This American Life

With host Ira Glass, this series by National Public Radio is a template for the medium at its best.

Looks 3 Chat 10

Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb together is a joy, as they discuss news, life, books, baking and more.

Here's the thing with Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin makes a fine interviewer, with equally fine guests such as Maggie Gyllenhaal, Patti Smith and Spike Lee.

Ladies, we need to talk

Yumi Stynes leads conversations about issues real and tricky, from the mental load to libido.

Books

A Confederacy of Dunces
John Kennedy Toole's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, set in New Orleans and starring an eccentric with a love of corduroy pants, is one of the most important novels a writer can read.

Infinite Jest
Anyone that says they finished David Foster Wallace's famously difficult-to-finish novel just skimmed the footnotes. There's no time like a 90-day lock-in to give it a go.

The Mirror and the Light
The third instalment in Hilary Mantel's evocative series detailing the rise of Thomas Cromwell under Henry VIII is a page turner, but a dense page turner. It requires a clear mind and a clear calendar.

Lincoln in the Bardo
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln told by the medium of Greek chorus is, as a concept, infuriating. Then again, it's written by George Saunders, who is a genius.

Plenty
Legendary chef Gay Bilson's book of thoughts, ideas and memories might have been published in the mid-thousands but it's just as relevant today.