What happens when a character-driven comfort novel becomes a masterclass in connection?
This episode's pick: Evening Class by Maeve Binchy—a sprawling, multi-character novel with just enough Italian to justify the pasta cravings. It’s comfort fiction, yes—but is it compelling enough to finish?
This week’s guest: Tess Woods once had a simple life…until her compulsion to write made-up stories complicated everything. She’s now an award-winning and bestselling author of contemporary fiction. The Venice Hotel, her latest novel, was shortlisted for the ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year.
In this episode, we cover:
Does Evening Class hold up in 2025?
Who gets locked in the bathroom, and why it’s weirdly satisfying
Why “quiet novels” are brave, not boring
Is there such a thing as “comfort fiction” for writers?
What makes a book re-readable in a world built for speed?
📚 Books Tess Woods Recommends or Raves About
Maeve Binchy favourites:
Evening Class (of course) – her ultimate comfort read
Scarlet Feather – for food lovers and restaurant settings
Quentins – includes crossover characters from Evening Class
Tara Road and Circle of Friends – other top Binchy picks
Minding Frankie – a later novel Tess liked
Other fiction favourites:
Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
Miss You by Kate Eberlen
Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
The Wedding People by Alison Anderson
💋 And, of course, we rate it: Kiss, Kill, or Marry?
⏰ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro & bios: chaos queens assemble
05:00 – Why Evening Class? Tess explains the obsession
10:00 – The Kiss-Kill-Marry reveal
15:00 – Nora, Aidan, and the brilliance of slow transformation
20:00 – What “quiet” books teach us about connection
26:00 – Locked bathrooms, Lizzie’s wild decisions, and character whiplash
35:00 – What makes a novel comforting enough to reread
42:00 – Tess’s full-circle moment with Maeve Binchy’s real-life editor
50:00 – Reading habits, DNF rules, and favourite genres
56:00 – Tess’s most-recommended reads right now
📖 Coming up next: The Names by Florence Knapp, followed by Year of Wonder.
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☕ If you’re loving the show, we’d be so grateful if you’d buy us a coffee (or a prosecco). It helps keep the pod fun, frequent, and free.
👉 Listen now and tell us—have you read everything Maeve Binchy ever wrote?
We try to keep the podcast free and fun for everyone—but it does take time (and a lot of editing). If you’re loving the show, we’d be so grateful if you’d buy us a coffee (or a prosecco).
👉 Listen now and tell us—have you read everything Maeve Binchy’s ever read too?
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