Sentimental Garbage

In this very special episode, comedian Alexandra Haddow joins us ahead of the live tour to talk about what she wants to dig out of the Sentimental Garbage can. Catch us on tour together with https://www.fane.co.uk/sentimental-garbageLIVE TOUR DATES:LONDON: 02 JUN 2024 - HACKNEY EMPIREBRIGHTON: 07 JUN 2024 - BRIGHTON DOME CORN EXCHANGESALFORD: 15 JUN 2024 - THE LOWRY, SALFORD QUAYSGLASGOW: 16 JUN 2024 - THE OLD FRUITMARKET, GLASGOWBRISTOL: 20 JUN 2024 - ST GEORGE'S BRISTOLTICKETS HERE: https://www.fane.co.uk/sentimental-garbage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! This podcast was recorded courtesy of FANE in January 2024 with Dolly Alderton at the Bloomsbury Theatre. Want to come on tour with us? We're playing:LONDON: 02 Jun 2024 - 19:30 - HACKNEY EMPIREBRIGHTON: 07 Jun 2024 - 19:30 - BRIGHTON DOMESALFORD: 15 Jun 2024 - 20:00 - THE LOWRY, SALFORD QUAYSGLASGOW: 16 Jun 2024 - 19:30 - OLD FRUITMARKET, GLASGOWBRISTOL: 20 Jun 2024 - 19:30 - ST. GEORGE'S BRISTOLTICKETS HERE: https://fane.co.uk/sentimental-garbage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The season finale and we’ve finally got the grand dame of podcasting on to talk about the Bravo hit that launched a million franchises. Elizabeth Day is an author whose latest book Friendaholic is out now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author of Green Dot Madeleine Gray is here to talk about society's fascination with The Other Woman. From Anne Boleyn to Monica Lewinsky, from Camilla Parker Bowles to Glenn Close, we investigate why these women are so endlessly interesting to us and whether they are our key to decoding society's most shadowy figures. We're also very glad that Tracy Chapman exists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Musician and jingle-maker Harry Harris makes his SG debut by talking about One Hit Wonders! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bring the Kleenex lads, this is an emotional one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A true champion of the sweaty yet charming premise, How To Lose A Guy takes all the mid-noughties rom-com tropes and rolls them into one. A woman's magazine! An advertising campaign! A bet! An article! Friends! We discuss Kate Hudson's comedic gifts, the death of the bubblegum romcom and whether women's magazines even deserve a place in the culture. Check out Elizabeth Sankey's documentary Romantic Comedy for more, or her music at Summer Camp Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blackhead squeezing, earwax removing, blood, guts, fluids. We're talking about how an exponentially growing beauty industry has also created a Yucky industry, where we watch Dr Pimple Popper before bed and Naked Attraction before we go to sleep in hotel rooms. Nicola Dinan joins us to talk about "yuckycore" and where it came from. TW: everything gross Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Style Queen Lauren Bravo joins us yet again for a deep dive, and a eulogy for, the noble skinny jean Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yes, we all watched the documentary, but WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC? Caroline and Dolly take a deep dive into the rich, thick, expensive fabric that is Robbie Williams' pop career. And yes, we do talk about Swing When You're Winning. Playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6gx0XURxXE8RtEJXlVPdId?si=1e54995d032d4526 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been the Roman Empire for all tween girls for over 100 years, so for this year we investigate: what is it about the Anastasia myth that we just can't let go of? Caroline and Ella attempt to examine the real story versus the many false ones that grew around it, touching on Anna Anderson, the Romanovs, the emergence of new media in 1918 vs now, the 1956 movie starring Ingrid Bergman and the 1997 Don Bluth cartoon. This is not a history podcast and we don't use a script so please bear in mind that we play fast and loose with dates and places. If you want a more thorough and historically accurate enquiry into this story, we recommend: The C Word on Anna Anderson https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anna-anderson-aka-anastasia-romanov/id1567724444?i=1000580210342You're Wrong About on Anastasia https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/anastasia/id1380008439?i=1000476500473 ...or if you just want a detailed love-in about the cartoon, Caroline has done one on the Juvenalia podcast! https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/104-anastasia-with-caroline-odonoghue/id1096401730?i=1000483680225 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer of Really Good Actually and creator of Sky’s Smothered joins us for a definitive ranking of every relationship in Love Actually Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone's favourite public transport-cum-coma romance that is, somehow, also a Christmas movie. Sam Sedgman joins us to talk about his enduring love of both Sandra Bullock and trains in general.Sam Sedgman is a children's author whose next book The Clockwork Conspiracy is out Feb 2024.Join the Sentimental Garbage mailing list for priority ticket access here: https://sentimentalgarbage.substack.com/https://www.fane.co.uk/sentimental-garbage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Returning Cindy horse Jof Owen talks to us about the woman who broke all records and changed pop music forever. It's time for a potted history of Shania Twain! With jokes, Wotsit similes and wild theorising about Lyme disease Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Austentatious star Cariad Lloyd takes us through the 1995 BBC Pride & Prejudice classic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

what a superbly featured room and what excellent boiled potatoes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yes, the Sentimental Australia trip wasn't just a figment of our collective imaginaton, here's the proof. Radio and TV star Myf Warhurst joins Caroline on-stage at the Wheeler Centre's Spring Fling for a Sentimental live show that includes dissections of The Secret Garden, Baz Luhrman, novelty hair-slides, Wolford tights and menu-splaining in restaurants. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Sweet Valley sweetie Jess Pan returns with the rom-com that changed the definition of what a rom-com could be. My Best Friend's Wedding gave us an anti-hero worth rooting for, a 'Gay Best Friend' that goes above and beyond the usual clichés, and an early Paul Giamatti role that makes you sit up and say "Is that Paul Giamatti?" Jess Pan is the author of I'm Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come and also the substack It'll Be Fun, They Said https://jesspan.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You paid a whole dollar for that? Richard Makin joins us to talk about the queer touchstone and eternal sleepover movie Romy & Michele's High School Reunion. In his words "this movie is to me what Pretty Woman is to them". We discuss high school, bullies, our inner Heather Moonys, the Simpsons DNA that runs through this movie and how Lisa Kudrow will inherit the earth. Richard Makin is a cook and the author of Anything You Can Cook I Can Cook Vegan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You either know everything about Caroline Calloway, or nothing at all. This episode is for everyone in the first category. Author Diana Reid comes into the studio to get balls deep in mid 2010s influencer culture, the politics of young friendship, digital media trends of yesteryear and the first person essay economy that reigned over our lives for so long. We try to use the Caroline Calloway/Natalie Beech story as a Rosetta Stone for our own lives, and the result is a pretty fabulous conversation Diana Reid is the author of Love & Virtue as well as Seeing Other People Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Padam, padam, we feel it and we know. The doyenne of Aussie pop culture and co-host of the Shameless podcast Michelle Andrews joins us for a chat about the southern hemisphere's premier pop icon Kylie Minogue. We cover a lot here, but it's not a biography – for that we recommend Michelle's three-part series on Shameless Media. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-original-kylie-part-two/id1352875216?i=1000558533650 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In preparation for Caroline's Australian book tour, Aussie friend of the pod Kate Young joins us to dissect Strictly Ballroom. We talk about why Strictly Ballroom is "Dirty Dancing for nerds", 90s Australian cinema, and our efforts to beat the snakes. Kate Young is the author of several cookbooks as well as the forthcoming novel Experienced, a queer rom com, out in May 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last season, we opened the season on Weddings, where we talked about planning, hen parties, dresses and the cultural expectations of being a bride. Now we've had the wedding, what have we *learned*? Maid of Honour and longterm friend of the pod Ella Risbridger comes back to discuss the wins, losses and lessons of...Caroline's wedding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're coming back off break to offer our opinions on the most formative Sentimental Garbage there is, Barbie. Caroline and Jen talk about their early memories of Barb, Greta Gerwig's new movie, the hunk-to-hero trajectory and the ascendancy of Ryan Silly Gooseling. The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue is available everywhere now. Jen Cownie's Wild Card: Let The Tarot Tell Your Story is everywhere too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey everyone! Caroline's been on tour with The Rachel Incident so the Straight Up girls have kindly agreed to allow their podcast to feature on the Sentimental Garbage feed. It's a really fun episode where we talk about all kinds of pop culture, including Sex and the City, Fleishman is in Trouble, Brooke Shields, and much more. This is the final episode of Sentimental Garbage for this season, please enjoy the break and your summer! Straight Up is the weekly podcast hosted by journalists Kathleen and Ellie that debriefs on all the juiciest happenings in celebrity and pop culture. They have guests on twice a month, which other than me have included Sean Paul, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Akon, Pandora Sykes, Amelia Dimoldenberg and Aitch… and they always record over cocktails! Their episode this week is all about Barbie’s insane marketing plan, chaotic celebrity divorces, Idris Elba's new thriller series and The Idol finale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An ancient, deathless vampire attempts to woo a young woman. And also, we talk about about Twilight. Maisie Peters album, The Good Witch, is out now! Caroline O'Donoghue's book The Rachel Incident is out now also Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*SPOILERS FROM 48 MINS ONWARDS*Friend of the pod Dolly Alderton returns to interview me about The Rachel Incident, the latest novel from Caroline O'Donoghue (me) Order The Rachel Incident: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clare-Caroline-ODonoghue/dp/0349013551/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2LAN076BK3XQ&keywords=the+rachel+incident+caroline+o%27donoghue&qid=1687367028&sprefix=the+rache%2Caps%2C477&sr=8-1https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-rachel-incident/caroline-odonoghue/9780349013558https://store.virago.co.uk/products/the-rachel-incident Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom McInnes is back for the ultimate test of this podcast's entire premise. Namely, can two people have an incredibly long and feelings-y chat about a three minute pop song from 1983? Let's