This week's book guest is Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth. Sara and Cariad are joined by award-winning comedian, writer and 1/3 of sketch group Sheeps - Liam Williams. In this episode they discuss Kafka, addiction, wanking, wanking, wanking and Geoffrey Archer. Trigger warning: In this episode we discuss racism, racist language and antisemitism. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth is available to buy here . Tickets to see Liam in Sheeps:...
Jul 03, 2025•55 min•Ep. 84
We asked our Weirdos listeners for their summer read suggestions and they delivered! In this episode Sara and Cariad chat about some of the books they're excited to read. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Tickets for Sara's tour show I Am A Strange Gloop are available to buy from sarapascoe.co.uk Cariad’s children's book Where Did She Go? is available to buy now. Sara’s debut novel Weirdo is published by Faber & Faber and is available to buy here . Cariad’s book You Ar...
Jun 26, 2025•36 min•Ep. 83
This week's book guest is Frankie by Graham Norton. Sara and Cariad are joined by author, comedian, presenter and National Treasure Graham Norton. In this episode they discuss cakes, art, London in the 50s, buses, restaurants and pen pals called David. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Frankie by Graham Norton is available to buy here . You can find Graham on Instagram @grahnort Tickets for Sara's tour show I Am A Strange Gloop are available to buy from sarapascoe.co.uk Ca...
Jun 19, 2025•51 min•Ep. 82
This week's book guest is The New Age of Sexism: How the AI Revolution is Reinventing Misogyny by Laura Bates. Sara and Cariad are joined by activist, best-selling writer, speaker, journalist and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project Laura Bates. In this episode they discuss sex dolls, masturbation, AI, Meta and Take That. Trigger warning: This book and discussion covers a range of non-consensual sex acts, abuse by deep fake technology and pornography. Thank you for reading with us. We like rea...
Jun 12, 2025•50 min•Ep. 81
This week's book guest is Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth. Sara and Cariad are joined by the BAFTA-nominated and BIFA-winning screenwriter and bestselling, award-winning novelist Emma Jane Unsworth. In this episode they discuss teachers, diaries, nostalgia, otters and scaring Mark Owen. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth is available to buy here . You can find her on Instagram @emjaneunsworth Tickets for Sara's tour show I Am A Strange Gloop are avai...
Jun 05, 2025•46 min•Ep. 80
Sara and Cariad are back for series three with even more weird and wonderful books! They're kicking off the series with this special episode to discuss what they've been reading in the break. You can find out about all the books they're going to be discussing this series on Instagram @saraandcariadsweirdosbookclub And remember! You don't even have to read the book to be in the book club! Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Recorded and edited by Naomi Parnell for Plosive . A...
May 29, 2025•51 min•Ep. 79
New series starts Thursday 29th May 2025. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Tickets for Sara's tour show I Am A Strange Gloop are available to buy from sarapascoe.co.uk Sara’s debut novel Weirdo is published by Faber & Faber and is available to buy here . Cariad’s book You Are Not Alone is published by Bloomsbury and is available to buy here . Cariad’s children's book The Christmas Wish-tastrophe is available to buy now. Follow Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club on ...
May 26, 2025•50 sec
The last book guest of this series is Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Sara and Cariad discuss bad boyfriends, marijuana, the female body, motherhood, grief and Brecht. We'll be back soon! Thank you for reading with us this series. We like reading with you! Trigger warning: This book covers an array of topics which might be upsetting and we discuss some themes including sexual assault, rape, female genital mutilation, slavery and racism. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is availab...
Mar 13, 2025•42 min•Ep. 78
This week's book guest is Golden Age by Wang Xiaobo. In this episode Sara and Cariad discuss revolutions, little monks, ball breaking, girlfriends, poetry, translation and hidden ovaries. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Trigger warning: In this episode we discuss suicide. Golden Age by Wang Xiaobo is available to buy here . Tickets for Sara's tour show I Am A Strange Gloop are available to buy from sarapascoe.co.uk Sara’s debut novel Weirdo is published by Faber & Fa...
Mar 06, 2025•36 min•Ep. 77
This week's book guest is Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis. Sara and Cariad are joined by Dr Nussaibah Younis is an expert on the politics, foreign policy and economy of contemporary Iraq. For several years she advised the Iraqi government on proposed programmes to de-radicalise women affiliated with ISIS, she has a PHD in International Affairs and Fundamentally is her debut novel. In this episode they discuss Baghdad, high literature, the UN, stand-up, teenage girls, Take That and Rory Stewart...
