A Pair of Bookends

Hannah MacDonald
  • 1.0 (1)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

A weekly bookish podcast hosted by Hannah MacDonald. Join us for monthly Book Club episodes - read the book at your own pace and then listen to us deep dive with the author! Our Debut Spotlight series is to put the freshest authors and their work firmly on your radar and in our new series we bring you a monthly culture round up of all the recommendations we've collected over the previous month of consuming. Follow us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and TIk Tok.

  1. June Book Club with Anna Goldreich: Queer Utopia, Baby Loss & The Healing Power of Nature

    1d ago

    June Book Club with Anna Goldreich: Queer Utopia, Baby Loss & The Healing Power of Nature

    For our June Book Club episode Hannah was joined by Anna Goldreich to discuss her debut novel The Leveret which is out now and you can find your copy here,  In this episode they discuss exploring baby loss through the lens of a Queer relationship, the healing power of animals and nature, mental health, what a Queer Utopia would look like to Anna and much more.  If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok.  You can follow Anna via Instagram. Follow Queer Birders Norfolk. Books & other mentions in this episode: A Pizza Hut, a Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut by Hannah Levene Folklore, Myths & Legends of Britain by Reader's Digest Mary and The Rabbit Dream by Noemi Kiss-Deaki Fen by Daisy Johnson A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride Beloved by Toni Morrison Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann The Book Review - Podcast by New York Times Angel Down by Daniel Kraus Curious Readers - Podcast The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss by Jackie Morris & Robert Macfarlane The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane & Jackie Morris Small Hours by Bobby Palmer Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    50 min
  2. Kathleen MacMahon, author of 'Other People's Lives' on Lily King, Marriage & Grief

    Jun 24

    Kathleen MacMahon, author of 'Other People's Lives' on Lily King, Marriage & Grief

    For today's episode Hannah spoke to Kathleen MacMahon about her latest novel Other People's Lives. In this episode they discuss their love for the work of Lily King, how Irish people 'go at things sideways', generational differences and much more.  If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok.  You can follow Kathleen via Instagram & you can order Other People's Lives here. Books & other mentions in this episode:  The Left and The Lucky by Willy Vlautin Don't Skip Out On Me by Willy Vlautin Heart The Lover by Lily King Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King Euphoria by Lily King My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante Once (2007) Sing Street (2016) Power Ballad (2026) A Star is Born (2018) Also by Kathleen: Nothing But Blue Sky, The Home Scar,This Is How It Ends & The Long, Hot Summer Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    50 min
  3. Books to Screen: Margo's Got Money Troubles with Amanda Moulson (Curious Readers)

    Jun 19

    Books to Screen: Margo's Got Money Troubles with Amanda Moulson (Curious Readers)

    For the latest instalment in our Books to Screen series, Hannah was joined by Amanda Moulson, co-host of the wonderful Curious Readers podcast to discuss the brilliant adaptation of Margo's Got Money Troubles. In this episode they discuss the recent prominence of sex work in TV shows, who is getting it wrong and who is getting it right, they also talk messy mother/daughter relationships, motherhood, modern America, Amanda's favourite adaptations & much more! If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok.  You can listen to Curious Readers here. Follow Amanda via Instagram Follow Curious Readers via Instagram  Mentions in this episode:  Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe Margo's Got Money Troubles (2026) Pride & Prejudice (2005) Emma (1996) Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton Rivals Rivals by Jilly Cooper Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving Simon Birch (1998) Conversations with Friends (2022) Normal People (2020) Euphoria Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (2026) https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/euphoria-margo-webcam-sex-work-tv-newest-career-fixation-1236767353/ Bad Sisters (2022) Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    1h 3m
  4. Imogen Crimp, author of 'Give Me Everything You've Got' on Second Novel Syndrome, Dorris Lessing & Gothic Settings

    Jun 17

    Imogen Crimp, author of 'Give Me Everything You've Got' on Second Novel Syndrome, Dorris Lessing & Gothic Settings

    For this week's episode we have returning guest of the podcast, Imogen Crimp! In this episode Hannah and Imogen discuss second novel syndrome, exploring the world of filmmaking, writing gothic settings, the influence of Dorris Lessing on this story, Japanese fiction and a recent great film.  PSA: There were some technical difficulties in this episode but we have tried to edit those out where possible.  If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok.  Buy Imogen's books:  A Very Nice Girl & Give Me Everything You've Got Books & other mentions in this episode:  A Quiet Place by Seicho Matsumoto In Gratitude by Jenny Diski Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë The Turn of The Screw by Henry James Romería (2025) Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    45 min
  5. S7 Debut Spotlight-10. Natalie Adler (The AIDS crisis, Queer Community & Ghosts)

    Jun 10

    S7 Debut Spotlight-10. Natalie Adler (The AIDS crisis, Queer Community & Ghosts)

