The Book Club Review

It's our 2021 Summer Reading episode! What are we looking for in our summer reading? We want books that are going to carry us away, books that are immersive and compelling, books that take us places and teach us things. Sometimes we want short reads to suit our mood, others we want long immersive books that will last us through the summer. And as ever, we want books we can discuss and debate. Embracing our usual tendency to veer away from the obvious we've compiled an eclectic list. We've got summer buzz books The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris and Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead, but we're also delving into mental health with Meg Mason's hilarious and moving novel Sorrow & Bliss, considering the joys of the untethered life with Jhumpa Lahiri and learning about the Sackler family – architects, it turns out, of America's opioid crisis – with Patrick Radden-Keefe's Empire of Pain. Plus Laura throws in Michael Faber's beguiling fantasy novel D: A Tale of Two Worlds, a novel by First Nations author Richard Wagamese she wants everyone to read, and we briefly consider Erik Larson's gripping history of World War 2, The Splendid and the Vile and why really it's the perfect thing to have beside your deckchair. Wherever you are we wish you a brilliant summer and lots of happy reading. Booklist Sorrow & Bliss by Meg Mason Hotel Silence by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden-Keefe D (a Tale of Two Worlds) by Michael Faber The Book of Hidden Things by Francesco Dimitri Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalia Harris Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead You can also find full details plus a few extras on our website, thebookclubreview.co.uk. And if you're so inclined you can also sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter there. It has reviews and recommendations and is full of reading inspiration to tide you over until our next episode. Follow us between episodes on Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast, on twitter and facebook @bookclubrvwpod or email us at thebookclubreview@gmail.com – do drop us a line and tell us what you're reading, we always love to hear from you. Special thanks to Mason Dietrich, our new Production assistant.

Looking for something a little off the beaten path for your reading pile? Join us as we discuss Like A Sword Wound by renowned Turkish writer Ahmet Altan. It's the first volume in a quartet and traces not only the social currents of the final years of the Ottoman Empire but also the erotic and emotional lives of its characters. Like A Sword Wound has been described as the Turkish War & Peace. Did Laura's book club agree? We're joined by journalist Philippe Chaffee to discuss it. Like A Sword Wound is translated by Brendan Freely and Yelda Türedi Book recommendations The Passenger magazine on Turkey Beyond the Walls by Nazim Hikmet My Name is Red and The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk Laurence in Arabia by Scott Anderson Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy We also mentioned authors Elif Batuman and Elif Shafak. For full show notes go to www.thebookclubreview.co.uk where you can also sign up to our bi-weekly newsletter, which has reviews, links and plenty of bookish inspiration to keep you going between episodes. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook @BookClubReview podcast, on Twitter @bookclubrvwpod or drop us a line at thebookclubreview@gmail.com. Subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. If you like what we do please do take a moment to rate and review the show, it helps other listeners find us.

In celebration of our 100th episode we turn the spotlight on ourselves a little more than usual to answer listeners' questions. From our favourite childhood reads to the books that shaped us as adults, from books which kept us up all night to books we disagree on (with a shocking mid-show revelation from Laura that threatens to derail the whole discussion), listen in to learn more about us as readers and how we came to make the podcast. Find our full show notes for this episode plus archive of all our past shows on our website, follow us on Instagram and Facebook @bookclubreviewpodcast or Twitter @bookclubrvwpod or drop us an email at thebookclubreview@gmail.com and tell us about a book you love. Booklist Childhood reads The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling The Chalet School books by Elinor M. Brent Dyer The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Miss Happiness and Miss Flower and Little Plum by Rumer Godden Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien Dark Canyon by Louis L'Amour A Devil to Ride by Patricia Leitch Cobbler's Dream by Monica Dickens Howl's Moving Castle and other books by Diana Wynne Jones The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper White Boots, Ballet Shoes, Theatre Shoes, Hollywood Shoes by Noel Streatfield Transition books To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien General books Night Flight by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry The Prophets of Eternal Fjord by Kim Leine Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden Normal People by Sally Rooney The Moth and the Mountain by Ed Caesar The Time-Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenneger Watership Down by Douglas Adams Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart The Red Tent by Anita Diamant The Idiot by Elif Batuman Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W. E. Bowman Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin The Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo Miss Iceland by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir Parisian Lives by Deidre Bair The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross West With the Night by Beryl Markham Travels by Michael Crichton

