Booktails Podcast

End of Days 3 🛘🔥☄️🌊
This series on Booktails Podcast we are using the enduring narrative of the four horsemen of the apocalypse as our inspiration to read four books based around War, Pestilence, Famine and Death. 🏇🏇🏇🏇
Today, step up to the stage Pestilence! That’s right! We’re talking locusts, demons, disease and all things plague. 🦗
And we’re travelling back to medieval Black Death times and joining a knight, a young saint and a priest on a quest to vanquish the demons plaguing France and avoid catching the plague whilst they’re at it! 💀
Rachel and Serena will be deep diving into dream sequences, getting philosophical with the meaning of sin and evil, and most importantly, finding out which Keanu Reeves character would save us during the apocalypse! Grab your sweet and spicy Pestilence marg and let’s spread the word (not the germs)! 🦠

End of Days 2 🛘🔥☄️🌊
We know what everyone’s first thought is when they hear “four horsemen of the apocalypse”: sexy. 🏇🏇🏇🏇
When we found out about this Romantasy series you know we had to choose one for our end of days series. And yes before you ask, the idea of the mythical bringers of war, pestilence, famine and death as romantic heroes is DEFINITELY problematic. But maybe also camp and fun, right? ⚡️
Well, in this story Miriam’s village is ransacked and destroyed by War (yes that’s his name too) and naturally, murder, rape and pillage ensues. War claims Miriam as his prophesied “wife”, but feisty Miriam isn’t one to take that lying down… at first anyway… But can you really fall in love with a being whose purpose is to destroy everything in his path? 💀
Join Serena and Rachel as they get political (sorry, but we couldn’t ignore the monumental elephant in the room with this book!), find many of the funniest Romantasy tropes going (do I hear magical tattoos?), and of course, discuss the ongoing appeal of turning the worst beings imaginable into romantic heroes. Is anything excusable as long as he has a massive ****?! 🗡️

End of Days 🛘🔥☄️🌊
It’s the end of the world as we know it here at Booktails. 🌏
For the next few weeks we are using the enduring narrative of the four horsemen of the apocalypse as our inspiration to read four books based on War, Pestilence, Famine and Death. 🏇🏇🏇🏇
We are starting with the most brutal and mysterious of them all: Death. But what do we know of the big man with the scythe? 💀
Well, we have chosen a book with the Grim Reaper as the narrator: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. 📖
This story of a young girl in Nazi Germany is one of Serena’s all time faves! Does it still stand up after all this time? 📜
Join us for a black absinthe margarita as we delve into the experience of reading this book as an adult, ‘perfect’ characters and the framing devices provided by Death that hold this book together! ⚖️
You know what that means, Saumensch! It’s time to steal a book! 😈

Enemies to Lovers Summer 4 🍉🕶️
It’s summer, readers, and if you’re not already feeling hot you’re about to! Here at Booktails, this year’s summer series is all about that most beloved of tropes: when the enemies finally become lovers! 🔥
Sadly we have come to the end of our pastel stack of romance reads and it is time for ‘Summer in the City’ by Alex Aster. Yes, of Lightlark fame! ☀️🌆
New York in the sweltering heat, in more ways than one! Elle has to finish her romance screenplay, Parker has to appear to be in a stable relationship for business purposes (🤷‍♀️ 😂) , they made out in a stairwell years ago and parted on bad terms and now find themselves trapped together once again. With enough “dates”, red carpet appearances, runs and blueberry scones, can these two enemies give in and admit their love?! 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨
Today, Serena and Rachel will be discussing Elle’s secret identity, complex family history, stellar side characters and whether Parker is just TOO PERFECT?! 🌹
Grab a blueberry scones cocktail to sip and let’s catch a last minute red eye to the big apple with Booktails Podcast! 🗽

Enemies to Lovers Summer 3 🍉🕶️
It’s summer, readers, and if you’re not already feeling hot you’re about to! Here at Booktails, this year’s summer series is all about that most beloved of tropes: when the enemies finally become lovers! 🔥
Up next is our first foray into Ali Hazelwood: ‘Not in Love’! 🖤
Rue is a badass sexy scientist, whose only romantic entanglements are hookups which can never repeat… 👩‍🔬
Eli is a successful businessman who is taking over the company she works for. 💼The two have already met. In fact, they met using a hookup app. 🤫There’s no way they could start a secret affair, they’re on opposite sides of a war! And besides, Rue has strict rules to keep her dalliances anonymous and singular. But sometimes you just can’t fight chemistry… 🧪
We will be discussing tall gal representation (we love to see it!), pivoting on your dreams, ice skating subplots and the real- life superwoman who is Ali Hazelwood. 🧬
So get your lab coat and goggles on and measure out your Biofuel cocktail, this week’s episode will be corrosive! ⚠️

