Even though Gavin missed Simon it was a fascinating episode to do.

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On Small Publishing() Gavin interrogates Jared all aspects on running Jurassic London and life as a publisher.

Raising Genre’s Game()

To say that Lit fic is a genre like any other is true. To a point. Lit fic alone defines itself as being of high quality.

— Gollancz (@Gollancz) May 17, 2013

Gavin and Jared discuss how genre is addressing the issue of quality and if it does need addressing at all?

June’s Book Club Book is…

The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall

The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall

Next time on The Readers there will be more book based banter.

However whilst they get this interview sorted, which also allows one of the dynamic duo to finish the book as they are finding it quite hard going, Simon and Gavin thought they would bring you a special show that sees them, well one of them, in mid-read and pondering about the book and how they are getting on with it.

So whilst you might not get the full book club episode as you might have hoped you have ended up with a bonus episode and one that we think gives more of an insight into Simon and Gavin’s reading patterns and lives and is also still filled with book based banter.

They will update you with the full episode as soon as schedules allow. Sorry in the meantime, and expect an announcement on the next show of what the next TWO book club choices are.

S & G

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Catching Up () So what have Gavin and Simon been up to in the last few weeks. Well Simon has been working on the Liverpool Literature Festival and so had been in a bookish heaven. Gavin has been poorly again. They also have a chat about some bits of bookish news like the Arthur C Clarke Award winner.

Supporting Your Favourite Authors () When Gavin text Simon earlier in the week and said ‘let’s talk about supporting your favourite authors’ Simon was slightly bemused and responded with the simplistic ‘you buy or read their books you wally’, he couldn’t really see there was much to discuss. Well, as is sometimes (only sometimes though) the case when it came to it there was actually quite a lot to discuss. Does following them on Twitter and Facebook count to supporting them? What about reviews on Amazon and GoodReads? Or going to events and book signings? Gavin and Simon have a good old chat about it, but what do you think?

Agatha could write a book a year…

A Book A Year () Simon was at an event the other night when one of the authors he was hosting told him how she would like to be writing two books a year. Simon’s face nearly fell off with shock. How could this be possible? Then it made him think, actually a lot of his favourite series, mainly crime, come out once a year, every year. So he started thinking about it and talking with people one of whom said ‘well why would you read an author who writes a book a year, clearly they can’t be very good or they wouldn’t be so easy to write’. Whilst not agreeing this made Simon think all the more and so he brought it up with Gavin. They discuss the authors who write a book, or two or three, a year and if those books are good or not? Why it seems its more crime than any other genre that does this? Plus much more… What are your thoughts?

Next time on The Readers () Simon and Gavin will be back in two weeks with more book based banter proper. However they will be back on Friday for the latest in The Readers Book Club with Catherynne M Valente, plus Simon is back next Tuesday on You Wrote The Book with the lovely Damian Barr.

Don’t forget you can find us on Twitter, Good Reads and Facebook now as well as subscribing to us on iTunes here.

Changes () So Gavin and Simon have a small announcement after their being no episode next week, The Readers is going fortnightly for the foreseeable future. However you don’t need to miss them too much as Simon’s show, You Wrote The Book, will be moving to Tuesdays and filling the fortnightly gap. This just means Gavin and Simon have more time to read, work and the likes (each episode takes about 6 hours to prep) and will have more to report back on. Oh and The Readers Book Club will also be remaining on its monthly role on the second Friday of every month. We hope this is ok with all of you?

Catching Up () So what have Gavin and Simon been up to in the last few weeks. Well Simon has been spending time with his Gran and prepping for the Liverpool Literature Festival while Gav has been off gallivanting to London. In the book world there has been the news of Granta’s Best of British Novelists this week; Simon and Gavin have a chat about the list, feeling quite smug as they had two of the authors on their podcasts the week of announcement.

Gender of Authors () As the Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist was announced last week and after hearing Ann and Michael talking about the gender divide, and VIDA Count, on Books on the Nightstand a few weeks ago Simon thought he would bring the subject up again. Why are there more male authors and reviewers? Do we read authors equally showing no bias towards gender? Should we be doing so if we aren’t already? Are women or men better at writing narratives in the opposite gender? What are your thoughts?

Reading Horizons () Gavin and Simon share what they have read, are reading and what they might just read next…

Gavin has finished: Poison by Sarah Pinborough
He is now reading: Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis
Next up is: The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

Simon recently finished: Speaking from the Bones by Alan Bradley
He is currently marvelling at: The Long Falling by Keith Ridgway
He will soon be reading: Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver

Next time on The Readers () Simon and Gavin will be back in two weeks with more book based banter. In the meantime Simon is back on Friday with a World Book Night Special and again next Tuesday on You Wrote The Book with Alan Bradley.

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We will though be back on next Tuesday.

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Introducing the Book () In the first section of the show Gavin and Simon introduce you, without any spoilers to this months Book Club choice, ‘The Panopticon’ by Jenni. They give you a hint to the premise as the novel starts out, a little hint or two here and there of the way the book carries a dark brooding atmosphere, interesting characters, the potential shock it could give you, and why you should persevere if you think you might be put off.

