Late To It: Recent Episodes
Kirsty Doole and Naomi Frisby
A podcast about reading books at the right time. Kirsty Doole and Naomi Frisby read and discuss paperbacks from the past 20 years. Find us on Twitter @theotherkirsty @NaomiFrisby
Artwork by S.J. Hawkins.
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two short story collections: Dinosaurs on Other Planets by Danielle McLaughlin and Alligator & Other Stories by Dima Alzayat.
Also mentioned:
The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
Lákíríboto by Ayodele Olofintuade
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two novellas in translation: Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo (translated by Margaret Sayers Peden) and Permafrost by Eva Baltasar (translated by Julia Sanches).
Also mentioned:
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
Cinema Love by Jaiming Tang
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about infidelity: Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny and The Harpy by Megan Hunter.
Also mentioned:
Open Throat by Henry Hoke
The Coiled Serpent by Camilla Grudova
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about the AIDS crisis: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai and Close to the Knives by David Wojnarowicz.
Also mentioned:
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
North Woods by Daniel Mason
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two science fiction novels: The Employees by Olga Ravn (translated by Martin Aitken) and Far From the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson.
Also mentioned:
Still Life with Bones by Alexa Hagerty
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two group biographies: No Modernism Without Lesbians by Diana Souhami and Square Haunting by Francesca Wade.
Also mentioned:
The New Life by Tom Crewe
Queen K by Sarah Thomas
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two anthologies of erotic stories: Unreal Sex edited by So Meyer and Adam Zmith and Anonymous Sex edited by Hillary Jordan and Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan.
Also mentioned:
Reach for the Stars by Michael Cragg
Alison by Lizzy Stewart
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about crime: Furious Hours by Casey Cep and In the Woods by Tana French.
Also mentioned:
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
Naomi and Kirsty discuss nature and climate change in Under the Rock by Benjamin Myers and The High House by Jessie Greengrass.
Also mentioned:
Ghostwritten by Ronald Malfi
Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scanlan
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about love, sex and relationships: This One Sky Day by Leone Ross and 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell.
Also mentioned:
A Heart That Works by Rob Delaney
Sea Bean by Sally Huband
Kirsty and Naomi discuss horror and metafiction in Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth and The Dollmaker by Nina Allan.
Also mentioned:
Femina by Janina Ramirez
Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about education and religion: Educated by Tara Westover and The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon.Also mentioned:Scoops by Sam McAlisterQuiet by Victoria Adukwei Bulley
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two intersectional feminist books: Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments by Saidiya Hartman and My Body Keeps Your Secrets by Lucia Osborne-Crowley.
Also mentioned:
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
Little by Edward Carey
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two Latinx novels: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Slum Virgin by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara (translated by Frances Riddle).
Also mentioned:
On Sheep: Diary of a Swedish Shepherd by Axel Lindén (translated by Frank Perry)
Small Angels by Lauren Owen
Kirsty and Naomi discuss women in men’s worlds in The Falconer by Dana Czapnik and We Go Around in the Night and Are Consumed By Fire by Jules Grant.
Also mentioned:
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two crime novels: Take It Back by Kia Abdullah and The Khan by Saima Mir.
Also mentioned:
Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
The Black Locomotive by Rian Hughes
Kirsty and Naomi discuss grief and god complexes in The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam and The Answers by Catherine Lacey. Also mentioned: A Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux (translated by Tanya Leslie) Write It All Down by Cathy Rentzenbrink
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two anthologies about sex: Kink edited by R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell and We Wrote in Symbols: Love and Lust by Arab Women Writers edited by Salma Dabbagh.
Also mentioned:
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Waiting for Ted by Marieke Bigg
Kirsty and Naomi discuss unconventional women in Out of the Shadows by Emily Midorikawa and The Fair Fight by Anna Freeman.
Also mentioned:
2:22 A Ghost Story by Danny Robins
The Trees by Percival Everett
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books with older female protagonists: Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree (translated by Daisy Rockwell) and Act of God by Jill Ciment.
Also mentioned:
All That Remains: A Life in Death by Sue Black
Black and Female by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books with celebrities in the titles: Bukowski in a Sundress by Kim Addonizio and The Goldblum Variations by Helen McClory.
Other books mentioned:
My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood
Ghost Signs by Stu Hennigan
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about life and gender: Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi and A Safe Girl to Love by Casey Plett. Other books mentioned: The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight China Room by Sunjeev Sahota
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about firsts: Black Box by Shiori Ito (tr. Allison Markin Powell) and Black Teacher by Beryl Gilroy.
Other books mentioned:
Am I Normal?: The 200-Year Search for Normal People (and Why They Don't Exist) by Sarah Chaney
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two speculative fiction books: I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (translated by Ros Schwartz) and The Storm by Akeem Balogun.
Other books mentioned:
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
808s and Otherworlds by Sean Avery Medlin
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about suicide: Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett and All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews.
Other books mentioned:
I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom
Paradis by Fernanda Melchor (tr. Sophie Hughes)
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two non-fiction books about the stories we tell ourselves: Make It Scream, Make It Burn by Leslie Jamison and Burying the Typewriter by Carmen Bugan.
Other books mentioned:
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
Companion Piece by Ali Smith
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two family memoirs: The Mistress's Daughter by A.M. Homes and Fun Home by Alison Bechdel.
Other books mentioned:
Look Here: On the Pleasures of Observing the City by Ana Kinsella
One of Them: An Eton College Memoir by Musa Okwonga
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about sex and gender, Lightning Rods by Helen DeWitt and The Appointment by Katharina Volckmer.
Other books mentioned:
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head by Warsan Shire
Kirsty and Naomi turn to crime with Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha and Without Prejudice by Nicola Williams.
