Literary Elixirs

Today I am joined by Joseph Camilleri from Bolinda Publishing. Bolinda is the largest online audio bookstore in the Southern Hemisphere and also has offices in the UK and the US. They also have one of my favourite apps, BorrowBox, for downloading eaudio and ebooks through your local library.  Joseph, my fabulous guest today, joined Bolinda in 2016 as Warehouse and Manufacturing Coordinator and is currently the Client Relationship Manager which means he works very closely with libraries around Australia for all our audio and large print needs! We chat a bit about his journey from tennis coach to audiobook publishing, how many different aspects of the industry is represented at Bolinda and of course, pair some delicious things with some fabulous books ... with a little Christmas flair too! The pairings: The Survivors by Jane Harper Kieran Elliott's life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences. The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home. Kieran's parents are struggling in a town where fortunes are forged by the sea. Between them all is his absent brother, Finn. When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away... Joseph recommends this Aussie outback thriller as an after (Christmas) dinner read with a large glass of red wine in hand ... but be careful, you may be swept away (pun intended) by the narrator and end up finishing the bottle! Lucky's by Andrew Pippos Lucky's is a story of family. It is also about a man called Lucky. His restaurant chain. A fire that changed everything. A New Yorker article which might save a career. The mystery of a missing father. An impostor who got the girl. An unthinkable tragedy. A roll of the dice. And a story of love, lost, sought and won again, (at last). Joseph recommended this book to anyone who loves a good story and because the cover reminds him of an ice cream shop he suggests reading this with a classic vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone ... just don't drip it on the book! The Book Of Delights by Ross Gay A genre-defying book of essays—some as short as a paragraph; some as long as five pages—that record the small joys that occurred in one year, from birthday to birthday, and that we often overlook in our busy lives. This is a meditation on delight that takes a clear-eyed view of the complexities, even the terrors, in the authors life, including living in America as a black man; the ecological and psychic violence of our consumer culture; the loss of those he loves. The delights are everyday, ordinary and beautiful.  Sweet, tart, savoury and more-ish, Justine recommends this delightful book with her families traditional Christmas day brunch of French toast, mascarpone, fresh blueberries and strawberries drizzled with maple syrup and a glass of sparkling to wash it all down. YUM! 

This episode I am joined by debut novelist, Melbourne writer, via Scotland, Paul Dalgarno. Paul was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and immigrated to Australia in 2010. In Scotland, he was a senior features writer, columnist and Deputy Weekend Features Editor with The Herald and Sunday Herald newspapers. In Melbourne, he was a launch editor, Deputy Editor, Arts Editor and Science Editor of The Conversation website. Paul has written for many publications including Guardian Australia, Australian Book Review, Sunday Times Scotland and The Big Issue. His memoir, And You May Find Yourself, was published in 2015. In 2016, he was awarded a Varuna Residential Fellowship to work on his second book. When not writing, reading or parenting, Paul loves to cycle vast distances. Poly is his debut novel about Chris and Sarah Flood whose near sexless marriage has led them down the path to polyamory … but as tensions grow between family, friends and lovers Chris discovers he may not know someone close to them as well as he thought. We talk about writing the book you want to read, how difficult it is to write sex scenes, mental health and some fantastic book pairings! The pairings: Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar Horacio Oliveira is an Argentinian writer who lives in Paris with his mistress, La Maga, surrounded by a loose-knit circle of bohemian friends who call themselves "the Club." A child's death and La Maga's disappearance put an end to his life of empty pleasures and intellectual acrobatics, and prompt Oliveira to return to Buenos Aires, where he works by turns as a salesman, a keeper of a circus cat which can truly count, and an attendant in an insane asylum. Paul suggested the caffeine-rich, herbal drink from South America called Maté, drunk out of a gourd with friends. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Meet Eleanor Oliphant: she struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding unnecessary human contact, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy. But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen, the three rescue one another from the lives of isolation that they had been living. Ultimately, it is Raymond’s big heart that will help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one. If she does, she'll learn that she, too, is capable of finding friendship—and even love—after all. In honour of the scene where Eleanor winds up eating with Raymond and his mother, Paul suggests a Scotch broth would pair perfectly with this wonderful story - salty and warm and Scottish. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. Nora Seed finds herself faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realising her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.  Justine recommends a warming cup of hot chocolate and - if you're up late - a splash of rum to warm you through and through, just like this book will. 

Joining me for this episode’s online chat is one of my favourite authors of weird and wonderful fiction, Catherynne M Valente. Catherynne is the New York Times bestselling author of forty works of speculative fiction and poetry, including Space Opera, The Refrigerator Monologues, Palimpsest, the Orphan’s Tales series, Deathless, Radiance, and the crowdfunded phenomenon The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Own Making (and the four books that followed it). She is the winner of the Andre Norton, Tiptree, Sturgeon, Prix Imaginales, Eugie Foster Memorial, Mythopoeic, Rhysling, Lambda, Locus, Romantic Times’ Critics Choice and Hugo awards. She has been a finalist for the Nebula and World Fantasy Awards. She lives on an island off the coast of Maine with a small but growing menagerie of beasts, some of which are human. We talk about her many fabulous books, how she came to write and then crowdfund the first book in The Fairyland series which went on to win the Nebula Award, planting Easter eggs in Space Opera, writing complicated books, the weather and her latest short story which just so happens to be a Star Wars story The pairings: Little, Big by John Crowley The epic story of Smoky Barnable, an anonymous young man who travels by foot from the City to a place called Edgewood—not found on any map—to marry Daily Alice Drinkwater, as was prophesied. It is the story of four generations of a singular family, living in a house that is many houses on the magical border of an otherworld. It is a story of fantastic love and heartrending loss; of impossible things and unshakable destinies; and of the great Tale that envelops us all. It is a wonder. Catherynne chose a classic cocktail from 1688 - Milk Punch - to pair with this eerie and complex story. Possession by A.S. Byatt An exhilarating novel of wit and romance, at once an intellectual mystery and triumphant love story. It is the tale of a pair of young scholars researching the lives of two Victorian poets. As they uncover their letters, journals, and poems, and track their movements from London to Yorkshire—from spiritualist séances to the fairy-haunted far west of Brittany—what emerges is an extraordinary counterpoint of passions and ideas. Man Booker Prize Winner (1990) Catherynne suggested a 1920s cocktail called The Last Word to pair perfectly with this passionate literary thriller! Smart Ovens For Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan A collection of offbeat, mind-bending short stories that are a joy to dip in and out of. A cat-shaped oven tells a depressed woman she doesn’t have to be sorry anymore. A Yourtopia Bespoke Terraria employee becomes paranoid about the mounting coincidences in her life. Four girls gather to celebrate their underwear in ‘Happy Smiling Underwear Girls Party’ and so many more. These are funny, sharp, witty and surreal stories that are somewhat disturbing at heart as they give us a glimpse of a potential future world and what might be… I was thinking that i’d love something fresh and sharp to drink whilst reading these stories and the wine that comes to mind is an Argentinian wine called Torrontes - it’s nickname is The Liar as it smells sweet but is actually very dry and has an almost salty and lean taste and texture in your mouth. I think it would pair perfectly with this book of inventive and biting stories!

Joining me for this episode’s online chat is award-winning Young Adult crime author, Ellie Marney. Ellie has been involved in the creation of the national campaign #LoveOzYA to promote and advocate for Australian YA literature, she has contributed to the critically-acclaimed Begin End Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology and she co-runs the popular #LoveOzYAbookclub online. Ellie’s books include the Circus Hearts series, White Night, the Every trilogy which begins with Every Breath and was her first young adult book published in 2013. Her latest book is None Shall Sleep which was released in September 2020 and is a dark and chilling read following two teenagers unfortunately familiar with the violence of serial killers who are drawn into an FBI case and become the conduit between the FBI and an incarcerated teenage serial killer, who seems to have insight into the current case. We chat about writing crime for young adults, the question at the heart of crime fiction, sociopaths and geniuses and how difficult they are to write when they are teenagers! The pairings: The Erasure Initiative by Lili Wilkinson A girl wakes up on a self-driving bus. She has no memory of how she got there or who she is. Her nametag reads CECILY. The six other people on the bus are just like her: no memories, only nametags. There's a screen on each seatback that gives them instructions. A series of tests begin, with simulations projected onto the front window of the bus. The passengers must each choose an outcome; majority wins. But as the testing progresses, deadly secrets are revealed, and the stakes get higher and higher. Soon Cecily is no longer just fighting for her freedom - she's fighting for her life. Ellie loves this book for its fast-paced storytelling and its mystery meat sandwiches so to pair with it she recommends Peck's Paste sandwiches and a Long Island Iced Tea cause you'll need a stiff drink before you're done! Circe by Madeline Miller In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love. Ellie found this a completely engrossing read, the kind of book you neglect your family over, beautifully written, refreshing, it left a profound impression. She suggests the only appropriate pairing is a platter of delicious feta cheese, dolmades, crusty bread and oil with a delicious chilled wine and I quite agree :) Justine's book was The last days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp.  Creepy yet funny this book requires coffee to keep you alert then chamomile tea to calm your nerves!

This episode I am joined by Master of Wine, Meg Brodtmann. Meg recently joined the team at Rob Dolan Wines, a lovely Winery and Cellar Door in South Warrandyte part of Victoria’s Yarra Valley wine region. Founded by local legend Rob Dolan after 25 years of making wine for some of Australia’s most iconic wineries, this is the only winery which I have joined the wine club of, ever! Meg actually started her winemaking journey in Australia with Rob before heading overseas and eventually ending up in beautiful Chile. She became the first Australian woman to pass the Master of Wine exam in 2002 and came back to Oz in 2008 working for wineries and sharing her knowledge and love of wine through education and is now the Education and Global Outreach human for Rob Dolan Wines! The pairings:   2020 Rose - Fresh and youthful this is a pale strawberry coloured wine with a cherry, red currant and rose petals aroma and a palate of red currant that is crisp and textural with a dry and savoury finish. The other side of the sky by Australian writer Amie Kaufman and American writer Meagan Spooner There is a sinking city in the sky and a dying surface on the planet. A prince and the living god of her people whose magic has yet to reveal itself. A beautiful blend of technology and magic this book is super fresh and youthful having only just been published in September and is a Young Adult book. The world-building is so vivid and the characters are lively and fun. There’s loads going on and it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. It is a really fun read, with great characters and an interesting story which you’ll get through far too quickly and you’ll want more where it came from … just like this Rose! 2017 Arneis - pale straw, floral, crisp and textural this is a lean wine, smooth and creamy, nicknamed the 'little rascal'. Silk by Alessandro Baricco A pandemic is wiping out silkworms in France so a pilgrimage to Japan is undertaken and a forbidden love is uncovered. The book I am going to pair with the Arneis is a lot older than the last one I mentioned … it was published in Italy in 1996 and translated into English in 1997 and again in 2006. This is a slim book, more of a novella even, written by an Italian and set in France and Japan … but don’t be fooled into thinking this small, romantic sounding tale is anything less than stunning! It has those crisp, textural and ripe elements of the Arneis and for such a small book there is so much to it, layers of beauty which will linger long after you finish reading it. It might be tough to find these days but it’s well worth the effort! 2017 Cab Sav  - A deep crimson purple wine full of blackcurrant, forest fruits, bay leaf and cedar with juicy dark fruits, mocha this is a balanced and complex wine with fine tannins. The forgotten garden by Kate Morton Dark fairytales, a foundling, a secret garden and a love denied. This is the first Kate Morton book I read, and although I like all of her books, this is still my favourite. It is beautifully written, with three generations of women telling their story. Layered, delightful and seductive, this is an atmospheric and compulsively readable story of the past, secrets, family and memory, a book to savour, with a hint of darkness and perfect to read whilst sipping at this delicious Cab Sav!

This episode I am joined by lapsed lawyer, recovering academic, semi-reformed punk rocker, and now writer and stay-at-home dad, Bram Presser. Bram’s writing has appeared in Best Australian Stories, Award Winning Australian Writing, The Sleepers Almanac and Higher Arc. His 2017 debut novel, The Book of Dirt, won the 2018 Goldberg Prize for Debut Fiction in the US National Jewish Book Awards, the 2018 Voss Literary Prize and three awards in the 2018 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards: the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, the UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing and The People’s Choice Award. We talk about our love of browsing bookstores, Bram's journey to writing a novel, writing a personal history as fiction and of course, we pair some delicious things to some fabulous books! The pairings: The Door by Magda Szabo A busy young writer struggling to cope with domestic chores, hires a housekeeper recommended by a friend. The housekeeper's reputation is one built on dependable efficiency, though she is something of an oddity. Stubborn, foul-mouthed and with a flagrant disregard for her employer's opinions she may even be crazy. She allows no-one to set foot inside her house; she masks herself with a veil and is equally guarded about her personal life. And yet Emerence is revered as much as she is feared. As the story progresses her energy and passion to help becomes clear, extinguishing any doubts arising out of her bizarre behaviour. A stylishly told tale which recounts a strange relationship built up over 20 years between a writer and her housekeeper. After an unpromising and caustic start benign feelings develop and ultimately the writer benefits from what becomes an inseparable relationship. Simultaneously we learn Emerence's tragic past which is revealed in snapshots throughout the book. Bram called this the most beautiful book he has ever read, a modern classic, and a beautiful meditation on dignity and how we imagine people to be. To pair with the interesting and complex character of Emerence he suggests a classic Borscht with sour cream and a traditional Pilsner Urquell. The Curfew by Jesse Ball William and Molly lead a life of small pleasures, riddles at the kitchen table, and games of string and orange peels. All around them a city rages with war. When the uprising began, William’s wife was taken, leaving him alone with their young daughter. They keep their heads down and try to remain unnoticed as police patrol the streets, enforcing a curfew and arresting citizens. But when an old friend seeks William out, claiming to know what happened to his wife, William must risk everything. He ventures out after dark, and young Molly is left to play, reconstructing his dangerous voyage, his past, and their future. Bram called Jesse Ball the most exciting writer out of America right now and highly recommends this totalitarian dystopia with its surrealist and strangely beautiful experimental writing. The perfect pairing for Bram is a Corpse Reviver, made with absinthe, gin, cointreau, lillet and lemon juice ... ooooof! It is weird, subtle, warm, sweetly discombobulating with a kick!

This episode I am joined by Eamonn Hennessy, owner of Buck Mulligan’s, a Specialty Irish Whiskey Bar and Bookshop in the heart of Northcote. Buck Mulligan’s is a lovely space with a cosy snug as well as a leafy courtyard. There are books for sale as well as some available for borrowing or reading whilst enjoying a drink. Eamonn joined me to share three of his favourite whiskeys and talk about his love of books and of whiskey! The pairings: The Irish Whiskey - The Hyde 6 year old single grain aged in bourbon casks.  The Lord Of The Rings by JRR Tolkien This epic fantasy tells of a great and perilous quest undertaken to fight evil and to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord himself, and destroy the Ring of Power by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. This is a fabulously complex and yet utterly simple story. It is sweeping in scope and world-building, a whole language was created for this world too - Elvish - and whilst there is a darkness within this story there are so many sweet moments to cherish. It is one of the most satisfying books I have ever read. Also The Fire Starters by Jan Carson The Australian Whiskey - Bakery Hill Double Wood Eamonn chose a Victorian author to pair with this Victorian whiskey ... Barley Patch by Gerald Murnane The book begins with the question, 'Must I write?' What follows is both a chronicle of the images that have endured in the author's mind, and an exploration of their nature. The clarity of the images is extraordinary, as is their range, from Mandrake the Magician to the bachelor uncle kicked in the 'stones' as a child, from the country cousin's doll's house to the mysterious woman who lets her hair down, from the soldier beetle who winks messages from God to the racehorses that run forever in the author's mind, beyond the grasslands, to the place where the characters of fiction dwell before they come into existence in books. The Scottish Whiskey - Laphroaig Quarter Cask The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern The circus arrives without warning, It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. A fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. So of course they soon tumble headfirst into love. This book is not as dark and gritty as you might expect with this whiskey but it is beautifully descriptive and is a story which lives in the night and the dark and speaks to the chocolate, the cinnamon, to the sweet, mouth-coating and spice flavours and is definitely a story which lingers.  Also The Fireman by Joe Hill Eamonn recommends the Inspector Rebus series by Ian Rankin

This episode I am joined by bookseller and writer Michael Earp. Michael Earp is the editor of Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories and contributor to Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories. He has a teaching degree and a Masters in children’s literature and has worked between bookselling and publishing for over seventeen years as a children’s literature specialist. His writing has also appeared in The Victorian Writer and Aurealis. We chat about recommending books, writing for young adults and of course, we pair some great reads with delicious things! The pairings: The End of the World is Bigger Than Love by Davina Bell  Identical twin sisters Summer and Winter live alone on a remote island, sheltered from a destroyed world. They survive on rations stockpiled by their father and spend their days deep in their mother’s collection of classic literature—until a mysterious stranger upends their carefully constructed reality. At first, Edward is a welcome distraction. But who is he really, and why has he come? As love blooms and the world stops spinning, the secrets of the girls’ past begin to unravel and escape is the only option. Michael asked his YA bookclub what they would pair with this book, but he didn't like their answer and went with Scones with Peach Jam as he says of this book 'It's incredible how much can pivot on a scone ...' Pet by Akwaeke Emezo There are no more monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. With doting parents and a best friend named Redemption, Jam has grown up with this lesson all her life. But when she meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colours and claws, who emerges from one of her mother's paintings and a drop of Jam's blood, she must reconsider what she's been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster, and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption's house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also to uncover the truth, and the answer to the question — How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist? A fabulous recipe made in the book is Spatchcock chicken baked in duck fat with sourdough bread and Michael really started thinking about the sour in sourdough! We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry The 1989 Danvers Falcons are on an unaccountable winning streak. Helmed by good-girl captain Abby Putnam (a descendant of the infamous Salem accuser Ann Putnam) and her co-captain Jen Fiorenza, whose bleached blond "Claw" sees and knows all, the DHS Falcons prove to be as wily and original as their North of Boston ancestors, flaunting society's stale notions of femininity in order to find their glorious true selves through the crucible of team sport. There is a scene where one of the players, Abby, is eating a raw beetroot on a bus as the girls all talk about sex, her lips are getting stained this blood red and with the witchiness and Halloween references in this I did think about pairing it with a Blood Beetroot Cocktail - which is beetroot lemonade, Aperol and Prosecco but regardless of whatever drink you have I think you’d want to be eating a pizza, your favourite pizza whatever that might be, as long as it’s not too fancy but is oily and cheesy and tasty, it’s what the team would want you to do so that’s what I will pair with this book: A Blood Beetroot Cocktail and your favourite pizza!

This episode I am joined by award-winning Australian author and environmentalist Jane Rawson. Formerly editor of the environment and energy section of The Conversation, she now works for the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, writing about nature conservation, and is also the co-founder of Read Tasmania. She likes cats, quiet, minimal capitalisation, and finding out that everything is going to be OK … don’t we all! Jane is the author of two novels, a novella and co-authored a nonfiction guide to surviving climate change. Her stories and essays have been published in the Guardian, Lithub, Meanjin, Overland, Review of Australian Fiction, Kill Your Darlings and Australian Book Review and in 2017 she won the Aurealis Award for best science fiction for her novel From The Wreck. The pairings: A Treacherous Country by K.M. Kruimink Winner of the 2020 The Australian/Vogels Literary Award There is a woman, somewhere, here, in Van Diemen’s Land, unless she had died or otherwise departed, called Maryanne Maginn. Gabriel Fox, the young son of an old English house, arrives in a land both ancient and new. Drawn by the promise of his heart’s desire, and compelled to distance himself from pain at home, Gabriel begins his quest into Van Diemen’s Land. His guide, a cannibal who is not all he seems, leads him north where Gabriel might free himself of his distracting burden and seek the woman he must find. As Gabriel traverses this wild country, he uncovers new truths buried within his own memory. For this Tasmanian setting written by a Tasmanian author, Jane suggested a Tasmanian wallaby stew, made with a Tassie Pinot of course, and whilst waiting for it to cook - ever so slowly - a Poltergeist unfilterd gin and tonic. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead. For this wildly dark space trip Jane suggests a Kaiju ‘Cthulhu on the Moon’ Black IPA with a shot of Tasmanian moonshine for that extra strength hit.  Everywhere I look by Helen Garner Spanning fifteen years of work, Everywhere I Look is a book full of unexpected moments, sudden shafts of light, piercing intuition, flashes of anger and incidental humour. It takes us from backstage at the ballet to the trial of a woman for the murder of her newborn baby. It moves effortlessly from the significance of moving house to the pleasure of re-reading Pride and Prejudice. This book is just filled with gorgeous little nuggets of observation and is so beautifully written. It doesn’t need to be read as a whole but is easy to dip in and out of.  I would pair it with a crisp, dry riesling and some perfectly fresh and crunchy salted or pickled cucumber sandwiches.

This episode I am joined by Christine Gordon, Programming Manager of one of Melbourne’s favourite independent bookshops. Christine has been Programming Manager at Readings for over a decade and considers it the best job in Australia! She was one of the founding members of the Stella Prize, sits on the Readings Foundation board and has been a judge on various literary awards. She is passionate about Australian literature and ensuring that reading continues to allow endless possibilities for everyone. We discuss Chris's most delicious moment working at Readings, the founding story of the Stella prize, her top tip for recommending books and of course, we pair some fabulous books with tasty treats! The pairings: The Spill by Imbi Neeme Winner of the 2019 Penguin Literary Prize In 1982, a car overturns on a remote West Australian road. Nobody is hurt, but the impact is felt for decades. Nicole and Samantha Cooper both remember the summer day when their mother, Tina, lost control of their car – but not in quite the same way. It is only after Tina’s death, almost four decades later, that the sisters are forced to reckon with the repercussions of the crash. Nicole, after years of aimless drifting, has finally found love, and yet can’t quite commit. And Samantha is hiding something that might just tear apart the life she’s worked so hard to build for herself. Chris suggested room temperature Chardonnay and a frozen ham would pair perfectly with this book ... and she thinks the author would agree! State Highway One by Sam Coley Winner of the 2017 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers It's been years since Alex was in New Zealand, and years since he spent any one-on-one time with his twin sister, Amy. When they lose their parents in a shock accident it seems like the perfect time to reconnect as siblings. To reconnect with this country they call 'home'. As they journey the length of State Highway One, they will scratch at wounds that have never healed - and Alex will be forced to reckon with what coming home really means. Room temp again but beer or vodka this time with a burger - no veggies in sight - is Chris's pairing with this heartbreaking novel. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall Luc O'Donnell’s rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc is in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything. To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship...and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he's never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened. But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. Justine thinks brunch and a peach Bellini would be the perfect pairing for this light, bright, fizzy romp of a tale!

This episode I am joined by historical fiction author Robert Gott. Robert is the author of The Holiday Murders, The Port Fairy Murders and in 2019 The Autumn Murders a series of hard-boiled historical whodunits set in 1940’s Australia. He has also written the William Power series of crime-caper novels also set in 1940s Australia. We discuss book fatigue, writing an unlikeable character, the uselessness of history and Jane Austen! The pairings: Jeeves and Wooster Omnibus by PG Wodehouse Bertie is embroiled in plot and counterplot in these three glorious Jeeves and Wooster novels. In The Mating Season, Bertie pretends he is his old pal Gussie Fink-Nottle to ensure Gussie's engagement to the soppy Madeline Bassett comes to no harm. The Code of the Woosters finds Bertie in an even worse mess. His fearsome Aunt Dahlia has blackmailed him into purloining a particularly hideous cow-creamer from the home of Sir Watkyn Bassett. Unfortunately, other parties have their own plans for the unsavoury item, and for Bertie too. In Right Ho, Jeeves, Bertie takes matters in hand when Jeeves suggests Bertie's friend Gussie Fink-Nottle puts on scarlet tights and a false beard to achieve the object of his desire. As usual, only Jeeves can sort out the ensuing chaos. Robert chose to pair a very, very, very dry martini with this series as it is elegant and graceful whilst being totally unrealistic and removed from reality! The postman always rings twice by James M Cain Cain’s first novel–the subject of an obscenity trial in Boston, the inspiration for Camus’s The Stranger–is the fever-pitched tale of a drifter who stumbles into a job, into an erotic obsession, and into a murder. Double Indemnity–which followed Postman so quickly, Cain’s readers hardly had a chance to catch their breath–is a tersely narrated story of blind passion, duplicity, and, of course, murder. Mildred Pierce, a work of acute psychological observation and devastating emotional violence, is the tale of a woman with a taste for shiftless men and an unreasoned devotion to her monstrous daughter. Robert enjoys the spare writing and would suggest a bourbon to pair with this author. The only bourbon he had on hand was a honey and ghost pepper bourbon with a sweet heat to go with these grim and somewhat violent stories.  Space Opera by Catherynne Valente Once every cycle, the civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix - part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Instead of competing in orbital combat, the powerful species that survived face off in a competition of song, dance, or whatever can be physically performed in an intergalactic talent show. The stakes are high for this new game, and everyone is forced to compete. This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny - they must sing. Eurovision in space could only be paired with a drink inspired by Eurovision itself! Justine recommends a Rocket To The Stars, inspired by Eurovision contestant - SLAVKO KALEZIĆ from Montenegro Who sang ‘SPACE’ in 2017. The cocktail involves watermelon, basil, sugar syrup and gin. It’s super sweet, yet super dry and will leave you mildly confused as to what just happened!

This episode I am joined by author Mirandi Riwoe. Mirandi is the author of the novella The Fish Girl, which won Seizure’s Viva la Novella Prize and was shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize and the Queensland Literary Award’s UQ Fiction Prize. Her work has appeared in Best Australian Stories, Meanjin, Review of Australian Fiction, Griffith Review and Best Summer Stories. Mirandi has a PhD in Creative Writing and Literary Studies and lives in Brisbane. She also writes the Heloise Chancey historical crime series under a pseudonym MJ Tjia. Her latest novel is Stone Sky Gold Mountain. The pairings: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she is pregnant--and that her lover is married--she refuses to be bought. Instead, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son's powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations. Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters--strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis--survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history. Mirandi paired this beautiful story with a delicious and spicy Korean beef soup. The Singapore Grip (Empire Trilogy #3) by J.G. Farrell Singapore, 1939: life on the eve of World War II just isn't what it used to be for Walter Blackett, head of British Singapore's oldest and most powerful firm. No matter how forcefully the police break one strike, the natives go on strike somewhere else. His daughter keeps entangling herself with the most unsuitable beaus, while her intended match, the son of Blackett's partner, is an idealistic sympathizer with the League of Nations and a vegetarian. Business may be booming—what with the war in Europe, the Allies are desperate for rubber and helpless to resist Blackett's price-fixing and market manipulation—but something is wrong. No one suspects that the world of the British Empire, of fixed boundaries between classes and nations, is about to come to a terrible end. A love story and a war story, a tragicomic tale of a city under siege and a dying way of life, Mirandi pairs this beautiful book with the Stengah, a drink made from equal measures whiskey and soda - refreshing yet strong, simple and elegant.

This episode I am joined by Emma White, Children and Youth Coordinator at Hobsons Bay Libraries and the current Convenor of the Public Libraries Victoria, Children’s and Youth Services Special Interest Group! Emma has worked in public libraries for over 10 years, and is a passionate advocate for children and young people in library spaces. Emma has spent lockdown moving her cat off her keyboard during Zoom meetings, continuing home renovations with her partner and learning to make her own polymer clay earrings. This episode we are talking about finding the best resources for kids in lockdown, plugging local libraries (of course!), our favourite children's books and just what we would pair with them for a fabulous reading experience! The Babysitters Club series by Ann M. Martin Kristy's Great Idea      Book #1 Kristy thinks the Baby-sitters Club is a great idea. She and her friends Claudia, Stacey, and Mary Anne all love taking care of kids. A club will give them the chance to have lots of fun - and make tons of money. But nobody counted on crank calls, uncontrollable two-year-olds, wild pets, and parents who don't always tell the truth. And then there's Stacey, who's acting more and more mysterious. Having a baby-sitters club isn't easy, but Kristy and her friends aren't giving up until they get it right! Emma loves this series for its wonderful portrayal of young girls beginning to find their way as young women, its focus on friendship and community and for how good the tv series adaptation has been! She pairs this series with a Jellybean cocktail - a nostalgic classic, sweet but not too sweet, with enough colour, brightness and freshness and oomph for the whole club! Jellybeans only for the tweens of course ;) Amazing Australian Women: Twelve Women Who Shaped History by Pamela Freeman and Sophie Beer Meet twelve amazing Australian women who have changed the world, in small ways and large. Some of them are world famous, like Annette Kellerman and Nellie Melba. Some of them are famous in Australia, like Mary Reibey and Edith Cowan. All of them deserve to be famous and admired. These women are the warriors who paved the way for the artists, business owners, scientists, singers, politicians, actors, sports champions, adventurers, activists and innovators of Australia today. Emma loves how inspiring and informative this book is. Whilst it is a junior non fiction book it is told in a wonderfully readable narrative way which makes you want to find out more about each of these amazing women. She paired this amazing Australian book with an amazing Australian gin! The Kangaroo Island Spirits Mulberry Gin makes for a pretty darn delicious gin and tonic, punchy, sweet and tart and quintessentially Australian.

