You're Booked

This week we're in a top secret London interrogation room location with Nikesh Shukla, the author, broadcaster and essayist. His third novel, The One Who Wrote Destiny was published to great acclaim this Spring. Nikesh is also the creator and editor of the bestselling essay collection The Good Immigrant. We talked to him about childhood reads, early inspirations and literary annoyances (n.b. if you're Jonathan Franzen you might not want to listen to this one).BOOKSNikesh Shukla - The One Who Wrote DestinyNikesh Shukla (ed) - The Good ImmigrantNikesh Shukla - Run RiotNikesh Shukla - Meat SpaceFyodor Dostoyevsky - Crime and PunishmentSue Townsend - Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4Aidan McFarlane, Ann McPherson - The Diary of a Teenage Health FreakGary Paulsen - HatchetHanif Kureishi - The Buddha of SuburbiaCharles Dickens - Bleak HouseJonathan Franzen - FreedomHoward Jacobson - The Finkler QuestionHoward Jacobson - Zoo TimeJames Ellroy - Dudley Smith TrioAL Kennedy - The Little SnakeHarper Lee - Go Set a WatchmanHarper Lee - To Kill a MockingbirdHari Kunzru - White TearsKieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie - The Wicked + The Divine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're off to Cambridge, home of some of the greatest scientific minds - and pens - known to human existence. from Charles Darwin to Douglas Adams and this week's guest, romantic comedy writer and zombie lit lover Lucy Vine. Lucy comes from a family of writers, and she tells us about an early run in with Roald Dahl, her surprisingly scatological filing system and her belief that no-one is too grand for Dan Brown. We were also joined by a puppy posse - listen out for Ivy, Teddy and Sonny.BOOKSLucy Vine - What Fresh Hell?Lucy Vine - Hot MessRoald Dahl - Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryDeborah Frances-White - The Guilty FeministSarah Silverman - The BedwetterAA Milne - Winnie The PoohJohn Wyndham - The Day of the TriffidsJon Ronson - So You've Been Publicly ShamedHG Wells - The Time MachineGabrielle Fernie - LushEmer McLysaght and Sarah Breen - Oh My God What a Complete AislingHelen Fielding - Bridget Jones's DiaryDolly Alderton - Everything I Know About LoveLouise O'Neill - The Surface BreaksSophie Kinsella - The Secret Dreamworld of a ShopaholicNora Ephron - HeartburnSarah Hodgson - Modern Dog ParentingPiers Morgan - Don't You Know Who I Am?Simon Amstell - HelpDaisy Johnson - Everything UnderCat Marnell - How To Murder Your LifeDavid Nicholls - One DayLionel Shriver - We Need To Talk About KevinSylvia Waugh - The MennymsRobert C O'Brien - The Silver CrownRichard Adams - Watership DownCecelia Ahern - RoarDan Brown - The Da Vinci CodeCaitlin Moran - How To Build a GirlLena Dunham - Not That Kind of Girl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For episode 4 we're heading to Ashford - the home of the Eurostar, Vic Reeves, Bob Holness and the journalistic power couple Stuart Heritage and Robyn Wilder. Stuart is the author of the brilliantly funny memoir Don't Be a Dick Pete, Robyn writes a weekly parenting column for The Pool and they both host the excellent Naughty Step podcast. We huddled around their kitchen table to discuss comedy cookbooks, Misty comics and upsetting Paul Hollywood.BOOKSStuart Heritage - Don't Be a Dick PeteVarious - Lonely Planet Trans-Siberian RailwayJK Rowling - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneBelle de Jour - Intimate Adventures of a London Call GirlBelle de Jour - Playing the GameBen Myers - The Book of FuckCoolio - Cookin' With CoolioTove Jansson - Moomins CookbookPaul Hollywood - BreadSarah Gomes