TGE's Current Read

Sometimes the hardest chapter isn't the ending – it's what comes next.In this episode of Current Read, journalist and author Eve Simmons joins host Sam Herbst to discuss her powerful new book, What She Did Next.Part memoir and part investigative journalism, the book explores the emotional aftermath of an unexpected divorce, why so many women are blindsided by relationship breakdowns, and how we rebuild our identities when life doesn't follow the script we imagined.Drawing on her own experience alongside interviews with experts and women who've lived through similar heartbreak, Eve unpacks the changing landscape of modern love, marriage, grief, resilience and second chances.Whether you've experienced divorce yourself, supported someone through heartbreak, or are simply fascinated by the stories we tell ourselves about relationships, this conversation offers honesty, compassion and hope.In this episode, we discuss:• Why some marriages end without warning• Divorce, grief and rebuilding your identity• Modern relationships and changing expectations of love• The search for closure after heartbreak• Why storytelling can be part of healing• How What She Did Next became both a memoir and an investigation📚 About the book: What She Did Next by Eve SimmonsWhat happens when 'happily ever after' ends too soon?Eve Simmons had the life she thought she wanted: love, a home, a future, security. Then, overnight, it was gone. Her husband left with no explanation. No conversation. No closure.Thrown into a heartbreak she never saw coming, the award-winning journalist did what she does best: she investigated. What she discovered was startling - her story wasn't rare.

A growing number of women are being blindsided by sudden, unexplained break-ups. Some are mourning long-term relationships and others marriages that had barely begun.In What She Did Next, Simmons blends gripping memoir with original reporting to uncover the hidden dynamics driving modern lovers apart, from emotional avoidance and burnout to shifting expectations of intimacy.This is a powerful, timely book of love, loss and the courage to begin again.
If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about books, writing and the ideas shaping our world, subscribe to Current Read for new author interviews every week.#CurrentRead #EveSimmons #WhatSheDidNext #Divorce #ModernLove #Relationships #Heartbreak #BreakupRecovery #Marriage #StartingOver #Memoir #BookPodcast #AuthorInterview #BooksYouShouldRead #BookTube #WomenWriters #LiteraryPodcast #NonFiction #Healing #LifeAfterDivorce

What happens when love slowly erodes your sense of self?In this episode of Current Read, host Sam Herbst sits down with writer, feminist researcher and editor Joy Watson to discuss her powerful and deeply emotive novel, Because I Love You.Through the intertwined stories of three women, Watson explores the subtle and often overlooked dynamics of emotional harm, manipulation, self-doubt and identity in intimate relationships.
Rather than focusing on overt violence, the novel examines the quieter ways people can lose themselves in love — and what it takes to find their way back.In this conversation, Joy discusses the personal experiences that informed the novel, why she chose to weave her own reflections throughout the text, and the unique structure that blends fiction with intimate commentary.
We also explore feminism, coercive control, emotional micro-aggressions, women's relationships with themselves, and why so many readers will see their own experiences reflected in the book's pages.This is an honest, nuanced and thought-provoking conversation about love, power, vulnerability and reclaiming your voice.🎙️ Subscribe for more author interviews, book recommendations and literary conversations from Current Read with Sam Herbst__#JoyWatson #BecauseILoveYou #CurrentRead #AuthorInterview #BookPodcast #LiteraryPodcast #EmotionalAbuse #RelationshipBooks #FeministBooks #WomenWriters #BookTube #Bookstagram #BookClubBooks #PsychologicalFiction #LiteraryFiction #SouthAfricanAuthors #ReadingCommunity #BooksAndAuthors #TheGreatEqualizer #PodcastRecommendation