It’s an interesting time to be in Melbourne right now, for me the current vibe is quite different from the first lockdown. Then there was an almost frenetic energy about needing to isolate. Now, at least what I am feeling, is a bit more of a malaise, you know? That general feeling of discomfort, unease and it’s also a little bit heavy, like there’s a weighted blanket on you and staying in bed is just the best you can do right now. And that’s okay if so. I really struggle to read books in times like these. Where I would normally read a few books a week, right now I'm lucky to get through one. And trying to read a new book, even one I am super interested in, is quite tough. There are days I manage it, and there are days when I reach for my comfort reads. So today I wanted to share these with you, these favourite comforting, gentle and sometimes not so gentle reads and perhaps they can help you get some reading in too. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer is a favourite which I paired with a delicious La Sirene wild ale - the Praline - in episode 2. In episode 9 whilst chatting with the lovely Australian speculative fiction writer Samantha Marshall I recommended The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and paired it with a delicious warming coconut turmeric latte. I spoke about I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith in episode 12 with the lovely librarian and youth advocate Adele Walsh and paired a wholesome chicken soup or chamomile tea with it for a warm and relaxing reading experience. To Ride Pegasus (#1 in the Talents Saga) by Anne McCaffrey is the first in a series which I love to re-read all 8 books of when times are a little bit more difficult. Futuristic yet Old Fashioned I paired this with a warming Cocoa Old-Fashioned cocktail. The Elenium and The Tamuli series by David Eddings. Knights on quests, Gods and magic, handsome men and strong women. Read with an Imperial IPA for a hearty, warming time! American Hippo by Sarah Gailey. 1890s Louisiana, with hippos. Feral hippos. Hippo ranchers and outlaw hippo wranglers. Queer misfits on a quest. Paired with a Tequila Honeysuckle for a lip-smacking lime and alcohol hit. The Babysitters Club on Netflix - fresh take on a classic, light and lovely, diverse and fun! Made me want a spider (ice cream soda) for the first time in years!

This episode I am joined by librarian Andrew Kelly. Andrew is a library professional from Perth who has worked in both public and special libraries. He has spent the last few years earning a name for himself in the world of library makerspaces and 3D printing. In 2017 he helped set up the Perth branch of newCardigan - a group for Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museum workers, and is currently newCardigan Treasurer. This episode we did something a little different … a few weeks ago I posted a pairing of a favourite read of mine, The Rook by Daniel O’Malley. Andrew saw my post on Twitter and we started chatting about the fact that he had not read the book, but had watched the TV series and loved it and was nervous about reading the book, and I had not watched the TV series as I didn’t want it to ruin the book! So we made a pact to each read or watch the other format of this story and report back. We will be doing some pairings but first, a rant! The pairings: The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the ageing Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. But it's about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunnelling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. Andrew paired this book with a classic Daiquiri cocktail, refreshing and delicious!  All Systems Red (Book 1 in the Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. However, in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighbouring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth. This is a delightfully snarky, fun, fast-paced page-turner. I love the main character of Murderbot, it is so darkly, drily sardonic. I would pair this with something really salty but really fun to drink. When I was looking at what cocktails that might be I stumbled across this delicious sounding drink, the Ponche de Champagne which is a punch (yes, that is a mild reference to Murderbot’s capabilities)  that includes salt - roasted plantain syrup, banana, passion-fruit, star- anise and cinnamon with champagne floated on top.

This episode I am joined by award-winning horror writer Kaaron Warren. Kaaron is a Shirley Jackson award-winning Australian author who published her first short story in 1993. Her short stories and novels have won Australian Shadows Awards, Ditmar Awards and Aurealis Awards. She has published 5 multi-award winning novels, her debut Slights, Walking the Tree, Mistification, The Grief Hole and Tide of Stone. Her most recent novella is a gothic-styled ghost story, Into Bones Like Oil, which has been shortlisted for a Shirley Jackson Award, the Bram Stoker Award and the Aurealis Award. Kaaron chatted with me about writing across genres, finding the humour in horror, embodying characters and being inspired by the stories behind an object. And she recommended some pretty awesome books too! The pairings: Mapp and Lucia by E. F. Benson A series of novels about Emmeline "Lucia" Lucas and Elizabeth Mapp, the stories are a subtly brilliant comedy of social rivalry between the wars, featuring humorous incidents in the lives of (mainly) upper-middle-class British people in the 1920s and 1930s, vying for social prestige and one-upmanship in an atmosphere of extreme cultural snobbery. Emmeline Lucas (known universally to her friends as Lucia) is an arch-snob of the highest order. In Miss Elizabeth Mapp of Mallards Lucia meets her match. Ostensibly the most civil and genteel of society ladies, there is no plan too devious, no plot too cunning, no depths to which they would not sink, in order to win the battle for social supremacy. Using as their deadly weapons garden parties, bridge evenings and charming teas, the two combatants strive to outcharm each other - and the whole of Tilling society - as they vie for the position of doyenne of the town. Kaaron loves this series but particularly this story (#4) as it is full of funny, beautiful and yet somewhat nasty characters! She would pair it with Lobster a la Riseholme - a secret recipe known only to the character Lucia - and a nice glass of sherry :) The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley Set in a bleak strip of coastline in the north west of England in the 1970s, it’s the story of two brothers who accompany their parents and members of their parish on a pilgrimage one Easter. The novel is narrated by one of the brothers from a point in the far future. He recalls the pilgrimage of that Easter in the 1970s and wants to record what happened because a body has recently been found in the area that they visited. He feels a fierce sense of protection over his brother who he nicknames Hanny. As boys they were incredibly close because Hanny was mute up until that Easter and they shared a special communication. However, the boys' mother Esther (who the narrator refers to as Mummer) is determined to cure Hanny's muteness by appealing to God and puts him through a series of ardent prayers and rituals to cure him. Kaaron couldn't recommend this tense, gloomy yet, according to her, hilarious, novel and the compelling questions it raises about faith, life's meaning and family. She suggests pairing it with a slow-cooked stew and buckets of tea. When questioned she confirmed no human bits are to be used in the stew!

