Episódios
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Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon is a novel that takes us back to ancient Syracuse, where war, art, and humanity collide. This gripping tale follows two down-on-their-luck potters who hatch an audacious plan to produce a performance of the works of Euripedes despite the fact that their actors are prisoners of war and their stage set a death camp in a marble pit. It’s a story of resilience, friendship, and the power of art in the face of destruction, but did it make for a good book club book?
Regular book-club reporter Phil Chaffee dials in from New York to join Kate alongside keen readers and returning pod guests Emily Bohill and Sarah Oliver in London.
And find out Laura's thoughts at the end as we consider what makes Glorious Exploits such a standout debut, whether or not you need to know about Classical history to enjoy it, and why the audio version is such a particular joy. All this plus our recommendations for follow on reads inspired by Glorious Exploits.
Booklist
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower
The Years by Annie Ernaux
Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte
You Dreamed of Empires by Ávaro Enrigue
Metamorphoses by Ovid
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen
Circe by Madeleine Miller
Patreon
Signing up for membership is a great way to support the show, and in return you'll have access to weeklyish bonus episodes, plus the archive of back episodes to enjoy. At the higher tier you can join the podcast book club, currently reading Hateship, Friendship, Loveship, Courtship, Marriage by Alice Munroe. I'd love to have you join us.
Instagram & Threads
@bookclubreviewpodcast
Web
Our full archive of episdoes with shownotes
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Author, podcaster and reader Daisy Buchanan joins Kate to discuss Read Yourself Happy, her latest book that explores ‘shelf-help’ and the healing power of books and reading to inspire, comfort and fortify. You might not think that someone who regularly interviews literary stars like Anne Patchett and Lauren Groff on her podcast 'You're Booked' might also be someone who has struggled throughout her life with anxiety. Find out how books helped Daisy overcome her fears and inspired her to be adventurous in the manner of her favourite literary heroines. We also discuss the practicalities of the reading life, how to manage a mountainous TBR, and insider stories from the Jilly Cooper book club. With Valentine's Day in mind, find out how to 'Read Yourself Romantic' with Daisy's favourite romance novels. Oh, and you'll get about a million other brilliant book recommendations along the way!
Notes
If you're interested to try a Serious Readers lamp use our special offer code BCR at checkout for £150 off any HD light.
Looking for your perfect bookish match? Use our offer code BookClubReview for 10% off a subscription to Book Lovers Dating.
Reading list
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
Strange Beach by Oliwaseun Olawiola
The Pirahna Club: Power and Influence in Formula 1 by Timothy Collings (my husband's book, by the way, in case you were wondering. He's been dipping in for something he's working on.)
Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes
Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe
Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
A Little Life by Hanya Yanigahara
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
Rivals by Jilly Cooper
The Come Up by Jonathan Abrams
I Want my MYV by Rob Tannenbaum
Uncommon People by Miranda Sawyer
Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny
Us by David Nicholls
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser Akner
Peter Hujar’s Day by Linda Rosenkrantz
Deano: Life After Football by Dean Windass
By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart
Camp by Paul Baker
Notes from the Henhouse by Elspeth Barker
O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker
The Gemma Books by Noel Streatfield
Love Junkie by Robert Plunket
Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes
Expiation by Elizabeth Von Arnim
They Were Sisters and Greenbanks by Dorothy Whipple
The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
Mhairi McFarlane - various titles, try If I Never Met You
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Estão a faltar episódios?
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Olga Tokarczuk's haunting 'health resort horror story' may have wow-ed the critics, but how did it fare with Laura's book club? Phil, Sarah and Laura join Kate to discuss it. You'll also find out the books we've been reading lately, and our suggestions for follow-on reads if The Empusium leaves you hankering for more.
