Podcasts by Smug Book Club

Very Novel 005: Cormac McCarthy, encyclopaedias, and review bombing from 2023-06-20T10:31:15

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...

Very Novel 004: Bible banning, girl protagonists, and Ulysses from 2023-06-10T10:35

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 ...

Very Novel 003: Indie bookshops, reading challenges, and Martin Amis from 2023-05-24T08:59

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...

Very Novel 002: AI woes, fake books, and authors' hobbies from 2023-05-10T12:47:12

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...

Very Novel 001: Censorship, adaptations, and Matthew Perry from 2023-05-01T17:26:33

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 titb...

The 6 best books we read in 2021 from 2022-10-06T00:30

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 cont...

The 6 best books we read in 2020 from 2021-07-28T00:30

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? ANS...

SYNOPSIS: 'Dune' — Frank Herbert from 2021-03-23T01:05

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 re...

'Dune' — Frank Herbert from 2021-03-23T01:00

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 epi...

SYNOPSIS: 'Twilight' — Stephenie Meyer from 2020-10-14T01:05

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,...

'Twilight' — Stephenie Meyer from 2020-10-14T01:00

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 Stepheni...

SYNOPSIS: 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' — Robert Louis Stevenson from 2020-06-23T13:41:45

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 remin...

'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' — Robert Louis Stevenson from 2020-06-23T13:00

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 nas...

NEXT UP: 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,' Robert Louis Stevenson from 2020-05-11T12:50:05

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 6 best books we read in 2019 from 2020-01-14T18:17:24

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 you...

SYNOPSIS: 'The President Is Missing,' Bill Clinton&James Patterson from 2018-10-02T00:31

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 f...

'The President Is Missing,' Bill Clinton&James Patterson from 2018-10-02T00:30

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,...

SYNOPSIS: The Catcher In The Rye', J. D. Salinger from 2017-12-14T00:31

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 ...

'The Catcher In The Rye', J. D. Salinger from 2017-12-14T00:30

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 al...

SYNOPSIS: 'Carrie', Stephen King from 2017-10-12T00:35

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...

'Carrie', Stephen King from 2017-10-12T00:30

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 mas...

'Jane Eyre', Charlotte Brontë from 2017-06-30T07:53:35

“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’...

THE MIGHTY REBRAND: From 'Thug Book Club' to 'Smug Book Club' from 2017-06-20T20:05:50

Yes, that's right, we've rebranded. In this short episode, discover why we decided the time was nigh for a change.

That's about it. 

Oh, I mean, I guess we'll also tell you what ou...

#032 Northern Lights (AKA The Golden Compass), Philip Pullman from 2017-05-09T00:30

The boys are looking at Philip Pullman's Northern Lights and whilst they cover all the important bits like armour wearing polar bears, truth compasses and Nordic references, they spend most of t...

#031 The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood from 2017-04-12T00:30

Ryan and Callum have been on a spiritual journey through the deepest crevices of our almighty canon, and after about a month they’ve emerged on the other side in total agreement on one key issue...

#030 High Fidelity, Nick Hornby from 2017-02-20T00:30

You coast through life thinking you're invincible, until suddenly you're in your thirties and your whole life is stagnating. And though neither Ryan or Callum are quite at that point yet, there'...

#029 A Series Of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning, Lemony Snicket from 2017-02-06T00:30

What happens when you read a beloved and well-known children's book for the first time, and instead of being a child you're a fully grown adult? It's difficult to involve yourself in the story a...

#028 Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury from 2017-01-23T00:30

With dystopian society looking like the vogue thing for 2017, Ryan and Callum decided to turn up the heat and look at a heavyweight of dystopian literature: Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.

#027 Hamlet, William Shakespeare from 2016-12-24T13:59:52

It’s Christmas! And nothing says Christmas like a good old fashioned revenge tragedy. Join Callum “Retribution” Booth and Ryan “Disarray” Jay as they get take a not-so-festive jaunt through one ...

#026 The Girl On The Train, Paula Hawkins from 2016-12-06T00:30

Have you ever vacantly stared out the train window during your commute and witnessed a shocking incident between two strangers that propelled you into emotional and physical harm? No? Well it’s ...

#025 Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, J.K. Rowling from 2016-11-16T00:30

Ah yes. The different second album. The maligned sequel. The underwhelming follow-up. All traps that the likes of Frank Herbert, The Darkness and whoever directed Grease 2 have fallen into. Yet ...

#024 The Turn Of The Screw, Henry James from 2016-10-11T00:30

What’s that? Is it a podcast? Actually, it’s definitely not a podcast. Hold on, it might well be a podcast. Nah, it can’t be. Well, maybe it’s a podcast? Listen

#023 Lord Of The Flies, William Golding from 2016-09-23T00:30

After a bit of a hiatus it's back. The book boys, the literature lads, the canon kids, the prose prats; whatever they decide to call themselves for their own amusement, Ryan and Callum have retu...

An Update From Thug Book Club (Aug '16) from 2016-08-22T18:32:39

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THUG BOOK CLUB.

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST.

YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT'S INSIDE.

CAN YOU GUESS?

BET YOU CAN'T*

NO SPOILERS BUT FOUL LANG...

#022 Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte? from 2016-07-01T02:30

Ri...

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#021.4 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl from 2016-06-03T15:00:36

Thug Book Club has reached the end of the Roald. Ha ha! Road, actually. But here they are at the conclusion of their Roald Dahl adventure, and the third and final book is a behemoth; Charlie and...

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#021.3 Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl from 2016-05-25T00:30

Go for the jugular!

It's episode three of four of Callum and Ryan's Roald Dahl special, and two of three if you're only counting books. This time it's Fantastic Mr Fox, who turns out isn'...

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#021.2 The Twits, Roald Dahl from 2016-05-12T00:30

What's that bursting out of the (metaphorical) bushes? IT'S ONLY THE FIRST OF THREE ROALD DAHL BOOKS WE'LL BE COVERING: THE TWITS!

Join us as we dive into one of Dahl's most famous storie...

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#021.1 An Intro To Roald Dahl from 2016-05-06T07:52:59

Oh my, would you just look at the cobwebs in this place? And what is that growing in the corner over there? Urgh, what're Ryan and Callum playing at? This space is an absolute mess.

But d...

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#020 Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell from 2016-04-08T00:30

This week [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] take on the [REDACTED] of all [REDACTED], sticking the [REDACTED] into George Orwell’s [REDACTED].

Join them as [REDACTED]. Will the [REDACTED] live up...

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#019 The Importance Of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde from 2016-03-25T11:35:38

Hello...

Is it Ernest you're looking for?

If you answered "YES" to that Lionel Richie-inspired question, then do we have the podcast for you.

In the 19th episode of Thug Boo...

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#018 Life Lessons From The East End, Danny Dyer from 2016-03-15T22:55:35

There are 12 months in a year. 12 inches in a foot. 12 days of Christmas. Jesus had 12 disciples, The Beatles had 12 albums, and D12 had their purple pills, the sum of being (probably) 12.

<...

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#017 Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson from 2016-02-26T00:30

"Yo ho ho!"

"Ahoy there matey!"

"Shiver me timbers!"

And that's just the start of all the pirate-y phrases Callum and Ryan drop in the 17th full episode of Thug Book Club. Listen

#016 Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn from 2016-02-12T00:30

Gone to the shops? Gone fishing? How about you gon' listen to this podcast?

It's episode 16 and Callum and Ryan might be looking for their missing podcast structure in time for their next...

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Page Burners: A Very Novel Monster from 2016-02-05T00:30

Do you remember watching The Pagemaster? The movie where Macaulay Culkin is transported into classic books to learn some kind of lesson? Yes? Brilliant!

Because this episode is nothing li...

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#015 Frankenstein, Mary Shelley from 2016-01-29T00:30

*lightning cracks and thunder rumbles as a camera pans to a house in Camden*

*the view pans up the building to a room at the top where two dishevelled men crouch over a microphone and com...

