The Book Club Review

Epizode

• The 2026 Women's Prize, with Amanda Moulson (Curious Readers) 05.06.2026 54min

  In this episode Kate is joined by Amanda Moulson, co-host of Curious Readers, to consider the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist. Ahead of the prize ceremony next week, which one do we think will win? Perhaps like Amanda you have read them all, but if, like Kate, you're going to struggle to get to all six, which ones should you focus on? Which are the standout reads? Which are the books most likely to delight, surprise, and stay with you long after you've turned the final page? We're covering all six books, and you’ll also find out what Amanda has on her TBR, the books she most loves recommending, and how a busy book podcaster organises her bookshelves. Timestamps for the time-poor 00:00 Welcome and Prize Preview 01:31 Meet Amanda Molson 01:44 Quickfire Reading Habits 03:18 Bookshelf Organization 04:06 Favorite Recs and Current Reads 06:20 Kate’s Power Broker Detour 08:54 Patreon Readalong and Book Club 10:12 Women’s Prize Context and History 15:09 Shortlist Book 1 Flashlight 20:51 Shortlist Book 2 Dominion 25:23 Shortlist Book 3 The Correspondent 26:31 Sybil’s Dark Past 27:07 Audiobook Clip Letters 29:15 Cozy Yet Dark 30:22 Famous Author Replies 31:14 Sybil Effect Debate 32:49 Craft and Book Clubs 33:28 The Mercy Step Setup 34:40 Mercy Step Clip 36:35 Child Narrator Power 37:12 Small Press Spotlight 38:01 Kingfisher Obsessive Love 38:50 Kingfisher Clip Warning 40:40 Kingfisher Reactions 41:35 Heart the Lover Clip 44:07 Two Halves Romance 45:36 Illness and Mortality 47:33 Marketing and Triggers 49:04 Winner Predictions 51:23 Wrap Up and Patreon 52:25 Kate’s Recent Reads and Outro Books mentioned Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell You With the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate Open Book by Jessica Simpson A Long Game by Elizabeth McCracken The Power Broker by Robert Caro We Are Green and Trembling Gabriela Cabezón Cámara Feminist History for Every Day of the Year by Kate Mosse The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Flashlight by Susan Choi Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick Dominion by Addie E. Citchens The Correspondent by Virginia Evans The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly Heart the Lover by Lily King Writers & Lovers by Lily King A Bookshop of One’s Own by Jane Cholmeley Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel The Director by Daniel Kehlman The Complete Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby This is Where the Serpent Lives by Daniyal Mueenuddin You'll find all the titles we mentioned in our Bookshop.org list. Buying books there helps support independent bookshops, and also supports The Book Club Review. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The Guardian's 100 Best Novels of All Time: A Hot Take, with Phil Chaffee and Joseph Dance 19.05.2026 43min

