In this Episode of the Binge Reading Bookclub, Nicholas Binge and Hugo Powell discuss Behind Frenemy Lines by Zen Cho. A delightful romance novel that delves deep into the myriad pitfalls that face young women in the contemporary workspace. The challenge Hugo set for Nick last month was to choose a book where no one died, and he succeeded! So how do you develope drama, character, and conflict without death? Well Zen Cho does it masterfully, through tactful plot choices, interested narrative stand points, and believable characterisation.

We also chat about fans reaching out to their favourite authors and why you shouldn't hesitate, performative masculinity, and I test Nicholas' ability to spot the real from the fake in my K-Drama test. 

The next extra festive episode of the Binge Reading Bookclub podcast comes out on Christmas Day! Be sure to pick up your copy of The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin - an epic fantasy novel set on a planet destroyed by catastrophic climate change. 

LINKS:

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In this episode we dive deep into the lore of Warhammer 40K with Xenos by Dan Abnett, the first in the Eisenhorn trilogy from the Black Library. 

While we had fairly low expectations, this book really captured our attentions and demonstrated masterfully how to blend a variety of genres - in this case Sci fi, Horror and Noire. Nicholas Binge also shares with us how he comes up with names for his characters (trawling the credits of movies), the problem with having a lack of women in a novel, and we expand upon the story of the Lithe Waiter in what will eventually be the greatest novel ever written. 

This week Nicholas and Hugo delve deep into literary fiction, a term so deeply confusing that they only just make heads or tails of it. Kamila Shamsie weaves a delicate, beautiful, and heart-wrenching tale of identity and nationalism that sits in conversation with the ancient greek play 'Antigone' and what it means to be British and muslim in the 21st century. 

Nick and Hugo also discuss Nick's latest book 'Extremity', his motivations as a writer, and take a joke about Monty Python way to far. Naturally we also add a new paragraph to the greatest book ever to be written with dramatic (and edgy) results.  All this and more in this months episode. 

Join us on the 30th October where we will be discussing Xenos by Dan Abnett (of the Warhammer 40,000 Black Library)

We are overjoyed to be joined by the marvelous Sunyi Dean, multiple award losing author of The Book Eaters (her words not ours). She chose the Novel Leech by Hiron Ennes for its excellent use of changing and dynamic perspective, as the titular leech slowly loses contact with its hive mind. The story is graphic, gory and gothing representation of a post-post-apocalyptic world in which humanity has fallen and risen again. 

We discuss WorldCon and the various silly exchanges Nicholas had, I test Nick and Sunyi's taste in parasites, and for the first time, we read the entire story we have written so far back to front to hear Sunyi's frank reaction. All this and more on the Binge Reading Bookclub podcast. 

Join us again on the 28th September where we will be reading our first bit of literary fiction - Homefire by Kamla Shamsie. 

Today we chat about  Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel, a story told through very unconventional epistoral technique of the discovery of a giant alien robot on planet earth. A collection of interviews performed by a mysterious government spook, we discover the various pitfalls of keeping a giant robot as a pet and the geopolitical repercussions. Nick and Hugo also chat Worldcon and Bloody Scotland, we continue our novel with dramatic flair, and Hugo puts Nick through his paces, testing his giant robot franchise knowledge

If you want to read what we have so far of our novel, follow the link to our website below.

The next episode of the BRBC will come out on the 28th August where we will have an extra special guest Sunyi Dean to discuss Leech by Hiron Ennes, a a gothic horror told from the perspective of a parasite with multiple human bodies. Follow the links below for more details: 

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Today we chat about  A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, a story of the Count Rostov and his various encounters while under house arrest the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. We talk voice, narrative tone, and why Hugo feels more compassion for The Bishop than he does for The Count himself.

If you want to read what we have so far of our novel, follow the link to our website below.

The next episode of the BRBC will come out on the 31st July where we will be reading Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neveu, a Sci-fi epic told entirely through the means of voice notes, captains log's, and audio communications... but transcribed to word form obviously. Follow the links below for more details: 

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Today we chat about Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin, a tense and heartbreaking horror that investigates the repercussions of 'Soul Splitting' in the wake of agricultural poisoning in the Argentinian countryside. We talk tension in writing and how to guide readers through a story without even needing chapters, how to navigate the world of social media and publishing, and our novel takes an 'innocuous turn'.

If you want to read what we have so far of our novel, follow the link to our website below.

The next episode of the BRBC will come out on the 26th June where we will be reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, a piece of historical fiction that counts as book number 6 of Nick's 'favourite books of all time', as it seems that all the books so far have been his favourite book of all time. Follow the links below for more details: 

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Today we chat about Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, a fantasy novel the follows the story of orphan Lazlo Strange and Godspawn Sarai. Nick breaks down how Laini writes vivid and imaginative prose that reflects the world in which the story is set. We also discuss the implications of if this novel was set in the same universe as Inception, the release of Nick's latest novel Dissolution, and make a 15 year leap in our novel at the end.

If you want to read what we have so far of our novel, follow the link to our website below.

The next episode of the BRBC will come out on the 24th April where we will be reading Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, a second world fantasy filled with creatures, angels, and all sorts of mystery. We will explore how Laini Taylor develops a fleshed out world through immaculate prose. Follow the links below for more details: 

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Today we chat about Planetfall by Emma Newman, Sci-fi set 20 years after humanity sets foot on a new planet in search of God's City. Nicholas helps us understand how Newman shifts the readers perspective to distrust the main character Renata Ghali's (not Renata Bliss) perspective on the story playing out. We also chat about our favourite cross-over universe headcannon, invented ailments, and continue our tonally jarring novel. 

If you want to read what we have so far of our novel, follow the link to our website below.

The next episode of the BRBC will come out on the 24th April where we will be reading Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, a second world fantasy filled with creatures, angels, and all sorts of mystery. We will explore how Laini Taylor develops a fleshed out world through immaculate prose. Follow the links below for more details: 

Official Site

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email us: [email protected]

This month we read We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker, a crime/thriller set in a small Californian town in the late 1990s but not all is as it seems. Nicholas helps us understand how Christ Whitaker builds up rich characters by delivering information in small bites from secondary parties, the show-not-tell approach I suppose. We also chat about inner monologues, books that feel like sequels but aren't, and we continue writing our novel in comedic fashion using the tips picked up in the episode

The next episode of the BRBC will come out on the 27th march where we will be reading Planetfall by Emma Newman which follows a genius astronaut named Ren as she slowly discovers humanity's place in the universe. We will explore how Emma Newman uses an unreliable narrator to expand her story. Follow the links below for more details: 

Official Site

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email us: [email protected]