Being Bookish

In this latest episode of the Being Bookish spin-off, The Stephen King Thing, I am joined by Lorraine to take on Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, one of his most divisive novels. We talk about the book's dated language and the back-cover setup. We also cover how King wrote it while recovering from his accident, and why it reads like a fever dream. Bathroom horror and childish humour come up next. T he...

Welcome back to another episode of Being Bookish. I felt like I wanted to balance out all the incredible fantasy I've been reviewing with another cosy mystery, so I did a quick search of my shelves and came up with Suk Pannu's first Mrs Sidhu novel, Dead and Scone . For me, this cosy mystery has everything you could want: a cold case, an intriguing present-day murder (or three), a curious and dete...

In another bonus episode, I am joined by author Sloane Brooks to talk about what happens when sci-fi, fantasy, and romance collide in her latest novel, Written in Starlight , a bold genre mashup that follows Della, Ansel, and a layered mystery stretching between the world of Lumeria and a mysterious library that may hold the key to everything. Sloane talks about how she wove three distinct storyli...

In this week's bonus episode, I'm joined by author Charlotte B. Plumb to talk about her debut, Reap and Sow , a gothic fantasy duology about Eda, a young girl whose father placed her and her two older brothers in an untenable position, bargaining with a demon! In order to rescue her brothers from death, she strikes a dangerous pact despite knowing such bargains always end badly. We dig into the in...

In the second episode of this week, I am joined by author Martha Waters to talk about her brand-new novel, Spellstruck. The story is set in a magical 1920s Britain where spellcasting is outlawed and the class lines cut just as deep as the magic. We talk about the interwar history Martha wove into the world-building, the opposites-attract chemistry between Vesper and Max, and the family drama and m...

This week, in the first of two episodes (a rarity since my early Not Before Coffee Days), I am joined by bestselling author J.R. Ward to talk about the latest instalment in her massive Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Enthroned. Why she jumped the timeline, how the series became a TV adaptation, and what it's like building a fictional universe fans have lived in for two decades. We talked ab...

Welcome to my sixth anniversary episode. I thought long and hard about what I should talk about, and when I looked at my bookcase and realised I had yet to read the latest instalment of the Agatha Raisin series, Sugar and Spite , I knew that this was the perfect opportunity. The many books in the Agatha Raisin series, including the inaugural instalment, The Quiche of Death , have played a very imp...

In this week’s episode of Being Bookish, I am joined by novelist Simon Wroe to discuss his new novel, Ghost Month (released in hardback on the 27th of August). The novel is set in a London where the dead return to Earth for a single month (September) every year. During our conversation, we explore the book's interlocking cast and the events that connect them. We have Jane and the husband she rents...

YA Thrillers are living their best moment right now, and if you ever wanted to attend a barn party, or wondered what it would be like to be questioned by the police when your best friend is murdered, then this book is for you. Killing Sadie is Rachel Peterson's debut novel, published by SimonTeen. Here’s what we do know: there was another infamous barn party at the McClain family farm last night,...

If you ever long for the days when Syfy was making and airing their monster-of-the-week shows, or miss the early seasons of The X-Files, then the book I have this week is definitely one for you. (Mostly) Human Resources is the debut novel from American author Grace Viall. An urban fantasy that blends the world of monsters, monster hunters and the modern world together. In the first in her Entity C...

Join me this week as I have a special guest, author Kristina Thornton. Her second novel is due to be released on the 28th July, published by Harpeth Road Press, and is titled Forty Going on Nineteen. As you may guess from the title, it has a little bit of a time travel vibe, though there is no de-ageing or battling with school bullies. Instead, our main character is about to turn forty (and for an...

Welcome to the latest episode of The Stephen King Thing, a special spin-off series from the Being Bookish podcast. In this part of the show, Lorraine and I are dedicating our time to exploring the extensive bibliography of the master of horror, and this time, both Lorraine and I will be somewhat reluctantly and definitely nervously checking into the Overlook Hotel to dissect his 1977 masterpiece,...