  When the Guardian drops a list of the 100 Greatest Novels in English it's time to drop everything to talk about it. Luckily pod-regular guest, journalist Phil Chaffee and Joseph Dance, host of the Curious Readers podcast, also had views, and were willing to get together on a Sunday evening to share them. You'll hear our hits, our misses, how many we’ve read, whether we should have read more and much musing on whether a list like this is the way to get people excited about reading. We explore the joys of the sub-lists – the contributor lists – all squirrelled away on a sub-section of the Guardian's website, that arguably provide more excitement and inspiration than the fairly canonical top 100. Which is the best Brontë? Which is the best Austen? Do we age into certain books? If you've read all seven volumes of Proust shouldn't that count for more than one entry? All this and much, much more. Enjoy – this was an absolute delight to make and I hope it makes you smile as much as it did me. Have your say: get in touch on Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast or email thebookclubreview@gmail.com, or head to our website for full shownotes. What would be in your top-10? Check out the Patreon for all kinds of extras, from our monthly book club to extra shows and Kate's reading diaries. Find it at patreon.com/thebookclubreview The Guardian’s List of the 100 Greatest Novels published in English, copied below for ease of reference. *underlined – the ones Kate has readMiddlemarchBelovedUlyssesTo the LighthouseIn Search of Lost TimeAnna KareninaWar and PeaceJane EyrePride and PrejudiceMadame BovaryThe Great GatsbyBleak HouseEmmaMrs DallowayMoby-DickNineteen Eighty-FourOne Hundred Years of SolitudePersuasionThe Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, GentlemanWuthering HeightsThe Portrait of a LadyThings Fall ApartMidnight’s ChildrenThe Remains of the DayLolitaDon QuixoteThe TrialThe Brothers KaramazovPale FireFrankensteinThe Prime of Miss Jean BrodieThe God of Small ThingsDavid CopperfieldWolf HallGreat ExpectationsThe Handmaid’s TaleInvisible ManThe Age of InnocenceTheir Eyes Were Watching GodSong of SolomonHeart of DarknessThe Magic MountainHousekeepingGiovanni’s RoomThe Golden NotebookThe LeopardVanity FairThe MetamorphosisA Fine BalanceWide Sargasso SeaMy Brilliant FriendThe Golden BowlThe Transit of VenusOrlandoThe WavesMansfield ParkThe Sound and the FuryDisgraceNever Let Me GoHowards EndThe Rings of SaturnHalf of a Yellow SunWhite TeethThe Good SoldierThe Color PurpleThe Master and MargaritaThe Man Without QualitiesBlood MeridianCrime and PunishmentJude the ObscureKindredOur Mutual FriendAusterlitzNervous ConditionsThe Bluest EyeDraculaThe RainbowA House for Mr BiswasGo Tell It on the MountainRebeccaBuddenbrooksThe End of the AffairA Farewell to ArmsThe Talented Mr RipleyThe VegetarianThe Turn of the ScrewThe Line of BeautyRagtimeThe Left Hand of DarknessJacob’s RoomLife and FateSentimental EducationInvisible CitiesThe Known WorldThe Return of the NativePedro PáramoCatch-22The RoadThe Go-BetweenMy ÁntoniaParticular books we touch on in the showThings Fall Apart by Chinua AchebeUlysses by James JoyceIn Search of Lost Time by Marcel ProustMy Brilliant Friend by Elena FerranteWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëAs I Lay Dying by William FaulknerVillette by Charlotte BrontëOrlando, The Waves and To the Lighthouse by Virginia WoolfOne Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García MárquezMiddlemarch by George EliotPedro Páramo by Juan RulfoRebecca by Daphne du MaurierThe Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di LampedusaNervous Conditions, The Book of Not and This Mournable Body by Tsitsi DangarembgaThe Transit of Venus by Shirley HazzardDon Quixote by Miguel de CervantesThe Magic Mountain by Thomas MannBuddenbrooks by Thomas MannLonesome Dove by Larry McMurtryBlood Meridian by Cormac McCarthyThe Memory Police by Yoko OgawaThe English Understand Wool by Helen DeWittA Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb SalihThe Princess of Clèves by Madame de LafayetteThe Cairo Trilogy by Naguib MahfouzThe Makioka Sisters by Jun'ichirō TanizakiThe Trial and Metamorphosis by Franz KafkaThe Go-Between by L. P. HartleyMoby-Dick by Herman MelvilleA House for Mr Biswas by V. S. NaipaulThe New Life by Tom CreweMiss Marjoribanks by Mrs OliphantThe Palliser novels by Anthony TrollopeThe Warden by Anthony TrollopeThe Man Without Qualities by Robert MusilThe Known World by Edward P. Jones See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The Art of the Everyday: Miranda Keeling, The Anthropologists and the books that slow us down 09.05.2026 49min

  What if the antidote to our increasingly frantic world isn't a grand gesture, but simply the act of paying attention? This week, Kate and Laura are joined by actor, podcaster, and author Miranda Keeling – returning to the pod to talk about her wonderful new book, The Place I'm In, a collection of the small, luminous moments she's gathered from daily life. After her debut The Year I Stopped to Notice, Miranda is back with more of her 'noticings': fragments from parks, supermarket queues, and streets that remind us how much magic is hiding in the everyday. Their book club read is the perfect complement: The Anthropologists by Ayşegül Şavas – a soulful, quietly funny novel following Asya and Manu as they hunt for an apartment, trying on different futures for size in a city far from home. Asya, a documentary filmmaker, spends her days in the park gathering footage – an anthropologist of the ordinary – and her project rhymes beautifully with Miranda's own. Plus recommendations inspired by the art of the everyday. You can find out more about Miranda and her work at mirandakeeling.com, and her podcast Stopping to Notice – over 200 five-minute episodes of binaural location recording – is the perfect companion listen. Find all the books mentioned at our bookshop.org shop. And if you'd like to join Kate's monthly book club and reading community, head to patreon.com/thebookclubreview. Booklist Ashes and Stones by Alison Shaw – a journey through Scotland in search of the women killed in the witch trials Open Book by Jessica Simpson – Laura takes a nostalgic trip back through her twenties No Such Thing as Monday by Sîan Hughes – a brilliantly written novel from the author of Pearl; up there with Eimear McBride ( A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing) and Maggie O'Farrell The Anthropologists by Aysgul Savas The Imperfectionist, Oliver Burkeman's newsletter Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan Flesh by David Szalay The Café With No Name by Robert Seethaler Memories of Distant Mountains (illustrated notebooks) by Orhan Pamuk A Nobel Laureate's journals offer much colour but little drama, by Dwight Garner for the NYT (gift link) Look Closer: How to Get More Out of Reading by Robert Douglas Fairhurst The Place I'm In by Miranda Keeling See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Liberating Women's Voices: Austen, Wollstonecraft and after, with Bee Rowlatt 22.04.2026 50min