It's here. After weeks of reading, tons of post-it notes and a WhatsApp group busy with thoughts flying back and forth we proudly present our 2021 Women's Prize episode. We're joined by returning podcast guests Elizabeth Morris and Sarah Oliver to review all six shortlisted titles. This is book club so expect the full range of opinions, find out what we loved, and what we didn't, but we've also worked hard to keep the spoilers away so you can enjoy the show and still enjoy the books. Which are your favourites? Listen in and see if you agree with us as we attempt to pick a winner. Booklist Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi How the One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones Piranesi by Susanna Clarke No-One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood Don't miss Crib Notes, the newsletter by Elizabeth Morris for new and busy mothers – an essential monthly run-down of the very best books from the practical to the poetic. She includes just the right information about each, and offers different suggestions according to whether you want something to sink into, or you only have time to scroll. Follow us between episodes on Instagram or Facebook @BookClubReview podcast, on Twitter @bookclubrvwpod or email thebookclubreview@gmail.com. Were you jumping up and down with thoughts on any of the books we discussed today? Drop us a line and let us know, we always love to hear from you. And don't miss our website, thebookclubreview.co.uk for our full archive of shows and to sign up to our weekly newsletter. It comes out on Sundays and is full of reading inspiration for the week ahead.

A magazine that has always been dear to our hearts is Penguin's Happy Reader, an occasional publication that takes inspiration from the idea of a book club. In the early days of the podcast we were delighted to interview its editor Seb Emina. To celebrate the launch of The Happy Reader's latest edition we're releasing that interview again. From the thinking that goes into every issue, from treasure hunts to the perfect way to drink your tea, from book recommendations to unusual ideas for book club meet ups, this episode has it all. Booklist So many books are mentioned in passing in this episode, but in particular Seb talks about The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (and listen in to episode 9 of the pod for our full book club discussion on that one) Teaching a Stone to Talk by Annie Dillard You can find out more about The Happy Reader, buy the latest issue or subscribe at their website thehappyreader.com. You can also sign up to their newsletter, Happy Readings, where once a month you'll get a little dose of Happy Readerness in your inbox. Seb is on Instagram and Twitter @sebemina If you'd like to see what we're up to between episodes follow us on Instagram or Facebook @BookClubReview podcast, on Twitter @bookclubrvwpod or email thebookclubreview@gmail.com. Don't miss our website, thebookclubreview.co.uk, where you can find our archive of almost 100 shows to browse through and sign up for our weekly newsletter. It comes out on Sundays, and it full of reading inspiration for your week ahead.

Delve into Kazuo Ishiguro's 'The Remains of the Day,' focusing on the contemplative life of a butler reflecting on choices in 1950s England. Explore the protagonist's introspective journey through the picturesque countryside and the complexities of duty and regret. The discussion highlights varied perceptions from book club members about character depth and emotional resonance. Enjoy intriguing literary recommendations, including Ian McEwan's 'Amsterdam' and Paul Scott's 'Staying On,' while considering themes of friendship and societal change.

We chat with Chrissy Ryan, founder of Bookbar, a new bookshop and bar in Kate's North London neighbourhood. Chrissy's vision is for Bookbar to be a social space where people can discover their next read and meet other readers in a place where conversation is encouraged. We loved hearing about everything from her in-house book club featuring authors like Ingrid Persaud, Brit Bennett and Curtis Sittenfeld to her shelf-medicate book subscription service – as Chrissy says, like having a literary matchmaker on speed-dial. We come up with an idea for the perfect book club party and talk favourite books. Listen in for Chrissy's must-reads out now or coming soon. Booklist Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe Bad Blood by John Carreyrou Dopesick by Beth Macy Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Faultlines Emily Atami Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters The Female Persuasion by Meg Wollizer China Room by Sunjeev Suhota Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason Red Comet by Heather Clark Conversations on Love by Natasha Lunn For more about Bookbar check out their website. For more from us follow us on Instagram or Facebook @BookClubReview podcast, on Twitter @bookclubrvwpod or email thebookclubreview@gmail.com. Drop us a line and let us know what you're reading – we always love to hear from you. For more listening browse our episode archive where you can also sign up for our weekly newsletter. Our next book club read is The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. That episode is coming soon.

