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Ali Baker and a guest discuss children's fantasy fiction. The guest chooses a favourite for Ali, and Ali chooses a complementing contemporary book. Jokes and the occasional swear word may ensue. Please contact fantasybookswap@gmail.com, @fantasyswap on Twitter or https://www.facebook.com/Fantasybookswap. Ask questions, make comments and join in the discussion!
Episodes
Wednesday Feb 23, 2022
Of Wolves and Birds with Damien Hine
Wednesday Feb 23, 2022
Wednesday Feb 23, 2022
Damien’s choice: Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver
Ali’s choice: Asha and the Spirit Bird by Jasbinder Bilan
Jasbinder Bilan wrote about the inspiration she got from a trip to India here
You can find Damien Hine on Twitter here and Facebook. The audiobook of Out of Atlas can be bought here. Damien will be at the British SFF convention, EasterCon. You can buy membership here, but do it soon as prices will be rising at the end of the month.
Fantasy Book Swap is Hugo-eligible! If you’re a member of Discon 3 or Chicon 8 you can add the podcast to the longlist. Help more people read fantastic British children’s fantasy fiction!
Thanks as always to Steve Vapour-Trails for production assistance, and Jack Sadler-Johnson for the use of his beautiful track Bliss.
Sunday Feb 13, 2022
Spooky Old Houses and Ghostly Mouses
Sunday Feb 13, 2022
Sunday Feb 13, 2022
This episode has a very special guest… my dad, Michael Baker, who was 84 yesterday. You can see him wearing his favourite hat here. This photo was taken last May, on my sister Kate’s belated 50th birthday. It was absolutely freezing!
Our choices were:
John Masefield's The Midnight Folk
Chris Riddell's Ghost Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse
During the podcast I mention John Masefield’s poem Sea Fever. You can read it here. I just found this poem, The Ship and Her Makers, which seems closer to his prose, somehow.
The sketch Chris Riddell gave me is here and look at the shiny!
My dad is a published author! His book, The Mountain and the Summer Stars, was published the year I was born. Dad continued to write stories for my sisters and me, and Father Christmas left us some brilliant letters thanking us for the mince pies, sherry and glass of whisky that we left out for him.
Fantasy Book Swap is Hugo eligible! If you’re a member or supporting member of Chicon 8, this year’s WorldCon, and you enjoy the podcast, please do consider a nomination for the long list.
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Episode 15: Crushing on Chrestomanci
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Alice’s choice: Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
Ali’s choice: Who Let The Gods Out? by Maz Evans
You can find Alice on Twitter, read her on Book Riot and read her webcomics here
The most obvious example of an Agatha Christie novel with an unreliable narrator is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Alice mentions Robin Steven’s wonderful Murder Most Unladylike books, which I can’t recommend enough.
Do you use Storygraph to log your reading? Follow me there, and see what is coming up on the podcast! https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/alibakerbrooks
Thanks as always to Steve Vapour Trails for production assistance and Jack Sadler-Johnson for the use of his track Bliss.
Please do rate and review the podcast on the platform you use! It helps other people find the podcast, and it satisfies my vanity!
Wednesday Dec 29, 2021
Episode 14- Series 1 finale. Of spooks, skeksis and Sherlock
Wednesday Dec 29, 2021
Wednesday Dec 29, 2021
Thank you, dear listeners, for your support and interest. Fantasy Book Swap has had 1000 downloads on Podbean! Look, I have the badge to prove it!
This episode has the favourite winter reading of:
Nicholas Jackson
Danny
DC
so thank you all for your contributions! I very much enjoyed listening to them.
Fantasy Book Swap is taking a break until the end of January, when I will be back with Fantasy Book Swap 2: Swap Harder.
Thanks, as always, to Steve Vapour Trails for production support, and for Jack Sadler-Jackson for the use of his beautiful track, Bliss.
Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
Stef’s choice: The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.
Ali’s choice: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu.
See one of Erin McGuire's illustrations for Breadcrumbs here
You can find Stef on Twitter and Instagram, and buy her books here https://www.cynefinroad.co.uk/shop
The next episode will be the last for a bit; I’m taking a break in January and will be back in early February.
Do you use Storygraph to log your reading? Follow me there, and see what is coming up on the podcast! https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/alibakerbrooks
Thanks as always to Steve Vapour Trails for production assistance and Jack Sadler-Johnson for the use of his track Bliss.
Tuesday Dec 14, 2021
Tuesday Dec 14, 2021
You can find Fiona on Twitter, and her blog here, where you can find links to her fiction and other work. You can buy Fiona’s book on Doctor Who: The Robots of Death here. Fiona’s tiny buildings can be found on Instagram and Beau Paddington’s wardrobe on Twitter.
Fiona’s choice was Edward Eager’s Knight’s Castle, which easily available in secondhand editions. However, N. M. Bodecker’s illustrations are hard to beat, so try to find an edition including them. My favourite is here. Fiona mentions the Christmas song Silver Bells, and we discuss the 1952 film Ivanhoe, with Elizabeth Taylor playing Rebecca. See the trailer here. The E. Nesbit book The Magic City is out of print, but you can read it free via Project Gutenberg.
Ali’s choice was Stephanie Burgis’s The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart. This book has to be read under a blanket, drinking hot chocolate. This recipe for vegan hot chocolate with chili looks perfect. Stephanie’s most recent book, The Raven Heir, will be my Christmas holiday read this year.
Fiona also mentioned Audrey NIffenegger’s Her Fearful Symmetry as an example of an unreliable first-person narrator.
What is your favourite seasonal read? Record a voice message with your name, the title of your favourite book to read at this time of year, and email to fantasybookswap@gmail.com. Include your postal address if you would like a Fantasy Book Swap badge.
Thanks as always to Steve Vapour Trails for production assistance and Jack Sadler-Johnson for the use of his track Bliss.
Saturday Dec 04, 2021
Winter special trailer
Saturday Dec 04, 2021
Saturday Dec 04, 2021
Get involved! Email your voice recording introducing your favourite winter reads to fantasybookswap@gmail.com.
Friday Nov 26, 2021
Ep 11: Farah Mendlesohn, Fattypuffs and Thinifers and Lightfall
Friday Nov 26, 2021
Friday Nov 26, 2021
Follow Farah on Twitter. Farah is also a co-chair for the Eastercon 2024 bid
Farah co-authored Children's Fantasy Literature: An Introduction with Michael Levy, and is the author of The Intergalactic Playground: A Critical Study of Children's and Teens' Science Fiction
Farah recommends The Tea Dragon Society
Farah's choice: Fattypuffs and Thinifers by Andre Maurois
Ali's choice: Lightfall by Tim Probert
Please tell me your favourite Winter reads! Record a short voice note and email fantasybookswap@gmail.com
Thanks to Steve Vapour Trails for production assistance and Jack Sadler-Johnson for the use of his beautiful track, Bliss.
Thursday Nov 11, 2021
”More funny than Thomas Hardy”: John Coxon, Rebecca‘s World and Flora & Ulysses
Thursday Nov 11, 2021
Thursday Nov 11, 2021
Rebecca’s World by Terry Nation
As John states, there is an Audible audiobook of Rebecca’s World, read by Paul Darrow, who was indeed Avon from Blakes 7.
Flora and Ulysses by Kate di Camillo. There is a Disney film based on the book; see the trailer here
The Tale of Despereaux trailer on YouTube
John mentions Groosham Grange by Anthony Horowitz
Ali mentions The Eighteenth Emergency by Betsy Byars and You’re A Bad Man, Mr Gum! by Andy Stanton
Octothorpe British SFF fandom podcast with Liz Batty, John and Alison Scott
John’s website, including links to his fan writing, is procrastinations.co.uk
Reclamation 2022, the 72nd EasterCon
It’s the 50th Novacon this weekend coming (12th-14th November)
MERCH! From Stow Shirts
Thanks as always to Steve Vapour Trails for production assistance and Jack Sadler-Johnson for the use of his track Bliss.
Saturday Oct 30, 2021
Ep.9 ”Not your average hawk”: Tamora Pierce‘s Tortal universe with Ruth Hunt
Saturday Oct 30, 2021
Saturday Oct 30, 2021
Guest: my colleague Ruth Hunt. Find out more about Ruth and her research here
Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce
The Tortall universe in chronological order- though new readers would be best off starting with Alanna: The First Adventure
Tamora Pierce’s thinking about gender identity and sexuality has changed over time
An interview with Tamora Pierce on Beyond the Trope podcast
Ruth Hunt the Wild Mage’s wildlife photos here
Thanks to Steve Vapour Trails for production assistance. Please check out his radio show! Also to Jack Sadler-Johnson for the use of his beautiful track, Bliss.