A Novel Review Book Podcast

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro and the loneliness epidemic

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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 and the Sun” explore this society where relations are fractured and people struggle to know each other and themselves.
 
Painting: Today I painted the sun
 
Some of the books and authors discussed in this episode include:
 
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
 
 
Substack: https://substack.com/@alexanderwoolven
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQzE_T2r6qPR_jbZNgZC1Q
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-novel-review-podcast/id1681724908
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5uCgZyBj9T5uPQsfbqTUW5
Podbean: https://anovelreviewpodcast.podbean.com
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/novelreviewpod
Email: anovelreviewpodcast@gmail.com
 IG: https://www.instagram.com/anovelreviewpod/
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The Strange Journey of a Coat: Three Stories, One Human Anxiety

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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 the human desire for recognition. From Tsarist Russia to postwar Ireland and the Soviet Union, the same anxieties continue to shape human experience.
Some of the books and authors discussed in this episode include:
The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol
The Fur Hat by Sean o Faolain
The Fur Hat by Vladimir Voinovich
Substack: https://substack.com/@alexanderwoolven
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQzE_T2r6qPR_jbZNgZC1Q
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-novel-review-podcast/id1681724908
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5uCgZyBj9T5uPQsfbqTUW5
Podbean: https://anovelreviewpodcast.podbean.com
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/novelreviewpod
Email: anovelreviewpodcast@gmail.com
 IG: https://www.instagram.com/anovelreviewpod/
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5 GREAT BOOKS under 200 pages long

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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, or a question, before pulling you back out again wanting more. Proof that a great book doesn’t need hundreds of pages to stay with you long after the final line.
Some of the books and authors discussed in this episode include:
 
I’m the King of the Castle by Susan Hill
Class Trip by Emanuel Carrere
The Moustache by Emanuel Carrere
The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. le Guin
Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid
Earwig by B Catling
Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint Exupery
 
 
Substack: https://substack.com/@alexanderwoolven
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQzE_T2r6qPR_jbZNgZC1Q
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-novel-review-podcast/id1681724908
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5uCgZyBj9T5uPQsfbqTUW5
Podbean: https://anovelreviewpodcast.podbean.com
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/novelreviewpod
Email: anovelreviewpodcast@gmail.com
 IG: https://www.instagram.com/anovelreviewpod/
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I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman | What it means to be human

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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. Perfect for fiction lovers craving thought-provoking storytelling.
Some of the books and authors discussed in this episode include:
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
 
Substack: https://substack.com/@alexanderwoolven
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQzE_T2r6qPR_jbZNgZC1Q
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-novel-review-podcast/id1681724908
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5uCgZyBj9T5uPQsfbqTUW5
Podbean: https://anovelreviewpodcast.podbean.com
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/novelreviewpod
Email: anovelreviewpodcast@gmail.com
 IG: https://www.instagram.com/anovelreviewpod/
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All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque | The anti-war novel

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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 to be timeless touches upon the dehumanization of soldiers, the illusion of patriotism, and the emotional scars left long after the battlefield falls silent.
 
 
Some of the books and authors discussed in this episode include:
 
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin
 
 
Substack: https://substack.com/@alexanderwoolven
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQzE_T2r6qPR_jbZNgZC1Q
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-novel-review-podcast/id1681724908
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5uCgZyBj9T5uPQsfbqTUW5
Podbean: https://anovelreviewpodcast.podbean.com
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/novelreviewpod
Email: anovelreviewpodcast@gmail.com
 IG: https://www.instagram.com/anovelreviewpod/
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Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson | Malazan review

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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 this episode include:
Gardens of the Moon – Malazan Book of the Fallen
Deadhouse Gates – Malazan Book of the Fallen
Substack: https://substack.com/@alexanderwoolven
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQzE_T2r6qPR_jbZNgZC1Q
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-novel-review-podcast/id1681724908
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5uCgZyBj9T5uPQsfbqTUW5
Podbean: https://anovelreviewpodcast.podbean.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/novelreviewpod
Email: anovelreviewpodcast@gmail.com
 IG: https://www.instagram.com/anovelreviewpod/
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Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Quest | A Flawed Finale? Book review

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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 has moments of depth and beauty, the tonal structure didn’t land for me, and the ending felt like it missed the satisfying conclusion I expected, leaving the trilogy’s resolution more muted than impactful.
 
Painting: Today I painted a Dragon
 
Some of the books and authors discussed in this episode include:
 
·      Assassin’s Apprectice
·      Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
·      Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb
 
 
Substack: https://substack.com/@alexanderwoolven
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQzE_T2r6qPR_jbZNgZC1Q
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-novel-review-podcast/id1681724908
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5uCgZyBj9T5uPQsfbqTUW5
Podbean: https://anovelreviewpodcast.podbean.com
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/novelreviewpod
Email: anovelreviewpodcast@gmail.com
 IG: https://www.instagram.com/anovelreviewpod/
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Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead by Olga Tokarczuk | An unconventional Crime Novel

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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 why Tokarczuk’s unconventional thriller continues to fascinate readers worldwide.
 
Painting: Today I painted a deer
 
Some of the books and authors discussed in this episode include:
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
 
 
 
Substack: https://substack.com/@alexanderwoolven
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQzE_T2r6qPR_jbZNgZC1Q
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-novel-review-podcast/id1681724908
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5uCgZyBj9T5uPQsfbqTUW5
Podbean: https://anovelreviewpodcast.podbean.com
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/novelreviewpod
Email: anovelreviewpodcast@gmail.com
 IG: https://www.instagram.com/anovelreviewpod/
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Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb | Bad Decisions and Bonded Wolves

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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: Today I painted Nighteyes
 
Some of the books and authors discussed in this episode include:
 
Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
 
 
Substack: https://substack.com/@alexanderwoolven
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQzE_T2r6qPR_jbZNgZC1Q
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-novel-review-podcast/id1681724908
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5uCgZyBj9T5uPQsfbqTUW5
Podbean: https://anovelreviewpodcast.podbean.com
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/novelreviewpod
Email: anovelreviewpodcast@gmail.com
 IG: https://www.instagram.com/anovelreviewpod/
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One Journey, Two Voices - Huckleberry Finn vs James (Mark Twain & Percival Everett)

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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 contrast, Percival Everett’s James reclaims the identity of one of those marginalised figures, shifting the perspective and challenging the reader to reconsider what was left unsaid. No longer a character in service of plot, James explores the duality of perception, the power of narrative voice, and the nature of silence, especially how history forgets those who did not speak, even when silence itself was an act of self-preservation. In this episode, I compare Huckleberry Finn and James to examine perspective, narrative authority, race, and the ways literature shapes our understanding of truth and history.
 
Painting: Today I painted Huck and James on a raft along the Mississippi
 
Some of the books and authors discussed in this episode include:
 
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
James by Percival Everett
What is History by E.H. Carr
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
 
 
Substack: https://substack.com/@alexanderwoolven
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQzE_T2r6qPR_jbZNgZC1Q
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-novel-review-podcast/id1681724908
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5uCgZyBj9T5uPQsfbqTUW5
Podbean: https://anovelreviewpodcast.podbean.com
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/novelreviewpod
Email: anovelreviewpodcast@gmail.com
 IG: https://www.instagram.com/anovelreviewpod/
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#BookPodcast, #BookTube, #BookLovers, #ReadingCommunity, #LiteraryPodcast, #BooksAndSociety, #ReadingForChange, #LiteratureLovers, #ReadersOfYouTube, #PodcastEpisode, #SeasonalContent, #ThoughtfulReading, #BookDiscussion, #CulturalConversation