Tea or Books?

Tea or Books? #69: Small World vs Wide World and Blue Remembered Hills vs Seasoned Timber

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Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Rosemary Sutcliff, and the scope of the books we love. Happy February!

 

In the first half of this episode, we discuss small world vs wide world in novels – do we like small communities or novels where characters move around a lot? In the second half, we find out what the other thought of our recommendations. I thought Rachel would love Blue Remembered Hills by Rosemary Sutcliff; she thought I’d love Seasoned Timber by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. Did we get it right?

You can support the podcast on Patreon, find us on iTunes, and rate/review us in your podcast app. We love it when people do – many thanks, sloutro, for your recent review! Do let us know any topic ideas you’d like us to discuss. And here is my LibraryThing catalogue, as mentioned!

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

The Crimson and the White by Michel Faber
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier
The Book of William by Paul Collins
William Shakespeare
Shakespeare by Bill Bryson
Contested Will by James Shapiro
Emma by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
Lila by Marilynne Robinson
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
Shirley Jackson
Barbara Pym
South Riding by Winifred Holtby
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Charles Dickens
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
Everything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
Larchfield by Polly Clark
Bleaker House by Nell Stevens
Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene
The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Four Days’ Wonder by A.A. Milne
The 39 Steps by John Buchan
The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
The Great Western Beach by Emma Smith
The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
The Brimming Cup by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Her Son’s Wife by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Cinderella Goes to the Morgue by Nancy Spain
Look Back With Love by Dodie Smith
Period Piece by Gwen Raverat
A London Child of the 1870s by Molly Hughes

Tea or Books? #68: Tact vs Attack, and North and South vs Pride and Prejudice

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The books we hate (and should we tell you?) and Elizabeth Gaskell vs Jane Austen.
 

 

In the first half of this episode, we talk about the books we’ve hated – prepare for things to get contentious! – and then, perhaps belatedly, debate whether or not we should keep those opinions to ourselves. In the second half (thanks to a recommendation by Rebekah), we compare two nineteenth-century classics: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.

You can support the podcast at Patreon (with a bunch of reward levels, including getting a book sent to you each month), visit our iTunes page, rate and review wherever you get podcasts, or just listen to the episode. Let us know which books you hate, and any suggestions you have for the podcast.

Apologies for some Skype issues we had while recording this, but hopefully you can work out what’s going on! We had to stop and start a few times in places.

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
The Boat by L.P. Hartley
Alice by Elizabeth Eliot
Rachel Ferguson
Barbara Comyns
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
The Long Weekend by Adrian Tinniswood
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago
Henry James
NW by Zadie Smith
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
Howards End by E.M. Forster
The Masters by C.P. Snow
Pamela Hansford Johnson
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton
Agatha Christie
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt
Possession by A.S. Byatt
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Margaret Drabble
Lee Child
The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch
The Sandcastle by Iris Murdoch
Ivanhoe by Walter Scott
The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West
Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce
Gone to Earth by Mary Webb
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
George Eliot
Charles Dickens
The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
Blue Remembered Hills by Rosemary Sutcliff
Seasoned Timber by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Tea or Books? #67: Books as Gifts: Yes or No, and Little vs Alva & Irva

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Edward Carey and books as gifts – happy new year; we’re back!

 

We had a bit of a longer break over Christmas, but we’re back and raring to go with a post-Christmas discussion about whether or not we like giving books as gifts and receiving books as gifts. Which transforms into giving vs receiving at some point. We’re nothing if not flexible.

In the second half, we’re uncharacteristically modern – with two novels from the 21st century! Edward Carey’s Alva & Irva and Little go head to head.

You can support the podcast on Patreon, view our iTunes page, and subscribe to the podcast via your usual podcast provider. We’re always keen to hear ideas from people, so do get in touch.