  Kate records the first live episode of The Book Club Review at the 2026 Barnsbury Book Festival, speaking with author and broadcaster Bee Rowlatt about her books, Mary Wollstonecraft, feminism, and the themes of wealth, power, and inequality in contemporary London.
• The Book of Love vs The Dud Avocado: Fantasy, Paris & Book Club Verdicts 31.03.2026 52min

  The Book of Love vs The Dud Avocado: Fantasy, Paris & Book Club Verdicts In this episode of The Book Club Review, we return to our book club roots with two wildly different novels: The Book of Love by Kelly Link and The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy. The Book of Love is the first novel from acclaimed American short story virtuoso and Pulitzer Prize finalist Kelly Link. In a seemingly ordinary coastal town three teenagers become pawns in a supernatural power struggle. Vulture magazine named it ‘the escapist masterpiece of the year’ but what did Laura’s book club think? Our second book-club pick is Elaine Dundy's The Dud Avocado – a fizzing, exuberant novel from 1958 about a young American woman let loose in Paris, determined to live life on her own terms. It gained instant cult status on first publication and remains a timeless portrait of a woman hellbent on living, a book that feels bracingly modern despite being nearly seventy years old. But did it make for a good book club read? We've also got some listener feedback on Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, we're catching up on recent reads, and the books we’re excited about next. Get more from the pod on Patreon Come behind the scenes and enjoy extra episodes, book club membership, community chat threads, readalongs, Kate's reading diaries and more, head to patreon.com/thebookclubreview Booklist You'll find all the books mentioned in the pod's Bookshop.org bookshop Bookshop.org list Slow Days Fast Company by Eve Babitz Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir The Book of Love by Kelly Link American Gods by Neil Gaiman What We Can Know by Ian McEwan The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan Niccolo Rising by Dorothy Dunnett Other links of note One Grand Books Frances Ambler's substack See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Nearly Departed: Love, Loss and Literary Romance, with Lucas Oakeley 15.02.2026 46min

  Valentine’s-ish Literary Romance: Lucas Oakley on Nearly Departed, Boys Book Club & love stories that stay with you long after reading Join Kate and Lucas Oakeley for this Valentine's-ish episode of The Book Club Review, recorded at Housmans Bookshop in King's Cross. We're exploring literary fiction where love takes centre stage, but the reward is complexity rather than a guaranteed happy ending. Nearly Departed manages to combine the enjoyable tropes of Rom Com with the thoughtful exploration through writing that we associate with literary fiction. We explore how Lucas’s real-life experiences—witnessing a fatal cycling accident and his father's first wife dying young—shaped the book's exploration of love, loss, and second chances, and the art of balancing humour with heartbreak while playing with rom-com tropes. Of course, we’ve got plenty of recommendations for love stories with emotional depth, including Lily King's Writers & Lovers, Andrew Kaufman's All My Friends Are Superheroes, Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, David Nicholls' Sweet Sorrow, Douglas Stuart's John of John, and hot-book-of-the-moment Wuthering Heights.  We’re also discussing Boys Book Club, the organization Lucas has co-founded to encourage men to read and talk about books. What makes a great book club pick for an all-male book club? We’re going to be finding out. We’ve even got Valentine's recipe – rigatoni with a long-simmered ‘Sunday sauce’ – and a couple of cocktail ideas.  All in all, the perfect ingredients for a literary Valentine’s weekend. Become a member of The Book Club Review community Join The Book Club Review community on Patreon for ad-free listening, extra episodes, Kate’s weekly reading diaries, the opportunity to connect with other listeners in the chat groups, and at the higher tier to talk books in-person with Kate at the monthly book club. Find all the details and how to sign up at patreon.com/thebookclubreview. Booklist You can find all the titles mentioned in this episode in the Book Club Review bookshop on bookshop.org Nearly Departed by Lucas Oakeley  Heart The Lover by Lily King All My Friends are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman Sweet Sorrow by David Nicholls John of John by Douglas Stuart Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Comfort MOB: Food that Makes You Feel Good Theory & Practice by Michelle de Kretser All My Precious Madness by Mark Bowles The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger Links Follow Lucas on Instagram and Tik Tok @lucasoakeley, and you can find out all the details for the Boy’s Book Club at theboysbookclub.co.uk Housmans bookshop, the longest continuous-running radical bookshop in Britain, established in 1945 and based in London’s Kings Cross since 1959 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The Bestseller Test • Are bestsellers worth the hype? • Episode #186 01.02.2026 1h 9min

