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

    1D AGO

    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
  2. Books to Screen: The Taming of The Shrew/10 Things I Hate About You with Sophie Crawford

    6D AGO

    Books to Screen: The Taming of The Shrew/10 Things I Hate About You with Sophie Crawford

    For our third instalment in the Books to Screen series, author/musician Sophie Crawford joins us to discuss a very unique adaptation, Shakespeare's The Taming of The Shrew to Ten Things I Hate About You (1999). In this episode Hannah and Sophie discuss how it's unbelievable that the play is considered a comedy, the sexism and misogyny in the play and the film, the romcom magic the film has, the various castings plus 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 Sophie's debut novel here. You can follow Sophie via sophiecrawford.co.uk & Instagram. Books & other mentions in this episode:  The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Faust - Jan Švankmajer (1994) Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman Call Me By Your Name (2017) Clueless (1995) Dykes To Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel Fun Home by Alison Bechdel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Wuthering Heights (2026) Hamnet (2025) Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell Tales of The City by Armistead Maupin Tales of The City (2019) Michelle Tea Peter Panic by James Baldwin Watership Down by Richard Adams Watership Down (1978) Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    54 min
  3. S7. Debut Spotlight-2. Elspeth Wilson (Journaling, Dark Academia & Secret Societies)

    FEB 11

    S7. Debut Spotlight-2. Elspeth Wilson (Journaling, Dark Academia & Secret Societies)

    In today's instalment of our Debut Spotlight series Hannah chats to author Elspeth Wilson about her debut novel These Mortal Bodies. In this episode they discuss how beneficial journaling is to the creative process, the messiness of grief, setting the novel at an elite university and the secret societies that can be found there plus some excellent book recs. 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 Elspeth via Substack & Instagram. Books & other mentions in this episode:  How It Works Out by Myriam Lacroix She's Always Hungry by Eliza Clark https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/girls-only-drinking-societies-dark-academia The Secret History by Donna Tartt Venus Fly Trap by Emma Medrano https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/elspeth-wilson-shares-her-favourite-dark-academia-reads?&new-list-page=true 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-1. Rebecca Ferrier (Cornish Folklore, Eldest Daughters & DnD Inspo)

    FEB 4

    S7. Debut Spotlight-1. Rebecca Ferrier (Cornish Folklore, Eldest Daughters & DnD Inspo)

    For the first episode in Season 7 of our Debut Spotlight series Hannah spoke to Rebecca Ferrier about her debut novel The Salt Bind. They discuss her writing journey, how a D&D actor inspired one of her characters, Cornish folklore 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 Rebecca via Instagram & TikTok Books & other mentions in this episode: Solace House by Will Maclean The Folklore of Cornwall by Ronald. M James Practical Magic (1998) Dimension 20- Podcast BBC- The Reith Lectures - Hilary Mantel   Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    54 min
  5. Books to Screen: The Secret History with Emily Goulding

    JAN 30

    Books to Screen: The Secret History with Emily Goulding

    For our second instalment of Books to Screen, Emily Goulding joins us to discuss the adaptation that got away... The Secret History. In this episode Hannah & Emily discuss the failed attempts to adapt this hugely popular novel, what they loved about the book, why Emily thinks The Goldfinch didn't work as an adaptation + lots of recommendations! 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 Emily via Instagram  Read her reviews here: Times Literary Supplement, Irish Times Books & other mentions in this ep: The Secret History by Donna Tartt My Brilliant Friend- NowTV A Series of Unfortunate Events - Netflix Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) Chlorine by Jade Song Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield Shark Heart by Emily Habeck Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney Normal People by Sally Rooney Normal People (BBC) Shirley Jackson The Haunting of Hill House Hamnet (2025) The Goldfinch (2019) The Pitt (2025) The Girlfriend (2025) Weapons (2025) BBC Radio 4 Book Club Podcast- Donna Tartt (2014) Zero to Well-Read Podcast- The Secret History Once Upon a Time... at Bennington College Podcast Frida Slattery As Herself by Ana Kinsella The Tower by Thea Lenarduzzi Swimming Studies by Leanne Shapton Heart the Lover by Lily King Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild The Age of Calamities by Senaa Ahmad The Book of Mysteries by Rebecca Tamás 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. Roxy Dunn, author of 'Wants and Needs' on Rejection, Ethical Non-Monogamy & Mothers and Daughters

