Shark Liver Oil

Wooooo! Woooooooo! Woooooooooo! It's time to combine two of Shark Liver Oil's favourite things - christmas and ghost stories! Yes, it's the first of a three part extravaganza about the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. Ebeneezer Scrooge is a brooding, anti-yuletilde eco-warrior who abhors fossil fuel energy. Jacob Marley is an insubstantial wispy wonder with a fetish for clanking chains...

(Content Note: in this episode we discuss the topic of abuse as it relates to this part of the book.)  It's the third and final part of Shark Liver Oil's page by page guide to The Catcher in the Rye! We'll join Holden as he sneaks into mum and dad's place (don't wake the maid!), goes on the run (again) and begins a one man crusade to rid the world of rude graffiti. Any feedback on the book or the...

We're back, ya phonies, with another slice of our take on this definitely-not-dated-but-actually-classic literature. This week, we're watching Holden deal with a pimp, a taxi driver, at least two overprivileged wankers, two nuns, an old flame and some ducks. And Dave even finds something to like about the book. What do you think? Over-rated teen angst? Deathless brilliance? Let us know at sharkliv...

It's time for a new book and Shark Liver Oil is keeping it classical but cycling forward a couple of hundred years from Jane Austen - to bring you JD Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye! This week we're discussing chapters 1-12. We answer important questions like: does Holden Caulfield have ADHD? Just when is the right time to sell off your typewriter? Did people really use words like "phoney" and "...

We're reached the end of the road for Pride and Prejudice, but it's not going out without a fight. We've got deathmatches; we've got mobster pimps; we've even got Judi Dench's massive biceps. We've got it all - and for this edition, we've got a roundup of the various views from across the internet on this book, from 'I'd marry Darcy, 5 stars' to 'My missus would marry Darcy, zero stars'. And that'...

Get ready for more wedding making hijinks with Shark Liver Oil's third part of our coverage of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Mr Darcy makes an indecent (or at least inappropriate) proposal, Lydia runs off with a man in uniform, Mrs Bennet recovers from a mystery illness and Big C offers his condolences. It's going to be a wild ride. In the words of Lydia, "I dare say there'll be some balls."...

We go further into the world of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's classic novel of manners, and discover the chances of a Kevin Smith adaptation are higher than you might think. Also featuring the world's worst marriage proposal, an unexpected comparison with Dumb and Dumber, and Dave's massive ignorance of the history of 18th century literature. With zombies. And ninjas. If that sounds as prepos...

It's time for a change of pace here at Shark Liver Oil as we delve into the world of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. In part 1 we read to chapter 17. Along the way we'll get drunk with Darcy, get sick with Jane, get bored with Mr Collins, get quizzical with Elizibeth and join Mrs Bennett on her mission to get all of her daughters married, or die tryin'. It promises to be more fun than being at...

Mugatu! DEFCON 2! Psychic Afro Squid! It's the end of the road for the Watchmen, and we've got the crescendo to beat them all. We've got reviews from the lovers and the haters, we've got a supervillain to rival Zoolander's Mugatu, and we've got some swearing that's really quite restrained in the circumstances. Also featuring Matt's worryingly total recall of late-90's pop smash hits. Dave's loving...

We're spending a bit more time with Lori and Dreiberg in our third instalment of our Watchmen walkthrough. It's time to watch a 40 year old nice guy with a spandex fetish and an uncomfortable way around women trying to put some moves on his sexy young friend. Just like a night out in Barnsley. Also this week - why Lori just can't stop hitting the flamethrower button, killer one liners for scary pr...

It's time for Shark Liver Oil to delve deeper into the distressing, disturbing and dystopian world that has the Watchmen for its guardians as we recap chapters 4 to 6.  The purple-suit-and-custom-made-cufflink-wearing Smartest Man in the World gets into a scrap, the hipster's hero of choice gets arrested and it's time to find out just where Mr Big Blue Swinger himself came from. Quiet at the back...

We're back, and it's time for a BEHEMOTH. We're discussing philosophy, kick-ass gadgets, and the parallels between Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' modern classic and the Beano. Which apparently exist. From big, deep characters to a joke about baked beans that's in the worst possible taste, we don't shrink from talking about the important stuff, and neither should you - get in touch if this is a favou...

MOCK YEAH ING YEAH BIRD YEAH! That's exactly how Petyr Baelish announces himself, in his head. Externally, to the surprise of absolutely no-one, he is one creepy motha ucka, a poster-boy for Westeros' Stranger Danger campaign. But does Sansa pay attention? Does she hell. Also this time out, a positive feast of plot, featuring dramatic deaths left right and centre, and we're right up with it, sword...

