Smug Book Club

2022 was a long time ago, but that's not stopping the Smug Book Club boys from reflecting on the best books they read in that year! And trust 'em, there are some absolute belters on this go-around.  The Buddha in the Attic — Julie Otsuka Persepolis — Marjane Satrapi One Hundred Years of Solitude — Gabriel García Márquez Death With Interruptions — José Saramago Story of Your Life and Others — Ted C...

Manga, eh? Anime, yeah? Why is it when the 'Murricans get their grubby hands on it to adapt for their screens, they always seem to balls it up? Do they even know what they're doing with it? Is it all just a culture clash? Or is there a slither of merit in what they're creating? Callum and Ryan (somewhat) answer these questions, alongside their standard literature chit chat. Another author has step...

Callum and Ryan are back again! In the spirit of chatting about more ai and some dodgy poetry, they thought they'd just let ChatGPT sort out this week's episode description. Enjoy! In the realm of words and stories, a tale unfolds, Where Very Novel's hosts bring insights untold. Callum and Ryan, their voices intertwined, Unveiling the podcast's latest episode in kind. They ventured into a literary...

No podcast for sad men? Well, there's always this one. Cormac McCarthy died, and Ryan and Callum are bummed. But it's okay – they have each other to talk about the man's legacy and what made him so darn special. There's also some encyclopaedia chat, as well as an honest assessment of some kneejerk review bombing following Elizabeth Gilbert's decision to pull her upcoming Russia based book from pub...

Yee-haw! It's time to saddle up for another Very Novel. Down at the ranch Callum and Ryan are rounding up the latest book stories for y'all. Like why are they banning the ol' bible in schools across the pond? Why are young fellas not getting the diverse reading they need? Why is Ulysses such a pain in the chaps to get through? And why did we make this episode description cowboy themed? Only one of...

It's another round of Very Novel — and Ryan and Callum are snapping into the spines of some fresh book chat.   This week, we revel in the joy of a thriving independent bookshop scene, and contemplate the pitfalls of online reading challenges and book tracking. We pay our respects to Martin Amis — a dude we know virtually nothing about — while the Bradford Literature Festival is washing its hands c...

Your boys are back with a fresh take at what's going on in the world of books. This week, a storm in a teacup involving Bradford Literature Festival and Midjourney has us anticipating the wider implications of AI in literature, we ponder the point of displaying fake books in your gaff, and what the hell are revered writers like Neil Gaiman getting up to in their spare time? (Spoiler: it's writing...

Hello, what's this? It's only a new flippin' topical book series, right here on the feed, featuring your two favourite book boys. Every fortnight we cover the latest book news, opinions and titbits, all the while going, erm, nose deep in our current reads. What's not to love? In our debut episode, we talk recent censorship woes, Matthew Perry's latest desperate attempt to sell his book, and the re...

Uh oh. UH OH. It's our yearly update on our favorite books, but... it's almost a year late. Look, we can't be perfect all the time, so you're just gonna have to accept this wonderful content whenever it rolls around. So... what were the best novels we read in 2021? Well, those were: Moby Dick, by Herman Melville Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi The Song Of Achilles, by Madeline Miller Middlemarch, by Georg...

Okay, yeah, we may actually be closer to 2022 than 2020, but when do the Smug Book Club boys let tradition stand in the way of a good time? No, that's not a rhetorical question: WHEN? ANSWER US, WHEN?!?! (Spoiler: never). At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter  when we released this episode, because books are nearly always good. And damn, do we have some good recommendations for you. So,...

OH MY SANDWORM WE DID AN EPISODE ON DUNE?!? But... this isn't that episode. This is an episode where we summarise everything that happened in the book. Why? WHY?! Easy — it's to refresh you on everything that happened in the magnificent novel, saving you all that reading (or re-reading) time. Anyway, enjoy our synopsis of Frank Herbert's 'Dune.'  ONWARD, IN THE NAME OF HOUSE ATREIDES. 

WATCH OUT, WOOOOOOORMS! That's right, the Smug Book Club boys are back and talking about one of their all time favourite novels: 'Dune,' by Frank Herbert. In this bumper-length episode (that just means we talked a whole load of nonsense for ages), we cover a veritable smorgasbord of topics. This includes: Our experience with Dune FRANK HERBERT FACTS What happened in 1964 (well, two things) How the...

HEY THERE! Never read 'Twilight?' Or has it been a long time since you have? Or maybe you just fancy a refresher on Stephanie Meyer's famous novel? Well, you're in the right place, friend. Why? Because this is a SYNOPSIS episode where we break down all the pertinent plot points from the sparkly vampire novel, meaning you can listen to the main episode, peaceful in the knowledge that you know what...

Whip out your white party make-up and glitter, it's 'Twilight' time! Yes, you read that right, the Smug Book Club boys (or are we now men?) have focused their laser sharp wits on Stephenie Meyer's classic vampire novel. This work of Young Adult (YA) fiction is one of the most famous books of the last 20 years — and, potentially, ever — so the time was nigh to finally give it a read. Oh, and the fa...

Well, well, well, you've stumbled upon the plot summary for the Smug Book Club episode on Robert Louis Stevenson's 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.' Listen to this and be reminded of all the salient plot details, so you don't have to re-read the book. Once that's done, head over and check out the full episode. You won't regret it. Obviously, there are gonna be a lot of spoilers.

The boys are back! This time they're throwing their eyes over Robert Louis Stevenson's classic, 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.' Is the book itself a friendly Jekyll? Or a nasty Hyde? Has it aged like a lovely Jekyll? Or a shrivelling Hyde? And does everything have to be a duality? Join them on their journey, but beware: strong language and spoilers within.

The Smug Book Club boys are back! Well, kinda.  This short episode is introducing our next podcast, which will be on Robert Louis Stevenson's 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde!' The full thing will be out in a week or two, giving you time to pick up the book if you'd like to read it before we talk all kinds of crap about it. Catch you soon!

Yes, after a long hiatus, the Smug Book Club boys are back! But rather than our normal approach where we review and analyse a book, we're doing something a little different. So, strap yourself in and get ready for a breakdown of our 6 favourite books we read in 2019. That means 3 from Callum, and 3 from Ryan. Because, you know,  fairness. So, what are these 6 glorious novels? Well, in no real orde...

Yes, you're reading this right, Bill Clinton wrote a thriller. With James Patterson. And yes, it's as bad as you think it's going to be. This is why we've done the hard work and read it for you. In this synopsis, we give you a breakdown of the plot, so you can enjoy our full episode without having to sully your brain by, you know, actually reading the damn thing. Enjoy!

Have you been wondering what Bill Clinton has been up to? He's been writing thriller novels! And have you been wondering what those loveable scamps at Smug Book Club have been up to? Why, trying to get their heads around this abject mess that Clinton has produced, of course! It's taken a few months, though. And with such a dismantling due, they've resorted to the tried and tested method that only...

Want to listen to our 'The Catcher In The Rye' episode? But don't know what happens in the book? Or need a refresher? Well, gentle listener, you've come to the right place. In this short podcast, we give you an overview of the plot and main characters from J. D. Salinger's famous American classic. Spoilers, of course, and swearing lie within.

If there's a phony podcast shaped hole in your life then you've come to the right place! Lose yourself in J.D. Salinger's Russian epic The Catcher in the Rye, which is actually not Russian at all and is, rather crucially, American. Perhaps the most famous of the American books? Come on. You're killing me, here! Ryan and Callum will shoot the breeze and take you through their series of spicy takes,...

Instead of cluttering up our full episodes with a plot breakdown, we've decided to split it into a separate episode. Happy with your knowledge of the plot of Stephen King's 'Carrie'? Then no need to listen! If, on the other hand, you've never read the book or would like a refresher, this episode is for you. As you'd expect, there are spoilers within.

Your favourite book nerds are back after an extended period away from the pod mic. Where have they been? Undergoing counselling for bedwetting is where! That's what you get when you read the master of horror, the sensei of sinister, the captain of making others defecate themselves through the power of prose... Stephen King! Callum and Ryan take on the mercilessly short, but by no means run-of-the-...

"Hello podcasting my old friend, we're here to lock some wives in our attics again." In this episode, we're going all Mr. Rochester. Your attention is Bertha. The podcast is the room she's locked in. And the feeling you get after jumping from the roof or receiving horrible burns? That's the aftermath of listening. And yes, you're right – in the first episode from the newly re-branded Smug Book Clu...