The Book Club Review

Discussion, debate, even a little dispute – expect it all on The Book Club Review. Every month hosts Kate and Laura bring you a new episode. That could be Book Club where we chat about the book read most recently by one of our book clubs. It could be Bookshelf, an episode dedicated to the books we’re reading outside of book club – the ones we get to pick and choose. Or it could be an interview with a book club, bookshop or book lover. Whatever the topic, every episode features lively and frank reviews and recommendations.

Book club: The New Life by Tom Crewe • Episode #158 04/10/2024

Mild Vertigo and Japan lit • Episode 157 03/13/2024

Early Spring Bookshelf • Episode #156 02/06/2024

Future Reads 2024, with Chrissy Ryan • Episode #155 01/23/2024

Best Books of 2023 • Episode #154 12/29/2023

The Booker Prize 2023 • Episode 153 12/11/2023

Lonesome Dove, and other reads • Episode #152 10/29/2023

So Late in the Day and other reads • Episode #151 10/14/2023

Fiction and Philosophy, with Jonny Thomson • Episode #150 09/09/2023

Fiction and Philosophy, with Jonny Thomson • Episode #150 Is there any point in doing a nice thing if you can’t flaunt it on social media? Can we ever know what it’s like to be a bat? If we know Cinderella isn’t real, why do we care about whether or not she marries the prince? In this episode Kate is joined by Jonny Thomson, the man behind the popular Instagram account @philosophyminis, and a bestselling book of the same name. With a new title out, Mini Big Ideas, it seemed the perfect time to catch up with him and consider the philosophical ideas that lie behind three works of fiction: The Death of Yvan Illyich by Leo Tolstoy, Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Just what connects these three titles? Listen in to find out, plus a few more book recommendations. All that, plus discover 'the gap', and how knowing about it might change your life, and the benefits of scepticism. Book list On Fairy Stories by J.R.R. Tolkien The Road by Cormac McCarthy The Death of Ivan Illyich by Leo Tolstoy (and in particular the Peter Carson translation) Death and the Penguin by Andrei Kurkov Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne by Katherine Rundell Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Leonard & Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer Metaphysical Animals by Rachel Wiseman and Claire MacCumhaill Philosopher Queens by Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting Mini Philosophy and Mini Big Ideas by Jonny Thomson Notes Find Jonny on Instagram @philosophyminis Find us at: Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast Kate's Threads reading log: @[email protected] Newsletter sign-up: https://substack.com/@thebookclubreview Patreon and book club: We've made free episodes of The Book Club Review for 6 years now, and we'll continue to keep them free, and ad-free. But they take a lot in terms of time and resources so if you appreciate the shows and would like to support us we now have a Patreon where you can do that. In return you'll get weekly bookish recommendations from Kate, plus, at the higher tier, extra episodes and membership of our podcast book club, to be held over Zoom once a month on Sunday nights (UK time). We would love to see you there. https://patreon.com/thebookclubreview /episode/index/show/thebookclubreview/id/27986490

Late-Summer Reading, with Bookbar • Episode #149 08/21/2023

The Years by Annie Ernaux, Super-Infinite by Katherine Rundell, and a whole lot more • Episode #148 08/09/2023

The Years by Annie Ernaux, Super-Infinite by Katherine Rundell, and a whole lot more • Episode #148 If you've been wondering whether or not to tackle the work of Nobel-prizewinner Annie Ernaux, and in partiular The Years, generally considered to be definitive, listen in and find out what Laura's book club thought (you might be surprised). We're also generally delighted by how interesting the life of 17th-century poet John Donne is in the hands of Katherine Rundell, and her Baillie-Gifford prizewinner Super-Infinite. But were Kate's book club unanimous in their praise? Discover more great reads as we delve into our recent reading piles. Find out the hits and misses, plus the books we've got on the go right now. Booklist The Years by Annie Ernaux Super-Infinite by Katherine Rundell The Banished Immortal by Ha Jin Grey Bees by Andrei Kurkov Avid Reader by Robert Gottlieb (and we also mentioned the film Turn Every Page) Book Lovers by Emily Henry Watch us Dance by Leila Slimani (and we also mentioned her other books Lullaby or The Perfect Nanny, and The Country of Others) Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton (and we also mentioned her previous book The Luminaries) Monsters by Claire Dederer The Great Reclamation by Rachel Heng Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tocarczuk Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor Leave us a rating If you enjoy our shows and want to do a nice thing in return please do leave us a quick star rating and review. Wondering how to do that? From apple podcasts click the '...' next to the episode title (under the square graphic) and choose 'go to show'. From there scroll down past the episodes till you find 'Ratings & Reviews'. Tap the stars to add a star rating, tap 'write a review' slightly further down to add a comment. Thank you! Notes Website: Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast Kate's Threads reading log: @[email protected] Newsletter sign-up: https://substack.com/@thebookclubreview Patreon and book club: We're cooking up a pod bookclub, launching September, as part of our Patreon account. You'll be supporting our show, and once a month on Sunday nights (UK time) you'll also be able to join Kate for an online book-club, to be held over zoom. We'll put all the details on our Patreon soon, and hope you'll sign up as we can't wait to talk books in person. /episode/index/show/thebookclubreview/id/27707475

