Fiction Fans Podcast is described as “A podcast about reading literature, depending on your definition of literature.” Join two casual readers as they completely ignore their academic backgrounds and talk about the books they loved, and sometimes the ones they didn’t. Includes segments like “Journey to the Center of the Discworld,” “Words are Weird,” and “Pet Peeves.” Ever wonder why someone would read bad fanfiction? They talk about that too. It can be found on its website, its Twitter feed, its Instagram page, and and its Goodreads page.
Lilly tries to get her podcast reading done in between projects at her day job, and tries to get writing done in between podcast episodes. She has a special soft spot for speculative fiction and tends to prefer formal poetry over freeform poetry even though she feels bad about that. Lilly has two cats who always keep her on her toes. She can be found on Twitter.
Sara has been an avid reader of SFF since she was a little girl insisting on bringing her book with her to the dinner table. When she’s not reading on the couch with her two pugs, she can be found outside in the garden. She can be found on Twitter and Instagram.
Conveniently, we were actually just on the Books to Last Podcast talking about this very question! If you want to learn more about our choices (including the books that almost made the cut), you can listen to the episode here or on all major podcast providers. [It was a lot of fun to listen to]
Lilly’s choices:
The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien
If forced to choose only one book from Lord of the Rings it would be ROTK. Partially because it is the end of the story so it actually gets wrapped up at the end, but mostly because this is the book that gives the most page time to Eowyn.
Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
Okay so this is neither the first nor last book in this series, but these books are so episodic that it doesn’t really matter. What DOES matter is that this is the book with an amnesia plotline, which I am a huge sucker for.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
I tried to avoid major bummers, but this book has such great re-readability that I couldn’t help myself. I feel like I get something new out of it every time I read it.
Sabriel by Garth Nix
This is somewhat a nostalgia pick, but I do love this series (and the first book has a satisfying enough ending to stand alone). It also always leaves me in a good mood when I’m reading it, which I think would be important on a desert island.
Hel’s Eight by Stark Holborn
The second book in its series, this book has all of the payoff that I was left wanting from Ten Low. An amazing dystopian/western setting, a little superstitious/spooky, just a touch of romance, and some great found family means this book hits basically all of my buttons.
Sara’s choices:
The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien
I chose this for two reasons: a) it’s very dense and would keep me occupied for a good long while and b) even though I’ve read it before, because it’s so dense I feel like I’ve never really retained much of it. If it’s one of five books I have to read on a desert island, maybe it’ll finally stick with me. Also I couldn’t not include at least one Tolkien book on here, and it felt like cheating to pick The Lord of the Rings as a single volume.
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
I debated between this and Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (for variety’s sake, I didn’t want repeat authors) but Night Watch ultimately won out because it’s the Discworld novel I reread every 25th of May. Hopefully I have some way of tracking the time while I’m on this island…
Dashing for the Post: The Letters of Patrick Leigh Fermor by Patrick Leigh Fermor
Sometimes you just want something non-fiction, and this collection has the benefit of reminding me of that time I saw Benedict Cumberbatch read a letter about genital crabs for charity
Saint Death’s Daughter by C. S. E. Cooney
This is technically the first book in a series, but I think it stands alone enough for me to not get (too) frustrated by not having the entire series with me, and the way that Cooney plays with words and language is just a joy to read. Also, the premise is a necromancer who is literally allergic to death, which is brilliant.
Legacy of Brick & Bone by Krystle Matar
This is book two in a series and almost certainly not stand alone enough for me to not get frustrated by not having the next book. I say “almost” because I haven’t actually read it but I really want to, and I’d definitely finally have the time to do so if I’m stranded on a desert island.
Be sure to check out the social media pages I listed above, and above all, listen to their Fiction Fans Podcast!
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
1 Pingback