It's a new year and a new episode. Join Kate and Laura as they consider reading intentions for the year ahead, and try to set some realistic goals. Will 2025 be the year Kate gets into poetry? Will it be the year Laura weans herself off romance novels? And as always, they're thinking of book club reads to come. Meanwhile Phil sets a goal for himself in 2025 that might surprise you.

Books mentioned

 4,000 Weeks and Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

 Rejection by Tony Tulithamutte

Bliss Montage by Ling Ma

The George Smiley novels by John le Carre

Karla's Choice by Nick Harkaway

 My Struggle, Karl Ove Knausgard

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

Assembly and Universality by Natasha Brown

Also a Poet and Crush by Ada Calhoun

Our Country Friends and Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart

Intimacies and Audition by Katie Kitamura

Robert Caro's Fifth Lyndon Johnson book

Polostan by Neal Stephenson

Finance for the People by Paca Leon

Essays of E. B. White

The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

 All That Glitters by Orlando Whitfield

Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk

My Friends by Hisham Matar

 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Eight Months on Ghazzah Street by Hilary Mantel

The Gifts of Reading, Robert Macfarlane (ed)

Untitled Memoir from Nicola Sturgeon

Katabasis by R. F. Kuang

Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind trilogy)

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Living and Death and Intimations by Zadie Smith

Notes

If you’re looking for inspiration in your reading life over the coming year why not subscribe to The Book Club Review Patreon. In addition to the various special episodes you’ll find on there, you’ll get The Book Club Review Weekend, my weeky-ish bonus episode just for Patrons, featuring Laura’s reading updates and regular chats with friends of the pod. Laura and I have cooked up a new feature, called One Book Wonder, that allows us to talk about those books that slip through the cracks between regular episodes. Listen in for our thoughts on Good Material by Dolly Alderton. 

You get all that at the entry level, but at the higher tier you can also join the podcast book club and come and talk books with me in person at the end of every month over zoom, or listen back anytime if you can’t make the live session. In January we’re reading the novel that appeared on many a best-of-the-year list, Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, In February we’re we’re reading All The Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley, a museum guard's quest to find solace and meaning in art, and in March it’s short stories with Hateship, Friendship, Loveship, Courtship, Marriage by Alice Munroe. But will they make for good book club reads? Join me and the book clubbers over on Patreon and find out. Join our bookish community, get brilliant book recommendations and get the warm glow from knowing that you’re supporting me in making the show. Head to Patreon.com/thebookclubreview and sign up today.

Otherwise come and find me anytime on Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast or check out our website, thebookclubreview.co.uk. But for now, thanks for listening and happy book clubbing.

 

 

Wrap up your year with the Book Club Review podcast! Celebrate the joy of reading with us as we highlight the standout books we read in 2024, from page-turners to genre reads, to literary fiction and best book club books. We'll finish with our 'if we could only choose one' favourites for our overall book(s) of the year. This episode also features recommendations from our podcast book clubbers, fantastic readers all, who bring their choices into the mix. This is a bonus length episode as there was so much to go through, so take that dog for an extra long walk, get the children prepared for a long swing at the park or just curl up in a cozy spot with notepad in hand to jot down some of these books we think you shouldn't miss. Or, of course, use the handy list below.

Books mentioned

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

What You Are Looking For is In The Library by Michiko Ayoyama

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

 

Most enjoyable read

Loot by Tania James

Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

 

Best page-turner

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

Going Infinite by Michael Lewis 

 

Best Non-fiction

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

Grief is for People by Sloane Crossley

The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing

The Burgundians: A Vanished Empire by Bart van Loo

Maurice and Marilyn by Sophie Elmhurst

The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke

 

Best Book Club Book

Enter Ghost by Isabelle Hamid

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

Cuddy by Benjamin Myers

The Fraud by Zadie Smith

August Blue by Deborah Levy

Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai (Polly Barton trans.)

Wifedom by Anna Funder

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny (The Inspector Gamache series)

 

Best Genre Novel or Comfort Read

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

The Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka

 

Overall best book read in 2024

James by Percival Everett

Kate: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Laura: Real Estate by Deborah Levy (vol. 3 in her 'living autobiography' series

 

Join the Book Club Review club

Head to Patreon.com/thebookclubreview to explore what's on offer with regular extra episodes packed with reading recommendations and at the higher tier membership of the pod bookclub: upcoming reads for January are Marty by Kaveh Akbar, February: All The Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley and March: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro. 

Serious Readers

For seriously good reading lamps with a Book Club Review special discount head to seriousreaders.co.uk/BCR and use the code BCR at checkout for £100 off any HD light. Shipping within the UK is free, and you get a 30-day trial period so you can see for yourself what a difference they make.

Stay connected

Find Kate on Instagram and Threads @bookclubreviewpodcast, or drop us a comment anytime at the episode page on our website. What were your favourite reads from 2024? We'd love to hear about them.

 

Curious about the 2024 Booker Prize? Wondering if the shortlisted novels live up to the hype? In this latest episode Kate and Laura are joined by returning guests Phil, Sarah and Martin to dive deep into this year's shortlist bringing you their usual frank, honest opinions in true book-club style. 

This isn’t your typical review show — you get real, unfiltered thoughts from book lovers who tell it like it is. From literary brilliance to unexpected twists, find out which books wowed us, which ones left us wanting more, and whether this year’s Booker picks truly deserve the spotlight. Plus of course our guesses as to which one might win.

Notes

Check out Martin's brilliant blog Eyes on the Prize for a fantastic look back through Booker Winners past, including his 'worst to best' ranking.

Other books mentioned

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

The Trees by Percival Everett

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

My Friends by Hisham Matar

Subscribe

Want more from The Book Club Review? Want to help support it financially? Come and join Kate at Patreon.com/thebookclubreview where for a small monthly fee you'll receive benefits such as a weekly books minisode, occasional special episodes of the podcast made just for Patreons, and at the higher tier you can join our monthly book club for live discussions with Kate over Zoom. If you’re a Substacker you’ll also find extra content from The Book Club Review there – check thebookclubreview.co.uk/bookspodcast/subscribe for more details.

For the love of a good lamp: 

Visit seriousreaders.com/BCR for our special offer on any HD light – use the code BCR at checkout and if you're in the UK you can also benefit from free shipping. You get a month to try out the lights to decide if they're for you, if not you can return them. We seriously love them, and think you will too.

 

Summer Reading Report: hits, misses, and anticipations   We're back from the beach and reflecting on our summer reading in this bonus length bookshelf episode. On Kate's stack summer favourite GRETA AND VALDIN by Rebecca K. Reilly, Olivia Laing's memoir The Garden Against Time, the hotly tipped HEADSHOT by Rita Bullwinkel, TRUST by Hernan Diaz, Miranda July's new novel ALL FOURS and upcoming book club reads THE FRAUD by Zadie Smith and HUMANELY POSSIBLE by Sarah Bakewell. Meanwhile Laura talks about REAL AMERICANS by Rachel Kong, THE LAST UNICORN by Peter S. Beagle, THE LAST MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Stuart Turton, Kiley Reid's latest COME AND GET IT, Reese's Book Club pick SLOW DANCE by Rainbow Rowell and Austeriltz by W. G. Sebald.    We also hear about the best bookish party Laura attended courtsey of the Vancouver Public Library, and the Kate's experience of reading just one book, and one book only, at a time – a strong departure from her usual habits of three on the go at once. But will she stick to it?   Timecodes for the time poor 08:58 Real Americans by Rachel Kong: A Not-to-Read Recommendation 17:39 The Garden Against Time by Olivia Lange: A Deep Dive 25:27 The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle: A Disappointment 30:44 Headshot by Rita Bullwinkle: A Mixed Review 40:02 Stuart Turton's The Last Murder at the End of the World: A Fun Read 44:20 Exploring 'Trust' by Hernan Diaz 49:34 Campus Life and Money in 'Come and Get' It by Kiley Reid 59:57 Miranda July's 'All Fours': A Perimenopausal Journey 01:12:40 A Lighthearted Romance: 'Slow Dance' by Rainbow Rowell 01:15:13 Upcoming Reads and Final Thoughts

Patreon

Want more from your favourite podcast? Want to support the person who makes it? Come and join Kate at Patreon.com/thebookclubreview where for a small monthly fee you'll receive benefits such as a weekly books dispatch, which you can read or listen to as a pod, occasional special episodes, and at the higher tier you can join our monthly book club for live discussions with Kate over Zoom. 

For the love of a good lamp: 

Visit seriousreaders.com/BCR for our special offer on any HD light – use the code BCR at checkout and if you're in the UK you can also benefit from free shipping. You get a month to try out the lights to decide if they're for you, if not you can return them. We seriously love them, and think you will too.

In this special episode, originally released for our Patreon subscribers, Kate celebrates the joys of the perfect notebook with fellow enthusiast and stationery shop owner David Frostick (Lift, Southwold). From the importance of flat-lay paper to the perfect pen we've got it all covered just in time for back-to-school season.

And then we turn to the art of notetaking. Kate and Laura discuss how they take notes on the books they're discussing on the show, and then we find out how the professionals do it, with friends of the pod, journalist Phil Chaffee and literary critic Emily Rhodes. We also hear from Bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud whose book, The Art of Mindful Reading, is full of great suggestions for how to get the most from your reading. 

