

The Bookshelf
ABC listen
What are you reading, loving or being challenged by? We review the latest in fiction for dedicated readers and for those who wish they read more.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 13, 2022 • 29min
The Bookshelf that Made Me: Tilly Lawless & Jon McGregor
Tilly Lawless on her debut novel Nothing but My Body, and her reading inspiration; and Jon McGregor on aphasia and Antarctica, in his Lean Fall Stand

Jan 7, 2022 • 54min
Summer Reads: James Ellroy, Jhumpa Lahiri, Guillermo Martinez and Charlotte McConaghy
Kate and Cassie on James Ellroy's Widespread Panic; Debra Oswald on Jhumpa Lahiri's Whereabouts; Robert Gott on Guillermo Martinez' The Oxford Brotherhood and Charlotte McConaghy with the Bookshelf that Made Me (and her book, Once There Were Wolves)

Jan 6, 2022 • 29min
The Bookshelf that Made Me: R W R Mcdonald & Jacqueline Bublitz
Crime writers R W R McDonald (The Nancys, Nancy Business) and Jacqueline Bublitz (Before you Knew My Name) on the books that they are writing against, in concert with, inspired by, and so on (it's a complicated business).

Dec 31, 2021 • 54min
Summer Reading: a wild party, Beowulf, and Gillian Mears
Join music writer Mark Mordue as he chats about the vibrant themes of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising. Professor Louise D'Arcens shares insights on a groundbreaking new translation of Beowulf, revealing its timeless relevance and exploring the complex portrayal of its characters. Meanwhile, biographer Bernadette Brennan sheds light on Australian author Gillian Mears, examining how her life experiences and struggles have shaped her powerful narratives and unique storytelling style. It's a lively celebration of literature!

Dec 30, 2021 • 29min
The Bookshelf that Made Me: Colm Tóibín and Emily Gale
A fictional biography of German Nobel Prize winning writer Thomas Manne (and his extraordinary family) by Irish writer Colm Tóibín, with The Magician; and a roadtrip across America in Emily Gale's Wild Abandon. But what do these writers read?

Dec 24, 2021 • 54min
Summer Reading: Jane Austen, Joan Silber, Kevin Barry and Elizabeth Strout
A new interview with Elizabeth Strout about Oh, William! and the Bookshelf that Made Her; and favourite review discussions from the year about Jane Austen, Joan Silber and Kevin Barry with readers Ruth Wilson and Michael McGirr

Dec 23, 2021 • 29min
The Bookshelf That Made Me: Sarah Winman and Nick Earls
Writers and their bookshelves. Sarah Winman's Still Life moves between England and Florence, while Nick Earls' Empires travels from Brisbane to Alaska, London, Vienna and Hong Kong. But what are the books that shaped these novels and these writers?

Dec 17, 2021 • 1h 1min
The Bookshelf That Made Me: Ken Follett, Rose Tremain, Amie Kaufman & Jaclyn Moriarty
What are the books that have shaped these writers and (in particular) their latest works? Ken Follett, Rose Tremaine, Amie Kaufman & Jaclyn Moriarty

Dec 10, 2021 • 54min
Best Reads 2021 Part 2: General Adult Fiction
Reading recommendations from writer and critic Beejay Silcox, crime writer Christian White and memoirist Lech Blaine. What are the books they have especially admired this year?

Dec 8, 2021 • 21min
Claudia Karvan and the Books that Made Us: Pod Extra
Actor Claudia Karvan speaks to Kate Evans about her reading life and the Books That Made Us