Anna and Geoff review OUR EVENINGS the new novel by Booker Prize-winning author Alan Hollinghurst. Dave Win is a Burmese-British actor reminiscing about his life, growing up as a gay man in the 1960s through to 2019. We loved the exact and beautiful prose but found it slow. The blurb also suggests a tension between Dave and bully Giles whereas the story is more of a (fictional) memoir of Dave and his mother. The Sunday Times called it 'the best novel that's been written about contemporary Britain in the past ten years.' An interesting read and much to discuss!

If you enjoyed this book, we recommend:
Garth Greenwell (his latest SMALL RAIN is on our TBR)
Alan Hollinghurst’s earlier work (Geoff’s favourite: THE FOLDING STAR)

Coming up:

THE HUSBANDS with Holly Gramazio

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Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Instagram: @abailliekaras

Substack: Books On The Go

Credit

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz

A special episode: Anna speaks with author Vaseem Khan about his new crime novel CITY OF DESTRUCTION.

This is the fifth in the Malabar House series set in 1950s Bombay after Partition. Persis Wadia is India’s first female police detective and is sent to work in Malabar House. In CITY OF DESTRUCTION, a gunman attempts to assassinate the Defence Minister at a political rally and Persis shoots him dead. The Minister wants war with Pakistan, MI6 agents are involved and Persis is sent to investigate another case. An intriguing mystery set against the backdrop of India’s history and written with warmth and wit. We loved it!

Vaseem recommends these crime series:

The Wyndham and Banerjee series by Abir Mukherjee

The Bernie Gunther series by Philip Kerr

Vaseem’s upcoming books are GIRL IN CELL A and QUANTUM OF MENACE, the first in a new series featuring Q from the James Bond franchise.

Coming up: OUR EVENINGS by Alan Hollinghurst

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Vaseem: vaseemkhan.com and podcast Murder Junction

Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Instagram: @abailliekaras

Substack: Books On The Go

Anna and Annie discuss the success of Rebecca Yarros’s new book ONYX STORM, the third in the Emperyean series. Annie gives her views about why they have been huge best-sellers and the popularity of romantasy.

Our book of the week is DISAPPOINT ME by Nicola Dinan. This buzzy new novel by the author of BELLIES centres around Max, a 30 year-old trans woman who starts dating Vincent but is unsure whether she is cut out to be a trad wife. Chosen as a ‘Best Book of 2025’ by Stylist, Vogue, GQ, Elle and Cosmopolitan, this is funny, moving and original. We loved it.

Coming up: THE SEASON by Helen Garner

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Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Instagram: @abailliekaras / @mr_annie

Substack: Books On The Go

Storygraph: @mr_annie

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz