The Book Club Review

4.6 (125)
BOOKS
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Discussion, debate, even a little dispute – expect it all on The Book Club Review. Join host Kate and her guests as they explore contemporary and classic titles. From hyped new releases to word-of-mouth backlist tips, books are put to the book club test – do they live up to our expectations? Listen in for thoughtful insights, lively opinions and inspiration for your next great read.

16H AGO

The Bestseller Test • Are bestsellers worth the hype? • Episode #186

What makes a bestseller? Is it the quality of the writing, or just the right book at the right time? This week Kate is joined by co-host Laura Potter and returning guest Phil Chaffee to find out. Between us we've tackled six of the biggest bestsellers out there – Dan Brown's The Secret of Secrets, Freida McFadden's The Housemaid, Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary, Matt Dinnerman's Dungeon Crawler Carl, SenLinYu's Alchemised, and Sarah Adams' In Your Dreams – and we have some opinions. We're sharing our honest experiences of each one: what worked, what didn't, and whether these books truly earned their place on the bestseller lists. But this isn't just a round of verdicts. We're also pooling our recommendations for the bestsellers we genuinely think are worth your time, like The Correspondant by Virginia Evans – because there are some real gems out there among the hype. And as always, we round off with our current and upcoming reads. Press play to find out which bestsellers passed the test – and which ones didn't. Support the pod on Patreon Explore all the benefits of membership. Kate's weekly reading diary is available to free members. Paid tiers include ad-free episodes, extra shows, chat group access and our monthly book club at Patreon.com/thebookclubreview. Booklist You can also find all the books mentioned in The Book Club Review bookshop on Bookshop.org, the online bookstore that supports independent bookshops. The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn In Your Dreams by Sarah Adams Alchemized by SenLinYu Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir The Martian by Andy Weir Nobody's Fool by Harlen Cobden The Correspondant by Virginia Evans The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (Robin Buss) Rivals by Jilly Cooper The novels of Stephen King The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger The Smiley books by John Le Carre The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead The Night Always Comes by Willy Vlautin Ice by Jacek Dukaj (Author) , Ursula Phillips (Translator) The Virgin in the Garden by A.S. Byatt I'll Take The Fire by Leïla Slimani (also The Country of Others and Watch US Dance) Lullaby / The Perfect Nanny by Leïla Slimani Nearly Departed by Lucas Oakeley Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1h 10m
JAN 13

The New Year Reading Reset: Finding fresh inspiration with bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud • #185

New year, new intentions – but if you're in the northern hemisphere, January can feel less like renewal and more like the darkest, coldest stretch of endless winter. Maybe what you need isn't another resolution. Maybe you just need the right book. Ella Berthoud is an writer and an artist, but most importantly from our point of view a bibliotherapist. She has been prescribing fiction for life's ailments for over a decade. She co-wrote The Novel Cure, a brilliant guide that matches books to every psychological state and is packed with sound recommendations. Who better then to give me some great suggestions for avoiding the January blues. Join Kate and Ella as they talk about the questions that vex every reader: how do we find more time for reading? How do we escape reading slumps? And how can we read more deeply without it feeling like homework? Plus of course we're swapping lots of great book recommendations for January and the year ahead. Listen in for a shot of literary inspiration that might be just what you need. Booklist The Novel Cure by Ella Berthoud Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reed Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale Metamorphoses by Ovid Humanly Possible by Sarah Bakewell The Golden Ass by Apuleius A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter (Jane Degras) Dálvi by Laura Galloway The Artist by Lucy Steeds The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico Things: A Story of the Sixties by Georges Perec Sky Daddy by Kate Folk The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (Robin Buss) Find out more about Ella at ellaberthoud.com Find all the books mentioned in this episode in the Book Club Review Bookshop, on Bookshop UK, the online retailer that supports independent bookshops. Patreon Head to Patreon.com/thebookclubreview to join The Book Club Review community for book recommendations, readalongs, book club and, new for 2026, Kate’s Reading Diaries. You can also buy someone gift membership at https://www.patreon.com/thebookclubreview/gift Serious Readers Take advantage of the Serious Readers offer. Head to seriousreaders.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout for £150 off any HD light. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

