Reclaiming the Book Club: Forget The Wine

Madeline and Laura depart the world of literary fiction and read Julia Bartz's 2023 thriller The Writing Retreat.

Madeline and Laura discuss Megan Giddings' modern-dystopian novel, The Women Could Fly. They unpack the blending of genres, analysis of identity and how the novel landed in the aftermath of the Roe v. Wade repeal.

Madeline and Laura discuss Jessica Knoll's 2015 debut novel, Luckiest Girl Alive. We talk about the strength of Knoll's writing and characterization of Ani FaNelli throughout multiple timelines and debate whether the recent film adaptation, starring Mila Kunis lived up to the novel. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault and violence in schools.

Madeline and Laura review Curtis Sittenfeld's latest novel set behind the scenes at SNL, Romantic Comedy. They discuss Sittenfeld's handling of COVID, celebrity and whether it's a successful entry into the rom-com canon.

Madeline and Laura dive into beauty editor Cat Marnell's memoir, How to Murder Your Life. They discuss Cat's unique voice, the collapse of the magazine publishing industry, and of course, addiction.

Madeline and Laura take on Ottessa Moshfegh's latest polarizing novel Lapvona. They discuss whether the extremely, er, vivid descriptions added or distracted from the exploration of spirituality and what the goings on of the medieval village portrayed in Lapvona have to say about the pandemic and the rise of Trumpism. Content Warning - we discuss the themes and events of Lapvona which are intense. CW for sexual assault, cannibalism, violence, miscarriage, abuse and more.

Madeline and Laura read Julia May Jonas' novel about an English Professor who, while navigating the aftermath of her husbands' affairs, becomes entangled with a much younger colleague, Vladimir. We discuss the novel's Nabokovian influences, its handling of depicting college students and our narrator's incisive voice.

This week, Laura and Madeline cover Coco Mellors' 2022 novel Cleopatra and Frankenstein. They discuss whether the formal using multiple perspectives helped or hurt the narrative, whether they believed Cleo and Frank were good for each other, and how they felt about a very memorable scene involving a sugar glider.

Madeline and Laura cover Rachel Yoder's debut novel Nightbitch. We discuss whether the book's marketing set readers up for disappointment, our hopes for the film adaptation starring Amy Adams, and whether female rage is explored with enough nuance in modern art. NOTE: Technical issues impact the quality of Laura's audio in this episode - this will be resolved for all future eps.

Madeline and Laura cover actor Ethan Hawke's newest work of fiction. They discuss how Hawke reckons with masculinity, infidelity, and artistic worth through his protagonist William and try to determine if Hawke is a good writer for a famous actor, or just a good writer.

Madeline and Laura discuss the skyrocketing popularity of Colleen Hoover. Episode includes mini-discussions of three popular Colleen Hoover novels including It Ends With Us, Ugly Love, and Verity.

Laura and Madeline discuss Lisa Taddeo's 2021 novel centering feminine rage, Animal. They debate the effectivity of the work's unrelenting disturbing content and examine the narrator, Joan, to determine if she's a new breed of anti-heroine or a one-dimensional monster. STRONG CONTENT WARNING for this discussion.

Madeline and Laura discuss Sally Rooney's third novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You. They unpack the archetype of the "Rooney Girl", debate the book's take on religion and rank the work within Rooney's canon.

Laura and Madeline discuss Lara Williams' 2022 novel The Odyssey. They debate whether the work functions as a takedown of capitalism and the gig economy, if Williams nailed the reality of working in remote conditions and the absurdity of having a 42 year old bald son named Brian.

Madeline and Laura cover Mona Awad's darkly funny 2019 novel Bunny. They debate whether it lives up to its reputation as a modern day take on Heathers and discuss how Awad juxtaposes heightened femininity with extreme violence.

From the archives... in a never before heard episode recorded in 2020 Madeline and Laura discuss Stephanie Danler's 2020 memoir Stray. We discuss why Danler chose a memoir format for her sophomore work, explore the ethical implications of writing about one's family and how Stray explores (or fails to explore) victimhood vs. responsibility.

After a three year hiatus, Madeline and Laura reconvene their book club to discuss Melissa Broder's 2021 novel Milk Fed. They discuss how deftly Broder handles heavy themes including disordered eating, self-love, and mysticism - and also debate how well the book will hold up to it's upcoming on-screen adaptation.

Madeline and Laura discuss Kiley Reid's debut novel, Such a Fun Age, how much they connected with the effortless dialouge, how it made them consider their own privilige, and characters they wish were more consistently written.

Laura and Madeline debate Rachel DeLoache Williams' true-crime memoir about Anna Delvy the #FakeHeiress. Does DeLoache Williams spend too much time trying to paint herself as the perfect victim or does the story offer some real insight about a painful betrayal and a broken friendship?

Laura and Madeline discuss feminism, characterization, and the unique oral-history narrative format of one of the hottest books of 2019. They'll also question the reliability of Reese's Book Club, and whether the coming Amazon series will live up to the audiobook performances.