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. March Book Club with Ela Lee: Censorship, Han (한) and South Korea's Deregulated Adoption Industry

    4D AGO

    March Book Club with Ela Lee: Censorship, Han (한) and South Korea's Deregulated Adoption Industry

    For our March Book Club episode Hannah spoke to Ela Lee about her second novel Minbak. In this episode they discuss the parts of South Korean history Ela wanted to explore for this novel, the research process, how 150,000 words were deleted prior to writing this book, mothers and daughters and so much more. For further reading and sources, head to the Afterword of Minbak where Ela has kindly provided the books and sources she used to write this novel.  You can buy Minbak here.  You can buy Jaded here.  You can follow Ela via Instagram or Substack.  You can follow us via Instagram, X & Tik Tok. Books & other mentions in this episode:  The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo Human Acts by Han Kang Painkiller (Netflix) Dopesick (BBC Iplayer) Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    43 min
  2. S7. Debut Spotlight-5. Bar Fridman-Tell (Blodeuwedd, Body Horror & Epigraphs)

    MAR 25

    S7. Debut Spotlight-5. Bar Fridman-Tell (Blodeuwedd, Body Horror & Epigraphs)

    For the next instalment in our Debut Spotlight series, Hannah was joined by author Bar Fridman-Tell to discuss her debut novel Honeysuckle. In this episode they discuss autonomy, ecological body horror, the welsh myth that inspired this story, lots of book recommendations 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 Bar via Instagram & www.barfridmantell.com Books & other mentions in this episode: The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman Sinners (2025) Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield Sylvia Plath- Poetry The Brides by Charlotte Cross The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula Homebound by Portia Elan Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers Deathbringer by Sonia Tagliareni Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    41 min
  3. S7. Debut Spotlight-4. Jess Shannon (Unnamed Narrators, Stylistic Imitation & The Obsession with Cleaning)

    MAR 18

    S7. Debut Spotlight-4. Jess Shannon (Unnamed Narrators, Stylistic Imitation & The Obsession with Cleaning)

    For our next instalment in our Debut Spotlight series, Hannah was joined by author of Cleaner, Jess Shannon. In this episode they discuss the book that directly influenced this novel, unnamed narrators and stream-of-consciousness, George Saunders' writing advice & Ru Paul's Drag Race... lots to unpack! 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 Jess via Instagram & jessshannonauthor.com Books & other mentions in this episode: You Are Here by David Nicholls Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding The Secret Diary & Growing Pains of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ by Sue Townsend Petite Fleur by Iosi Havilio Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino The Secret History by Donna Tartt Miranda (BBC) RuPaul's Drag Race (UK) Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    52 min
  4. S7. Debut Spotlight-3. Charlotte Cross (The Brides of Dracula, Psychics & Sapphic Relationships in Historical Fiction)

    MAR 11

    S7. Debut Spotlight-3. Charlotte Cross (The Brides of Dracula, Psychics & Sapphic Relationships in Historical Fiction)

    For the latest instalment in our Debut Spotlight series, Hannah was joined by author Charlotte Cross to discuss her debut novel The Brides. In this episode they discuss the spark of inspiration that led to this novel, building the backstory of the Brides of Dracula, writing historical fiction for the modern reader, book recommendations plus lots 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 Charlotte via Instagram.  Buy The Brides here. Books & other mentions in this episode: Dracula by Bram Stoker Alfred King of the English by Carola Oman Who Is Dracula's Father? by John Sutherland Longbourn by Jo Baker The Vampire Diaries Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu The Vampyre by John Polidori Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    43 min
  5. Anna Brook-Mitchell (Live @ Serenity Booksellers): Child-free by Choice, Screenwriting & Guernsey

    MAR 4

    Anna Brook-Mitchell (Live @ Serenity Booksellers): Child-free by Choice, Screenwriting & Guernsey

