As the Christmas season approaches, we’ve assembled an expert panel to help you navigate your gifting dilemmas and find the ideal presents for everyone on your list. Plus, how do you politely decline a festive party? And is bending the spine of a book the approved way to read it? We find out with etiquette expert, and Help I've S*xted my Boss podcaster, William Hanson as we discuss his new book Just Good Manners.

For the complete list of books mentioned in this episode and the transcript visit: Episode 8: Christmas gifting

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Send us a question: penguinpodcast@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.

Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast

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Join us as we time-travel through our bookshelves as we recommend must-read historical fiction in answer to your reading requests. Plus, bestselling author Jodi Picoult shares her theory on the true author behind Shakespeare's plays that inspired her new novel, By Any Other Name.

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Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

By Any Other Name by Jodie Picoult

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Catherine Arden

The Glass Woman by Caroline Lee

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Firebrand by Elizabeth Freemantle

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

Maurice by E.M. Forster

My Policeman by Bethan Roberts

For the full list of books and the transcript visit: Episode 7: Historical Fiction

Send us a question: penguinpodcast@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.

Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast

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What do you usually prefer: the book or the film? Or do you enjoy both? In this episode, we delve into books that have successfully transitioned from page to screen. We'll also be chatting with best-selling author Robert Harris about his gripping thriller, Conclave, which has been adapted for the silver screen this November, starring Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, and Stanley Tucci. So grab your books and your popcorn, and get ready for another book-filled episode.

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

Conclave by Robert Harris

Precipice by Robert Harris

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Atonement by Ian McEwan

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

For the full list of books and the transcript visit: Episode 6: Books to Screen

Send us a question: penguinpodcast@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.

Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast

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Join us as we dive into the world of crime, thrillers, and mysteries! We answer your listener questions with award-winning author Kate Atkinson and publicist Alison Barrow. Plus, Kate discusses her brand-new Jackson Brodie novel, Death at the Sign of the Rook. Get ready for some killer reads!

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Cloisters by Katie Hayes

Gone, Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane

The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

Charles Paris series by Simon Brett

Yellow Face by Rebecca F.Kuang

Helen Fields

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

For the full list of books and transcript visit: Episode 5: Crime and Mysteries

Send us a question: penguinpodcast@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.

Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast

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Looking for a book that will keep you up at night? If you enjoy that tingling sensation down your spine while reading something on the spookier side then you're in the right place. In this episode, we explore the best horror and ghost stories perfect for Halloween. Alongside filling your book pile with terrifying but page-turning recommendations, we sit down with Booker-shortlisted author, Daisy Johnson to talk about her new collection of ghost stories, The Hotel.

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

The Hotel by Daisy Johnson

Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning

The Night House by Jo Nesbo

The Terror by Dan Simmons

For the full list of books plus transcript visit: Episode 4: Scary reads

Send us a question: penguinpodcast@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.

Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast

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What makes a book a classic? Who decided which books make it into the canon? And how long would it take to read the entire list? Join our exploration through our Classic bookshelves with author Henry Eliot who answers listener questions with reading recommendations from all eras. Plus, we delve into the world of Jane Austen with Gill Hornby, whose novel Miss Austen is being adapted into a four-part drama by the BBC.

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

The Penguin Classics Book by Henry Eliot

The Penguin Modern Classics Book by Henry Eliot

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby

For the full list of recommended reads visit: Episode 3: Classics

Send us a question: penguinpodcast@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.

Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast

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Joining us in our book-filled studio is broadcaster and author Zeinab Badawi, who shares her journey chronicling Africa's spectacular history through the voices of African historians, archaeologists, and local storytellers. Plus, we put your reading requests to award-winning author Derek Owusu to top up your reading pile with books by Black authors to celebrate Black History Month.

Send us a question: penguinpodcast@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.

Explore all the books discussed and a transcript by visiting: Episode 2: Black History Month

Website: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast

Books mentioned in this episode:

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

That Reminds Me by Derek Owusu

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

An African History of Africa by Zainab Badawi

The Confessions of Franny Langton by Sara Collins

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon

Ghana Must Go by Teiye Selassie

The Terrible by Yrsa Daley-Ward

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What is it like to judge the world's most prestigious book prize? How do judges manage to read 150 submissions in a matter of months? And how do publishers update the winning book jacket so swiftly?

In the first episode of our new series Ask Penguin, join our new host, Rhianna Dhillon as we delve into the world of literary prizes with this year's Booker Prize judge and award-winning author, Sara Collins. We also answer your Ask Penguin questions with plenty of book recommendations to inspire your next read.

If you would like to send us a message or a question, email penguinpodcast@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.

Visit our website for more information about The Penguin Podcast: www.penguin.co.uk/podcast

For more information about this episode including a full list of books discussed visit: Episode 1: Prize-winners

Books mentioned in this episode:

The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins

The Safe Keep by Yael Van Der Wouden

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Mr Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo

The Emperor's Babe by Bernadine Evaristo

Gliff by Ali Smith

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