A weekly bookish podcast hosted by Hannah MacDonald. Join us for monthly Book Club episodes - read the book at your own pace and then listen to us deep dive with the author! Our Debut Spotlight series is to put the freshest authors and their work firmly on your radar and in our new series we bring you a monthly culture round up of all the recommendations we've collected over the previous month of consuming. Follow us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/apairofbookendspod) and @apairofbookends on Twitter (https://twitter.com/apairofbookends) and TIk Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@apairofbookends).
October Book Club with Ríoghnach Robinson: Literary Criticism, Tim Brayton & Being a 'Genre Omnivore'
For our October Book Club episode Hannah was joined by Ríoghnach Robinson to discuss her debut novel, our October Book Club pick Bad Words which you can buy here (UK) (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780008801755) & here (US) (https://bookshop.org/p/books/bad-words-a-novel-rioghnach-robinson/9454eae594e8f0b9)
In this episode they discuss the novel (spoiler free!), they get into the art of critism, how social media impacts the way criticism now operates, writing Asian American protagonists, the authors they would lose their mind over meeting, the New York literary scene, the books she's been enjoying & much more!
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. (https://patreon.com/APairofBookends?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink) You can follow us via Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/apairofbookendspod), X (https://x.com/apairofbookends) & Tik Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@apairofbookends).
You can follow Ríoghnach via Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rioghnachrobinson/?hl=en) & rioghnachrobinson.com (https://www.rioghnachrobinson.com/)
Books & other mentions in this episode:
In Every Future, It's Us by Katie Naymon (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781399761444)
Sally Rooney (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780571365487)
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780099592532)
Matrix by Lauren Groff (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781529157864)
Florida by Lauren Groff (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781786090461)
Sleep Has His House by Anna Kavan (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781805332534)
Asylum Piece by Anna Kavan (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780720611236)
Tim Brayton- Letterboxd (https://letterboxd.com/timbrayton/)
https://www.alternateending.com/ (https://www.alternateending.com/)
A Good Person by Kirsten King (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780349725246)
Slow Horses- AppleTV (https://tv.apple.com/gb/episode/failures-contagious/umc.cmc.72legmwolm5ytctyq637r6x0?showId=umc.cmc.2szz3fdt71tl1ulnbp8utgq5o&action=playSmartEpisode)
The Babadook (2014) (https://tubitv.com/movies/100047256/the-babadook?start=true&tracking=google-feed&utm_source=google-feed)
Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!
30 Sept 2026
APOB Live @ Blackwell's MCR with Stacey Yu, discussing her debut novel 'Kitten'
Today's episode brings you a live recording of an event at Blackwell's Manchester, Hannah interviewed author Stacey Yu about her debut novel 'Kitten'. Thank you to Red Newsom for making this episode possible.
In this episode they discuss 'Kitten' (spoiler free!), what the pre-publication hype was like, how the novel evolved from first draft to final copy, they also talk about the intersections of race, class and regionality, vulnerability & care, our relationship to pets, Mamma Mia! & much more!
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. (https://patreon.com/APairofBookends?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink) You can follow us via Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/apairofbookendspod), X (https://x.com/apairofbookends) & Tik Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@apairofbookends).
You can follow Stacey via Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/stace.yyu/?hl=en) & Tik Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@literaryfling?lang=en-GB)
You can buy Kitten here (UK) (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781399754309) & here (US) (https://bookshop.org/p/books/kitten-a-novel-stacey-yu/69802e7f501ebcd7)
Books & other mentions in this episode:
The Blindfold by Siri Hustvedt (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780340581230)
What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780340682388)
The Idiot by Elif Batuman (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780099583172)
Either/Or by Elif Batuman (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781529115932)
Banana Yoshimoto (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780571342723)
Mamma Mia! (2008) (https://www.nowtv.com/gb/sign-in?DCMP=WA&deeplinkData=%7B%22pvid%22%3A%22A5EK6sKrAaye3NByuDauu%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22PROGRAMME%22%2C%22action%22%3A%22PDPAUTOPLAY%22%2C%22source%22%3A%22Media_Actions_Feed_Android_Web_Mobile%22%7D&return=%2Fdeeplink%3FDCMP%3DWA%26deeplinkData%3D%257B%2522pvid%2522%253A%2522A5EK6sKrAaye3NByuDauu%2522%252C%2522type%2522%253A%2522PROGRAMME%2522%252C%2522action%2522%253A%2522PDPAUTOPLAY%2522%252C%2522source%2522%253A%2522Media_Actions_Feed_Android_Web_Mobile%2522%257D)
Ottessa Moshfegh (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781784877477)
Halle Butler (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781399618236)
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780241968031)
Hot Milk (2025) (https://mubi.com/en/gb/films/hot-milk-2023?utm_source=where_to_watch)
Jenny Zhang (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781408892374)
Normal People (BBC) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p089g8rs/normal-people)
Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!
For the latest instalment in our Debut Spotlight series Hannah was joined by Danish poet and writer Ulrikka S.Gernes to discuss her debut novel, the Danish bestseller A Girl Left The Room which you can buy here (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781805333821).
In this episode they discuss the response to the novel in Denmark, the power of poetry, complicity and manipulation, the autobiographical nature of the novel, the writers that have influenced her style and much more.
If you enjoy this episode please do rate, review & subscribe, for more content you can find us over on Patreon. (https://patreon.com/APairofBookends?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink) You can follow us via Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/apairofbookendspod), X (https://x.com/apairofbookends) & Tik Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@apairofbookends).
You can follow Ulrikka via Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ulrikkagernes/?hl=en-gb)
Books & other mentions in this episode:
griffinpoetryprize.com (https://griffinpoetryprize.com/)
Wislawa Szymborska (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780544705159)
The Hatred of Poetry by Ben Lerner (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781910695159)
Chekhov's Letters (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9781498570466)
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/poem-of-the-day (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/poem-of-the-day)
The Lover by Marguerite Duras (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780007205004)
Consent by Vanessa Springora (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780008424961)
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780241953242)
Elizabeth Strout (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780241814307)
The Museum of Innocence - Netflix (https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81741975)
The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/13480/9780571237029)
https://www.masumiyetmuzesi.org/en (https://www.masumiyetmuzesi.org/en)
Let us know your thoughts by emailing us apairofbookendspod@gmail.com or you can DM us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram. Until next time, happy reading!
Who has been a guest on A Pair of Bookends
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Loretta Rothschild
Juhea Kim
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Silvia Park
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YouTube
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Engagement
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