Episodes

  • Episode 13 - Interviews with J P Rose and Anthony McGowan
    Oct 30 2024

    In this episode we talk with J P Rose about her new book, Birdie. And Ali interviews Anthony McGowan with Jason Rosam (originally broadcast on Riverside Radio) about his book Dogs of the Deadlands.

    Birdie by J P Rose is a set in 1950s Yorkshire and is a story of hope and courage following Birdie Bagshaw and the racism she experiences moving to a mining village but also the bond she forms with a pit pony Mr Duke.

    J P Rose's YA book is The Haunting of Tyrese Walker. She has also written lots of adult thrillers as Jacqui Rose including The Women and Loyalty.

    Her website is https://jprosewriter.com/#home

    And she can be found on social media here:

    Twitter/X @jprosewriter
    Instagram @jprosewriter

    Anthony McGowan's Dogs of the Deadlands is set in Chernobyl in 1986. In the middle of the night Natasha has to leave her home and her puppy behind. Will the dogs survive without humans...

    Anthony McGowan's other books include: Lark, Pike, Brock and Rook.

    He can be found on social media here:

    Twitter/X @anthony_mcgowan
    Instagram @tonymcgowan

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    51 mins
  • Episode 12 - 'Help Create a Reader' Coram Beanstalk and the role of volunteers in supporting reading for pleasure
    Oct 3 2024

    An interview with Amy Lewis, Head of Coram Beanstalk and Sara Browne, one of their volunteers. Plus chat about 100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Café by Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada

    Coram Beanstalk

    Link to the Media Trust Film

    Website: https://www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk/

    Find out about volunteering: https://www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk/Pages/Category/about-volunteering


    Media Trust Charity Films

    Link to information about films

    Book Clubs in School’s Film


    Books mentioned:

    You Choose, by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt

    Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak

    Press Here, by Hervé Tullet

    The Book with No Pictures, by B.J. Novak


    Book Discussion

    100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Café by Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada

    Tsunami Girl, by Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada


    The Diverse Book Awards

    2024 Shortlists




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    49 mins
  • Episode 11 - Picture book edition, including an interview with Jacob Sager Weinstein
    Aug 31 2024

    In this episode we talk to Jacob Sager Weinstein about his picture book, What Rosa Brought (illustrated by Eliza Wheeler). We also chat about some picture books (old and new) that have caught our attention recently.

    Jacob Sager Weinstein

    What Rosa Brought, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

    The City of Secret Rivers

    The City of Guardian Stones


    Other books mentioned

    The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank

    When Hittler Stole Pink Rabbit, Judith Kerr

    Tadpole’s Promise, Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross

    Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion, Chris Barton, illustrated by Victo Ngai


    Contacts:

    Jacob Sager Weinstein

    Website: https://www.jacobsagerweinstein.com/ and

    Bluesky: @jacobsw.bsky.social


    Eliza Wheeler

    Website: https://wheelerstudio.com/2024/07/08/behind-the-rosa-art-vienna-research/

    (worth checking out for interesting background on how she developed the drawings for What Rosa Brought.)

    Instagram: @wheelerstudio


    Picture Books mentioned in book chat

    Harry the Dirty Dog, Gene Zion, illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham

    The Song of the Nightingale, Tanya Landman, illustrated by Laura Carlin

    The Bowerbird, Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Catherine Rayner

    Gigantic, Rob Biddulph

    The Girl and the Mermaid, Hollie Hughes, illustrated by Sarah Massini

    The Big Dreaming, Michael Rosen, illustrated by Daniel Egnéus

    Sam Francisco, King of the Disco, Sarah Tagholm, illustrated by Binny Talib

    The Fastest Tortoise in Town, Howard Calvert, illustrated by Karen Obuhanych

    Hippos go Berserk, Sandra Boynton

    Mrs McTats and her Houseful of Cats, Alyssa Satin Capucilli, illustrated by Joan Rankin

    A Million Chameleons, James Young

    Sleepy Bears, Mem Fox, illustrated by Kerry Arden



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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Episode 10 - Interviews with YA authors Diana Anyakwo and Denise Brown
    Aug 1 2024

    Interviews with YA authors Diana Anyakwo and Denise Brown

    In this episode we talk to Diana Anyakwo about her book My Life as a Chameleon which has just been longlisted for the Diverse Book Awards. We also talk to Denise Brown about her second book, It All Started with a Lie.

