158 episodes

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.

The Book Club Review The Book Club Review

    • Arts
    • 4.0 • 2 Ratings

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.

    Lonesome Dove, and other reads • Episode #152

    Lonesome Dove, and other reads • Episode #152

    Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry has sold over 2 and a half million copies worldwide since publication in 1985, and won a Pulitzer Prize. With prose as ‘as smooth as worn saddle-leather', USA today writes 'If you read only one Western novel in your life, read this one . . . no other has ever approached the accomplishment of Lonesome Dove'. More interesting to us, Lonesome Dove is one of those 'if-you-know-you-know' books, passed from reader to reader, once read, never forgotten. And yet not everyone is a fan – listen in to see what Laura's book club made of it. As ever we're careful not to spoil the plot, so rest assured we won't give away any of the book's secrets. 
    We're also recommending some follow-ons and some favourites from our recent reading piles.
    Book list
    Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser
    Days Without End by Sebastian Barry
    The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
    Austerlitz by W.G. Seabed
    Sharp by Michelle Dean
    How to Talk About Books you Haven’t Read by Pierre Bayard
    Notes
    If you read one article on Lonesome Dove, let it be this brilliant oral history that Texas Monthly put together, which is full of fascinating detail about the TV series and the book.
    The audiobook of Lonesome Dove is published by Phoenix Books and read by Lee Horsley.
    Links
    Website: https://www.thebookclubreview.co.uk
    Follow us on Instagram
    Find out about our Patreon, Kate's weekly book recommendations newsletter and how to join our book club and get extra episodes
     

    • 54 min
    So Late in the Day and other reads • Episode #151

    So Late in the Day and other reads • Episode #151

    Irish author Claire Keegan is generally considered to be one of the finest writers working today. ‘Every word is the right word in the right place, and the effect is resonant and deeply moving’ said Hilary Mantel, of her work, while for Colm Toiíbín ‘Claire Keegan makes her moments real – and then she makes them matter.’ Praise indeed, but what did our brand new podcast book club make of So Late in the Day, her most recently published short story? We’ll be reporting back.
    And we’re also rounding up a few stand-outs from our recent reading piles, from J. L. Carr’s meditative classic A Month in the Country to V.E. Schwab’s latest fantasy novel The Fragile Threads of Power.
    Book list
    So Late in the Day and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
    The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt,
    The Road to the City by Natalia Ginsberg in the Storybook ND series
    Tom Lake, Bel Canto and The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
    The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer
    The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn
    Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey
    A Month in the Country, by J. L. Carr
    Soldier, Sailor by Claire Kilroy
    The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab
    Join us on Patreon
    Here's the link for all the details, find out what extras you'll receive.
    Connect with us
    Find us on Instagram or Facebook @bookclubreviewpodcast
    On X at @bookclubrvwpod
    or email us at thebookclubreview@gmail.com, we love to hear from you

    • 47 min
    Fiction and Philosophy, with Jonny Thomson • Episode #150

    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: https://www.thebookclubreview.co.uk
    Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast
    Kate's Threads reading log: @bookclubreviewpodcast@threads.net
    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

    • 45 min
    Late-Summer Reading, with Bookbar • Episode #149

    Late-Summer Reading, with Bookbar • Episode #149

    Whether you're after fly-through-them page-turners or immersive long-reads, or perhaps you're after a challenge, or the perfect discussion book, we've got the list for you. Find out our expert picks from indie-bookshop Bookbar's Chrissy Ryan, a woman at the centre of a hub of reading recommendations from authors, customers and booksellers alike. Kate is swapping notes and sharing her own summer reading pile. Plus just to pack in even more book tips we've got a few extra recommendations from Chrissy's Bookbar team. And so sit back and let us give you books to inspire, inform, amuse and entertain as we see out the summer and anticipate our Autumn reads.
    Booklist
    The Guest by Emma Cline
    Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
    The Centre, by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqui,
    Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
    Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson,
    Time’s Shelter by Gyorgi Gospodinov,
    Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan
    How to Read Now and America is not the Heart by Elaine Castillo
    Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford
    The Maniac by Benjamin Labatut
    Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
    The Secret History by Donna Tartt
    Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
    Tom Lake, and These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
    Read This: Handpicked Favourites from America’s Indie Bookstores, compiled by Hans Weyandt (Coffee House Press)
    Roman Stories and Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri
    Good Material by Dolly Alderton
    Notes
    Visit Bookbar online
    The indie publishing mavericks shaking up the UK book world (The Guardian)
    The Book Club Review's Fitzcarraldo episode
     

    • 53 min
    The Years by Annie Ernaux, Super-Infinite by Katherine Rundell, and a whole lot more • Episode #148

    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: https://www.thebookclubreview.co.uk
    Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast
    Kate's Threads reading log: @bookclubreviewpodcast@threads.net
    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.

    • 51 min
    Bookshopaholics • Books on the Hill • #147

    Bookshopaholics • Books on the Hill • #147

    Join Kate in the historic market town of St. Albans, home to a cathedral, some impressive Roman ruins and one of Kate's favourite independent bookshops. Books on the Hill is owned and run by a mother and daughter duo who launched it just before the pandemic. Listen in and find out what makes it so special, their book club recommendations and discover Kate and Antonia's choices as they each pick three books from the shelves, from new releases to classic gems.
    Books mentioned:
    The Wild Places by Robert McFarlane
    The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
    The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
    Femina by Gina Ramirez
    The Scent of Flowers at Night by Leila Slïmani
    Ross Poldark by Winston Graham
    Queen Victoria by Lytton Strachey
    The Joy of Small Things by Hannah Jane Parkinson
    Why Women Grow by Alice Vincent
    Find Books on the Hill at https://www.books-on-the-hill.co.uk

    • 26 min

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