In this episode of Being Bookish, I'm digging into the layers of Starside, the 2026 fantasy novel by Alex Aster. This book marks her first step into more adult romantasy after her original foray into the genre with the YA Lightlark series. While there's plenty of talk online about the deadly competition framework and the familiar tropes in this book, I'm much more interested in tackling the online...

Welcome back to another episode of Being Bookish. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but we're almost halfway through 2026, so it's time for a bit of an update, and I am doing it differently this year! In this wrap-up, I am focusing a lot on expectation versus reality in my personal reading experience. I'm going to share my thoughts on the standout books I cannot stop thinking about, the ones tha...

In this week's episode of Being Bookish, I'm digging into the layers of The Ever King , the 2023 fantasy novel by LJ Andrews that made the transition from indie favourite to traditional publication in 2025. While there's plenty of talk online about the relationships and the sea fae romance elements in this book, I'm much more interested in pulling apart the high-seas intrigue and evaluating the ge...

In the second episode of the Being Bookish spin-off where I am reading my way through Stephen King’s novels, joined by my friend and fellow podcaster, Lorraine, we’re taking a look at Cujo, his 1981 novel, the second to feature Castle Rock. As previously mentioned, these episodes are approximately 6 weeks apart as there is a lot to cover. Cujo is the story of a friendly St Bernard, beloved family...

In this episode of Being Bookish, I am digging into the layers of Blood of Hercules, the 2024 urban fantasy novel with hints of dark romance written by author Jasmine Mas. While there is plenty of talk online about the relationships and the reverse harem elements in this book, I am much more interested in looking at how the character dynamics and Greek mythology connections hold up, as this is tru...

In this episode of Being Bookish, I’m digging into the layers of Dire Bound, the atmospheric 2025 debut by Sable Sorensen. While there is plenty of talk online about the relationships in this book (and I have my thoughts on its categorisation), I’m much more interested in the high fantasy intrigue and the genuine mystery at the heart of the story. I’ll be exploring the complexities of the magic sy...

In this episode, I’m looking at a locked-room mystery with subtle digs at the publishing world in the debut by an author who remained a mystery for 6 months following the well-marketed announcement, The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke. If you haven’t heard about it yet, this book is a collaboration between V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke. The story follows six struggling, midlist authors who are...

This week, I've been reading a lot of fantasy, and my episode is going to lean into that as I'm reviewing a story that takes a really clever approach to the fantasy genre. I’m talking about This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, a novel with an Isekai (or portal fantasy) premise that could be an absolute disaster, or a joy! The novel follows a protagonist, Maggie, who wakes up inside the...

Described as The Day of the Triffids crossed with Little Shop of Horrors, this week, I’m looking at a story that certainly presents an unusual scenario. I’m talking about Overgrowth by Mira Grant, a book with a botanical horror premise that's hard to ignore once you've heard it. If you haven't come across this sci-fi horror novel yet, this episode’s a good place to start. It’s a bit of a genre-shi...

In this brand new spin-off to my podcast, Being Bookish, I am reading my way through Stephen King's novels, specifically those where characters reside, or experience something, in Castle Rock. These episodes will be every 6 weeks, as there is a lot to cover, and I am reading them with my friend, and fellow podcaster, Lorraine. In this episode, we're looking at the novel, The Dead Zone. Released in...

This week, I'm venturing into the chaotic and sometimes hilarious world of the LitRPG phenomenon that's taken the book world by storm. I'm talking about Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, the first book in a (currently) 7-book series that's grown from a self-published cult favourite into a global bestseller. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then this episode is a great place to star...

Join me this week for the third in my 2026 author interviews. This time I'm talking with Venetia Constantine about her captivating debut fantasy novel, The Last Starborn Seer . Released by Aria on the 5th of March, it is a sweeping, high-stakes journey through a world of ancient prophecies and celestial magic. It follows Leilani, a young woman whose volatile magic grants her visions of the future...

This week, I had the pleasure of talking with author and Guardian Columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett about her latest brilliant novel, Female, Nude. Released on the 12th of February by Tinder Press, it is an exploration of the female gaze, set against a stunning Grecian backdrop. Sophie, an artist, is contemplating her life when she spends time with university friends in the run-up to a wedding. In...