TGE Media TGE's Current Read

TGE's Current Read

Sam Herbst (co-host of The Great Equalizer) catches up with authors to chat about their books. TGE's Current Read offers word nerds, bibliophiles and literature buffs a glimpse into the mind of an author and showcases the latest books that the world's biggest publishing houses have on offer. Subscribe and join the conversation with TGE and authors from around the globe.
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18 Episodes

Mom Rage and the Everyday Crisis of Motherhood by Minna Rubin

We have another all-new BONUS episode out today featuring the phenomenal Minna Dubin. Minna is a US-based journalist and author whose essays and articles on motherhood and identity have been featured across all the best known outlets, including the New York Times, The Times, The Philadelphia Enquirer, LitHub, and so…
23 Jan 1 hr 04 min

Eve: The Disobedient Future of Birth by Claire Horn

"We are closer than ever to the first pregnancy outside of the human body... but are we ready for the radical future of birth?" Host of TGE's Current Read Sam Herbst chats with author and feminist academic Claire Horn about her book, Eve: The Disobedient Future of Birth. Eve is…
7 Sep 2023 51 min

Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin

Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023, Cecile Pin's debut novel Wandering Souls (4th Estate) has clearly made its mark on the southeast Asian diaspora, with glowing author endorsements from the likes of Ocean Vuong (On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous), RF Kuang (Yellowface) and Helena Lee (East Side Voices),…
14 Aug 2023 38 min

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

On this episode of TGE’s Current Read, Sam touches base with comedy writer Monica Heisey, author of one of Elle Magazine’s most anticipated reads of 2023, Really Good, Actually. This fresh take on break-up comedy fiction chronicles a year in the life of 28-year-old Maggie as she separates from her…
13 Mar 2023 31 min

The Invincible Miss Cust by Penny Haw

The Invincible Miss Cust details how English Aristocrat Aleen Cust overcame a myriad of obstacles in the late 1800s and early 1900s to become Britain and Ireland's first woman veterinary surgeon, paving the way for aspiring female vets who have sought to follow in her footsteps. As a lover of…
24 Feb 2023 40 min

Charlene: In Search of a Princess by Arlene Prinsloo

In this episode of TGE’s Current Read, Sam sits down with veteran lifestyle journalist Arlene Prinsloo to chat about her new book, Charlene: In Search of a Princess. This unauthorised biography chronicles the life, to date, of Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco.   Prinsloo unpacks the home-grown princess’s…
6 Oct 2022 45 min

Children of Sugarcane by Joanne Joseph

In this episode of TGE’s Current Read, veteran broadcaster and bestselling author Joanne Joseph joins Samanatha Herbst (co-host and founder of parenting podcast The Great Equalizer) to chat about her debut novel, Children of Sugarcane. Set against the backdrop of 19th Century India and the British-owned sugarcane plantations of Natal,…
24 Sep 2022 43 min

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse

Bestselling thriller author Sarah Pearse hit it out of the park with the wildfire success of her first novel, The Sanitorium. The debut landed on several bestseller lists, including the New York Times, and was selected as a Reese’s Book Club pick. In this episode of Current Read, Sarah joins…
23 Aug 2022 31 min

Mad Bad Love by Sara-Jayne Makwala King

Sara-Jayne Makwala King knew that she had a second book in her, but she did not expect the follow up to her memoir, Killing Karoline, to be about loving someone in active addiction. The Cape Talk presenter chats to Samantha Herbst about her second memoir, Mad Bad Love, and how…
18 Aug 2022 49 min

The Price of Mercy by Sean Davison

On this episode of Current Read, Sam Herbst interviews Prof. Sean Davison, one of the more controversial characters she's ever sat opposite. By South African law, Sean is a convicted murderer three times over but – many would argue – a murderer unworthy of the title, especially when considering motivation…
8 Jul 2022 31 min

Toxic Positivity by Whitney Goodman

In this episode of Current Read, TGE hosts Sam Herbst and Charlene Armstrong chat to US-based family and marriage therapist Whitney Goodman. Whitney is the mastermind behind hugely popular Instagram account @sitwithwhit, as well as a columnist for Psychology Today. She’s been featured on and in dozens of big name…
7 Jul 2022 33 min

The Shining Girls with Lauren Beukes

In this episode of TGE's Current Reads, Sam Herbst is joined by award-winning and internationally best-selling author Lauren Beukes. Most of us would know her for her novels – Moxyland, Zoo City, The Shining Girls, Broken Monsters and, most recently, Afterland, though Lauren also keeps herself busy as a comics…
26 May 2022 30 min

TGE KIDS' PICKS! It's Up to Us by Christopher Lloyd

‘Children have a unique curiosity for Nature and for this amazing planet we call home.” – HRH The Prince of Wales On this episode of TGE’s Current Read we chat to UK-based author, lecturer, non-fiction storyteller and father of two Christopher Lloyd about his latest children’s book, It’s Up to…
20 May 2022 40 min

TGE BOOK CLUB! Call Me Mummy by Tina Baker

This was a double whammy of firsts for TGE's Current Read. Our first unofficially-official online book club discussing Tina Baker's dark psychological thriller Call Me Mummy featuring none other than the author herself! Join Sam from The Great Equalizer podcast and a few friends that read along as part of…
20 Dec 2021 1 hr 04 min

Torchbearers by Wendy Maartens

It's Women's Month and no better time to celebrate inspirational women who have formed the backbone of the new South Africa. In this episode of TGE's Current Read, Sam chats to local children's book author Wendy Maartens about her latest project, Torchbearers. This series of books, aimed at preteens from…
9 Aug 2021 28 min

Fragile Monsters by Catherine Menon

Historical fiction is the one genre that will get readers Googling post-read to separate fact from fiction. It’s also done way more than school history books to get us thinking about the world and the impact of our actions on people, individuals. Historical fiction is the best way to get…
9 Jul 2021 27 min

The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson

"What if the worst thing that ever happened to you, led you to the best time of your life?" There’s a kindred spirit among self-deprecating moms 😅 Those moms who know they’re not as perfect as they once hoped they’d be but are happy (most days) to get just a…
9 Jul 2021 28 min