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'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus
Lessons in Chemistry is a best selling novel written by Bonnie Garmus. The novel follows Elizabeth Zott in the 1960s as she goes from chemist to TV icon. Fighting for equality and challenging societal norms, Elizabeth finds herself going from falling in love at the research institute where she works to becoming a single mother hosting her own cooking show. In this interview, playwright and journalist Debbie Heath and Marley Bryan review the novel.
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The Woman who went to bed for a Year by Sue Townsend
One day - the very day that her twins leave home for University - Eva climbs into bed. And there she stays. Husband Brian wonders who will cook his dinner. A crowd soon gathers outside, believing that this is a protest. Only Alexander, the white van man, seems to understand. Over the year, much changes as Eva begins to see herself and the world in a new and different way. Debbie Heath and Rob Pearman discuss this amusing yet strangely serious title - not always agreeing about their interpretation. Thanks to Calibre Audio for the illustrative extracts.
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Master Georgie by Beryl Bainbridge
Regular audiobook reviewer Debbie Heath explores one of the author's historical novels with Rob Pearman. Set in the context of the Crimean War (1853-56), the novel follows three characters - a foundling, a street boy and a 'philosopher' - who accompany Master Georgie (a surgeon and amateur photographer) from Victorian comfort to the horrors of the battlefield.
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A Perfect Spy by John le Carre
When Magnus Pym disappears, both the British and the US Secret Services are terrified. Why has this long serving diplomat and spy gone to ground? Has Pym defected? Le Carre weaves the tale of Pym's life from childhood through to adulthood, exploring the relationship he has with his father and how Pym built his life. Terry Prince tells Rob Pearman what he liked about a book which is reckoned to be the author's most biographical.
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The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier
A less well-known novel by du Maurier than ‘Rebecca’ and others, The Scapegoat draws on elements from the author’s own life to create an intriguing and rewarding tale of deception, relationships and mystery.
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Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
This novel has been made into a film several times over the past decades, which suggests that it has a story worth telling and is likely to engage the reader or viewer. Debbie Heath tells Rob Pearman why she (and her family) enjoyed reading this tale of one man's determination to win his wager...
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Spies by Michael Frayn
In a 'lock-down special', regular contributor Debbie Heath and her son Lex discuss Michael Frayn's novel 'Spies'. The narrator, Stephen, looks back 50 years to a time in his childhood when he and his friend Keith came to a dramatic conclusion about one of their parents....
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A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov, deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, is sentenced to house arrest in an attic room in the Metropol Hotel. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a larger world of emotional discovery, whilst some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel's doors. Clare Hobba returns to the studio to discuss a novel that has been described as 'charming', ' witty' and 'a tale abundant in humour, history and humanity'. The audio book, kindly provided by Calibre Audio, is narrated by David Hobbs and lasts for 15 hours 45 minutes.
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'The Midwich Cuckoos' by John Wyndham
Regular reviewer Debbie Heath introduces one of John Wyndham's science fiction novels - famously made into a film under the title 'The Village of the Damned'.
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'Milkman' by Anna Burns - October 2019
Local writer and teacher Clare Hobba tells Rob Pearman why she wanted to talk about Man Booker 2018 prize winner ‘Milkman’ by Anna Burns, which is set (even though it never states this in so many words) in Belfast during The Troubles.
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'Lincoln in the Bardo' - August 2019
Rob Pearman tells regular reviewer Debbie Heath why he chose George Saunders’ 2017 Man Booker prize winning novel ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’ for this addition to the Talking Bookshelf. Abraham Lincoln is in the White House, the American Civil War has begun, and the President's young son Willy dies, only to find himself (and to be found) in 'the Bardo' - that place and time between death and the afterlife.
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'Wolf Hall' by Hilary Mantel - June 2019
As we eagerly await the third volume in Hilary Mantel's trilogy about Thomas Cromwell and his life at the court of Henry VIII, which is expected in 2020, we look back at the first of the three novels - and the first of this author's Mann Booker prize winners - with the help of regular reviewer (and local writer of fiction for older children) Camilla Chester.
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'Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine' by Gail Honeyman - March 2019
Debbie Heath, tells Rob Pearman why she recommends Gail Honeyman’s debut novel ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’ – a strange story of a strange woman. It deals with serious issues but the characterisation, narrative and humour keep the reader engaged till the end (with excerpts from the audiobook courtesy of Calibre Audio).
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'The Lewis Man' by Peter May - February 2019
Regular contributor Val Page tells Rob Pearman why she enjoyed The Lewis Man by prolific Scottish writer Peter May. Storm clouds and raging seas in the Western Isles are the background to a crime story which also explores - with sensitivity - the way that dementia affects the person who has the condition but also those who care for him.
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'Munich' by Robert Harris - August 2018
Regular reviewer Terry Prince tells Rob Pearman why he chose the latest spy/thriller by Robert Harris, author of a series of novels based on actual events or periods in history. 'Munich' adds layers of fiction to the critical negotiations in 1938 between UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and Nazi Fuhrer Adolf Hitler. Did Hitler want war even after taking over the Sudetenland? Was Chamberlain fighting for 'peace in our time' or stalling for a year in which to re-arm?
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'The Dry' by Jane Harper - February 2018
Camilla Chester returns to the studio to discuss Jane Harper's highly successful first novel with Rob Pearman. Set in the arid landscape of drought-afflicted Australia, this is a 'murder mystery' with a difference. The discussion includes audio extracts courtesy of Calibre Audio.
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'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens - January 2018
Terry Prince explores the continuing attraction and contemporary resonance of one of Dickens' most dramatic novels. This discussion with Rob Pearman includes - once again - audio extracts courtesy of Calibre Audio.
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'Halloween Party' by Agatha Christie - December 2017
Deborah Heath discusses one of Agatha Christie's 'murder mysteries' and sets it in the context of the author's many other works of fiction, and tries to persuade Rob Pearman to overcome his previous lack of interest in such a famous writer.
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'The Reader on the 6.27' by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent - November 2017
Sitting in the 6.27 train each day, Guylain Vignolles recites aloud from pages he has saved from the jaws of the monstrous pulping machine. When he discovers the diary of a lonely young woman, Julie - who feels as lost in the world as he does - his journey truly begins.
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'Alone in Berlin' by Hans Falada – September 2017
Hans Falada wrote ‘Alone in Berlin’ immediately after the Second World War when living in what had become East Germany, but it was only available in translation much more recently. Val Page explains to Rob Pearman why she was so impressed by this tale of an ordinary couple of Berliners and their fight back against the Nazis.
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| ‘The Warden’ by Anthony Trollope – September 2017
The Warden’ is the first of the six ‘Chronicles of Barsetshire’ written by Anthony Trollope in the second half of the 19th century. Val Page tells Rob Pearman why she enjoyed the characters and the humour in this novel and also how the issues raised in this novel still have contemporary relevance. Length 17 minutes
‘All the light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr – May 2017
Jill Burridge discusses Anthony Doerr’s 2015 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction award with fellow book group member Jan Fielden. This heart-warming, sad and fascinating page-turner – with a story line set in both France and Germany – is one not to be missed.
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| ‘The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern– May 2017 Deborah Heath – in conversation with Rob Pearman – finds ways to describe the indescribable: the magical, mysterious, astonishing first novel by American writer Erin Morgenstern, narrated in the audio version by Jim Dale. SADTN Length: 19 minutes |
| ‘The Power and the Glory’ by Graham Greene – April 2017 Graham Greene’s powerful novel – one of many by this Berkhampstead-bred writer – is set in anti-clerical, socialist Mexico in the 1920s. Val Page tells Rob Pearman why she chose this title. SADTN Length: 19 minutes |
| ‘The Crooked Heart’ by Lissa Evans – March 2017 Val Page discusses Lissa Evens’ wartime novel, much of which is set in St Albans, with occasional trips into London. SADTN Length: 18 minutes |
| ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier – February 2017 Deborah Heath provides an intriguing introduction to Daphne du Maurier’s famous novel “Rebecca” (without giving away the ending – which is NOT the same as the one Alfred Hitchcock used in his film) in discussion with Rob Pearman. This discussion includes extracts from the audiobook read by Anna Massey. SADTN Length: 18 minutes |
| ‘At Risk’ by Stella Rimington – January 2017 Local author of children’s fiction, Camilla Chester, discusses with Rob Pearman “At Risk” the first spy/crime thriller written by Stella Rimington, former Head of MI5. In this novel, Liz Carlyle, MI5 intelligence officer, faces a terrorist threat as well as the patronising sexist attitude of her MI6 partner… This discussion includes extracts from the audiobook read by Maggie Mash. SADTN Length: 18 minutes |
| ‘Boy’ by Roald Dahl – November 2016 Local writer, musician and performing arts educator, Deborah Heath, discusses with Rob Pearman the first part of the autobiography of the author of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and of many more tales, poems and short stories for all ages. SADTN Length: 18 minutes |
| ‘The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox’ by Maggie O’Farrell – October 2016 Local writer of children’s fiction, Camilla Chester, tells Rob Pearman why this novel is one of her all-time favourites. SADTN Length: 18 minutes |
| Short story competition for young writers – June 2016 Competition organiser, Deborah Heath, introduces the winning stories in the short story competition for local junior school pupils (recorded by young volunteer readers Holly Greatorex and Kit Swift). Deborah is joined by Camilla Chester, local author of children’s’ fiction and one of the judges in the competition. SADTN Length: 20 minutes |
| Interview with Camilla Chester and Deborah Heath – June 2016 Local author of children’s’ fiction, Camilla Chester, discusses her work and the art of writing fiction. She is joined by Deborah Heath, one of the team of volunteers that put together a programme of events and activities for younger people as part of the St Albans Literary Festival (July 2016). SADTN Length: 19 minutes |
| Interview with Leigh Russell – May 2016 Crime writer, Leigh Russell, on a visit to speak at Harpenden Library, discusses the seventh novel in her series featuring Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel, ‘Murder Ring’. The first in her series featuring DS Ian Peterson (‘Cold Sacrifice’) is available as an audio book. SADTN Length: 20 minutes |
| Interview with J Paul Henderson – May 2016 Yorkshire born author J Paul Henderson, on a visit to speak at Harpenden Library, talks about his latest novel ‘The Last of the Bowmans’, a (blackly) humourous tale of a family on the run from itself. It all begins when Lyle Bowman pops out to buy a Cadbury’s Double Decker chocolate bar.… Paul also discusses his previous novel: ‘Last Bus to Coffeeville’ and his next (soon to be published). SADTN Length: 18 minutes |
| ‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusak – April 2016 Rob Pearman chats with Talking Newspaper volunteer reader Val Page about Markus Zusak’s novel “The Book Thief”. Extracts by courtesy of Calibre Audio. SADTN Length: 19 minutes |
| ‘Life after Life’ by Kate Atkinson – March 2016 Jill Burridge discusses Kate Atkinson’s novel “Life after Life” with Talking Newspaper listener Dr Marie Freeman. Extracts by courtesy of Calibre Audio. SADTN Length: 20 minutes |
| ‘The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared’ by Jonas Janasson – February 2016 Rob Pearman talks with Val Page about the strangely titled novel “The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared” by Jonas Jonassan (with an extract from the CD narrated by Terence Hardiman and with kind permission of Calibre Books). SADTN Length: 15 minutes |
| ‘Cider with Rosie’ by Laurie Lee – January 2016 Jill Burridge chats with Nick Strudwick, editor of the Talking Newspaper’s regular News Extra programme, about one of his favourite titles: Laurie Lee’s “Cider with Rosie”. SADTN Length: 14 minutes |
| ‘An Officer and a Spy’ by Robert Harris – May 2015 In the first in our new series of single title ‘Talking Bookshelf’, Val Page and Rob Pearman discuss the latest novel by Robert Harris (‘An Officer and a Spy’) – a fictional account (though based on the facts) of the whistleblower whose determination and courage led to the release of Alfred Dreyfus from Devil’s Island. SADTN Length: 15 minutes |
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| Four more titles – April 2015 Jill Burridge chats with Helen Pecout about ‘The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher’ by Hilary Mantel (reader: Jane Carr – 4 CDs – 4hrs 30 mins); ‘Sidney Chambers and the problems of evil’ by James Runcie (reader: Peter Wickham – 8 CDs); ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’ by Rachel Joyce (reader: Jim Broadbent – 8 CDs – 8 hrs); and ‘Emma’ by Alexander McCall Smith (reader: Georgina Terry – 9 CDs – 10 hrs 45 mins). (There is a musical interlude half way through.) SADTN Length: 27 minutes |
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| And another four – November 2014 Jill Burridge chats with Isabella Martin about ‘Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts’ by Mary Gibson (reader: Anne Dover); ‘Elizabeth is Missing’ by Emma Healey (reader: Anna Bentinck); ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’ by Robert Galbraith (reader: Robert Glenister); and ‘To Kill a Mockingbrid’ by Harper Lee (reader: Sissy Spaceck). SADTN Length: 35 minutes |
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| And four more – August 2014 Rob Pearman chats with Jane Williams about ‘Balancing Act’ by Joanna Trollope (reader: Julia Franklin); ‘Oxygen’ by Andrew Miller (reader: Gordon Griffin); ‘It’s all about Treo’ by Dave Heyho (reader: Malcolm Hamilton); and ‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn (readers: Julia Whelan & Kirby Heyborne). SADTN Length: 24 minutes |
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| Four more titles – May 2014 Rob Pearman chats with Louise Conway about ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen (reader: Lyndsay Duncan); ‘A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian’ by Marina Lewycka (reader: Sian Thomas); ‘An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: or 2000 years of upper class idiots in charge’ by John O’Farrell (reader: John O’Farrell); and ‘Instructions for a Heatwave’ by Maggie O’Farrell (reader: Patricia Leventon). SADTN Length: 25 minutes |
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| Another four titles – January 2014 Jill Burridge chats with Sheila Sampson-Bunce about ‘An Uncommon Reader’ by Alan Bennett (reader: Alan Bennett); ‘Great Expectations’ by Chares Dickens (reader: Anton Lesser); ‘Churchill’s Bunker’ by Richard Holmes (reader: John Telfer); and ‘When will there be good news?’ by Kate Atkinson (reader: Steven Crossley). SADTN Length: 21 minutes |
| Herts Library Services for Talking Books Jill Burridge chats with Helen Pecout about how those with visual impairment can access the Talking Book service provided by Hertfordshire Libraries. SADTN Length: 4 minutes |
| ‘You Are’ Interviews Singer/songwriter Emma Lawrence explains why she is donating all the profits from her new single “You Are” to the charity Living Paintings, which provides a free postal library service of specially adapted tactile books for blind and partially sighted children and adults. Emma is donating the profits to help blind children read. |
| Long Version: SADTN Length: 3minutes 30seconds |
| Short Version: SADTN Length: 1minute 20seconds |
| Download the single from iTunes Watch the video: www.livingpaintings.org/homepage |
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