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Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon book cover for podcast episode

Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon • #172

March 9, 2025/Posted by: brc-admin

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 […]

Glorious Exploits is 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?

daisy buchanan for podcast episode on her book read yourself happy

How to Read Yourself Happy, with Daisy Buchanan • Episode #171

February 15, 2025/Posted by: brc-admin

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 […]

Daisy Buchanan joins Kate to explore the healing power of books and reading to inspire, comfort and fortify – and generally bring us joy

The Empusium book club review podcast episode

Book Club: The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk • #170

February 10, 2025/Posted by: brc-admin

The Empusium, Olga Tokarczuk’s haunting ‘health resort horror story’ may have wowed the critics, but how did it fare with Laura’s book club? Phil, Sarah and Laura join Kate to discuss it. In September 1913, a young Pole suffering from tuberculosis arrives at Wilhelm Opitz’s Guesthouse for Gentlemen, a health resort in the Silesian mountains. […]

The Empusium, Olga Tokarczuk's haunting 'health resort horror story' may have wowed the critics, but how did it fare with Laura's book club? Phil, Sarah and Laura join Kate to discuss it. 

Oliver Burkeman for books podcast episode on Meditations for Mortals

Meditations for Mortals, with Oliver Burkeman • Episode #169

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January 25, 2025/Posted by: brc-admin

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 […]

With New Year's resolutions still in mind it's the perfect time to 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'. He joins Kate to discuss it.

Page-Turning Plans: Looking ahead to 2025 • Episode #168

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January 11, 2025/Posted by: brc-admin

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 […]

Bookish plans and projects for 2025, and a look ahead to our pick of the new releases, with Kate, Laura and Phil

Image for best books of 2024 books podcast episode

Unputdownable: the best books we loved in 2024 • Episode #167

December 29, 2024/Posted by: brc-admin

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) […]

Discover stand-out novels, book-club favourites, cozy reads to curl up with, and non-fiction gems that touched our hearts and minds. Perfect for your 2025 reading list!

The Booker Prize 2024 • Episode #166

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November 9, 2024/Posted by: brc-admin

Curious about the Booker Prize 2024? Wondering if the shortlisted novels live up to the hype? In our 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 […]

Kate and Laura are joined by returning guests Phil, Sarah and Martin to dive deep into the 2024 Booker Prize shortlist, bringing you their usual frank, honest opinions in true book-club style.

summer reading podcast book stack

Summer Reading Report 2024: Hits, Misses and Anticipations

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September 7, 2024/Posted by: Kate

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 […]

Kate and Laura are back from the beach and catching up on the books they read over the summer. Find out their favourites, plus the perfect formula for a book party and what happens when you only read one book at a time.

Notebook Nirvana: Stationery and the Joy of Notetaking podcast episode

Notebook Nirvana: Stationery and the Joys of Notetaking, with David Frostick • #164

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August 25, 2024/Posted by: brc-admin

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 […]

We explore the charm of notebooks, pens, and the art of notetaking in this special episode originally released to Patreons, to help you get the most out of your reading. With expert tips and, of course, some book recommendations. Find out how to get more from the pod and support the show via Patreon, including membership of our monthly book club.

The New York Times best books of the 21st century podcast episode title graphic

Unpacking the best: The NYT’s Best Books of the 21st Century list • #163

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July 30, 2024/Posted by: brc-admin

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, plus a bit […]

Join Kate, Sarah, Phil and Laura as they consider the NYT's Best Books of the 21st Century list, and come up with a Book Club Review Top 20 picking up on the ones they think were overlooked. Listen in to find out if they've picked any of your favourites.

Summer bookshelf • Episode #162

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June 21, 2024/Posted by: brc-admin

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 […]

Listen in as we catch up with our summer reads, including book-of-the-season The Ministry of Time and an unputdownable art world memoir, All That Glitters.

Books that Make Us Laugh podcast episode

Books that Make us Laugh • #161

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June 6, 2024/Posted by: brc-admin

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 suggestions and add in a few of our own. Find out the author we can’t […]

Inspired by the recent New York Times article ‘22 of the funniest novels since Catch 22’, join Kate, Phil and Laura for their favourite funny reads.

Non-fiction recommendations podcast with Tom Rowley of Backstory

Talking Non-Fiction with Tom Rowley of Backstory • Episode #160

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May 5, 2024/Posted by: brc-admin

Listen in to our non-fiction book recommendations as we explore literary worlds outside of the fiction shelves. Join Kate as she heads to South London to visit Backstory, a distinctive 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 […]

Exploring literary worlds beyond fiction: a dive into non-fiction with Tom Rowley of indie bookshop Backstory

Browsing the So Many Damn Books bookshelf, with Christopher Hermelin • #159

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April 29, 2024/Posted by: brc-admin

So Many Damn Books podcast creator and host Christopher Hermelin joins Kate to swap book recommendations and discuss the magic of book club, recent book discoveries, bookish pet peeves and more… Listen via the media player above, or your preferred podcast player with this Podfollow link. Book list The Eyes & The Impossible by Dave […]

So Many Damn Books podcast creator and host Christopher Hermelin joins Kate to swap book recommendations and discuss the magic of book club, recent book discoveries, bookish pet peeves and more...

The New Life podcast episode

Book club: The New Life by Tom Crewe • #158

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April 10, 2024/Posted by: brc-admin

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, […]

Two marriages, two forbidden love affairs, and the passionate search for social and sexual freedom in late 19th-century London, but what did our book club think? Kate and Phil report back.

Mild Vertigo book club podcast

Mild Vertigo, and Japanese literature

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March 13, 2024/Posted by: brc-admin

What did our podcast book club make of Mild Vertigo, Japanese author Mieko Kanai’s 1997 novel, recently translated into English by Polly Barton and published by Fitzcarraldo. 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 […]

We explore Mild Vertigo, modernist Japanese masterpiece by Mieko Kanai, newly translated into English by Polly Barton. But did it make for a good book club read? Kate's joined by two special guests to discuss it.

Books podcast episode

Early Spring Bookshelf • Episode 156

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February 6, 2024/Posted by: brc-admin

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 […]

From the literary London of Charles Dickens to 21st century Romantasy with sex and dragons, listen in to our recent reads

Books in 2024 podcast episode

Future Reads 2024, with Chrissy Ryan • Episode #155

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January 24, 2024/Posted by: brc-admin

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 […]

The books to look out for in 2024, with Bookbar's Chrissy Ryan, plus some tips for avoiding feeling overwhelmed by your TBR

Best Books of 2023

Best Books of 2023 • Episode #154

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December 31, 2023/Posted by: brc-admin

What were the best books of 2023? Listen in to our review of the year to find out our absolute favourites. Join me (Kate), Laura and Phil as we look back over a year of reading – over 300 books between us, from new releases to backlist gems. Find out our overall book of the […]

What were the best books of 2023? Listen in to our review of the year to find out our absolute favourites. Join Kate, Laura and Phil for a look back over a year of reading – over 300 books between them, from new releases to backlist gems, and over 50 recommendations.

The Booker Prize 2023

The Booker Prize 2023 • Episode #153

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December 29, 2023/Posted by: brc-admin

The Booker Prize 2023: We read all six shortlisted books. Join us as we evaluate them and try to second-guess the Booker judges, before finding out the winner, and so keep listening for our hot take. ‘A novel is a mirror carried along a high road’ says Chair of the Booker judges Esi Edyugan, quoting […]

The Booker Prize 2023: We read all six shortlisted books. Join us as we evaluate them and try to second-guess the Booker judges, before finding out the winner, and so keep listening for our hot take.