Books mentioned
The Sewing Girl’s Tale by John Wood Sweet
Two Step Devil by Jamie Quattro
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Strange Beach by Oluwaseum Olayiwola
The Fizcarraldo poetry subscription
The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk
Sanatorium by W. Somerset Maugham
The Wind Rises by Hayao Miyazaki
The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft
The Paper Hound bookshop
The Plague and I by Betty Macdonald
Backlisted episode #138
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Schwärmerai
NOTES
Support the show and get exclusive subscriber benefits
On Patreon: weekly-ish minisodes, chat groups, special feature episodes, War & Peace readalong, and at the higher tier join the monthly book club
Or via Substack: weekly-ish minsodes and special feature episodes
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Step into a world of philosophical musings and practical wisdom with Oliver Burkeman. 'Meditations for Mortals' is his latest book designed as a four-week mental retreat, promising to help readers lead a 'saner, freer, and more enchantment-filled life'. Oliver joins Kate to talk about everything from the inspiration he took from Marcus Aurelius to how to invite people over without feeling like you have to spend three hours tidying the house. He also reveals his tips on making life-changes that stick, and the books he turns to when he's not reading for work.
Keen to test out the methodology, Kate is then joined by City high-flyer and busy mother-of-three Emily Bohill to discover how Meditations for Mortals works in practice. From managing work-life balance to facing literal rats in the PTA shed, we explore whether the lessons of Meditations are ones that will stay.
This episode is for everyone who is keen to turn knowledge into action and embrace life's imperfections. No less important is the fact that Meditations for Mortals is perfect for sparking deep conversations, and there's nothing we love more at The Book Club Review than that.
Reading list 4,000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life by James Hollis Find out more and sign up for The Imperfectionist (a free newsletter) at Oliver Burkeman's website Subscribe and support the show Want more from the pod? You can subscribe to The Book Club Review via Patreon. Click through for full details and to sign up with a 7-day free trial. You'll get a weekly-ish minisode, with access to the full archive, and extra bits and bobs like extended episodes or Patreon-only specials, plus access to book recommendations from Kate and fellow pod fans in the chat group. At the higher tier you can join the pod book club and come and talk books with me, Kate, in person. We meet on the last Sunday of the month via Zoom, with a recording posted to listen back to anytime. In February we're reading All The Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley, and in March it's Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munroe. Upcoming books are decided by members vote, so join in and suggest one that you would love to read and discuss. If you're a Substacker you can also subscribe and support the pod there. (It's slightly cheaper as you don't get the chat or the book club options, but everything else is just the same.) Timecodes for the time-poor00:00 Introduction
01:32 An overview of the book, and the degree to which Oliver Burkeman put himself in there
03:55 The relationship between Meditations for Mortals and Four Thousand Weeks
06:24 Imperfectionism
10:45 Practical Applications and personal reflections
13:01 Field-testing the book’s methodology
29:37 Daily-ish and embracing imperfection
34:34 Scruffy hospitality and overcoming procrastination
45:34 Has it changed our lives?
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It's a new year and a new episode. Join Kate and Laura as they consider reading intentions for the year ahead, and try to set some realistic goals. Will 2025 be the year Kate gets into poetry? Will it be the year Laura weans herself off romance novels? And as always, they're thinking of book club reads to come. Meanwhile Phil sets a goal for himself in 2025 that might surprise you.
Books mentioned
4,000 Weeks and Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Rejection by Tony Tulithamutte
Bliss Montage by Ling Ma
The George Smiley novels by John le Carre
Karla's Choice by Nick Harkaway
My Struggle, Karl Ove Knausgard
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
Assembly and Universality by Natasha Brown
Also a Poet and Crush by Ada Calhoun
Our Country Friends and Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart
Intimacies and Audition by Katie Kitamura
Robert Caro's Fifth Lyndon Johnson book
Polostan by Neal Stephenson
Finance for the People by Paca Leon
Essays of E. B. White
The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
All That Glitters by Orlando Whitfield
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk
My Friends by Hisham Matar
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
Eight Months on Ghazzah Street by Hilary Mantel
The Gifts of Reading, Robert Macfarlane (ed)
Untitled Memoir from Nicola Sturgeon
Katabasis by R. F. Kuang
Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind trilogy)
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Living and Death and Intimations by Zadie Smith
Notes
If you’re looking for inspiration in your reading life over the coming year why not subscribe to The Book Club Review Patreon. In addition to the various special episodes you’ll find on there, you’ll get The Book Club Review Weekend, my weeky-ish bonus episode just for Patrons, featuring Laura’s reading updates and regular chats with friends of the pod. Laura and I have cooked up a new feature, called One Book Wonder, that allows us to talk about those books that slip through the cracks between regular episodes. Listen in for our thoughts on Good Material by Dolly Alderton.