54 min
12/23/2025

Favourite and Best: Our Books of 2025 • #184

We're celebrating the end of the year with a look back over our favourite reads of 2025, from new releases to backlist gems, best book club books, best non-fiction, best comfort reads and more. Between us we read over 350 books in 2025. Listen in to hear the ones we loved best. We've also got a radical new idea for a book club involving cold-water swimming and the works of Robert B. Parker, and how to embrace DNFing without guilt. Join us for recommendations to see you through the festive season and set your new reading year off in style. With Phil Chaffee and Sarah Oliver Serious Readers Take advantage of Serious Readers offer. Head to seriousreaders.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout for £150 off any HD light. Patreon Head to Patreon.com/thebookclubreview for all the benefits of membership and how to sign up. You can also buy someone gift membership at https://www.patreon.com/thebookclubreview/gift Booklist Mother Mary Come to Me by Arundhati Roy The Silver Book by Olivia Laing Crudo by Olivia Laing Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngoze Adiche The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai Heart the Lover by Lily King Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard Pet Sematary by Stephen King You Dreamed of Empires by Alvaro Enrigue Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart Lake Shore by Gary Shteyngart Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chisholm The First Man by Albert Camus Robert B. Parker novels Question 7 by Richard Flanagan The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Muybridge by Guy Delisle The Sense & Sensibility Diaries by Emma Thompson The Lockwood & Co novels by Jonathan Stroud The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple Maurice and Marilyn, or A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhurst Agent Zo by Clare Mulley The Devil Two Step by Jamie Quattro Train Dreams by Denis Johnston Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnston The Director by Daniel Kelman We Do Not Part by Han Kang How to End a Story by Helen Garner (3 volume diaries collection) The Children’s Bach by Helen Garner This House of Grief by Helen Garner Eucalyptus by Murray Bail Wild Thing by Sue Prideaux Nonesuch by Francis Spufford Pet Sematary 1983 cover See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1h 20m
12/09/2025

Between the Lines: The Art of the Diary • Episode #183

'I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train' wrote Oscar Wilde, in the Importance of Being Ernest. In this episode Kate is joined by critic, editor and podcaster Lucy Scholes and regular pod guest Phil Chaffee to explore the intimate world of diaries. Can immersing ourselves in the details of other people's lives offer us valuable insight into how to fully appreciate the passing moments of our own? From gossipy self-mythologising Samuel Pepys right up to the present with the experimentation of Sheila Heti's Alphabetical Diaries, and the beauty and hard-won insight of Helen Garner's Baillie Gifford prize-winning diaries. Also not to be missed, living it up Vanity Fair style through the glitz and glamour of 80s New York, with Tina Brown. And if you enjoy this conversation don't miss Part II, over on the Patreon, where we swap notes on our favourite fictional diaries, consider the diaries we'd love to read if they had only been published and share some thoughts on our own diary keeping. You'll find that episode plus lots of benefits including ad-free listening, extra episodes, our community of readers and the pod book club over at patreon.com/thebookclubreview. And to take advantage of that Serious Readers offer of £150 off any HD light head to serious readers.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout. Book list The Private Life of the Diary by Sally Bayley The Paris Review They by Kay Dick Lord Jim at Home by Dinah Brooke Love Life of a Cheltenham Lady by Dinah Brooke Part of the Story by Margaret Busby Woman Alive by Susan Ertz Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista Look Closer by Robert Douglas Fairhurst The Correspondent by Virginia Evans The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Robert Latham (ed) The Diaries of Virginia Woolf How To End a Story by Helen Garner Henry Chips Channon: The Diaries The James Lees Milne diaries Writing Home by Alan Bennett There and Back: 1999–2009 by Michael Palin The Vanity Fair Diaries 1983–1992 by Tina Brown End of a Berlin Diary by William L. Shirer War in Val D'Orcia by Iris Origo Russian Journal by Andrea Lee Beloved Son Felix: Coming of Age in the Renaissance by Felix Platter Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati Modern Nature by Derek Jarman Pharmacopeia by Derek Jarman Went to London, Took the Dog by Nina Stibbe Alphabetical Diaries by Sheila Heti A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1h 11m
11/13/2025