Enemies to Lovers Summer 2 🍉🕶️
It’s summer, readers, and if you’re not already feeling hot you’re about to! Here at Booktails, this year’s summer series is all about that most beloved of tropes: when the enemies finally become lovers! 🔥
Up next in our pastel coloured range of romance reads is ‘Beach Read’ by Emily Henry. And we all know you can’t go wrong with Emily Henry. 
Romance writer January is spending summer at her late father’s secret love nest, trying desperately to write her next book before she completely runs out of money, when who does she discover next door but her college rival turned bestselling literary fiction author Gus?! Grappling with writers block the two decide to swap genres and see who gets published first, educating each other along the way. 
Join us for chats on the two different endings (yes really!), the stories within the story, the enduring appeal of master Emily Henry and we try to work out why on earth this book is called ‘Beach Read’… 
So whether you’re on a beach or not, it’s time to grab a cup of Maggie’s famous blue punch- good luck- and dive into the deep end!

Enemies to Lovers Summer 1 🍉🕶️
It’s summer, readers, and if you’re not already feeling hot you’re about to! Here at Booktails, this year’s summer series is all about that most beloved of tropes: when the enemies finally become lovers! 🔥
We have a pastel coloured range of romance reads to share and we are starting off with ‘Enemies to Lovers’ by Laura Jane Williams (you have to respect that naming game!) 💘
Flo just wants to enjoy a summer holiday with her family, but her brother’s best friend Jamie just keeps getting in the way! And she can’t forget that moment the two of them shared months earlier… before he rejected her. This time she’s going to stay strong… or is she? ⛱️
We’ll be discussing what makes a good enemies to lovers read, family dynamics and playing a hysterical underwater game inspired by the book. 🏊‍♀️
Grab one of our themed Adonis cocktails or Jame mocktails, add an umbrella, jump in a lilo and let’s begin! ☀️

Local Voices 3 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
This summer we are delighted to be bringing you some more interviews with local writers! 📝
The Scottish literary scene has never been stronger, and these writers are some of the most exciting working at the moment! 📚
This week is the turn of Ambrose Parry and ‘The Death of Shame’. 💀
In the latest Raven and Fisher adventure, they must investigate the mysterious death of a successful physician and dig into underground sex trafficking rings working in the cobbled closes of the old town, before time runs out… 🔍
Today Rachel and Serena are joined by Marisa Haetzman, one half of Ambrose Parry, to discuss if this is the end of Raven and Fisher, what was the inspiration behind the series and who really writes what! 🐟🐦‍⬛
As we sip on this week’s very ‘medicinal’ cocktail Chloroform, we will also play a classic game of Guess the Real Historical Remedy! Fingers crossed we cure our ailments and don’t make them much, much worse… 🩺

Local Voices 2 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
This summer we are delighted to be bringing you some more interviews with local writers! 📝 The Scottish literary scene has never been stronger, and these writers are some of the most exciting working at the moment! 📚
For this week’s episode we had so many laughs chatting to Andrew Meehan about his newest book, Hey Man. 👬
This little gem of a book is the story of a friendship between a monk and an actor that spans decades, marriages and life’s trials. 🌅
Join us to discuss the nature of friendship, one of the most interesting writing processes we’ve encountered yet, share some exciting upcoming projects and play a game to crown the ultimate male besties in literature! 👑
So grab yourself Tommy’s tipple and enjoy! 🥃

Local Voices 1 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
This summer we are delighted to be bringing you some more interviews with local writers! 📝 The Scottish literary scene has never been stronger, and these writers are some of the most exciting working at the moment! 📚
We are starting off with someone familiar- Chris Brookmyre joins us to discuss his newest book, Quite Ugly One Evening.🩸
Jack Parlabane is back again, a little different than when readers first met him 30 years ago, but still climbing precarious balconies with his bare hands! In this book he finds himself investigating a celebrity family on board a transatlantic cruise, who have a few skeletons in their walk in closets… 💀
Join us to find out what keeps Chris coming back to Parlabane, the inspiration behind the characters, discuss family and legacy and play an epic game of Battleship! 🛳️So grab yourself a Parlabellini and enjoy! 🍑