Things We Read Instead

By Victoria Cargill-James & Chris Simpson

A monthly podcast where two distractable nerds spend their time chatting bubbles about the enjoyment of something unintended but fabulous, while also trying to get their to be read piles under control... more

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FAQs about Things We Read Instead:

How many episodes does Things We Read Instead have?

The podcast currently has 60 episodes available.

Things We Read Instead episodes:

August 10, 2026 What Chris Read Instead of The Song of Achilles - Part 1
Welcome back Readers!

We're back from our summer break and ready to get going again with another rip roaring edition of Things We Read Instead! This month the Girly Swot has challenged the War Bore to read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Let's see what our Bore of War thinks and in a couple of weeks Vic will be back with what you could have read instead :)

Don't forget to get in touch with your praise or arguments, you never know you may get a mention. Thanks for your support. To follow our adventures like and subscribe, follow us on Instagram. and get in touch via email at [email protected],

Here’s a list of the books, movies, shows and podcasts mentioned in the podcast.

What Chris Read Instead
The Country Under Heaven by Ferderic S. Durbin
Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch
The Lovecraft Investigations on BBC Sounds

Other Honourable Mentions
Rivals: Season 2 2026
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
More info for Julian Simpson's additional lovecraft series - https://www.pleasantgreen.co.uk/

All music and sound effects by www.pixabay.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
54min
August 04, 2026 Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey - The Big Summer Holiday Watch!
Konnichiwa Readers!

We interrupt our scheduled Summer shorts for a not so short review of the big summer blockbuster that everyone is talking about! No - not Spiderman, its Christopher Nolan's hotly anticipated version of The Odyssey - adapted from the translation by Emily Wilson.

Get ready to hear what the pair of nerds thought about this adaptation, and hold onto your hats! They may be on their holibobs but they arent holding anything back!

As promised in the pod, here is the link to Emily Wilson's article in the London Review of Books that Vic and Chris mention - An Uncomplicated Man

We will be back very soon with or our next episode where Vic will be challenging Chris to read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and in the meantime we will be keeping you in content over on our instagram and substack.

Don't forget to get in touch with your praise or arguments, you never know you may get a mention. Thanks for your support. To follow our adventures like and subscribe, follow us on Instagram and get in touch via email at [email protected],
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
36min
July 27, 2026 War Bore Holiday Reads
Bonjourno Readers!

The War Bore is at the end of his travels now and is wrapping up his leisurely reads by the pool manner. For the final time this break he's re-reading an old favourite fantasy romance that Kimberley Lemming's That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Human. Blush along with the War Bore and enjoy his poolside review, and keep your eyes and ears peel for the last of our summer shorts soon.

Don't forget to get in touch with your praise or arguments, you never know you may get a mention. Thanks for your support. To follow our adventures like and subscribe, follow us on Instagram and get in touch via email at [email protected],

We will see you all after our summer break for our next episode where Vic will be challenging Chris to read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and in the meantime we will be keeping you in content over on our instagram and substack.

All music and sound effects by www.pixabay.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
4min
July 20, 2026 Girly Swot Holiday Reads
Guten Tag Readers!

The Girly Swot is back with another of her summer reads! This time out its Homer's The Odyssey - translated by Emily Wilson

Grab a suitable beverage with your favourite coloured umbrella to enjoy Vic's review, and keep your eyes and ears peel for more of our summer shorts over the next few weeks.

Don't forget to get in touch with your praise or arguments, you never know you may get a mention. Thanks for your support. To follow our adventures like and subscribe, follow us on Instagram and get in touch via email at [email protected],

We will see you all after our summer break for our next episode where Vic will be challenging Chris to read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and in the meantime we will be keeping you in content over on our instagram and substack.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
6min
July 13, 2026 War Bore Holiday Reads
Bienvenue Readers!

The War Bore is back by the pool and suitable beverage is in hand. This time he's been reading James Mace's Broadswords Over England, and time to wac lyrical has arrived. Sit back and enjoy Chris' speedy review and we will be back with some more soon :)

Don't forget to get in touch with your praise or arguments, you never know you may get a mention. Thanks for your support. To follow our adventures like and subscribe, follow us on Instagram and get in touch via email at [email protected],

We will see you all after our summer break for our next episode where Vic will be challenging Chris to read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and in the meantime we will be keeping you in content over on our instagram and substack.

All music and sound effects by www.pixabay.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
5min
July 06, 2026 Girly Swot Holiday Reads
Bonjour Readers!

The Girly Swot is getting in on the summer reads action during the hottest week that there ever was! Vic has been reading Taylor Jenkins Reid's Atmosphere-A Love Story
We really hope you enjoy Vic's review, and keep your eyes and ears peel for more short reviews from our dashing duo of literary nerds over the next few weeks for some inspiration for your sunlounger based adventures.