Joining me for this episode’s online chat is award-winning Melbourne writer, Angela Savage! Angela always wanted to be a writer, but figured she needed to live an interesting life first in order to have something worth writing about. She spent most of the 1990s living and working on HIV projects in Southeast Asia, before returning to Australia, where she alternated between writing fiction and working in the community sector. Her debut novel, 'Behind the Night Bazaar', won the 2004 Victorian Premier's Award for an Unpublished Manuscript, and she won the 2011 Scarlet Stiletto Award for short fiction. Angela holds a PhD in Creative Writing, giving her the Bond villain-like title of Doctor Savage. Her new novel 'Mother of Pearl' was published in 2019 and she is currently the Director of Writers Victoria. Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe Family circumstances force siblings Ying and Lai Yue to flee their home in China to seek their fortunes in Australia. Life on the gold fields is hard, and they soon abandon the diggings and head to nearby Maytown. Once there, Lai Yue finds a job as a carrier on an overland expedition, while Ying finds work in a local store and strikes up a friendship with Meriem, a young white woman with her own troubled past. When a serious crime is committed, suspicion falls on all those who are considered outsiders. Evoking the rich, unfolding tapestry of Australian life in the late nineteenth century, Stone Sky Gold Mountain is a heartbreaking and universal story about the exiled and displaced, about those who encounter discrimination yet yearn for acceptance. Angela loved the description in the book of a dried plum - sometimes called a dried prune - and thought that nothing would pair better with this book than this particular bittersweet delicacy.  Swallow the Air by Tara June Winch In 2006, Tara June Winch’s startling debut Swallow the Air was published to acclaim. Its poetic yet visceral style announced the arrival afresh and exciting new talent. This 10th anniversary edition celebrates its important contribution to Australian literature. When May's mother dies suddenly, she and her brother Billy are taken in by Aunty. However, their loss leaves them both searching for their place in a world that doesn't seem to want them. While Billy takes his own destructive path, May sets off to find her father and her Aboriginal identity. Her journey leads her from the Australian east coast to the far north, but it is the people she meets, not the destinations, that teach her what it is to belong. Angela loves road trips and suggested that the best pairing for this story is your favourite road trip food, her pick was pies and boy does she know her pie shops! Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter In a London flat, two young boys face the unbearable sadness of their mother's sudden death. Their father, a Ted Hughes scholar and scruffy romantic, imagines a future of well-meaning visitors and emptiness. In this moment of despair they are visited by Crow - antagonist, trickster, healer, babysitter. This self-described sentimental bird is attracted to the grieving family and threatens to stay until they no longer need him. As weeks turn to months and physical pain of loss gives way to memories, this little unit of three begin to heal. Justine loved this haunting, heartbreaking evocation of grief and of healing. She suggested a chocolate martini as the perfect soothing, creamy pairing needed to help you through it. 

My recommendation for you today was also published in 2012, like my last one and is also by an Australian author, but there I think the similarities end - except for the fact that they are both cracking good reads of course! The Rook by Daniel O’Malley open with Myfanwy Thomas waking up in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves and holding a letter with the opening line: "The body you are wearing used to be mine." With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her. She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own. In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined. This is a richly imagined world, a creative and complex urban fantasy with British Spies, monsters and a super dry, badass female protagonist, it is richly inventive, suspenseful and it’s an absolute page turner! I’d pair this book with a rich and intense red wine, something with depth that is fruit-driven, acidic and has a jammy-ness to it, a moreish-ness. Probably a Shiraz from the Heathcote area in Victoria. And much like drinking a good shiraz, you won’t want to stop reading this book once you start!

My recommendation for you today was also published in 2012, like my last one and is also by an Australian author, but there I think the similarities end - except for the fact that they are both cracking good reads of course! The Rook by Daniel O’Malley open with Myfanwy Thomas waking up in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves and holding a letter with the opening line: "The body you are wearing used to be mine." With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her. She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own. In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined. This is a richly imagined world, a creative and complex urban fantasy with British Spies, monsters and a super dry, badass female protagonist, it is richly inventive, suspenseful and it’s an absolute page turner! I’d pair this book with a rich and intense red wine, something with depth that is fruit-driven, acidic and has a jammy-ness to it, a moreish-ness. Probably a Shiraz from the Heathcote area in Victoria. And much like drinking a good shiraz, you won’t want to stop reading this book once you start!

My recommendation for you today was also published in 2012, like my last one and is also by an Australian author, but there I think the similarities end - except for the fact that they are both cracking good reads of course! The Rook by Daniel O’Malley open with Myfanwy Thomas waking up in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves and holding a letter with the opening line: "The body you are wearing used to be mine." With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her. She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own. In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined. This is a richly imagined world, a creative and complex urban fantasy with British Spies, monsters and a super dry, badass female protagonist, it is richly inventive, suspenseful and it’s an absolute page turner! I’d pair this book with a rich and intense red wine, something with depth that is fruit-driven, acidic and has a jammy-ness to it, a moreish-ness. Probably a Shiraz from the Heathcote area in Victoria. And much like drinking a good shiraz, you won’t want to stop reading this book once you start!