Prolific readers Alice Slater and Bethany Rutter take a literary theme, from ghost stories to crime to fat women, and chat about it for the next 40 minutes.
46: Sleepy Bitches
Nov 25, 2019
Show notes
Alice and Bethany discuss a pair of books about women who, to one extent or another, hibernate. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh and The New Me by Halle Butler.
45: Deep Cut
Nov 11, 2019
Show notes
Alice and Bethany come back from their extended hiatus with an episode about a phenomenal book from 1995 that was just reissued: In The Cut by Susannah Moore.
44: Mid-year faves
Jul 21, 2019
Show notes
Before Alice and Bethany take a summer break, they go through their respective top 10s of books they've read this year. Not just books released in 2019, but of all the books they've read.
43: LIVE EPISODE - Water Shall Refuse Them
Jul 19, 2019
Show notes
Alice and Bethany have the great pleasure of talking to Lucie McKnight Hardy about her brilliant debut, Water Shall Refuse Them, published by Dead Ink Press. It's a story about ritual, heatwaves, folklore and loss, and we hope you enjoy this live recording we did at Foyles to celebrate the book. The discussion is spoiler-free, and the section that Lucie reads will also not impact your enjoyment of the book!
42: Bon Appetit
Jul 07, 2019
Show notes
Alice and Bethany indulge in new fiction release Supper Club by Lara Williams and pair with last year's non-fiction banger Eat Up by Ruby Tandoh.
41: The American Dream?
Jun 23, 2019
Show notes
Alice and Bethany talk about two recent-ish books that are set in the Bay Area and deal with the American experience in a different way to their usual fare. There There - Tommy Orange American Is Not The Heart - Elaine Castillo
40: Seeing Red
Jun 09, 2019
Show notes
Alice and Bethany discuss two recently-released books with similar titles that both deal with sexual assault, but find their content and execution to be polar opposites. What Red Was - Rosie Price The Red Word - Sarah Henstra
39: Louise O'Neill interview
May 29, 2019
Show notes
We have the great pleasure of talking to Louise O'Neill, author of Only Ever Yours, Asking For It, Almost Love and The Surface Breaks, which is a feminist retelling of The Little Mermaid.
38: A Short Darkness
May 27, 2019
Show notes
In this episode, Alice and Bethany discuss two short story collections with a taste for the darker side: Salt Slow by Julia Armfield which is out this week, and Her Body & Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
37: Vile Victorians
Apr 28, 2019
Show notes
Alice and Bethany are joined by author Elizabeth Macneal to discuss her novel, The Doll Factory, as well as Michel Faber's Victorian masterpieces, The Apple and Crimson Petal & The White, which is one of Bethany's all-time favourite novels.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