The 2025 Booker Prize: From Shortlist to Spotlight • #182

Explore this year's Booker Prize shortlist on the latest episode of the Book Club Review! Hosts Kate and Laura and contributors Phil Chaffee and Martin Vovk discuss and debate the six shortlisted novels. Listen in to hear our predictions, and then find out our reaction to the winner as we listen in to the live Booker Prize ceremony. We won't spoil the plots for you, just whet your appetite to read some or all of the books, all of which make for brilliant discussion. Booklist Paddy Clark, Ha, H, Ha by Roddy Doyle Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Flesh by David Szalay All That Man Is by David Szalay Starling House by Alex E. Harrow Any Human Heart by William Boyd The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markowits Carmageddon by Daniel Knowles You Don't Have To Live Like This by Ben Markowits Oh William by Elizabeth Strout All Fours by Miranda July The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai Audition by Katie Kitamura Orbital by Samantha Harvey Flashlight by Susan Choi Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick Pachinko by Min Jin Lee The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga Prophet Song by Paul Lynch Seascraper by Benjamin Wood Booker Longlist episode Episode 181 of The Book Club Review Links A Good Read: Colm Toibin and Zadie Smith discuss Flesh Martin's Eyes On the Prize blog Browse Martin's archive and discover his extensive reviews (including The Women's Prize) here. Patreon Head to www.patreon.com/thebookclubreview for all the benefits (extra shows, readalongs, book club and more) and how to sign up. Serious Readers To take advantage of the special offer code for any Serious Readers HD Essential Reading Light head to SeriousReaders.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout Instagram Follow Kate for updates between shows @bookclubreviewpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1h 29m
10/25/2025

Beyond the Shortlist: The 2025 Booker Longlist titles worth your time • #181

In which Kate is joined by pod regular, journalist Phil Chaffee and Professor Elizabeth Eva Leach. Both read over 200 books a year, and their reading stacks this year have included the Booker longlist. And so who better to consider the books that didn't make the final cut – but which are, notwithstanding, the 'best' books selected from over 150 submitted titles. As we know, really great books can get overlooked for the shortlist. Consider Trust by Hernan Diaz, longlisted but not shortlisted, or, going further back Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and before that Penelope Fitzgerald's miraculous novel The Blue Flower. The fallibility of the judging process thus proven let's leave no stone unturned in considering this year's selection. Did the judges overlook a new favourite read? The Booker Prize is announced on 10th November and we'll be recording an episode on the shortlist on the night. Coming soon! Booklist Misinterpretation by Ledia Xhoga Seascraper by Benjamin Wood Endling by Maria Reva One Boat by Jonathan Buckley The Outline Trilogy by Rachel Cusk The Rough Guide to Venice and the Veneto Universality by Natasha Brown The South by Tash Aw Love Forms by Claire Adam Barn 8 by Deb Olin Unferth The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai Patreon Head to www.patreon.com/thebookclubreview for all the benefits (extra shows, readalongs, book club and more) and how to sign up, and know that you'll be supporting a show that takes a lot of time and love to make. Serious Readers To take advantage of the special offer code for any Serious Readers HD Essential Reading Light head to SeriousReaders.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout Instagram Follow Kate for updates between shows @bookclubreviewpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1h 4m
10/19/2025

Autumn bookshelf, with Kate & Laura • Episode #180

In this episode: Kate and Laura are catching up on their pre-Booker season reading. Did You Are Here by David Nicholls make Laura want to lace up her walking boots? How did Kate get on with A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chisholm, a page-turning account that explores a side of the city that tourists never see. We're also reporting back on book club reads Mouthing by Orla Mackey and The Pretender by Jo Harkin. Mix in the enjoyment of Curtis Sittenfeld's latest collection of short stories, and the all-too relevant classic Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and that's our Autumn bookshelf. Books mentioned You Are Here and One Day by David Nicholls The Wedding People by Alison Espach A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chisholm Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky Your Life and Other Stories and Exhalations by Ted Chiang The Left-Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Mouthing by Orla Mackey Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout Every One Still Here by Liadan ní Chuinn The Pretender by Jo Harkin The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller Sky Daddy by Kate Folk The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovitz You Don't Have To Live Like This by Benjamin Markovitz Serious Readers Book Club Review listeners get £150 off any HD Essential Reading Light, plus free UK delivery. Go to SeriousReaders.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout. It's completely risk-free with a 30-day home trial. If you don't feel the difference, they'll collect it for free and fully refund you. Patreon Support the show on Patreon and get ad-free episodes, extra shows, chat groups, book clubs and readalongs. Head to patreon.com/thebookclubreview to find out all the benefits and how to sign up. Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

48 min
10/11/2025

Book Club: Universality and Sparks of Bright Matter • Episode #179

Book Club: Universality by Natasha Brown & Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O'Donnell Welcome to The Book Club Review! In this episode, Laura joins Kate to dive into two book club picks: Natasha Brown's much-anticipated second novel, Universality, and the debut Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O'Donnell. In this episode: Kate and Laura catch up on their current reads, including Sky Daddy by Kate Folk and A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett, before diving into a discussion of Universality. How did it compare to Brown's acclaimed debut Assembly, and did the satirical style, bold narrative choices, and themes of media, class, and culture wars work for our book club. We then move on to Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O'Donnell, an historical tale of alchemy set across 18th-century London and Ireland. We're exploring the vivid sense of place and real-life inspirations behind the story, but did the many different characters and story arcs knit together? We're also meeting Kristina Ambrosia, who offers a creative twist on book club with her "Graffiti Book Club," where members are encouraged to write, doodle, and annotate in their books before passing them around. All that plus our current reads and community updates on how to join the Book Club Review Patreon, participate in chat groups, and readalongs. Books mentioned: Universality by Natasha Brown Assembly by Natasha Brown Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O'Donnell Sky Daddy by Kate Folk A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett Katabasis by R. F. Kuang Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal The Women by Kristin Hannah Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer Just Kids by Patti Smith All Fours by Miranda July Theory and Practice by Michelle de Kretser And more! Links & Extras: Special offer for Serious Readers HD Essential Reading Lights: visit seriousreaderscom/bcr and use code BCR at checkout. Join the Book Club Review community on Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and monthly book club meetings: patreon.com/thebookclubreview Follow on Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast or email thebookclubreview@gmail.com If you enjoyed the show, please share it with friends or leave a review – your support helps us reach more book lovers! Happy reading! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

54 min

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TRAILER

Introducing The Book Club Review

We love books, we love book clubs, and so we created a show dedicated to both. We review the books read most recently by our own book clubs. We interview people about their book clubs to get tips and tricks. And finally we pull together great recommendations to make your next book club book your best yet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

06/02/2018

•

3 min

4.6

out of 5

125 Ratings

More episodes please. The best book podcast!

06/16/2025

por venezuela

I am a bookworm and follow many many book related podcasts and this is my absolute favorite. They give great book recommendations and reviews but in an easy but intelligent and knowledgeable way. It’s fun but also well done and informed. I wish they put out more episodes more frequently. I also wish they would go into non Anglo literature much more often.
What's wrong with Americans

11/15/2025

Anerannoy

I listen to this podcast while driving. Of course I miss some since my first priority is the road. I keep hearing negative remarks man out Americans. Like it's less exotic When the Americans enjoy a book, etc. should I remove myself from this automatic download. I do not want to listen to a podcast about wonderful books and hear about Americans lack of i intelligence and culture.
Hunting and Gathering

06/12/2025

ansleystreetpress

Thank you for bringing this book up in your movie adaptation episode. I love that book so much. I have my copy away, and realized how much I miss it in my bookshelf. I ordered a copy this week.
One of the best!

11/17/2024

kmvandergrift

The Book Club Review podcast is one of my favorite book podcasts. . . .ever. The books and content presented are several notches above the usual commercial “literature” found on other popular book podcasts.