The Bookcast Club

We welcome Chris back to the pod this month to discuss the Booker 2026 shortlist. What did we make of this years prize, who do we predict to win, who do we really think shouldn't?! Let us know your winner and what you thought of this year's prize in the comments or on socials.Get in touchInstagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTubeSupport The Bookcast ClubYou can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include 'close friends' feed on Instagram, book club, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post.If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi.A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.NewsletterSign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Books mentioned The Hotel by Daisy JohnsonDark Matter by Michelle PaverThin Air by Michelle PaverWhat Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher Wolf Worm by T.KingfisherThe Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham JonesThe Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham JonesCackle by Rebecca HarrisonKiss, Slay, Reply by Rebecca HarrisonOf the FleshJapanese Gothic by Kylie Lee BakerThe Hill in the Dark Grove by Liam HigginsonBoys in the Valley by Philip FracassiNever Whistle at NightFawn by CN VairThe Luminous Dead by Caitlin StarlingMovies mentionedResident Evil (2026)ObsessionBackroomsHeart EyesWerewolves WithinGet in touchInstagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTubeSupport The Bookcast ClubYou can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include 'close friends' feed on Instagram, book club, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.NewsletterSign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We had the pleasure of  @KeriBooks  joining us on the pod this month to chat all things memoir with  @JennyKing  With a penchant for cults, death, narrative gimmicks and celebrity memoirs, we hope we've lightened the tone with a few dogs thrown in there too! Also, Sarah actually loved Enlightenment by Sarah Perry! Jenny is a fool.Books mentioned Room Above a Shop by Anthony ShaplandAll the Dogs of My Life by Elizabeth von ArminBook of Lives by Margaret AtwoodFamesick by Lena DunhamA Truce that is Not Peace by Miriam ToevsDon't Let it Break You, Honey by Jenny EvansGrief is for People by Sloane CrosleyArrangements in Blue by Amy KeyUnprotected by Billy PorterDeath of an Ordinary Man by Sarah PerryVagabond by Tim CurryThe Make Believe by Hannah MurrayDogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About by Isabel KleeGhost Stories by Siri HustfedtThe Museum of Lost and Fragile Things by Suzanne JoinsonGet in touchInstagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTubeSupport The Bookcast ClubYou can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include 'close friends' feed on Instagram, book club, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.NewsletterSign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode, from February 2023, was a special request from a listener. Sarah and Jenny discuss their experiences with grief and recommend some reads, we promise it's not completely depressing! That being said we do discuss cancer, miscarriage, suicide, sudden death and more, so if you find these topics upsetting then please do give this episode a miss. We hope you enjoy the episode and if you've got any other special requests send them our way!Books mentioned New Animal by Ella BaxterThe Spare Room by Helen GarnerPast Mortems by Carla ValentineWith the End in Mind by Katherine MannixFrom Here to Eternity: Travelling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty Sky Burial by XinranTiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl StrayedThis I Know: Notes on Unravelling the Heart by Susannah ConwayGrief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter LinksCaitlin Doughty (Ask a Mortician) YouTube Tiny Beautiful Things episodeGrief is the Thing with Feathers episode Griefcast with Kathryn MannixGet in touchInstagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTubeSupport The Bookcast ClubYou can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include 'close friends' feed on Instagram, book club, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.NewsletterSign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jenny, Belle and Sarah share their favourite books of the year so far and a few honourable mentions.Books mentionedThe Fate of Mary Rose by Caroline BlackwoodMonsters by Emerald FennellEnlightenment by Sarah PerryMemorial Days by Geraldine BrooksAlways Home Always Homesick by Hannah KentI Feel Bad About my Neck by Nora EphronGrief is the Thing With Feathers by Max PorterMinor Black Figures by Brandon TaylorThe Correspondent by Virginia EvansA Long Game by Elizabeth McCrackenGet in touchInstagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTubeSupport The Bookcast ClubYou can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include 'close friends' feed on Instagram, book club, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.NewsletterSign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jenny, Belle and Sarah try to predict the winner of this year's Women's Prize for Fiction. We share our thoughts on each of the shortlisted books and give you our favourites and winning predictions. We've got this episode out ahead of time for once, so will we be right? We also want to give away a Bookcast Club exclusive hoodie to one lucky listener. Listen to April's episode for the answer and fill in this entry form for your chance to win.Get in touchInstagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTubeSupport The Bookcast ClubYou can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include 'close friends' feed on Instagram, book club, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.NewsletterSign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We welcome friend of the pod Cobby this month to discuss the classic book Wuthering Heights and how it compares to the 2026 movie "Wuthering Heights" by Emerald Fennell. Are we team Heathcliff or Martin Clunes? We also want to give away a Bookcast Club exclusive hoodie to one lucky listener. Listen to April's episode for the answer and fill in this entry form for your chance to win.Get in touchInstagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTubeSupport The Bookcast ClubYou can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.NewsletterSign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our very first episode of the year, Jenny, Belle and Sarah are back and we’re kicking things off with a big update! We’re moving away from seasons and switching to a monthly episode format, and in this episode we chat through why the change felt right for us (and hopefully for you too).Alongside that, it’s a proper catch-up - what we’ve been reading, what we’ve been loving, and how our reading year is shaping up so far. Expect plenty of bookish tangents, honest thoughts, and the usual cosy, conversational vibes as we ease into a new year of the podcast.We’ll also be sharing more over on our Patreon each month, alongside the main episodes, if you’d like to support the show and get extra content, you can join us here: https://www.patreon.com/c/bookcastclubBooks mentioned in this episode:The Fate of Mary Rose — Caroline O’DonoghueThe Correspondent — Virginia EvansMemorial Day — Geraldine BrooksWild Dark Shore — Charlotte McConaghyThe Rose Field — Philip PullmanAlways Home, Always Homesick — Hannah KentAudition — Katie KitamuraElegy, Southwest — Madeleine WattsLove, Sex and Frankenstein — Caroline LeaDeath in Her Hands — Ottessa MoshfeghGet in touchInstagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTubeSupport The Bookcast ClubYou can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.NewsletterSign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jenny and Sarah chat about their favourite reads of 2025, along with some great recommendations from listeners What have your standout reads of 2025 been? Are any of these on your TBR? Books mentioned:Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady HendrixAll the Lovers in the Night by Mieko KawakamA Room Above a Shop by Anthony ShaplandThe Safekeep by Yael van der WoudenThe Good People by Hannah KentThe Dance Tree by Kiran Milwood HargraveMuckle Flugga by Michael PedersenRipeness by Sarah MossMy Good Bright Wolf by Sarah MossBunny by Mona AwadWe Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad Almost Life by Kiran Milwood Hargrave I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdyThe Book of Dust trilogy by Philip Pullman Seascraper by Benjamin WoodAs Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers Get in touchInstagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTubeSupport The Bookcast ClubYou can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. You can now try our Patreon FREE for 7 days. If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.NewsletterSign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah and Jenny discuss the recent release of Wicked: For Good and how it compares to the book. The book is dark and complex, a strong contrast to the book. They discuss what they loved and hated about the film, and what was gained or lost in the translation from Gregory Maguire's Wicked. Have you read the book and/or seen the film? What did you think? Get in touchInstagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTubeSupport The Bookcast ClubYou can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. You can now try our Patreon FREE for 7 days. If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.NewsletterSign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.