In the fourth episode of Season 5 of Books, Baby!, Ian, Bev & Alo are joined by returning guest host Simone (⁠⁠@sims_solace) discuss Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, the winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize. This marks the first time a short story collection has taken home the award, and we dive into what makes it so powerful. We explore Mushtaq’s unforgettable characters and how her spoken-style prose builds such disconcerting emotional heights.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• ​
• ​Reservoir Bitches - Dahlia de la Cerda
• ​
• ​Under the Eye of the Big Bird - Hiromi Kawakami
• ​
• ​Perfection - Vicenzo Latronico
• ​
• ​Hunchback - Saou Ichikawa
• ​On the Calculation of Volume 1 - Solvej Balle
• ​We do not part - Han Kang
• ​A Tail for the Time Being - Ruth Ozeki
• ​All the Violent Tiaras: Queering the Greek Myths - Jean Manzies
• ​The Hours - Michael Cunningham
• ​Before Night Falls - Reinaldo Arenas

Connect with us via email (⁠booksbabypod@gmail.com⁠) and on Instagram!

Books, Baby! – ⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksbabypod⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosts:Ian – ⁠⁠⁠⁠@bookish_ian⁠⁠⁠⁠Bev – ⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksgonewilde⁠⁠⁠⁠Alo – ⁠⁠⁠⁠@books.swallows.universe⁠⁠

Guest Host:Simone – ⁠⁠⁠@sims_solace

The Books, Baby! is back after a short break. This month Ian, Bev and Alo are getting lost in the simmering tension of Yael van der Wouden’s debut, The Safekeep.

Set in the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961, this twisted tale of desire and obsession follows two women bound by secrets, suspicion, and the haunting legacy of WWII.

Join us as we unravel the novel’s slow-burn intimacy, queer undercurrents, and one very unforgettable bathtub scene.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode discuses spoilers from the book.

Connect with us via email (booksbabypod@gmail.com) and on Instagram!

Books, Baby! - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksbabypod⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosts: Ian - ⁠⁠⁠@bookish_ian⁠⁠⁠

Bev - ⁠⁠⁠@booksgonewilde⁠⁠⁠

Alo - ⁠⁠⁠@books.swallows.universe

This month on Books, Baby!, Ian, Bev and Alo are diving into the world of Haruki Murakami, through his novel Kafka on the Shore.

We unpack talking cats, Greek mythology influences, classical music, and other themes in Murakami’s storytelling.

Along the way, we discuss some of Murakami’s other works, his signature themes, and the cultural impact of his writing.

📚 Other Murakami books we mention:

• Norwegian Wood

• • South of the border, west of the sun
  • Killing commendatore
  • The Wind-up bird chronicle

📖 Other books that come up in the chat:

• • The burrow by Melanie Cheng
  • Reservoir Bitches by Dahlia de la Cerda
  • Cursed bunny by Bora Chung
  • Toward eternity by Anton Hur
  • The Makioka Sisters by Jun’ichiro Tanizaki
  • Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
  • There’s not such thing as an easy job by Kikuko Tsukuba
  • Tokio Ueno Station by Yu Miri

  
  

Tune in for a deep dive filled with magical realism, metaphysical detours, and just the right amount of existential dread. Don't forget to rate and review!

CONTENT WARNING: This episode discuses spoilers from the book.

Connect with us via email (booksbabypod@gmail.com) and on Instagram!

Books, Baby! - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksbabypod⁠⁠⁠

Hosts: Ian - ⁠⁠@bookish_ian⁠⁠

Bev - ⁠⁠@booksgonewilde⁠⁠

Alo - ⁠⁠@books.swallows.universe

Books, Baby! – Season 5 is here!

With Kylie Minogue’sTension World Tour kicking off this month in Australia, we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the beginning of our new season than by diving intoSpinning Around: The Kylie Playlist! a dazzling anthology celebrating Australia's biggest Pop Icon!

Created and edited by Kirsten Krauth and Angela Savage, this collection features an incredible lineup of writers, including Alice Pung, Ellen Van Neerven, Holden Sheppard, Chris Flynn, Carrie Tiffany, Lucy Treloar, Christos Tsiolkas, and more. With essays, poetry, and stories inspired by Kylie’s music, this book is a love letter to the icon who shaped generations.

Join Ian, Bev, and Alo as they break down the themes, highlight their favourite pieces, and explore how Kylie’s influence extends beyond music into culture, identity, and storytelling.

Listen to the playlist with the songs from the book!

Start your 2025 with a literary bang! In this special year-in-review episode, Ian, Bev, and Alounwrap the books that defined 2024. Released just in time to kick off the new year, we’re diving into the stories that made us laugh, cry, and rethink the world around us.

From dazzling debuts to thought-provoking works by queer authors, women, and minorities, the team reflects on their favourite reads, surprise hits, and unforgettable podcast moments.

Books Discussed in This Episode:

• Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
• The Season by Helen Garner
• Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood
• Less than zero by Bret Easton Ellis
• Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
• Question 7 by Richard Flanagan
• The work by Bri Lee
• Mushrooms at the end of the world by Anna Tsing
• A language of limbs by Dylin Hardcastle
• Kairos by Jenny Erpenbenk
• Private rites by Julia Armfield
• Wrong answers only by Tobias Madden
• What I'd rather not talk about by Jente Posthuma
• The In-between by Christos Tsiolkas
• Liliana's invencible summer by Cristina Rivera Garza
• 
  

Thank you for making 2024 another unforgettable chapter of Books, Baby! And for kicking off the new year with us!

Connect with us via email (booksbabypod@gmail.com) and on Instagram! Books, Baby! - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksbabypod⁠⁠⁠ Hosts: Ian - ⁠⁠@bookish_ian⁠⁠ Bev - ⁠⁠@booksgonewilde⁠⁠ Alo - ⁠⁠@books.swallows.universe

It's Books, Baby! Booker Prize episode and Bev, Ian and Alo discuss the 2024 winner novel Orbital written by British author Samantha Harvey. CONTENT WARNING: This episode discuses spoilers from the book. Connect with us via email (booksbabypod@gmail.com) and on Instagram! Books, Baby! - ⁠⁠⁠@booksbabypod⁠⁠ Hosts: Ian - ⁠@bookish_ian⁠ Bev - ⁠@booksgonewilde⁠ Alo - ⁠@books.swallows.universe

In this episode of Books, Baby! , Ian, Bev, and Alo dive into the ultimate holiday reading list, sharing their top recommendations for books that make the perfect travel companions. We explore perfect pairings for your next trip, like visiting St. Petersburg after reading Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, wandering through Tuscany with Portrait of a Lady by Henry James, or discovering Vietnam while immersed in Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's The Mountain Sing. Whether you’re seeking lighthearted rom-coms or gripping thrillers, we’ve got you covered with recommendations to make your journey unforgettable!

Connect with us via email (booksbabypod@gmail.com) and on Instagram!

Books, Baby! - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksbabypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosts:

Ian - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@bookish_ian⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Bev - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksgonewilde⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Alo - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@books.swallows.universe⁠⁠

For this episode of Books, Baby! Ian, Bev & Alo are joined by fellow bookstagrame Nell (@nellreadsbooks) to dive into Sally Rooney’s literary phenomenon. They explore the buzz surrounding her work, even daring to draw comparisons between Rooney and Taylor Swift, while discussing her latest novel, Intermezzo.

Connect with us via email (booksbabypod@gmail.com) and on Instagram!

Books, Baby! - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksbabypod⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hosts:

Ian - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@bookish_ian⁠⁠⁠⁠

Bev - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksgonewilde⁠⁠⁠⁠

Alo - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@books.swallows.universe⁠⁠

Guest Host:

Nell - ⁠⁠⁠@nellreadsbooks