I am here for any podcast that even mentions the BBC's classic adaptation of Masefield's Box of Delights. (Robert Stephens is imprinted on my brain as Abner.) Enjoy your episode planning!!

I'm starting my little TV tie-ins season next month and here is the trailer! (Now I can't explain why I picked background music that has 80s soft core sax at the end, but I'm committing to it...at least for this 1 minute trailer.) outoforderbookclub.alitu.com/episode/f1c6...

A couple of the books I covered in my first season of the podcast were translations, and looking into what it takes to translate successfully has opened my eyes to the skill it takes to do this work. This action shows how underappreciated this role is by publishers, and that is truly offensive.

I am planning on doing a second mini season on TV-tie in novels in 2026, but somehow it's slightly less mini now, and my Christmas holiday reading list has grown a tad!

What is Christmas if not a time to share childhood nightmares? For years, every time this film was on TV I would have to leave the room as Vera was dragged into the computer by all those wires. Every time. Every single bloody time...this clip is 'OK' because it doesn't contain the full horror!

Yep, those are pretty much my stats. (Except I'm not a great lender of books, I worry about spine breakers, page folders...you know, the unforgiven.)

As I have terrible time management, at least at this time of year, I've only just got round to this episode. I'm listening to it right now, and it's such a fun conversation. Alison Larkin is a real advert against procrastination and seizing creative opportunities.

Just sharing because I found these images weirdly relaxing but also profoundly creepy (with added 2020 lockdown vibes and a trace of Brigadoon about to appear). There is so much going on in these completely empty sets, or perhaps I've drunk too much caffeine.

I want to dance like this at work, but I can't. I want to solve murder mysteries, but I'm fairly certain I'd be totally useless at that. I'd like to have crime fighting pals, but see the previous comment. So, here is one of my TV heroes Dr Mark Sloan! Happy Birthday Dick Van Dyke! You're a star!

I didn't know about this charity until I saw @dougjohnstone.bsky.social fundraising on Bluesky. They aim to improve the physical health and mental wellbeing of young adults using outdoor pursuits in the beautiful (challenging?!) Scottish countryside. It's a worthy cause and every little helps!

A sad decision, and a principled one - It's horrible that people have to make decisions that could have a profound impact on their career and livelihood in order to stand up for vulnerable communities and simple common decency and kindness. Learning, humour and creativity have taken a hit today.

I'm currently working on my second season about tv tie-in novels. Apart from reading tie-ins from series I know and don't, I've been reading some academic research. The studies have told me about the 'how' and 'why' for tv tie-ins, but not: What makes a good tie-in novel? Any suggestions?

Why wouldn't someone use a library for books, ebooks or audiobooks? Plus, they are a vital part of the community. When it stops bucketing it down outside, I'm off for my weekly visit to the library to browse and to pick up a book, erm, by William Shatner. Just ignore that last bit....

The final episode of this season is here! I'm looking at 'The Wizard of Whitechapel' and going off on tangents about 'The Five' by Hallie Rubenhold and 'London: A Biography' by Peter Ackroyd. I'm not sure if it's a winding journey or a waffly one! Both? outoforderbookclub.alitu.com/episode/d23b...

Context: A 1972 train PIF from @scarredforlife.bsky.social and the fact you could get fined £25 for trepass. Me: Idly wondering how much that would get you in East Coast Mainline tickets. Now: This is the answer. Zero effort from me, 100% effort from @valkyriekaren.bsky.social. Thanks so much!

I saw this a decade ago. David Lynch had an exhibition in a shopping centre in Tokyo. There were photos, paintings and 'Rabbits'. Even now it resides in a dark corner of my mind. This great essay says "trying to describe it" misses the point, I agree, but it describes the experience very well.

This Saturday's podcast is a book I judged entirely by the cover. Whitechapel + jaunty cover = piqued interest. SPOILER - the book inside does not reflect the cover. It doesn't even reflect the tagline, I have found so much to waffle about here! PS - This is the final episode of the first season!

Here's the new episode! I'm not sure what happened between me and Enid Blyton, but this turned into a long one looking at two Famous Five books (No. 5 and No. 21). Join me for waffle about freedom, terrible parenting, tomato sandwiches and Dick. outoforderbookclub.alitu.com/episode/044b...