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

Stoner by John Williams
Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
Iris Murdoch
Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago (who is Portuguese, not Brazilian!)
Blindness by Jose Saramago
Milan Kundera
Old Baggage by Lissa Evans
Their Finest Hour and a Half by Lissa Evans
The Sweet and Twenties by Beverley Nichols
Cassandra at the Wedding by Dorothy Baker
Young Man With Horn by Dorothy Baker
The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne
Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson
I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel
The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Out of the Red, into the Blue by Barbara Comyns
The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson
Robert Galbraith
Greengates by R.C. Sherriff
Bricks and Mortar by Helen Ashton
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Familiar Studies of Men and Books by R.L. Stevenson
Christine Orr
Inside Black Mirror by Charlie Brooker
Terms and Conditions by Ysenda Maxtone Graham
In the Dark Room by Brian Dillon
Yellow by Janni Visman
Observatory Mansions by Edward Carey
Summer Will Show by Sylvia Townsend Warner
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Tea or Books? #66: Domestic Books vs Worldly Books and Elizabeth Bowen vs Elizabeth Taylor

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Elizabeth Bowen, Elizabeth Taylor, and venturing into the worldly…

 

In the first half of this episode, we look at… domestic books vs worldly books? Or something like that? We never quite worked out what we meant, but we still had things to say. In the second half, we look at two collections of short stories by Elizabeths – Elizabeth Taylor’s The Devastating Boys and a collection of Elizabeth Bowen’s stories called The Demon Lover (UK edition) and Ivy Gripped The Steps (US edition). I wasn’t sure we’d manage to disentangle them, but I think we got there.

Do let us know what you think, or any suggestions for future episodes (and thanks for those that have been sent recently!) You can support the podcast on Patreon, view our iTunes page, or find us in your podcast app of choice.

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
The Cross of Christ by John Stott
The Chronicles of Clovis by Saki
The Unbearable Bassington by Saki
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
Sarah Waters
Little by Edward Carey
Jane Austen
Ali Smith
A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
Howards End by E.M. Forster
A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Benjamin Disraeli
The Palliser Novels by Anthony Trollope
The Chronicles of Barsetshire by Anthony Trollope
The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
Richard III by William Shakespeare
Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras
Sleepwalking Land by Mia Couto
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
The Masters by C.P. Snow
The Abbess of Crewe by Muriel Spark
God on the Rocks by Jane Gardam
Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
A Merry Christmas, and other Christmas stories by Louisa May Alcott
Barbara Pym
At Mrs Lippincote’s by Elizabeth Taylor
The Soul of Kindness by Elizabeth Taylor
A View of the Harbour by Elizabeth Taylor
Alva & Irva by Edward Carey

Tea or Books? #65: cars vs bicycles, and Hons and Rebels vs Tory Heaven

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We are finally back! Apologies for the lengthy break – all is explained in this episode. We’re not back as soon as intended, because we recorded an episode a few days ago that… didn’t record. The podcasters’ nightmare! Nothing daunted, here we are.

In the first half, we look at cars in books and bicycles in books, as I have long threatened to do. Rachel gave in, and it turned into a fun discussion. In the second half, we look at two books that are very different but both a lot about politics – Jessica Mitford’s memoir/autobiography Hons and Rebels and Marghanita Laski’s novel Tory Heaven.

You can find us on iTunes, and now on Spotify too! (Have a search for us there.) You can also support the podcast on Patreon, and there are various rewards available there.

Oh, and the bookshop Rachel raves about has a website too.

Books and authors we mention in this episode are:

Little by Edward Carey
Alva and Irva by Edward Carey
Observatory Mansions by Edward Carey
Larchfield by Polly Clark
This Little Art by Kate Briggs
Vanity Fair by W.M. Thackeray
I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell
The Love-Child by Edith Olivier
To The North by Elizabeth Bowen
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
London Belongs to Me by Norman Collins
Toad of Toad Hall by Kenneth Grahame
Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee
Ann Veronica by H.G. Wells
Mapp and Lucia series by E.F. Benson
The Amorous Bicycle by Mary Essex
Tea Is So Intoxicating by Mary Essex
A.A. Milne
Elizabeth Taylor
Miss Read
Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford
Tory Heaven by Marghanita Laski
Love on the Supertax by Marghanita Laski
The Village by Marghanita Laski
London War Notes by Mollie Panter-Downes
The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters ed. by Charlotte Mosley
Miss Ranskill Comes Home by Barbara Euphan Todd
The American Way of Death by Jessica Mitford
A Fine Old Conflict by Jessica Mitford
The Devastating Boys by Elizabeth Taylor
The Demon Lover by Elizabeth Bowen

Tea or Books? #64: WW1 vs WW2 and Coronation vs Love of Seven Dolls

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Paul Gallico and two World Wars – quite a mix!

 

In the first half of this episode, we look at the books of the World Wars – whether written at the time or later – and decide which we are more drawn to. Thanks to Faith for the suggestion!

In the second half, we compare two novels by Paul Gallico – Coronation and Love of Seven Dolls. I deleted the bit where we talked about books we’d do next time – we’d talked about The Demon Lover by Elizabeth Bowen vs The Devastating Boys by Elizabeth Taylor, but we might have to postpone that. Watch this space!

You can visit our iTunes page or our Patreon, should you so wish!

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

The Millstone by Margaret Drabble
The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks
Sleepwalking Land by Mia Couto
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Vanity Fair by W.M. Thackeray
Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man by Siegfried Sassoon
Memoirs of an Infantry Officer by Siegfried Sassoon
Sherston’s Progress by Siegfried Sassoon
Wilfred Owen
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
Regeneration by Pat Barker
A Curious Friendship by Anna Thomasson
Siegfried’s Journey by Siegfried Sassoon
The Weald of Youth by Siegfried Sassoon
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves
Undertones of War by Edmund Blunden
Diary Without Dates by Enid Bagnold
…Not So Quiet by Helen Zenna Smith
William – An Englishman by Cicely Hamilton
London War Notes by Mollie Panter-Downes
Doreen by Barbara Noble
To Bed With Grand Music by Marghanita Laski
Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski
The Provincial Lady in Wartime by E.M. Delafield
Put Out More Flags by Evelyn Waugh
Henrietta’s War by Joyce Dennys
One Fine Day by Mollie Panter-Downes
On the Other Side by Mathilde Wolff-Monckeberg
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
A House in the Country by Jocelyn Playfair
Love of Seven Dolls by Paul Gallico
Coronation by Paul Gallico
The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico
Flowers For Mrs Harris by Paul Gallico
Jennie by Paul Gallico
The Fur Person by May Sarton
The Foolish Immortals by Paul Gallico
Too Many Ghosts by Paul Gallico
The Snowflake by Paul Gallico
The Poseidon Adventure by Paul Gallico

Tea or Books? #63: First Edition vs Worst Edition and Parnassus on Wheels vs The Education of Harriet Hatfield

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Women opening bookshops, and how we feel about the physical book.

 

In the first half of this episode, we look at first edition vs worst edition – in a fairly sprawling discussion about whether we care about first editions, how the physical condition and appearance of the book affects us, and all that sort of thing. In the second half, we look at two novels about women starting selling books – from opposite ends of the 20th century. Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley was published in the 1910s and The Education of Harriet Hatfield was published in the 1980s – but which would we prefer?

You can support the podcast at Patreon and you can visit the iTunes page. Do let us know if you have any suggestions for books or topics for future episodes – we always love to hear from you!

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

Two Lives by Janet Malcolm
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein
Blood on the Dining Room Floor by Gertrude Stein
Virginia Woolf
Howards End by E.M. Forster
Queen of the Tambourine by Jane Gardam
A Florence Diary by Diana Athill
Where the God of Love Hangs Out by Amy Bloom
Old Books, Rare Friends by Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Other Day by Dorothy Whipple
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Muriel Spark
The American Way of Death by Jessica Mitford
E.V. Lucas
Rose Macaulay
Willa Cather
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
According to Mark by Penelope Lively
Possession by A.S. Byatt
Henry Thoreau
The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley
The Magnificent Spinster by May Sarton
As We Were by May Sarton
Joanna and Ulysses by May Sarton
A Woman of My Age by Nina Bawden
The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
Sylvia Townsend Warner
Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead by Barbara Comyns
Safety Pins by Christopher Morley
Coronation by Paul Gallico
Love of Seven Dolls by Paul Gallico

Tea or Books? #62: Internet vs Bookshop and Mr Pim Passes By vs Four Days’ Wonder

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Two novels by A.A. Milne and we get deep about Amazon.


 
In the first half, we talk buying books in bookshops vs buying books online – taking our cue from a suggestion by Karen – and then we wander into a discussion about Amazon that isn’t especially conclusive. In the second half, we compare two books by my favourite (probably) author – Mr Pim Passes By and Four Days’ Wonder. You can see a filming of the play Mr Pim Passes By on YouTube.