Listen in for Laura's take on Matt Haig's bestselling The Midnight Library, which Kate hasn't yet read. Should she? Meanwhile Kate gets swept into literary Paris with Samuel Beckett and Simone de Beauvoir. Laura takes us to Iceland with an immersive novel that she now wants everyone to drop everything and read, and we catch up with Deborah Levy with the third volume of her living autobiography, Real Estate. Also, we consider what it's like to live in Iceland for two years with writer Sarah Moss, and remember Boomerang, Michael Lewis's enjoyable (though also alarming) economic world tour, and how Iceland's fishermen took to currency speculation like ducks to water. Booklist The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Parisian Lives by Deirdre Bair Miss Iceland by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir Real Estate by Deborah Levy Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss Boomerang by Michael Lewis Sign up to our weekly newsletter which comes out on Sundays and is full of reading inspiration for the week ahead. You can subscribe via the link in our Instagram bio or on our website, thebookclubreview.co.uk. If you'd like to see what we're up to between episodes follow us on Instagram or Facebook @BookClubReview podcast, on Twitter @bookclubrvwpod or email thebookclubreview@gmail.com. Drop us a line and let us know what you're reading – we always love to hear from you.

Join us as we tackle this unusual book that mixes prose with poetry and a play script, in which Death is embodied in the form of an old black woman. Mrs Death befriends a young writer, Wolf, who agrees to ghost-write her memoirs. Laura and her book club had strong reactions against this book. It's up to Kate and our special guest author Gary Wigglesworth to see if they can make the others see it in a different light. But are they persuasive? Listen in and see what you think. Book list Watership Down by Richard Adams Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller A Lonely Man by Chris Power Grief is a Thing With Feathers by Max Porter. Want to keep up with us between episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, or follow us for daily book reviews and recommendations on Instagram or Facebook @BookClubReview podcast, on Twitter @bookclubrvwpod or email thebookclubreview@gmail.com. Don't miss our website thebookclubreview.co.uk for our episode archive and library of book reviews and articles. Do subscribe to us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, and never miss an episode. If you like what we do please take a moment to rate and review the show, which help other listeners find us.

Join us for this 'bookshelf' episode as we discuss the books we've been reading outside of book club. In this episode Kate gets tied up in existential knots over House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas and we consider the parallels between this 800-page fantasy bonkbuster and War and Peace. We explore the idea of 'reading offsetting' whereby we balance our guilty pleasures with books more worthy of our time. We rediscover the Queen of Fantasy Ursula Le Guin and remember why we think her books are so amazing. Kate pronounces 'Don't Touch My Hair' by Emma Dabiri her new favourite book of the year. And we end with an excursion into Arctic landscapes and consider moving to Svaallbad where apparently you don't need a visa! Books mentioned: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas A Fall from Grace and Philippa Holds Court by Jennie Goutet The Western Shore trilogy by Ursula L. Guin Don't Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri Americanah by Chimamanda Ngoze Adichie A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter Terra Incognita by Sara Wheeler Want to keep up with us between episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, or follow us for daily book reviews and recommendations on Instagram or Facebook @BookClubReview podcast, on Twitter @bookclubrvwpod or email thebookclubreview@gmail.com. Don't miss our website thebookclubreview.co.uk for our episode archive and library of book reviews and articles. Do subscribe to us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, and never miss an episode. If you like what we do please take a moment to rate and review the show, which help other listeners find us.