Art historian Katy Hessel and author Amy Blakemore discuss insightful book recommendations, exploring topics such as chess symbolism and unity in 'Chess' by Stefan Zweig, the poetic narrative style of 'Maud Martha' by Gwendolyn Brooks, and the dark compassion in 'The Pier Falls' by Mark Hatton. The discussion also touches on storytelling techniques and the impact of novel length on modern readers.