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Page Burners: Bookish New Year from 2015-12-31T23:54:08

2016 GONNA GET TURNT!

If you could pick two authors and three literary characters to come to a New Year's party, we can guarantee it wouldn't be as cool as our jamboree.

Join us in...

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#014 Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick from 2015-12-25T01:47

Do androids dream of electric sheep? Does Ryan dream of starring in a Broadway musical? Does Callum dream of starting up his own pyramid scheme? These are questions that we'll never know the ans...

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Page Burners: Literary Battle Royal from 2015-12-18T08:23:02

What would happen if you dropped 10 renowned literary characters into an arena to fight to the death? Would they get along? Or would they mercilessly slaughter one another in order to be crowned...

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#013 The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins from 2015-12-11T00:30

Hungry for some relentless action? Action that’s going to pulsate through your brain matter and maybe make your head explode? That’s what Ryan and Callum have on the menu for you this episode, o...

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#012 The Spy Who Loved Me, Ian Fleming from 2015-11-27T00:30

James Bond crashed in through a window into Thug Book Club towers and the chaps tried to amuse him with a podcast episode. Unfortunately, he shot Callum in the kneecaps and throttled Ryan with s...

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#011 Macbeth, William Shakespeare from 2015-11-13T00:30

Hail Macbeth! Or rather, Hail Thug Book Club, Thane of podcasts and King of all things crass. This episode is peppered with the sweet spice of betrayal, as Ryan and Callum get into the nooks and...

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#010 Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling from 2015-10-28T14:12

Let’s be real here; you’ll never receive that letter from Hogwarts. Dumbledore just isn’t interested. But rather than wallow in the grief that accompanies the muggle life, you can jump on the Th...

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#009 The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka from 2015-10-02T02:00

It's stressful enough turning into a responsible adult, so imagine the aggro involved when you wake up one morning to be a giant insect. Or... wait, is it a monster? Or a creature? You just neve...

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#008 Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding from 2015-09-18T00:25:26

Dear Diary,

This week Ryan and Callum are taking Bridget Jones's Diary out on a date, dining on all the tastiest topics. 

In this episode, the squad looks over Helen Fielding's mos...

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#007 Death Of A Salesman, Arthur Miller from 2015-09-04T00:30

Well, that was depressing. The 7th episode of Thug Book Club finds Callum and Ryan giving Arthur Miller's 'Death Of A Salesman' a good seeing to. For once, the boys are on the same page (LOL BOO...

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#006 Go Set A Watchman, Harper Lee from 2015-08-21T00:30

Sequel? Prequel? Whatever your thoughts are on Harper Lee's recently released 'Go Set A Watchman', one thing's certain: it's ripe for a good pummeling by the Thug Book Club duo.

Hop aboar...

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#005 Ghost Flight, Bear Grylls from 2015-08-13T23:35:48

Did you know that Bear Grylls has written an actual, bonafide piece of fiction? Well, he has, and it's called Ghost Flight. In the fifth episode of Thug Book Club, the guys give the book a good ...

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#004 Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen from 2015-07-31T04:30

It's episode 4! In this era-defining release of Thug Book Club, Callum & Ryan cast their weary eyes over Jane Austen's famous 'Pride And Prejudice', displaying many of those characteristics them...

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#003 The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien from 2015-07-16T22:44:24

Join Thug Book Club as they cast off on an ill-fated adventure through The Hobbit. Tolkien's kid's classic receives the full thug treatment with the book's heroes followed by a torrent of foul-m...

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#002 Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton from 2015-07-02T21:56:16

In the second Thug Book Club, Ryan and Callum have a wander through Michael Crichton's most famous book. True to the film, there are a shedload of dinos.

As per usual, explicit langua...

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#001 Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck from 2015-06-25T19:09:55

The first episode of Thug Book Club finds the boys sprinkling their salt of satire over the bolognese of Steinbeck's (arguably) most famous book. Make sure you've bucked your barley and thought ...

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