Bookshopaholics • Books on the Hill • #147 08/01/2023

Fiction Prescriptions with Ella Berthoud • #146 07/08/2023

The Women's Prize 2023 • Episode #145 06/11/2023

Bookshelf: Summer vibes • Episode #144 06/08/2023

So Many Damn Books • Episode #143 05/31/2023

So Many Damn Books • Episode #143 So Many Damn Books is a show that aims to celebrate reading in all its forms, and to do so with a cocktail in hand. For over 200 episodes now Christoper Hermelin has been chatting to authors and crafting them bespoke drinks. From George Saunders and Ruth Ozeki to lesser-known but no less interesting authors, every episode in his archive is a delight. And it was no less of a delight to welcome him onto the Book Club Review podcast. So sit back and enjoy this very special episode, where you'll find out about a Stateside literary cult that's turns out to be an excellent resource should you need a new best friend, a book so good you'll end up dreaming about it, and how to cope when you've gone so deep into the reading world that you can no longer simply buy a book in a bookshop. Luckily, a problem shared is a problem halved, or at least a problem understood! Booklist by Leanne Shapton by Paul Murray by Joe Meno by Gary Jennings by Christine Grillo Notes Enjoyed this episode? In the mood for more? Head over to SMDB and listen to Christopher's episode . Amongst other things we discuss the amazing KICK THE LATCH by Kathryn Scanlan, and lesser-known gem PARNASSUS ON WHEELS by Christoper Morely. Want to know more about the Keen to fall down a nostalgia rabbit hole? Try Admin If you’d like to see what we’re up to between episodes do follow us on Instagram or Facebook @BookClubReview podcast, on Twitter @bookclubrvwpod or get in touch direct at . Website: Instagram post: [link coming soon] Newsletter sign-up: https://substack.com/@thebookclubreview Patreon: Coming soon… And if you enjoy our shows and want to do a nice thing in return please do leave us a quick star rating and review. Wondering how to do that? From apple podcasts click the '...' next to the episode title (under the square graphic) and choose 'go to show'. From there scroll down past the episodes till you find 'Ratings & Reviews'. Tap the stars to add a star rating, tap 'write a review' slightly further down to add a comment. Thank you! /episode/index/show/thebookclubreview/id/27005847

Book Club: Victory City • #142 05/21/2023

Bookshelf: Easter reads • Episode #141 04/15/2023

Bookshelf: Easter reads • Episode #141 Our Bookshelf episodes are the ones dedicated to the books we’re each reading outside of book club, the ones we tend to love because we chose them for ourselves. Laura has been reading the latest from ANIMAL LIFE, the latest novel from podcast favourite, Icelandic author Audur Ava Olafsdottir. A short, quiet novel, but one that struck a chord. She's also been happily working through THE MIRROR VISITOR QUARTET by French author Christelle Dabos. What is it about this epic fantasy series that has her so happily hooked? Kate has been catching up with LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus, the smash hit that tells of scientist turned tv-cooking show presenter Elizabeth Zott. Also on her stack is I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU, by Rebecca Makkai, the New York Times bestseller that has been described as ‘A twisty, immersive whodunit perfect for fans of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.’ And for a non-fiction palette cleanser she's been reading Saving Time: Discovering Life Beyond the Clock, by artist and writer Jenny Odell. To read it, fellow time-philosopher Oliver Burkeman comments, ‘'is to experience how freedom might feel'. Listen in for all this plus the current reads and books we can't wait to get to, including SUPER-INFINITE by Katherine Rundell, STONE BLIND by Natalie Haynes and MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY buy Winifred Watson. And just why are Laura's book club struggling with Salman Rushdie's latest, VICTORY CITY? NOTES Whenever you listen to this episode if you have thoughts on it we’d love to hear them. Comment anytime on the episode page on our website thebookclubreview.co.uk, where you’ll also find full shownotes, book recommendations and a transcript. Comments there go straight to our inboxes so drop us a line, we always love to hear from you. You can also sign up for our bi-weekly-ish newsletter for extra reviews and recommendations, and find out about our Patreon stream, and how you can support us there. To see what we’re up to between episodes follow us on Instagram @BookClubReview podcast, on Twitter @bookclubrvwpod or get in touch at . And if you enjoy our shows one other way to support us, as ever, is to tell your bookish friends and help us find new listeners. /episode/index/show/thebookclubreview/id/26552979

