The Book Club Review

Valentine’s-ish Literary Romance: Lucas Oakley on Nearly Departed, Boys Book Club & love stories that stay with you long after readingJoin Kate and Lucas Oakeley for this Valentine's-ish episode of The Book Club Review, recorded at Housmans Bookshop in King's Cross. We're exploring literary fiction where love takes centre stage, but the reward is complexity rather than a guaranteed happy ending.Nearly Departed manages to combine the enjoyable tropes of Rom Com with the thoughtful exploration through writing that we associate with literary fiction. We explore how Lucas’s real-life experiences—witnessing a fatal cycling accident and his father's first wife dying young—shaped the book's exploration of love, loss, and second chances, and the art of balancing humour with heartbreak while playing with rom-com tropes.Of course, we’ve got plenty of recommendations for love stories with emotional depth, including Lily King's Writers & Lovers, Andrew Kaufman's All My Friends Are Superheroes, Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, David Nicholls' Sweet Sorrow, Douglas Stuart's John of John, and hot-book-of-the-moment Wuthering Heights. We’re also discussing Boys Book Club, the organization Lucas has co-founded to encourage men to read and talk about books. What makes a great book club pick for an all-male book club? We’re going to be finding out.We’ve even got Valentine's recipe – rigatoni with a long-simmered ‘Sunday sauce’ – and a couple of cocktail ideas. All in all, the perfect ingredients for a literary Valentine’s weekend.Become a member of The Book Club Review communityJoin The Book Club Review community on Patreon for ad-free listening, extra episodes, Kate’s weekly reading diaries, the opportunity to connect with other listeners in the chat groups, and at the higher tier to talk books in-person with Kate at the monthly book club. Find all the details and how to sign up at patreon.com/thebookclubreview.BooklistYou can find all the titles mentioned in this episode in the Book Club Review bookshop on bookshop.orgNearly Departed by Lucas Oakeley Heart The Lover by Lily KingAll My Friends are Superheroes by Andrew KaufmanSweet Sorrow by David NichollsJohn of John by Douglas StuartWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëComfort MOB: Food that Makes You Feel GoodTheory & Practice by Michelle de KretserAll My Precious Madness by Mark BowlesThe Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre DumasThe Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey NiffeneggerThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott FitzgeraldLife Out of Order by Audrey NiffeneggerLinksFollow Lucas on Instagram and Tik Tok @lucasoakeley, and you can find out all the details for the Boy’s Book Club at theboysbookclub.co.ukHousmans bookshop, the longest continuous-running radical bookshop in Britain, established in 1945 and based in London’s Kings Cross since 1959See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 PatreonExplore 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. BooklistYou 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 BrownThe Da Vinci Code by Dan BrownThe Housemaid by Frieda McFaddenGone Girl by Gillian FlynnIn Your Dreams by Sarah AdamsAlchemized by SenLinYuGideon the Ninth by Tamsyn MuirDungeon Crawler Carl by Matt DinnimanThe Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas AdamsProject Hail Mary by Andy WeirThe Martian by Andy WeirNobody's Fool by Harlen CobdenThe Correspondant by Virginia EvansThe Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (Robin Buss)Rivals by Jilly CooperThe novels of Stephen KingThe Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey NiffeneggerThe Smiley books by John Le CarreThe Underground Railroad by Colson WhiteheadThe Night Always Comes by Willy VlautinIce by Jacek Dukaj (Author) , Ursula Phillips (Translator)The Virgin in the Garden by A.S. ByattI'll Take The Fire by Leïla Slimani(also The Country of Others and Watch US Dance)Lullaby / The Perfect Nanny by Leïla SlimaniNearly Departed by Lucas OakeleyCaptain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de BernieresThe Covenant of Water by Abraham VergheseDemon Copperhead by Barbara KingsolverSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this engaging discussion, bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud shares her wisdom on finding the right books to combat January's gloom. Known for co-authoring *The Novel Cure*, she recommends creating a cozy reading nook to escape winter's darkness. Ella suggests uplifting reads like *The Enchanted April* and classics such as Ovid's *Metamorphoses* for renewal. She also provides insights on battling reading slumps with favorites and audiobooks, plus techniques for deeper literary engagement. Tune in for ample inspiration and book recommendations to brighten your reading life!

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 OliverSerious ReadersTake advantage of Serious Readers offer. Head to seriousreaders.com/bcr and use the code BCR at checkout for £150 off any HD light.PatreonHead 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 BooklistMother Mary Come to Me by Arundhati RoyThe Silver Book by Olivia LaingCrudo by Olivia LaingDream Count by Chimamanda Ngoze AdicheThe Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran DesaiHeart the Lover by Lily KingDeep Cuts by Holly BrickleyThe Transit of Venus by Shirley HazzardPet Sematary by Stephen KingYou Dreamed of Empires by Alvaro EnrigueVera, or Faith by Gary ShteyngartLake Shore by Gary ShteyngartOur Country Friends by Gary ShteyngartGlorious Exploits by Ferdia LennonA Waiter in Paris by Edward ChisholmThe First Man by Albert CamusRobert B. Parker novelsQuestion 7 by Richard FlanaganThe Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre DumasMuybridge by Guy DelisleThe Sense & Sensibility Diaries by Emma ThompsonThe Lockwood & Co novels by Jonathan StroudThe Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth BrowerShattered Lands by Sam DalrympleMaurice and Marilyn, or A Marriage at Sea by Sophie ElmhurstAgent Zo by Clare MulleyThe Devil Two Step by Jamie QuattroTrain Dreams by Denis JohnstonTree of Smoke by Denis JohnstonThe Director by Daniel KelmanWe Do Not Part by Han KangHow to End a Story by Helen Garner (3 volume diaries collection)The Children’s Bach by Helen GarnerThis House of Grief by Helen GarnerEucalyptus by Murray BailWild Thing by Sue PrideauxNonesuch by Francis SpuffordPet Sematary 1983 coverSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

'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 listThe Private Life of the Diary by Sally BayleyThe Paris ReviewThey by Kay DickLord Jim at Home by Dinah BrookeLove Life of a Cheltenham Lady by Dinah BrookePart of the Story by Margaret BusbyWoman Alive by Susan ErtzShow Don't Tell by Curtis SittenfeldSome People Need Killing by Patricia EvangelistaLook Closer by Robert Douglas FairhurstThe Correspondent by Virginia EvansThe Diary of Samuel Pepys, Robert Latham (ed)The Diaries of Virginia WoolfHow To End a Story by Helen GarnerHenry Chips Channon: The DiariesThe James Lees Milne diariesWriting Home by Alan BennettThere and Back: 1999–2009 by Michael PalinThe Vanity Fair Diaries 1983–1992 by Tina BrownEnd of a Berlin Diary by William L. ShirerWar in Val D'Orcia by Iris OrigoRussian Journal by Andrea LeeBeloved Son Felix: Coming of Age in the Renaissance by Felix PlatterDiary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba DonatiModern Nature by Derek JarmanPharmacopeia by Derek JarmanWent to London, Took the Dog by Nina StibbeAlphabetical Diaries by Sheila HetiA Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane RitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Phil Chaffee, a seasoned journalist known for his critical insights on the Booker selections, joins Martin Vovk, a music-industry data specialist and devoted Booker Prize historian. They dive into this year's Booker Prize shortlist, discussing novels like David Szalay's 'Flesh,' which explores themes of masculinity and trauma, and Kiran Desai's 'The Loneliness of Sonia and Sonny,' notable for its magical realism. The conversation also sparks lively predictions about which book might take home the coveted prize.

Phil Chaffee, a passionate journalist and contemporary literature commentator, joins Elizabeth Eva Leach, a scholarly music tutor at Oxford who tackles around 200 books a year. They dive into this year's Booker longlist, highlighting overlooked gems that didn't make the shortlist. Conversations spark around titles like "Misinterpretation" focusing on trauma, the atmospheric "Seascraper", and the humor-inflected war narrative in "Endling". Their top picks include the moving "Love Forms" and the immersive "Seascraper", revealing literary treasures awaiting discovery.

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 @bookclubreviewpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.

Something a little different this episode as I invite you to head down the rabbit hole with me into the world of books about books. Accompanying us into this particular wonderland is Joseph Dance, host of the Curious Readers podcast. From meta-fictional narratives to booksellers with shadowy agendas, we're flagging up some of our favourites both for behind-the-scenes insights into the literary world, and for the way they allow us to discover yet more books we might want to read. From Alberto Manguel's library of 35,000 titles, to Alejandro Zambra's essay collection On Not Reading, we're considering a broad spectrum of perspectives that help us reflect on and enrich our reading lives. And so listen in to hear what happens when two book podcasters get together to talk about their favourite topic. Booklist The Library Book by Susan Orlean The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón Possession by A.S. Byatt Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald Packing my Library by Alberto Manguel The Book Forger by Joseph Hone Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller by Nadia Wassef A Bookshop of One's Own by Jane Cholmeley In Search of Lost Books by Giorgio van Straten Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati Further reading / listening Alberto Manguel's library And here's Manguel sharing his favourite bookstores and libraries with Biblio-file podcast host Nigel Beale Umberto Eco's library on Youtube Kate's Moleskine reading journal Read this wonderful review of Shelf Life from Australian critic Beejay Silcox, who lived for two years in Cairo and knew the Diwan bookstore well. Patreon Head to patreon.com/thebookclubreview for full membership details and how to joinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.