We’ve reached the penultimate part of our coverage of A Storm of Swords, and this shit just keeps getting more real. Today’s real: Danaerys gets a job with Oxfam; the mating rituals of the Westerosi knobhead; and a massive tactical oversight by Mance Rayder, involving stairs. Also Dave creates a word: chivalrouslessness. Shut up, it totally makes sense. As ever, get in touch by email: sharkliveroi...

We're galloping through our coverage of George RR Martin's A Storm of Swords; today, we're finding out how justice is done in Westeros. Short version: brutally. Also this week we see knights ad-lib (badly), and discover the only bedroom in existence where Barry White has nothing to offer. We've lit a dung fire specially for you; come in and take the weight off. As ever, you can get in touch by ema...

It's part 10 of our coverage, and Westeros is shaking with grief at their loss. No they're not, they're carrying on much as they were before. That means BATTLES, and also POLITICS and of course who could forget THE INCEST. Who indeed. Featuring Emo Jaime and the tragic end of everyone's favourite employee-employer bromance with the parting of Tyrion and Bronn, as well as the possibility that Georg...

If you come at the king.. you best not miss. Find out what happens when Westeros throws the bloodiest wedding since the last bloodiest wedding. Joffrey and Myrcella enjoy a shindig that will live long in the memory. If only Hello Magazine had been there for the photo rights. If you've any comments on the cast or the book get them in to sharkliveroilpodcast@gmail.com or on twitter @sharkliveroil

Part 8 of our coverage of George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire trilogy: in which Jon Snow shits all over Robin Hood (figuratively speaking), Stannis sticks his fingers in his ears and goes 'laaalaaalaaalaaaaIcan'tHEARyou...', and we manfully avoid Matt's Bunker Full Of Plot Spoilers. Also featuring an unexpected martial use for Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tube Men. As ever, get in to...

Uh oh...It's part 7 of Shark Liver Oil's coverage of A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin. This one's called The Rains of Castamere and it's all about what will come to be known as 'The Red Wedding'. I know, I know, it's hard. But Matt and Dave are here to share your pain - because misery really does love company...Spoiler Alert - We discuss bad things in this episode and if you're reading the bo...

Our romp through George RR Martin's A Storm of Swords continues as we encounter the Westerosi version of 24-hour news, discover how to fight a war and stay a man of peace (involving morningstars), and the encounter the strange similarities between Jaime Lannister and a certain Ron Burgundy. Always first with the cultural commentary you can't do without, that's us.

We're at the halfway point of George RR Martin's A Storm Of Swords. We question the wisdom of the Nights Watch selection process, we enjoy a load of big set piece actions sequences (the hound v beric, the old bear v the mutineers, the real bear v jaime) and we delight in the Mr Burns echoing way that you can say... release the Hound!! Feedback on the book or the cast? We want it from you! Send you...

It's the fourth part of Shark Liver Oil's journey through GRRM's A Storm Of Swords. In this part Jon and Ygritte find Hot Springs House, we hear a tale about a young Ned Stark, and guest podcaster Oliver helps us compile the top five worst ways to die in Westeros. There ain't no party like a Greatjohn party.. As ever get you feedback in to us at sharkliveroilpodcast@gmail.com or on twitter @sharkl...

It's the part of the book that goes along with Season 3 of Game of Thrones, around episodes 4 and 5 (but possible spoilers for later episodes too). We're reading from a chapter about Sam, starting with 'Sobbing, he took another step', all the way to a chapter about Bran, starting with 'No roads ran through the twisting mountain valleys'. That's page 236 to page 331 in the paperback and Kindle edit...

NOT ONLY dark wings BUT ALSO dark words; also featuring the slow rise of Tyrion Lannister AND an historic occurence: Arya Stark does something other than go for a walk! Also Dave resists the temptation to say 'The Lamb Men of the Lazaerene' closely into the microphone. We're reading from a chapter featuring Bran, starting 'The ridge slanted sharply from the earth', to a chapter about Sam (BOSH, ne...

We're covering George RR Martin's third book in his Ice and Fire series - A Storm of Swords! In this part we check in with a few familiar faces and meet a few new ones like Mance Rayder and the Queen of Thorns. This Shark Liver Oil covers material from the start of Storm Of Swords as far as p122. When you get to a chapter about Bran which begins "The ridge slanted slightly..." stop reading! As eve...