Free and The Snow Ball • Book Club, episode #140 04/05/2023

Bookshopaholics: The Paperhound, Vancouver 03/19/2023

Bookshelf: Spring Reads • Episode #138 03/07/2023

Future reads 2023 • Episode #137 02/20/2023

Future reads 2023 • Episode #137 It’s always good to have things to look forward to in life, and the books we can see coming up on the horizon are no exception. In this episode we’ll be finding out the books that Chrissy Ryan and her team at Bookbar are excited about. Whether it’s new books from authors we here at the Book Club Review have loved in the past or exciting new debuts from authors we’ve never heard of, we’re primed and ready to get reading as soon as they drop. Plus we have a nerdy dive into what it takes to run a small independent bookshop, and why it’s so important to be reading ahead of the pack. Listen in and be prepared to add to your TBR. Book list Chrissy recommended by Liv Little (Dialogue books / Hachette) by Caleb Azumah Nelson (Penguin) by Cecile Pin (Harpercollins) by Nicole Flattery (Bloomsbury) by Naoise Dolan (W&N) by K Patrick (Europa Editions) by R. F. Kuang (Harper Collins) , Emma Cline (Penguin) by Jacqueline Crooks (Penguin) Lucy recommended by Alice Slater (Hachette) by Alice Wynn (Penguin) by Curtis Sittenfeld Chandler and Frankie recommended by Santanu Bhattacharya (Penguin) by Eliza Clark (Faber) by Lydia Sandgren (Pushkin) , Javier Marías (Penguin) by Brandon Taylor (Penguin) And Frankie also mentioned by Nicole Flattery (Bloomsbury) In addition to bookselling Frankie is also author Francesca Reece and so you might also be interested to try her book Voyeur: 'Devastatingly witty, compulsively readable . . . like Sally Rooney meeting Martin Amis in Paris' writes Francine Toon, author of Pine. To sign up to read and review proofs head to or Notes Check out the episode page on our for full shownotes and a transcript, and do comment there anytime if you have thoughts on any of the books discussed in this show. You'll also find our archive of over one-hundred episodes to browse through, from our Booker Prize or Women’s Prize specials to regular book club chats and interviews with authors and other book industry folk. You can also sign up to our free newsletter for more book recommendations between shows, and find out the details for our Patreon account and how to support us there. A quick free way to support us is to take a moment to rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts, it really helps us reach new listeners. Tell your friends, share on social media, it means so much to us when you do. You can also find us on Instagram @BookClubReview podcast, on Twitter @bookclubrvwpod or email [email protected]. /episode/index/show/thebookclubreview/id/25991571

