Joel Golby's Book Club

Joel watched a great TV show based on Benjamin Myers' 'The Gallows Pole' only to find out that everyone had been reading Benjamin Myers for years. This week, he's reading the 2014 novel set in idillic Northern English countryside, Beastings.

You asked for it, you got it. Joel's read a book that he hated and it's Jonathan Ames' collection of articles and short stories that have not dated well and probably weren't very good at the time either.

Joel's got really into heading down to his local pond and counting the different types of flowers and fish he can see after reading a mind-altering set of essays on exploration, faith and nature by Anne Dillard. Good for him!

Joel's got the answers to all your questions on reading, writing and books in general.

A self-confessed "Egg Head To The Bones", Joel has picked up A Hologram For The King for the first time in 11 years. But will he love it as much as he did the first time? Probably, yes.

After last week's venture into 'Cherry', a masterclass in dialogue, Joel's been on the hunt for more conversation. As you'll hear on the episode, they've not all been the most captivating, but he did read Rachel Cusk's 'Outline' which is a novel (novella?) set over ten conversations with strangers. Is it better than the chat he had with a stranger in a post room? Let's hope so.

We've look at books that have done 'alcohol' well, we've looked at books that has done 'sex' well, and now it's time to look at a book that does 'war' and 'drugs' really well. So let's get stuck in to Cherry by Nico Walker.

We've looked at a few books on JGBC with themes desire as of late, and 2022's I'm A Fan took on a life of its own post-release for absolutely nailing the topic through a modern day lens. It's an astute, sharp and witty book that Joel has recommended "the arse out of" since it came out. So yeah! A good one this week!