  What makes a bestseller? Is it the quality of the writing, or just the right book at the right time? This week Kate is joined by co-host Laura Potter and returning guest Phil Chaffee to find out. Between us we've tackled six of the biggest bestsellers out there – Dan Brown's The Secret of Secrets, Freida McFadden's The Housemaid, Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary, Matt Dinnerman's Dungeon Crawler Carl, SenLinYu's Alchemised, and Sarah Adams' In Your Dreams – and we have some opinions. We're sharing our honest experiences of each one: what worked, what didn't, and whether these books truly earned their place on the bestseller lists. But this isn't just a round of verdicts. We're also pooling our recommendations for the bestsellers we genuinely think are worth your time, like The Correspondant by Virginia Evans – because there are some real gems out there among the hype. And as always, we round off with our current and upcoming reads. Press play to find out which bestsellers passed the test – and which ones didn't. Support the pod on Patreon Explore all the benefits of membership. Kate's weekly reading diary is available to free members. Paid tiers include ad-free episodes, extra shows, chat group access and our monthly book club at Patreon.com/thebookclubreview. Booklist You can also find all the books mentioned in The Book Club Review bookshop on Bookshop.org, the online bookstore that supports independent bookshops. The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn In Your Dreams by Sarah Adams Alchemized by SenLinYu Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir The Martian by Andy Weir Nobody's Fool by Harlen Cobden The Correspondant by Virginia Evans The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (Robin Buss) Rivals by Jilly Cooper The novels of Stephen King The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger The Smiley books by John Le Carre The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead The Night Always Comes by Willy Vlautin Ice by Jacek Dukaj (Author) , Ursula Phillips (Translator) The Virgin in the Garden by A.S. Byatt I'll Take The Fire by Leïla Slimani (also The Country of Others and Watch US Dance) Lullaby / The Perfect Nanny by Leïla Slimani Nearly Departed by Lucas Oakeley Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The New Year Reading Reset: Finding fresh inspiration with bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud • #185 13.01.2026 53min

  New year, new intentions – but if you're in the northern hemisphere, January can feel less like renewal and more like the darkest, coldest stretch of endless winter. Maybe what you need isn't another resolution. Maybe you just need the right book. Ella Berthoud is an writer and an artist, but most importantly from our point of view a bibliotherapist. She has been prescribing fiction for life's ailments for over a decade. She co-wrote The Novel Cure, a brilliant guide that matches books to every psychological state and is packed with sound recommendations. Who better then to give me some great suggestions for avoiding the January blues. Join Kate and Ella as they talk about the questions that vex every reader: how do we find more time for reading? How do we escape reading slumps? And how can we read more deeply without it feeling like homework? Plus of course we're swapping lots of great book recommendations for January and the year ahead. Listen in for a shot of literary inspiration that might be just what you need. Booklist The Novel Cure by Ella Berthoud  Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reed Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale Metamorphoses by Ovid  Humanly Possible by Sarah Bakewell The Golden Ass by Apuleius A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter (Jane Degras) Dálvi by Laura Galloway The Artist by Lucy Steeds The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico Things: A Story of the Sixties by Georges Perec Sky Daddy by Kate Folk The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (Robin Buss) Find out more about Ella at ellaberthoud.com Find all the books mentioned in this episode in the Book Club Review Bookshop, on Bookshop UK, the online retailer that supports independent bookshops. Patreon Head to Patreon.com/thebookclubreview to join The Book Club Review community for book recommendations, readalongs, book club and, new for 2026, Kate’s Reading Diaries. You can also buy someone gift membership at https://www.patreon.com/thebookclubreview/gift  Serious Readers Take advantage of the Serious Readers offer. Head to seriousreaders.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout for £150 off any HD light. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Favourite and Best: Our Books of 2025 • #184 23.12.2025 1h 20min

  We're celebrating the end of the year with a look back over our favourite reads of 2025, from new releases to backlist gems, best book club books, best non-fiction, best comfort reads and more. Between us we read over 350 books in 2025. Listen in to hear the ones we loved best. We've also got a radical new idea for a book club involving cold-water swimming and the works of Robert B. Parker, and how to embrace DNFing without guilt. Join us for recommendations to see you through the festive season and set your new reading year off in style. With Phil Chaffee and Sarah Oliver Serious Readers Take advantage of Serious Readers offer. Head to seriousreaders.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout for £150 off any HD light. Patreon Head to Patreon.com/thebookclubreview for all the benefits of membership and how to sign up. You can also buy someone gift membership at https://www.patreon.com/thebookclubreview/gift  Booklist Mother Mary Come to Me by Arundhati Roy The Silver Book by Olivia Laing Crudo by Olivia Laing Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngoze Adiche The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai Heart the Lover by Lily King Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard Pet Sematary by Stephen King You Dreamed of Empires by Alvaro Enrigue Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart Lake Shore by Gary Shteyngart Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chisholm The First Man by Albert Camus Robert B. Parker novels Question 7 by Richard Flanagan The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Muybridge by Guy Delisle The Sense & Sensibility Diaries by Emma Thompson The Lockwood & Co novels by Jonathan Stroud The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple Maurice and Marilyn, or A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhurst Agent Zo by Clare Mulley The Devil Two Step by Jamie Quattro Train Dreams by Denis Johnston Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnston The Director by Daniel Kelman We Do Not Part by Han Kang How to End a Story by Helen Garner (3 volume diaries collection) The Children’s Bach by Helen Garner This House of Grief by Helen Garner Eucalyptus by Murray Bail Wild Thing by Sue Prideaux Nonesuch by Francis Spufford Pet Sematary 1983 cover See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Between the Lines: The Art of the Diary • Episode #183 09.12.2025 1h 10min

  'I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train' wrote Oscar Wilde, in the Importance of Being Ernest. In this episode Kate is joined by critic, editor and podcaster Lucy Scholes and regular pod guest Phil Chaffee to explore the intimate world of diaries. Can immersing ourselves in the details of other people's lives offer us valuable insight into how to fully appreciate the passing moments of our own? From gossipy self-mythologising Samuel Pepys right up to the present with the experimentation of Sheila Heti's Alphabetical Diaries, and the beauty and hard-won insight of Helen Garner's Baillie Gifford prize-winning diaries. Also not to be missed, living it up Vanity Fair style through the glitz and glamour of 80s New York, with Tina Brown. And if you enjoy this conversation don't miss Part II, over on the Patreon, where we swap notes on our favourite fictional diaries, consider the diaries we'd love to read if they had only been published and share some thoughts on our own diary keeping. You'll find that episode plus lots of benefits including ad-free listening, extra episodes, our community of readers and the pod book club over at patreon.com/thebookclubreview. And to take advantage of that Serious Readers offer of £150 off any HD light head to serious readers.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout. Book list The Private Life of the Diary by Sally Bayley The Paris Review They by Kay Dick Lord Jim at Home by Dinah Brooke Love Life of a Cheltenham Lady by Dinah Brooke Part of the Story by Margaret Busby Woman Alive by Susan Ertz Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista Look Closer by Robert Douglas Fairhurst The Correspondent by Virginia Evans The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Robert Latham (ed) The Diaries of Virginia Woolf How To End a Story by Helen Garner Henry Chips Channon: The Diaries The James Lees Milne diaries Writing Home by Alan Bennett There and Back: 1999–2009 by Michael Palin The Vanity Fair Diaries 1983–1992 by Tina Brown End of a Berlin Diary by William L. Shirer War in Val D'Orcia by Iris Origo Russian Journal by Andrea Lee Beloved Son Felix: Coming of Age in the Renaissance by Felix Platter Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati Modern Nature by Derek Jarman Pharmacopeia by Derek Jarman Went to London, Took the Dog by Nina Stibbe Alphabetical Diaries by Sheila Heti A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The 2025 Booker Prize: From Shortlist to Spotlight • #182 13.11.2025 1h 29min

  Explore this year's Booker Prize shortlist on the latest episode of the Book Club Review! Hosts Kate and Laura and contributors Phil Chaffee and Martin Vovk discuss and debate the six shortlisted novels. Listen in to hear our predictions, and then find out our reaction to the winner as we listen in to the live Booker Prize ceremony. We won't spoil the plots for you, just whet your appetite to read some or all of the books, all of which make for brilliant discussion. Booklist Paddy Clark, Ha, H, Ha by Roddy Doyle Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Flesh by David Szalay All That Man Is by David Szalay Starling House by Alex E. Harrow Any Human Heart by William Boyd The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markowits Carmageddon by Daniel Knowles You Don't Have To Live Like This by Ben Markowits Oh William by Elizabeth Strout All Fours by Miranda July The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai Audition by Katie Kitamura Orbital by Samantha Harvey Flashlight by Susan Choi Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick Pachinko by Min Jin Lee The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga Prophet Song by Paul Lynch Seascraper by Benjamin Wood Booker Longlist episode Episode 181 of The Book Club Review Links A Good Read: Colm Toibin and Zadie Smith discuss Flesh Martin's Eyes On the Prize blog Browse Martin's archive and discover his extensive reviews (including The Women's Prize) here. Patreon Head to www.patreon.com/thebookclubreview for all the benefits (extra shows, readalongs, book club and more) and how to sign up. Serious Readers To take advantage of the special offer code for any Serious Readers HD Essential Reading Light head to SeriousReaders.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout Instagram Follow Kate for updates between shows @bookclubreviewpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Beyond the Shortlist: The 2025 Booker Longlist titles worth your time • #181 25.10.2025 1h 3min

  In which Kate is joined by pod regular, journalist Phil Chaffee and Professor Elizabeth Eva Leach. Both read over 200 books a year, and their reading stacks this year have included the Booker longlist. And so who better to consider the books that didn't make the final cut – but which are, notwithstanding, the 'best' books selected from over 150 submitted titles. As we know, really great books can get overlooked for the shortlist. Consider Trust by Hernan Diaz, longlisted but not shortlisted, or, going further back Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and before that Penelope Fitzgerald's miraculous novel The Blue Flower. The fallibility of the judging process thus proven let's leave no stone unturned in considering this year's selection. Did the judges overlook a new favourite read? The Booker Prize is announced on 10th November and we'll be recording an episode on the shortlist on the night. Coming soon! Booklist Misinterpretation by Ledia Xhoga Seascraper by Benjamin Wood Endling by Maria Reva One Boat by Jonathan Buckley The Outline Trilogy by Rachel Cusk The Rough Guide to Venice and the Veneto Universality by Natasha Brown The South by Tash Aw Love Forms by Claire Adam Barn 8 by Deb Olin Unferth The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai Patreon Head to www.patreon.com/thebookclubreview for all the benefits (extra shows, readalongs, book club and more) and how to sign up, and know that you'll be supporting a show that takes a lot of time and love to make. Serious Readers To take advantage of the special offer code for any Serious Readers HD Essential Reading Light head to SeriousReaders.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout Instagram Follow Kate for updates between shows @bookclubreviewpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Autumn bookshelf, with Kate & Laura • Episode #180 19.10.2025 48min

  In this episode: Kate and Laura are catching up on their pre-Booker season reading. Did You Are Here by David Nicholls make Laura want to lace up her walking boots? How did Kate get on with A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chisholm, a page-turning account that explores a side of the city that tourists never see. We're also reporting back on book club reads Mouthing by Orla Mackey and The Pretender by Jo Harkin. Mix in the enjoyment of Curtis Sittenfeld's latest collection of short stories, and the all-too relevant classic Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and that's our Autumn bookshelf. Books mentioned You Are Here and One Day by David Nicholls The Wedding People by Alison Espach A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chisholm Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky Your Life and Other Stories and Exhalations by Ted Chiang The Left-Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Mouthing by Orla Mackey Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout Every One Still Here by Liadan ní Chuinn The Pretender by Jo Harkin The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller Sky Daddy by Kate Folk The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovitz You Don't Have To Live Like This by Benjamin Markovitz Serious Readers Book Club Review listeners get £150 off any HD Essential Reading Light, plus free UK delivery. Go to SeriousReaders.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout. It's completely risk-free with a 30-day home trial. If you don't feel the difference, they'll collect it for free and fully refund you. Patreon Support the show on Patreon and get ad-free episodes, extra shows, chat groups, book clubs and readalongs. Head to patreon.com/thebookclubreview to find out all the benefits and how to sign up. Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Book Club: Universality and Sparks of Bright Matter • Episode #179 11.10.2025 53min

  Book Club: Universality by Natasha Brown & Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O'Donnell Welcome to The Book Club Review! In this episode, Laura joins Kate to dive into two book club picks: Natasha Brown's much-anticipated second novel, Universality, and the debut Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O'Donnell. In this episode: Kate and Laura catch up on their current reads, including Sky Daddy by Kate Folk and A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett, before diving into a discussion of Universality. How did it compare to Brown's acclaimed debut Assembly, and did the satirical style, bold narrative choices, and themes of media, class, and culture wars work for our book club. We then move on to Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O'Donnell, an historical tale of alchemy set across 18th-century London and Ireland. We're exploring the vivid sense of place and real-life inspirations behind the story, but did the many different characters and story arcs knit together? We're also meeting Kristina Ambrosia, who offers a creative twist on book club with her "Graffiti Book Club," where members are encouraged to write, doodle, and annotate in their books before passing them around. All that plus our current reads and community updates on how to join the Book Club Review Patreon, participate in chat groups, and readalongs. Books mentioned: Universality by Natasha Brown Assembly by Natasha Brown Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O'Donnell Sky Daddy by Kate Folk A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett Katabasis by R. F. Kuang Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal The Women by Kristin Hannah Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer Just Kids by Patti Smith All Fours by Miranda July Theory and Practice by Michelle de Kretser And more! Links & Extras: Special offer for Serious Readers HD Essential Reading Lights: visit seriousreaderscom/bcr and use code BCR at checkout. Join the Book Club Review community on Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and monthly book club meetings: patreon.com/thebookclubreview Follow on Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast or email thebookclubreview@gmail.com If you enjoyed the show, please share it with friends or leave a review – your support helps us reach more book lovers! Happy reading! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Shelf-reflective: Books about Books, with Joseph Dance • #178 12.09.2025 54min

  Something a little different this episode as I invite you to head down the rabbit hole with me into the world of books about books. Accompanying us into this particular wonderland is Joseph Dance, host of the Curious Readers podcast. From meta-fictional narratives to booksellers with shadowy agendas, we're flagging up some of our favourites both for behind-the-scenes insights into the literary world, and for the way they allow us to discover yet more books we might want to read. From Alberto Manguel's library of 35,000 titles, to Alejandro Zambra's essay collection On Not Reading, we're considering a broad spectrum of perspectives that help us reflect on and enrich our reading lives. And so listen in to hear what happens when two book podcasters get together to talk about their favourite topic. Booklist The Library Book by Susan Orlean The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón Possession by A.S. Byatt Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald Packing my Library by Alberto Manguel The Book Forger by Joseph Hone Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller by Nadia Wassef A Bookshop of One's Own by Jane Cholmeley In Search of Lost Books by Giorgio van Straten Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati Further reading / listening Alberto Manguel's library And here's Manguel sharing his favourite bookstores and libraries with Biblio-file podcast host Nigel Beale Umberto Eco's library on Youtube Kate's Moleskine reading journal Read this wonderful review of Shelf Life from Australian critic Beejay Silcox, who lived for two years in Cairo and knew the Diwan bookstore well. Patreon Head to patreon.com/thebookclubreview for full membership details and how to join See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Bookish in Seattle • Episode #177 23.08.2025 41min

  Seattle, forever linked with books and reading thanks to Sleepless in Seattle. Also Maria Semple's Where d'you Go Bernadette, tho' to be clear, Bernadette was not a fan of the rainy city. Londoners, though, umbrella always at hand, feel right at home. A recent family holiday offered a rare chance for an in-person bookish catchup. Listen in for our thoughts on our latest reads including the new novel from Lily King and some purchases from the inimitable Elliot Bay bookshop. Embracing the holiday spirit we're also getting into our bookish cocktails. Luckily Margaret C. Beeler, author of literary cocktail book Tropetails, is on hand to help us out. She shares one of her favourites, scroll down for the recipe, and if you like the sound of the book and want to get yourself a copy, US listeners, if you use the code TROPECLUBREVIEW at checkout you'll get free shipping. Don't forget to check out The Book Club Review on Patreon to support Kate in making the show. In return you'll get extra episodes, chat group access with Kate and Laura, starting and at the higher tier you can join the monthly book club. This month we're reading On The Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle, in September it's Mouthing, the bestselling Irish debut from Orla Mackey. We meet on the last Sunday of the month over Zoom, with a catch-up episode posted for anyone unable to make the live session. Books mentioned Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum (Shanna Tan) Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa (Eric Ozawa) The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada (Cat Anderson) Heart the Lover by Lily King Writers & Lovers by Lily King Euphoria by Lily King State of Wonder by Ann Patchett Five Ways to Forgiveness by Ursula K. LeGuin Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell Audition by Katie Kitamura The Odd Woman and the City by Vivan Gornick The Transitive Vampire by Karen Elizabeth Gordon The Cafe with No Name by Robert Seethaler (Katy Derbyshire) Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto (Jesse Kirkwood) Margaret's Cocktail Give me Your Brains into shaker with ice: 2 oz / 60 ml bourbon 1 oz / 30 ml aquafaba 1 oz / 30 ml fresh lemon juice 1 oz / 30 ml blackcurrant (juice or syrup) shake + pour into a coupe garnish with dehydrated lemon See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Friendship and Fiction in New York • Episode #176 06.08.2025 47min

  Join Kate as she takes the Book Club Review on tour to New York, a city filled with incredible bookshops, and book podcasters. Christopher Hermelin of So Many Damn Books and Drew Broussard of The Lit Hub Podcast share cocktails and book recommendations on the theme of friendship. Notes and Booklist Rough Draft Bar & Books The Friend by Sigrid Nunez Grief is for People by Sloane Crosley Who Will Watch the Frog Hospital by Lorrie Moore Marlena by Julie Bunton Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan Stay True by Hua Hsu The Sherlock Holmes Stories by Arthur Conan Doyle Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead It by Stephen King The Wonder State by Sarah Flannery Murphy A Little Life by Hanya Yanigahara The Interestings by Meg Wollizer Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon The Animators by Kayla Raye Whittaker Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin A/S/L by Jeanne Thornton Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbary On The Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle A Man Called Ove, Anxious People and My Friends by Friedrik Backman (sp) My Friends by Hisham Matar Netherland by Joseph O'Neill End of the World House by Adrian Kelt (sp) Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession Ghost Mountain by Rónán Hession Woodworking by Emily St. James Some Strange Music Draws Me In by Griffin Hansbury All That Glitters by Orlando Whitfield Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent The Details by Ia Genberg Network Effect by Martha Wells The Odd Woman and the City by Vivian Gornick Support the show on Patreon patreon.com/thebookclubreview Website thebookclubreview.co.uk Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Explicitly Literary: sex writing in books • Episode #175 29.06.2025 1h 7min

  From lightening and dragons in Iron Flame to trembling mountains in A Court of Thorns and Roses, from Sally Rooney's Connell and Marianne to Ice Planet Barbarians - sex in books has gone mainstream. From serious high-brow literature to warm and cozy rom-coms, what do we want or need from writers when it comes to including sex in their books? To consider the matter Kate is joined by critic Elizabeth Morris (Crib Notes), and author Alex Allison' (The Art of the Body and Greatest of All Time) We'll be bringing you our recommendations for books we think push all the right buttons,once we've figured out what those are. Patreon Find out how to support the show, get ad-free episodes and extra content at patreon.com/thebookclubreview Keep in touch Find the pod on Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast Browse the archive Find full shownotes and a transcript plus our full episode archive at thebookclubreview.co.uk Booklist Greatest of All Time by Alex Allison Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon Mrs Caliban by Rachel Ingals The Literary Review's Bad Sex Awards The Office of Gardens and Ponds by Didier Decoin Pax by John Harvey The River Capture by Mary Costello City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert The Electric Hotel by Dominic Smith The Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante I Love Dick by Chris Kraus All Fours by Miranda July The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary The Vegetarian by Han Kang Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld Elmet and Hot Stew by Fiona Mosley Tampa by Alyssa Nutting Isaac by Curtis Garner Intermezzo by Sally Rooney Lullaby by Leïla Slimani The Country of Others and Watch Us Dance by Leïla Slimani The Bear by Marianne Engel The Snow Ball by Brigid Brophy Busy Being Free by Emma Forrest See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Books, film, TV and Murderbot 11.06.2025 1h 2min

  From Murderbot to Sense and Sensiblity, what are our favourite adaptations from books that we love? Inspired by the recent Apple adaptation of Martha Wells sci-fi novels The Murderbot Diaries, this episode is a celebration of the world of books to film. From the joy of seeing a book that we love brought to the big screen, to the pitfalls when things don't match up to our expectations, we're considering the hits and misses, and passing on our recommendations. You'll be hearing from pod regulars Laura Potter and Phil Chaffee, plus we meet Philippa Donovan, a literary scout to the film and TV world. Philippa founded her consultancy Smart Quill to bridge the gap between agents, publishers and authors around the world. She's giving us the inside track on the world of book to film. All that, plus a peek into the future and the upcoming projects we've earmarked as ones to watch. Interview Listen to the full interview with literary scout Philippa Donovan here [TO COME] Patreon Come and listen to the episodes ad-free over on Patreon, plus The Book Club Review Weekend, join our chat threads where you'll be able to swap book recommendations with Kate and other Book Club Review listeners and if you want to come and talk books with Kate in person at the higher tier you can join the pod's monthly book club. Head to Patreon.com/thebookclubreview for all the benefits and how to sign up. Booklist All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Book 1) Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (Book 2) Room by Emma Donoghue Normal People by Sally Rooney The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Sparks The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks Exhalations by Ted Chiang (the film Arrival is based on Story of Your Life) Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx Friday Night Lights by H. G. Bissinger Rivals by Jilly Cooper The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman Children of Men by P. D. James Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda Barn Burning by Haruki Murakami Barn Burning by William Falkner Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner Hot Milk by Deborah Levy The Friend by Sigrid Nunez People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry The Salt Path by Raynor Wynn Everything I Know About Love andGood Material by Dolly Alderton Universality by Natasha Brown Theory and Practice by Michelle de Kretser Transcript Head over to the episode page at thebookclubreview.co.uk for a full transcript See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Nonfiction That Changed Us, featuring Carmageddon by Daniel Knowles 03.05.2025 47min

  At a time in which digital information is increasingly uncertain it feels more essential than ever to engage with books that tell us about the world, diversify our perspectives and propose solutions for change. Yet these 'serious' books aren't always what we feel like reading. In this episode Kate is joined by regular contributor Phil Chaffee to talk about the books so good they powered through them like a good novel, and felt changed afterwards. The books they want to pass on to someone else. The books that make for great book club discussions. One such is Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse and What To Do About It by Daniel Knowles, a persuasive book that advocates for a world in which we rely on cars far less than we do currently. Daniel joines Kate and Phil from Chicago to discuss it. Booklist Humanly Possible by Sarah Bakewall Putin's People by Catherine Belton Papyrus by Irene Vallejo Invisible Child by Andrea Elliot Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie Stranger in the Shogun's City by Amy Stanley Carmageddon by Daniel Knowles Notes Serious Readers lamps: visit seriousreaders.com/bcr and use the offer code BCR at checkout for £150 off any HD light and free UK delivery. You also get a 30-day trial period. Support the show Come join us on Patreon for extra episodes, our community chat group, and, at the book club level, come and talk books with Kate in person at the end of every month. We're currently reading Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O'Donnell If you enjoyed the episode please take a moment to rate and review on your podcast app, which helps the pod's visiblity and helps other listeners find it. Your kindness is hugely appreciated. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.