If this whets your appetite come and join us at Patreon.com/thebookclubreview where for a small monthly fee (or you can sign up for annual membership if you prefer) you'll receive benefits such as Kate's weekly books email, occasional special episodes, and at the higher tier you can join our monthly book club for live discussions with Kate over Zoom. If you love the pod your support is helpng Kate make the shows, which means a lot, so thank you for considering it.

Discover David's store LIFT here.

For other things referenced in this episode here's an index to products with links.

For the love of a good lamp: 

Visit seriousreaders.com/BCR for our special offer on any HD light – use the code BCR at checkout and if you're in the UK you can also benefit from free shipping. You get a month to try out the lights to decide if they're for you, if not you can return them. We seriously love them, and think you will too.

 

 

We love a list, and we love an excuse for a conversation about books, and so we couldn't have been more delighted when the New York Times released their list of the best books of the 21st century, so far. From 503 top tens submitted by authors and other literary world folk, and a bit of statistical magic, they boiled it down to their definitive top 100. And we had to hand it to them, it's a damn good list. Still, we might argue with a few of their choices, and of course have some thoughts of our own.

And so in this episode you'll get our own Book Club Review top 20 books, some of which were on the NYT's list, most of which were not. They're the books we felt had been overlooked, books we loved and were desparate to talk about, books we want to share with you.

And so join me (Kate) and Sarah in London, Phil in New York and Laura in Vancouver as we spend a delightful hour considering the best of the best. I guarantee you'll come away with at least one book for your TBR, and hopefully you'll love it as much as we did.

No booklist, as I thought you might like to find out as you listen, but you'll find all the books discussed at the episode page on our website, thebookclubreview.co.uk

Here's the link to the NYT's list

Also do check out our episode sponsors Serious Readers, who are offering £100 off their brilliant HD reading lamps, use the code BCR at checkout. UK customers get free delivery, elsewhere you can still take advantage of the offer, but there will be a shipping charge.

 

 

Laura’s on a flying visit to London, and so of course we took the opportunity to get together and swap notes on our recent reading. Regular guest Phil Chaffee dialled in from New York to add his picks to the mix.

Find out what we thought of summer it-book The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, we consider the auto fictional world of Deborah Levy, Kate reports back on Francis Spufford’s new novel – and podcast book club read – Cahokia Jazz and we round it off with art-world memoir All That Glitters by Orlando Whitfield – unputdownable in Kate’s opinion, find out why.

It’s also our first ever sponsored episode. Introducing Serious Readers, a company dedicated to creating the world’s best reading lamps. Listen in for Kate’s interview with founder Alex Pratt, and learn more about why your eyes might struggle under standard LED lighting. We know how much as readers you care about your eyes, so we were happy to tell you about a product that feels like just what they need.

Listen in for all the details, and if you're interested to try them head to seriousreaders.com/BCR and use code BCR for £100 off any HD light. You have 30 days to decide if they're right for you. In the UK you'll also get free delivery. Outside of the UK the offer is still valid, but there would also be a shipping charge.

BOOKS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford

The Dragon Waiting by John M. Ford

Real Estate by Deborah Levy

All That Glitters by Orlando Whitfield

SERIOUS READERS

Like the sound of Serious Readers? Head to seriousreaders.com/BCR and use code BCR for £100 off any HD light, you’ll also get free delivery in the UK, and you have 30 days to try them out.

PATREON

Support the show, and get extras in return

Head over to our Patreon to find out how to support the pod, and the things you'll get in return, from book recommendations to extra episodes. At the higher tier you can join our monthly book club – if you look at that membership level you'll find a link to the full list of books for 2024. This month we're reading Wifedom by Anna Funder.

Or to hear about books between shows come find the pod on Instagram or Threads @bookclubreviewpodcast

Inspired by the folk at the New York Times article ‘22 of the funniest novels since Catch 22’, join me (Kate), Phil and Laura as we consider the books that make us laugh. Listen in as we explore the NYT's suggestions and add in a few of our own. Find out the author we can’t believe they missed, and the book that reliably makes Laura – a tough customer when it comes to funny books – laugh every time. 

 

Books mentioned 

 

The New York Times article ‘22 of the funniest novels since Catch 22’ 

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

 

The Idiot and Either/Or by Elif Batuman

 

The Possessed by Elif Batuman

 

Uncle Napoleon by Iraj Pezeshkzad

 

Martyr by Kaveh Akbar

 

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

 

Where d’You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

 

The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman

 

Three Men and a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

 

Scoop by Evelyn Waugh

 

Vanity Fair by William MakepieceThackarey

 

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

 

The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald

 

The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald

 

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

 

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

 

Notes

 

Here’s the Patreon link If you’d like to get more involved and support the show, and you’ll get lots of good things in return: Patreon.com/thebookclubreview

 

Keep up to date between shows, follow The Book Club Review podcast on Instagram

 

Next book club read: Wifedom by Anna Funder

 

Do take a quick moment to rate and review us via your podcast app, your support is really appreciated. And hey, if you have bookish friends, tell them about the show, maybe they will like it too.