An Interview with the Author () This month Simon and Gavin are joined by Jenni Fagan to talk about ‘The Panopticon’. What was the true story that sparked the book off? How difficult was it to make Anais likeable yet so difficult and also make the reader understand her when others didn’t, how reliable is she? Where did the sci-fi element of ‘the experiment’ come from? Was she worried about putting readers of with subject and language, and much more…

Simon, Gavin and Jared’s Thoughts () In this final section, brimming with spoilers (because you said you liked them) Simon and Gavin are joined by Jared or Pornokitsch and The Kitschie Awards to discuss the book further. They discuss all the things that happen from start to finish, including the ending and why Jared had such an emotional reaction to the book.

Next month on The Readers Book Club () We will be back on the 10th of May for the next Readers Book Club choice which is… ‘The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making’ by Catherynne M. Valente. They will also be joined by a previous favourite guest, Simon’s little sister Miriam! If you have any questions for that show let us know asap!

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Catching Up () This week with so much to talk about, though they drop one of the things they wanted to discuss, Gavin and Simon have a catch up about the week in books. First up some more book prizes (we think we need to buy an Award klaxon to warn you) and then Gavin and Simon discuss the sad news about Iain Banks.

The Literary Gauntlet () Last week Gavin threw down a gauntlet and challenged Simon after they discussed what literature meant to them, Simon had to come up with five literary books with plot and five literary books without plot that read like page turners. Guess what… Simon has managed it. Even better than that he has back up, firstly from one of our lovely listeners in the US, Ruthiella who we are thrilled sent her thoughts. Then Simon’s new best friends, that he has never met, Kate and Rob of Adventures with Words, join in the discussion too. Hoorah! Debate ensues.

How Much is a Book Worth? () Another thing that came up in last week’s show was how much a book is worth and so Gavin and Simon decided to discuss it. First we have worth in terms of money, the 20p e-book may now have vanished (thank goodness) but the 66p and 99p e-books are still very much available, so how much are books and e-books actually worth in terms of money? Gavin doesn’t have an issue spending the same amount of money on a book and an e-book, though the latter are generally cheaper, Simon however wouldn’t spend a lot on an e-book as he sees them as an accessory, but he would spend good money on print books. What about library, second hand books and World Book Night giveaway books? Simon also ponders whether a book that stays with you for years or takes you away completely can actually have a limit on its worth? What do you think?

Next time on The Readers () Simon and Gavin will be back next week with more book based banter on Tuesday. In the interim though Simon is back on Thursday with Joanne Harris on You Wrote The Book! and Gavin and Simon are both back on Friday with The Readers Book Club where Jenni Fagan joins them to discuss her debut novel ‘The Panopticon’.

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Catching Up () Gavin seems to have a returning cold and Simon is utterly shattered after a week in London, this could be a grumpy show couldn’t it? Simon has a little chat about his blog wobble but also the joys of London  and then they discuss this week’s big news… GoodReads being bought by Amazon… should we all defect or stick with it and see what happens next?

Book Based Lists () Are lists of books a good thing or a bad thing? Do you keep a list of all the books you own or do you just plonk them anywhere? Do you have wish-lists or do you avoid them like the plague and simply buy books that you mull over for a good week or two? Inspired by the GoodReads news and the lists they both keep on that site, Simon and Gavin have a discussion about the pros and cons of book lists and, if any, which bookish lists they both keep.

What is ‘literary fiction’? () So the gloves come off in the final section of the show this week as Gavin and Simon decide it is time to throw the gauntlet down on what they constitute as ‘literary fiction’. From Gav’s description it is just books unencumbered by plot that waffle on about how it took seventy pages to get to the shops, or maybe about someone who has had a divorce and thinks about the lead up to it a lot, or any other life trauma. For Simon he constitutes literary fiction as books with compelling characters, cracking stories and beautiful prose and sense of atmosphere, yet it is the quality of the prose that sets it apart. They have an, erm, debate about this… whose side are you on?

Oh and they want lists of five books which are literary but have a great story line, and also five books unencumbered by plot that are truly gripping for next week’s show so please let them know.

Next time on The Readers () Simon and Gavin will be back next week with more book based banter. Until then… Happy Reading!

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Catching Up () It was Simon’s 31^st birthday on Sunday and it has made him take, yet another, look at his reading habits and reading resolutions including giving himself some pointers towards the books that he wants to read before he is 40, in fact 40 books by the time he is 40. Gavin and Simon have a chat about that. Simon also announces he is postponing reading ‘Middlemarch’.

Literary Legacies () In the last week there has been the sad news that both authors James Herbert and Chinua Achebe passed away. Simon thought it would be interesting, if a little morbid, to talk about the death of authors and the legacy they leave behind. He also brings up the subject of how when an author dies do we find that we suddenly want to read them again or for the very first time. Also why is it that an author can find themselves more celebrated after death like Beryl Bainbridge was? Simon has now decided that he wants to read ‘The Rats’ and ‘Things Fall Apart’ and who knows he might find two new favourite authors, is that the legacy an author leaves behind?

