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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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.

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Substack: Books On The Go

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Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, JAMES by Percival Everett.

Our book of the week is SMALL RAIN by Garth Greenwell. A poet is admitted to hospital with severe pain. Bedridden, he reflects on his relationships, music and poetry and the small details of life. Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. We loved this one.

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

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Substack: Books On The Go

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Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the cookbook controversy between Nagi Maehashi of RecipeTin Eats and Brooke Bellamy of Bake with Brooki and ask whether it is possible to copyright a recipe.

Our book of the week is FUNDAMENTALLY by Nussaibah Younis. Shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction, this debut novel centres on Nadia, a UN worker who travels to Iraq to rescue ISIS brides. A serious topic treated with authenticity and humour, Younis describes it as 'Fleabag goes to Iraq'.

Other books discussed:

TOO SOON by Betty Shamieh

UNFINISHED BUSINESS by Shankari Chandran

Coming up: SMALL RAIN by Garth Greenwell

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Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie

Substack: Books On The Go

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Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the 2025 Women's Prize Shortlist.

Our book of the week is MEMORIAL DAYS by Geraldine Brooks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of HORSE. This is a moving and honest memoir of Brooks' time grieving her late husband Tony Horwitz and also a portrait of their marriage. Partly set on a remote island off the coast of Tasmania, it is our final Australian book for #AussieApril.

Coming up: FUNDAMENTALLY by Nussaibah Younis.

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Substack: Books On The Go

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Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

A special episode! Anna is joined by Emily Hart and Margot Lloyd, founders of Pink Shorts Press.

We discuss the exciting launch of this new publisher and the 2025 Stella Prize shortlist.

Our book of the week is SEA GREEN by Barbara Hanrahan, re-issued by Pink Shorts Press this year with an introduction by Laura Elizabeth Woollett. This semi-autobiographical novel tells the story of Virginia, a school-teacher and artist who travels from Adelaide to London in the 1960s. An Australian feminist classic, it explores the clash between a conservative upbringing with an artistic life.

Other books mentioned - perfect for a bad feminist Aussie April!

MY BEAUTIFUL FRIEND by Elena Ferrante translated by Anne Goldstein

THE TRANSIT OF VENUS by Shirley Hazzard

MONKEY GRIP by Helen Garner

THEORY AND PRACTICE by Michelle de Kretser

WEST GIRLS by Laura Elizabeth Woollett

Coming up: MEMORIAL DAYS by Geraldine Brooks

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Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie

Substack: Books On The Go

Pink Shorts Press: https://www.pinkshortspress.com.au/ / https://www.instagram.com/pinkshortspress/?hl=en

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Annie discuss the 2025 Stella Prize longlist and some upcoming book-to-screen adaptations: THE LEOPARD, SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE, FOURTH WING and THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO.

Our book of the week is SOMEBODY DOWN THERE LIKES ME by Robert Lukins. A dysfunctional family comes together in Connecticut when the parents announce they have lost everything. This will appeal to SUCCESSION fans – we’re ready for the tv adaptation!

Coming up: Aussie April continues with SEA GREEN by Barbara Hanrahan with Emily and Margot from Pink Shorts Press, and MEMORIAL DAYS by Geraldine Brooks.

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Email: Booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie

Substack: Books On The Go

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz