The Grapes of Wrath Q&A Episode

Welcome to the first episode of a new series on Margaret Kennedy’s novel, The Feast. We discuss the book’s allegorical bent (and how it’s different than most allegorical novels), the role of each of the main characters, the unique structure of the book (and it’s early reveals), a ... Show More

So about that ending . . . We discuss (from a variety of angles). Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe 

This week’s episode is dedicated entirely to the lengthy chapter 26 so we have a chance to discuss poor Casy’s complicated arc and the Christ-like allusion in his demise and whether the novel present’s Tom’s killing of Casy’s murderer as justified (and what justice is in this sto ... Show More

Today we're excited to continue our mid-summer series featuring our team members! Learning more about our team members and who shares your tastes may help you identify some good books in a way that might not land on your radar otherwise. We hope you love this conversation. Anne i ... Show More

Readers, today we're thrilled to share a delightful conversation with Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, authors of The Personal Librarian. This conversation originally took place over in our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club community, where Marie and Victoria joined Anne, ... Show More

<p>This concludes our reading of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Thank you so much for listening! In this episode, we wrap up our discussion of the book and give a little preview of what&apos;s to come. Join us on Monday for the Storytime for Grownups Christmas spectacular wh ... Show More

Readers, we often receive questions from you about our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club and what actually goes on in our online reading community, and today's guest is here to help Anne take you behind the scenes! You may already know Ginger Horton, our MMD Book Club Community Manager, ... Show More

<p>Welcome to Summer Session! During season 1, we read <em>Jane Eyre</em> by Charlotte Brontë. From now until September, we will be exploring <em>Jane Eyre</em> in once-a-week episodes which will drop on Mondays—sort of like a college class (only fun). If this doesn’t sound like ... Show More

Happy new year! We kick off 2025 - and Backlisted's tenth anniversary year - with our traditional Winter Reading episode, in which Andy, John and Nicky recommend a selection of favourite books to see you through the next few months: fiction and non-fiction, old, new and not yet p ... Show More

Hey, book clubbers! Today, we’re so excited to bring you this episode with author Coco Mellors. Zara speaks to Coco about her novel Blue Sisters. You’ll hear what drew Coco to write this book, plus behind-the-scenes info on what made Cleopatra and Frankenstein so popular. Join us ... Show More

At long last, it's our Agatha Christie show! We are joined by Caroline Crampton, writer and host of the Shedunnit podcast, and Laura Thompson, author and Christie biographer, for an investigation of Endless Night (1967), a late entry in the Queen of Crime's extensive catalogue an ... Show More

It's October, the perfect month to celebrate the master of mystery and the macabre. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Richard Kopley about his book Edgar Allan Poe: A Life, a comprehensive critical biography that combines a narrative of Poe's enduring challenges (including h ... Show More

It's time to discuss the IRWSR book club book for May - Funny Story by Emily Henry! As always the girls chat about their fav/least favs, overall rating, and their fan casts. If you passed on this month's book, join in and read June's book club book, Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ci ... Show More