Hello. Hello and welcome to Backlisted, the podcast which gives new life to old books.

Today's format is a little different as we bring you a winter reading special in which we've each chosen books to recommend.

Some recently published, some not out until later this year.

I'm John Mitchinson, the publisher unbound, where people support the books they really want to read.

And I'm Andy Miller, the author of the Year of Reading Dangerously.

And I'm Nikki Birch, backlisted, producer.

Hello, everybody. Welcome. Welcome to this episode. John said it's a special one.

It's also a special one because it's the first episode of 2025 and John Mitchinson, what is 2025? Why is it a historic year? It's astonishingly,

Andy. It is our 10th year. We will celebrate our 10th birthday, which in podcasting terms

means we're kind of upper paleolithic, I think. It's just like it's, it's really, it's before there were, most people

even knew what a podcast was, we were doing this. What is the average lifespan of a podcast?

Six episodes, Andy, six episodes. Not, not 230, you mean? Not. Okay. I have to say,

congratulations you two for managing to do this for 10 years. It's pretty epic.

To quote the Pet Shop Boys, you really made a little go a very long way.

And remaining friends, Andy, let's be, let's go out there into the new year positive and declare our friendship to the year. It stretches it too far, isn't it?

No.

No, no, no.

No, I think maybe.

I think what we should do is still remain colleagues until the 10th birthday show.

And then, and then if we're still on speaking terms at that point, then we will acknowledge our relationship as friends.

And Nikki, Nikki, we will invite you into the friendship circle.

I know, right? Three, three pals.

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