Bookies' Favourite

We’re onto book five of the Booker Prize 2025 shortlist with Flesh by David Szalay — a look at how others can influence our lives and define the relationships we form.📅 Coming Up NextNext week: our final shortlisted title, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai (Hamish Hamilton). 🌙💬 Get Involved📸 Instagram (@bookiesfavouritebookclub)📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.com📖 Read our written reviews on Goodreads

This week, the team hit the road with The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits — a story of midlife crisis, family tensions, and health struggles, all unfolding across a cross-country road trip through the US. Opinions are divided on this one, but there’s plenty to discuss!Our Bookie of the Week is @dymphnaflynn — book reviewer, Costa Book Awards Judge 2021, and former BBC Arts producer — sharing her thoughts on this Booker-shortlisted novel.We also hear from listeners in the book club who’ve been reading along, and of course, Aaron brings back Read It & Eat It, cooking up a batch of pancakes inspired by the book. 🥞Judging the Book by Its CoverNext up: Flesh by David Szalay (Jonathan Cape). We take a first look at the cover and share our early expectations.💬 Get Involved📸 Instagram (@bookiesfavouritebookclub)📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.com📖 Read our written reviews on GoodreadsShare your thoughts on The Rest of Our Lives and join the discussion for Flesh!

This week, Lucy, Hannah, and Colin discuss Flashlight by Susan Choi — a sharp, layered story that shines a beam on identity, family, and the fragments that make up a life. The three of them unpack Choi’s lengthy tale.📅 Coming Up NextNext week: The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits (Faber) 📘💬 Get Involved📸 Instagram (@bookiesfavouritebookclub)📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.com📖 Read our written reviews on GoodreadsShare your thoughts on Flashlight or your first impressions of The Rest of Our Lives!

This week, Colin, Lucy, and Hannah brave the chill as they discuss The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller — a historical novel set against a fierce blizzard and the frozen backdrop of political and personal turmoil.Do they have a frosty opinion on this Booker-shortlisted story, or does it warm their hearts? Hannah also dives into another of her trademark “odd chapters”—you’ll have to listen to find out which one!📅 Coming Up NextNext week: Flashlight by Susan Choi (Jonathan Cape) 🔦💬 Get Involved📸 Instagram (@bookiesfavouritebookclub)📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.com📖 Read our written reviews on GoodreadsShare your thoughts or theories to be featured in a future episode!

This week we dive into the first book on the Booker Prize 2025 shortlist: Audition by Katie Kitamura (Fern Press). The novel is split into two distinct parts, exploring the life of an aging Broadway actress and her shifting relationships with those around her.Our Bookie of the Week is @bobthebookerer on Instagram—make sure to also check out his YouTube channel for more bookish content!📚 In This Episode✨ Breaking down the dual structure of Audition✨ Our classic “Rename the Novel” segment🥐 Read It & Eat It: Aaron snacks on a croissant straight from the pages—see the pic on our Instagram!✨ Listener reactions and book club thoughts📅 Coming Up NextHave you read other books by Katie Kitamura? We’d love to hear what you thought of them.Next week: The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller (Sceptre) ❄️💬 Get Involved📸 Instagram (@bookiesfavouritebookclub)📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.com📖 Check out our written reviews on GoodreadsShare your thoughts to be featured in an upcoming episode!

The official Booker Prize 2025 shortlist is here—and honestly? We’re a little disappointed by the choices. Still, there’s plenty to dig into, and we’re excited to read and discuss each of the six books in the lead-up to the winner’s announcement.Here’s the order we’ll be reading them in:1️⃣ Audition by Katie Kitamura (Fern Press)2️⃣ The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller (Sceptre)3️⃣ Flashlight by Susan Choi (Jonathan Cape)4️⃣ The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits (Faber)5️⃣ Flesh by David Szalay (Jonathan Cape)6️⃣ The Loneliness of Sonia and Sonny by Kiran Desai (Hamish Hamilton)We also hear again from our guest Bookie, Ashlee (@afewofchifavoritethings) on Instagram.📅 What’s NextEach week we’ll release a new review episode on one of the shortlisted books.Our Eden’s Shore chapter-by-chapter read-along will pause until the shortlist project is complete.💬 Get InvolvedWhich shortlisted book are you most excited (or dreading) to read?📸 Instagram (@bookiesfavouritebookclub)📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.comWe’ll also be posting written reviews on Goodreads: ⁠Bookies’ Favourite Bookclub on Goodreads⁠.Join us as we take on the Booker shortlist—six books in six weeks!

With the official Booker Prize 2025 shortlist announcement just one day away, we’re making our calls!Lucy and Hannah—who’ve managed to read some of the longlisted titles—face off against Aaron and Colin (who haven’t read any) as we each put forward our six predicted books for the shortlist. Then, together, we try to settle on a final six we’d love to see announced.📅 What’s Next📖 Tomorrow – the official shortlist is revealed.🎧 Later this week – we’ll be back with a shortlist reaction episode, setting out our full reading list.From there, we’ll be reading and discussing all six shortlisted books before the winner is announced.💬 Join the ConversationWhich books do you want to see on the shortlist?📸 Instagram (@bookiesfavouritebookclub)📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.comFollow along as we make our way through the shortlist and build up to the winner!

The longlist is here—and Aaron and Hannah are diving straight in!In this episode, they run through all 13 longlisted titles, sharing quick synopses of each book and discussing whether they hope to see them on the final shortlist.📚 While we’re not reading the full longlist, Lucy will be making her way through as many titles as she can in her own time.And don’t worry—we will be reading the full shortlist once it’s announced in September: six books in six weeks!📅 What’s Coming Up Next🏺 Glorious Exploits – Full review episode coming Monday🌊 Eden’s Shore Read-Along – A chapter-by-chapter mini-series starts soon, featuring a special interview with the author, Oisín Fagan🗣️ Confessions – Review episode coming in September, just ahead of the Booker shortlist announcement💬 Join the ConversationWhich books are you rooting for on the shortlist? Let us know!📸 bookiesfavouritebookclub📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.comHit follow to stay updated on every episode leading up to the Booker shortlist announcement—and beyond!

With the official Booker Prize 2025 longlist announcement just around the corner, Aaron, Lucy, and Colin sit down to pitch their top 12 books they’d love to see make the list.⚡ Plus, Lucy takes us through a speed round of eligible books she’s already read and whether she thinks they’ll appear on the list.📚 Previous Booker-Eligible EpisodesWant to catch up on some eligible books we’ve already covered? Check out our past reviews:Eden’s Shore by Oisín FaganThe Benefactors by Wendy ErskineAnd stay tuned—in September, we’ll be reviewing Confessions by Catherine Airey, another eligible title. If you're reading it too, send us your thoughts!👀 What’s Coming Next🎧 Wednesday – We’ll be uploading a longlist reaction episode, breaking down the official picks revealed in tomorrow's announcement and seeing which of our predictions made it.🏺 Next week listen out for our review of Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon🪼 Aaron & Lucy will also be launching a read-along mini-series soon, going chapter-by-chapter through Eden’s Shore. Read along and join the discussion!📚 And once the shortlist is announced in September, we’re planning to read and discuss every book on it.💬 Share Your Predictions & Hopes!What books do you want to see on the longlist?Send us your predictions and hot takes on:📸 Instagram: @bookiesfavouritebookclub📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.comFollow along and be part of the Booker conversation!

In this episode, we dig into Glorious Exploits—the witty, inventive, and widely celebrated debut that won your vote in our book club poll. Expect laughs, analysis, and plenty of admiration for Lennon’s bold storytelling.We’re also joined by this week’s special guest Bookie, Mᴀɪʀᴇ́ᴀᴅ Hᴇᴀʀɴᴇ (@mairead.hearne), who shares her thoughts on why this book has captured so much attention.📅 Coming Up Next📖 Confessions by Catherine Airey – Full review episode coming soon.🌊 Eden’s Shore Read-Along – Starting this Wednesday, we’re launching a special chapter-by-chapter series, unpacking Oisín Fagan’s dense and ambitious novel in detail. This will run every Wednesday, ending with an exclusive interview with the author himself.👉 Have a question for Oisín Fagan? Send it in and we’ll put it to him in our chat!🏆 Booker Prize 2025 Shortlist – Once the list is revealed in September, we’ll be reading and reviewing all six books in six weeks.💬 Join the ConversationWe want to hear your thoughts on Glorious Exploits and what you’re most excited about in our upcoming series.📸 @bookiesfavouritebookclub📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.comFollow along so you don’t miss the Eden’s Shore breakdown or our Booker Prize shortlist marathon!

In this special bonus episode, Lucy is joined by Stacey from @whatstaceyreadnext to discuss The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine—a sharp, moving, and freshly released novel set in Belfast.⚠️ Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault as it relates to the themes in the book.‼️ As we discuss the full book there are spoilersBoth Lucy and Stacey bring local insight to the conversation, exploring the novel’s themes, setting, and characters with care and excitement. With its powerful storytelling and distinct voice, they share why they’re hopeful this book will make the Booker longlist.Lucy also reports back from a recent event with Wendy Erskine at the Belfast Book Festival, where Wendy shared details about The Benefactors.📊 Help Pick Our Next Book!Head to our socials and vote in this week’s polls to help us choose our next book club read:📸 Instagram post & story polls🎧 Poll on this Spotify episodeThe more places you vote, the more power your vote has!📅 What’s NextOur next full episode drops Monday, and we’ll be reviewing Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon—the book YOU voted for!🌊 Then in two weeks, we kick off our Eden’s Shore mini-series, starting with Chapter One: Sea.💬 Connect With UsWe want to hear what you think of The Benefactors, Glorious Exploits, or the Eden’s Shore mini-series.📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.com📒 Goodreads📸 Instagram🐦 Twitter/X📘 FacebookFollow us, share your thoughts, and stay tuned for the next chapters!

In this episode, we dive into Eden’s Shore—a dense, experimental, and rewarding read that left us wanting more. With Hannah away traveling, we’re joined by our Bookie of the Week, Graeme (@graeme_c on Instagram), who shares his take on this powerful and unusual novel.📚 Eden’s Shore is divided into four main chapters—Sea, Land, Colony, Play—plus a final chapter titled World. We all agreed: we’ve barely scratched the surface. So, we’re launching a mini-series between our regular episodes to unpack each chapter in its own dedicated discussion. If you're reading along, we’d love to hear your thoughts for inclusion in future episodes!🎧 Bonus: The audiobook is free on Spotify for anyone with a subscription—perfect for those catching up!🏆 Poll Results Are In!The next book we’ll be reading together is Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon! Start reading now and send us your thoughts—our next full review episode drops Monday in two weeks.📊 New Book Club Poll – Vote Now!Help us choose what to read after Glorious Exploits! You can vote on:🟢 Spotify poll (on this episode)📸 Instagram post poll📸 Instagram Story pollThe more places you vote, the more influence you have!This week’s picks:👑 Has Been Crowned – The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Aaron’s pick)→ Winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2025📖 Freshly Bound – The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis (Colin’s pick)→ Recently released and gaining momentum🏅 Now Renowned – Confessions by Catherine Airey (Lucy’s pick)→ Shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize💬 Share Your ThoughtsWe want to hear what you think of Eden’s Shore, Glorious Exploits, or the books in this week’s poll!📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.com📘 Goodreads📸 Instagram🐦 Twitter/X📘 FacebookTap Follow wherever you’re listening so you don’t miss the mini-series or our next review!