Bookshelf: Winter Reads • Episode #136 01/29/2023

The Thursday Murder Club • Episode #135 01/17/2023

The Thursday Murder Club • Episode #135 When a book sells upwards of five and a half million copies and film rights are snapped up by none other than Steven Spielberg it seems to us a special episode is in order. And so join us as we dive into, and attempt to make sense of, the publishing phenomenon that is The Thursday Murder Club, the cozy crime novel set in a retirement community by TV-producer and presenter-turned-author Richard Osman. Join us as Kate and two very special guests give The Thursday Murder Club the book club treatment. Our first guest is author and friend-of-the-pod Colleen Hubbard, whose debut novel Housebreaking was published by Hachette last year and is out in paperback April 2023. She joined Kate over Zoom and brought along her friend Sue, a pilates instructor and keen reader, to help give us more insight into how older readers are responding to this book. Then it's back to Kate and Laura for a stack of our favourite follow-on crime reads, cozy or otherwise. If you haven't yet read The Thursday Murder Club don’t worry, we will not spoil the plot for you. What we will do is take a friendly but critical overview to see if we can fathom the secrets behind the book’s appeal Book recommendations The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse The Wych Elm by Tana French Death in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession. Notes is published by Penguin. Find out more about Colleen and her novel (Hachette) at The Thursday Murder Club audiobook is produced by Penguin Audio Whenever you listen to this episode if you have thoughts on it we’d love to hear them. Comment anytime on the episode page on our website , where you’ll also find full shownotes, book recommendations and a transcript. Comments there go straight to our inboxes so drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you. You can also sign up there for our bi-weekly-ish newsletter for extra reviews and recommendations. If you’d like to see what we’re up to between episodes follow us on Instagram or Facebook , on Twitter or get in touch at [email protected]. And if you’re not already, why not subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. If you want to support us please do take a moment to rate and review the show, which helps other listeners find us. /episode/index/show/thebookclubreview/id/25632315

Best Books of 2022 • Episode #134 12/27/2022

Best Books of 2022 • Episode #134 It's our best books of 2022, one of our favourite episodes to record as by this point we've done all the hard work of reading, now it's time to sit back and consider which, of all the books we read in 2022, were our very favourites. That might be a new release or it might be a backlist gem. We've also got the books that got us through difficult moments, the books that made us laugh or cry, and the ones we recommended and gave to friends. As we're nothing if not critical we've got some books that didn't quite live up to our expectations before we finally crown our top three books of 2022. As snow falls gently around the shed, the fairy lights twinkle, the mulled wine is warm, and we discuss our favourite reads of 2022 with regular special guest, journalist Phil Chaffee. Books mentioned are listed below, but if you want to be surprised look away now. Book recommendations for Best Books of 2022 Favourite new release: Laura loved , Phil’s favourite (with also-rans by Maggie O’Farrell and by Monica Ali) was by Deesha Philyaw, while Kate loved by Sara Baume (with honorable mentions by Colleen Hubbard and by Nell Stevens) Favourite backlist title: Phil picked by Alessandro Manzoni (with also-rans by Colm Toíbín, and by Stefan Zweig). Kate loved by Dorothy Canfield-Fisher but her favourite was by Elspeth Barker. Laura went for by Elizabeth Gaskell. Favourite non-fiction reads: For Kate it was , Tina Brown’s engaging examination of the British royal family and our collective fascination with (or indifference) to them. Kate’s also-rans were by John Preston (did Robert Maxwell fall or was he pushed?), by Oliver Burkeman (if we did but have the time to discuss it) and by Merlin Sheldrake (book everyone says is great turns out to be great). Laura only reads non-fiction when her book club forces her too, but luckily she did end up reading by Isabel Wilkerson, a book that changed her view of the world within the first fifty pages. Phil loved by Catherine Belton and by M.E. Sarotte, but his overall favourite was by Timothy Snyder. Favourite Book Club reads. Top of the pile for Laura was by Tété-Michel Kpomassie while Phil preferred by Hilary Mantel. Kate loved by Carson McCullers but her ultimate choice was by Francis Spufford Favourite comfort reads: For Phil it was by Elif Batuman; he now only wants to read books narrated by her protagonist Selin. Laura escaped to a creepy Swiss hotel with by Sarah Pearse while Kate sank into the arms of old friend E.M. Delafield with . A book that made us laugh or cry: For Kate it was by Rob Delaney. Phil enjoyed by Jerome K. Jerome (). Laura loved by Claire Lynch and by Louise Erdrich, but her final choice was by Lisa Allen-Agostini A book we pressed on a friend: Runner-up for Phil was by Fintan O’Toole but his favourite was by Louis Menand. Laura’s pick was by Lars Mytting Books we read that didn’t quite live up to our expectations: by Elizabeth Knox promised much for Laura but ultimately didn’t deliver. Phil really didn’t get on with by Hanya Yanigahara (and has *really* thought about why) and for Kate by George Saunders didn’t quite meet the soaring heights of his other books. Overall Book of the Year: Laura’s standout was THE TREES by Percival Everett. Kate loved by Selby Wyn Schwartz and by Magda Szabó but her overall favourite read was by Larry McMurtry. Phil meanwhile loved the Elena Ferrante Neopolitan quartet, but his overall book of the year is, as mentioned earlier, by Louis Menand. A few other books we mention in passing: by Francis Spufford by Samantha Shannon by R. F. Kuang by Hilary Mantel by David Mitchell by Helen DeWitt and by Kate Young Find full shownotes and links to related podcast episodes at our website thebookclubreview.co.uk, where you'll also find a transcript and our comments forum. No matter when you listen to this episode you can always drop us a line there and let us know what you thought of it. Tell us your favourite reads of 2022, we'd love to hear about them. You can also sign up for our bi-weekly-ish newsletter and find out details of our new Patreon channel. To keep up with us between episodes follow us on Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast, on Twitter @bookclubrvwpod, or email us at . If you enjoyed this episode please don't forget an easy way to give something back is to let people know about the show, whether through a quick rating on your podcast app, or letting people know via social media. We really appreciate it. /episode/index/show/thebookclubreview/id/25443303