Don't forget to get in touch with your praise or arguments, you never know you may get a mention. Thanks for your support. To follow our adventures like and subscribe, follow us on Instagram and get in touch via email at [email protected],

We will see you all after our summer break for our next episode where Vic will be challenging Chris to read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and in the meantime we will be keeping you in content over on our instagram and substack.

All music and sound effects by www.pixabay.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
5min
June 29, 2026 War Bore Holiday Reads
Merry Summer Break Readers!

The War Bore has been on his travels and has been devouring books poolside in a leisurely manner. This time out its James Hollland's Fortress Malta, because when in Malta what else does a War Bore read?

Enjoy Chris' swift poolside review, and keep your eyes and ears peel for more of our summer shorts over the next few weeks.

Don't forget to get in touch with your praise or arguments, you never know you may get a mention. Thanks for your support. To follow our adventures like and subscribe, follow us on Instagram and get in touch via email at [email protected],

We will see you all after our summer break for our next episode where Vic will be challenging Chris to read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and in the meantime we will be keeping you in content over on our instagram and substack.

All music and sound effects by www.pixabay.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
12min
June 15, 2026 What Vic Read Instead of World War Z - Part 2
Hello Readers!

Welcome back to the second half of the Girly Swot reading World War Z by Max Brooks. Let's see what the Chris has found for Vic to read and watch instead :) along with a bit of a debate to wrap up the show.

Don't forget to get in touch with your praise or arguments, you never know you may get a mention. Thanks for your support. To follow our adventures like and subscribe, follow us on Instagram and get in touch via email at [email protected],

Here’s a list of the books, movies, shows and podcasts mentioned in the podcast.

To Read Instead
The Classic Horror Stories by H P Lovecraft
The Rats by James Herbert
Handling The Undead by John Ajvide Linqvist
The Enemy by Charlie Higson

To Watch Instead
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Dawn of The Dead (1978)
28 Days Later (2002)
28 Years Later (2025)
Attack on Titan (2013)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Other Honourable Mentions

We will see you after our summer break for our next episode where Vic will be challenging Chris to read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and in the meantime we will be keeping you in content over on our instagram and substack while we take a small beer garden based break :)

All music and sound effects by www.pixabay.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
56min
May 25, 2026 What Vic Read Instead of World War Z - Part 1
Hello Readers.

Here we are again with a brand new episode, and this month the Girly Swot has been challenged to read World War Z by Max Brooks sit down with a brew and listen to how she got on and what she read instead. Feel free to read along and prepare for the second half in a couple of weeks. Don't forget to get in touch with your praise or arguments, you never know you may get a mention. Thanks for your support. Like, subscribe, email at [email protected], and follow us on Instagram.

Here’s a list of the books, movies and shows mentioned in the podcast.

That Time I Got Drunk And Yeeted a Love Potion at Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming
The Reading Cure by Laura Freeman
Box Office Poison by Tim Robey

Other Honourable Mentions

Other Honourable Mentions
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come - 2026
Ready or Not - 2019
Wuthering Heights - 2026
The Rocky Horror Picture Show - 1975
30 Days of Night - 2007
Castlevania (Netflix Animated Series)
Castlevania: Nocturne (Netflix Animated Series)
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Dracula by Bram Stoker

Make sure you are subscribed for part two when the War Bore will give you his recommendations for what you could read and watch instead :)

All music and sound effects by www.pixabay.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
43min
April 22, 2026 What Chris Read Instead of Erotic Vagrancy - Part 2
Hello Readers!

Welcome back to the second half of the War Bore's challenge to read Erotic Vagrancy by Roger Lewis. Let's see what the Girly Swot has found for Chris and you lovely lot to read and watch instead :) along with the traditional trivial argument (patent pending)

Don't forget to get in touch with your praise or arguments, you never know you may get a mention. Thanks for your support. To follow our adventures like and subscribe, follow us on Instagram. and get in touch via email at [email protected],

Here’s a list of the books, movies, shows and podcasts mentioned in the podcast.

To Read Instead
Furious Love by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger
Hellraisers by Robert Sellers
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

To Watch Instead
Cleopatra (1963)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966)
1984 (1984)

Other Honourable Mentions
Love Actually (2003)
Wuthering Heights (2026)
Carry On Cleo (1964)

We will see you in a couple of weeks for our next episode about the War Bore's pick of World War Z by Max Brooks and you can find out what the Girly Swot made of the zombies and what she decided to read instead :)

All music and sound effects by www.pixabay.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
35min

FAQs about Things We Read Instead:

How many episodes does Things We Read Instead have?

The podcast currently has 60 episodes available.