Feb 27, 2025•40 min•Ep. 76
This week's book guest is My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. In this episode Sara and Cariad discuss school, communism, slimy dads, scary dads, writing as freedom and when names are quite similar. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Trigger warning: In this episode we mention sexual assault. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante is available to buy here . Tickets for Sara's tour show I Am A Strange Gloop are available to buy from sarapascoe.co.uk Sara’s debut novel Weird...
Feb 20, 2025•42 min
This week's book guest is Nuclear Family by Kate Davies. Sara and Cariad are joined by novelist, screenwriter and children’s author Kate Davies. Her novel In at the Deep End won the Polari Prize and she was shortlisted for the Bollinger Wodehouse Everyman Prize for Comic Fiction. In this episode they discuss fiction and truth, brothers, sports analogies, improv and Frankenstein Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Trigger warning: In this episode we discuss fertility, IVF, eg...
Feb 13, 2025•44 min•Ep. 74
This week's book guest is Rosewater by Liv Little. Sara and Cariad are joined by writer, journalist and founder of gal-dem - Liv Little. In this episode they discuss strap-ons, friendship, rollerblading, debt, friendship, camming and John Legend. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Rosewater by Liv Little with Liv Little is available to buy here . You can find Liv on Instagram @livslittle Tickets for Sara's tour show I Am A Strange Gloop are available to buy from sarapascoe....
Feb 06, 2025•45 min•Ep. 73
This week's book guest is Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Sara and Cariad are joined by the award winning comedian, actor and writer Jessica Fostekew to discuss platonic friendships, collaboration, book clubs and nuggets! Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Trigger warning: In this episode we discuss coercive relationships. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is available to buy here . You can find Jess on Instagram @jessicafostek...
Jan 30, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 72
This week's book guest is There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak. Sara and Cariad are joined by the award winning Turkish-British novelist Elif Shafak. Elif has published 21 books and is best known for her novels, which include The Bastard of Istanbul, The Forty Rules of Love, Three Daughters of Eve and 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World . Her works have been translated into 57 languages and she has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the Costa Book Awards, the British Book Award...
Jan 23, 2025•47 min•Ep. 71
This week's book guest is She Speaks!: What Shakespeare's Women Might Have Said by Harriet Walter. In a truly special episode live from Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall as part of the London Literature Festival 2024 Sara and Cariad are joined by the one and only Dame Harriet Walter to talk about her new collection of speeches for thirty of Shakespeare’s women. Harriet is one of Britain's most esteemed Shakespearean actors, a stalwart of the RSC she has won an Olivier Award, been nominated...
Jan 16, 2025•53 min•Ep. 70
This week's book guest is Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding. Sara and Cariad are aptly joined by 30 somethings 'Single Ladies In Your Area' and award winning comedians Amy Gledhill and Harriet Kemsley. In this episode they discuss dating, ADHD, Harriet's foot in a bowl, red flags, Hugh Grant, Pride and Prejudice and Off Menu. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Trigger warning: In this episode we discuss disordered eating. Listen to Harriet and Amy's podcast Single Lad...
Jan 09, 2025•40 min•Ep. 69
This week's book guest is this year's Booker Prize winner - Orbital by Samantha Harvey. In this episode Sara and Cariad discuss prizes, Barnet, authenticity, and Rob Brydon. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Orbital is available to buy here . Cariad’s children's book The Christmas Wish-tastrophe is available to buy now. Sara’s debut novel Weirdo is published by Faber & Faber and is available to buy here . Cariad’s book You Are Not Alone is published by Bloomsbury and i...
Jan 02, 2025•33 min•Ep. 68
This week's book guest is Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. Sadly James Joyce and Michael Fassbender were not available to chat so Sara and Cariad are joined by Ireland's premier Bono impersonator, writer and star of This Way Up , Living With Yourself and Get Away - it's Aisling Bea! In this episode they discuss sex scenes, James Joyce, Dublin, Maeve Binchy and life's winners. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Intermezzo is available to buy here . You can find Aisling on Instagr...
Dec 26, 2024•44 min•Ep. 67
This week's book guest is Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. Sara and Cariad are joined by BAFTA nominee and Hullraisers star, actor Taj Atwal - to discuss Percy the Park Keeper, boxing, childbirth, addiction, posh English people and the Spice Girls. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Trigger warning: In this episode we discuss grief, death and addiction. Blue Sisters is available to buy here . You can find Taj on Instagram @tajatwal1 Cariad’s children's book The Christmas Wish-...
Dec 19, 2024•40 min•Ep. 66
Welcome to the 2024 Weirdos Book Club round up and Christmas gift guide! In this episode Sara and Cariad discuss the books from this series that have stuck with them, easy Christmas gift wins, honourable book mentions from this year, to read piles, listener suggestions and what they're looking forward to coming out in 2025! Thank you for reading with us this year. We like reading with you! You can find a list of all the books we've discussed on the series so far here . Trigger warning: In this e...
Dec 12, 2024•37 min•Ep. 65
This week's book guest is The Lost Wife by Susanna Moore. Sara and Cariad are joined by journalist and writer Nell Frizzell - author of The Panic Years , Holding the Baby and Cuckoo - to discuss public transport, fear of men, victimhood and swimming in the Thames. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Trigger warning: In this episode we discuss domestic abuse, war violence and colonial genocide. The Lost Wife is available to buy here . You can find Nell on Instagram @nellfrizz...
Dec 05, 2024•45 min•Ep. 64
This week's book guest is The Map of Bones by Kate Mosse. Sara and Cariad are joined by the international bestselling author, Founder Director of the Women's Prize for Fiction and CBE Kate Mosse herself. In this episode they discuss motherhood, the Women's Prize, whispering in the landscape, and overnight success. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Trigger warning: In this episode we discuss sexual assault and rape. The Map of Bones is available to buy here . Tickets for Ka...
Nov 28, 2024•48 min•Ep. 63
This week's book guest is Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart. Sara and Cariad are joined by the incredible Kadiff Kirwan - star of Slow Horses and This Way Up - to discuss class, fishing, parents, vernacular and David Beckham's sarong. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Trigger warning: In this episode we discuss violence, sexual assault, neglect and childhood sexual abuse. Young Mungo is available to buy here . You can find Kadiff on Instagram @kadiffkirwan Cariad’s children's ...
Nov 21, 2024•38 min•Ep. 62
This week's book guest is Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. Sara and Cariad discuss acting, Sara's beautiful singing voice, being invisible, and their new book based musical - 'The Literary Libretto'. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Tom Lake is available to buy here . Cariad’s new children's book The Christmas Wish-tastrophe is available to buy now. Sara’s debut novel Weirdo is published by Faber & Faber and is available to buy here . Cariad’s non-fiction book You Are Not Al...
Nov 14, 2024•38 min•Ep. 61
This week's book guest is The Christmas Wish-tastrophe by Cariad Lloyd. Sara and Cariad are joined by fellow author Dr Susan Cahill with her own children's book The World Between The Rain to discuss magic, fairies, grief, nature, emotions and portals. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! The Christmas Wish-tastrophe is available to buy now. The World Between the Rain is available to buy now. You can find Susan on Instagram @susancahillwrites and Twitter @scahill Sara’s debut ...
Nov 07, 2024•44 min•Ep. 60
This week's book guest is Ordinary Time by Cathy Rentzenbrink. Sara and Cariad are joined by the writer and Sunday Times bestseller Cathy Rentzenbrink. Her books include Everyone is Still Alive, Write It All Down and The Last Act of Love which was also shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize. In this episode they discuss Jane Austen, affairs, quiet people, Anna Karenina, grief and blue cashmere jumpers Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Trigger warning: In this episode we d...
Oct 31, 2024•40 min•Ep. 59
This week's book guest is The Elsie Drake Letters by Robert Popper. Sara and Cariad are joined by legendary comedy writer, producer and actor Robert Popper who's worked on everything from Look Around You to Friday Night Dinner, Peep Show and Stath Lets Flats. In this episode they discuss bananas, the King, Potsy the hedgehog, stamps and the Pope. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! The Elsie Drake Letters are available to buy here . You can find Robert on Instagram @itsrober...
Oct 24, 2024•39 min•Ep. 58
This week's book guest is One's Company by Ashley Hutson. Sara and Cariad discuss Red Dwarf, safe places, connection in novels, self care and Creed from The Office. Trigger warning: This episode contains references to death, suicide and assault. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! One's Company is available to buy here . Tickets for the live show at the Southbank Centre with special guest Harriet Walter are available to buy here ! Sara’s debut novel Weirdo is published by Fa...
Oct 17, 2024•41 min•Ep. 57
This week's book guest is Honeybee by Dawn O'Porter. Sara and Cariad are joined by the best-selling author, presenter and co-founder of Choose Love, Dawn O'Porter to discuss a room of one's own, temping, reply all, ambition and periods. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you! Honeybee is available to buy here . You can find Dawn on Instagram @hotpatooties Tickets for the live show at the Southbank Centre with special guest Harriet Walter are available to buy here ! Cariad’s chil...
Oct 10, 2024•45 min•Ep. 56
