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

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Happy reading!