    Diana Anyakwo

    My Life as a Chameleon

    Contact for school visits: https://contactanauthor.co.uk/author/3518/diana-anyakwo

    Instagram @dianaanyakwo


    Books Mentioned

    Broken Threads: My Family From Empire to Independence, Mishal Husain

    The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis

    Malory Towers, Enid Blyton


    Denise Brown

    It All Started with a Lie

    I am Winter

    Website: https://www.denisebrownauthor.co.uk/

    Instagram @denisebrownuk


    Books Mentioned

    What Katy Did, Susan Coolidge


    Books mentioned in book chat

    The Summer Dare, Joanna Dodd

    Murder on a School Night, Kate Weston

    How to Die Famous, Benjamin Dean

    Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow,Gabrielle Zevin

    100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Cafe, Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada

    Songlight, Moira Buffini

    The Girl who Couldn’t Lie, Radhika Sanghani

    King of Nothing, Nathanael Lessore

    Boy Overboard, Morris Gleitzman

    The Secret of Golden Island, Natasha Farrant



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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Episode 9 - An interview with author, Tom Palmer and a chat with Deborah Maclaren, Managing Director of Love Reading
    Jul 12 2024

    In this episode we talk to Tom Palmer about his latest book Angel of Grasmere and his other Lake District books. Plus we talk to Deborah Maclaren, the Managing Director of Love Reading about how they are building a social purpose into their book selling.

    Tom Palmer’s Lake District books

    Armistice Runner

    After the War

    Angel of Grasmere

    Other books mentioned

    Arctic Star

    D-Day Dog

    Resist

    Information on all Tom Palmer’s books can be found on his website

    Tom can be found on Twitter @tompalmerauthor

    LoveReading4Kids - information about how their donations work can be found here and on how to set up wish lists here


    Books mentioned by Deborah:

    Stig of the Dump by Clive King

    The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

    This Is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter

    The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival

    The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow

    Crossing the Line by Tia Fisher

    Brambly Hedge books by Jill Barklem


    Give Away

    Check out our social media for a chance to win a stack of books from Love Reading (UK postage only). To enter the competition: On Twitter/X, entrants will need to follow @lovereadingkids and @Mostly_BookTalk and retweet and/or comment on the competition tweet. On Instagram, entrants will need to follow @lovereadingkids and @mostlybooktalk and comment and/or like the post announcing the competition.


    Full T&Cs here



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    46 mins
  • Episode 8 - Film Clubs and books with Into Film Ambassador, Charlotte Harrison and an interview with author Ross Montgomery
    Jun 30 2024

    Film Clubs and books with Into Film Ambassador Charlotte Harrison plus an interview with author Ross Montgomery about his new book, I am Rebel

    Charlotte Harrison can be found on social media: @sometimesmovies

    Find out more about Into Film here.

    Books mentioned:

    Princess Bride, by William Goldman


    Ross Montgomery can be found on social media: @mossmontmomery

    His website is here

    Books mentioned:

    I am Rebel

    The Chime Seekers

    And Ross’s other books can be found here


    Find us on social media:

    X/Twitter: @Mostly_BookTalk

    Instagram: @mostlybooktalk


    Get in touch:

    info@mostlybooktalk.com

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    49 mins
  • Episode 7: Carnegie Medal for Writing 2024 Shortlist
    Jun 10 2024

    A look at the Carnegie Medal for Writing 2024 shortlist including the benefits of shadowing with Alison Jewitt from The London Nautical School

    Carnegie Medal for Writing 2024 Shortlist books

    Away with Words by Sophie Cameron

    Choose Love by Nicola Davies, Illustrated by Peter Horacek

    Saffiyah’s War by Hiba Noor Kahn

    Steady for This by Nathanael Lessore

    The Boy Lost in the Maze by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Kate Milner

    Crossing the Line by Tia Fisher

    The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

    The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell


    Give Away

    We are doing a give away of a full set of the shortlisted books (UK postage only). To enter, find us on X/Twitter or Instagram. On X/Twitter, entrants will need to follow Mostly Book Talk and retweet and/or comment on the competition tweet. On Instagram, entrants will need to like the post announcing the competition, comment on the post and follow Mostly Book Talk. We would love to have your comments about which book you think will win this year.

    X/Twitter: @Mostly_BookTalk

    Instagram: @mostlybooktalk

    Full Terms and Conditions can be found here.



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    36 mins
  • Episode 6 - An interview with the author Tia Fisher about her Carnegie shortlisted book Crossing the Line.
    Jun 7 2024


    Mostly Book Talk - Episode 6

    An interview with the author Tia Fisher about her Carnegie shortlisted book Crossing the Line.


    Crossing the Line by Tia Fisher

    Books mentioned in the interview

    The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan

    Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan

    Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

    Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

    The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

    Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

    We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

    Dinosaurs Love Underpants by Claire Freedman, illustrated by Ben Cort


    Tia can be found on social media at

    X/Twitter: @tiafisher_

    Instagram: @tia_fisher_writes

    and on her website



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    31 mins