We’re back! In this season premiere, we react to Heart Lamp’s big win at the 2025 International Booker Prize, reveal our next book club read—Eden’s Shore by Oisín Fagan—and launch our Book Club Vote to decide what we’ll read after that.🎧 We also catch you up on what we’ve been reading and planning behind the scenes. Come join the conversation!📊 Book Club Poll – Vote Now!You can vote in four places—Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, and right here on this episode.📌 Voting closes Midnight GMT on Friday.📌 The more places you vote, the more your vote counts!This Week’s Categories & Picks:👑 Has Been Crowned - LucyGlorious Exploits by Ferdia LennonWinner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic FictionWinner of the Waterstones Debut Fiction PrizeWinner of the Authors’ Club Best First Novel AwardNamed a Best Book of 2024 by Slate, The Guardian, and the New York Public Library📖 Freshly Bound - HannahThirst Trap by Gráinne O’HarePublished 12th June 2025Be among the first to read it!🏅 Now Renowned - AaronThe Tusks of Extinction by Ray NaylerShortlisted for the 2025 Hugo Award for Best NovellaShortlisted for the 2025 Nebula Award for Best Novella📚 Been Around - ColinMother Naked by Glen James BrownColin’s personal top read of 2024📅 What’s Coming UpOur next episode drops Monday 16th June, where we’ll review Eden’s Shore and reveal the winner of the vote.From then on, we’ll be releasing new episodes every two weeks this season.💬 We Want to Hear From You!Tell us what you thought of Eden’s Shore, vote in the poll, or recommend our next book!Which book would you suggest for each category?📩 bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.com📘 Goodreads📸 Instagram🐦 Twitter/X📘 Facebook👉 Tap Follow on your favourite platform to stay in the loop and help shape what we read next!

The shortlist has been read, the opinions have been aired, and now it’s time... to rank them.In this special bonus episode of Bookies’ Favourite, we each reveal our final rankings of the six International Booker Prize 2025 shortlisted books—complete with laughs, debates, and a little chaos, especially as Lucy goes head-to-head with the Bookies' Favourite hivemind 👀📚We also:Discuss our aggregate podcast rating based on all previous reviewsBreak down the bookies’ odds and what they might tell us about tonight’s winnerShare a few last-minute hopes and predictions before the announcement drops this evening🎉 Stay tuned:We’ll be back later this week with a reaction episode once the winner is announced, and to share our plans for what we’ll read next—whether that’s more awards, future shortlists, or award-winning books.💬 We want to hear from you!Let us know what prize lists, books, or themes you’d like us to cover going forward. This podcast is a book club, after all—and we want your voice in the conversation.📘 Facebook: Bookies’ Favourite📸 Instagram: @bookiesfavouritebookclub🐦 Twitter/X: @BookiesFavorite📚 Goodreads: Bookies’ Favourite Bookclub📧 Email: bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.comThanks for joining us on this International Booker journey—see you soon for the winner reveal!

In this final instalment of our International Booker Prize 2025 shortlist read-through, we’re diving into Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi and published by And Other Stories.A powerful collection of short stories that explore gender, class, and quiet resistance, Heart Lamp left us with a lot to reflect on—and no shortage of opinions. We also hear the thoughtful response of guest @sazloureads on Instagram, whose take adds another layer to our discussion.This is the last book on the shortlist—but we’re not done yet...📢 Coming up tomorrow:We’ll be releasing a bonus episode with our final rankings, Booker predictions, and some final reflections before the winner is announced on Tuesday evening.🎉 Later this week:We’ll be back once more with a reaction episode to the big announcement—did our predictions hit the mark, or did the judges surprise us?✨ Get involved:Now’s the time to send in your final rankings, predictions, or thoughts on the shortlist—we’d love to feature your opinions in our wrap-up coverage!📘 Facebook: Bookies’ Favourite📸 Instagram: @bookiesfavouritebookclub🐦 Twitter/X: @BookiesFavorite📚 Goodreads: Bookies’ Favourite Bookclub📧 Email: bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.comThanks for reading along with us—we’ll see you tomorrow for the final countdown!