from the James Bond franchise.

Coming up: OUR EVENINGS by Alan Hollinghurst

Follow us!

Vaseem: vaseemkhan.com and podcast Murder Junction

Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Instagram: @abailliekaras

Substack: Books On The Go

Anna and Annie discuss the success of Rebecca Yarros’s new book ONYX STORM, the third in the Emperyean series. Annie gives her views about why they have been huge best-sellers and the popularity of romantasy.

Our book of the week is DISAPPOINT ME by Nicola Dinan. This buzzy new novel by the author of BELLIES centres around Max, a 30 year-old trans woman who starts dating Vincent but is unsure whether she is cut out to be a trad wife. Chosen as a ‘Best Book of 2025’ by Stylist, Vogue, GQ, Elle and Cosmopolitan, this is funny, moving and original. We loved it.

Coming up: THE SEASON by Helen Garner

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Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Instagram: @abailliekaras / @mr_annie

Substack: Books On The Go

Storygraph: @mr_annie

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

A special episode! Anna chats with USA Today best-selling author Kemper Donovan about his new novel LOOSE LIPS, the second in the Ghostwriter series after the best-selling THE BUSY BODY (see ep 265).

Kemper hosts the All About Agatha podcast and his crime novels bring the Golden Age of murder mysteries into a contemporary setting. LOOSE LIPS finds our ghost-writer on a literary cruise hosted by publishing celebrity Payton Garrett. A mysterious death occurs and the cruise becomes a murder investigation. Described as KNIVES OUT meets high seas intrigue, this is a fun and clever mystery. We loved it!

Kemper recommends:

My Eight Deranged Days on the Gone Girl Cruise by Imogen West-Knights

Crying Myself to Sleep on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever by Gary Shteyngart

DEATH ON THE NILE by Agatha Christie

THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 by Ruth Ware

THE DEVIL AND THE DARK WATER by Stuart Turton

MURDER IN THE SUBMARINE ZONE by Carter Dickson (John Dickson Carr)

In Our Time podcast

Coming up:

DISAPPOINT ME by Nicola Dinan

Follow us!

Kemper:

Website: Kemper Donovan

Podcast: All About Agatha

Facebook: Kemper Donovan Books

X: @allaboutthedame

Insta: @allaboutagatha

Anna:

Insta: @abailliekaras

Substack: Books On The Go

Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

A special episode : Anna chats with author Anthony Nocera.

We discuss Anthony’s brilliant essay WEDNESDAY BANG in the current issue of SPLINTER and his upcoming plays: Log Boy, My Hair is Thinning and Someone Like You.

Anthony’s book recommendations:

NOSTALGIA HAS RUINED MY LIFE by Zarah Butcher-McGunnigle

THE GUEST by Emma Cline

AN EXCITING AND VIVID INNER LIFE by Paul Dalla Rosa

Follow us!

Instagram: @abailliekaras and @anocera02

Anthony: https://anthonynocera.me/

Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna, Annie and Amanda reveal our favourite reads of 2024!

Books discussed:

MAGIC PILL by Johann Hari

ALL THE BEAUTY IN THE WORLD by Patrick Bringley

THE ALTERNATIVES by Caoilinn Hughes

THIS STRANGE AND EVENTFUL HISTORY by Claire Messud

RAPTURE by Emily Maguire

WOO WOO by Ella Baxter

THE GENTLEMAN FROM PERU by André Aciman

JUICE by Tim Winton (Annie recommends the audiobook)

INTERMEZZO by Sally Rooney

QUESTION 7 by Richard Flanagan

THE WYCH ELM by Tana French

Children’s Pick

LANDOVEL by Emily Rodda

Follow us!

Instagram: @abailliekaras / @mr_annie / @vibrant_lives_podcast

Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Coming up: Book recommendations with author Anthony Nocera