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, My Phantoms and Eight Months on Ghazzah Street – what did our book clubs make of them? 12/11/2022

Fitzcarraldo Editions, with Jacques Testard • #132 11/27/2022

Fitzcarraldo Editions, with Jacques Testard • #132 Today's episode is a celebration of the joy we find in , an independent publishing house that makes no concessions towards mass appeal but instead offers up books that are consistently ambitious, imaginative and innovative. Their hallmark is their plain typographic covers that allow the words inside to speak for themselves. The editorial line maintained by publisher Jacques Testard since the beginning has reaped rewards and he now publishes four Nobel Prizewinning authors as well as Booker international and Pulitzer prize winners and shortlistees. Not bad for a small publishing house that was started in 2014 on a tiny budget with just one employee, Jacques himself. Listen in to hear the story of Fitzcarraldo - named after a film that celebrates a seemingly impossible endeavour - and how in only his second-ever Frankfurt book fair Jacques found himself negotiating a 12-way bidding war for the English-language rights to Secondhand Time by Nobel winner Sveltlana Alexievich. And, because it’s us, you’ll also get to hear about the books. What are our favourites? Which do we recommend? Why are so many of them sad? We’re joined by Sam MacAuslan, keen Fitzcarraldo reader, to uncover some gems from the list. Like all good things, this episode has been a while in the making but with Fitzcarraldo recently celebrating publishing their 100th book it seemed the perfect time to release it out into the world, we hope you enjoy it, and feel inspired to try a Fitzcarraldo or two. Books mentioned Things I Don’t Want to Know Deborah Levy Attention: A Short History by Joshua Cohen Limonov: The Outrageous Adventures by Emannuel Carrère Secondhand Time by Svetlana Alexievich (Bela Shayevich) Minor Detail by Adania Shibley (Elizabeth Jaquette) Fifty Sounds by Polly Barton Flights by Olga Tocarczuk (Jennifer Croft) Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tocarczuk (Jennifer Croft) The Books of Jacob by Olga Tocarczuk (Jennifer Croft) Primeval and Other Times by Olga Tocarczuk (Antonia Lloyd Jones) The Years by Annie Ernaux (Alison L. Strayer) Exteriors by Annie Ernaux (Tanya Leslie) Zone, Matthias Enard (Charlotte Mandell) Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au The Naked Don’t Fear the Water by Matthieu Aikins Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor (Sophie Hughes) Paradise by Fernanda Melchor (Sophie Hughes) The Netanyahus, Joshua Cohen Septology, Jon Fosse (Damion Searls) Notes The film by Werner Herzog in The White Review in the US in Australia As for us Follow us on Instagram , on Twitter or email . Find shownotes, transcript and comments forum over on our website and drop us a line, let us know your thoughts on this episode, or tell us about a Fitzcarraldo book you love. And if you’re not already do subscribe in your podcatcher of choice and never miss an episode. If you like what we do please help us out by rating and reviewing the show, which helps other listeners find us. Better yet please do share on your social channels, we're so happy to reach new ears and like with a good book recommendation, word-of-mouth is the best way. /episode/index/show/thebookclubreview/id/25139943

A Heart That Works, with Rob Delaney 11/12/2022

Bookshelf: Autumn reads 11/06/2022

The Booker Prize 2022 10/16/2022

The Book Club Review

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