You know Candice Bergen, even if you don't think you do: you've seen her reject Carrie Bradshaw as Enid, the editor of Vogue, and you've seen her try to blow up a Miss America pageant in Miss Congeniality. But there's more to this actor than you might think: she was born into Hollywood royalty, as the daughter of famous ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, became the "sliding doors" Sharon Tate during the summer of the Manson murders, and was the first woman to ever host SNL. In her memoir Knock Wood, she describes with wry humour her Hollywood childhood and what it's like to grow up as a sex symbol in the 1970s. We talk about the hypocrisy of the hippie movement, the weirdness of ventriloquism, the death of vaudeville, the perils of growing up Californian, and why if you can't date your father you might as well get a horse. Music by Harry Harris, artwork Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast studios, produced by Caroline O'Donoghue and mixed by Hannah Varrall.You can buy Karen's book WHY KAREN CARPENTER MATTERS here: https://amzn.to/2IO3ljq Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're talking to Queenie author Candice Carty-Williams about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah, a book that stands out on Sentimental Garbage for neither being sentimental nor garbage. In fact, it was very well reviewed from the moment it came out. However, this book has more in common with chick lit than you might expect. We talk about when sweeping romance meets cultural understanding, what it's like to write from a place of specificity, the second generation immigration experience, code-switching, masculinity in strong female houses, and why Alexa is a racist. Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re going back to school this week with YA author Holly Bourne for our first ever live show at London Book Fair. We’re talking about Louise Rennison’s teen classic Angus Thongs and Full-frontal Snogging. We chat about preteen desires, trying to trap boys, the private lives of girls, writing for a young audience and the lasting legacy of Rennison’s work.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at the London Book Fair 2019 and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re talking to YA hero and sex writing genius Sarra Manning about her 2009 adult debut Unsticky. We talk about everything from life in the magazine world, to orgasms, to the importance of happy endings in chick-lit novels. Don’t forget to listen to our main episode about the book with Jeanne SuttonMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week it's indecent proposals, being broke in media, and having grandly un-feminist wanks to deeply inappropriate men with Sarra Manning's Unsticky. Ex-magazine journalist and romance novel aficionado Jeanne Sutton talks us through this deeply underrated 2009 book that was also Manning's debut as an adult novelist. We talk a lot about how the media is a cesspit of corruption. It's a great one. Enjoy!Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re talking to the author of the newly-minted The Sisterhood, Daisy Buchanan, about Sophie Kinsella’s The Undomestic Goddess! Workaholic Samantha Sweeting is a brilliant contract lawyer working for the highly pressurised firm Carter Spink. When she accidentally loses millions of pounds in a stupid admin error, she escapes by boarding a train from London and arriving at a house in the Cotswolds, and is mistaken for the new housekeeper by the super bougie and nouveau riche Trish Geiger and her husband. She decides to lay low and take the job, despite the fact that she doesn’t even know how to work a washing machine. This hilariously relevant book examines work addiction, competitive work atmospheres, being bullied by your boss, and being in the eye of a storm of a public scandal.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joanne Harris has been talking about Chocolat for literally 20 years, which is why we're so flattered she came and talked to us even MORE about it. We talk about motherhood, magic, giving advice to writers, how to use research in your writing and the experience of being an "overnight success".Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pancake Tuesday has just gone and we’re kicking it off with the most Lent-en book in all of chicklit: Joanne Harris’s megahit Chocolat! Food writer and novelist Amy Jones joins us to talk about the first book that helped her resolve her relationship with God, and we discuss food, sex, magic, womanhood, having a mother and the ever lengthening shadow of the patriarchy! Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Warning: fans of Frances Mayes' 1996 travel memoir Under The Tuscan Sun won't find a lot of meaningful discussion of the book here, because neither Caroline nor our guest Rose McGowan liked it very much. Instead, we talk about Italy, Rose's childhood in a religious cult, her experience writing her book BRAVE, the relationship between women and gay men, her experiences speaking out against sexual abuse in Hollywood and being raised to think of herself without gender. We also do some fairly unkind impressions of Frances Mayes, so please don't send this podcast to Frances Mayes.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall.Rose McGowan's book BRAVE is published in paperback on the 5th of March.Harvey Weinstein currently denies all allegations made against him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*CONTENT WARNING*: FIRST UP, there's discussions of rape and child abuse throughout that some people might find off-putting. SECOND: this is a book where half the enjoyment comes from the many nutty twists and turns, so definitely read it before listening if you can. *END OF CONTENT WARNING* This week we're talking to author of Louis and Louise Julie Cohen about the 1979 gothic classic Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews. The book was seminal to both Julie and Caroline, and tells the story of the Dollanganger children, Cathy, Chris, Cory and Carrie, and the three years they spend locked in the attic of Foxworth Hall. We talk attics, literary influence, evil women, and why so many teenage girls found so much to fantasise about a book about incest. Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.