Shows
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT x Aesop EP02 | Fiction and Poetry Picks for the Aesop Women's Library: Malaysia EditionCheers booknerds! This is the second episode of our Aesop Women's Library special. In this episode, Honey and Diana will be talking about some of their picks for the fiction and poetry collections that will be availble at the selected Aesop stores soon. You will be spoilt for choice and we're here to help highlight some titles that might interest you. Enjoy! —Over the course of three days, the shelves of Aesop Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Aesop The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur and Aesop Gurney Plaza will be cleared of products to...2023-05-1443 min
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S06E08 | A Sci-Fi Cozy Mystery in Space, Welcome to Station EternityWhat do you do if you're a murder-magnet? Everywhere you go, someone dies. Mallory Veridian's solution is to blast off to space, to a space station called Eternity. Greetings booknerds! In this episode, Honey and DIana talk about a sci-fi cozy mystery called Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty. Sentient spaceships, all forms and manners of aliens, symbiotic alien relationships, a shuttle full of humans from space - what can go wrong?2023-02-1746 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S06E05 | Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin - A Must Read!Cheers book nerds! We're back and fair warning, we're GUSHING about Gabreille Zevin's new book, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. This book helped Honey out of her reading slump and Diana loved it. It's described as "a love story, but it is not one you have read before", it's one of love between creative individuals and the sense of being able to understand and click with one another. The book is beautifully nuanced and it's such a good read. We cannot recommend this enough and we hope you'll love it too. NOTE: There are no spoilers...2022-08-2449 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT Minisode 26 | August #tbntbookchallenge2022 RecommendationsMan, it's August already and that means a new reading prompt for our #tbntbookchallenge2022! This month, we're challenging you to read a diverse or a classic YA book and we're back with some recommendations. Honey tackles some diverse and recent YA books while Diana is giving us some classic YA titles that you may or may not have heard of. Whatever you pick up, we hope it's an enjoyable read for you. Cheers!2022-08-0636 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S06E02 | 'We Had To Remove This Post' - The Darkest Book We Ever Reviewed?Ian McEwan recommends it, calling it a compelling setting. Diana says it's one of the darkest books she has read in a long time comparing it to Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. Honey picked it up and did not put it down until she was finished with it. This book (originally in Dutch) was so deceptively simple to read that you don't realise it punching you in the gut until you're halfway through and thoroughly invested. Join us as we discuss a book that goes into how it's like working as a social media content moderator and what coming...2022-06-0946 min
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S05 Finale | Middle Grade Reads of Horror, Hope, and WholesomenessWe've finally reached the end of a very.. interesting season. We thought of highlighting some middle grade reads and if you've never thought of picking up a middle grade book, you're kinda missing out!Honey comes in clutch with some interesting horror reads (don't worry, nothing too traumatizing), while Diana strikes a more hopeful and wholesome tune with her reads. Enjoy!2022-04-0956 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT Minisode 21 | Out of Earth Reads & Nature Titles (April Challenge)For April's challenge we urge you to pick up a read that has an element of nature in the title OR explores a world beyond earth. Honey picked a whole bunch of cool graphic novels, all sci-fi of course, while Diana has a mix bag from YA fantasy to murder mystery, essays to romance, this is a really fun #tbntbookchallenge2022Books mentioned (in order): The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh Invisible Kingdom by G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward These Precious Days by Ann PatchettDescender Vol. 1: Tin Stars by...2022-03-3038 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S0518 | Book Chaser: Travel, Transience, and the Art of Mono no AwareWe are back after a sudden two week break (it has been balls to walls busy for Honey) but huzzah! It's a book chaser where we discuss Emily Itami's sparking debut Fault Lines and Jessica Au's contemplative Cold Enough For Snow. There is honesty here with strong female voices, introspection of where you are in life, meditation, travel and a sense of place. You'd want to visit Tokyo and Kyoto after this because both books bring you on a journey, not only of a physical one but an internal one too. Come travel with us this week!2022-03-231h 07
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT x Empower E04 | Being an Orang Asli in Malaysia"Ehhh macam Jakun la""Jakun la you""Don't be like one Jakun can or not"Do these phrases sound familiar?What is a playful jibe towards others is actually an Orang Asli (meaning original or first peoples in Malay) tribe name. The Jakun people are the second largest Orang Asli sub-groups in Malaysia.In this episode, we spoke to Sherry Viviey, a half-Jakun youth on the discrimination and challenges faced by the Orang Asli community, and the misuse of her tribe name (usually used as a derogatory term).Tune in to...2021-10-151h 09
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S05E08 | Black Magic in Jember with Nurillah AchmedHere is an interview we did at the last Ubud Writer's Festival in 2019 (remember sitting in rooms, huddled together listening to an author?) What carefree days those were. Honey sat down with an Indonesian Emerging Writer Nurillah Achmad and talked to her about her macabre short story, myths and black magic. We finally got down to editing it. We left the Bahasa Indonesian interview but explain what was being said in between. You will also be able to listen to the sad and poetic story in both Bahasa Indonesia and English. Enjoy!2021-08-1149 min