Justifying Your Books () Gavin brings up the often occurring issue of how you deal with having lots of books and what you should and shouldn’t keep. Should we as readers who hoard books like there is no tomorrow actually be justifying how many books they have on their shelves? Can you have too many? Is it selfish to keep books you don’t really think you will read? How do we sort the good, the bad and the indifferent? Should we ask peoples advice or follow our own judgement? All this is discussed and much more…

Simon’s ‘read’ bookshelves, books have to fight with each other to get on these.

Next time on The Readers () Simon and Gavin will be back next week with more book based banter. Simon will also be back on Thursday with You Wrote The Book! where he will be talking to Patrick Ness. Until then… Happy Reading!

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Catching Up () There is lots and lots of bookish bits and bobs to catch up. Firstly there is the fact that Simon’s solo podcast, You Wrote The Book!, is now up and running – Simon also has another bookish podcast recommendation, Adventures with Words. They also have lots of prizes to discuss. Firstly Tan Twan Eng has won the Man Asian Prize, secondly the Folio Prize has been unveiled and also the Women’s Prize for Fiction, formerly the Orange Prize, longlist of twenty books has been announced. Wowsers.

Reading Diets () Simon has been feeling a bit bookishly bilious of late, he has been looking at the books that he has been reading lately and it all seems a little middle class and a little bit white. Simon likes to think that he is quite adventurous, however now he is a little concerned that he isn’t. He shares his ponderings with Gavin, who shares his thoughts on the same things and the books that he sometimes things he can over indulge on. They also look at how they combat it and add a little extra flavour to their reading habits, after all reading shouldn’t be comfortable and safe all the time should it?

Reading Horizons () For the first time in ages and ages and ages Gavin and Simon share what they have read, are reading and what they might just read next.

Simon has just finished: The Character of Rain by Amelie Nothomb
He is currently engrossed in : Chocolat by Joanne Harris
He will soon be reading: The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas

Gavin has just polished off: An Uncertain Place by Fred Vargas
He is now reading: Equations of Life by Simon Morden
Next up is most probably: The Drowning of Arthur Braxton by Caroline Smailes

Next time on The Readers () Simon and Gavin will be back next week with more book based banter. Until then… Happy Reading!

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Gavin is back () After two weeks of missing him on the main show, though you may have heard him on last weeks Readers Book Club with Bethan Roberts, Gavin is now back. So he and Simon have a right old natter about what they have both been up to whilst he has been off, well in Gavin’s case it is more what he has been reading while he has been sick than anything else, bless him.

Kindle Conundrums and Commandments () Well the thing that you never thought would happen has… Simon has a Kindle, though as he is keen to point out he didn’t buy it as it was in fact a gift for Valentines. This has left him a little conflicted, as he discusses, and so her has created a list of ten Kindle Commandments which Gavin and he go through. He also discusses how he hasn’t actually really used it that much yet and when he has it hasn’t been for reading!!

Spin Offs and Sequels () After an author dies should their books be left alone? This week it has been announced that Sebastian Faulks will be writing a new Jeeves and Wooster novel and so Gavin and Simon decided to discuss the tricky subject of spin offs and sequels, and indeed prequels. Some they love and some they don’t, they have a good old chin wag about it though.

Next time on The Readers () Simon and Gavin will be back next week with more book based banter. Stay tuned this week though for the first of Simon’s solo podcasts with the author Maggie O’Farrell which will be available in this feed for its first outing.

Don’t forget you can find us on Twitter, Good Reads and Facebook now as well as subscribing to us on iTunes here.

Introducing the Book () In the first section of the show Gavin and Simon introduce you, without any spoilers to this months Book Club ‘My Policeman’ by Bethan Roberts. They give you a hint to the premise as the novel starts out, a little hint or two here and there of the way the book carries a dark brooding atmosphere, interesting characters, the potential to break your heart and also some mysteries – all to make you want to read more.

An Interview with the Author () This month Simon and Gavin are joined Bethan Roberts to talk about ‘My Policeman’. What was the true story that sparked the book off? How difficult was it to make Marion, one of the narrators, so untrustworthy, angry and rather dislikeable on occasion so utterly compelling? Why does she really like to put her characters through their paces and give them such a hard time? And why was the policeman of the title such an enigma.

Simon & Gavin’s Thoughts () In this final section, brimming with spoilers (because you said you liked them) Simon and Gavin discuss the book further including the ending, which they then bring in Bethan’s thoughts on again, and also asking some listener questions and saying unabashedly what they thought of the book overall. We know Simon loved it, but did Gavin?

Next month on The Readers Book Club () We will be back on the 12^th of April (to give you more time to read it as this one was delayed) for the next Readers Book Club choice which is… ‘The Panopticon’ by Jenni Fagan. This is a book Gavin and Simon have been meaning to talk to you about for weeks and so decided, why not make it a book group choice – as it is a little sci-fi this could be an interesting month for Simon!

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Catching Up & The Stella Prize () Simon and Kim have a natter about what they have been reading this week, Kim has been reading ‘Under The Skin’ by Michel Faber and is finding she is grimly fascinating so they have a natter about that. They also have a chat about The Stella Prize which have started in Kim’s homeland of Australia and are a new prize just for women, rather like The Women’s Prize for Literature, which they also have a natter about.

Book Groups () As Kim and Simon started a book group together about six years ago, Simon has since left as he moved cities, Simon thought that it would be a great time to discuss setting up book groups, how to host that tricky first meeting, what books make a great book group choice and how you manage it going forward from their experiences and why they joined in the first place. We would love to know your thoughts on book groups and what works and what doesn’t and how you set yours up, or why you chose the one you joined.  

Discovering a New Favourite Author () Kim brought a delightful topic to The Readers this week as she wanted to discuss the joy of when you find a new author whose voice you love and you are so amazed by that you are sure they will be a favourite author of the future and you buy everything by them. Simon and Kim discuss this readers ‘high’ and when they have gone on to find favourites as well as when things might not have gone quite as well as they hoped. They also discuss favourite authors from when they were younger and if they have lasted and secret favourites no one else seems to have discovered yet. Have you ever had those tingles when reading an author for the first time? Did you rush off and buy all of their other work and did it go well or was it a one book wonder for you? Did you binge on the author or do you space them out?

Next time on The Readers () Simon and Gavin will be back on Friday this week for The Readers Book Group with Bethan Roberts. They will both be back this time next week for more book based banter and Gavin will reveal Simon’s big secret he has been hiding for two weeks!

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Catching Up () Simon and Kerry have a natter about what they have been reading in the last week. Kerry has been reading much better stuff than Simon, who has been having rather a bad week after his encounter with ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ and also after he has been banned from reading for a few days.

Being a Debut Author () A few weeks ago Gavin and Simon discussed their thoughts on debut novels and debut novelists as readers. Having Kerry as a special co-host this week Simon thought it would be really interesting to hear what it is like from the debut authors perspective, and so he grills Kerry. They discuss if everything but the kitchen sink goes into your first novel, if you think it will ever have an audience and the highs and lows of it all, plus what tips Kerry has for debut-novelists-to-be.

LGBT Literature () It is LGBT History Month in the UK and The Green Carnation Prize (which Simon co-founded and Kerry is now one of the judges of for 2013) has been launched for 2013 this week so it seemed a prime time to talk about LGBT Literature. Why do people outside the LGBT world sometimes find the idea of an LGBT novel off putting? What has happened to the heritage of LGBT literature, why have most ‘gay classics’ now become out of print with the exception of a minority of main stream authors? Lots to discuss.

Next time on The Readers () Simon will be back next week with another special guest and much more book based banter, the Readers Book Club will now be a week on Friday when Gavin should be better.

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Catching Up () In the new weekly segment Gavin and Simon catch up on what they have been reading, which is not very much this week as they have both had a bout of not reading. Gavin has been sick with the flu and Simon is just in a reading funk in general and has too many books on the go at once.

Novellas and Short Novels () After they discussed ‘Big Books’ last week, Simon and Gavin turn to the opposite spectrum as they talk about shorter fiction, though not short stories. What is it that makes a novella a novella rather than a very short novel or very long short story? Why does Simon really like them, for the fact they are condensed and generally cover a lot of ground in few pages, and Gavin find that he has no time for them? What are the pros and the cons of them in general? What do you think?

Quick Reads () Gavin and Simon are joined by Cathy Rentzenbrink for the second main segment of the show to discuss the initiative Quick Reads which launched its new list for 2013 last week. They talk about how the initiative gets more people reading, how the books and authors are chosen and how hard it is to reach the readers who have been put off and why they were put off in the first place…

What Makes Someone Scared of a Book? () Having spoken to Cathy, Gavin and Simon ponder what it is that makes people scared of books or have a fear of reading. Simon has often admitted that he was much put of reading, feeling it would be boring or make him feel stupid after his issues with it at school. They talk about what else might make people feel alienated by reading. Which books would you recommend someone who didn’t read much? Did you ever find yourself put off books and if so why?

Next time on The Readers () We will be back next week with much more book based banter.

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Don’t forget you can find us on Twitter, Good Reads and Facebook now as well as subscribing to us on iTunes here.

Catching Up () In the new weekly segment Gavin and Simon catch up on what they have been reading, which is weirdly the same book as each other without telling each other, and what thoughts that had thrown up. Gavin is suddenly reading a lot of books to deadline, how did that happen and how is he finding it?

Big Books () Simon thinks he might have a phobia, it doesn’t officially have a name (and he looked) as yet, the fear of really big books and with his needing to read ‘Middlemarch’ in the next month and a half his fear is staring him in the face, so he thought he would talk about it. Gavin announces he has been reading one book over two years and still isn’t close to finishing it. They also talk about how weirdly the best biggest books have you wishing that they were another 500/1000 pages longer but also how when picking up a big book you can’t help but think ‘how many other books could I read instead?’ and why you need commitment and time as big books can’t be read in little stints can they? What are your thoughts on big books?

Magpies, Sheep and Tigers () Simon has been jealous this week as he caught up with one of his friends Jon who is always slightly overwhelmed by his book knowledge and taste… he is always reading books and authors Simon has never heard of. Like a lone book hunting tiger if you will, and Simon wishes he was more like that. However Simon thinks he is more of a magpie, always looking at the next sparkling book, and occasionally a sheep as he will follow the mass of readers around a latest book buzz. Why do we fall into these characteristics? He and Gavin have a chat about it before Gavin delivers his verdict on what animal analogies they really are in the book world. Do you think you have magpie or sheep tendencies or are you always off alone trying to find books of the beaten track?