see x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a big week to be a Taylor Swift fan, so we're back for a second go of Midnights with Jen Cownie. We talk the bonus extras, the great ironies of “The Great War”, the Blake Lively fan fiction on “Bigger than the Whole Sky”, real Paris vs American Paris, and much much more. Also: what exactly DID happen to Caroline's Instagram? Apologies about the sound quality, the ever evolving narrative around Taylor meant we had to record this episode in a tin box. SENTIMENTAL GARBAGE LIVE(London) with Dolly Alderton: waterstones.com/events/sentimental-garbage-with-dolly-alderton-and-caroline-odonoghue-at-waterstones-piccadilly/london-piccadillySENTIMENTAL GARBAGE LIVE (Dublin) with Sophie White: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/caroline-odonoghues-sentimental-garbage-podcast-live-dublin-event-tickets-646891288257?aff=ebdssbcategorybrowse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk disordered eating, body image and diets through the prism of pop culture, with Hanna Flint, the author of Strong Female Character. Is there such a thing as a "responsible" way to depict an eating disorder? Can we ever forgive Richard Curtis for what he did to Martine McCutcheon? And can we fairly say that we in a more body positive era when Ozempic is becoming more normal than ever? And has pop culture made us think that eating disorders are a White Girl Problem? We mention Love Actually, Bridget Jones Diary, The Whale, Heathers, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Jacqueline Wilson, School of Rock, Queen Latifah, and the Special K "drop a jean size" challenge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 1990s answer to Hard Day's Night was Spice World: The Movie, 92 minutes of pure joy that also provides Baby's First Blueprint to how fame works when you're a young woman. We talk about Wannabe as the Kennedy Assassination for millennial women, the subtext of the Spice Girls songbook, the insane cameos, the incredible plot strands, and the sad uselessness of the pregnant friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could Joe Alwyn's departure from Taylor's life be the skeleton key to understanding Midnights, Taylor Swift's murkiest album? Jen Cownie returns for a track-by-track study that, she believes, tells the story of a woman who is breaking up with herself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Filmmaker and author Emma Forrest on her lifelong relationship with Cher. We talk noses, outsiders, plastic surgery, Mermaids, Moonstruck, I Got You Babe, the Sonny years and much much more. This is a really good one. Emma Forrest's new book, Busy Being Free, is available everywhere now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Novelist Ore Agbaje-Williams joins us for a childhood favourite that almost threatens to fall down behind the couch: the straight-to-video Cinderella, starring Brandy, Whitney Houston and Whoopi Goldberg. We talk about the baffling charm of this adaptation, the star-power of the cast, the new Little Mermaid, the endless drudgery of the 'representation' conversation, childhood desires and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Curious about what Sentimental Garbage sounds like live? Journalist and author Emer McLysaght joins us to talk Taylor Swift, 10 Things I Hate About You, roast dinners, social media activism, Karens vs Aislings, Adrian Mole, Phoebe and Paul, and why aren't our ex-boyfriends online. Thank you to Cúirt Festival for recording this for us, particularly to our stage manager Naomi Cantwell and sound engineer Dan Smith for sorting it all out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether it's prestige HBO dramas or Below Deck, there's no doubting that we're more obsessed with – as well as empathetic towards – the extremely wealthy than ever. But as the 1 per cent expands and extreme poverty becomes more common than ever, do we have to ask ourselves: is all this rich person content actually good for us? Jenny Jackson, the author of the best-selling Pineapple Street, joins us to talk Succession, The White Lotus, Real Housewives, Abigail Disney and much much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're picking through our most complicated cake feelings with novelist and author of the Little Library Cookbooks, Kate Young! This episode is sort of about cake and sort of about gender representation, realising you're gay, and growing out of your "mum" phase. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WAKE ME UP INSIDE! As a reformed fan-fiction head and ex-moderator of an Evanescence forum, Jessica Moor epitomises everything that was great and weird about being online as a teenager. We talk about the power of Amy Lee, how enormous "Fallen" was, being a wannabe goth girl, the lost art of forums and the infamous "My Immortal" fan fiction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Von Duchess is back as we recap noughties fashion and why we're seeing such a huge resurgence of it. As with all Irish guests, we talk confirmation money, regional skirt lengths and the Celtic Tiger, but also get to global trends: Von Dutch caps, logo-fever, new money anxieties, post-9/11 fashion and how we all got Joan-pilled by the 2007 arrival of Mad Men. This one Goes Places but I'm so glad it did.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Caroline is joined by one of the greatest novelists of her generation to talk about Dirty Dancing, Sylvia Plath, and whether Adam Driver is hot. Curtis is the author of American Wife, Rodham and the forthcoming Romantic Comedy. Caroline is the author of several books and really wants you to pre-order The Rachel Incident. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gaming used to be for everybody, like Lego. But somewhere around the early noughties gaming became extremely gendered, with first person war shooters dominating mainstream gaming and “girl” games arrived. We talk The Sims, Harvest Moon, Pokemon, Stardew Valley, tv and movie franchise games, horse riding games, a little bit of Zelda, and a little bit of Skyrim. We also discuss Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and finish with recommendations for new gamers. Recs include:WandersongChicoryA Short HikeCult of the LambBoyfriend DungeonGoing Under WychwoodWhat Remains of Edith Finch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Otegha Uwagba is finally on the podcast and we're having a far-reaching and slightly rogue conversation about girlboss feminism, being a bad bitch, the aftermath of MeToo and how we complain. We also cover Elizabeth Holmes, Nicki Minaj and the girlboss bitches of pop culture. Baroness Von Schrader: we salute you. Otegha Uwagba is the author of several books, including We Need To Talk About Money, Whites and Little Black Book. Caroline O'Donoghue is the author of many novels, including the forthcoming The Rachel Incident Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dolly is back and we're talking commitment-phobia, memorabilia, and the noble failures of Julia Roberts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food writer Laura Goodman joins us this week to talk about the modern phenomenon of snacking and the breakdown of the three-meal day. This is sentimental garbage's first foray into food culture so we end up covering a lot: from rental snacks, to pantry shops to the modern phenomenon of small plates. We also cover cookies and the general consensus that restaurants are worse than they've ever been. Laura Goodman is the author of Carbs and The Joy of Snacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're carrying on from last week's deep dive into the Gilmore Girls with chats about Jess, Luke, Max Medina and our mystery number one slot. We also discuss Melissa McCarthy's charming but strangely uncompelling storylines, the quiet tragedy of Lane Kim and whether one or both Gilmore Girls suffer from IBS. Thanks for joining us for this super fun series! Find Jof Owen at Legends of Country and The Boy Least Likely To. Caroline O'Donoghue is a novelist whose next adult novel, The Rachel Incident, is available for pre-order everywhere. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the first of our two-part special on Gilmore Girls! Today we discuss: did Dean storm the capital? Is Christopher a serial people pleaser? Could we correctly term Richard and Emily as 'very a play'? Also class transition, where exactly in WeTransfer that Rory works, and what kind of podcast guest Lorelai Gilmore might be. Jof Owen is a musician who produces music under The Boy Least Likely To and Legends of Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready for an incredibly fun and slightly fork-obsessed discussion about Chicago and the process of writing musicals in general. We talk about room songs, corridor songs, The Little Mermaid, and the perfection that is every single shot of this incredible movie. Are you a Cell Block Tango girl or a They Both Reached For the Gun kinda girl? Natasha Hodgson is one of the writer/performers behind Operation Mincemeat, which is on the West End from March 29th. She is also the creator of the BBC comedy podcast The Sink and a writer for TV shows like The Amazing World of Gumball and Don't Hug Me I'm Scared. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monica Heisey was an unusually young divorcée and a writer of unusually famous sitcoms when she began writing her iconic break-up novel Really Good, Actually, and we're here to talk about both. Why will Jennifer Aniston always be the heartbreak queen, despite Adele and Taylor Swift vying for the title? Do friend break-ups hurt worst of all? And did Caroline learn all her emotional cues from Frasier? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From earliest childhood, girls are taught to obsess over weddings as the one thing in common we'll ever have with a Disney princess. We talk about women and weddings, the cult of the Chill Bride, and whether wedding cynicism has gone too far. It's a real mish-mash today: we talk Friends, Abigail Again, Emma Bunton, Father of the Bride, Maid Marian, Richard Curtis and much more. Lauren Bravo is the author of How To Break Up with Fast Fashion and the forthcoming novel Pre-Loved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether you're a die-hard Jo fan or an Amy apologist, there's no way to be a woman alive in the 21st century without having an opinion on Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. We get into it, discussing all three major film adaptations, plus the now canon March Sisters at Christmas. We also discuss the female expectation of auto fiction, the limits of writing around a dead loved one, and the Cool Girl-ification of Jo March. Works cited: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2019/08/29/the-real-tragedy-of-beth-march/https://twitter.com/peytonology/status/1516802190849060865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1516802190849060865%7Ctwgr%5Ec5f4ce8c8c9ef490cce2f3571045f3adfc33c674%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.intomore.com%2Fa-queer-love-letter%2Flouisa-may-alcott-trans%2F Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jen Cownie returns for a tarot-infused culture ramble where we cover tiny dogs, long nails and blue jeans. Also Joe Alwyn and Margaret Atwood get a shout out. If you're hitting Cheltenham Literature Festival this weekend, come find us! Caroline's dates: 8 October: Live Sentimental Garbage with Alexandra Haddow at the Daffodil Restaurant (9.30)8 October: Live Wild Garbage with Jen Cownie at Boston Tea Party (18.30)9 October: The Sunday Papers with Marcus Brigstocke (12.15) 9 October: Literature's Worst Agony Aunt (16:30) Jen's dates: 8 October: tarot talk at Waterstones (17:00)8 October: Live Wild Garbage with Jen Cownie