    For the final episode in season 7 of our Debut Spotlight series, Hannah was joined by author & editor Natalie Adler to discuss her debut novel Waiting On A Friend, which you can buy here (US) and here (UK). In this episode they discuss the AIDS crisis, the research that helped Natalie to explore this subject, how relevant it still is and how dangerous medical misinformation can be. They also dive into the beautiful friendships of this book and the importance of Community, especially for Queer people. Aswell as this they talk about the work its taken to get to publication, how she immersed herself in 80s New York and of course, a ton of book recommendations for you.  Apologies for the change in audio quality halfway through (for Hannah), laptop/mic/port issues, very boring but apologies all the same! If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok.  You can follow Natalie via Instagram & natalie-adler.com Books & other mentions in this episode:  New Skin by Sarah Wang Let The Record Show by Sarah Schulman The Undying by Anne Boyer https://lithub.com/why-does-sickness-feel-so-isolating-when-everyone-is-sick/ Russian Doll (2019) Natalie Adler- Waiting On A Friend Research People in Trouble by Sarah Schulman Rat Bohemia by Sarah Schulman Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980–1983 by Tim Lawrence Fear City: New York's Fiscal Crisis and the Rise of Austerity Politics by Kim Phillips-Fein Waiting on a Friend: The Playlist YouTube- 5ninthavenueproject Voyagers by Meg Charlton The Red Sacrament by Sara Hinkley Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    58 min
  6. Sarah Gilmartin, author of 'Little Vanities' on Betrayal, Actors & Explosive Scenes

    Jun 3

    Sarah Gilmartin, author of 'Little Vanities' on Betrayal, Actors & Explosive Scenes

    For today's episode Hannah was joined by returning guest of the pod Sarah Gilmartin to discuss her latest novel Little Vanities which you can buy here. In this episode they discuss how Harold Pinter's Betrayal influenced this novel, why betrayal and desire are such great themes for writers to explore, long covid and illness, some great books by Irish authors & much more! If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok.  You can follow Sarah via LinkedIn or via her books:  Dinner Party by Sarah Gilmartin Service by Sarah Gilmartin Other mentions in this episode: The Woman in the Water by Henrietta McKervey Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier Home Economics: A Memoir by Caitríona Lally Eggshells by Caitríona Lally  Wunderland by Caitríona Lally Betrayal by Harold Pinter Old Times by Harold Pinter The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Smile by Roddy Doyle The Sopranos (1999) Rituals by Danielle McLaughlin Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    42 min
  7. May Book Club with Cecile Pin: Space, Ambition & Sacrifice

    May 27

    May Book Club with Cecile Pin: Space, Ambition & Sacrifice

    For our May Book Club episode, Hannah was joined by author Cecile Pin to discuss her latest novel Celestial Lights which is out now and you can buy here (UK) and here (US). In this episode they discuss Space and the amount of research that went into this novel, Ambition & Sacrifice, picking sides with your characters plus lots of recs including new books, classics, documentaries & more! If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok.  You can follow Cecile via Instagram  You can buy her previous novel Wandering Souls here. Books & other mentions in this episode: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates Revolutionary Road (2008) Free Solo (2018) The Fabelmans (2022) The Odyssey (Emily Wilson translation) Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir The Future of Humanity by Michio Kaku Past Lives (2023) Middlemarch by George Eliot Les Miserables by Victor Hugo The Devoted by Catherine Cho Lost in the Jungle (2025) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro The Employees by Olga Ravn The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel To The Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    39 min
  8. S7 Debut Spotlight- 9.Brooke Averick (Anxiety, Crushes & Turning Thirty)

    May 20

    S7 Debut Spotlight- 9.Brooke Averick (Anxiety, Crushes & Turning Thirty)

    For the latest instalment in our Debut Spotlight series, Hannah was joined by author, podcaster & comedy and lifestyle creator Brooke Averick to discuss her debut novel Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It which you can buy here (UK) and here (US). In this episode they discuss anxiety, therapy, platonic love, niche crushes, romance & romantasy novels and more.  If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok.  You can follow Brooke via Instagram, Tik Tok & you can listen to Brooke and Connor Make A Podcast here. Books & other mentions in this episode: Heated Rivalry House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2) by Sarah J.Maas House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City #3) by Sarah J.Maas A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J.Maas Throne of Glass by Sarah J.Maas Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood Book Lovers by Emily Henry The Office: Superfan Episodes Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    28 min
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About

A weekly bookish podcast hosted by Hannah MacDonald. Join us for monthly Book Club episodes - read the book at your own pace and then listen to us deep dive with the author! Our Debut Spotlight series is to put the freshest authors and their work firmly on your radar and in our new series we bring you a monthly culture round up of all the recommendations we've collected over the previous month of consuming. Follow us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram and @apairofbookends on Twitter and TIk Tok.

Information

  • Creator
    Hannah MacDonald
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    208
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Hannah MacDonald
  • Show Website
    A Pair of Bookends

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