Next time on The Readers () We will be back next week talking about Quick Reads and smaller books plus, of course, much more book based banter.

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Catching Up () In the new weekly segment which will see The Readers catching up on little bits and bobs they want to talk about each reading week but don’t quiet deserve a whole segment of the show. This week they talk twitter, how it can build peer pressure (in good and bad ways) and how it can show just how fickle we are as readers.

Going Solo () Now do not let those two words put fear into your hearts. The Readers are not splitting up. What they are doing however is going off to do a solo podcasting project each… on their own. Gavin will be doing a new more geeky, his words, show which covers the genres in a little more depth and Simon will be off doing more intimate interviews with authors (and he has some great authors lined up) talking about their back catalogs, their love of reading and their lives overall. So really you will be getting, if you want to listen to them all, even more of the Readers. What we would love from you all is names, any suggestions for each podcast? What would you like to hear on these solo shows?

Covering The Covers () This week a book cover has caused rather a furore. It is the new (as pictured) cover of ‘The Bell Jar’ by Sylvia Plath which has seen people in uproar over the image on the front and even the font. Is this going too far? Gavin and Simon have a chat about the cover and their thoughts on it, yet as ever this leads off into a tangent discussion on covers in general, what they do and don’t like, why there is such a difference from hardback to paperback. What are your thoughts on covers? Do you have any pet peeves that put you off like Simon and seeing someones face? What will draw you to a cover? How do you feel when publishers change a series of covers half way through?

Reading Horizons () So this was the section in the show that Gavin and Simon used to call What We Have Read, Are Reading and Want to Read Next – only it just got too long. The name is the only thing that has changed however, here are the books they talk about…

Simon has read: Tom-All-Alone’s by Lynn Shepherd
He is currently reading: Wonder by R.J. Palacio
He is very excited about his first read of: The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Gavin has finished: Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
He is now reading: The Glimpses of The Moon by Edmund Crispin
He wants to read: Roadside Picnic by Boris Strugatsky & Arkady Strugatsky

Next week on The Readers () We will be back with more book based banter…

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Introducing the Book () In the first section of the show Gavin and Simon introduce you, without any spoilers to this months Book Club title ‘Tom-All-Alone’s/The Solitary House’ by Lynn Shepherd. They give you a hint to the premise as the novel starts out, dicuss some of the aspects (like the title of the book in this case) and things that they liked about it plus their thoughts on the book overall without giving anything away.

An Interview with the Author () This month Simon and Gavin are joined by Lynn Shepherd to discuss her novel ‘Tom-All-Alone’s’, or ‘The Solitary House’ as it is known in North America. They talk about the book, again with no spoilers, the influence of ‘Bleak House’ on the novel, the delights and complications of writing a book that veres off another, and indeed very famous, novel, the narration and telling of the book and the wonders and gritty truths of the Victorian era.

Simon & Gavin’s Thoughts () In this section, brimming with spoilers (because you said you liked them) Simon and Gavin discuss ‘Tom-All-Alone’s/The Solitary House’ with a sense of hindsight and being able to spill all the beans properly. Did they both enjoy it? Could they work out the mystery at the heart of the novel and what did they think about it when they did?

Next month on The Readers Book Club () We will be back on the 1^st of March for the next Readers Book Club choice which is… one of Simon’s favourite books of 2012, ‘My Policeman’ by Bethan Roberts, a tale of one man and his two lovers, one of whom he must keep a secret of at all cost as it is the 1950s and the world is not an understanding place, be prepared to be very moved.

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A Classics Callout () Having just read, and been completely blown away by, ‘The House of Mirth’ by Edith Wharton, Simon is calling out for you to recommend more classic novels that don’t make you feel like you are back at school and also do something a little bit different from what you would expect a classic story to do. This will also be part of a future show looking at classics in a little bit more detail with a special guest returning for the discussion too hopefully.

Juggling Books () Whilst reading by whim is proving an absolute joy Simon has noticed that he has started to juggle books. This isn’t quite multi-reading as Simon is only focusing on one book at a time, or reading one book over a period of time, he is just stopping and starting with different novels. What are the pro’s and con’s of book juggling? Is it good for the book and the reader? Do we all do it to a certain extent and how many books are too many to juggle at once?

‘New Adult’ Fiction () It is not often that Simon and Gavin are negative or pessimistic about a subject but this week is a rare event and it is all because of ‘New Adult’ fiction. The first thing that annoys the bookish bearded blokes is the fact that this has been created by publishers as a new genre which they don’t agree with. Also what is the point of it? People have managed perfectly well reading what they want in this ‘new adult’ phase before so why do they need this now? Also as it is for ’14 – 35’ does anyone in that age bracket actually have anything in common, or do they not read YA anyway? And would you pass 50 Shades of Grey to a 14 year old, as it is New Adult after all, surely that is not appropriate? We would love your thoughts on this, and indeed we ask you to chose a New Adult book for Simon and Gavin to try!

Next Week on The Readers () Simon and Gavin will be back next Tuesday for more book based banter. In the meantime though don’t forget they will be having their book group episode on Friday with Lynn Shepherd talking about her novel ‘Tom-All-Alone’s/The Solitary House’.

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So the first section of the show is brimming full of all sorts starting off with…

Snow Filled Books () In the UK the only thing that everyone has been talking about is snow. Having had some of the worst snow in years Gavin has been stranded and Simon almost was. They thought this would be a great time to talk about snow based books, with some recommendations from listeners and from them, they would love more.

Should Gavin Give Up On A Book () The Readers have discussed this before at some point but Gavin is back having issues with a book he is 80 pages in and isn’t sure he wants to read to the end. But… if he gives it up this will mean he has wasted his time and also means he can’t count it towards his GoodReads end of year total – what a dilemma.

The Kitschies & BSFA Shortlists () Gavin gets to geek out this week as the shortlists for the Kitschies and the BSFA have been announced. He has a chat with Simon about the lists and how the Kitschies are almost perfect ‘reader-centric’ books with their blend of literary and speculative. Oh and Simon and Gavin have both been asked to read ‘The Panopticon’ by Jenni Fagan by the Kitschies for their feedback. We will be discussing it in the middle of February if you want to join in.

Dragonphobia () In a tiny aside Simon wants to break the myth that he doesn’t like dragons, and also wants to know where on earth Gavin got that impression.

What We Have Read, Are Reading and Want to Read Next () In the second section of the show, for the first time in 2013, Gavin and share the books that they have read, are reading and want to read next.

Gavin has read: Invasion of the Bodysnatchers by Jack Finney
He is currently re-reading:  Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
And is looking forward to reading: Jack Glass by Adam Roberts

Simon didn’t have any books he had read he was bursting to discuss so instead…

Simon is currently reading: Y by Marjorie Celona
Dipping in and out of: Moranthology by Caitlin Moran
Will soon be reading, if the whim takes him: The Yard by Alex Grecian

Next Week on The Readers () Simon and Gavin will be back next Tuesday for more book based banter. Until then… Happy Reading.

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The Waterstones 11, 2013 () Announced last night at 8pm, though Simon and Gavin have known since Friday and been very good at keeping a secret, was the Waterstones 11. For its third year running the UK bookseller Waterstones chooses the eleven fiction debuts they think deserve to be read and predict big things from. Simon and Gavin mull the present list as well as lists from the last two years and what happened to those books. This year’s list comprises of…

The Waterstones 11 Authors 2013

Pig’s Foot by Carlos Acosta
Idiopathy by Sam Byers
Y by Marjorie Celona
The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
The Fields by Kevin Maher
The Son by Michel Rostain
The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan
Marriage Material by Sathnam Sanghera
Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi
Ballistics by D. W. Wilson

Debut Authors () In the second section of the show Gavin and Simon thought they would use this opportunity to discuss debut authors, which they have been meaning to do for some time. Both Gavin and Simon do watch debut authors with interest though they can see there are some pros and some cons to debut novels. They discuss, and then nearly have a row, about this on the show this week. Its book throwing at dawn… ok, well not quite.

Next Week on The Readers () Simon and Gavin will be back next Tuesday for more book based banter. Until then… Happy Reading.

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New Year, New Resolutions () Even though it is the second Tuesday of the month its technically the first full week of the year and so Gavin and Simon decide to talk resolutions. Simon is a big fan of a new year being a new start and so he has made some big decisions both book and blog wise, he and Gavin share resolutions and also some of yours in this section of the show… which also is sort of the next section too.

Simon’s TBR pre-cull

Out With The New, In With The Old () In the second section of the show this week, though they do intermingle a lot during the whole show we are aware, Gavin and Simon look at TBR’s and the sorting and culling of them. What is it that compels us to have a cull, and why do we go on small book binges in the lead up to them? They also look at how they cull and discover they both need to be much, much, much tougher.

Next Week on The Readers () Simon and Gavin will be back next Tuesday for more book based banter. Until then… Happy Reading.

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An Interview with the Author () This month we are joined by Yrsa Sigurdardottir, who is hilarious and lovely despite having the flu at the time of recording (excuse some of the coughs) as she joins Simon and Gavin from Iceland to discuss ‘Last Rituals’. They discuss real Icelandic crime and how simple it is, how she went from writing children’s comedy to books to scare adults – and how much she enjoys it, where the wonderful Thora came from, her dark sense of humour and much, much more. It is a really lovely and funny interview and will make you want to read every word Yrsa has written.

Simon & Gavin’s Thoughts () In this section, without spoilers which easy with this book as they don’t want to give any twists away, Simon and Gavin discuss ‘Last Rituals’ overall. Did they both enjoy it? Could they work out who the killer was? Why is Thora so appealing as a protagonist?