Harris - Sarah and DuckLucy M Boston - Children of Green KnoweCS Lewis - Complete Chronicles of NarniaLucy Mangan - BookwormJudith Kerr - Tiger Who Came To TeaVC Andrews - Flowers in the AtticJudy Blume - Then Again Maybe I Won'tChristina Patterson - The Art of Not Falling ApartGraham Greene - Brighton RockGeorge Orwell - 1984Fyodor Dostoevsky - Crime and PunishmentSimone Cave - Coping With TwoVarious - Babies: Mumsnet GuideHarvey MD Karp - Happiest Baby on the BlockMichael Rosen - You're Thinking About DoughnutsJ Maarten Troost - Sex Lives of CannibalsEL James - 50 Shades TrilogyMarian Keyes - The BreakPhilip Pullman - Belle SauvageGeorge RR Martin - Song of Ice and FireNoah Hawley - Before The FallDolly Alderton - Everything I Know About Love Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Muswell Hill for Ep 3, not far from the desks of Alan Bennett, Zadie Smith, and today’s guest Sarra Manning. Sarra is a bestselling, prolific novelist, literary editor of Red, alumni of several top teen mags and one of the most prolific readers around. She told us she got rid of 800 books before our visit, just so we could move freely around her flat. But there were tons of treasure left including a precious collection of rare Noel Streatfeilds, a copy of proto bonkbuster Lace, a gorgeous collection of vintage Chalet Schools with an origin story that will make you weep, and tales about books she’s bought, borrowed and stolen.BOOKSSarra Manning - UnstickySarra Manning - You Don't Have To Say You Love MeSarra Manning - Rise and Fall of Becky SharpThackeray - Vanity FairFrancesca Lia Block - Weetzie BatCharles Creed - Maid to MeasureGinette Spanier - It Isn't All MinkAnne Scott-James - In The MinkEdna Woolman Chase - Always in VogueErnestine Carter - With Tongue in ChicSylvia Plath - Bell JarJD Salinger - Franny and ZooeyJD Salinger - Raise High the Roof Beam CarpentersWilliam Burroughs - Cities of the Red NightJilly Cooper - HarrietSilwyn Williams - Give Me Back My PridePam Lyons - He Was BadJudy Blume - ForeverJudy Blume - Starring Sally J Freedman as HerselfEM Brent Dyer - Gay From China at the Chalet School EM Brent Dyer - Lavender Laughs at the Chalet SchoolJilly Cooper - ImogenShirley Conran - LaceJudith Krantz - Princess DaisyJudith Krantz - I'll Take ManhattanJilly Cooper - RidersJudy Blume - Are You There God It's Me MargaretBlake Nelson - GirlSarra Manning - Guitar GirlJames Salter & Kay Salter - Life Is MealsEM Delafield - Diary of a Provincial LadyEmily St. John Mandel - Station 11Susan Scarlett - Clothes PegsNoel Streatfeild - Myra CarrolNoel Streatfeild - SaplingsMarjorie Hillis - Live Alone & Like ItJaney Scott - Sara Gay Model GirlFred Vermorel - StarlustFrederick Carter - London at NightFrancis Marshall - London WestMary R Richardson - Laugh a DefianceLorna Hill - Dream of Sadlers Wells Georgette Heyer - Regency Buck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 2, we’re off to Falmouth, Cornwall. The Wild West has been inspiring writers for 100s of years, from Du Maurier to DH Lawrence and it’s the home of our very special guest, Cathy Rentzenbrink. Many readers will be familiar with Cathy from her bestselling memoir, The Last Act Of Love and her beautiful book, A Manual For Heartache. So you might not associate Cathy with comedy – but she’s fiercely funny. Her books will make you cry, but her conversation will definitely make you laugh. Cathy also talks, openly and honestly, about how books saved her life…BOOKSCathy Rentzenbrink - The Last Act of LoveCathy Rentzenbrink - A Manual For HeartacheHilary Mantel - Giving Up the GhostJulian Barnes - Nothing to Be Frightened Of Barbara Trapido - Brother of the More Famous JackErica Jong - Fear of FlyingNancy Mitford - Pursuit of LoveDH Lawrence - Lady Chatterley's LoverDH Lawrence - Women in LoveDH Lawrence - The RainbowJane Austen - EmmaJane Austen - Mansfield ParkJane Austen - Pride and PrejudiceZadie Smith - Feel FreeJon Ronson - So You've Been Publicly ShamedCaroline Kepnes - YouJulian Barnes - Flaubert's ParrotJulian Barnes - A History of the World in 10 1/2 ChaptersMary Wesley - Not That Sort of GirlNora Ephron - HeartburnNora Ephron - Scribble ScribbleLM Montgomery - Emily of New MoonLM Montgomery - Anne of Green GablesLM Montgomery - Anne of the IslandLM Montgomery - Anne of AvonleaLM Montgomery - Complete JournalsSusan Coolidge - What Katy DidSusan Coolidge - CloverLucy Mangan - BookwormGeorgette Heyer - FredericaAlberto Manguel - History of ReadingBeryl E Escott - Heroines of SOEAgatha Christie - The ClocksWE Johns - BigglesJeff Kinney - Diary of a Wimpy KidAndy Griffiths - 13-Story TreehouseJohn Niven - Kill Your FriendsDavid Nicholls - One DayHelen Fielding - Bridget Jones's DiarySue Townsend - Secret Diary of Adrian MoleRyan Holiday - Daily StoicVarious - Assassin's CloakWilliam Boyd - Any Human Heart Rachel Joyce - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold FryLouisa May Alcott - Little WomenJK Rowling - Harry Potter & the Order of the PhoenixTom Palmer - Armistice RunnerAJ Pearce - Dear Mrs BirdLissa Evans - Their Finest Hour and a Half Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode one takes place in leafy, literary North London, a place that has inspired many Very Important Pens – including those belonging to Virginia Woolf, JG Ballard, and that of our very first guest Dolly Alderton. Dolly, the author of Everything I Know About Love, the co-presenter of chart topping podcast The High Low and the Sunday Times columnist, is a voracious reader. Her book filled flat yielded some serious treasures, with a library featuring names fit to grace the guest list of the ultimate paper party, from JB Priestley to…Rod Stewart. Dolly told us about the intimacy of reading and writing, the reality of sharing so much of your life with strangers and why she’ll never stop reading love stories. It must be said that she's a host nonpareil - she makes the greatest cup of coffee in the capital.THIS WEEK'S BOOKSDolly Alderton - Everything I Know About LoveAlex Comfort - The Joy of SexJudy Blume - ForeverChris Kraus - I Love DickStefan Bollman - Women Who Read Are DangerousPauline Reage - The Story of ORachael Oakes-Ash - Good Girls Do SwallowMatt Haig - Reasons To Stay AliveJB Priestley - DelightVarious - Modern DelightRod Stewart - Rod: The AutobiographyCherie Curry - Neon Angel: A Memoir of a RunawayOttessa Moshfegh - My Year of Rest and RelaxationLynn Barber - How To Improve Your Man in BedWoody Allen - Without FeathersTina Brown - The Vanity Fair DiariesDerek Walcott - The Poetry of Derek WalcottViv Albertine - To Throw Away UnopenedViv Albertine - Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to You're Booked, the podcast for literary nosy parkers.Join your Book Inspector, Daisy Buchanan, as she enters the homes of your favourite authors and snoops around their bookshelves. She'll uncover forbidden reads, books borrowed and never returned, bad reading habits, those embarrassing tomes hidden at the back of the pile and formative literary experiences.Take a listen to a few choice moments from some upcoming episodes featuring Dolly Alderton, Nina Stibbe, Nikesh Shukla and Lucy Vine.The first episode of You're Booked with special guest Dolly Alderton, will be out soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.