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S01E7 (Re-release) | Killing CommendatoreNotes: A few more sleeps till we kick off Seasons 5 (and it'll be our 100th episode too!). So till then, enjoy this throwback to our 7th episode on Murakami's Killing Commendatore. We thought it'd be a good one to indulge in, especially because his latest release, First Person Singular, has hit our shores. Enjoy! |..| In the first show of the new year, Honey and Diana peel back the layers of Murakami's Killing Commendatore. A meditation on art, music and fraught relationships just to name a few themes in this book. Or izit just a rehash of old obsessions...2021-05-2045 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E08 (Rerelease) | On Earth We're Briefly GorgeousNotes from Honey: Hey Booknerds, we are taking a week’s break but here’s one of our favourites from the TBNT archives and fitting too for March’s #tbntbookchallenge2021 | .. | Ocean Vuong's raw and visceral debut novel takes you by the throat and doesn't let you go. Admittedly not for everyone, you will still be floored by the emotional truth within. Structured as a letter written by a son to his illiterate mother, this work of auto-fiction blurs the lines between reality and make-believe, you won't really know where Ocean ends and Little Dog (the protagonist) begins and in the...2021-03-0356 min
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E12 | Talking Books with Mr. Big Bad Wolf, Andrew YapEver wondered what it takes to run the biggest book sale in the world over and over again and still have juice leftover to open beautiful bookstores and push for reading advocacy? Well at the end of 2020 Diana and Honey sat down with Andrew Yap, one half of BookXcess and The Big Bad Wolf sale and we did a real deep dive into the book business. This is deep nerd stuff folks!2021-02-031h 05
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E11b | 2021 Anticipated Reads Jan-Jun Part 2Part 2 folks where we cover Asian Lit, middle-grade-YA, translated books and other notable literary fiction coming out in the first half of 2021. Enjoy!2021-01-2452 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E11a | 2021 Anticipated Reads Jan-Jun Part 1We are trying to keep our shows concise folks so here is the first part of 2021 Anticipated Reads (January-June). In this first part we go into most anticipated books, a huge non-fiction list and speculative fiction to watch out for. We though we start off the year a little chilled, get you groovy on books coming out. Don't forget to listen into Part 2 coming out on Sunday. - - -Gymnopedie No. 1 by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3837-gymnopedie-no-1License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseRussian DanceJoey Pecoraro2021-01-2044 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT Minisode 010 | Last Episode 2020 - Our Year in PodcastingFor those of you who have just started listening to TBNT, these are some of our 2020 highlights. It's been quite a year! We clocked over 40 episodes, launched Patreon, figured out how to do social distancing recording, talked and talked and talked and chewed the fat with lots of wonderful authors and booknerds. We experimented on new formats, topics and even did a narrative show. Save to say we will always try and keep things interesting for you and serve up the variety and voracity of readers in this part of the world. We hope you enjoyed listening just as much...2020-12-3039 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT Minisode 009 | Stocking Filler: Our Reading RoundupOur second last little episode of the year! This time we are giving you a quick tour of our reading year. We talk about romantic books, books we'll probably DNF and what some of the books we are looking forward to reading... Alien Sunset by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Artist: http://audionautix.com/ Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Tavern Loop One...2020-12-2329 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E10 | Talking Food with Lara Lee author of Coconut & SambalWe caught up with chef and food writer Lara Lee on her gorgeous cookbook Coconut and Sambal. It has hit the culinary world by storm giving a face to modern Indonesian cuisine. As you can imagine gathering together recipes from the very diverse Indonesian archipelago is challenge indeed and she shared all the pleasures and challenges of not only writing a cookbook but also launching one where you can't do cooking demos and roadshows.2020-12-191h 18Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT Minsode 008 | Stocking Filler: Christmas Book GiftsWe are back with another stocking filler! Yay! This time it's on some yummy books to can get for the bookworm in your life or... let's be real for yourself. DD Groove by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100492Artist: http://incompetech.com/2020-12-1635 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E09 | Shooting the Breeze with the Dirt Cheap PodcastDirt Cheap Podcast reached out to us for a chat. We sat down via Discord with hosts Amanda Meadows and Geoffrey Golden to talk about their poddy where they are reading a dime store novel Murder in the Glass Room (it's bad, it's really, really bad) chapter by chapter and commenting on it. What followed was a super nerdy chat on the nature of man, interesting comic books and reads that begin with 'Planet of...' Enjoy! Covert Affair - Film Noire by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/2020-12-121h 05Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT Minisode 007 | Stocking Filler: December TBRT'is the season to be jolly (well as jolly as you can muster after the year we've been having). Why not take a load off and enjoy our little minisode on some December TBR and book highlights. This is a first of a series of audio stocking fillers for the Christmas season. Dreams Become Real by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1500027Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Arcadia - Wonders by Kevin MacLeod...2020-12-0931 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E08 | Is There Such a Thing as an Easy Job?Today we discuss one of our most unexpected reads of the year. Kikuko Tsumura's book is hilarious, mundane, relatable and dare we say intriguing. Yes, it's about a woman who keeps changing her temp job but scratch beneath the surface there is an astute look into urban life and finding fulfilment in how ever small your work might be. Listen on, it might make you think about your job too.Fluffing a Duck by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index...2020-12-0250 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingRenegade Radio presents: Lone PassageLone Passage is a podcast about those most vulnerable and invisible in our society; Unaccompanied Minor Refugees. Children who are forced to leave their homes and loved ones due to dire circumstances. Through this exclusive audio documentary series, we will be shining a light on the stories and struggles of refugee children who in one way or another, ended up here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. What does the future hold for these young refugees in a country that doesn't recognize the rights of refugees? From Renegade Radio in collaboration with Malaysiakini, this is Lone Passage.2020-11-2703 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E07 | The Devil and the Dark Water with author Stuart TurtonStuart Turton returns with his second novel, another twisty nefarious tale, this time set on a ship in the 17th century. There is a motley crew of suspect characters, supernatural occurrences and of course murder. But as usual nothing is what it seems and we chatted with Stuart about what obsesses him, the story that did not let him go and what it takes to write a book like this. You won't want to miss this! It's an excellent interview.2020-11-251h 15Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E06 | Hopeful Reads with Midnight Library & Addie LaRueWe have heard of the theme Uplit but sometimes a book is not thoroughly 'up' just quietly hopeful perhaps on humanity, getting through a rough patch or just sometimes straight-up outwitting the devil. We all need a little patch of sunlight breaking through stormy clouds sometimes (although the storm-clouds itself can be blessing in disguise). Listen on as we discuss books themed around, 'what is a good life' and 'roads not taken.'Other book recommendationsLife after Life- Kate AtkinsonEveryday- David LevithanHow to Stop Time- Matt HaigThe Heavens- Sandra Newman2020-11-1859 min
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E05 | Live Interview with Joshua Kam + Extra SpoilersWe did a LIVE interview with Joshua Kam on his award-winning book How the Man In Green Saved Pahang and Possibly the World with Lit Books. Here is an edited version of the interview and a never before heard SPOILER section right at the end. This is definitely one of the more interesting books released locally this year.2020-11-111h 13Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E04 | Spooktober Storytelling SpecialBonus episode! We thought it's be fun to careen out of our usual wheelhouse and tell you folks some cerita hantu. This was quite a bit of fun to do as we shook out some old stories we wrote and put it forth to be enjoyed by all. In lieu of Halloween you will get an original story written by us and one by our producer, Jeff. So three stories, never heard before. Be kind and enjoy it! If you folks have ghost stories or just stories you might like us to consider putting on the show do email it...2020-10-3147 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E03 | Marriage in Monogamy vs. Infidelity in Here is the BeehiveWe are delving into a topic today and it's the 'M' word... yup marriage. Having read Sue Miller's Monogamy and Sarah Crossan's Here is the Beehive almost back to back we were taken aback by how many similar themes it touches. So join us as we peel back the layers of matrimony like the proverbial onion, it's pungent and there might be tears but cooked long and slow it might be still be a dish worth committing to.2020-10-211h 05Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E02 | Super Thursday and More TBR!After a month's break, our TBRs are bursting and though our heart's go to everyone who is putting out a book this year, our hearts rejoice that there are so many tasty, tasty books to sink our teeth into (even if we moan that it's impossible to read them all). We kick back with nerding out on Super Thursday and what it means for all the people involved in the publishing world and then sink into some book highlights in collaboration with Definitely Books as usual.2020-10-141h 06Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S04E01 | Bandits! Nuns! Mayhem! We talk with Zen Cho on her New NovellaZen Cho is back with a brand new novella called The Pure Order of the Moon Reflected on Water. She calls it a tropical wuxia, inspired by martial arts yarns and period C-dramas, follow her band of merry bandits as they careen around a fantasy take on Malaya's emergency with a kung-fu nun in tow. It's rip-roaring, tender in places and way... way... too short. We ask her all the questions!2020-10-071h 09
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E23 | The Mistress of Darkness Julya Oui Talks Taiping and TerrorWe hung out on a thunderous afternoon with Julya Oui and talk campfire tales, the private life of Silobans and the fact that there's really nothing to be afraid of. Having exorcised her demons on her page she cheekily says, "it's someone else's problem now..."2020-08-261h 07Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E22 | August TBR & Huns 'n' Dee's Reading RecsAs everyone knows, there are too many books being released atm. As a spillover from last week's episode since we could not fit everything in an hour this week we thought you might like to know the stuff we really liked reading lately plus more interesting books to sink your teeth into.2020-08-191h 01Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E21 | WorldCon, Booker Longlist, Anticipated BooksWe chill out with each other, over some delicious beverages and talk about happenings in the book world. Everything from ConZealand to is Rothfuss going to finally finish his book to the Booker Longlist. Also listen to Honey trying to convince Diana to read Midnight Sun even though deep, deep down inside she secretly wants to. Heh.2020-08-1258 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E20 | Special interview with Hanna Alkaf on The Girl and The GhostHanna Alkaf is back with her first middle grade novel The Girl and the Ghost. A little girl inherits and peleset (generational spirit) from her bomoh grandmother and makes it her friend. But Pink (what she named her peleset) is made of darker stuff. Can a friendship between a girl and a ghost survive the pains of adolescence? We talk supernatural, young betrayals and the creative life during MCO. You don't want to miss this episode. A longer version of the interview with some juicy bits can be found on our Patreon page. Do check out how to subscribe at...2020-08-041h 12Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E19 | Kevin Kwan's latest Sex & Vanity, best tak?Kevin Kwan's romp-com has big stilettos to fill. After the Crazy Rich Asian trilogy, everyone is waiting with bated breath what the next glittery read would be. Well wonder no more! In Sex and Vanity we are back in the world of the super rich with an outlandish wedding (a Kwan specialty) and this time he's set it in Capri and New York. Listen to our episode this week and check out what we thought...2020-07-221h 03Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E18 | In Conversation with Rutger Bregman on HumankindBumper episode coming up folks! This week we have a whopper so sit back, relax and let Rutger pretty much take you through his book about a hopeful history of us. It's fascinating and his theories are backed by tons of research. If there is one non fiction book you should pick up this year, this might be it because God knows we need a bit of brightness with the year we've been having. There is much here to chew on and also some great bits where you can see how life can be treated differently and your relationship with...2020-07-151h 25Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E17 | Impractical Uses of Cake Facebook Live InterviewWe chatted with Yeoh Jo-Ann the author of Impractical Uses of Cake with Elaine from Lit Books. This was supposed to be a live event but well, that pesky little virus happened to we ended up doing a FB LIVE instead. Sigh... there would have been cake if there was an event. Still... it was a cool conversation about male protagonists vs female, Singapore as back drop, cake and how has it been writing during the pandemic. Enjoy!2020-07-081h 07Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E16 | Break Your TBR: Book HighlightsIt's been quite a while since we've done a Break your TBR so here's an entire episode dedicated to books that are out in May/June and some which are up-coming. There's no rhyme or reason really... these are just books that's been buzzing and those were ourselves are looking forward to. Loads of local stuff too folks! This episode is in collaboration with @definitelybooks2020-06-251h 04Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E15 | Last Tang Standing with debut author Lauren HoWe have all been there. Awkward marital questions at family gatherings, trying to get ahead in your work place where everyone looks like an enemy, torn between two delectable men... (err... okay maybe that one is wishful thinking). Thank god for books like Last Tang Standing where it not only entertains but gives you useful urban survival tips. We finally got back to our physical studio (reunited... and it feels so goooood...) with debut author Lauren Ho and got stuck into everything from fielding off matchmaking attempts to coming of age in an age of noise and confusion.2020-06-171h 06Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E14 | Is The Glass Hotel the Perfect Pandemic Read?Many know Emily St. John Mandel through her gentle dystopia novel Station Eleven. Now back with her 5th novel, The Glass Hotel feels at times dream-like and other times like you have stumbled upon a parallel universe to her novel before. And she acknowledges this, weaving a story out of time with characters you've met before but in a different life, this is a novel about counter-lives and consequences and letting go. Although there's a storyline that moves within the world of a Ponzi scheme (that alone such an interesting follow-up to Station Eleven) at the heart of this novel...2020-06-1049 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT | Nebula Awards SpecialWe came out from our little Ramadhan break to discuss the Nebula Awards nominees. Find out about the novels that is exciting the speculative fiction world from magical doorways to lesbian necromancers in space, there is even a novel that eerily mirrors the restricted movement world we are currently in at the moment. Life imitating art or art imitating life? It's four book nerds talking this week nerding over sci-fi and fantasy reads as we are joined by guests Tina Isaacs and Kok Sen Wai.2020-05-201h 14Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E13 | Sarah J. Mass' Crescent City with Avery KhuanOne of the most highly anticipated fantasy offerings this year, Sarah J. Mass' House of Earth and Blood is her first 'adult novel'. We chewed through angels, faes, shifters, merfolk and all sorts of other magical creatures in an urban fantasy setting. Why are her books so popular? ( There's over 22k reviews on Goodreads alone and the book is just newly launched ) and is the adult label correct? So many questions! Find out in this episode what we thought of the book and if this might be something you fancy picking up.2020-04-2458 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E12 | The Wandering with author Intan ParamadithaIntan Paramaditha joined us from her home in Sydney talk to us about her choose your own adventure book, The Wandering. A fable, an adventure, a commentary on mobility and boundaries this is a book you can pick up again and again to go on a different adventure. It's a choose your own adventure but at the end of the day, how much agency do you have in life when a lot of things are predetermined before you even get to your destination...2020-04-151h 08Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E11 | Murder Most Horrid: Seishi Yokomizu's Inugami CurseMost people have heard of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle but few outside of his native Japan know Seshi Yokomizo. The master of murder mysteries especially the locked door kind, his detective Kosuke Kindaichi has starred in over 70 books. Translated sporadically before by a US Independent press, now Pushkin Vertigo has released The Inugami Curse, one of his classic murder most horrid novels. We thought since most of us are stuck within our houses these days how apt it is to delve into one of Yokomizo's much loved locked door mysteries...2020-04-0852 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E10 | Fancy reading a Hilarious Depression Memoir?Rhik Samadder wrote one of our favourite memoirs of last year. Called I Never Said I Loved You, it's on life, death and things unsaid. It is laugh out loud funny but also painful in places, Samadder goes into his depression and mental health issues with such honesty and grace you can't help rooting for him even though, he paints himself unflinchingly as a self-sabotaging loser with issues up the wazoo. Recommended.2020-04-011h 03Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E09 | Poet Lemn Sissay on Poetry and His MemoirWe've got an episode we recorded in Ubud for you this week. Since world poetry day was a few days ago on the 21st of March, this episode is in conversation with Lemn Sissay, poet, presenter, performer and speaker. It was after his festival session on his memoir, My Name is Why so the conversation will meander through his thoughts on poetry, festivals, what he thought of his session to name a few. There will be munching of some tosei too. Please enjoy this relaxed talk with one of Honey's favourite poets punctuated by excerpts from his session and some...2020-03-2547 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E08 | Little Girls Tell Tales: Sour Heart by Jenny ZhangWe met the charming Jenny Zhang in Ubud and cornered her for an interview about her first book of short stories, Sour Heart. This collection is set in the 90s and told from the point of view of little girls on the cusp of adolescence. Alongside the loss of innocence, experimenting with the world and living with an immigrant identity, her stories also show the ugly side of the American Dream and the generational gaps between families. Enjoy!2020-03-1846 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E07 | Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell: Shakespeare's Domestic Life and TragedyHamnet by Maggie O'Farrell was just long-listed for the Women's Prize for fiction. What makes people over five hundred years later still speculate on Shakespeare's life? How much did the death of his son Hamnet influenced his tragedy Hamlet? Was the name coincidental or deliberate? Was it a way to process his grief? Surprisingly we found the main character in this novel is his wife, called Agnes and her inner life and sacrifices...2020-03-1157 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT Minisode 006 | Indonesian Emerging Poet: Ilhamdi PutraOur minisode this time brings you a young poet that hails from Sumatera. Ilham was the only emerging poet to be in the Ubud Indonesian writing anthology and we caught up with him during the festival last year. His poem was political and does hit home even though it was an observation on Indonesian politics. The interview was done in Bahasa Indonesian but we have punctuated this episode with explanations and our discussion on it.2020-03-0440 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E06 | Locke and Key with Geeks in Malaysia Part 1Zoiks! We have a special crossover episode for all you geeks and nerds out there. In the studio with us this week are the gregarious Amelia Chen and Nick Dorian from the pop culture podcast Geeks in Malaysia. We chewed through Joe Hill's graphic novels and the Netflix series. First part is all about the printed matter of course while the second part which will be out on Geeks in Malaysia will be on the series. Enjoy!2020-02-261h 12Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E05 | Going Through the Controversy of American DirtWhen Jeanine Cummins' highly anticipated book American Dirt hit the shelves readers were beside themselves recommending it. The mother and son story of being pursued by a drug kingpin fired everyone's imaginations. And then controversy hit, Mexican and Latinx writers came down hard on it citing the fact that it fetishisize their culture and that Cummins wrote at best a summer pot-boiler and not a book that puts forward issues of migrants and social justice. Learn about the controversy surrounding this book in our latest episode.2020-02-191h 02Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E04 | Secondhand & The Global Garage Sale with author Adam MinterThe secondhand industry has spawned its own sub-culture, economy and entrepreneurs. Dive with us into the world of garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores with author Adam Minter who has spent a lot of his free time poking around secondhand stores and backyards. It's fascinating, compelling and heart-wrenching at times.2020-02-121h 02Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT Minisode 005 | Indonesian Emerging Writer: Lita LestiantiAs promised from time to time we feature an emerging writer from the region. We met Lita Lestianti at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival and talked how she juggles writing with motherhood...2020-02-0525 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E03 | Girl Talk with Booker Prize Winner: Girl, Woman, OtherBernadine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other is a candid look into the lives of 12 British black women. The novel is clever, entertaining and experimental but did it deserve the joint Booker with Atwood's testaments. Well we sat down and talked feminism, gender, class, sexuality and all sorts of other juicy things in this week's episode.2020-01-3058 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E02 | The Witcher Special with Epic ArcadeBeen mad about a certain monster-fighting, white-haired mutant? In this episode special we talk everything Witcher, the books, the games, the series. Love it or hate it, if you have Netflix there is no way you could miss The Witcher that has been storming everyone's feeds. So Toss a coin to your Booknerds and lets go!2020-01-221h 07
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S03E01 | Tan Twan Eng Special - The Garden of Evening MistsWith the launch go The Garden of Evening Mists movie, we got author Tan Twan Eng in the studio to spill the beans on borrowed sceneries, horimonos and, the thrill of seeing your characters come to life on the big screen. Of course we needed out on books too!2020-01-151h 10
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02 Bonus Episode | 2019 Wrap-upT'is the end of 2019. How was the reading year for you? We feel incredibly blessed really looking back at the year of reading and podcasting we had. Here are some of our reading highlights and the episodes we loved. We also talked about award-winners and books on everyone's reading list. Enjoy! And catch ya in the new year! qCp70ID9tInfd0anyNWs2019-12-261h 05Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT Minisode 004 | In the Mad and Furious City with Guy GunaratneWe had the chance to interview Guy Gunaratne at URWF'19 where he chatted about his book The Mad and Furious City. We talked about belonging, extremism and finding the inspiration to write a book in vernacular and language that feels true to yourself. It's a great little interview folks! We also put in some excerpts of him reading some passages and bits of another interview he had with Kate Evans from Australia's ABC Radio National. Audio was courtesy of Ubud Readers and Writers Festival.2019-12-1947 min
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT Minisode 003 | Indonesian Emerging Writer: Chandra BientangDuring the Ubud Writers Festival we checked out new emerging writers especially from Indonesia. For the next few months we will be featuring an emerging writer each month starting with the lovely Chandra Bientang. A philosophy major and content writer based in Jakarta, she was one of the five selected to be in the UWRF anthology. We caught up with her to talk about stories that need to be told such as the fate of street children and women's reproductive rights.2019-11-2828 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT Minisode 002 | Talking with the 'Queen of Ubud' Janet DeNeefeWe are on a hiatus but we have plenty of good stuff for you to keep you company from the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. We caught up with the powerhouse behind one of the world's best Lit Fest, Janet Deneefe and talked about the festival this year, what she hopes for it and also her favourite Balinese food.2019-11-2223 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E21 | Ubud Writers & Readers Festival RoundupWe are back! From the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival and it was fabulous. As we are busy sorting out the interviews and crafting cool episodes for you constant listeners, have a listen to our festival roundup. It will give you a taste of what went on, the writers that we met and also our impressions of UWRF'192019-11-1455 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E20 | All Hallow's Eve Lovecraft SpecialCome join us in the disturbing world of Lovecraftian stories and weird tales, where The Old Ones disdain the insignificance of man and you, are but a sleep away from a dreamscape world of night gaunts and crafty cats. Lovecraft was prolific, at times problematic and, probably in love with his own prose yet, it is undeniable that his mythos casts a long and tentacled shadow over all the arts and popular culture until today. We talk about this reclusive genius and his terrible visions...2019-10-311h 05Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E19 | Journey with us to The Starless SeaIt's been 8 long years for Erin Morgenstern fans since The Night Circus captivated readers and dreamers alike all over the world. Now finally, her second novel, The Starless Sea is out. Come with us into her underground labyrinth of stories complete with hidden stairways, masquerade balls and tales within tales. There's a lot to sink your teeth into...2019-10-2450 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E18 | Tunku Halim Special: Chatting with Malaysia's Master of HorrorSo still in a Spooktober mood we sat down and sunk our teeth into Tunku Halim's macabre mind. It was... delightfully pleasant. He shares his thoughts on Malaysian's obsession with the supernatural and everything from orang minyak to bomohs. We also talked a little bit about his non-fiction too including his weight loss book- So Fatlah!2019-10-1756 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E17 | Ghost StoriesImaging sitting in a darkened room and listening to a really good ghost story, the thrill of fear licking down your spine, the hairs on the back of your neck rising as the tale builds up to its final fright. For as long as we have been telling stories, there have been ghost stories, its in our DNA because fear is universal and those that haunt us (be it ghostly or otherwise) never really leaves us...2019-10-1048 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E16 | John Connolly SpecialSo. . .John Connolly popped by the studio for a conversation on all things Charlie Parker. Book of Bones is book 17 of the series (imagine that) and Honey who has been following it from the very beginning was beside herself because she could ask all those burning questions about the series.2019-10-031h 06Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E15 | Is Atwood's The Testaments worth the hype?The Testaments, is the much-awaited sequel to The Handmaid's Tale (fans have waited over 34 years for it!) It follows three different women 15 years after the incidents of The Handmaid's Tale and aims to answer all your burning questions about Gilead. Does it? Listen on to our episode this week.2019-09-2642 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E14 | Getting to Know Three Women with Special Guest, Min HunLisa Taddeo's hot non-fiction Three Women has been on everyone's summer reading list. Does it really give what it claims to offer? Give you vital truths about feminine desire. Can we relate to these three women as women ourselves? And what does a man think after reading this? We discuss this book together in this episode with Min Hun who runs the local bookstore, Lit Books and also grab some juicy insights in how it is to run an Indie Bookstore in Malaysia.2019-09-201h 09Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E13 | The Night Tiger Special with Yangsze ChooWe got to skype with the charming Yangsze Choo on her latest novel The Night Tiger. She answered all our questions including enlightening us on genre selection, her morbid fasciation with ghosts and, mirror worlds...2019-09-131h 03Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT Minisode 001 | Break Your TBR Sept '19We got a long TBR for September so it's out this week as a bonus Minisode. Our producer Jeff K. joined us for a lively discussion on tasty books out this month of September. Quite a lot of horror since it's creeping up to Halloween.2019-09-0828 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E12 | Japanese Playboys and Fleeting Loves, We Talk KawakamiThe 10 Loves of Mr Nishino is a series of ten short stories about the different women and affairs in one man's life. Contemporary author Hiromi Kawakami explores the nuances of a Japanese playboy and writes a wry, astute and at times, an achingly portrait of people seeking for connection, intimacy and that ever illusive everlasting love.2019-09-0549 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E11 | LIVE at Lit Books with Suffian HakimThe Minorities is a rib-tickling, social satire on the life of 4 housemates and a pontianak that starts off with a few mishaps and culminating in a battle royale across the border. Nak perang pun... kena datang ke Malaysia... (want to fight also must do it in Malaysia) so you don't have to fill forms and pay a fine. Anyway, we sat down with author Suffian Hakim to talk about his multi-cultural book and all things hantu. It was a great conversation! This dude is one to watch folks!2019-08-291h 04Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E10 | The Butterfly Lion and How to get Kids ReadingOur guest this week, Marianne Dark has taught English for many years and run a language centre. She brings her insights in this episode on how to get kids excited about reading. Our book choice is the Butterfly Lion by Michael Morpurgo, a wonderful book for kids aged 10-12 and touches on all sorts of issues like loneliness, kinship with animals and adventure. We talk about how kid's books have evolved and feel nostalgic about those we used to love. If you have kids or appreciate children's literature, this episode is for you!2019-08-1556 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E09 | Magic & Monsters in Pan's LabyrinthEver so often both of us crave for fae creatures and fantastical worlds. The recent Pan's Labyrinth book The Labyrinth of the Faun based on the 2006 movie by Del Toro had us frothing at the bit. His imagination paired with Cornelia Funke's elegant prose was a real treat. Not just a retelling, you can say that it's a deepening of the story, an exploration of the many creatures and tales within the world where monsters wear human faces and lost princesses have to find magic in a time where there's very little to spare. All with the backdrop of Franco's...2019-08-0859 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E08 | On Earth We're Briefly GorgeousOcean Vuong's raw and visceral debut novel takes you by the throat and doesn't let you go. Admittedly not for everyone, you will still be floored by the emotional truth within. Structured as a letter written by a son to his illiterate mother, this work of auto-fiction blurs the lines between reality and make-believe, you won't really know where Ocean ends and Little Dog (the protagonist) begins and in there lies the beauty of it. Also it's August! So it's break your T.B.R. again and there are so many lovely books to cover...2019-08-0255 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E07 | How to Stay Sexy and Not Get MurderedAre you strangely fascinated by true crime and serial killers? Then you might have heard of My Favourite Murder, one of the most popular true crime podcasts out there helmed by dynamic duo Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff. Well now they have spanking new book out, which is part memoir, part life insights and part we-have-done-it-bad-idea-don't-do-it kinda stuff. Call it a bit of a survival guide because if there's one thing these ladies know after over 180 episodes is how well... to Stay Sexy and not get Murdered...2019-07-2559 