Sara & Cariad's Weirdos Book Club - Book-streets Back Alright!

Episode Date: October 23, 2025

Sara and Cariad are back with another series of weird and wonderful reads!In this episode they welcome you back in to discuss what they've been reading, pencil cases, what's coming up this series, Cariad has some exciting literary news and we want your listener suggestions.Remember, you don't even have to have read the books to join in!Thank you for reading with us. We look forward to reading with you (or not) this series!Follow Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club on Instagram @saraandcariadsweirdosbookclub and Twitter @weirdosbookclubTickets for Sara's tour show I Am A Strange Gloop are available to buy from sarapascoe.co.ukCariad's children's book Lydia Marmalade and the Christmas Wish is out in paperback here now. Recorded and edited by Naomi Parnell for Plosive.Artwork by Welcome Studio.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Pasco. And I'm Carriead Lloyd. And we're weird about books. We love to read. We read too much. We talk too much. About the too much that we've read. Which is why we created the weirdos book club. A space for the lonely outsider to feel accepted and appreciated. Each week we're joined by amazing comedian guests and writer guests to discuss some wonderfully and wonderfully and crucially weird books, writing, and just generally being a weirdo. You don't even need to have read the books to join in. It will be a really interesting, wide-ranging conversation and maybe you'll want to read the book afterwards. We will share all the up coming books we're going to be discussing on our Instagram, Sarah and Carriads, Weirdo's Book Club. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you. Welcome to the new series. Welcome to the new series. How are you, Sarah Pascoe? Really good, really reedy. You look very well. I'll put makeup on. You look glowing. And then it was cute because Albi puts some makeup on too. And you know when children copy you exactly. So he was standing on his potty using a sort of highlighter with a moisturiser brush on his hand. And he was cute. And he was He'd studied exactly the order I'd done things in

and then he put it on his face and went, I did it, I did it. This is where we are very different because I don't let them touch my makeup. I was like, oh, you're a nice, relaxed mum. I'd be like, get off. But most of my makeup's crap, that's why. Oh, yes.

It's rarely used it. It's all dusty. Okay, but I bet it's nice makeup though. No, some of it. I mean, it's honestly like some of it's 15 years old. Oh, okay. It's just from your super junk years. Yeah.

Sometimes someone will give you a mascara because they've used it on you. They've used it with the actual brush. That's that kind of. makeup. Yeah, no, they try and touch it. And I'm like, get off, get away. But they would destroy it.

Well, my children, if you told them not to, they would then go, that's going down the toilet out the window to punish you. Yeah, do you know what's nice? Is that Will, my son, who normally has that attitude to everything, but because I'm so obviously uptight about my makeup and skincare, he won't go there. Like that's, you know when they say toddlers only listen to you if you mean it, right? You have to actually meet it. So when you're like, don't touch that, they know.

Yeah. But because I'm like, no, he's like, not that area. Yeah. It's the only area of my life he respects. You're like, muck up my desk, my laptop, kick a football at it. If he goes in my skin case, like, sorry, I'm sorry, sorry. So I think that's interesting. It is interesting.

That's one boundary I've managed. That's good. That's good. Yeah, you've picked your thing. Have you been reading lots? Yes. Preparing for the new series. Preparing for the new series.

Anything else you want to announce? I am one of the judges for the women's prize this year. That's very exciting. Because I love reading. You love reading. We went to the Women's Prize Party this year for the first time. Had a lovely time. If you follow us on Patreon, you would have seen our backstage Patreon content, which was pretty good.

That was we were just getting the hang of Patreon. What do people want to see? Self is outside Rabbit Hutch toilets? Yes, strongly. Walking around. Yes. Jesse Burton. Hassled her.

Yes. So I've been having to do lots of reading about books that I can't talk about. So I want to firstly apologize to listeners. Because there might be some books that they're like. Why haven't they talked about that one? Yeah. Anything released by a woman. By a woman between April 2025. Written by a woman, I should stress, not released by a woman.

Anything written by a woman, from April 2025, published between April 2025 to April 2026, we will not be covering. Yes. But it does mean next year. Yeah. There's a lot we can talk about. Yeah, because you'll have read loads. I've read fucking everything. You'll have done all of your reading in advance.

So all the paperbacks. Yeah. But then there'll just be episodes with you talking about it and me going, hmm. But it means that maybe for the Patreon, we could do special long list and shortlist episodes then. Oh, yeah, that's a good idea. Because they're always really good books. And it'd be fun for you to discuss reading books with someone that's not me. Oh.

