Virginia and Louise do a deep dive into Barbara Kingsolver’s Pullitzer Prize winning and compelling novel Demon Copperhead and talk all things Charles Dickens as well as adding some shameful new entries to the infamous Ick Register.

Books

Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, 1838

Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, 1854

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, 2023

More Deep Dives

Emma, by Jane Austen

Television

Emma, mini series, 2009

Slow Horses, series 1-3 Apple TV+

One Day, Netflix 2023

Louise and Virginia thought it might be fun to do an episode on books that they feel a bit embarrassed to have never read (until now). There were a lot of books to choose from, but they discuss four in this conversation.

During this chat they also create an Ick Register for authors who use words that give the ick, so that readers can be warned in advance (kind of like a trigger warning, but more basic).

Books

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Television Shows

Scrublands - Stan

Boy Swallows Universe – Netflix

Podcasts

The Children of Rutherford County – Serial

The Queen’s Reading Room

Louise and Virginia have a great conversation about a lovely Western Australian novel. Salt River Road by the very talented debut author Molly Schmidt captures the large Tetley family at the worst time of their lives. Their wife and mother, Elena, has died after a long illness and left them all devastated. Although the book looks at grief through the eyes of several different characters, it has a forward-moving arc, plenty of heart, and a wonderful ending, with an authentic Western Australian, 1970s feel.

Book

Salt River Road by Molly Schmidt, 2023, published by Fremantle Press

Binge TV

Strife

Netflix

The Crown