 

Exploring literary worlds beyond fiction: a dive into non-fiction   Join Kate, as she ventures to South London to visit Backstory, a unique indie bookstore founded by former journalist Tom Rowley. Rowley shares his journey from journalism to opening a bookshop, the challenges and joys of running a bookstore, the importance of community engagement, and launching the second issue of the Backstory Magazine.    We then turn our attention to non-fiction, pulling out some favourites, both backlist and new releases. As Tom says, 'I just read. I want good stories, I don't care whether they're true or not'   00:40 A visit to south London's indie bookshop Backstory, and why Kate's name is on the wall   01:53 From journalism to bookshop owner: Tom's lockdown dream comes true   04:25 Embracing the community: the transition from market stall to bookshop   09:26 Launching Backstory Magazine: a new chapter in storytelling   14:54 Exploring non-fiction: feel the fear and read it anyway   17:49 Just what is deep backlist? Tom's first recommendation is My War Gone By, I Miss it So by Anthony Lloyd (September Publishing)   20:18 Kate recommends Fall: The Mystery of Robert Maxwell by John Preston (Penguin)   22:46 Tom's next pick: Maurice and Marilyn: A Whale, A Shipwreck, A Love Story by Sophie Elmhurst (Penguin)   25:52 Kate pulls out The Wager by David Grann (Simon & Schuster) (and we also talk about Devil in the White City by Erik Larson [Penguin])   29:08 Tom recommends The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson (Penguin)   31:15 Great minds think alike: Kate and Tom both recommend The Moth and the Mountain by Ed Caesar (Penguin), author and now DJ!   35:32 An aside from Kate about The Possessed by Elif Batuman (Granta)   37:17 Towards the end of the episode we reach 'peak Tom', with Little Englanders by Alwyn Turner (Profile)   41:17 Book club reads: Red Memory by Tania Branigan (Faber) and Close to Home by Michael Magee (Penguin)   42:25 Tom's book of the summer: The Safe Keep by Yael van der Wouden (Penguin)   44:18 List of books, how to get support the pod and get extras via our Patreon account and details of our upcoming episode in which Phil and Laura join Kate to talk about books that make us laugh   Notes Visit Backstory online at www.backstory.london  

So Many Damn Books podcast creator and host Christoper Hermelin joins Kate to swap book recommendations and discuss the magic of book club, recent book discoveries and bookish pet peeves.

EPISODE BOOK LIST

The Eyes & The Impossible by Dave Eggers

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

McSweeney’s magazine, including The Panorama issue

How I Won A Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto

Non-Fiction by Julie Myerson

Butter by Asako Yuzuki (Polly Barton, trans.)

Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai (Polly Barton, trans.)

Fifty Sounds by Polly Barton

The Extinction of Irena Ray by Jennifer Croft

James by Percival Everett, and we also mentioned Erasure and The Trees

Funny Things: A Comic Strip Biography of Charles M. Schultz by Luca Debus and Francesco Mateuzzi

NOTES

Join the club and support us on Patreon

Follow The Book Club Review on Instagram and Threads @bookclubreviewpodcast

 

Two marriages, two forbidden love affairs, and the passionate search for social and sexual freedom in late 19th-century London. Publishers Penguin call The New Life by Tom Crewe ‘A brilliant and captivating debut, in the tradition of Alan Hollinghurst and Colm Tóibín' but what did our book club make of it? Kate is reporting back, with regular guest Philip Chaffee joining from New York. We'll be catching up on the discussion as well as bringing you our take on recent reads FAKE ACCOUNTS by Lauren Oyler and NORTH WOODS by Daniel Mason, as well as our recommendations for books inspired by Crewe's novel.

Booklist

Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler

The Smiley Novels by John Le Carre

North Woods by Daniel Mason

Maurice by E. M. Forster

Alec by William di Canzio

Young Bloomsbury by Nino Strachey

Blackouts by Justin Torres

Miss Marjoribanks by Margaret Oliphant

The Ladies Lindores by Margaret Oliphant

Tom Crewe's booklist on bookshop.org.uk

Podcast episode on Young Bloomsbury

The audiobook of The New Life is read by Freddie Fox and published by Penguin Audio, available wherever you get your audiobooks

Keep up with us between shows. Follow us on Instagram or Threads @bookclubreviewpodcast, browse our website for our full archive, or drop us a line at [email protected]

Want the deep dive? All the details of our Patreon extras and how to sign up here.

Thanks for listening, happy reading, happy book clubbing