International bestselling author Alka Joshi joins Sam in-studio for a very special episode of Current Read.
Best known for her breakout debut novel The Henna Artist (the first novel in The Jaipur Trilogy), Joshi’s historical fiction has transported millions of readers across the world to the pink city of Jaipur in the 1950s and to Shimla at the foothills of the Himalayas (not to mention 1950s Paris and Bombay.Joshi’s most recent novel, Six Days in Bombay, takes us further back to the 1930s, from Bombay to the tea houses of Istanbul, as well as several cities across a pre-WW II Europe including Prague, Paris, Florence and London.Joshi’s work has been translated into 29 languages and celebrated around the world for its vivid portrayal of women, identity, ambition and belonging.From a career in advertising to becoming one of the world's most beloved historical fiction authors, Alka Joshi's journey is as compelling as the stories she writes.In this episode of Current Read, the author shares the remarkable story behind her late-in-life literary debut, including how The Henna Artist began as a love letter to her mother and evolved into a love letter to India. The author chats at length about complex, resilient women at the heart of all her novels, delving into the unexpected evolution of The Jaipur Trilogy, and the inspiration behind Six Days in Bombay. She also gives us a sneak peek into her forthcoming novel, Daughters of the Pink City.Named among Forbes' prestigious 50 Over 50 in 2023, the author reflects on feminism, reinvention, creative success later in life, and what comes next in her writing journey.Whether you're a fan of historical fiction, book club favourites, women's stories, or simply love hearing how great books come to life, do not miss this conversation! And let us know what you think.📚 Books discussed:• The Henna Artist• Six Days in Bombay• The Secret Keeper of Jaipur• The Perfumist of Paris__🎙️ Subscribe for more author interviews, book recommendations and literary conversations from TGE's Current Read.__
#AlkaJoshi #TheHennaArtist #SixDaysInBombay #JaipurTrilogy #HistoricalFiction #BookPodcast #AuthorInterview #CurrentRead #BookTube #WomenWriters #LiteraryPodcast #HistoricalFictionBooks #BookClubBooks #ReadingCommunity #FictionLovers #IndianDiaspora #WomensFiction #WritersLife #BooksAndAuthors #CurrenRead

What does it mean to live in a place that is as beautiful as it is haunted?On this episode of TGE’s Current Read, powerhouse South African creative Nadia Davids – an award-winning playwright and author – chats with host Sam Herbst about her new novel Cape Fever.
A haunting and atmospheric read, Cape Fever is a striking work of gothic historical fiction praised by JM Coetzee as “an invaluable body of work”.From her life between Cape Town and Los Angeles, Nadia reflects on home, distance, and the enduring pull of South Africa, all before the conversation jumps into the rich, layered world of the novel.Set in 1920s Cape Town, Cape Fever explores themes of colonial power, womanhood, faith, memory, and identity through the eyes of Soraya, a young Cape Malay woman navigating the complexities of servitude, secrecy, and selfhood.In this discussion we unpack:• Cape Fever’s exploration of colonialism, race, and power in pre-Apartheid South Africa• Soraya’s “necessary fiction” and the quiet resistance embedded in her voice• The complex, unsettling dynamic between the protagonist and her employer, Mrs Hattingh• Gothic elements, spiritual liminality, the presence of ghosts, and feminine rage• The influence of Nadia’s family history, particularly her grandmothers, on the novel• Cape Town as both a seductive and deeply haunted landscape• The interplay between oral and written storytelling, with questions about agency and authorshipThis episode also touches on Nadia’s work as a playwright and how it shapes her fiction. And would it be an episode of Current Read if we didn’t ask what’s next in this author’s writing journey?Tune in and find out!If you’re drawn to literary fiction that interrogates history, identity, and the stories we inherit, this conversation is not to be missed.__#CapeFever #NadiaDavids #TGECurrentRead #PodcastInterview #LiteraryFiction #GothicFiction #SouthAfricanLiterature #BookTube #AuthorInterview #HistoricalFiction #WomenWhoWrite #PostcolonialLiterature #ReadersOfYouTube

What happens when a real-life woman in STEM swaps equations for emotional slow burns?
Shameez Patel – author, engineer, wife, mother, and storyteller – joins us on this episode of The Great Equalizer to talk about her latest book, Next Level Love, which the author describes as a URL to IRL romance.Shameez pulls us way (way!) back to the beginning of her writing journey (when she wrote a story called The Treasures of Zombie Island as a kid), and chats about how that developed a career in engineering, and ultimately, finding her way back to fiction.With an Ali Hazelwood-like mix of geek culture, boardgame nights, and modern love, Next Level Love explores the layered romance of Lily/Elizabeth and Link/Lincoln, which is both online and IRL. Also on this episode: • Shameez’s genre shift from fantasy (The Selene Trilogy) to romance, and the influence of other STEM romance authors• Why it's necessary to include neurodiverse characters in modern romance novels• The complexities of privilege, identity, and friendship within recurring cast of characters• The art of the slow burn (and seeing just how far PG scenes can take a writer 👀)• Shameez’s future writing endeavoursIf you love sweet (but not saccharine!) romances that are clever, character-driven, and a little bit nerdy, this episode is for you.--#NextLevelLove #ShameezPatel #TGECurrentRead #PodcastInterview #RomanceBooks #BookTube #SlowBurnRomance #EnemiesToLovers #GrumpySunshine