Book Shambles With Robin And Josie

We may well call all our guests broadcasters, but Iain Lee is a proper one. The comedian and TalkRadio host joins Robin and Josie to talk about great books on mental health, the work of Will Storr, Matt Haig, Anna Minton and many more all ending in a massive Vonnegut love in. This is the free 35 minute version of the episode. To listen to the full 1 hour edition, become a patron of the show at patreon.com/bookshambles

A special mini-episode of Book Shambles this week as Robin and Josie go all broadsheet and breakfast TV and present their recommended summer reading, or nuclear winter if you prefer, list. Expect Rebecca Fox, Oscar Zarate, Kate Grenville, Sabrina Mahfouz, Nikesh Shukla and more. Support the podcast via Patreon at cosmicshambles.com/bookshambles

The first of our episodes recorded in New Zealand saw Robin and Josie joined by nanotechnologist, science communicator and writer Dr Michelle Dickinson (who you might better know as Nanogirl). Michelle's first book is out in October so they chat about that as well as the work of Michael Crichton, Atul Gawande, Barbara Baynton and more. There's also a quite gross story about scratching one's head... Support the show at patreon.com/bookshambles

During a break from filming the new season of his sitcom The Ex PM, Robin and Josie are joined by one of Australia’s most celebrated comedic writers and performers, Shaun Micallef. They chat about his latest book The President’s Desk, favourite comedian biographies, a mutual love of silent film and the difficulty writing Trump based satire in Australia.

UK audiences may best know Judy Nunn as Ailsa Stewart from Home and Away, but she is also one of Australia's most successful novelists of period fiction. She joined Robin and Josie to chat her latest book, Spirits of the Ghan, plus the work of Pat Barker, RM Ballantyne and how to make sound effects with cabbages.

Welcome to season 6 of Book Shambles with Robin and Josie! We kick off with a bumper episode that is one we recorded out in Australia as part of the Cosmic Shambles LIVE tour. Our guest is Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, science broadcaster, communicator and author of over forty bestselling science books. Topics of discussion include jet lag and climate change, Dr Karl’s own works plus those of Steven Pinker, Richard Holmes, Peter De Vries and much more!

In the final episode of this season, psychotherapist and author Philippa Perry joins Robin and Josie this week to talk about some of the best books in her field, as well as her own work. Philippa also brought along some of her favourite books including work by Jane Austen, Harvey Pekar and EF Benson.

Children's author and poet A.F Harrold sits down with Robin and Josie to talk about his own work and some his favourite poetry and children's books including the work of Russell Hoban, Brian Patten and Raymond Briggs. Also, in our first ever commercial break, that isn't really a commercial break, Nat Metcalfe pops in to let us know about the best new comics out right now.

Comedian Dane Baptiste joins Robin and Josie this week to talk about how Malcom X’s biography got him into stand up comedy, how he preferred Beowulf to Judy Blume and the influence of the comic series 2000 AD.

Theoretical cosmologist Professor Fay Dowker joins Robin and Josie this week to talk about the science behind Alan Moore's work, Émile Zola, Noam Chomsky, the letters of Albert Einstein and more, including quizzing Josie on the Newtonian physics of her butt on her chair...

Stand Up Mathematician and author of Things To Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension, Matt Parker joins Robin and Josie this week. They talk about all things numbers. Best books on maths, books about mathematicians, puzzle books and plenty more. And Matt will be joining Robin, Josie and others for our live tour of Australia and New Zealand in March/April. Details at cosmicshambleslive.com

This week Robin and Josie sit down to talk inspirational books with founder and director of the Daughter’s of Eve organisation and FGM campaigner, Nimko Ali. There’s chat of religious texts, George Orwell, Walt Whitman and many more besides.

Welcome to Season 5 of Book Shambles, now part of the Cosmic Shambles Network! Artist and writer and Raoul Martinez joins Robin and Josie to kick of Season 5 of Book Shambles. They discuss Raoul's new book Creating Freedom, have a bit of a debate about free will and chat about the work of Howard Zinn, Rebecca Solnit, Noam Chomsky and more.

It’s the 50th episode of Book Shambles which just happens to coincide with the launch of the Cosmic Shambles network. Well, we say coincide, we orchestrated it entirely. Anyway, Robin and Josie have a chat about Robocop and what they’ve been reading lately before we take a walk down memory lane with some highlights from the first 49 episodes. Check out the CSN at cosmicshambles.com

The Costa Book of the Year is announced this week, so we’re joined by the chair of the judging panel, writer and historian Kate Williams. She chats with Robin and Josie about judging the prize, great sci-fi books, history’s great diaries and the perils of historical accuracy in fiction. The Cosmic Shambles network launches next week, sign up now at cosmicshambles.com

Josie and Robin are joined by writer Johann Hari to talk about all manner of things. From his new book, ‘Chasing the Scream’ and rebuilding trust with readers, to the work of Rebecca Solnit, Simon Ings, Peter Ackroyd and more. This is a bonus episode, free to all with no charge to our Patreons. Subscribe to the all new Cosmic Shambles which is launching soon at cosmicshambles.com

Comedian James Acaster is in the guest chair this week to talk about the arts scene in Kettering, great comedians’ biographies, Dave Eggers and dealing with a drop in your Uber rating. And Book Shambles is expanding. Cosmic Shambles is coming soon and you can sign up for free at cosmicshambles.com

Storyteller Philip Ridley joins Josie and Robin this week to talk about his own art, plays, books and more as well as his early comic book influences, reading to escape and the problems with genre. Also Robin and Josie still haven't read Ulysses. And if you haven’t signed up to the mailing list for Cosmic Shambles, our new adventure launching in January, head to cosmicshambles.com

Scientist, Author and Broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts sits down with Robin and Josie this week to talk about the challenges of turning science TV shows into popular science books and why she should read more fiction. There’s also chat about Stevie Smith poems leading to hypothermia, great new pop biology books and some Carl Sagan controversy. And if you haven’t signed up to the mailing list for Cosmic Shambles, our new adventure launching in January, head to cosmicshambles.com

Writer and performer Alice Lowe (and her delightful baby) join Robin and Josie this week to talk about writing dark fiction and horror whilst pregnant, including her film Prevenge. There’s also chat around the work of Patti Smith, Angela Carter, Tom Robbins and, of course, Kurt Vonnegut. And if you haven’t signed up to the mailing list for Cosmic Shambles, our new adventure launching in January, head to cosmicshambles.com