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E06 | TBNT Special with Tash Aw (Interview)After reading Tash Aw's riveting latest novel, We, The Survivors, we, the interviewers sat down to a skype with him. We talked all sorts of things, from fatalistic viewpoints of Asians to the class system that overrides race and religion. We also prodded on his writing process and what it took for him to write something personal but also hard to put down at times. Listen to this! Plus we also have a new book giveaway this week.2019-07-181h 03Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E05 | ExhalationWe discuss the stories in Exhalation, Ted Chiang’s latest short story anthology, and touched on all sorts of sci-fi malarkey from virtual pets to robot nannies, from time-gates to intelligent parrots. What makes him such a story-telling rockstar in the genre of speculative fiction? Expanding on his time travel story within the collection, we delve deep into Diana’s latest literary obsession- time travel books. Do you too want a time machine? We give you some great reads and TV shows to sate your inner time-lord.Emily A. Sprague - FloatAnn Annie - Long Stream2019-07-111h 07Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E04 | Priory of the Orange TreeWe discuss Samantha Shannon's doorstopper epic fantasy Priory of the Orange Tree. A stand-alone that is a feminist reimagining of St. George and the Dragon as well as Japanese mythology The Luck of the Mountains. This book has magic! Political intrigue! Dragons! It pits western dragons against eastern dragons and takes the belief system from different canons in one hefty book. You can seriously curl up to this one. It is July already! Fancy that? So Break Your TBR has some exciting reads for you...2019-07-0443 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E03 | The MisterOur first PG-rated episode. We tear through EL James' The Mister with guest, Irene.2019-06-2754 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E02 | Notes on a Nervous PlanetThe front cover says that this book is a user manual for your own head. Matt Haig's Notes on a Nervous Planet will make you take a second and examine just how intact your mental health is in an overly connected world. And oh, reading is one of his surefire ways to stay centred! Huzzah! We also dig deeper into responsible reading.2019-06-1957 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT S02E01 | Good Omens and Lifelong FriendshipsWe are back with a killer new season of book nerdery. First up, Good Omens, we talk book, TV and, friendships- between an angel, Aziraphale and a demon, Crowley plus that of co-writers Pratchett and Gaiman. It's a heart-warming tale filled with answerphone messages and the antichrist. Also June's book picks for Break Your TBR. Ah... we missed filling up your shelves...2019-06-1358 min
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep20 | Speculative Fiction with Tina IssacsBook of M, an exploration on the questions of humanity linked to the power of memory. All over the world people are loosing their shadows and eventually their memories in exchange for transformative power. What kind of world would that be? And how can love survive when you are fighting daily for survival? We discuss Peng Shepard's intriguing debut novel with Tina Isaacs who runs a speculative fiction discussion group. And being a writer of the genre herself, we also picked her brain on how to start writing in this vein.2019-04-1858 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep19 | Meet Nana, We talk human-feline relationships.Hiro Arikawa's wildly popular book The Travelling Cat Chronicles has been a hit since it was translated into English. People love cats, the story of a young man taking his kitty on a roadtrip around Japan (even on a ferry!) to find a new home for her has hit a lot of people in the 'feels'. We talk pet's intuitions, human relationships and the poignant/ transient feeling you get from Japanese literature, what they call Mono no aware. Our bookish topic today is on what to consider when you write book reviews and of course further reading if you like...2019-04-1052 min
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep18 | Why Becoming by Michelle Obama is the memoir you should readThe hottest memoir in the market atm is Michelle Obama's Becoming. What is the story behind the hugely popular former first lady? We talk about her girlhood and the journey to BECOMING the person she is today. There is plenty in this book to inspire, ponder and celebrate. It's also the first week of April so as usual BYTBR comes back with books you want to check out this month.2019-04-0351 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep17 (LIVE) | We talk magic with Malaysia's queen of regency with Zen ChoYou asked for it and here it is! The Live recording of TBNT's interview with Zen Cho when she swung by Lit Books on her last trip to KL. We talk about her new book, The True Queen, learn about her writing life and even got her to recommend some books for us!2019-03-2747 min
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep16 | What is your poetry poison? With Norman ChellaIn honour of World Poetry day, we bare our souls with an in-depth poetry discussion- I mean we go stuck into it making this our longest episode yet. We celebrate the moving poems of Mary Oliver who left us last year and celebrate her mind and words. We get stuck into Instapoets with Norman (who is one himself) and talk about inclusivity in poetry and how poets like Rupi Kaur have brought poetry to the mainstream. We even touched on Spoken Word poetry and how it represents the present generation. We discuss books with Norman and get his 5 Tips on...2019-03-201h 05Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep15 | Why the Broken Earth series won 3 Hugos. We talk NK Jemisin's groundbreaking fantasy trilogyBeing fantasy dorks, we dig deep into NK Jemisin's award-winning fantasy series, the Broken Earth trilogy. It is epic, nuanced and delves into really personal stuff with a backdrop of the world ending. We talk about reading everything from just one author and end the podcast with an excerpt of Jemisin's fierce Hugo acceptance speech.2019-03-1354 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep14 | Get steamy with Kiss Quotient & New Book Releases March 2019Get steamy with Kiss Quotient & New Book Releases March 2019We get up close and personal with Stella and Michael in one of the hottest contemporary romances out there. The Kiss Quotient is a reverse Pretty Woman and is how a person on the autism spectrum finds love unexpectedly with a male escort. But it’s much more that just a raunchy romp (although the love scenes were pretty hot), it’s also about trust and giving someone time to be comfortable with love… awww… the ‘feels’ is high in this one. We also announce the WINNER for our Hanna Alkaf...2019-03-0647 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep13 | What if Bram Stoker’s Dracula was real? Find