    For today's episode Hannah was joined by Anna Brook-Mitchell to discuss her amazing debut novel Motherfaker, this episode was recorded live at Serenity Booksellers as part of Anna's UK book tour.  In this episode they discuss the difference between screenwriting & novel writing, representing life in Guernsey, the discussion around being childfree by choice plus lots 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. Buy Anna's book here. Watch Anna's short film Man Eater here. Books & other mentions in this episode:  A Sociopath's Guide To A Successful Marriage by M.K Oliver Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian Matilda by Roald Dahl Dandelion is Dead by Rosie Storey The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    48 min
  6. February Book Club with Michelle Steinbeck: Femicide, Family Estrangement & The Writer/Translator Relationship

    FEB 25

    February Book Club with Michelle Steinbeck: Femicide, Family Estrangement & The Writer/Translator Relationship

    For our February Book Club episode Hannah was joined by author Michelle Steinbeck to discuss her latest novel Favorita, which you can buy here. Favorita was translated by writer/translator Jen Calleja, you can follow her work here.  In this episode, Hannah and Michelle discuss the writer/translator relationship, how Shame shows up in this novel, the misogyny experienced by the female characters in this book plus so 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.  Books & other mentions in this episode: My Father was a Man on Land and a Whale in the Water by Michelle Steinbeck, translated by Jen Calleja Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima, translated by Geraldine Harcourt Love, Loosha: The Letters of Lucia Berlin & Kenward Elmslie, edited by Chip Livingston A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin Franz Kafka Daniil Kharms Elena Ferrante Dacia Maraini Goliarda Sapienza Maggie Nelson Guestbook: Ghost Stories by Leanne Shapton My Work by Olga Ravn Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    46 min
  7. Books to Screen: Wuthering Heights with Catherine Airey

    FEB 21

    Books to Screen: Wuthering Heights with Catherine Airey

    For our fourth instalment in the Books to Screen series, Hannah was joined by author and friend of the pod Catherine Airey to discuss the adaptation of the moment - Wuthering Heights! This film has attracted so much attention and has been at the centre of the cultural conversation in the last week so it would have been silly not to cover this in this series. In this episode, Hannah and Catherine discuss the controversial casting of a white actor as Heathcliff, whether this was a faithful adaptation or fan fiction, our thoughts on Nelly as a villain, Isabella's new trajectory plus so 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 buy Catherine's novel here or you can pre-order the paperback here.  You can follow Catherine via Instagram.  Buy tickets for Catherine's upcoming event with Roxy Dunn here.  Books & other mentions in this episode:  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Twilight I Capture The Castle (2003) I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith The Idiot by Elif Batuman As Young As This by Roxy Dunn The Odyssey (2026) Vladimir (2026) Margo's Got Money Troubles (2026) The Rachel Incident (Upcoming) Anna Karenina (2012) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Wuthering Heights (2011) Wuthering Heights (1939) Promising Young Woman (2020) Saltburn (2023) Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett- Wuthering Heights / Class article 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 6m
  8. Rhiannon Lucy Coslett, author of 'Female, Nude' on Art, Motherhood & Wealth Divides in Friendships

    FEB 18

    Rhiannon Lucy Coslett, author of 'Female, Nude' on Art, Motherhood & Wealth Divides in Friendships

    For today's episode Hannah was joined by author Rhiannon Lucy Coslett to discuss her latest novel Female, Nude. In this episode they discuss the choice to become a mother, Rhiannon's research into various female & non-binary artists whose art was impacted by motherhood, wealth divides in friendships, the beauty of Greece plus lots 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 Rhiannon via Instagram. Books & other mentions in this episode:  Artists & works referenced in Female, Nude The Year of the Cat by Rhiannon Lucy Coslett The Republic of Parenthood by Rhiannon Lucy Coslett The Tyranny of Lost Things by Rhiannon Lucy Coslett The Original by Nell Stevens Sarah Waters Bad Sex in Fiction Awards Bad Behaviour by Mary Gaitskill Elena Ferrante The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (BBC) 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
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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
    190
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Hannah MacDonald
  • Show Website
    A Pair of Bookends

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