The Book of Love vs The Dud Avocado: Fantasy, Paris & Book Club VerdictsIn this episode of The Book Club Review, we return to our book club roots with two wildly different novels: The Book of Love by Kelly Link and The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy.The Book of Love is the first novel from acclaimed American short story virtuoso and Pulitzer Prize finalist Kelly Link. In a seemingly ordinary coastal town three teenagers become pawns in a supernatural power struggle. Vulture magazine named it ‘the escapist masterpiece of the year’ but what did Laura’s book club think?Our second book-club pick is Elaine Dundy's The Dud Avocado – a fizzing, exuberant novel from 1958 about a young American woman let loose in Paris, determined to live life on her own terms. It gained instant cult status on first publication and remains a timeless portrait of a woman hellbent on living, a book that feels bracingly modern despite being nearly seventy years old. But did it make for a good book club read?We've also got some listener feedback on Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, we're catching up on recent reads, and the books we’re excited about next.Get more from the pod on PatreonCome behind the scenes and enjoy extra episodes, book club membership, community chat threads, readalongs, Kate's reading diaries and more, head to patreon.com/thebookclubreviewBooklistYou'll find all the books mentioned in the pod's Bookshop.org bookshopBookshop.org listSlow Days Fast Company by Eve BabitzDidion and Babitz by Lili AnolikProject Hail Mary by Andy WeirThe Book of Love by Kelly LinkAmerican Gods by Neil GaimanWhat We Can Know by Ian McEwanThe Dud Avocado by Elaine DundyBonjour Tristesse by Françoise SaganNiccolo Rising by Dorothy DunnettOther links of noteOne Grand BooksFrances Ambler's substackSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related