You get all that at the entry level, but at the higher tier you can also join the podcast book club and come and talk books with me in person at the end of every month over zoom, or listen back anytime if you can’t make the live session. In January we’re reading the novel that appeared on many a best-of-the-year list, Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, In February we’re we’re reading All The Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley, a museum guard's quest to find solace and meaning in art, and in March it’s short stories with Hateship, Friendship, Loveship, Courtship, Marriage by Alice Munroe. But will they make for good book club reads? Join me and the book clubbers over on Patreon and find out. Join our bookish community, get brilliant book recommendations and get the warm glow from knowing that you’re supporting me in making the show. Head to Patreon.com/thebookclubreview and sign up today.
Otherwise come and find me anytime on Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast or check out our website, thebookclubreview.co.uk. But for now, thanks for listening and happy book clubbing.
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Wrap up your year with the Book Club Review podcast! Celebrate the joy of reading with us as we highlight the standout books we read in 2024, from page-turners to genre reads, to literary fiction and best book club books. We'll finish with our 'if we could only choose one' favourites for our overall book(s) of the year. This episode also features recommendations from our podcast book clubbers, fantastic readers all, who bring their choices into the mix. This is a bonus length episode as there was so much to go through, so take that dog for an extra long walk, get the children prepared for a long swing at the park or just curl up in a cozy spot with notepad in hand to jot down some of these books we think you shouldn't miss. Or, of course, use the handy list below.
Books mentioned
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
What You Are Looking For is In The Library by Michiko Ayoyama
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Most enjoyable read
Loot by Tania James
Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Best page-turner
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Going Infinite by Michael Lewis
Best Non-fiction
How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
Grief is for People by Sloane Crossley
The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing
The Burgundians: A Vanished Empire by Bart van Loo
Maurice and Marilyn by Sophie Elmhurst
The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke
Best Book Club Book
Enter Ghost by Isabelle Hamid
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Cuddy by Benjamin Myers
The Fraud by Zadie Smith
August Blue by Deborah Levy
Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai (Polly Barton trans.)
Wifedom by Anna Funder
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez
The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny (The Inspector Gamache series)
Best Genre Novel or Comfort Read
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
The Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka
Overall best book read in 2024
James by Percival Everett
Kate: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Laura: Real Estate by Deborah Levy (vol. 3 in her 'living autobiography' series
Join the Book Club Review club
Head to Patreon.com/thebookclubreview to explore what's on offer with regular extra episodes packed with reading recommendations and at the higher tier membership of the pod bookclub: upcoming reads for January are Marty by Kaveh Akbar, February: All The Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley and March: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro.
Serious Readers
For seriously good reading lamps with a Book Club Review special discount head to seriousreaders.co.uk/BCR and use the code BCR at checkout for £100 off any HD light. Shipping within the UK is free, and you get a 30-day trial period so you can see for yourself what a difference they make.
Stay connected
Find Kate on Instagram and Threads @bookclubreviewpodcast, or drop us a comment anytime at the episode page on our website. What were your favourite reads from 2024? We'd love to hear about them.
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Curious about the 2024 Booker Prize? Wondering if the shortlisted novels live up to the hype? In this latest episode Kate and Laura are joined by returning guests Phil, Sarah and Martin to dive deep into this year's shortlist bringing you their usual frank, honest opinions in true book-club style.
This isn’t your typical review show — you get real, unfiltered thoughts from book lovers who tell it like it is. From literary brilliance to unexpected twists, find out which books wowed us, which ones left us wanting more, and whether this year’s Booker picks truly deserve the spotlight. Plus of course our guesses as to which one might win.
Notes
Check out Martin's brilliant blog Eyes on the Prize for a fantastic look back through Booker Winners past, including his 'worst to best' ranking.
Other books mentioned
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
The Trees by Percival Everett
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
My Friends by Hisham Matar
Subscribe
Want more from The Book Club Review? Want to help support it financially? Come and join Kate at Patreon.com/thebookclubreview where for a small monthly fee you'll receive benefits such as a weekly books minisode, occasional special episodes of the podcast made just for Patreons, and at the higher tier you can join our monthly book club for live discussions with Kate over Zoom. If you’re a Substacker you’ll also find extra content from The Book Club Review there – check thebookclubreview.co.uk/bookspodcast/subscribe for more details.
For the love of a good lamp:
Visit seriousreaders.com/BCR for our special offer on any HD light – use the code BCR at checkout and if you're in the UK you can also benefit from free shipping. You get a month to try out the lights to decide if they're for you, if not you can return them. We seriously love them, and think you will too.
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Summer Reading Report: hits, misses, and anticipations We're back from the beach and reflecting on our summer reading in this bonus length bookshelf episode. On Kate's stack summer favourite GRETA AND VALDIN by Rebecca K. Reilly, Olivia Laing's memoir The Garden Against Time, the hotly tipped HEADSHOT by Rita Bullwinkel, TRUST by Hernan Diaz, Miranda July's new novel ALL FOURS and upcoming book club reads THE FRAUD by Zadie Smith and HUMANELY POSSIBLE by Sarah Bakewell. Meanwhile Laura talks about REAL AMERICANS by Rachel Kong, THE LAST UNICORN by Peter S. Beagle, THE LAST MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Stuart Turton, Kiley Reid's latest COME AND GET IT, Reese's Book Club pick SLOW DANCE by Rainbow Rowell and Austeriltz by W. G. Sebald. We also hear about the best bookish party Laura attended courtsey of the Vancouver Public Library, and the Kate's experience of reading just one book, and one book only, at a time – a strong departure from her usual habits of three on the go at once. But will she stick to it? Timecodes for the time poor 08:58 Real Americans by Rachel Kong: A Not-to-Read Recommendation 17:39 The Garden Against Time by Olivia Lange: A Deep Dive 25:27 The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle: A Disappointment 30:44 Headshot by Rita Bullwinkle: A Mixed Review 40:02 Stuart Turton's The Last Murder at the End of the World: A Fun Read 44:20 Exploring 'Trust' by Hernan Diaz 49:34 Campus Life and Money in 'Come and Get' It by Kiley Reid 59:57 Miranda July's 'All Fours': A Perimenopausal Journey 01:12:40 A Lighthearted Romance: 'Slow Dance' by Rainbow Rowell 01:15:13 Upcoming Reads and Final Thoughts
Patreon
Want more from your favourite podcast? Want to support the person who makes it? Come and join Kate at Patreon.com/thebookclubreview where for a small monthly fee you'll receive benefits such as a weekly books dispatch, which you can read or listen to as a pod, occasional special episodes, and at the higher tier you can join our monthly book club for live discussions with Kate over Zoom.
For the love of a good lamp:
Visit seriousreaders.com/BCR for our special offer on any HD light – use the code BCR at checkout and if you're in the UK you can also benefit from free shipping. You get a month to try out the lights to decide if they're for you, if not you can return them. We seriously love them, and think you will too.
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In this special episode, originally released for our Patreon subscribers, Kate celebrates the joys of the perfect notebook with fellow enthusiast and stationery shop owner David Frostick (Lift, Southwold). From the importance of flat-lay paper to the perfect pen we've got it all covered just in time for back-to-school season.
And then we turn to the art of notetaking. Kate and Laura discuss how they take notes on the books they're discussing on the show, and then we find out how the professionals do it, with friends of the pod, journalist Phil Chaffee and literary critic Emily Rhodes. We also hear from Bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud whose book, The Art of Mindful Reading, is full of great suggestions for how to get the most from your reading.
If this whets your appetite come and join us at Patreon.com/thebookclubreview where for a small monthly fee (or you can sign up for annual membership if you prefer) you'll receive benefits such as Kate's weekly books email, occasional special episodes, and at the higher tier you can join our monthly book club for live discussions with Kate over Zoom. If you love the pod your support is helpng Kate make the shows, which means a lot, so thank you for considering it.
Discover David's store LIFT here.
For other things referenced in this episode here's an index to products with links.
For the love of a good lamp:
Visit seriousreaders.com/BCR for our special offer on any HD light – use the code BCR at checkout and if you're in the UK you can also benefit from free shipping. You get a month to try out the lights to decide if they're for you, if not you can return them. We seriously love them, and think you will too.
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We love a list, and we love an excuse for a conversation about books, and so we couldn't have been more delighted when the New York Times released their list of the best books of the 21st century, so far. From 503 top tens submitted by authors and other literary world folk, and a bit of statistical magic, they boiled it down to their definitive top 100. And we had to hand it to them, it's a damn good list. Still, we might argue with a few of their choices, and of course have some thoughts of our own.
And so in this episode you'll get our own Book Club Review top 20 books, some of which were on the NYT's list, most of which were not. They're the books we felt had been overlooked, books we loved and were desparate to talk about, books we want to share with you.
And so join me (Kate) and Sarah in London, Phil in New York and Laura in Vancouver as we spend a delightful hour considering the best of the best. I guarantee you'll come away with at least one book for your TBR, and hopefully you'll love it as much as we did.
No booklist, as I thought you might like to find out as you listen, but you'll find all the books discussed at the episode page on our website, thebookclubreview.co.uk
Here's the link to the NYT's list
Also do check out our episode sponsors Serious Readers, who are offering £100 off their brilliant HD reading lamps, use the code BCR at checkout. UK customers get free delivery, elsewhere you can still take advantage of the offer, but there will be a shipping charge.
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Laura’s on a flying visit to London, and so of course we took the opportunity to get together and swap notes on our recent reading. Regular guest Phil Chaffee dialled in from New York to add his picks to the mix.
Find out what we thought of summer it-book The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, we consider the auto fictional world of Deborah Levy, Kate reports back on Francis Spufford’s new novel – and podcast book club read – Cahokia Jazz and we round it off with art-world memoir All That Glitters by Orlando Whitfield – unputdownable in Kate’s opinion, find out why.
It’s also our first ever sponsored episode. Introducing Serious Readers, a company dedicated to creating the world’s best reading lamps. Listen in for Kate’s interview with founder Alex Pratt, and learn more about why your eyes might struggle under standard LED lighting. We know how much as readers you care about your eyes, so we were happy to tell you about a product that feels like just what they need.
Listen in for all the details, and if you're interested to try them head to seriousreaders.com/BCR and use code BCR for £100 off any HD light. You have 30 days to decide if they're right for you. In the UK you'll also get free delivery. Outside of the UK the offer is still valid, but there would also be a shipping charge.
BOOKS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODEThe Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford
The Dragon Waiting by John M. Ford
Real Estate by Deborah Levy
All That Glitters by Orlando Whitfield
SERIOUS READERSLike the sound of Serious Readers? Head to seriousreaders.com/BCR and use code BCR for £100 off any HD light, you’ll also get free delivery in the UK, and you have 30 days to try them out.
PATREON
Support the show, and get extras in return
Head over to our Patreon to find out how to support the pod, and the things you'll get in return, from book recommendations to extra episodes. At the higher tier you can join our monthly book club – if you look at that membership level you'll find a link to the full list of books for 2024. This month we're reading Wifedom by Anna Funder.
Or to hear about books between shows come find the pod on Instagram or Threads @bookclubreviewpodcast
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Inspired by the folk at the New York Times article ‘22 of the funniest novels since Catch 22’, join me (Kate), Phil and Laura as we consider the books that make us laugh. Listen in as we explore the NYT's suggestions and add in a few of our own. Find out the author we can’t believe they missed, and the book that reliably makes Laura – a tough customer when it comes to funny books – laugh every time.
Books mentioned
The New York Times article ‘22 of the funniest novels since Catch 22’
Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut
The Idiot and Either/Or by Elif Batuman
The Possessed by Elif Batuman
Uncle Napoleon by Iraj Pezeshkzad
Martyr by Kaveh Akbar
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Where d’You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman
Three Men and a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Scoop by Evelyn Waugh
Vanity Fair by William MakepieceThackarey
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Notes
Here’s the Patreon link If you’d like to get more involved and support the show, and you’ll get lots of good things in return: Patreon.com/thebookclubreview
Keep up to date between shows, follow The Book Club Review podcast on Instagram
Next book club read: Wifedom by Anna Funder
Do take a quick moment to rate and review us via your podcast app, your support is really appreciated. And hey, if you have bookish friends, tell them about the show, maybe they will like it too.
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Exploring literary worlds beyond fiction: a dive into non-fiction Join Kate, as she ventures to South London to visit Backstory, a unique indie bookstore founded by former journalist Tom Rowley. Rowley shares his journey from journalism to opening a bookshop, the challenges and joys of running a bookstore, the importance of community engagement, and launching the second issue of the Backstory Magazine. We then turn our attention to non-fiction, pulling out some favourites, both backlist and new releases. As Tom says, 'I just read. I want good stories, I don't care whether they're true or not' 00:40 A visit to south London's indie bookshop Backstory, and why Kate's name is on the wall 01:53 From journalism to bookshop owner: Tom's lockdown dream comes true 04:25 Embracing the community: the transition from market stall to bookshop 09:26 Launching Backstory Magazine: a new chapter in storytelling 14:54 Exploring non-fiction: feel the fear and read it anyway 17:49 Just what is deep backlist? Tom's first recommendation is My War Gone By, I Miss it So by Anthony Lloyd (September Publishing) 20:18 Kate recommends Fall: The Mystery of Robert Maxwell by John Preston (Penguin) 22:46 Tom's next pick: Maurice and Marilyn: A Whale, A Shipwreck, A Love Story by Sophie Elmhurst (Penguin) 25:52 Kate pulls out The Wager by David Grann (Simon & Schuster) (and we also talk about Devil in the White City by Erik Larson [Penguin]) 29:08 Tom recommends The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson (Penguin) 31:15 Great minds think alike: Kate and Tom both recommend The Moth and the Mountain by Ed Caesar (Penguin), author and now DJ! 35:32 An aside from Kate about The Possessed by Elif Batuman (Granta) 37:17 Towards the end of the episode we reach 'peak Tom', with Little Englanders by Alwyn Turner (Profile) 41:17 Book club reads: Red Memory by Tania Branigan (Faber) and Close to Home by Michael Magee (Penguin) 42:25 Tom's book of the summer: The Safe Keep by Yael van der Wouden (Penguin) 44:18 List of books, how to get support the pod and get extras via our Patreon account and details of our upcoming episode in which Phil and Laura join Kate to talk about books that make us laugh Notes Visit Backstory online at www.backstory.london
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So Many Damn Books podcast creator and host Christoper Hermelin joins Kate to swap book recommendations and discuss the magic of book club, recent book discoveries and bookish pet peeves.
EPISODE BOOK LIST
The Eyes & The Impossible by Dave Eggers
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
McSweeney’s magazine, including The Panorama issue
How I Won A Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto
Non-Fiction by Julie Myerson
Butter by Asako Yuzuki (Polly Barton, trans.)
Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai (Polly Barton, trans.)
Fifty Sounds by Polly Barton
The Extinction of Irena Ray by Jennifer Croft
James by Percival Everett, and we also mentioned Erasure and The Trees
Funny Things: A Comic Strip Biography of Charles M. Schultz by Luca Debus and Francesco Mateuzzi
NOTES
Join the club and support us on Patreon
Follow The Book Club Review on Instagram and Threads @bookclubreviewpodcast
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Two marriages, two forbidden love affairs, and the passionate search for social and sexual freedom in late 19th-century London. Publishers Penguin call The New Life by Tom Crewe ‘A brilliant and captivating debut, in the tradition of Alan Hollinghurst and Colm Tóibín' but what did our book club make of it? Kate is reporting back, with regular guest Philip Chaffee joining from New York. We'll be catching up on the discussion as well as bringing you our take on recent reads FAKE ACCOUNTS by Lauren Oyler and NORTH WOODS by Daniel Mason, as well as our recommendations for books inspired by Crewe's novel.
Booklist
Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler
The Smiley Novels by John Le Carre
North Woods by Daniel Mason
Maurice by E. M. Forster
Alec by William di Canzio
Young Bloomsbury by Nino Strachey
Blackouts by Justin Torres
Miss Marjoribanks by Margaret Oliphant
The Ladies Lindores by Margaret Oliphant
Tom Crewe's booklist on bookshop.org.uk
Podcast episode on Young Bloomsbury
The audiobook of The New Life is read by Freddie Fox and published by Penguin Audio, available wherever you get your audiobooks
Keep up with us between shows. Follow us on Instagram or Threads @bookclubreviewpodcast, browse our website for our full archive, or drop us a line at [email protected]
Want the deep dive? All the details of our Patreon extras and how to sign up here.
Thanks for listening, happy reading, happy book clubbing
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What did our podcast book club make of Mild Vertigo, Japanese author Mieko Kanai's 1997 novel, recently translated into English by Polly Barton. A 'modernist masterpiece' written in sentences that go on for pages with hardly any paragraph breaks might not seem like an obvious book club winner; listen in to find out if we were won over.
To discuss it Kate is joined by Yuki Tejima, also known as @booknerdtokyo, and Shawn Mooney, aka Shawn the Book Maniac. Listen in for their thoughts on Mild Vertigo, their current reads and our book recommendations for anyone wanting the inside track on great Japanese fiction.
Book list
A Woman of Pleasure by Kiyoko Murata (trans. Juliet Winters Carpenter)
Home Reading Service by Fabio Morábito (trans. Curtis Bauer)
Woman Running in the Mountains by Yūko Tsushima (trans. Geraldine Harcourt)
Also Territory of Light and Child of Fortune by Yoko Tsutshima
Grass for my Pillow by Sayiichi Maruya (trans. Dennis Keene)
The Little House by Kyoto Nakajima (trans. Ginny Tapley Takamori)
There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuo Tsumura (trans. Polly Barton)
Fifty Sounds by Polly Barton
Porn: An Oral History by Polly Barton
Butter by Asako Yuzuki (trans. Polly Barton)
Follow us on Instagram and threads @bookclubreviewpodcast
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Join me (Kate) and Laura as we go through our bookstacks and discuss our recent reads. Find out what why Laura can’t put down The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Meanwhile I’ve discovered Mrs Miniver, a comfort read from the 1930s that still has a message for us today, Laura’s made a discovery of her own – that there’s more to Anita Brookner than Hotel du Lac, with her 1988 novel The Latecomers. We go from one good book club read to another with The Fraud by Zadie Smith, and Laura reports in from the recent backlist past with How Much of These Hills is Gold by C. Pam Zhang. I take a detour through a ring of enchanted toadstools with Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, and Laura confesses to having spent a weekend lost in the pages of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. She's only interested in the dragons, mind.
Books mentioned
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
Mrs Miniver by Jan Struther
The Latecomers by Anita Brookner
The Fraud by Zadie Smith (UK paperback out in June)
How Much of These Hills is Gold by C. Pam Zhang
Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
UK listeners can find all the books listed above at our Bookshop.org.uk bookshop, if you purchase them there you'll be supporting independent bookshops and your favourite indie podcasters.
Find out all the details of what we're offering on our Patreon here, including a weekly book recmomendations newsletter from Kate, occasional extra bits and bobs plus access to our pod book spreadsheets, and at the higher tier you can join our bookclub and talk books with Kate in person once a month.
And come and find Kate on Instagram or Threads, or drop us a line at [email protected] and let us know your thoughts on the books discussed here anytime.
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We’ve put our 2023 reading lists behind us, and now it's time to look ahead to 2024. Who better to guide us through all the new titles coming our way than Chrissy Ryan, owner of North London’s buzziest bookshop and social space, Bookbar.
New books by favourite authors, a non-fiction page-turner that will have you hooked, a high-concept potential blockbuster and a follow-up novel from the author of a debut that got people talking, we’ve got something for everyone.
Not to mention our tips and strategies for how to avoid feeling overwhelmed by that TBR.
Listen via the media player above or your preferred podcast player with this podfollow link.
Books mentionedYou are Here by David Nicholls (April)
All that Glitters by Orlando Whitfield (May)
Some Trick by Helen DeWitt
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Glass Houses (May), and Voyeur by Francesca Reece
England is Mine by Nicholas Padamsee (April)
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray (out in paperback May 2024)
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
Fire Weather by John Vaillant
Not the End of the World by Dr Hannah Ritchie
The Fraud by Zadie Smith
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery
Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman (March)
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid (and we also mentioned Such a Fun Age)
NotesFind out what we're up to and support the show on Patreon.
The 10 Best New Novelists for 2024, The Observer
Who is Still in the Metaverse by Paul Murray for New York Magazine
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It's our 2023 review of the year. Join me (Kate), Laura and Phil as we look back over our favourites, from new releases to backlist gems. Find out our overall book of the year, plus the books we're looking forward to in 2024. If you're wondering what to read next, this is the show for you, with over fifty tried and tested recommendations.
Support the show, get our weekly newsletter or join our monthly book club via Patreon.
Follow us on Instagram or Threads
Find full shownotes and a transcript on our website thebookclubreview.co.uk
Book list
Favourite New Release
August Blue by Deborah Levy
The Rainbow by Yasunari Kawabata, and we also discussed Snow Country
Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson
Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scanlan
Favourite backlist title
Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald
The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
Charlotte by David Foenkinos
A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr
A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel
Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden
The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd
Favourite non-fiction
This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes
A House of Air (collected writing, ed. Hermione Lee) by Penelope Fitzgerald
The Palace Papers by Tina Brown
How to Talk About Books you Haven’t Read by Piere Bayard
Carmageddon by Daniel Knowles
Free by Lea Ypi
Favourite Book Club Read
Super Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne by Katherine Rundell
The Years by Annie Ernaux
Favourite comfort reads
Went to London, Took the Dog by Nina Stibbe
The Grove: A Nature Odyssey in 191/2 Front Gardens by Ben Dark
Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire
Madensky Square by Iva Ibbotson
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell
Going Zero by Anthony McCarten
Most disappointed by
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (but do read Sabrina and Corina)
Patreon recommends
Loot by Tania James
Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen
Cider House Rules by John Irving
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung
The Axman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey
Not Now Not Ever by Julia Gillard
All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer
The Boy and the Dog by Seishu Hase
Cakes and Ale by Somerset Maugham
The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey
Machines Like Me by Ian McKewan
Death and the Penguin by Andrei Kurkov
The Sixteen Trees of the Somme by Lars Mytting
Overall Book(s) of 2023
Septology by Jon Fosse (and we mentioned Morning and Evening)
Stay True by Hua Hsu
How to Read Now by Elaine Castillo
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
Monsters by Claire Dederer
Books we’re looking forward to
Arturo’s Island by Elsa Moranti
Rememberance of Things Past by Proust (vol. 3)
Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce
Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford
Tremor by Teju Cole
The Maniac by Benjamin Labatut
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We read all six Booker shortlisted books, now join us as we evaluate them and try to second-guess the Booker judges, before finding out the winner - don't miss our hot take.
'A novel is a mirror carried along a high road' says Chair of the Booker judges Esi Edyugan, quoting Stendhal. ‘Year after year’, she continues, ‘the Booker Prize encourages us to take sight of ourselves in the lives of others, to slip for the length of a story into different skins, to grapple with unfamiliar worlds that allow us to see our own afresh.'
Unsurprisingly, seeing the world as it is right now has led to the most downbeat shortlist in our collective memory, but that doesn't mean these books don't make for fantastic discussion. As ever, we won't spoil the plots we'll just give you a sense of what we thought of them.
Join me, Kate, with Laura, our regular guest Phil Chaffee, and first-timer, book blogger Martin Voke, as we talk through
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray (audiobook narrated by Heather O’Sullivan, Barry Fitzgerald, Beau Holland, Ciaran O'Brien, Lisa Caruccio Came and published by Penguin Audio)
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (audiobook narrated by Gerry O’Brien and published by Bolinda Audio @bolindaaudio @borrowbox)
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery (audiobook narrated by Torian Brackett and published by Fourth Estate)
Western Lane by Chetna Maroo (audiobook narrated by Maya Saroya and published by Picador)
This Other Eden by Paul Harding (audiobook narrated by Eduardo Ballerini, and published by Penguin Audio)
and
Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein (narrated by Sarah Bernstein and published by Granta)
And for a deep dive into the winner and all fifty-seven previous winners of The Booker Prize don't miss Martin's website On the Prize
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