A Novel Review Book Podcast

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What happens when a lonely man wins the lottery, buys a secluded house, and decides the one thing missing from his collection is a woman? John Fowles’ The Collector is part psychological thriller, part Gothic nightmare, and part very uncomfortable thought experiment about love, possession and freedom. And, rather inconveniently, the inspiration for it gets ...

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Steven Erikson’s Deadhouse Gates doesn’t so much invite you into its world as drag you behind a galloping horse and demand that you keep up. The second Malazan Book of the Fallen novel is bigger, darker and considerably less interested in holding your hand, throwing assassins, empires, gods, ancient grudges and one spectacularly brutal desert crossing...

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Few novels puncture patriotic certainty with quite the elegance of William – An Englishman. In this episode, I wander through Cicely Hamilton's quietly devastating World War I novel, where satire, social observation, and unfortunate timing expose the absurdities of English life and what it mean to be ‘English’. A forgotten classic that remains u...

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A haunting novel where ghosts whisper, memories return, and every silence echoes with unresolved longing. Juan Rulfo's Pedro Páramo uncovers haunted landscapes, fractured time, and unforgettable voices, revealing how the past refuses burial.

Painting: Today I painted a skull under Pedro Paramo’s hat

Some of the books and authors discussed in this episode ...

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In a world where Artificial Friends are needed to sustain and nurture human relationships A.I is not the problem but rather, the result of a larger issue. Only a world that is socially adrift and suffering under the weight of a loneliness epidemic would reply on such a technology to try mimic genuine feeling and relation. Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, “Klara...

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What connects Gogol's The Overcoat, Seán O'Faoláin's The Fur Coat, and Vladimir Voinovich's The Fur Hat? In this episode, I explore how three stories from different countries, cultures, and historical periods share a remarkably similar narrative structure. Through coats, hats, and other items of clothing, these writers examine identity, status, dignity, and ...

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The Goldilocks book: not too long, not too short - just enough time to leave a lasting punch. In this episode, I explore great books under 200 pages: compact stories packed with depth, emotion, and unforgettable ideas. Across a wide range of genres, these books give both the author and the reader enough space to truly sink their teeth into a world, a character, o...

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In I Who Have Never Known Men, Jacqueline Harpman turns isolation into existential suspense, following imprisoned women who know less about humanity than your average search algorithm. Part dystopian sci-fi, part feminist nightmare, this cult classic asks what survives when society disappears: language, memory, or simply the stubborn urge to keep asking questions...

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In this episode, I dive into All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. A haunting and deeply human portrayal of World War I through the eyes of young German soldier Paul Bäumer. This brutal anti-war novel explores the psychological toll of combat, the loss of innocence, and the brutal realities of life on the front lines.

A novel that sadly appears ...

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There is no hand holding for readers starting Gardens of the Moon – Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. A sink or swim fantasy novel that starts with a mage battle assaulting a floating continent. A rapidly expanding story, though which way is it expanding? Time will tell in this massive 10 book series.

Some of the books and authors discussed in th...

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In this episode, I dive into Assassin’s Quest, the final novel in Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy, sharing my thoughts on its tone and payoff. While the journey...

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On this episode of our book podcast, I explore Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, the Nobel Prize–winning author. Blending literary mystery, environmental themes, and dark humor, this discussion unpacks the novel’s eccentric narrator, animal rights philosophy, astrology and the haunting Polish landscape, trying to unravel wh...

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Enter the chaotic court of the Six Duchies with Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, where loyalty is lethal and magic always has a price. In this episode, I unpack Fitz’s disastrous diplomacy, as he navigates love against duty and one very inconvenient wolf bond. Expect political chaos, slow-burn heartbreak, and feelings sharper than a royal blade.

Painting: To...

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Who gets to tell history? Just because we have a story doesn’t mean we have the truth. History is a woven tapestry of perspectives, one that grows richer and more honest the more voices we allow into it. Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn presents a narrative where side characters exist largely to serve Huck’s moral journey. In cont...

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In this episode, I dive into Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb, exploring who FitzChivalry Farseer really is and whether he ever truly knows himself. From isolation and duty to identity and belonging, it is clear that Fitz uncertainty of himself allows others to take advantage and shape him as they see fit.

Painting: Today I painted a deer on a shiel...

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Some stories don’t just trace characters arcs - they wrestle with human nature itself. In East of Eden, John Steinbeck explores the nature of good and evil, and the choices that define who we become. Set against the backdrop of the biblical story of Cain and Abel across generations, asking one powerful question: are we bound by our past, or do we have the f...

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Substack link: Reflections on a world book tour https://alexanderwoolven.substack.com/p/reflections-on-a-world-book-tour

In 2025 for the podcast, I wanted to try something different to bring meaning to the podcast. Having grown up in a typical Anglo household, my upbringing was surrounded by the normality of Western books. This is in no way a criticism of somethi...

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Curl up with a warm drink for a very Christmassy episode of the podcast! This festive season its books stories that spark reflection, and how reading can inspire us to show up more thoughtfully in society. As the year comes to a close, this time of year encourages empathy, responsibility, and active participation in our communities. From small everyday actions to...

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Some seek isolation for its freedom, but for Sybylla Melvyn, the open space of the Australian Outback only serves to drown her. Miles Franklin’s first novel, My Brilliant Career captures the lack of agency young girls and women growing up in rural Australia would have felt towards the turn of the 20th century. A country on the cusp of its own independence s...