Smug Book Club
by C R Booth and R D Jay
Tired of the same-old serious book analysis in podcasts? Well, we were. To solve this, Ryan and Callum started Smug Book Club. A podcast that gets literature 'lit' and puts the 'ok' firmly into books. Expect foul-language and spoilers. Follow us on Twitter: @SmugBookClub
Episodes
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The 6 best books we read in 2022
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 —...
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Very Novel 007: Manga, book signings, and Milan Kundera
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...
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Very Novel 006: Celeb poets, BookTok, and more AI
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,...
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Very Novel 005: Cormac McCarthy, encyclopaedias, and review bombing
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…
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Very Novel 004: Bible banning, girl protagonists, and Ulysses
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…
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Very Novel 003: Indie bookshops, reading challenges, and Martin Amis
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...
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Very Novel 002: AI woes, fake books, and authors' hobbies
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…
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Very Novel 001: Censorship, adaptations, and Matthew Perry
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…
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The 6 best books we read in 2021
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...
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The 6 best books we read in 2020
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...
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SYNOPSIS: 'Dune' — Frank Herbert
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....
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'Dune' — Frank Herbert
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...
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SYNOPSIS: 'Twilight' — Stephenie Meyer
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...
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'Twilight' — Stephenie Meyer
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...
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SYNOPSIS: 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' — Robert Louis Stevenson
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...
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'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' — Robert Louis Stevenson
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?…
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NEXT UP: 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,' Robert Louis Stevenson
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…
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The 6 best books we read in 2019
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…
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SYNOPSIS: 'The President Is Missing,' Bill Clinton & James Patterson
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…
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'The President Is Missing,' Bill Clinton & James Patterson
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...
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SYNOPSIS: The Catcher In The Rye', J. D. Salinger
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…
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'The Catcher In The Rye', J. D. Salinger
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...
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SYNOPSIS: 'Carrie', Stephen King
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…
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'Carrie', Stephen King
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…
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'Jane Eyre', Charlotte Brontë
"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...
About this show
Tired of the same-old serious book analysis in podcasts? Well, we were. To solve this, Ryan and Callum started Smug Book Club. A podcast that gets literature 'lit' and puts the 'ok' firmly into books. Expect foul-language and spoilers. Follow us on Twitter: @SmugBookClub
Hosted by
C R Booth and R D Jay
Categories