out in DraculFor our 13th episode it’s HORROR with JD Barker and Dacre Stoker’s Dracul, a fictionalised (or is it?) account of Brams life which led him to write the horror classic Dracula. And yes, Dacre is Bram's great, great gandnephew. We talk vampires from gruesome to sparkly and get to tap into Sook Kwan’s super power of giving you a TV show for every book you throw at her. Also you finally get to meet our producer Jeff who is a bona fide horror buff and hosts Seram, a horror podcast under Renegade Radio too! So check that out.2019-02-2654 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep12 | Is 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle the Weirdest Book You'll Read this Year?Murder! Mayhem! In a crumbling English Manor... Stuart Turton's 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle brings back the heydays of Christie murder mysteries with a body hopping twist. Find out how confusing we got (without major spoilers of course) and if this demented book should be on your reading list this year. We also talk experimental novels and if it's satisfying reading. Do drop us an email at booknerdstalking@gmail.com if you like to tell us anything about the show and also join our book giveaway.2019-02-1344 min
Two Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep11 | New Book Releases of Feb 2019 & JK Rowling’s favourite teen classicWe have a BOOK GIVEAWAY this month so make sure you listen to the end and also a new segment called Break Your TBR. BYTBR talks about new releases for the month. It’ll be a monthly segment (not that you need any more books to read but you know, we like to kepoh on new books). We also discussed one of our favourite teen classics (which also has JK Rowling and Jenny Han as die-hard fans), which is I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. You can listen to bits of the book and also a bit of the mo...2019-02-0842 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep10 | How Satisfying was The Winternight Trilogy?Spoiler free folks! Diana and Honey peels away Katherine Arden’s final book in the WInternight Trilogy. We talk fey creatures, Russian winters, families huddled over stoves the size of elephants and compassion for antgonists. We discuss Vasilisa, the plucky heroine who we grew to know and root for and how it is to have a dual nature. And we gushed a little about the horses. We also get to know Arden a little bit and the fact that she’s a passionate reader makes us love her all the more. For topic we merrily get onto the merry-go-round of Mari...2019-01-3045 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep9 | Spinning SilverTBNT Ep9: Spinning Silver | Topic: How We Choose Books for TBNTIn this magical episode we talk fairytales and why they are timeless and ripe for retellings. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is a fresh take on Rumplestilskin with strong female characters that kick-ass. However, even with a more feminist take on fairytales is there something in us that still wants a happily ever after? For our topic we delve into our own reading lives, reminisce on great libraries and let listeners know on how we select our books for discussion. As usual let us know what you...2019-01-2341 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep8 | YA Special with Shemah ShamIn this special YA edition of TBNT, Diana and Honey chats with Shemah Sham, moderator of the YA Discussion Group in KLBAC on what makes a Young Adult novel, the rise of YA fantasy books and what are our pet peeves for this genre of books. Are you a YA fan? Then give us your thoughts at booknerdstalking@gmail.com. Excerpts are from YA BooksThe Rest of Us just Live Here- Patrick NessShadow of the Fox- Julie KagawaMy Heart and Other Black Holes- Jasmine Warga2019-01-1654 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep7 | Killing CommendatoreIn the first show of the new year, Honey and Diana peel back the layers of Murakami’s Killing Commendatore. A meditation on art, music and fraught relationships just to name a few themes in this book. Or izit just a rehash of old obsessions. We talk abt book resolutions, getting reacquainted with your bookshelves and going for a more varied reading list for 2019. Book Recommendations:The House of Spirits- Isabel AllendeName of the Wind- Carlos Luis ZafonThe Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald Duma Key- Stephen King2019-01-0943 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep6 | Best Reads of 2018 with Thean KewIn the Season finale of Two Book Nerds Talking, hosts Diana and Honey are joined by special guest Thean Kew, a radiologist with a voracious appetite for books. We all talk about our best reads of 2018 and what to anticipate in 2019. All in all a good reading year for all of us, from books on family sagas, chess players, thought-provoking reads and poetry for all occasions. Kew, being an avid traveller and finder of great places to put up your feet and read, shares his Top Staycations within Peninsular Malaysia. You don’t want to miss this episode! Ha...2018-12-3152 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep5 | 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah HarariWe are Honey and Diana, two Malaysian gals who really love diving into books of all kinds. Welcome to 2 Book Nerds Talking where we discuss books we love or those hot on the read list. We get to share reading insights, bookish topics, pick the minds of occasional bookworm guests and other general book nerdery. If you love books as much as we do, this is the podcast for you!In our first non-fiction episode we discussed Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st century a collection of essays that touches on a wide range of topics from AI to...2018-12-3138 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep4 | Haruki MurakamiWe are Honey and Diana, two Malaysian gals who really love diving into books of all kinds. Welcome to 2 Book Nerds Talking where we discuss books we love or those hot on the read list. We get to share reading insights, bookish topics, pick the minds of occasional bookworm guests and other general book nerdery. If you love books as much as we do, this is the podcast for you!In this episode we go into the world of Murakami with his short stories, Men without Women. We discussed one of his best collections that exemplifies relationships between...2018-12-3136 minTwo Book Nerds TalkingTBNT ep3 | Crazy Rich AsiansWe are Honey and Diana, two Malaysian gals who really love diving into books of all kinds. Welcome to 2 Book Nerds Talking where we discuss books we love or those hot on the read list. We get to share reading insights, bookish topics, pick the minds of occasional bookworm guests and other general book nerdery. If you love books as much as we do, this is the podcast for you!2 Book Nerds Talking is hosted by Honey Ahmad and Diana Yeong. In this episode we delve into the world of Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, a sparkling...2018-12-3135 min