at Boston Tea Party (18.30) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author and essayist Sloane Crosley shares her pre-teen love of Enya in the final episode of the season! We talk about music, conflicting nationalities, Zadie Smith's phone, and secret places. Sloane is the author of several books including her latest novel, Cult Classic. This is the final episode for a few months, so in the meantime, I'd really appreciate it if you could keep an eye out for my books. For adults, Promising Young Women and Scenes of a Graphic Nature. For younger readers: All Our Hidden Gifts, The Gifts that Bind Us, and the forthcoming Every Gift A CurseBye for now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Kate Moss the fit version of Forrest Gump? We track the career of Kate in a handful of photos, picked by lifelong fan and comedian Alex Haddow. We discuss the fall of the 80s supermodel, the famous shoot for The Face, her era-defining romance with Pete Doherty, her friendship with basically everyone famous ever, and a brief emotional moment about the royal wedding. Catch Alexandra Haddow at Edinburgh this year with her show Woman in Progress at the Southsider theatre https://www.comedy.co.uk/fringe/2022/alexandra-haddow/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time to go back to an era where you hung around a shopping centre all day with no money for no reason! We talk about Avril Lavigne's impact on millennial women, the allure of being "one of the boys", the Girlfriend era, the question of authenticity and Avril's eventual life with the Backstreet Boys. Annie Lord's first book, Notes on Heartbreak, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we attempt to cover the entire career of Anne Rice and quickly realise that it's impossible, so this conversation takes some of the most enjoyable twist and turns of the season. Caroline and Siobhán discuss vampires, witches, magic in Ireland, trans rights, women who take up TOO much space, Paul McCartney for some reason, sleeping beauty, and much much more.Siobhán McSweeney is the star of Derry Girls, Holding and the is the host of the Great Pottery Throw Down. She is more famous than Fiona Shaw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The bad boy of BBC iPlayer Connor Finch comes on to talk about one of his foremost musical heroes, Lily Allen. We talk about Lily's place in pop culture, her treatment by the British press, what a "London" sound is, the nepotism problem in the arts, and much much more. We don't talk about every single song on Connor's list in detail but the full list is here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2IKpqKPTNJCXFrv0bbClCF?si=ec606c16a49f4286Connor Finch plays "Street" in Everything I Know About Love, which was created by some chick we've never heard of. Catch every episode on BBC iPlayer now Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Wimbledon week, and both Caroline and Jessica prefer the romantic, fictional rendering of Wimbledon to actual Wimbledon itself. We discuss Kirsten Dunst's slow-building status as a millennial icon, how this script is a perfect rendering of the rom-com formula, the last great era of the sincere rom-com, and the profound emotional effect of sports movies (even when you don't care about sport itself). Jessica Brown Findlay is the star of Harlots, and formerly of Downton Abbey. Caroline is still an author and you can find her books pretty much anywhere. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The host of Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV joins us to talk about this quintessentially 21st century art form. Can we talk about reality TV as a monolith? What's worth keeping, and what's worth throwing away? And was I the only person to watch Celebrity SAS? Pandora Sykes is the host of Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV, as well as Pieces of Britney and The Missing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Janina Matthewson returns to discuss Alanis Morissettes 1995 smash hit album, Jagged Little Pill. We discuss Alanis as a survivor and a songwriter, her enormous good brain, and whether she's the Barack Obama of 90s music. Janina Matthewson is the co-host of History is Sexy as well as the writer/producer of Within The Wires. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Costume dramas are the most dominant way that ordinary people engage with history, so why are we so frequently snobby about them? Dr Emma Southon gives a historian's perspective about the usefulness of costume drama, as well as the pure pleasure of just looking at nice fabrics. We talk Shakespeare in Love, Marie Antoinette, The Lion in Winter, I Claudius, Vanity Fair and even make a pretty good case for A Knight's Tale over Gladiator. Dr Emma Southon is the co-host of History is Sexy and the author of A Fatal Thing Happened on The Way to the Forum, and Agrippina: Empress, Exile, Hustler, Whore. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jen Cownie is back on to celebrate our 100th episode with a boozy tarot round up of all the things that need Sentimental Garbage tarot readings: when will men embrace pyjamas? Why does it feel so good to cry in public? And when will prosecco liberate herself from its Basic Bitch prison? Jen Cownie is the co-author of Wild Card: Let The Tarot Tell Your Story, and it's available from all good book shops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Punk rock prom queens assemble, today we're talking about the criminally over-looked and under-loved Josie & The Pussycats. Why was this movies so misunderstood, and why do so many critics refuse to believe that women can do sarcasm? We talk about the amazing soundtrack (RIP Adam Schlesinger), the even more amazing fashion (RIP transfer tattoos) and Alan Cumming (RIP my boner)Andrea Cleary is a music journalist and the host of the My Favourite Album podcast.Our Josie & The Pussycats guitar pop playlist can be found here! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1oRXAgaLAtSASt8UpzS3Q2?si=37491a0b065044df Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do influencers make fame feel less special? Influencers distort our ideas of where wealth and fame should come from, and often provoke our hate-follows in the process. We discuss the power of influence and its humble beginnings in the blogging world, the metamorphosis into big business and a curated lifestyle, the exhaustion of the influencer life, and why influencers are so often destroyed by the followers who created them. What happens to them when their influence dies down? Is it better to bow out early, or hang on until the bitter end? And most confusingly of all: are we influencers? Louise O'Neill is the best-selling author of Idol, Asking for It and After the Silence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist Grace Medford joins us to talk about the endlessly entertaining dress-up box that was the noughties Charlie's Angels reboot. We discuss the giddy fun of this movie, the power of the Diaz/Barrymore/Liu trio, why a "woke" version was never required and a surprise TED talk on the Pussycat Dolls. Grace Medford is a journalist and the author of the substack oneofthosefaces.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before Self Esteem was selling out venues as a solo artist, she was Rebecca Taylor of Slow Club, a band who helped bring British twee to its apex in the 2010s. We talk about glockenspiels made out of Shloer, making cakes for the audience, the backlash against twee, the obsession with babytalk and the way bad men could use tweeness to hide in plain sight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Usually on the podcast I speak to people about the culture they love that has been unfairly dismissed, but I’m also interested in talking to the artists who created that work. This week we're starting an "indie twee" investigation. This is the movement that brought us tote bags, and ukuleles, and arguably, adult colouring books; it brought us the Juno soundtrack, and Zooey Deschanel, and dressing like a 1950s secretary, but despite how massive indie twee was, there’s actually not that much about it from the people who were actually there.  So for the next two episodes I’m going to be investigating tweeness in all its forms, talking to two creators: the first is Jof Owen, from The Boy Least Likely To, and the second is Rebecca Taylor aka Self Esteem. This episode with Jof is just as lovely as his three-legged Sindy horsePlaylist for this week's episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7IyixEh4KNRZgMm2ylfmWy?si=98553ba847b949b0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Griffin is back to worship at the altar of Maeve Binchy and to deliver a new taxonomy about men and the wind. Evacuated from Blitz-battered London, shy and genteel Elizabeth White is sent to stay with the boisterous O'Connors in Kilgarret, Ireland. It is the beginning of an unshakeable bond between Elizabeth and Aisling O'Connor, a friendship which will endure through twenty turbulent years of change and chaos, joy and sorrow, soaring dreams and searing betrayals. We discuss motherhood, Ireland, judgment, how Binchy has changed the way we write and men on the wind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're joined by journalist and long-time Swiftie Marisa Bate to talk about why the most decorated artist of her generation is also one of the most polarising. We cover All Too Well, the Squad era, Taylor's obscene productivity, her endless fascination with love and her talent for imagery and storytelling that continue to captivate us. Marisa's list of Taylor songs here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2gzz992oNTEMFxichq4Ktb?si=7a7c3bca60d14082 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guardian host and producer Leah Green is in the garbage vault this week with 2000's dance classic Save the Last Dance, a movie that has since become famous for having... sort of shitty dances? We talk about music video culture, Step Up, and the ensemble cast of Save the Last Dance that made it a covertly revolutionary movie. We also discuss whether "problematic" discourse has finally run its course, Kerry Washington's magnetic performance and whether we actually want Twitter movies.Leah Green produces and presents podcasts and videos for the Guardian. You can find her @leahsg88’Caroline O'Donoghue is an author of several books, including Promising Young Women, Scenes of a Graphic Nature and All Our Hidden Gifts. Find her @czaronlineThis podcast was produced and edited by Caroline O'Donoghue, with music and mix by Harry Harris Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're limping towards the finish line of an uneven first season, talking about what we would have done differently, whether Carrie can even be called the main character of this show anymore, and pitch our new TV show, Steve & The City. The three AJLT eps will be spread across April, and then the normal Sentimental Garbage season will resume in May. Like you, we’ve been so distressed and heartbroken to see what has been happening in Ukraine, and so we’ve have both decided to donate all the proceeds from April to British Ukrainian aid. If you would like to donate yourself, the link is: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ukraine-aid-help-now Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's part two of our And Just Like That recap, and we're talking about Charlotte's horrible dinner party, the terrible music choices, our blind adoration of Seema, That Jackie and the emotional burden of the mealy mouthed teacher. The three AJLT eps will be spread across April, and then the normal Sentimental Garbage season will resume in May. Like you, we’ve been so distressed and heartbroken to see what has been happening in Ukraine, and so we’ve have both decided to donate all the proceeds from April to British Ukrainian aid. If you would like to donate yourself, the link is: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ukraine-aid-help-now Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dolly Alderton is back, and we're finally getting balls deep into And Just Like That. This is the first of THREE Sentimental in the City episodes covering the reboot, and while the show was famously uneven and a bit cringe in places, we still had a great time. In this episode we cover the first three episodes, discussing Big's death, Susan Sharon and Carrie's feud, the wasted potential of Gloria and Charlotte's inexplicable robot voice. The three AJLT eps will be spread across April, and then the normal Sentimental Garbage season will resume in May. Like you, we’ve been so distressed and heartbroken to see what has been happening in Ukraine, and so we’ve have both decided to donate all the proceeds from April to British Ukrainian aid. If you would like to donate yourself, the link is: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ukraine-aid-help-now Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nora Ephron is a writer and filmmaker whose fame was huge in her lifetime and has only snow-balled since her death in 2012. Now that her name is on t-shirts, her novel is an established classic, and she's even the subject of fictional renderings ('sup, Good Girls Revolt), is there more to the Ephron legacy than meets the eye? Caroline and Ella pick through her personal life, victories, failings, and many many famous friendships to get to the bottom of the following question: we LOVE Nora Ephron, but do we like her? Works referencedHeartburn - Nora EphronSister Mother Husband Dog etc - Delia EphronAdventures in the Screen Trade - William GoldmanI Remember Nothing - Nora EphronOn the Celibate Love Affair of Nora Ephron and Mike Nichols - Richard Cohen Hanging Up - Delia Ephron I Feel Bad About My Neck - Nora EphronElla Risbridger is the author of Midnight Chicken, Set Me On Fire and The Secret Detectives Caroline O'Donoghue is the author of Promising Young Women, Scenes of a Graphic Nature, and All Our Hidden GiftsThis is the last episode of the season! Merry Christmas everyone! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did a Bukowski-style piece published in 1997 by Elizabeth Gilbert in GQ magazine turn into the quintessential sleepover movie of the early noughties? Author Hannah Woods brings the 2000 movie Coyote Ugly to the garbage truck, and we discuss this baffling film that is nonetheless still stylistically perfect and so much fun to watch. What happened to Piper Perabo? Why does John Goodman get hit by a car, after we're teased his heart attack for SO LONG? And just how deep does all our noughties trauma go? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether it's a baked potato in a M&S cafe, a Jane Norman shopping bag, or a limited-range of celebrity dresses at Topshop, there's nothing that gets our hearts racing or our wallets twitching like the high street. Fashion writer Lauren Bravo joins Caroline to talk about the nostalgia of the high street, the evolution of Christmas gift giving, the unique personalities of each shop (Warehouse is for cool girls who have long weekends in Berlin, end of) and the ever-changing world of retail. Lauren Bravo is the author of How To Break Up With Fast Fashion, What Would The Spice Girls Do? and has a novel coming in 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is a very clear narrative on Julie & Julia, Nora Ephron's final feature film, and it's this: the Julia Child portions of the movie are heavenly, and the Julie Powell side of the movie is both infuriating and a drag. American Girl In Paris correspondent Fiona Zublin returns to the podcast to defend Amy Adams' performance but ends up bashing it just like everyone else. Still, for a movie that is so uneven, so confusing, and so curiously lacking in stakes... why is it so much fun to watch, and why do we cry by the end? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Young women's use of the word 'like' has been parodied for decades, but where did it come from, why do we use it, and why is it, like, so goddamn useful? Linguist and host of Sounds Like A Cult podcast Amanda Montell discusses the versatility of one of the most despised words in the English language, primarily because it's associated with teenage girls. We talked about female voices, how we perceive public speech, and the mystery of Elizabeth Holmes. Amanda Montell is the author of WordSlut and Cultish. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Titanic first came out, it made history for the epic scale of James Cameron's filmmaking. But like the ship itself, its reputation started to capsize. The more the movie was embraced by young women and girls, the more it was ridiculed as garbage. Caroline and author Janina Matthewson discuss the legacy of the movie, Rose as a protagonist, the camp factor of Billy Zane, what Christopher Nolan is missing by being terrified of giving his scripts a 'camp pass', why Jack needs to die, and why there will be NO DOOR CHAT on this podcast. Janina Matthewson is the author of You Feel It Just Below The Ribs and the creator of Within the Wires. She is also the co-host of History is Sexy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Guardian once compared Maroon 5 to 'rats scavenging through pizza boxes', but to a generation of millennial women, they were as close to sex-positive as indie music was willing to get. Caroline and Cosmopolitan editor Catriona Innes talk about the rise and fall of Adam Levine, the mystery and allure of 'Jane', the fan fiction this album has inspired, how the way we thought and felt about sex was influenced by its existence, and of course, the insane beauty of Levine that almost seemed to be the architect of his downfall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

According to best-selling author Séamas O'Reilly's family, this is not just the superior Grease film, but a classic movie on a par with Jaws and Scarface. We discuss Michelle Pfeiffer's breathtaking star turn as Stephanie Zinone, the idea of Grease as a genre of film, our hatred of squares, and a lot else. Séamas O'Reilly is the author of Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? and the features editor of The Fence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author, witch and host of Your Magic Michelle Tea talks about one of the most guilt-ridden feminine practices of all: magic and witchcraft. Caroline and Michelle talk about tarot, astrology, belief, having an altar, Catholic childhoods and devotion. Michelle is the author of many books, including Modern Tarot, Against Memoir, Black Wave, How to Grow Up and more. She has a weekly podcast about magic called Your Magic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I AM big... it's the pictures that got small." Drag Race UK star Joe Black joins us to talk about the camp Billy Wilder classic that took the best of gothic literature and the best of old Hollywood to make one of the best movies of all time. We talk about the blurred lines between fact and fiction, the craziness of the monkey funeral, the fear of age within the entertainment system, the unique fascination of silent cinema, and much more. Joe Black is a drag queen and cabaret artist based in Brighton. Check out their website for tour dates: https://www.misterjoeblack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mona Lisa Smile was a 2003 movie about women's education in the 1950s, and it was also the first Julia Roberts drama to spectacularly fail. We talk a lot about the negative reception to the film – in some cases, the negative reception from the cast itself. We discuss movies about education, and why no one ever seems to have quite the same high standards of filmmaking when it comes to making movies about men. We also talk about women who act against their own best interests, TERFs, evolving view points and whether Giselle would write a sex book. This one goes all over the shop but it's a really cosy and fun talk, just like the film! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coin Operated Boy Tom McInnes is back and we're here to cry about Amanda Palmer. Amanda Palmer is a singer, songwriter and performance artist who first rose to fame in the early 2000s with her band, The Dresden Dolls. After singles like Coin Operated Boy and Girl Anachronism, The Dresden Dolls became a staple of indie music and were known for their cabaret-inspired aesthetic and wild live shows. Amanda has since become a solo artist, releasing several albums under her own name and becoming one of the first major artists to use a crowd-funding model to fund her work. She has attracted many critiques over the years: both for the lyrical content of her music as well as her behaviour on social media. She is currently married to the author Neil Gaiman.PLAYLIST OF THE SONGS WE TALK ABOUT HERE: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0SgYWvoAKB8srS7sNWOCRM?si=1cbc904906774151 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If I should stay, I would only get in your way. Caroline and Irenosen Okojie get extremely giddy about The Bodyguard, arguably the best date movie of all time. We talk about the tragic history of Whitney, the power of sister relationships in art, and the psychological weight of assassinations within contemporary culture. Irenosen is the author of several books, including the most recent Nudibranch. She is the winner of the Betty Trask award, the Caine Prize for African Writing, and was recently awarded an MBE for her services to literature. Caroline is an author and eats trash for dinner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did ANTM become one of the most influential reality shows of all time? Caroline and Juno bond over their shared love of this pioneering reality series, its absurd lens on the modelling industry, and the competitors who have stuck in our brains for well over a decade at this stage. We also find out what, exactly, makes fashion photographer Nigel Barker so *noted* Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's 1997 and Bridget Jones is navigating New Labour, the sudden death of Princess Diana, and her on-again off-again relationship with the elusive Mark Darcy. Caroline and novelist Ayisha Malik discuss why Helen Fielding remains one of the greatest comic novelists of the 20th century (and yours, Mrs Townsend, are quite good too),as well as the everlasting and occasionally frustrating thick behaviour of our best mate Bridget. Ayisha Malik is the author of several books, most recently This Green and Pleasant Land. Her next novel, The Movement, is out in 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Super Trouper Zoe Terakes has brought Mamma Mia to the garbage dump and is ready to celebrate it for the mad camp wonderland it truly is. We talk about how Mamma Mia rejects patriarchal frameworks, whether or not Sophie is in the middle of twelve steps, our love of Pierce Brosnan, and the high lesbian energy coming off Does Your Mother Know. This episode is sponsored by Nine Perfect Strangers, available on Amazon Prime Video now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rebecca Taylor of Self Esteem (formerly Slow Club) talks about how Drag Race literally dragged her out of a dark post-break up depression and helped redefine her musical persona. We gush unabashedly about how this show changed our lives, admit to reading the Reddit and confess to drag queen sex dreams. There's also a preview of her new single, HOW CAN I HELP YOU, at the very end, so stay tuned!Rebecca is @selfesteemselfesteem on everything and her new album, Prioritise Pleasure, is coming October 2021.Caroline is @czaronline on Instagram and her books are on sale where you get books Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back with season 8 and TV presenter Muireann O'Connell is making the case for award season red carpets being a competitive sport in their own right. We talk about Joan Rivers and Fashion Police, the questionable feminism of judging professionals on how they look in formal wear, the risks and rewards of the red carpet, and Muireann's very own revenge dress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a whole new season of Sentimental Garbage on the way! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was edited by Caroline O'Donoghue, mixed by Hannah Varrall, with music by Harry Harris and artwork by Gavin Day. Dolly Alderton is the author of two books, Everything I Know About Love and Ghosts. Caroline O'Donoghue is the author of Promising Young Women and Scenes of a Graphic Nature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the movie!!! And it's... not as good as we remember! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the winter of this content, and we're debating Aleksandr Petrovsky (call me Bob) so hard that it risks ending our friendship entirely. We discuss the Paris episodes, the infamous demise of Lexi Featherstone, the Wizard of Oz journey each of the girls go on, and the astounding fashion of the final few episodes. We're back for the movies and a Q&A soon, if you want to join in, email us on sentimentalpod@gmail.com. This episode was edited by Caroline O'Donoghue, mixed by Hannah Varrall, with music by Harry Harris and artwork by Gavin Day. Dolly Alderton is the author of two books, Everything I Know About Love and Ghosts. Caroline O'Donoghue is the author of Promising Young Women and Scenes of a Graphic Nature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does Charlotte do all day? We finally have the answer and it's Judaism. We go hell for leather on Jack Berger, fall in love with Smith the baby chick and discuss the Post-It heard around the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the FIRST class sleeper? Put on your visor and trapeze dress, it's time for the big bag of fun that is season five. We talk about Atlantic City, big wing woman energy, how everyone must open for a dog eventually, the continued comedic genius of Chris Noth, the FINAL act of the MacDougalls Are Coming For Supper, the dangers of falling for Jack Berger and the inspiring self-love of Harry Goldenblatt. Carrie clangs out while 'dating the city' and the fashion is disappointing but not without its charms.Caroline O'Donoghue is the author of Promising Young Women, Scenes of a Graphic Nature and the forthcoming All Our Hidden GiftsDolly Alderton is the author of Everything I Know About Love and GhostsThis podcast was produced by Caroline O'Donoghue, mixed by Hannah Varral, with music by Harry Harris and art by Gavin Day Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don't you bring that cardboard baby in here! This week we're coming into Season 4 with tears, and the firm knowledge that CABS ARE BULLLSSSSH*T. We discuss the comic chops of Chris Noth, the confusing friendship of Aidan and Steve, the great When Harry Met Sally drama that never was, and we go very deep on the financial awkwardness of friendship. We praise the hugely under-sung Walker Lewis and wonder what the hell is going with Richard Wright (creature of the night)Dolly Alderton is the author of Everything I Know About Love and GhostsCaroline O'Donoghue is the author of Promising Young Women, Scenes of a Graphic Nature and All Our Hidden GiftsThis episode was produced by Caroline O'Donoghue and mixed by Hannah Varral. Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Take your seats, turn off your phones, it's time to settle in for the National Theatre's presentation of THE MCDOUGALLS ARE COMING FOR SUPPER and there will be no intermission. This week we discuss everyone's favourite members of the Scottish-American aristocracy, Aidan and the affair, and the general neglect of dogs in this season. We also discuss how and why this is Sex and the City's most problematic season – did the writers take their own status as being the Big Sex Show for granted? We rhapsodise about Bill Kelly the piss politician and the great Power Lad divide between Caroline and Dolly.Dolly Alderton is the author of Ghosts and Everything I Know About LoveCaroline O'Donoghue is the author of Promising Young Women, Scenes of a Graphic Nature and the forthcoming All Our Hidden GiftsThis podcast was edited by Caroline O'Donoghue and mixed by Hannah Varrall. Artwork by Gavin Day and music by Harry Harris Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's season two and the hair is great, the clothes are even better, and Mr Big is fundamentally depressing. We argue that season two of Sex and the City is Miranda's Season as twenty episodes of sexual humiliation threatens to break her, until she's given the greatest meet-cute in the show's history. We profess our love for Steve Brady, investigate class in Britain as well as in the show, and dissect the meaning of the gold corduroy suit. We discuss why, exactly, the girls are still single and discuss the vagaries of Charlotte York's personality. Also, don't invite someone to your house unless you have food in it.Dolly Alderton is the author of Ghosts and Everything I Know About LoveCaroline O'Donoghue is the author of Promising Young Women, Scenes of a Graphic Nature, and the forthcoming All Our Hidden GiftsHarry Harris did the music and Gavin Day (Steve Brady) did the artwork. This podcast was produced and edited by Caroline O'Donoghue and mixed by Hannah Varral Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're kicking off our Sex and the City mini-series with our discussion of the character arcs and themes (take a drink) of season one. After a round dismissal of the pilot episode (abso-f*cking-who-cares?) we get right into the meat of The Valley of 20-Something Guys, where we re-enact the infamous taxi scene that landed the tone of the whole series, dissect the cultural practice of Carrie-bashing, and generally watch as a previously sane New York party girl loses her goddamn mind for the most boring man in the tri-state area. We round off the chat with Man of the Season (he misses the touch of a woman), Outfit of the Season (or lack thereof) and the Carrie Clanger of the Season (the prayer book drop heard around the world).Dolly Alderton is the author of Ghosts and Everything I Know About LoveCaroline O'Donoghue is the author of Promising Young Women, Scenes of a Graphic Nature, and the forthcoming All Our Hidden Gifts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the first ever Sentimental Garbage mini-series: a big basket of episodes about Sex and the City! In this mini-series, author Dolly Alderton joins me as we spend each episode discussing every season of the TV show Sex and the City for the great American novel it truly is. This is not an episode by episode analysis but a look at each season as an individual piece of work, where we discuss the themes, character journeys and lasting messages of it. We examine the big thesis topics such as: The Corsage and Saddlebag Tragedy of Series Three, The Absence of Strap-ons in Sex and The City, and Big’s Weekend Shirts: Wide-fitting sleeves to house an absent soul. Crucially: we don't know the most about Sex and the City, we just feel the most about Sex and the City. Pour yourself a cocktail and ask yourself some huge questions about the McDougall family trust, and we’ll see you every Thursday for the next six weeks! (Plus maybe again for the movies, who knows) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophfronia Scott re-imagination of Dangerous Liaisons set in the Harlem Renaissance is sexy, surprising and so entertaining that we're willing to forgive the baseball references. Author of IF I DON'T HAVE YOU Sareeta Domingo talks us through her love for a book that, despite only coming out in 2017, has already earned a cult classic status. Be prepared for moustache-twirling, hand-rubbing, god-fearing, and hot hot jazz.Unforgivable Love is a retelling of Dangerous Liaisons set in post-war Harlem among an elite set of the wealthy African American upper classes. Among them we have Mae Marveaux, a beautiful conniving young widow whose desperate need to be loved is offset by her need to destroy other people’s lives. She is obsessed with her similarly conniving friend, Val Jackson, and the two of them decide to prey on Elizabeth Townsend, a devout married Christian, and Cecily, an innocent young virgin who has been brought from North Carolina for an arranged marriage to one of Mae’s former lovers. Over a single summer, Cecily is deflowered, Elizabeth falls for Val, and almost everyone is either pregnant or dead.Find Sareeta Domingo here: https://twitter.com/SareetaDomingo and anywhere you buy books! Find Caroline O'Donoghue here: https://twitter.com/Czaroline and in those same places that you buy books! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ciao bella! It's our second Maeve Binchy-cast of the season, with returning guest Sarah Maria Griffin. It’s the dawn of the Celtic Tiger in early nineties Ireland, and Nora O’Donoghue, or Signora, is returning home after over 20 years away. Having spent her youth in Sicily, in love with a married man, she has returned with no money, no friends and no prospects. She begins teaching italian at Mountainview school, where the beleaguered Aidan Dunne has just been passed over for the job of principal in favour of the womanising Tony O’Brien. Tony, meanwhile, is in love with Aidan’s adult daughter. The book follows every student in the evening class, subtly changing each of their destinies, and culminating with a trip to Italy at the end of the book. Sarah Maria Griffin is an award winning novelist and zine maker, follower her at @griffski Caroline O'Donoghue is a novelist, her latest novel, Scenes of a Graphic Nature, is out now. All Our Hidden Gifts is available for pre-order Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your Kelly bag and your load-bearing beams ready, this week we're talking about Diane Johnson's Le Divorce with real-life American Girl in Paris, Fiona Zublin! Isabel Walker is a young, bored film school graduate who has decamped to Paris to help her older sister Roxy, with her second pregnancy. Upon her arrival she discovers that Roxy has just been left by her French husband, Charles-Henri for another woman. As Roxy tries to negotiate French divorce courts and her estranged husbands family, Isabel slowly ingratiates herself into Paris life, becoming the mistress to Isabel’s 70 year old uncle-in-law, Edgar. When a valuable painting belonging to the Walker family gets implicated in the divorce, both families are forced to come together to find a way out.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Merry Christmas everyone! Usually this time of year, you’d be in your childhood bedroom, re-reading the books that got you through primary school. This year, a lot of us can’t go home this Christmas, but there’s still every reason to revisit the books that made life better when you were nine. It might even make life better now? Caroline and occasional co-host Ella Risbridger talk about childhood reading habits, magazines, tough but beautiful Christmases, and why the Secret Garden is the greatest love triangle of all time.We mention:Tom's Midnight GardenCharmed LifeMiss Happiness & Miss FlowerThe Secret GardenBack Homethe "My Story" booksThe Illustrated MumThe Suitcase KidThe Lottie ProjectGoing SoloDanny The Champion of The World& more! Caroline and Ella both have books for younger people coming out next year! Pick up The Secret Detectives by Ella Risbridger and All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue. See you in 2021! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Best-selling romance novelist and Yorkshire lass Milly Johnson talks to us about her biggest writing inspiration, Catherine Cookson. If you haven't read Cookson's books, you've almost certainly seen one of her many, maaaaaaany costume dramas that have been adapted for TV, probably while sick with chicken box circa 1998. We discuss Cookson's first novel, The Fifteen Streets, which tells the story of an Irish Catholic family struggling in the slums of Newcastle. We talk religion, poverty, family, starting your writing career after 40 and mysterious boating accidents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the best-selling fictional oral history about your favourite 70s rock band that never existed! This week, Caroline and writer/musician Tom McInnes deconstruct last year's big sun lounger surprise hit, Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. We talk about the advantages and shortcomings of the unusual format, the competing narratives of the book, the difference between literary twists and stunts. We start out a little bit cynical but ultimately, we really liked it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don't even act like you don't know her. This week we talk about the diva of all divas, Mariah Carey with author of The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney, Okechukwu Nzelu. Stay tuned for Tommy Mottola, that TRL appearance, and Mariah's surprisingly incisive takes on mental illness and cycles of abuse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back after a long break with our first Jackie Collins episode, with the one and only Jessie Burton! Jessie's debut novel The Miniaturist became a global bestseller and has since been followed up with the highly feted The Muse and The Confession, along with The Restless Girls, a novel for children. Here she talks about Jackie Collins as the patron saint of Authors Who Like Nice Things, and we talk about Jackie the product versus Jackie the person. We also discuss female authors and self awareness, Lucky Santangelo as a James Bond for women, satire, sex, parenting and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scenes of a Graphic Nature has been out for over a month, so Caroline and Ella are talking about it! We say this is an 'all spoiler' edition, but in practice there are actually very few spoilers and a lot of discussion of grief, working together, how it feels when a book comes out, how perceptions of Ireland have changed in less than a decade, the use of music in the novel, friendship and porn. Buy the book! https://www.waterstones.com/book/9780349009940https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07WN4QNYN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're talking about food, friendship and the cult favourite of Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin. Brian Eno once said that everyone who bought The Velvet Underground's first record went on to form a band, and the same can be said of Home Cooking and people who went on to write cookbooks. We talk about recipe writing, the godlike power of food writers, our dowdy twenties, tiny flats, and the uselessness of describing someone as "the new Nora Ephron". Caroline O'Donoghue has two books out, the most recent of which is Scenes of a Graphic Nature and is available in all book shops. Ella Risbridger is the author of Midnight Chicken and Set Me On Fire, as well as a forthcoming children's fiction series The Secret Detectives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CONTENT WARNING: frequent, graphic mentions of suicide We're back after a short break with more Covid-appropriate reading material, and what's more pandemic-y than The Virgin Suicides, a book where everyone dies and no one leaves their house. We talk about bad faith readings, Lolita, Sylvia Plath, the 'we' voice, suburbia, and Jeffrey's talent for smells. Caroline O'Donoghue has two books out, the most recent of which is Scenes of a Graphic Nature and is available in all book shops from August 6thElla Risbridger is the author of Midnight Chicken and Set Me On Fire, as well as a forthcoming children's fiction series The Secret Detectives Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My second book is out on audio and ebook today, here's me talking about it and doing a reading! Scenes of a Graphic Nature by Caroline O'Donoghue https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07WN4QNYN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1Audio narration by Esther O'Moore Donohoe https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Scenes-of-a-Graphic-Nature-Audiobook/1004001509?qid=1592504228&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=c6e316b8-14da-418d-8f91-b3cad83c5183&pf_rd_r=2B3Z57HX8WY3E9XPZPXW Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No new episode this week, but here are some fiction recommendations that you might be interested in given the current political climate:Heads Of The Coloured People - Nafissa Thompson-SpiresKindred - Octavia E ButlerSong of Solomon - Toni MorrisonNudibranch - Irenosen OkojieSuch a Fun Age - Kiley ReidProperty - Valerie MartinThe Wedding Date - Jasmine GuilloryGirl, Woman, Other - Bernardine EvaristoDonate to UK Black Lives Matter: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ukblm-fundExist Loudly Fund to Support Queer Black YP: https://www.gofundme.com/f/exist-loudly-fund-to-support-queer-black-ypSARI Stand Against Racism and Inequality https://www.sariweb.org.uk/who-we-are/donate/Girl Guiding: https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're talking about 1989's smash-hit debut The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. We talk debut novels, immigration literature, why so many women find Amy Tan in their teens, mothers and their daughters, food and how it travels, and why we're still obsessed with Waverly Jong. Lillian Li's "The Love Hate Joy Luck Club” - https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/2015/05/the-love-hate-joy-luck-club/Sentimental Garbage is produced and edited by Caroline O'Donoghue, mixed by Hannah Varrall and hosted by Acast.You can find Caroline's books here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Caroline-ODonoghue/e/B07CR7SFJM?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1588717449&sr=1-1You can find Ella Risbridger's books here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ella-Risbridger/e/B07KR8NDY8?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1588717479&sr=1-1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Corona Cast, Caroline and Ella discuss the ultimate smart lady holiday book (she's going to Split) American Wife! American Wife is a 2009 novel inspired by the life of Laura Bush, former First Lady and wife of George Bush junior. Here, we know her as Alice Blackwell. Beginning in the mid-west in the 1950s, we follow Alice from her quiet childhood to the car accident in her teens that killed her first crush and changed her life forever. After becoming a school librarian, she meets Charlie Blackwell at the barbecue of some mutual friends and begins a whirlwind romance that leads to a long marriage, and eventually, the White House. Sentimental Garbage is produced and edited by Caroline O'Donoghue, mixed by Hannah Varrall and hosted by Acast. You can find Caroline's books here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Caroline-ODonoghue/e/B07CR7SFJM?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1588717449&sr=1-1You can find Ella Risbridger's books here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ella-Risbridger/e/B07KR8NDY8?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1588717479&sr=1-1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CONTENT WARNING: rape, fat shaming, homophobia, literally all possible triggers a person could have. This week it's another special edition of Sentimental Garbage, where we talk about the novels that are getting us through the corona virus! Today we’re talking about VALLEY OF THE DOLLS by Jacqueline SusannWhen twenty year-old Anne Welles moves from New England to New York in the summer of 1945, she’s pretty enough to be a model but settles for being a secretary at a theatrical agency. Here she meets a host of showbiz characters, including Neely, a vaudevillian teenager; Jennifer North, a starlet fresh from a marriage to an Italian prince; Helen Lawson, an ageing broadway star and Lyon Burke, a wannabe writer who she falls in love with. Over twenty years, the novel covers their rise and fall through show business, as each woman battles with age, men, and their mutual pill addictions.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's week two of the Corona Cast, and we're still stuck in our bedrooms. What better time to get into supernatural YA classic, Margaret Mahy's The Changeover? Ella and Caroline talk about going back to adolescence, magical admin, morally ambiguous witches, suburban New Zealand, forgiveness, the extremely good film adaptation, and "changing over" from girl to woman. Caroline O'Donoghue is an author and would like you to pre-order her new book: https://www.waterstones.com/book/9780349009940Ella Risbridger is a cookbook writer and children's author, and would also like if you bought her books: https://www.waterstones.com/books/search/term/ella+risbridger Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our Corona Cast, a series where I invite my favourite people (mostly Ella) to record remotely on their favourite books, regardless of genre, sentimentality, or garbage-y content. Today, we're doing Brother of the More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido. Katherine is an eighteen year old first year university student who, after meeting the flamboyant and much older John Millet at a book shop, is asked to join him for a weekend in the country to visit some old friends. When she gets there, she realises that it’s the home of her University professor, Jacob Goldman. What follows is a love story spanning two decades as Katherine attaches herself to various members of the Goldman family, including Jacob’s two sons Roger and Jonathan, as well as his wife, Jane.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hold steady everyone, there’s a WAR ON! Joining Caroline O'Donoghue is author, cook and currently in love with a set of twins, KATE YOUNG and today we’re talking about The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley published in 1984. Every summer, a group of young cousins – Oliver, Walter, Calypso, Polly and the much younger Sophy – gather at their Aunt Helena and Uncle Richard’s house in Cornwall for an idyllic beachside holiday. We meet them in August of 1939, where people are still saying that the Nazis are splendid and the war will never happen. That night after their inaugral dinner party, it does. What follows is the explosion of their teenage innocence, and we watch them grow up through the war and find the Blitz isn’t actually all that bad, when you get used to it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nothing says Christmas like freezing to death in your country estate while your sisters commit themselves to fascism and/or Marxist theory! Caroline O'Donoghue and returning guest Ella Risbridger discuss the Mitford sisters, the political climate (yikes) and why we will never stop loving Nancy, Pam, Diana, Unity, Decca and Debo. The Pursuit of Love - Nancy MitfordHons & Rebels - Jessica MitfordWait for Me - Deborah DevonshireThe Mitfords: Letters from Six Sisters The Mitford Girls - Mary S LovellCaroline fan-casting the Mitford movie: http://www.workinprowess.com/2015/02/09/dream-casting-the-mitford-sisters-film/?LMCL=uu47bBElla's selection of lines from Wait For Me: https://the-toast.net/2014/10/03/best-sentences-debo-mitfords-wait/ This is the last episode of season four, see you in 2020 for more sentimentality and more garbage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rupert Campbell Black is back, he's fighting for a TV franchise in rural Gloucestershire (????) and he's in love with an Irish teenager! This week bestselling Irish author Cathy Kelly joins us to talk Jilly Cooper's Rivals. Here, the vast cast of characters are condensed into 800 page epic that shows us that Jilly doesn't just do horses and sex - she also does corporate takeovers. Cathy talks eighties feminism, animal-loving, bees (?), Anglo-Irish relationships in English literature, plot envy, and the underestimated intellect of Jilly Cooper. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why DOES Mummy Drink? This week we're talking about the Gill Simms blog-turned-literary sensation WHY MUMMY DRINKS. WMD tells the story of Ellen, a mother of two who drinks too much, swears too much, and probably likes her kids when she's not aggressively despising everyone around her. Bestselling author of Lies Lies Lies Adele Parks joins us to talk about her relationship with the series as well as school gates rivalries, solidarity between mums, being a single mother, diary formats in British literature and why "living in a society" is the basic job that everyone on earth is expected to have Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Regular guest and deep friend of the pod Ella Risbridger is back, but this time to talk about poetry! In her anthology SET ME ON FIRE, Ella gathers some of the best, weirdest, sexiest poetry that she could afford and dedicated it to MEEEE!!!!! We talk about our long and bitter arguments about poetry, why it's such a easy artform to hate, and how you can change your mind about it (especially if school has ruined it for you). We read some our favourites from the book, including Our Love Could Spoil Dinner by Emily Berry, Monica by Hera Lindsay Bird, Mr Darcy by Victoria Chang, Solitude by Franny Choi. It's a break from our usual format, but I think you'll like it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is this the only Sentimental Garbage to win a Pulitzer? This week we talk to writer, editor and spiritual bottom Phil Ellis about Andrew Sean Greer's LESS, the funniest and sweetest novel to ever win a major literary prize. We talk about love, the struggles of freelance life, ageing while gay, being friends with your exes and why we're both so bad at spotting twists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week is the anniversary of our first episode, so what better way to celebrate than with the MOST requested book on our list - yes, I've received your emails, and we are doing Riders. Jojo Moyes talks to us about her horsey beginnings in Hackney, and we discuss Rupert Campbell Black, the world of competitive showjumping, and the overall genius of Dame Jilly Cooper. Get your feet firmly in the stirrups, as this one is a spirited young filly. Produced by Caroline O'Donoghue, mixed by Hannah Varrall, artwork by Gavin Day, theme music by Harry Harris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grab your bucket and spade and your flask of ginger beer, because we're taking a trip back to 1930s Bognor Regis! Today we're talking about RC Sheriff's The Fortnight in September with Backlisted's own Andy Miller. We talk family holidays, unreasonable fears of Clapham Junction, and why it's so rare to read good books about nice people. Yes, they're boring and annoying. But aren't we all? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rev up your motorcycle and buckle in for your drink driving accident because the Sweet Valley twins are here and a trail of death and destruction usually follows them. This week we talk to author of I'm Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come author Jessica Pan about her childhood in conservative Texas, high drama, slut-shaming, ghost-writing, the romance of twins and what it's like longing for twindom when no one else looks like you. This episode was produced and hosted by Caroline O'Donoghue and mixed by Hannah Varrall with music by Harry Harris and artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded courtesy of Acast Studios Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're exploring Sarah J Maas's insanely popular A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES series with Litwitchure maven Jennifer Cownie. This fantasy-retelling of Beauty and the Beast lets us explore horny pagan rituals, blind worms, Stockholm Syndrome, exquisite sexual tension and why NA (New Adult) fiction has become so huge with adult women. Spoiler: it's because we're all randy as hell and love magic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back for season 4 with Caroline Kepnes, the bestselling author of YOU, to talk about the book that made her lock herself into an ice-cream shop. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough is a sweeping inter-generational epic that focuses on a love triangle between an old woman, a little girl and a Catholic priest. We talk about destiny in romance literature, Bunny McDougall, the horrors of Australia, forbidden love, disappointing sex scenes, shitty babies and how little we care about Justine. Produced by Caroline O'Donoghue, mixed by Hannah Varrall, music by Harry Harris. recorded at Acast studios, London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the last episode of the season, and we're rounding it off with one of my favourite books of all time The Signature Of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, with one of my favourite people of all time, artist and photographer Gavin Day. We talk about swashbuckling dads, rivalries with Kew Gardens, how historical novels make us face contemporary issues, masturbating in closets and how we want to raise our future children the Whittaker way. Music by Harry Harris, artwork by (guest!) Gavin Day, mixed by Hannah Varrall, recorded by Acast studios in London. We're taking a break for a little while but catch me on sentimentalgarbage.substack.com to stay involved! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CW: addiction, anorexia, bulimia. They tried to make her go to rehab... and frankly, it was a good idea. This week we're talking about the most anticipated book ever on Sentimental Garbage, Rachel's Holiday. Marian Keyes' modern classic tells the story of Rachel, a deeply insecure Irish ex-pat who has developed a coke addiction while living in New York and becomes committed by her family to a rehab centre in her native Dublin. Our guest Louise O'Neill discusses her own experiences with addiction, recovery and society's expectations of what a Sober Woman should look like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What came first, the music or the misery? We invite podcaster Alan Maguire on to talk about Nick Hornby's classic High Fidelity, discussing relationships, break-ups, Jack Black's animal magnetism, performing your relationship for other people, the world of record shops, the biting insight that still makes us cringe in recognition, and whether we can cancel Rob in good faith when he's trying so hard to be less objectively awful. Produced by Caroline O'Donoghue, artwork by Gavin Day, music by Harry Harris, mixed by Hannah Varrall. Recorded at Tall Tales Studios in Dublin. This episode was sponsored by The Croke Park Hotel, modern luxury in the heart of Dublin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate the release of the audiobook of Caroline's book, Promising Young Women, writer, podcaster and now audiobook star Tessa Coates comes to talk to us about Carrie Fisher's Postcards From The Edge, as well as discussing the unnervingly unsupervised world of audio books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ready to pair your Yves Saint Laurent smoking jacket with your $3 batik shorts? We're joined by publisher and writer Wei Ming Kam to talk Crazy Rich Asians, the blockbuster book series that launched a thousand think pieces. We discuss the pure heaven that is Astrid Leong, foodie culture in Singapore, identifying with British colonialism when it doesn't identify with you, the Western gaze on the Asian experience and emeralds, glorious emeralds! Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day, produced by Caroline O'Donoghue, mixed by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CW: Suicide. This week we're joined by author, historian and bookseller Emma Southon in the rather fitting setting of my hotel room to talk about Mhairi McFarlane's WHO'S THAT GIRL?, an extremely funny romcom about Edie, a 30-something copywriter who falls in love with Elliott, the movie star she's been sent to ghostwrite a memoir for. We talk about movie stars, Game of Thrones, terrible celebrity profiles, the role of chick-lit when trying to unpick "having it all", dating famous people and why there aren't any chick-lit books about beards. Emma Southon is the author of AGRIPPINA: Empress, Exile, Hustler, Whore and co-hosts the podcast HISTORY IS SEXY. Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day, produced by Caroline O'Donoghue and mixed by Hannah Varrall. If you'd like to support the podcast find us on sentimentalgarbage.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're live from Body & Soul Festival in Ireland talking Maeve Binchy's classic CIRCLE OF FRIENDS. This 700 page epic about a single academic school year is probably the most frequently spotted book on Irish shelves, and with good reason. We talk upwardly mobile Catholics in 1950s Ireland, the specific pains of being a Big Strapping Country lass in a Nan Mahon world, the exquisite world-building of Binchy's Ireland, and learning to embrace Irish fiction, clichés and all. Sarah Maria Griffin is the author of two novels, OTHER WORDS FOR SMOKE and SPARE & FOUND PARTS, and is the co-host of the podcast Juvenalia. This podcast was recorded at Body & Soul Festival, Westmeath. Artwork by Gavin Day, music by Harry Harris, produced by Caroline O'Donoghue and mixed by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hold onto the precious jewel trapped in your dachshund's stomach and get ready for a whirlwind post-war fairytale that will make you hum the entire Anastasia soundtrack. We talk to YA and children's author Laura Wood about A COUNTESS BELOW STAIRS, a novel so profoundly magical that we both start crying by the end. After the Russian revolution, Countess Anna Grazinsky flees to England with her governess in an attempt to make a new life for herself and her family. She winds up working as a maid for the Westerholme family, a once great english country household that has been decimated by the First World War. We talk love stories, why eugenics has always been for losers, and Laura's forthcoming biography on the adored Ibbotson. Artwork by Gavin Day, music by Harry Harris, produced by Caroline O'Donoghue and mixed by Hannah Varrall. Recorded at ACAST studios in London Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gird your loins! This week wrestling podcaster and author of the I HEART series Lindsey Kelk is here to relive all your worst memories of being an entry level employee. We're talking about Lauren Weisberger's debut THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, a book that we will readily admit is not as good as the film. We discuss unlikable heroines, memoir vs fiction, the hideousness of first jobs, dragon ladies, the profound whiteness of the "girl in the city" narrative and the benefits of 'throwing the teddy in the crash'. Artwork by Gavin Day, music by Harry Harris, produced by Caroline O'Donoghue and mixed by Hannah Varrall. Recorded at ACAST Studios London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you want to read about the Tudors, you want to read about the SEXY Tudors, and The Other Boleyn Girl is the sexiest of all. Returning guest and author of Midnight Chicken Ella Risbridger comes by to talk about masque balls, women in history, sexual awakenings, sisters and why historical fiction is so much better when the details of that history are left niiiiiiice and loose. Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast studios, produced by Caroline O'Donoghue and mixed by Hannah Varrall Order Midnight Chicken here: https://amzn.to/2XmvYNjPre-order Ella's poetry anthology here: https://amzn.to/305ZW5a Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know Candice Bergen, even if you don't think you do: you've seen her reject Carrie Bradshaw as Enid, the editor of Vogue, and you've seen her try to blow up a Miss America pageant in Miss Congeniality. But there's more to this actor than you might think: she was born into Hollywood royalty, as the daughter of famous ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, became the "sliding doors" Sharon Tate during the summer of the Manson murders, and was the first woman to ever host SNL. In her memoir Knock Wood, she describes with wry humour her Hollywood childhood and what it's like to grow up as a sex symbol in the 1970s. We talk about the hypocrisy of the hippie movement, the weirdness of ventriloquism, the death of vaudeville, the perils of growing up Californian, and why if you can't date your father you might as well get a horse. Music by Harry Harris, artwork Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast studios, produced by Caroline O'Donoghue and mixed by Hannah Varrall.You can buy Karen's book WHY KAREN CARPENTER MATTERS here: https://amzn.to/2IO3ljq Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're talking to Queenie author Candice Carty-Williams about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah, a book that stands out on Sentimental Garbage for neither being sentimental nor garbage. In fact, it was very well reviewed from the moment it came out. However, this book has more in common with chick lit than you might expect. We talk about when sweeping romance meets cultural understanding, what it's like to write from a place of specificity, the second generation immigration experience, code-switching, masculinity in strong female houses, and why Alexa is a racist. Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re going back to school this week with YA author Holly Bourne for our first ever live show at London Book Fair. We’re talking about Louise Rennison’s teen classic Angus Thongs and Full-frontal Snogging. We chat about preteen desires, trying to trap boys, the private lives of girls, writing for a young audience and the lasting legacy of Rennison’s work.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at the London Book Fair 2019 and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re talking to YA hero and sex writing genius Sarra Manning about her 2009 adult debut Unsticky. We talk about everything from life in the magazine world, to orgasms, to the importance of happy endings in chick-lit novels. Don’t forget to listen to our main episode about the book with Jeanne SuttonMusic by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week it's indecent proposals, being broke in media, and having grandly un-feminist wanks to deeply inappropriate men with Sarra Manning's Unsticky. Ex-magazine journalist and romance novel aficionado Jeanne Sutton talks us through this deeply underrated 2009 book that was also Manning's debut as an adult novelist. We talk a lot about how the media is a cesspit of corruption. It's a great one. Enjoy!Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re talking to the author of the newly-minted The Sisterhood, Daisy Buchanan, about Sophie Kinsella’s The Undomestic Goddess! Workaholic Samantha Sweeting is a brilliant contract lawyer working for the highly pressurised firm Carter Spink. When she accidentally loses millions of pounds in a stupid admin error, she escapes by boarding a train from London and arriving at a house in the Cotswolds, and is mistaken for the new housekeeper by the super bougie and nouveau riche Trish Geiger and her husband. She decides to lay low and take the job, despite the fact that she doesn’t even know how to work a washing machine. This hilariously relevant book examines work addiction, competitive work atmospheres, being bullied by your boss, and being in the eye of a storm of a public scandal.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joanne Harris has been talking about Chocolat for literally 20 years, which is why we're so flattered she came and talked to us even MORE about it. We talk about motherhood, magic, giving advice to writers, how to use research in your writing and the experience of being an "overnight success".Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pancake Tuesday has just gone and we’re kicking it off with the most Lent-en book in all of chicklit: Joanne Harris’s megahit Chocolat! Food writer and novelist Amy Jones joins us to talk about the first book that helped her resolve her relationship with God, and we discuss food, sex, magic, womanhood, having a mother and the ever lengthening shadow of the patriarchy! Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Warning: fans of Frances Mayes' 1996 travel memoir Under The Tuscan Sun won't find a lot of meaningful discussion of the book here, because neither Caroline nor our guest Rose McGowan liked it very much. Instead, we talk about Italy, Rose's childhood in a religious cult, her experience writing her book BRAVE, the relationship between women and gay men, her experiences speaking out against sexual abuse in Hollywood and being raised to think of herself without gender. We also do some fairly unkind impressions of Frances Mayes, so please don't send this podcast to Frances Mayes.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall.Rose McGowan's book BRAVE is published in paperback on the 5th of March.Harvey Weinstein currently denies all allegations made against him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*CONTENT WARNING*: FIRST UP, there's discussions of rape and child abuse throughout that some people might find off-putting. SECOND: this is a book where half the enjoyment comes from the many nutty twists and turns, so definitely read it before listening if you can. *END OF CONTENT WARNING* This week we're talking to author of Louis and Louise Julie Cohen about the 1979 gothic classic Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews. The book was seminal to both Julie and Caroline, and tells the story of the Dollanganger children, Cathy, Chris, Cory and Carrie, and the three years they spend locked in the attic of Foxworth Hall. We talk attics, literary influence, evil women, and why so many teenage girls found so much to fantasise about a book about incest. Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To launch season 2, we embark on an ambitious journey to work out just what makes Elizabeth Gilbert's 2006 memoir so brilliantly enthralling. We discuss what she learns about soul mates, how religion is snuck into the memoir and why women seek success early in life.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Sentimental Garbage is pretty blue so maybe don’t listen with kids in the car. This week we’re talking sex, lies, class and Oxford University with Louise Mensch’s 1995 debut Career Girls. Film critic and Oxford graduate Helen O’Hara defends this x-rated read about the all-powerful Rowena Gordon and Topaz Rossi who engage in a lifelong rivalry across the entire media industry. Erections are bursting against jeans, curves are being poured into tiny dresses, and good God is it compelling.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caroline chats to Jill Mansell, author of Millie’s Fling, about snacks, how it feels when people are “ashamed” to read your books in public, and her past as a clinical neuro-physiology technician.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ready for chick-lit Middlemarch? Today we dive into Jill Mansell’s Millie’s Fling with author of the forthcoming Midnight Chicken & Other Recipes Worth Living For, Ella Risbridger. When 25 year old Millie witnesses the famous romance novelist Orla Hart about to throw herself off a cliff, she strikes up a friendship with Orla that changes her life. Orla has decided that she wants to write a realistic literary romance novel about “real people” and pays Millie to be her real-life subject. We talk grief, wine, shopping lists and snobbery, plus we have a sneak preview of our chat with the author ahead of the upcoming bonus episode. Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bridget Jones drinks like a fish, smokes like a chimney and dresses like her mother - and somehow became a global multi-million dollar franchise in the process. This week, we talk to Bridget super-fan and writer of the Sofia Khan series Ayisha Malik. As well as discussing Bridget's indomitable spirit and how the character became feminist Marmite, we chat about how to write satire in a world that wants to paint women as flawless, what people expect when a Muslim woman writes a romcom and why characters who smoke are the most fun to write.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After talking all things Watermelon with Lucy Vine, we grabbed Marian Keyes on Skype to tell us more about her debut novel. We discuss feminism in the 1990s, growing up in a big family, and how she became the indisputable queen of chick-lit.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week is full of firsts: we're discussing Marian Keyes' first book, Watermelon, which also happens to be the first chick-lit that our guest Lucy Vine ever read. We get into the Walsh sisters, emotional abuse and why all debut novels are exactly two months long. We also grab Marian herself on the phone to talk about her memories of writing the book and the benefits of not having a clue what you're doing.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After speaking to Lauren Bravo about The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets, we tracked down the author of the book, Eva Rice, to talk Take That, Julian the Loaf and why the 1950s are such an intriguing time period to set a novel in.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and author of "What Would the Spice Girls Do?" Lauren Bravo talks about Eva Rice's 2008 smash-hit The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets, a book that's part Nancy Mitford, part Dodie Smith, and entirely delightful. The book is set in 1950s London, and follows Penelope, a shy 18 year old girl and heir to the crumbling mansion Milton Magna, as she befriends Charlotte and her cousin Harry. Harry is a magician and in love with an American IT girl called Marina. He bribes Penelope to be his girlfriend to make Marina jealous, and the two end up falling for each other. Lauren and Caroline discuss the era, the call of America, the power of music and mutual adoration of a pop culture icon, and how exactly the parakeets ended up in London. Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Sentimental Garbage, a podcast celebrating chick-lit and the so-called guilty pleasures you’re done feeling guilty about.In series 1, author and journalist Caroline O'Donoghue talks to writers Lauren Bravo, Lucy Vine, Ayisha Malik, Ella Risbridger and Helen O'Hara about some of their favourite chick-lit novels, and gets a chance to ask authors Marian Keyes, Eva Rice and Jill Mansell all about their work.Click subscribe now to be the first to hear series 1, launching December 6th 2018.Music by Harry Harris, artwork by Gavin Day. Recorded at Acast and produced by Hannah Varrall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.