Anna and Annie discuss the 2025 Booker Prize Longlist.

We have many comfort reading recommendations! Here are some of the books discussed:

DEAD GIRL GONE by Gareth and Louise Ward

THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB series and WE SOLVE MURDERS by Richard Osman

IN SPITE OF YOU by Patrick Lenton

CONSIDER YOURSELF KISSED by Jessica Stanley

THE WEDDING FORECAST by Nina Kenwood

FINE WEATHER, JEEVES by P. G. Wodehouse

DIARY OF A PROVINCIAL LADY by E. M. Delafield

LESS by Andrew Sean Greer

THE UNCOMMON READER by Alan Bennett

THE NEVERMOOR SERIES by Jessica Townsend

PIPPI LONGSTOCKING by Astrid Lindgren

FINN FAMILY MOOMINTROLL by Tove Jansson

THE SUMMER BOOK by Tove Jansson translated by Thomas Teal

RAINCLOWD PALACE by Phillipa Rice

TELL ME EVERYTHING by Elizabeth Strout

TASTE – MY LIFE THROUGH FOOD by Stanley Tucci

Coming up: our Booker Longlist reading updates.

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Substack: Books On The Go

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Geoff discuss PERFECTION by Vincent Latronico translated by Sophie Hughes.

PERFECTION is a short novel about Tom and Anna, digital nomads living in Berlin. A re-telling of the cult classic 1960s novel The Things by Georges Perec, it examines a couple who have built a stylish life but find themselves disilusioned. Perfection was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker International Prize. Slight spoiler alert as we discuss the ending.

Coming up: Comfort reading recommendations

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Substack: Books On The Go

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Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

Anna and Geoff discuss THE DIRECTOR by best-selling author of MEASURING THE WORLD and TYLL Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin.

THE DIRECTOR tells the story of cinema director G. W. Pabst, who in the 1930s fled Nazi Germany for Hollywood and then returned to make films for the German Reich. This novel explores Pabst’s moral dilemma and the place of art in a dictatorship. Described as ‘his best novel yet’ (The Guardian) and ‘nothing short of brilliant’ (Wall Street Journal), it mixes comedy, tragedy and horror in Kehlmann’s ironic style.

Coming up: PERFECTION by Vincnezo Latronico translated by Sophie Hughes.

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Substack: Books On The Go

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Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

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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Substack: Books On The Go

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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

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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

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz