Diving In
Episodes
77: American Greats
29 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia loved discussing two authors who are surely two of America's great literary treasures. BooksThe Grapes of Wrath by John Stei...
76: Jonathon Coe, A master observer of the State of the Nation
15 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia discuss two Jonathon Coe books, both of which reflect life, politics, culture, and society in the United Kingdom, past and present...
75: Teen Sleuths, Cringe Parents and Dysfunctional Families
01 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia dive deep into all thing’s books for Teen Readers, books categorised ‘Young Adult’ but marketed to teenagers. They discuss...
Episode 74 – We’re Back! With a Scoop and a Pile-on
22 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have finally made it back to the Podcast Studio (Virginia’s dining room) after a gap of more than 18 months, and despite having ...
73: The Ghost of Charles Dickens sitting on Barbara Kingsolver’s Shoulder
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise do a deep dive into Barbara Kingsolver’s Pullitzer Prize winning and compelling novel Demon Copperhead and talk all things Charl...
72: This Is A Bit Embarrassing… (books we’ve never read)
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia thought it might be fun to do an episode on books that they feel a bit embarrassed to have never read (until now). There were a lo...
71: The Next Diving In Book Club – Salt River Road by Molly Schmidt
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have a great conversation about a lovely Western Australian novel. Salt River Road by the very talented debut author Molly Schmidt...
70: A Spotlight on Early Australia
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have a conversation about two books with many overlaps, one fiction and one non-fiction, and reflect on the fact that none of this...
69: It's the very best time of year! It’s new release time and there is a publishing frenzy.
26 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise dive into four new releases some of them from our favourite authors!  They also encourage everyone to get their hands on Salt Ri...
68. Literary Scandals, Hoaxes and Controversies
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have finally had a conversation about six literary controversies/hoaxes/scandals and it’s a lot of fun! This is a Topic they b...
67. It’s that Time of Year Again!
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise have read a swag of newly released books both well-known authors and others new - and only some with the hype they deserve.Books...
66. Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This time it’s Louise’s turn to talk about the massive French classic that she has been reading, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo. Louis...
65. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas    Streaming  Au Coeur de Peloton/Tour de France: Unchained  Arnold    SBS on Demand  Rogue...
64. Deep and Fragile Connections with a Natural World
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise immerse themselves in the meadows, riverbanks, orchards, high tides and deep snow to explore the deep connection and chasms betwee...
63. Capturing the Zeitgeist with some Fantastic New Releases
13 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise are excited to share some must-read new releases including compelling stories about activist guerilla gardeners, true crime podcas...
62. If You’re Going to San Francisco...
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia jet off to San Francisco in the episode, where they discuss the origins of the City and County, and why it became the home and hav...
61. This Book is Cancelled!
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia do a deep dive into the very contentious topic of Cancel Culture and the trend of cancelling books and authors. They also touch on...
60. Walking the Streets of Tokyo with the characters from great fiction set in that city
12 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have been immersed in some armchair travel to Tokyo, which has made them both very keen to travel there. These four books are grea...
59. Books for Younger Readers
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From soccer teams, eerie forests, dysfunctional families and loyal companions, Louise and Virginia ventured back into the world of books for younger r...
58: Buster - The Best Boy
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Louise lost her beautiful Lagotto dog Buster, two months ago, and so today Virginia and Louise want to dedicate this episode to him and to celebrate t...
57: New Releases by New (to us) Authors
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have been reading some books by debut writers as well as a charming re-release from the 1960s. These are all great books which the...
56: The Diving In podcast girls are back with some new releases!
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After a long break Virginia and Louise are excited to be back in their makeshift cushion studios to discuss some new releases by authors they absolute...
55. The Revenge of Cervantes – Book Club Part 2
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia conclude their dive into Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes in this Book Club episode. They discuss Part 2 of Don Quixote, publish...
54. Tilting at Windmills – Book Club Part 1
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia dive into Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes in this Book Club episode. They discuss Part 1 of Don Quixote, first published in Spa...
53. Hola nuestras queridas amigas!
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hello dear friends! Virginia and Louise share some truly excellent Spanish writers and stories in preparation for our up-coming deep dive into Don Qui...
52. Books We've Been Wanting to Read for Ages
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia chat about two books that they’ve been eagerly looking forward to. Louise went down the Crime route with a gripping detective st...
51. Things That Go Bump in the Night
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have been reading Ghost Stories, a new release and some classic collections. The Louise Erdrich novel is a must-read for book love...
50: A Greek Chorus of Achilles and the Sisterhood
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise dive into the Greek Myths but barely scratch the surface.They also celebrate their 50th episode with a list of their 50 favourite ...
49: Crime, Betrayal and Secrets in Colder Climes
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia are sweltering in the heat of a Perth summer so they are cooling down with books set in cold countries. This episode they head off...
48. Trojan Horses - Things Hiding in Plain Sight
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
BooksLove Marriage by Monica AliBrick Lane by Monica AliThe Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan PoeThe Women of Troy by Pat BarkerTV SeriesHidden Assets –...
47: Reading Over A Long Hot Summer
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia record their first bookish conversation for 2022, after an extra long break over a very hot Western Australian summer. Given the s...
46: Redemption and Dingo Noir
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the second Diving In podcast for the FANZA Fringe – Virginia and Louise review six wonderful books including Miles Franklin winner Amanda...
45: Sleuthing, Heartbreak and Hoarding- a chat about 6 great books.
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the FANZA Fringe – Virginia and Louise from the Diving In podcast in Australia are thrilled to be part of the fringe program for FANZA, t...
44: Our Book Club Pick: The Hero's Quest - Brothers and Stowaways
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise do a deep dive into The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, 2021, Penguin Random House.
43. Women Locked Up (In Prisons Real and Imagined)
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
By complete coincidence Louise and Virginia read five books which all feature women who are either locked away or are prisoners of their minds. In spi...
42: New Releases and Literary Coincidences
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have been devouring more new releases which have revealed several small coincidences. They also chat about a few non bookish thing...
41: Hot Off The Press!
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have been reading several new releases and loving all of them. They chat about seven very different books in the conversation and ...
40: Reading Around the World - Books in Translation
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have been reading some small but gripping books that have been translated into English; perhaps the ultimate type of ‘own voices...
39: Mad About Maggie O'Farrell
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise loved reading Hamnet for Episode 21 ‘Twin Tales’, so decided to do a deep dive into Maggie O’Farrell’s back catalogue. The...
38: Legal Thrillers for Legal Eagles
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s books are all crime books set in the legal world. Some are brand new, one is an oldie, but all are great.Email [email protected]...
37: The Book Swap
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia thought it might be fun if they each chose a book for the other, and in this episode they reveal what they thought of the books th...
36: Wuthering Heights Book Club
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia dive into ‘pleasurable terror’ and explore Wuthering Heights for Book Club. They have some controversial views about Heathclif...
Swandive 5 - Louise chats with Polly Phillips, author of 'My Best Friend's Murder'
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louise takes a Swandive with Polly Phillips, author of award winning novel ‘My Best Friend’s Murder’ published by Simon & Schuster.Email hel...
35: Theme and Fancy Free
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia decided to have another episode where they read whatever they wanted and they chose some great books. They also discussed a couple...
34: We Read Whatever We Wanted
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia abandoned any theme this episode and read whatever books took their fancy. They also have a useful writing tip, a life hack, and t...
33: Classic Sleuths and Modern Detectives
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia both started reading books by Tana French so they decided to make that the theme for today, and they’ve paired those books with ...
32: Everybody Should Be Talking About This
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia discuss several books with truth-telling at the heart of the story. They also chat about two excellent podcasts, a Netflix movie, ...
31: Paris
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ooh la la! – Virginia and Louise stroll along the boulevards of Paris old and young and also share a couple of recent reads.Email hello@divinginpodc...
30: Growing Up on the Other Side of The Tracks
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise share their most recent reads and two wonderful books by award winning writers whose characters dwell on the other side of the tra...
29: Bodices and Breathy Sighs
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia share their most recent reads and then giggle through some bodice rippers!BooksGirl A, Abigail Dean 2021, Harper CollinsStill Life...
28: What We Read Over the Break
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have been diving into a stack of fantastic books over their long summer break and they discuss a few of their favourites. They als...
27: All That Glitters Is Not Gold - A Deep Dive into Edith Wharton
20 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia dive deep into Edith Wharton’s 1905 House of Mirth and examine the social conventions and contradictions of the Gilded Age among...
26: A Gripping Grab Bag of Recent Reads
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise share with you some of their most recent reads including Mark Watson’s moving and modern ‘Contacts’, best-selling author Sal...
25. Homegrown Heroes - including a Magical Quest and some 'Metropolis Noir'
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise dive in to some highly anticipated new releases by best-selling Australian authors. They include a compelling character driven sto...
Swandive 4 - Louise chats with Cate Sutherland from independent publisher The Fremantle Press
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Swandive 4: Louise chats with Children’s and Young Adult Fiction Publisher, Cate Sutherland, from independent publisher The Fremantle Press
Swandive 3 - Virginia interviews Hélène Magisson for the release of her new children's book 'Claudette'
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia interviews Hélène Magisson by Skype about her new children’s book 'Claudette' which Hélène both wrote and illustrated.Email h...
24. Getting Addicted in 2020 (and 'fessing up)
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have been diving into a stack of fantastic books for younger (and not so young) readers. These books are all so good that Virginia...
23: A Love Letter to Italy
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Buongiorno! This week Virginia and Louise discuss two classics set in Italy and the wonderful travel writing of Eric Newby.Email hello@divinginpodcast...
22: Books We Read Over Our Break
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Happy to be back from their break Virginia and Louise dive into a mixed bag of excellent books, and also discuss some movies, a TV show and some great...
21: Twin Tales
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise enjoy talking about some recent books with twins as central characters as well as some podcasts and movies they have been diving i...
20: Reading Indigenous Authors
12 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In response to the Black Lives Matter movement and to improve our knowledge and understanding of the experience of Aboriginal Australians, Virginia an...
Swandive 2 - A chat with Australian author Imbi Neeme about her new novel 'The Spill'
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Louise chats with author Imbi Neeme about her new novel 'The Spill’, winner of the Penguin 2019 Literary Prize
Swandive 1 - Virginia and Louise enjoy a chat with Australian author Suzanne Daniel
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we chat with the author of Allegra In Three Parts (sold in the US and Canada as A Girl In Three Parts), Suzanne Daniel.
19: Contemporary Australian Books
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have been diving into a mixed bag of fantastic new Australian books, and they also discuss some great podcasts.Email hello@divingi...
18: Girls
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have been diving into lots of excellent books about girls (and they sort of all have Girl in the title). They also discuss a great...
17: Family Scandals and Secrets
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia discuss five books that all have a scandal or a secret at the heart of the story. They also chat about a few other things they’v...
Duck Dive Two- We Share Your Reading Habits!
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the second mini-episode Louise and Virginia discuss your answers to our Duck Dive Quiz such as who influenced you to read as a child, the books you...
16: Books that Uplift Us
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia dive into the books they like to read to be uplifted or comforted. As predicted, they reach for quite different books to distract ...
Duck Dive One - A Diving In Quiz for Isolation
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this first mini-episode Louise asks you some questions about your reading habits.Email [email protected] @diving_in_podcastVirgini...
15: Reading In Isolation
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia discuss the strange new world we find ourselves in and are surprised by their responses to the situation. They recommend lots of b...
14: The Irish Episode with some great storytellers, Sebastian Barry, John Boyne, Anne Enright, Marion Keyes and Niall Williams
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Email [email protected] @diving_in_podcastVirginia’s Instagram @virginia_readsLouise’s Instagram @louise_cooks_and_readsSong ‘D...
13: Nancy Mitford and her eccentric family
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia discuss three of Nancy Mitford’s Radlett family novels as well as the novel that caused a rift in the family. They also discuss ...
12: Books We Read Over Summer
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia discuss Such A Fun Age, The Giver of Stars, Bruny and Long Bright River and the controversy surrounding American Dirt - as well as...
11: Christmas Special - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and Christmas Pudding by Nancy Mitford
12 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia discuss books set at Christmas, books to give as gifts, their favourite books of 2019 and a few other things they’ve been diving...
10: More Great British Books - Ian McEwan, Jessie Burton, Dorothy Whipple & James Meek
28 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia have a great conversation about four excellent British novels, The Cockroach by Ian McEwan, The Confession by Jessie Burton, Someo...
09: Some Very British Stories - Tracy Chevalier, Elizabeth Taylor, Nicola Upson and Barbara Pym
14 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia discuss a number of British books and authors and a few other things they’ve been diving into.Email [email protected]...
08: Whodunnit - a very criminal episode - Cleeves, Carter, Kevin Barry, Connelly, Sayers and Truss
07 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Murderinos Louise and Virginia discuss several crime novels, from cosy drawing room dramas to gritty Scandi noir police procedurals.Email hello@diving...
07: Taken Captive by Anne Patchett - The Dutch House, The Magician's Assistant, State of Wonder, and other Patchett masterpieces
31 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise devote an entire episode to the wonderful writing of American novelist Ann Patchett. They discuss her skill at weaving momentous i...
06: Manuscripts, Spies and Mother Russia - Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn and Lara Prescott
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise journey to Russia minus the vodka and discuss a new best-seller set in the Cold War and a stolen manuscript, some Russian novels a...
05: Land of the Free, Home of the Brave - Jacqueline Woodson, Téa Obreht and Laila Lalami
18 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia catch up after Louise has been on holiday in New York. Louise has a great New York update, and the chat is about all things New Yo...
04: Sacred Emus and Missing Sisters - Bruce Pascoe, Melissa Lucashenko and Tara June Winch
10 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia discuss several recent books written by Australian Indigenous writers. Louise talks about two excellent non-fiction books by Bruce...
03: Rabbits, Rascals, Hideouts and Sleuths - Enid Blyton, Mary Norton and many other great children's authors
04 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Virginia and Louise reminisce about the books that were read to them as small children, and the books they read to themselves when they were young.Ema...
02: Memory and Mysteries - Emma Healey and Sarah Moss
27 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia discuss a novel that explores dementia and exposes a 70 year old mystery, and a novel that touches on domestic abuse, as well as c...
01: Locked Up in the South - Colson Whitehead and Tayari Jones
18 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Louise and Virginia discuss a number of books that delve into what it means to be a person of colour in America, and the issue of wrongful incarcerati...