In our very first episode of the year, Jenny, Belle and Sarah are back and we’re kicking things off with a big update! We’re moving away from seasons and switching to a monthly episode format, and in this episode we chat through why the change felt right for us (and hopefully for you too).

Alongside that, it’s a proper catch-up - what we’ve been reading, what we’ve been loving, and how our reading year is shaping up so far. Expect plenty of bookish tangents, honest thoughts, and the usual cosy, conversational vibes as we ease into a new year of the podcast.

We’ll also be sharing more over on our Patreon each month, alongside the main episodes, if you’d like to support the show and get extra content, you can join us here: https://www.patreon.com/c/bookcastclub

Books mentioned in this episode:

• The Fate of Mary Rose — Caroline O’Donoghue
• The Correspondent — Virginia Evans
• Memorial Day — Geraldine Brooks
• Wild Dark Shore — Charlotte McConaghy
• The Rose Field — Philip Pullman
• Always Home, Always Homesick — Hannah Kent
• Audition — Katie Kitamura
• Elegy, Southwest — Madeleine Watts
• Love, Sex and Frankenstein — Caroline Lea
• Death in Her Hands — Ottessa Moshfegh

Get in touch

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Support The Bookcast Club

• You can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. 
• If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. 
• A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.

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Jenny and Sarah chat about their favourite reads of 2025, along with some great recommendations from listeners

What have your standout reads of 2025 been? Are any of these on your TBR?

Books mentioned:

• Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott
• Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
• All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakam
• A Room Above a Shop by Anthony Shapland
• The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
• The Good People by Hannah Kent
• The Dance Tree by Kiran Milwood Hargrave
• Muckle Flugga by Michael Pedersen
• Ripeness by Sarah Moss
• My Good Bright Wolf by Sarah Moss
• Bunny by Mona Awad
• We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad
• Almost Life by Kiran Milwood Hargrave
• I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy
• The Book of Dust trilogy by Philip Pullman
• Seascraper by Benjamin Wood
• As Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers

Get in touch

Instagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTube

Support The Bookcast Club

• You can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. You can now try our Patreon FREE for 7 days. 
• If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. 
• A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.

Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah and Jenny discuss the recent release of Wicked: For Good and how it compares to the book. The book is dark and complex, a strong contrast to the book. They discuss what they loved and hated about the film, and what was gained or lost in the translation from Gregory Maguire's Wicked.

Have you read the book and/or seen the film? What did you think?

Get in touch

Instagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTube

Support The Bookcast Club

• You can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. You can now try our Patreon FREE for 7 days. 
• If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. 
• A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.

Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news. 

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This is our LIVE recording of our Patreon Book Club, so apologies for sound gremlins. We discuss The Lamb by Lucy Rose with our Patreons. If you would like to join us next time you can sign up here for as little as £2 a month.

Books mentioned:

• Things We Say in the Dark by Kirsty Logan
• Folk by Zoe Gilbert
• Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

Get in touch

Instagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTube

Support The Bookcast Club

• You can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. You can now try our Patreon FREE for 7 days. 
• If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. 
• A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.

Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who'd have believed it!? A Laurie Gilmore, Dream Harbour special. Millie joins Jenny to discuss the Dream Harbour series as well as the rise in spicy romance.

Books mentioned:

• Book Lovers by Emily Henry
• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandana
• You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
• The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden
• Once Upon a Broken Heart Series by Stephanie Garber
• Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
• Flawless by Elsie Silver
• Playing the Witch Card by KJ Dell'Antonia

Podcast mentioned:

• The Conversation with Laurie Gilmore

Get in touch

Instagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTube

Support The Bookcast Club

• You can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. You can now try our Patreon FREE for 7 days. 
• If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. 
• A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.

Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Jenny and her sister Katie take on the epic challenge of comparing the Mary Shelley classic, Frankenstein with Guillermo Del Toro's new movie. We answer all the important questions - did the creature have a brain? Who the f*ck is Catherine? Mia Goth is British!? And what was the milk count?

Books mentioned:

• Poor Things by Alasdair Grey
• Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick
• Love, Sex and Frankenstein by Caroline Lea
• A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock

Movies/TV mentioned:

• The Fly (1986)
• Tim Burton - The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissor Hands, Frankenweenie
• Blade Runner
• Jurassic Park
• Penny Dreadful (TV)
• The Frankenstein Chronicles (TV)
• Wuthering Heights (2026)

Get in touch

Instagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTube

Support The Bookcast Club

• You can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. You can now try our Patreon FREE for 7 days. 
• If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. 
• A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.

Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Belle catches up with fellow Naarm resident and Bookstagrammer, @paulineisreading. They talk bookstagram, ARCs, and some of their favourite Australian authors.

Books mentioned:

• coming soon!

Get in touch

Instagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTube

Support The Bookcast Club

• You can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. You can now try our Patreon FREE for 7 days. 
• If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. 
• A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.

Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of our favourite episodes of the year - spooky reads! Belle and Jenny share their latest horror reads, spooky TBRs, quick fire horror genres and tv/movie recs. It's a bumper ep, packed full of horror recs. Happy Halloween!

Books mentioned:

• Hungerstone by Kat Dunn
• The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
• House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
• Children of Paradise by Camilla Grudova
• The Hotel by Daisy Johnson
• Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
• The September House by Carissa Orlando
• Itch by Gemma Amor
• A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enriquez
• Don't Go to Sleep in the Dark by Celia Fremlin
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
• The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
• The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
• NIghtbitch by Rachel Yoder
• Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth
• Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda
• Annihilation by Jeff VanderMere
• Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez
• Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
• Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

Movies/TV/Radio mentioned:

• The Hotel BBC Radio 4
• The Others
• The Awakening
• The Substance
• Monsters: Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein, Eric & Lyle Menendez (TV)
• The Long Walk
• Weapons
• Alice (1988)

Get in touch

Instagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTube

Support The Bookcast Club

• You can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. You can now try our Patreon FREE for 7 days. 
• If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. 
• A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.

Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah and Belle get together to talk about about cosy reads. They discuss what kinds of books they read more in Autumn and Winter, and share what they've been reading and watching lately.

Books mentioned:

• The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
• Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh
• Helle & Death by Oskar Jensen
• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
• The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
• The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall
• She's Always Hungry by Eliza Clark
• Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfeld
• The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi
• The Dance Tree by Kiran Milwood Hargrave
• Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Forcett
• The Fate of Mary Rose by Caroline Blackwood
• The Lamb by Lucy Rose

Things mentioned:

• Bookcast Club episode #102 - The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

Get in touch

Instagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTube

Support The Bookcast Club

• You can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. You can now try our Patreon FREE for 7 days. 
• If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. 
• A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.

Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We welcome Sarah from Your True Shelf to the pod today to discuss reading challenges and, specifically, #HRCYED - The Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever do, Jenny and Sarah take the opportunity to discuss their recent/current reads and TBR's for the challenge.

Books mentioned:

• Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
• It Was Always You by Emma Cooper
• The Things We Lost by Jyoti Patel
• Pop Scars by ANTHONY Kavanagh (not Andrew!)
• LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien (Andy Serkis Audiobook)
• Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper
• The Tarot Reader of Versailles by Anya Bergman
• We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad

Things mentioned:

• HRCYED 2.0 website
• TBR Spin by Sarah Freshly
• Read Good Challenge 2025 by Ben Reads Good
• The Gilmore Book Club

Get in touch

Instagram | TikTok | Substack | Patreon | Ko-fi | Email | YouTube

Support The Bookcast Club

• You can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post. You can now try our Patreon FREE for 7 days. 
• If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi. 
• A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.

Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.