Required Reading

In the final episode of the season (and perhaps - though we hope not - the series) we are wrapping up all of our thoughts on Philip Pullman’s, His Dark Materials Trilogy. We dive into the movie and TV show adaptations, the companion prequel (La Belle Savage) and sequel (The Secret Commonwealth), get lost in an internet Reddit Rabbithole, and continue to further the Gay Agenda. For now, so long! - we hope to see you soon! Love, Amy & Charlie.

This week we are exploring the wonderful world (s) of His Dark Materials, by author Phillip Pullman. The entire trilogy: The Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. Join us as we revisit possibly the most formative trilogy either of us has read and get lost on tangents along the way. We had so much fun with this episode that we’ve decided to split this bad boy into two, so this is only part one…..

This week we dip our toes into translated fiction. Lately, we’ve been broadening our horizons by chewing through works of fiction that were first written in languages that aren’t English. We look at the philosophy of translation, how it actually functions, creative liberties, and the fantastic impact of books that immerse you in other cultures. We touch on a whole bunch of books (Anna Karenina, The Vegetarian, Norweigan Wood, The Anomaly - to name only a few). This is a new style of episode, focused less on specific books and more on the wider picture.

We are diving into Mary Shelley’s timeless, groundbreaking & genre-making masterpiece, Frankenstein, The Modern Prometheus. We look at the entire plot, break down some key features of the Romantic Era, and reckon with what Frankenstein means today (plus much more). We pay our respects to the Mother of Science Fiction, Mary Godwin Shelley.

Our favourite kiwi literature (2nd edition). We discuss Greta and Valdin, the Ockham award-winning and brilliant debut from Rebecca K. Reilly. Then another Ockham award-winning debut, Chessie Henry’s We Can Make a Life. Aotearoa’s literature

Amy and Charlie dive into a world of faeries, magic, curses and NSFW content. This is the complete breakdown that no one asked for: it’s an internet sensation, a fever dream, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. Not to mention, the pure ecstasy of Reddit Rabbithole, and Judge a Book By Its Cover. Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

It’s the first episode of Required Reading Season Three: Beautiful World Where Are You. The long awaited third novel from Sally Rooney caused a sensation when it was released in 2021. Amy and Charlie discuss everything (and more) in the Sally Rooney extended universe.

For our final episode of Season 2, we are breaking down our favs and least favs of 2021 as well as what we are planning to read next!

For our final big episode of Required Reading we are talking about our three favourite female kiwi authors right now! Aūe by Becky Manawatu, The Swimmers by Chloë Lane, and Poūkahangatus by Tayi Tibble!

Part 2 of our epic CHERUB duology is here! We are breaking down all the things we love and hate about the iconic series.