This SUNDAY - COLCHESTER!! A solo show for @samaritans.bsky.social Tickets here www.redlionbooks.co.uk/product/poet... Tell your friends

This Saturday's podcast looks at two books from the Famous Five. I'm sharing the backs of the books because one of them has the weirdest summary I've ever seen. It's less of a summary and more of brain storm or the ramblings after you're wake from a nightmare! What if all summaries were like this?

The last line of this is so heartwarming! There seems to be plenty people out there with advice for writers who have never written a thing. If you love someone's work let them know, support them, pre-order their books, get them from the library, recommend them...let them know they are liked.

Yes! Colin Jeavons was, for me, the greatest Lestrade. The scene where he pays Holmes a compliment saying any man in Scotland Yard would be proud to shake his hand, and Jeremy Brett is close to tears...it gets me every time. (Plus, his performance as the MC in Hitchhikers is always unnerving...)

My podcast is all about whether you can read series out of order. Sadly, I can't 'experiment' with Parry's, as I've been reading it in order! Either way, I'd recommend it: the sense of place, central characters, crimes and role of women in medicine = 100% enthralling. I'll be giving this a listen!

This week's podcast is here! I'm taking a look at 'Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand' by Fred Vargas translated by Sian Reynolds. I think it's a challenging book for an 'out of order' reader especially if you like to, well, 'like' the main character. outoforderbookclub.alitu.com/episode/bfc7...

This Saturday's podcast looks at 'Wash this blood clean from my hand' by Fred Vargas translated by Sian Reynolds. Yes, I'll be continuing to challenge your listening skills with my French pronunciation, but it's a great follow up episode to last week's 'Rosy and John' by Lemaitre!

ICYMI: BookTrust has launched its Christmas appeal, aiming to deliver 18,000 book parcels to disadvantaged children and those in care across England, Wales and Northern Ireland 👇 #BookSky

We're revisiting a series in our second bitesize episode by taking a look at this intriguing addition to the Verhoeven series by Pierre Lemaitre translated by @terribleman.com. How does it fit in? Does it need to fit in? Is Camille a hero or not? outoforderbookclub.alitu.com/episode/71f2...

Worth a read if you're an aspiring/newbie writer like me. It's an insight into how social media (doesn't) matter as much as you think. For a procrastinator like me, feeling like I have to have followers to sell a book would stop me trying to even write a draft...another excuse to add to the pile!

Saturday's podast is a bitesize one looking at 'Rosy and John' by Pierre Lemaitre translated by Frank Wynne. It is the fourth book in the Camille Verhoeven series that includes 'Alex' which was the focus of an earlier episode this season. Thanks @terribleman.com for suggesting I give it a try!

The 'Queen B' episode is here! This is the prequel to the bestselling 'Her Majesty's Royal Coven' series by @junodawson.bsky.social. This is a slim novel, but I have a lot to say about the themes of persecution and revenge to holidays in Haworth! outoforderbookclub.alitu.com/episode/22b1...

Well, this cleared up a decades old mystery. Back in my early teens, I found myself watching a film that scared me so much I scurried off (after 20 minutes) with the image of a glowing 'T' embedded in a medieval wall. I thought I'd imagined it. Nope! Thanks for clearing that up! Much appreciated!

Saturday's podcast will take a look at 'Queen B' by Juno Dawson, the prequel to the Her Majesty's Royal Coven series. I'll be talking about whether this is a good place to start with the series, and going on a tangent about places to visit in Yorkshire if you're interested!

This week I'm looking at 'Death Shall Overcome' (1966) by #EmmaLathen. This is a crime novel that deals with racism and protest on Wall Street, and I'll certainly reflect on whether anything has changed. This was a genuinely thought provoking read. outoforderbookclub.alitu.com/episode/a9c0...

This was an enjoyable listen, especially the discussion about the successful UBI experiment in Ireland. It gave me a bit of an insight into how UBI can affect writers and artists on a daily basis. However, the discussion about smells for books shows there actually can be bad ideas in a brainstorm!

On this Saturday's podcast, I'm looking at 'Death Shall Overcome' by #EmmaLathen. I didn't know anything about the 'Agatha Christie of Wall Street' before I found this on a book sale table in the Church of the Holy Rude Stirling, just a few metres from where James VI of Scotland was crowned.

I saw both Doug Johnstone and Adam Oyebanji (with Ben Aaronovitch and Sarah Pinborough) at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival at, what I thought, was one of the best events I saw this year. It was hilarious and thought provoking, it was just great to sit and listen to them.

I saw both both Lilja Sigurdardóttir (with Katrín Júlíusdóttir) and Craig Sisterton (chairing an event with two New Zealand authors) at two separate events @bloodyscotland.bsky.social last year. Both events were great, really funny and insightful. I'm looking forward to listening to this!

This week's episode is out, and I'm looking at #TheObsidianThrone by @jamesoswald.scot. It's the fifth book in a five book series, and in a genre that I don't often read. What could possibly go wrong? Is it too challenging for an 'out of order' reader? outoforderbookclub.alitu.com/episode/fb02...

Saturday's podcast looks at 'The Obsidian Throne' by J.D. Oswald aka @jamesoswald.scot. Listeners will know, I haven't read many fantasy series, so in the 'out of order' spirit of reading widely, I jumped right into the final book in a five book series. Did I get as lost as Errol and Sir Benfro?

This is an interesting read and I have to agree, at least from my experience. This week I'll be publishing a podcast about a fantasy novel which dealt with issues of life, aging, guilt - tons of themes. I'm constantly talking about genre fiction which deals with big ideas in a nuanced way.

The bitesize episode about 'Save the Cat' is out. It's a quick 25(ish) minute look at a book that you may know well but I hadn't a clue about! There are few tangents (promise!) except one on petite women in fiction. Tangent or rant? I'm not sure... outoforderbookclub.alitu.com/episode/52cb...

On Saturday, I'll be posting my bitesize 25 min. episode on 'Save the Cat' by Blake Snyder. It was mentioned several (total = 3, maybe 4!) times by novelists at Harrogate Crime Writing Festival this year, so I decided to give it a read. Can a screenwriting book really help a wannabe novelist?

I'm so happy to share this, I only discovered it through following someone else. I've had a dip in and out since I started following, and it's fascinating stuff and, more importantly, valuable work. Definitely worth a follow!

The 'Smoke and Ashes' by @radiomukhers.bsky.social episode is out! This is where I display my historical ignorance, relish the first page starting with an opium fuelled (correct term?) character discovering a dead body, and admit I'm too lazy to research. outoforderbookclub.alitu.com/episode/a490...

I'd 100% recommend it. Anyone who listened to my episode about his novel 'I Only Killed Him Once' knows I've never even seen an episode of 'Stranger Things'! Definitely worth a shot, even if your only knowledge of 'Stranger Things' is that it involves teens, monsters and stuff. Is that right?!

On Saturday, we'll be taking a look at 'Smoke and Ashes' by @radiomukhers.bsky.social. It's a journey! Starting with me going on about my history curriculum (e.g. Is it possible to get too much Tudor history? Yes, yes it is!) Ending with how much the story reflects the state of the UK in 2025.

This week's podcast is here. I'm be looking at 70s 'spoof of a spoof' spy novel 'The Loo Sanction' by #Trevanian. It's a strange book, in fact, the Dr Evil figure is named Maximillian Strange, so it's not subtle either. Join me on the oddest read so far. outoforderbookclub.alitu.com/episode/02ed...

This Saturday, the podcast will take a look at 'The Loo Sanction' by #Trevanian. I'd never heard this or the author before I found it on 'bookswap' bookshelf. It's truly bonkers with gruesome deaths, strange characters (with one called 'Strange' - subtle!) and the usual 1970s content warnings.

This 'Full Dark House' episode has advice from Fowler's blog on how to read #BryantandMay, plus tangents on Brimham Rocks' secondhand bookshop and how (one day!) I will combine descriptions of characters with place to improve my writing. I can but dream! outoforderbookclub.alitu.com/episode/9bdb...