    JAN 28

    Roxy Dunn, author of 'Wants and Needs' on Rejection, Ethical Non-Monogamy & Mothers and Daughters

    Joining Hannah for today's episode is returning guest, Roxy Dunn. Roxy appeared on the podcast back in 2024 to dicuss her incredible debut novel As Young As This and she's back now to talk about her second novel Wants and Needs (spoiler free ofc!) They discuss what drew Roxy to exploring modern dating through the lens of ethical non-monogamy (in her writing), what she's learnt from rejection, the mother/daughter relationship + 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 Roxy via Instagram. Books & other mentions in this episode:  Wants and Needs by Roxy Dunn As Young As This by Roxy Dunn Alison by Lizzy Stewart The Wreck by Lizzy Stewart People in Love by Claire Daverley Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason Everyone I know is Dying by Emily Slapper New York Times' The Book Review: 'The Correspondent' Author Virginia Evans On Her Breakout Year The Correspondent by Virginia Evans Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    34 min
  7. Books to Screen: Hamnet with Emma Hinds

    JAN 23

    Books to Screen: Hamnet with Emma Hinds

    Welcome to our first episode of Books to Screen, to kick us off author and friend of the pod Emma Hinds has joined us to deep dive into one of the most anticipated adaptations, Hamnet.  In this episode Hannah and Emma discuss the differences between the book and the film, the scenes they loved, the scenes they missed and Emma puts their historical fiction writer cap on and talks about some historical inaccuracies in the film. Aswell as this, Emma reveals some of their own favourite adaptations and castings, we hope you enjoy!  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 Emma via Instagram, Tumblr & Patreon Buy Emma's books: The Knowing, The Quick and The Dead & Witchlore Books & other mentions in this ep:  Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell Hamnet (2025) War & Peace (BBC) Wolf Hall (BBC) Pride and Prejudice (BBC) All of Us Strangers (2023) Strangers by Taichi Yamada Little Women (2019) Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Enola Holmes (Netflix) Earlyfate by Nat Reeve Nettleblack by Nat Reeve Serenity Booksellers H is For Hawk (2025) H is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald The Odyssey (2026) The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Persuasion (2022) Julia Armfield Lucy Rose The Betrayal of Thomas True by A J West The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore The Essex Serpent (2022) The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell Pre-order Nightcurse by Emma Hinds (US) Pre-order Nightcurse by Emma Hinds (UK) One Day (2011) One Day (Netflix) 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 8m
  8. January Book Club with Grace Murray: Campus Novels, Deception & Penguin's WriteNow Scheme

    JAN 21

    January Book Club with Grace Murray: Campus Novels, Deception & Penguin's WriteNow Scheme

    Welcome back to our first Book Club episode of 2026, this month Hannah spoke to debut author Grace Murray about her novel Blank Canvas. They discuss how Grace balanced work, studies & writing this novel, writing advice for budding writers & her experience of being on Penguin's WriteNow scheme. They also discuss chat through campus novels, writers that inspire Grace, lies and deception and 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 follow Grace via Instagram.  Books & other mentions in this episode:  The Difficult Ghost: Searching For Truman Capote by Leila Guerriero Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor Real Life by Brandon Taylor The Secret History by Donna Tartt Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney Mrs. S by K. Patrick Small Rain by Garth Greenwell Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid Heated Rivalry (NowTV) Let us know thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!

    46 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
    183
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Hannah MacDonald
  • Show Website
    A Pair of Bookends

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