You can see our iTunes page, and you can support the podcast at Patreon. Or you can just listen via the sound file above or through any podcast app. The blog I mention is Indie Lit Fic.

The books and authors we mention – including a mass of Hardy! – are:

Heat Wave by Penelope Lively
A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Tess of the D’Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy
In a Summer Season by Elizabeth Taylor
Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford
Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Hackenfeller’s Ape by Brigid Brophy
Edith Olivier
The Dover Road by A.A. Milne
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
R.C. Sherriff
The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne
Patricia Brent, Spinster by Herbert Jenkins
Chloe Marr by A.A. Milne
Two People by A.A. Milne
The Table Near The Band by A.A. Milne
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
The Education of Harriet Hatfield by May Sarton
Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley

Tea or Books? #61: Do We Care What Characters Eat? and The French Lieutenant’s Woman vs Remarkable Creatures

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John Fowles, Tracy Chevalier, and eating in books – Lyme and limes, if you will!


 
Sorry for a bit of a delay (because I had to read two quite long books) – and advance apologies for the delay before our next episode, as Rachel moves house and completes her dissertation. Thanks for bearing with us! In this episode, we use a recommendation from my friend Rachel (a different one) and ask about characters and food. In the second half, we compare John Fowles’ The French Lieutenant’s Woman with Tracy Chevalier’s Remarkable Creatures. Do let us know your thoughts on either!

You can support the podcast and get various rewards at Patreon, or visit our iTunes page. Rate and review if you can work out how and would like to!

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

The Brontes by Juliet Barker
Letters by Virginia Woolf
The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
Famous Five series by Enid Blyton
Malory Towers series by Enid Blyton
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
The Debt to Pleasure by John Lanchester
Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood
The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard
The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch
Edith Wharton
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen
Provincial Lady series by E.M. Delafield
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Golden Hill by Francis Spufford
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
Patricia Brent, Spinster by Herbert Jenkins
Speaking of Love by Angela Young
Concert Pitch by Theodora Benson
Mr Pim Passes By by A.A. Milne
Four Days’ Wonder by A.A. Milne
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
Animal Farm by George Orwell

Tea or Books? #60: married vs unmarried characters, and Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day vs Patricia Brent, Spinster

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This episode is all about married and unmarried people – in general, and two ‘spinsters’ in particular. Buckle up!


 
(Apologies if the podcast in your app overlaps the intro music with the intro chat… this one doesn’t, but I don’t know how it’ll appear elsewhere!)

In the first half, we look at books with married or unmarried characters. Yes, I’m aware that that is all books. We do narrow down a little! And in the second half we narrow down to two particular unmarried women – in Winifred Watson’s Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day and Herbert Jenkins’ Patricia Brent, Spinster. Very many thanks to Karen for suggesting the topic. It is perhaps our most controversial one ever!

The episode with me on my brother’s podcast, C to Z of Movies, is now live! Listen to us discuss films beginning with S – either on Soundcloud or via your podcast app of choice. Other links – you can support the podcast on Patreon, or visit our iTunes page, or rate and review through various apps.

The books and authors we mention in this episode are:

A Lost Lady by Willa Cather
The Professor’s House by Willa Cather
Turtle Diary by Russell Hoban
Mansfield and Me called Sarah Laing
Brecht Evens
Peter Pan and Wendy by J.M. Barrie
Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Dear Mrs Bird by A.J. Pearce
Greenery Street by Denis Mackail
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield
Hostages to Fortune by Elizabeth Cambridge
They Knew Mr Knight by Dorothy Whipple
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Mr Bridge by Evan S. Connell
Mrs Bridge by Evan S. Connell
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
Mr Pim Passes By / Mr Pim by A.A. Milne
Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner
The Love Child by Edith Olivier
The Rector’s Daughter by F.M. Mayor
Alas, Poor Lady by Rachel Ferguson
Consequences by E.M. Delafield
Thanks Heaven Fasting by E.M. Delafield
Life and Death of Harriett Frean by May Sinclair
The Odd Women by George Gissing
Emma by Jane Austen
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamond Lehmann
Frost in May by Antonia White
The Way Things Are – E.M. Delafield
Fell Top by Winifred Watson
Mary Webb
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
The Return of Albert by Herbert Jenkins
Bindle by Herbert Jenkins
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles