This week we’re reading Bunny by Mona Awad We’re talking unsettling books, separating delusion from reality and Holly’s theory that might make it all make sense. We’re also talking pointlessness as a point, obfuscation in storytelling and the dangers of throwing stones in glass houses. Holly’s not sure how she feels about this book but she thinks she likes it, Harley’s not sure how she feel about this book but she's increasingly certain she doesn't like it. Before we get to the other media...

This week we’re reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. We’re talking the idea of tainted blood, books that give you a perspective outside your own, and the alarming amount of history we were never taught growing up. We’re also talking the ways people drift in and out of our lives over time, the history we don’t know and all the times we realised in all the worst ways that we are sheltered white people. Holly is trying to keep track of generations of characters with multiple names and Harley gets...

This week we’re reading The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean. We’re talking the challenges of debut novels, the ideas vs execution pipeline, and why having the right expectations for a book is sometimes more important than whether or not it’s actually good. We’re also talking books that give us déjà vu, an overwhelming amount of ideas, and the concept of books as meals (even if we’re not chowing down Book Eater style). Harley is not taking disappointment well and Holly is rather fixated on the...

This week we’re reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. We’re talking our sketchy knowledge of Homer’s The Illiad and The Odyssey, the changing styles of storytelling throughout history and the often disappointing reality of reading something that everyone has hyped up before you got to it. We’re also talking the nature of Greek tragedies, characters you’re not supposed to like and the moments that don’t land because they’re still true to the original story.  Despite wildly...

This week we’re reading All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham. Once again this episode is sponsored by Lateral Pharma. Find out more here: https://lateral-pharma.com/ We’re talking guilt, the myriad ways women in general – and mothers in particular – get judged and a plethora of complex female characters. We’re also talking unexpected plot twists, rose-coloured glasses, and the many actual mothers who experience a trial by media. We mention the very real case of Madeleine...

This week we’re reading The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi. We’re talking stories that are a break for your brain, how to explain without over-explaining and why it’s sometimes okay to hit some tropes in the service of a good story. We’re also talking covid doom and gloom, the different ways we saw the resident Kaiju and why an author’s note or introduction is better at the end. We also introduce our first-ever sponsor, Lateral Pharma. Other works up for discussion are King...

This week we’re reading Spare by some bloke called Haz (you may know him as Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex).    We mention in the show that this episode is a spare or bonus episode however like an extra getting a speaking role just for being in the right place at the right time it got promoted when some scheduling issues arose.    We’re talking way too much information about his frosty todger, the intense violence with no trigger warnings and the overdose of self-pity.    We’re also...

Since there are no rules in love and war we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with something a little different. We’re talking about the self love required to put a book down, the stories we can’t help but adore and the ethics of unusual relationships. We’re also talking about a whole lot of stories: Underbelly, The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham, Polysecure by Jessica Fern, The Invisible Life Of Addie La Rue by V.E. Schwab, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Chocolat by...

This week we’re reading Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. We’re talking chronic illness, platonic love and coming of age. We’re also talking the trauma we ignore, the family we choose and the history of video games.  Holly’s not entirely sure what a game engine is and Harley is throwing her word of the day calendar in the bin. For the full show transcript and more information go to: https://www.bimbobookclub.com/episodes/episode-017 To follow Bimbo Book club...

This week we’re reading Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. We’re talking gothic pacing, archetypes and the dollar princesses that inspired them. We’re talking the challenges of a well-explored genre and the ways that they’re nailed in this story. We’re also talking eugenics, keeping it in the family and the blurry lines between fantasy and reality (especially when shrooms get involved). Harley is thrilled at the decision to split the anaemic lead and the girl who has enough...

This week we’re reading The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham. We’re talking the weird genre that is Australian Gothic, small-town gossip and the books we’re forced to read in school. We’re also talking the village slut, the slow burn of revenge and why you should stay out of silos. Holly’s still trying to figure out whether she actually liked the book and Harley’s trying to find the time to bust out her sewing machine. While remembering the English curriculum when we were in year 11 we...

This week we’re reading Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by R.F. Kuang. We’re talking the science of magic, colonialism and the joy of reading a great book for the first time. We’re also talking the nuances of otherness, transmutation and the tightrope of keeping heavy topics simple. Holly’s struggling to find the right genre for this book and Harley’s getting ADHD brain tingles. While talking first reads and adventure stories we also give an honourable mention to The Hunger Games, A...

This week we’re reading Neon Gods by Katee Roberts. We’re talking how spicy a book needs to be to really be considered smut, the pacing of turning up the heat in fiction and the complexities of consent. We also talk about tall, dark and brooding leads that are just a little too cuddly to deliver, expecting the kinkiest dom in all of Olympus to offer a little more variety in his play and how the author both nails it and falls short at the same time. Holly puts in a request for the perfect...

This week we’re reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. We’re talking multiverses, authors with agendas and the tree of life. We’re also talking regrets, relationships and being a good cat mum. Holly’s looking at things with a new perspective and Harley’s in charge of New Year’s resolutions. There’s some talk about Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist (not to be confused with Fairy Tale by Stephen King) and about another universe where Tabitha King didn’t pull Carrie out of the...

This week we’re reading the Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. We’re talking moments that hit you in the feels, angels being close enough to Christmas for our reading habits and vagina dentata.  We’re also talking the complex nature of good vs. evil, tiny fairies that bite and the challenges of a book hangover. Harley tries to figure out how the hell she lost an entire book and Holly is falling in love with the incredible imagery There’s also a drive-by mention of The Mists...

This week we’re celebrating a very bimbo Christmas by reading The Stupidest Angel We’re talking finding the right medium for your story, nailing the tagline, and why angels are attracted to crazy people. We talk warrior babes, the line between b grade sci-fi and softcore porn, and being yourself in all your weird glory. Harley’s quick to triage characters and Holly has questions about fruit bats. For the full show transcript and more information go to:...

This week we’re reading Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.   We’re talking the somehow stranger-than-fiction life of the author, being other and setting as character.   We’re also talking murder charges, the book-to-movie pipeline and the menacing nature of Australian wildlife.   Holly asks what the hell is a crawdad anyway? Harley doesn’t trust her brain, but she does trust her ability to find the answers   For the full show transcript and more information go to:...

This week we’re continuing to read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising, both by Taylor Jenkins Reid.  We’re talking different kinds of marriages, the Stonewall riots and when not showing up for a cause can be the right call. We’re also talking about the context of being other throughout history, the invention of straight Sims and the power of the internet for finding your people. Holly gets confused about the timeline, and Harley talks learning to ask for help. For the...

This week we’re reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising, both by Taylor Jenkins Reid. We’re talking car crashes we can’t look away from, why you should be wary of white wall tyres, and men who love hysterical women. We’re also talking the patterns that repeat themselves in families, bi-erasure, and attention seeking. While Holly hunts down all the easter eggs, Harley is pulling knitting from her knickers. For the full show transcript and more information go to:...

This week we’re reading Lapvona: A Novel by Ottessa Moshfegh. We’re talking trigger warnings, cannibalism and when discomfort does – and doesn’t – work in fiction. We’re quoting The Smashing Pumpkins, name-checking Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, chewing the fat about Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, and adding Beloved by Toni Morrison to Holly’s reading list.  While Harley rants about the mechanics of boobs Holly asks ‘fable, fairytale, or just f****d up?’ For full show transcripts and...

This week we’re reading House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson. We’re talking gothic plot pacing, getting demoted to the dungeon and the blood countess herself.  Harley argues that a rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but a villain by any other name might be harder to spot from a mile away.  Holly takes issue with a handful of sex scenes and an unhealthy obsession with the mistress of the manor getting this book a ‘sapphic novel’ description. We’re also talking how not nailing...

This week we’re finishing A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas … although Harley is starting to wonder if Holly actually read A Court of Mist and Fury & A Court of Wings and Ruin. We’re talking about what we want to happen next, the mechanics of mating bonds, and what constitutes a soup. We also talk about our first-ever Patreon episode. When you’re done listening you can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/bimbomedia For full show transcripts and more information go to...

This week we’re reading not one but three books - A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury & A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas. A fairy-tale retelling turned faerie smut that Harley can get behind and Holly is not impressed by. We talk how to do a sex scene well, the trouble with interesting worlds but less engaging main characters and how movie training montages just don’t translate to fiction. Trigger warnings ahead we also talk about trauma and the ways we...

This week we’re reading Verity by Colleen Hoover. We’re talking murder mysteries, unreliable narrators and writing exercises for the villains among us. Harley takes a side tour into fangirling over Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier while Holly side eyes the ‘perfect’ husband. It’s junk food, airport fiction and a book that leaves us wanting more … maybe? I guess that depends which Verity we believe… For full show transcripts and more information go to...

This week we’re reading The Invisible life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab.  A love letter to art and making your mark on the world. It certainly made its mark on us. We’re talking about the power of ideas gone wild, the eternal muse and the nature of memory.  We’re also talking Holly’s problematic love for demon boyfriends; deals with the devil and Harley’s (probably misguided) belief she could tame a hellhound.  For full show transcripts and more information go to...