Next month on The Readers Book Club () We will be back on the 1^st of February for the next Readers Book Club choice which is… a book with two titles!!! Lynn Shepherd’s second book is known as ‘Tom-All-Alone’ or ‘The Solitary House’ and sees some of the characters of Dicken’s ‘Bleak House’ embroiled in a Victorian thriller! If you have any questions you would like to ask her then do email us bookbasedbanter@gmail.com or add a comment on the GoodReads thread and don’t forget we want you to send us your thoughts on mp3 or by leaving a voicemail on Skype calling BookBasedBanter. We will be back with a normal episode on Tuesday looking at new year resolutions and book culling. Until then, happy reading!

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Happy New Year () Happy New Year everyone, a little message from Simon and Gavin will ensue. What reading resolutions have you made for the year ahead? We would love to know for next weeks show!

The Books We Are Looking Forward to in the First Half of 2013 () In what is becoming a Readers tradition, Gavin and Simon share twelve books each they are looking forward to in the first half of the year*…

Gavin’s choices are below, Simon’s will be added soon (he forgot which ones he put forward and needs to listen to the podcast again first)…

January

The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord (Gavin)

The Sadiri were once the galaxy’s ruling élite, but now their home planet has been rendered unlivable and most of the population destroyed. The few groups living on other worlds are desperately short of Sadiri women, and their extinction is all but certain. Civil servant Grace Delarua is assigned to work with Councillor Dllenahkh, a Sadiri, on his mission to visit distant communities, looking for possible mates. Delarua is impulsive, garrulous and fully immersed in the single life; Dllenahkh is controlled, taciturn and responsible for keeping his community together. They both have a lot to learn.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente (Gavin)

In the kingdom of Fairyland-Below, preparations are underway for the annual Revels . . . but aboveground, the creatures of Fairyland are in no mood for a party. It has been a long time since young September bid farewell to Fairyland, and she is excited to see it again; but upon her return she is shocked to find that her friends have been losing their shadows, and therefore their magic, to the kingdom of Fairyland-Below… It spells certain disaster and September won’t stand for it. Determined to make amends, she travels down into the underworld where, among creatures of ice and moonlight, she encounters a face she recognizes all too well: Halloween, the Hollow Queen. Only then does September realize what she must do to save Fairyland from slipping into the mundane world forever. Come and join in the Revels with September and her friends. But be warned: in Fairyland-Below, even the best of friends aren’t always what they seem…

The Rook (The Checquy Files) by Daniel O’Malley (Gavin)

‘The body you are wearing used to be mine.’ So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her. She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Checquy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare and deadly supernatural ability of her own. Filled with characters both fascinating and fantastical, The Rook is a richly inventive, suspenseful fantasy. A tense, claustrophobic and gripping science fiction thriller from the author of The Testimony. When journalist Cormac Easton is selected to document the first manned mission into deep space, he dreams of securing his place in history as one of humanity’s great explorers.

The Explorer by James Smyth (Gavin)

But in space, nothing goes according to plan. The crew wake from hypersleep to discover their captain dead in his allegedly fail-proof safety pod. They mourn, and Cormac sends a beautifully written eulogy back to Earth. The word from ground control is unequivocal: no matter what happens, the mission must continue. But as the body count begins to rise, Cormac finds himself alone and spiralling towards his own inevitable death … unless he can do something to stop it.

First Novel by Nicholas Royle (Gavin)

Either First Novel is a darkly funny examination of the relative attractions of creative writing courses and suburban dogging sites, or it’s a twisted campus novel and possible murder mystery that’s not afraid to blend fact with fiction in its exploration of the nature of identity. Paul Kinder, a novelist with one forgotten book to his name, teaches creative writing in a university in the north-west of England. Either he’s researching his second, breakthrough novel, or he’s killing time having sex in cars. Either eternal life exists, or it doesn’t. Either you’ll laugh, or you’ll cry. Either you’ll get it, or you won’t.

The Tale of Raw Head and Bloody Bones by Jack Wolf (Gavin)

The year is 1750. Tristan Hart, precociously talented student of medicine practising under the legendary Dr William Hunter. His obsession is the nature of pain and preventing it; the relationship between mind and matter and the existence of God. A product of the Age of Enlightenment, he is a rational man on a quest to cut through darkness and superstition with the brilliant blade of science. Tristan Hart, madman and deviant. His obsession is the nature of pain, and causing it. A product of an age of faeries and goblins, gnomes and shape-shifting gypsies, he is on a quest to arouse the perfect scream and slay the daemon Raw Head who torments his dark days and long nights. Troubled visionary, twisted genius, loving sadist. What is real and what imagined in Tristan Hart’s brutal, beautiful, complex world?

March

The Ghost Riders of Ordebec by Fred Vargas (Gavin)

‘People will die,’ says the panic-stricken woman outside police headquarters. She has been standing in blazing sunshine for more than an hour, and refuses to speak to anyone besides Commissaire Adamsberg. Her daughter has seen a vision: ghostly horsemen who target the most nefarious characters in Normandy. Since the middle ages there have been stories of murderers, rapists, those with serious crimes on their conscience, meeting a grizzly end following a visitation by the riders. Soon after the young woman’s vision a notoriously cruel man disappears, and the local police dismiss the matter as superstition. Although the case is far outside his jurisdiction, Adamsberg agrees to investigate the strange happenings in a village terrorised by wild rumours and ancient feuds.

April

The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper (Gavin)

Professor David Ullman is among the world’s leading authorities on Christian religion and myth. Not that he’s a believer. He sees what he teaches as nothing more than entrenched fiction – the “things that go bump in the mind”. It’s why when he’s offered a trip to Venice to be a consultant on a case study based on his expertise as a “demonologist” he accepts, seeing it as a free vacation for his teenage daughter and himself. But what he witnesses in an attic room at an address amidst the decadent splendour of the old city will change what he believes forever. Terrified, David races back to his hotel. But now he has the unshakable feeling that he is no longer alone. And that the voice that passes from his daughter’s lips before she jumps from the hotel’s roof belongs to a being he has long studied, but until now never thought could ever be real…

Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell (Gavin)

On Strong Beach, an awkward teen with a terrible haircut has a reversal of fortune when he finds artefacts from the future lining a seagulls’ nest. By the Hox River in Nebraska, a window fuels both family pride and deadly revenge. In a godforsaken barn in what they suspect is Kentucky, Presidents Eisenhower, John Adams and Rutherford B. Hayes are bemused to find themselves reincarnated as horses. And in the collection’s title story, Clyde and Magreb – he a traditional capes-and-coffins vampire, she the more progressive variety – settle in an Italian lemon grove in the hope that its ripe fruit will keep their thirst for blood at bay.

NOS4R2 by Joe Hill (Gavin)

Summer. Massachusetts. An old Silver Wraith with a frightening history. A story about one serial killer and his lingering, unfinished business. Anyone could be next. We’re going to Christmasland… NOS4A2 is an old-fashioned horror novel in the best sense. Claustrophobic, gripping and terrifying, this is a story that will have you on the edge of the seat while you read, and leaving the lights on while you sleep. With the horrific tale of Charles Manx and his Silver Wraith, Joe Hill has established himself as the premiere horror and supernatural thriller writer of his generation.

May

The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Laffery (Gavin)

Following the disaster that was her last job, Zoe is searching for a fresh start as a travel writer in New York City. After stumbling across a seemingly perfect position, though, Zoe is blocked at every turn because of the one thing she can’t take off her résumé – human. Not to be put off by anything – especially not her blood-drinking boss or death goddess co-worker – Zoe delves deep into the monster world. But her assignments turn deadly when the careful balance between humans and monsters starts to crumble – with Zoe right in the middle.

The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil by Stephen Collins (Gavin)

The job of the skin is to keep things in. On the buttoned-down island of Here, all is well. By which we mean: orderly, neat, contained and, moreover, beardless. Or at least it is until one famous day, when Dave, bald but for a single hair, finds himself assailed by a terrifying, unstoppable.monster*! Where did it come from? How should the islanders deal with it? And what, most importantly, are they going to do with Dave? The first book from a new leading light of UK comics, The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil is an off-beat fable worthy of Roald Dahl. It is about life, death and the meaning of beards. (*We mean a gigantic beard, basically.)

June

The Anarchist Detective by Jason Webster (Gavin)

Sent on sick leave after his last case, Max Cámara returns to his home town in the plains of La Mancha – birthplace of Don Quixote and producer of the world’s finest saffron. As he arrives, the police discover the naked body of a young woman on a rubbish tip. For Cámara, it’s far too close for comfort to an unsolved case that shocked the city thirty years ago. It’s hard to stay away, though, especially when the local police chief, a childhood friend, is calling on him for help, whispering about an international saffron mafia. And then there’s his eccentric grandfather, Hilario, who appears to be harbouring secrets of his own. Back in a world he has been avoiding for years, Cámara is dogged by questions. It’s time for some difficult choices: leave the police for good, and continue with the only woman who really understands him, or join a murder investigation that will tear open old wounds?  

Next Week on the Readers () We will be talking ‘new year, new reading resolutions’ and other things on the show. But in the meantime we will be back on Friday with the next in the Readers Book Group choices, ‘Last Rituals’ by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

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Merry Christmas () Firstly, hooray the world didn’t end. Secondly MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all. Gavin and Simon try and bring you a little festive hello, before lots and lots of slushy, mushy seasonal thanks at the end of the show.

Our Books of 2012 () We thought for a little mini show what would be better than us dashing through the snow, no sorry, us dashing through our top five books of the year each. Actually some of Gavin’s would make Simon’s top ten, if they had done one, and vice versa. So should you have a new e-reader (don’t tell Simon) or some book vouchers to spend then you might like to try these ten books if you haven’t already…

Gavin: The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Simon: The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Gavin: The Steel Remains by Richard Morgan
Simon: Hawthorn and Child by Keith Ridgway

Gavin: The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall
Simon: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Gavin: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Simon: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gavin: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Simon: Diving Belles by Lucy Wood

Next Week on The Readers () So that is it for the Readers for Christmas and indeed for 2012 and we would like to thank you all for listening, chatting on Facebook, Twitter and GoodReads, coming on the show and just being lovely. We will be back next week on the 1^st of January 2013 with a list of books we are really excited about in the first half of 2013… Lots and lots and lots and lots of recommendations are coming your way. In the meantime once again Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Gavin and Simon.

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