Anna and Annie discuss our 10 best books of 2025 so far.

Books mentioned:

A LITTLE TRICKERIE by Rosanna Pike

THE NAMES by Florence Knapp

THE HUSBANDS by Holly Gramazio

DREAM COUNT by Chimananda Ngoze Adiche

SMALL RAIN by Garth Greenwell

STINKBUG by Sinéad Stubbins

PATRIOT by Alexei Navalny translated by Arch Tait and Stephen Dalziel

I MAKE ENVY ON YOUR DISCO by Eric Schnall

MY FRIENDS by Hisham Matar

NESTING by Roisin O’Donnell

EUROTRASH by Christian Kracht translated by Daniel Bowles

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Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie

Substack: Books On The Go

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Geoff discuss the 2025 Women's Prize winners and the new Data Bill regulating (or not) AI and creative work.

Our book of the week is THE EMPUSIUM: A HEALTH RESORT HORROR STORY by Olga Tokarczuk translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones. Tokarczuk is the Nobel Prize lauereate author of FLIGHTS and DRIVE YOUR PLOW OVER THE BONES OF THE DEAD. Her latest novel is inspired by Thomas Mann's THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN and set in a sanatorium in west Poland in 1913. An instant national bestseller and New York Times book of the year, it satirises misogyny and has gothic horror elements. We differed on this one!

Coming up: our best books of the year so far.

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Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Instagram: @abailliekaras

Substack: Books On The Go

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the 2025 Women’s Prize and try to predict the winner. Since we recorded this the winner has been announced: The Safe Keep by Yael Van Der Wouden. (Annie was right!)

And Annie wraps up recent Australian book award news including the Stella Prize winner Theory and Practice by Michelle de Kretser and the Miles Franklin Literary Award longlist.

Our book of the week is THE NAMES by Florence Knapp. Cora goes with her daughter Maia to register the birth of her son. According to family tradition, he will be called Gordon, after her husband. Cora prefers the name Julian and Maia suggests Bear. The story breaks into three as we see the ripple effects of each decision. Described as 'the best debut novel in years' (The Sunday Times), this buzzy book has been an instant bestseller and on many 'best of 2025' lists.

Coming up: THE EMPUSIUM by Olga Tokarczuk translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones.

Follow us!

Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie

Substack: Books On The Go

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz