The Book Club Review

The Booker judges have made their choices, and six novels have made it through to the shortlist. But what about the books left behind?In this episode, Kate is joined by regular-contributor Phil Chaffee, and Elizabeth Eva Leach and Charlotte Kearsley (both Patreon members) to give the best-of-the-rest their moment in the spotlight. Between them, they've read their way through the Booker dozen, now it's time for their full and frank reviews.If the books on the longlist have one thing in common, Elizabeth thinks, it's a preoccupation with the idea of the failure of knowledge, while Charlotte noticed a split between authors who chose to be highly specific, and others who resisted doing that, which was a characteristic of many of the books on the list. Leaving no stone unturned, we're considering all seven books that didn't make the shortlist and singling out those books we don't want listeners to miss.And of course we're taking a brief look at favourites from the shortlist and thoughts on the potential winner. This is Part One of our Booker coverage. Coming soon Part Two: our discussion of the six shortlisted novels, and then our reaction to the winner.Books discussedThe Shadow of the Object – Chloe AridjisSwitzy – Emma ClineHelen of Nowhere – Makenna GoodmanThe Renovation – Kenan OrhanThe Palm House – Gwendoline RileyAll Them Dogs – Djamel WhiteThe Vivisectors – Missouri WilliamsOther books mentionedThe Rouse – China MiévilleThe Power Broker – Robert A. CaroThe Guest, Daddy and The Girls – Emma ClineMilkman – Anna BurnsHello Phantoms and First Love – Gwendoline RileyThe Finkler Question – Howard JacobsonFlesh – David SzalayConsider supporting the pod for a whole range of benefits, from book club membership to extra episodes, ad free listening and community membership. Find all the details and how to sign up at Patreon.com/thebookclubreviewSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kate and Laura are back and diving in to two book club reads, one recent release and one modern classic. Transcription by Ben Lerner was published earlier this year to much critical fanfare. It's a playful, intellectually ambitious exploration of writing, memory, technology and the slippery relationship between fiction and reality. When the narrator's phone fails to record his final interview with an eminent cultural figure, he reconstructs the conversation from memory. But does the truth of an encounter depend on an accurate transcript? And what happens when a novel begins to fold back on itself?We discuss Lerner's auto-fictional project, his fascination with the act of writing, the glass flowers at Harvard's Natural History Museum, and whether Lerner's novels are genuinely profound or sometimes guilty of taking themselves a little too seriously. Laura’s book club, meanwhile headed back to the mid-20th century with Dorothy Baker’s classic Cassandra at the Wedding, a brilliantly funny, unsettling and surprisingly contemporary novella about an intensely self-absorbed young woman determined to prevent her identical twin sister from getting married. With its claustrophobic family setting, unreliable narrator, dark comedy and complicated portrait of sisterly love, it's a novel that raises questions about identity, dependence, artistic ambition and the difficulty of allowing the people we love to become themselves – but what did Laura's book club make of it? As ever in addition to the book club catch up we’re also swapping notes on recent reads and upcoming plans, including diving in to the Booker prize shortlist – the most enticing, we both agree, in years. Notes and books mentionedThe Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models at Harvard A Portrait of the Artist as an Artist Portraying the Artist by Nathan Anthony WestIndiana by George SandBriefly, A Delicious Life by Nell StevensThe Romantics by Pankaj MishraA Place of Greater Safety by Hilary MantelThe Great Dictator by Matthew SweetWhen the Going was Good by Graydon CarterReading Lolita in Tehran by Azar NafisiJoin The Book Club Review on PatreonBecome a subscriber for extra episodes, access to our community chat groups, and the chance to join our monthly podcast book club.Our next reads are A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch (October '26) and Helm by Sarah Hall (November '26).Find out more at patreon.com/thebookclubreviewThe Book Club Review is a podcast about books, book clubs and the books that get people talking.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s the end of summer, so Kate and Laura are looking back over their holiday reading, the books they loved, the ones that disappointed them, and the unexpected discoveries that made their reading lists longer rather than shorter.We talk about Alex E. Harrow’s huge fantasy novel The Everlasting, and why it turned out to be a surprisingly divisive read. Kate reports back on her pick from the Booker longlist, The Palm House by Gwendolyn Riley. She's also recently completed The Power Broker, Robert Caro's iconic book on New York master-builder Robert Moses, but was it worth the read? She's also discussing The Silver Book, Olivia Laing's most recent work of fiction. In Pankaj Mishra’s The Romantics, Laura found an interesting book club choice, while Kate's flagging up Vladimir by Julia May Jonas, and while on the campus novel theme she also read Joanna Miller’s The Eights, set in 1920s Oxford. Laura wraps things up with the wonderfully atmospheric The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo.But there’s more as pod-regular Phil Chaffee joins us with two of his favourite summer reads, Sue Prideaux’s Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin and Bret Easton Ellis’s The Shards.As summer comes to an end, we’re also looking ahead to Booker season, with the shortlist just around the corner and plenty more reading on the horizon.PatreonCome and find the pod on Patreon at patreon.com/thebookclubreviewKeep up with the pod between shows on Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcastFor all other information and our episode archive find The Book Club Review online at thebookclubreview.co.ukComplete booklistThe Power Broker by Robert CaroGideon the Ninth by Tamsyn MuirThe Everlasting by Alex E. HarrowThe Calculation of Volume by Solvej BalleStarling House by Alex E. HarrowJonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna ClarkeThe Palm House by Gwendolyn RileyFamesick by Lena DunhamMy Phantoms by Gwendolyn RileyThe Silver Book by Olivia LaingThe Garden Against Time by Olivia LaingCrudo by Olivia LaingThe Romantics by Pankaj MishraThe Golden Mean by Annabel LyonFathers & Sons by Ivan TurgenevThe Heart of the Nhaga by Lee Young-do (Anton Hur)Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt DinnermanLand by Maggie O’FarrellThe Chair (Netflix)Monsters by Claire DedererVladimir by Julia May JonasThe Eights by Joanna MillerThe Night Tiger and The Fox Wife by Yangsze ChooThe Digital Critic: Literary Culture Online (Houman Barekat, Robert Barry and David Winters, eds.)When We Talk About Love by Carl WilsonTimecodes for the time-poor00:00 — Welcome & summer reading02:00 — What did we actually read this summer?Holiday reading plans, library books and the perennial problem of taking too many books away with you.04:00 — The Everlasting by Alex E. HarrowTime loops, quests and a very divided reaction.15:30 — The End of the Power Broker by Robert CaroKate tackles another Booker longlist book and asks: why is this on the longlist?20:00 — The Booker longlist pickA frank discussion of Gwendolyn Riley's The Palm House and the pleasures (and pains) of reading for the Booker.22:20 — The Silver Book by Olivia LaingA surprise for Kate after her mixed reaction to Laing’s Crudo.27:30 — An accidental book-club adventureLaura's brilliant idea: abandon the overheated book-club meeting and send everyone into Foyles to choose books.28:40 — The Romantics by Pankaj MishraA chance discovery — and a Hilary Mantel endorsement that seals the deal.35:50 — Vladimir by Julia May JonasSex, power, academia and the deliciously murky moral territory of a campus novel.40:00 — The Eights by Joanna MillerWomen in academia, 1920s Oxford and coming-of-age just after World War I42:40 — The Night Tiger by Yangsze ChooMystery, folklore, tigers and colonial Malaysia, Laura's perfect summer read50:45 — Phil’s summer readingWild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin by Sue Prideaux and The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis54:20 — Booker season beginsThe shortlist is coming, and summer reading gives way to required reading.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looking for the perfect summer read? Kate is joined by Laura Potter and returning guest Phil Chaffee to compare recent reads before putting this year's biggest summer books to the test. Inspired by reading lists from The New York Times, The Times, Lit Hub and The Booker Prize, they decide which books are beach reads, suitcase books, and which they'd happily leave behind at the airport. Plus, they reveal the books they're packing for their own holidays.Books discussedRecently readThe Golden Mean — Annabel LyonPlato and the Tyrant — James RommGlorious Exploits — Ferdia LennonThe Game of Kings — Dorothy DunnettThe House of Niccolò series — Dorothy DunnettWe Are Green and Trembling — Gabriela Cabezón Cámara (trans. Robin Myers)Evaluating the picks from the summer reading listsHot Milk — Deborah LevyThe Eighth Life — Nino HaratischwiliA Month in the Country — J. L. CarrWhistler — Ann PatchettThe Things We Never Say — Elizabeth StroutLand — Maggie O'FarrellInstructions for a Heatwave — Maggie O'FarrellJohn of John — Douglas StuartI Want You to Be Happy — Jem CalderThe Director — Daniel KehlmannVilla Coco — Andrew Sean GreerOur holiday recommendationsThe Feast — Margaret KennedyFree Food for Millionaires — Min Jin LeeFamesick — Lena DunhamSwimming Home — Deborah LevyRadiant Star — Ann LeckieThe Balkan Trilogy — Olivia ManningWait for Me — Deborah, Duchess of DevonshireThe Pursuit of Love — Nancy MitfordAlso mentionedPachinko — Min Jin LeeShuggie Bain and Young Mungo — Douglas StuartLess — Andrew Sean GreerTranscription — Ben LernerReading Lolita in Tehran — Azar NafisiTimecodes00:00 Welcome02:44 Phil on The Golden Mean07:39 Laura on Dorothy Dunnett11:55 Kate on Green and Trembling16:54 Beach read game rules18:20 Booker picks: Hot Milk19:40 Doorstop epic The Eighth Life21:46 Classic: A Month Country23:07 NYT Beach Reads, Whistler by Ann. Patchett25:33 Elizabeth Strout and American vibes28:22 Switching to the (UK) Times list28:29 Times list features29:03 Maggie O'Farrell debate30:51 Douglas Stuart pick John of John33:05 New paperback picks35:03 Kehlmann masterpiece The Director38:28 The LitHub list of lists38:55 Villa Coco verdict41:44 Get more from the pod on Patreon43:26 Our personal holiday reads44:03 Phil recommends The Feast46:01 Min Jin Lee deep dive48:18 Lena Dunham Famesick51:44 Laura's summer stack53:56 Mitfords and Tana French01:02:20 Final wrap and farewellSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What makes secondhand books so irresistible? Kate and Laura celebrate the joy of used bookshops, their favourite places to shop, literary finds and the thrill of unexpected discoveries. There's also an interview with W. B. Gooderham, author of Dedicated To, a book that explores the touching, funny and sometimes heartbreaking messages that can be found in the handwritten dedications tucked inside secondhand books. Whether you're a devoted secondhand book hunter or simply love hearing readers talk about books, this episode is a celebration of literary serendipity, book collecting, and the enduring pleasure of finding exactly the right book when you least expect it.Book list and linksBookshopaholics: The Paperhound • Episode #139‘Owner of Vancouver's eclectic MacLeod’s Books marks 50 years of serving bibliophiles’,John Mackie for the Vancouver SunThe Second Shelf bookshop (now in online form)Aphrodisiacs in your Garden by Charles ConnellThe Transitive Vampire by Karen Elizabeth GordonThe Complete Polysyllabic Spree by Nick HornbyThings I Learned on the 6.28 by Stig AbellGriffin Bay Bookstore, San Juan islandEpisode #51: Barnabees BookshopSkoob booksDedicated to, compiled by W.G. GooderhamThe Diary of a Nobody by George and Wheedon GrossmithThe Secret Diary of Adrian Mole and The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole by Sue TownsendWise Children by Angela CarterArabella by Georgette HeyerHouse of Niccolo and Game of Kings by Dorothy DunnettJudd Books, BloomsburyTimecodes00:00 Welcome and a pod milestone00:48 Secondhand book-hunting03:01 Browsing vs. buying07:58 Secondhand treasures11:52 Kate's love of books about books16:23 Dream bookshops17:18 Our favourite places to buy secondhand20:42 Patreon Break21:50 Kate meets W.B. Gooderham23:43 Skoob books and inscribed editions27:22 How Wayne's collecting began28:41 Dedicated To: The forgotten friendships hidden stories and lost loves found in secondhand books30:50 Releasing Books Back32:09 To inscribe or not to inscribe33:07 Diary Of A Nobody by George and Wheedon Grossmith37:32 Adrian Mole Editions38:39 Wise Children39:51 Pnin – a collection that took Wayne years to assemble41:28 Bookshelves and Umberto Eco's library44:04 Laura shares some of her favourite used-book haunts47:54 Why secondhand books matter49:08 Episode wrapSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When the Guardian drops a list of the 100 Greatest Novels in English it's time to drop everything to talk about it. Luckily pod-regular guest, journalist Phil Chaffee and Joseph Dance, host of the Curious Readers podcast, also had views, and were willing to get together on a Sunday evening to share them. You'll hear our hits, our misses, how many we’ve read, whether we should have read more and much musing on whether a list like this is the way to get people excited about reading. We explore the joys of the sub-lists – the contributor lists – all squirrelled away on a sub-section of the Guardian's website, that arguably provide more excitement and inspiration than the fairly canonical top 100. Which is the best Brontë? Which is the best Austen? Do we age into certain books? If you've read all seven volumes of Proust shouldn't that count for more than one entry? All this and much, much more. Enjoy – this was an absolute delight to make and I hope it makes you smile as much as it did me.Have your say: get in touch on Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast or email [email protected], or head to our website for full shownotes. What would be in your top-10?Check out the Patreon for all kinds of extras, from our monthly book club to extra shows and Kate's reading diaries. Find it at patreon.com/thebookclubreviewThe Guardian’s List of the 100 Greatest Novels published in English, copied below for ease of reference.*underlined – the ones Kate has readMiddlemarchBelovedUlyssesTo the LighthouseIn Search of Lost TimeAnna KareninaWar and PeaceJane EyrePride and PrejudiceMadame BovaryThe Great GatsbyBleak HouseEmmaMrs DallowayMoby-DickNineteen Eighty-FourOne Hundred Years of SolitudePersuasionThe Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, GentlemanWuthering HeightsThe Portrait of a LadyThings Fall ApartMidnight’s ChildrenThe Remains of the DayLolitaDon QuixoteThe TrialThe Brothers KaramazovPale FireFrankensteinThe Prime of Miss Jean BrodieThe God of Small ThingsDavid CopperfieldWolf HallGreat ExpectationsThe Handmaid’s TaleInvisible ManThe Age of InnocenceTheir Eyes Were Watching GodSong of SolomonHeart of DarknessThe Magic MountainHousekeepingGiovanni’s RoomThe Golden NotebookThe LeopardVanity FairThe MetamorphosisA Fine BalanceWide Sargasso SeaMy Brilliant FriendThe Golden BowlThe Transit of VenusOrlandoThe WavesMansfield ParkThe Sound and the FuryDisgraceNever Let Me GoHowards EndThe Rings of SaturnHalf of a Yellow SunWhite TeethThe Good SoldierThe Color PurpleThe Master and MargaritaThe Man Without QualitiesBlood MeridianCrime and PunishmentJude the ObscureKindredOur Mutual FriendAusterlitzNervous ConditionsThe Bluest EyeDraculaThe RainbowA House for Mr BiswasGo Tell It on the MountainRebeccaBuddenbrooksThe End of the AffairA Farewell to ArmsThe Talented Mr RipleyThe VegetarianThe Turn of the ScrewThe Line of BeautyRagtimeThe Left Hand of DarknessJacob’s RoomLife and FateSentimental EducationInvisible CitiesThe Known WorldThe Return of the NativePedro PáramoCatch-22The RoadThe Go-BetweenMy ÁntoniaParticular books we touch on in the showThings Fall Apart by Chinua AchebeUlysses by James JoyceIn Search of Lost Time by Marcel ProustMy Brilliant Friend by Elena FerranteWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëAs I Lay Dying by William FaulknerVillette by Charlotte BrontëOrlando, The Waves and To the Lighthouse by Virginia WoolfOne Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García MárquezMiddlemarch by George EliotPedro Páramo by Juan RulfoRebecca by Daphne du MaurierThe Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di LampedusaNervous Conditions, The Book of Not and This Mournable Body by Tsitsi DangarembgaThe Transit of Venus by Shirley HazzardDon Quixote by Miguel de CervantesThe Magic Mountain by Thomas MannBuddenbrooks by Thomas MannLonesome Dove by Larry McMurtryBlood Meridian by Cormac McCarthyThe Memory Police by Yoko OgawaThe English Understand Wool by Helen DeWittA Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb SalihThe Princess of Clèves by Madame de LafayetteThe Cairo Trilogy by Naguib MahfouzThe Makioka Sisters by Jun'ichirō TanizakiThe Trial and Metamorphosis by Franz KafkaThe Go-Between by L. P. HartleyMoby-Dick by Herman MelvilleA House for Mr Biswas by V. S. NaipaulThe New Life by Tom CreweMiss Marjoribanks by Mrs OliphantThe Palliser novels by Anthony TrollopeThe Warden by Anthony TrollopeThe Man Without Qualities by Robert MusilThe Known World by Edward P. JonesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

George Saunders is back with Vigil, his first novel since Lincoln in the Bardo. In this episode, Kate is joined by fellow book podcasters Jenny King and Sarah Kemp from The Bookcast Club to discuss itGiven his back catalogue, does Vigil live up to the high expectations we have Saunders, one of America's most admired contemporary writers? Why is he so fond of writing about ghosts? Do death, redemption, capitalism and climate change make for an enjoyable read? Do we want novels to be enjoyable? Or do we want them to make a point?We're also exploring Leo Tolstoy's classic novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich, cited by Saunders as a key influence on Vigil, and asks what both books reveal about how we live, how we die, and whether it's ever too late to change.Along the way, Kate, Jenny and Sarah share recent reads, their love of a Kobo e-reader, and recommend books (and one film) following on from our book club read.Books discussedVigil by George SaundersThe Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo TolstoyTranscription by Ben LernerAlmost Life by Kiran Millwood HargraveOnce There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghyBeautyland by Marie-Helene BertinoNorth Woods by Daniel MasonStoryland by Catherine McKinnonPlus a recommendation for the film Palm Springs.PatreonAccess extra episodes, join the pod book club and support the show at Patreon.com/bookclubreviewFollow on Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcastemail [email protected]:26 Recent Reads & Kobos – Bookshelf chat, Kobo e-reader enthusiasm, and current reads including Ben Lerner's Transcription and Kiran Millwood Hargrave's Almost Life.11:54 About The Bookcast Club14:41 Patreon Break16:17 What Is Vigil? – Spiritual guide Jill escorts a remorseless fossil fuel tycoon toward death. Audiobook excerpt included.22:16 Discussing Jill28:22 Climate & KJ Boon31:21 A Christmas Carol Parallels34:16 Broader Reflections – Kate wonders if great writers can no longer make moral judgments in today's climate; Transcription raises similar questions.35:54 Verdict on Vigil38:30 The Death of Ivan Ilyich – Tolstoy's novella discussed as Saunders' cited influence. 43:00 Tolstoy the Man48:36 Recommendations52:42 Wrap-upSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode Kate is joined by Amanda Moulson, co-host of Curious Readers, to consider the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist. Ahead of the prize ceremony next week, which one do we think will win?Perhaps like Amanda you have read them all, but if, like Kate, you're going to struggle to get to all six, which ones should you focus on? Which are the standout reads? Which are the books most likely to delight, surprise, and stay with you long after you've turned the final page? We're covering all six books, and you’ll also find out what Amanda has on her TBR, the books she most loves recommending, and how a busy book podcaster organises her bookshelves. Timestamps for the time-poor00:00 Welcome and Prize Preview01:31 Meet Amanda Molson01:44 Quickfire Reading Habits03:18 Bookshelf Organization04:06 Favorite Recs and Current Reads06:20 Kate’s Power Broker Detour08:54 Patreon Readalong and Book Club10:12 Women’s Prize Context and History15:09 Shortlist Book 1 Flashlight20:51 Shortlist Book 2 Dominion25:23 Shortlist Book 3 The Correspondent26:31 Sybil’s Dark Past27:07 Audiobook Clip Letters29:15 Cozy Yet Dark30:22 Famous Author Replies31:14 Sybil Effect Debate32:49 Craft and Book Clubs33:28 The Mercy Step Setup34:40 Mercy Step Clip36:35 Child Narrator Power37:12 Small Press Spotlight38:01 Kingfisher Obsessive Love38:50 Kingfisher Clip Warning40:40 Kingfisher Reactions41:35 Heart the Lover Clip44:07 Two Halves Romance45:36 Illness and Mortality47:33 Marketing and Triggers49:04 Winner Predictions51:23 Wrap Up and Patreon52:25 Kate’s Recent Reads and OutroBooks mentionedSorrow and Bliss by Meg MasonMy Family and Other Animals by Gerald DurrellYou With the Sad Eyes by Christina ApplegateOpen Book by Jessica SimpsonA Long Game by Elizabeth McCrackenThe Power Broker by Robert CaroWe Are Green and Trembling Gabriela Cabezón CámaraFeminist History for Every Day of the Year by Kate MosseThe Safekeep by Yael Van Der WoudenBrotherless Night by V.V. GaneshananthanDemon Copperhead by Barbara KingsolverThe Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth OzekiPiranesi by Susanna ClarkeFlashlight by Susan ChoiNothing to Envy by Barbara DemickDominion by Addie E. CitchensThe Correspondent by Virginia EvansThe Mercy Step by Marcia HutchinsonKingfisher by Rozie KellyHeart the Lover by Lily KingWriters & Lovers by Lily KingA Bookshop of One’s Own by Jane CholmeleyDykes to Watch Out For by Alison BechdelThe Director by Daniel KehlmanThe Complete Polysyllabic Spree by Nick HornbyThis is Where the Serpent Lives by Daniyal MueenuddinYou'll find all the titles we mentioned in our Bookshop.org list. Buying books there helps support independent bookshops, and also supports The Book Club Review.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the antidote to our increasingly frantic world isn't a grand gesture, but simply the act of paying attention?This week, Kate and Laura are joined by actor, podcaster, and author Miranda Keeling – returning to the pod to talk about her wonderful new book, The Place I'm In, a collection of the small, luminous moments she's gathered from daily life. After her debut The Year I Stopped to Notice, Miranda is back with more of her 'noticings': fragments from parks, supermarket queues, and streets that remind us how much magic is hiding in the everyday.Their book club read is the perfect complement: The Anthropologists by Ayşegül Şavas – a soulful, quietly funny novel following Asya and Manu as they hunt for an apartment, trying on different futures for size in a city far from home. Asya, a documentary filmmaker, spends her days in the park gathering footage – an anthropologist of the ordinary – and her project rhymes beautifully with Miranda's own.Plus recommendations inspired by the art of the everyday.You can find out more about Miranda and her work at mirandakeeling.com, and her podcast Stopping to Notice – over 200 five-minute episodes of binaural location recording – is the perfect companion listen.Find all the books mentioned at our bookshop.org shop. And if you'd like to join Kate's monthly book club and reading community, head to patreon.com/thebookclubreview.BooklistAshes and Stones by Alison Shaw – a journey through Scotland in search of the women killed in the witch trialsOpen Book by Jessica Simpson – Laura takes a nostalgic trip back through her twentiesNo Such Thing as Monday by Sîan Hughes – a brilliantly written novel from the author of Pearl; up there with Eimear McBride ( A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing) and Maggie O'FarrellThe Anthropologists by Aysgul SavasThe Imperfectionist, Oliver Burkeman's newsletter Small Things Like These by Claire KeeganFlesh by David SzalayThe Café With No Name by Robert SeethalerMemories of Distant Mountains (illustrated notebooks) by Orhan PamukA Nobel Laureate's journals offer much colour but little drama, by Dwight Garner for the NYT (gift link)Look Closer: How to Get More Out of Reading by Robert Douglas FairhurstThe Place I'm In by Miranda KeelingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A new local literary festival provided the perfect opportunity to record the very first Book Club Review live. Kate is joined by author and broadcaster Bee Rowlatt, whose books include the best-selling Talking About Jane Austen in Baghdad, which went on to be dramatised by the BBC, and In Search of Mary inspired by Mary Wollstonecraft. Bee also runs the Wollstonecraft Society, a human rights charity. Her debut novel, One Woman Crime Wave, is a novel that explores the realities of wealth, influence, and inequality in present-day London and offers plenty of talking points for book club discussion and debate. Join our festival audience to hear more about Bee's life and work and why Mary Wollstonecraft and her writing has never been more relevant.Books mentionedFind all the titles below in The Book Club Review's bookshop on Bookshop.orgTalking About Jane Austen in Baghdad: The True Story of an Unlikely Friendship by Bee RowlattThe Correspondent by Virginia EvansIn Search of Mary by Bee RowlattLetters Written in Sweden, Norway and Denmark by Mary WollstonecraftOne Woman Crime Wave by Bee RowlattAn Inspector Calls by J. B. PriestlyUprising by Tahmima AnamFeminism for a World on Fire by Natasha WalterNotesFind out more about The Mary Wollstonecraft memorial sculpture (The Guardian)Follow the Barnsbury Book Festival for news and updatesPatreonDiscover what's on offer over on The Book Club Review Patreon. In becoming a member you'll get extra shows and become part of a warm community swapping book recommendations and connecting over our shared love of books and reading. At the book club tier you can join our monthly book club and come and talk books with Kate in person every month. And as a paying member you're supporting Kate in making this independent podcast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.