Other books mentioned:
Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata (translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori)
The Coward by Jared McGinnis
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books that cover multiple generations of families: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi and Disoriental by Négar Djavadi (translated by Tina Kover). Other books mentioned: Violets by Alex Hyde Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books of: The Book of Harlan by Bernice L. McFadden and The Book of Memory by Petina Gappah.
Other books mentioned:
Bark by Lorrie Moore
Crushing by Sophie Burrows
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books by comedians: Perfect Sound Whatever by James Acaster and Paddle Your Own Canoe by Nick Offerman.
Also mentioned:
The 392 by Ashley Hickson-Lovence
Hotel Almighty by Sarah J. Sloat
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about identity: Braised Pork by An Yu and I Am Not Sidney Poitier by Percival Everett.
Other books mentioned:
The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-eun (translated by Lizzie Buehler)
Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two novels that involve crimes: Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart and Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips.
Other books mentioned:
The Storyteller by Dave Grohl
Absorbed by Kylie Whitehead
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two non-fiction books, an essay collection, Everywhere I Look by Helen Garner, and a memoir, Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot.
Other books mentioned:
Burntcoat by Sarah Hall
Weird Fucks by Lynne Tillman
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two excellent short story collections: Infidelities by Kirsty Gunn and Where the Wild Ladies Are by Matsuda Aoko (translated by Polly Barton). Other books mentioned: Today a Woman Went Mad in a Supermarket by Hilma Wolitzer The Fell by Sarah Moss
Kirsty and Naomi fall in love with two LGBTQ+ novels: Lote by Shola von Reinhold and The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara.
Other books mentioned:
The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye
Frida Kahlo and My Left Leg by Emily Rapp Black
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about addiction: Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes and Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher.
Other books mentioned:
Matrix by Lauren Groff
Happy Fat by Sophie Hagen
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about women who walk out of their lives: Abandon by Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay (translated by Arunava Sinha) and Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn.
Other books mentioned:
Sisters by Daisy Johnson
Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two essay collections by North American writers, Too Fat Too Slutty Too Loud by Anne Helen Peterson and wow, no thank you by Samantha Irby.
Other books mentioned:
Columbine by Dave Cullen
My Rock 'n' Roll Friend by Tracey Thorn
Samantha Irby's Late 1900s Time Capsule: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2HBoEWQUEcTE6gn3B0gvQ8?si=4dc6dc39a7254ff5
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about outsiders, Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume and Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor (translated by Sophie Hughes). Other books mentioned: How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey
Kirsty and Naomi fall madly for two LGBTQ+ stories, Pages for her by Sylvia Brownrigg and Paul takes the form of a mortal girl by Andrea Lawlor.
Other books mentioned:
The Hierarchies by Ros Anderson
Burntcoat by Sarah Hall
Kirsty and Naomi discuss two books about art for women in translation month, Rembrandt's Whore by Sylvie Matton (translated by Tamsin Black) and Vivian by Christina Hesselholdt (translated by Paul Russell Garrett).
Other books mentioned:
W-3 by Bette Howland
The Actual by Inua Ellams
Kirsty and Naomi consider two fantastical, dark short story collections, Speak Gigantular by Irenosen Okojie and The Doll's Alphabet by Camilla Grudova.
Other books mentioned:
The Beautiful Indifference by Sarah Hall
Why Germans Do It Better by John Kampfner
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
Kirsty and Naomi delve into two non-fiction books about trauma: The Trauma Cleaner by Sarah Krasnostein and The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch.
Other books mentioned:
Fifty Sounds by Polly Barton
Humankind by Rutger Bregman (translated by Elizabeth Manton and Erica Moore)
Kirsty and Naomi have recommissioned themselves for a second series. This week's books are The Sound Mirror by Heidi James and The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lọlá Shónẹ́yìn.
Other books mentioned:
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata (translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori)
Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson
Cockfight by Maria Fernanda Ampuero (translated by Frances Riddle)
The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard
Kirsty and Naomi talk about being late to gardening and Reading Ireland Month as well as discussing Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg and The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall.
Other books mentioned:
In the Garden: Essays on Nature and Growing
Asylum Road by Olivia Sudjic
Room Little Darker by June Caldwell
Kirsty and Naomi talk about the accessibility of literary events followed by a discussion of the memoir My Past Is a Foreign Country by Zeba Talkani and the novel Trust Exercise by Susan Choi.
Other books mentioned:
The Fat Lady Sings by Jacqueline Roy
Earthseed: Parable of the Sower / Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler / New Suns Feminist Literary Festival
Kirsty and Naomi discuss trigger warnings and being late to a crime series, focusing on two Australian crime novels: An Isolated Incident by Emily Maguire and Darkness for Light by Emma Viskic.
Other books mentioned:
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez (translated by Megan McDowell)
In the Kitchen: Essays on Food and Love
Kirsty and Naomi talk about the beauty of being late to popular culture followed by a discussion on the non-fiction texts / memoirs On Immunity by Eula Biss and The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang.
Other books mentioned:
No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
All the Young Men by Ruth Coker-Burks
a recipe for sorcery by vanessa kisuule
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Kirsty and Naomi discuss examples of people saying they're late to books, followed by a discussion of the short story collections Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez (translated by Megan McDowell).
Other books mentioned:
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Breathtaking by Rachel Clarke
Chauvo-Feminism by Sam Mills
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Kirsty and Naomi talk about their decision to call the podcast Late to It and discuss Cold Water by Gwendoline Riley and Fishnet by Kirsten Innes by way of introducing themselves.
Other books mentioned:
little scratch by Rebecca Watson
Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden
Sanatorium by Abi Palmer