A books podcast made by readers
Welcome to The Book Club Review, the independent podcast about the books that get people talking, hosted by Kate and Laura. From literary prize shortlists to book club favourites we’re always on the hunt for those books that provoke conversations, the ones we can’t wait to share, the ones perfect for book club. With our cast of regular and special guests, we promise you honest opinions and lively debate. As featured in Vogue, Stylist, the iPaper, Waitrose Weekend and BBC Radio 5 Live. Listen via your favourite podcast player or browse our archive for back episodes full of book recommendations. If you want to find your way to some really good books, there’s no better place to start. Wondering if we’ve covered one of your favourites? Type the title into the search tab to find out.
Just out, listen to our most recent episode
Discover the hidden stories inside secondhand books as Kate talks to W. B. Gooderham, author of Dedicated To, and celebrates the joy of book hunting. Kate and Laura are also sharing their favourite places to shop secondhand, and some of their most treasured discoveries. Listen in the media player above or head to the episode page for full shownotes and book links.
George Saunders’ new novel Vigil puts mortality, morality and climate change under the microscope, but does it make a great book club book? Kate is joined by Jenny and Sarah from The Bookcast Club podcast to find out. Listen in the media player above or head to the episode page for full shownotes and book links.
It’s time for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction and Kate is joined by Amanda Moulson of Curious Readers to discuss the shortlist. Which one is their pick to win? Listen in the media player above or head to the episode page for full shownotes and book links.
When the Guardian newspaper drops a list of the 100 Best Novels of All Time it’s time to drop everything to talk about it. Pod-regular guest, journalist Phil Chaffee and Joseph Dance, host of the Curious Readers podcast, join Kate to discuss the hits and misses of the list. Listen in the media player above or head to the episode page for full shownotes and book links.
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. Listen here or head to the episode page for full shownotes.
We’re celebrating the end of the year with a look back over our favourite reads of 2025. With Phil Chaffee and Sarah Oliver. Listen via the media player below or head to the episode page for the booklist and full shownotes.
Keep up with the pod between episodes
Reviews, recommendations and more.
A million dreams, over a million downloads! Such a special milestone to have reached with the pod and this is the moment I told Laura out in Vancouver. For anyone who has ever wondered how we record and make it sound like we’re in the same room this is how we do it - we both record our own audio locally and then I edit the two tracks together. I know, I know, there are many other probably far better ways of doing it, but this works for me and that sound the same as when we used to record them side by side in my shed in London. We’re now coming up to our 200th episode and have had so many conversations and talked about many hundreds of books. And you know what, it never gets boring and we have never even come close to running out of things to say. So thanks to all the authors, publishers and booksellers out there who create the books that bring us such joy, and most of all to all you listeners. Occasionally people message me to tell me they’ve enjoyed a show and it always means the world to me when people do. I love to listen to these shows, but the icing on the cake is when other people love them too. And if you’re just discovering the pod for the first time come check it out at the link in the bio. There’s a lot waiting for you. Kate x
NEW EPISODE • Secondhand Books: Hidden Stories and Literary Treasures • #194, link in the bio or wherever you get your pods | A chance encounter in the ever brilliant @skoobbookslondon led me to meeting @wbgooderham and his incredible collection of inscribed editions, books he has found over the years with dedications on the fly leaves that give such fascinating insights into the lives of previous readers. And Laura and I enjoyed chatting about our own love of shopping secondhand - it really is a magical way to make discoveries, acquire beautiful old editions for a fraction of the cost of new books, and keep these books circulating from reader to reader. A couple of gems I discuss in this episode are Charles Connell’s book on how to grow aphrodisiac plants in your garden and Karen Elizabeth Gordon’s gothic guide to grammar, The Transitive Vampire. Comment and let me know a book you love that you’ve found secondhand, I’d love to hear. But for now enjoy the episode 📚 ❤️ 🎧
Such a pleasure going on Naga Munchetty’s 5 live show - when there’s no today in Parliament she turns the show over to reading and so @chrissyryanreads and I headed in to the studio to talk summer reads. Makes me wish there was never any Parliament and we could just sit and talk about books all day but I suppose the country would collapse. Anyway, the hour flew by - listen at the link in my bio or on BBC Sounds, Naga Munchetty, 29th July and scroll to the second hour 😊 🎧 📚 My reccos: London Falling by @praddenkeefe The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon, No Such Thing as Monday by Sian Hughes (and thanks to @sophportas for sending it my way), Reciepts from the Bookshop by @katie.clapham @phoenix_bks and The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by @bethbrower @bloomsburypublishing
NEW EPISODE • George Saunders latest novel Vigil plus assorted other reads, with @notestothemoon and @sarahxify from @bookcastclub • Link in the bio to listen
#bookspodcast #bookrecommendations #bookclubreview #georgesaunders #bookclubreads
Sunday night bookstack
Feat: The Power Broker by Robert Caro
A Truce that is not Peace by Miriam Toews
My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein by Deborah Levy
Called by the Hills by Anuradha Roy
The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett
Our July book club read is The Makioka Sisters. Join us and discover this 20th-century classic. All the details at the link in the bio. Book club membership also gets you access to a fantastic archive of past reads including introductory episodes and book club discussions.
A TRUCE THAT IS NOT PEACE • I had not heard of this book till Laura gave it to me but turns out it has been out here for a while. Nick Hornby calls it ‘the best memoir you will read all year’ and Zadie Smith found it ‘curious, idiosyncratic and enjoyable’. The paperback is our July 16th. I loved it so much. I’m now off to read the Toews back catalogue.
Blissful weekend in the country with a book that is rapidly turning into one of my all-time favourite reads. Just about to start Week 4 of our readalong over on Patreon.
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Discussion, debate, even a little dispute
Every month we 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. An interview with a book club, bookshop or book lover. Or Bookshelf, an episode dedicated to the books we’re reading outside of book club – the ones we get to pick and choose.