Oh, did you not realize that that was going to happen? No, but what did you mean? Why would it be not you? Because you'll be going into the women's prize and talking to the other judges. I thought you meant you and me do long list and shortlist. Yes, no, we will on the Patreon, but you'll already have spoken to those other women. Oh, I see. Those other women.

Yeah. Hackles have risen. Are you upset? I'm talking to other people about books. I'll be all right. I think it's good for me. Okay. Yeah.

I never think you'd be bothered. Just so busy with your other things. I'm just really possessive. I know. This is what's so funny. It's not like you're at home lonely. It's like, oh, I've been here. I'm filming selling with Rishim.

I'm like a really bad boyfriend. I'm on television doing this. I'm touring my own stand-up shows. It's not like, oh, poor Sarah. Yeah. She needs her friend. It's like, no, no, you're like, you just want to keep me in a cage. No, not in a cage.

I'm not in a cage. A freezer or something. Well, you don't know. You don't know you're in stasis. I see. No, I don't want that. I don't want that. I'm coming off really toxic now.

We're going to get people writing in going carry out, free yourself. Hashtag free carry out. We haven't talked about the film The Roses in real life. I know. I thought you wanted to talk about it on the podcast because it was originally a book that was then made into a film directed by Danny DeVito and then was remade into this film. Yeah, and do you know what's weird?

The film, The Roses is weird. You left me a message about how you felt about it. Yeah. And then... Because I need you to see it. My husband, Ben, was like, it was an original film and I was like, oh, I think I saw the original as a kid and it was like quite funny. Yeah.

And then I was like, how have they made, how come to you are so angry if it was? Well, in some of the scenes, it's because it not only veers into toxic relationship, it's, it's so violent and so torturous that how could it still be a comedy? What was it? It was made, the film was in 1989, very different time. Oh, we didn't care then. We didn't care. We didn't care. We didn't care, children. Yeah.

He shits in a dessert that she's serving at a restaurant. How would you ever want to get back together with that person? He shits in a dessert. And that's like the comedy. Yeah. He gives, he's put, this is just sort of one moment in it. All right, we're going to spoil it because Sarah hated it. He puts, shh.

Oh. Okay, you've voted me. I said to you, I've only seen the trailer and the thing that got me about the trailer is watching Benedict Cumberbatch knit comb in a way. Yeah. It's quite clear he's never had to take nits out of hair ever. Yeah. I can't explain it because if you hadn't had to knit comb a child, like, constantly.

it's like watching someone not being able to hold a knife and fork. Like that's what it looked like film it. I was like, they should have done it method. They should have given that kid knits. So that in the scene, Benedict Cumberbatch actually had to get them out. Worst.

Someone from hair and makeup should have come up to him being like, this is how you nick go. Like just so you know. Like imagine someone who had a gun like flatten their hands. I think probably when someone's established as Benedict Cumberbatch it's really difficult from someone from a department like hair and makeup to go, hey, you're doing that wrong. Yeah, but if someone literally couldn't open a door handle,

They were like smacking it. You'd be like, oh, you have to press down. Not if it was an arrogant man. I would let them stay there slapping it. And I'd go, he doesn't want a dirt. He'll call it fem-splaining. I'll just let him work it out by himself. We're just going to have to work around the door, guys.

The scenes now outside of the room. Yeah. Can you can imagine it turned around and go, there's already a director. I don't need you to tell we had to nick home, Sharon. It's like a piece of equipment. Honestly, I look, both me and Ben sent each other trailer going, what's he doing? But wait until you've seen more of the film anyway.

I don't want to see it now, though. We have to. We have to. Very handsome, very talented man, never heard anything against him. And he didn't write the film The Roses. No, but you're angry. Him and Olivia Coleman. And actually the whole cast are very talented.

Well, this is what we feel, isn't it? They're really talented. And actually, that's what makes it so strange when there are really odd scenes and weird things. You go, this obviously had so much money behind it. All of these people have agreed to it. They're doing their absolute best they can with this script. I've read lots of books. Lots of books.

I read some big hitters. I read atmosphere. That's just done so well. Absolutely page turner. Is that Taylor Jenkins Rees? It is. Have you read other things of her? Yes, Evelyn Hugo, the seven wives of Emily, Evelyn Hugo, which I really like.

Six wives? Seven. She's loads of wives. You like that one? Husbands. Forget about the number. She's definitely straight. Yeah.

The six husbands of Evelyn Hugo, great book. People love Taylor Jenkins read. She's a really, really readable author. And the atmosphere is the same. And then I read the artist by Lucy Steed, which actually Steen brought me for Christmas and that was him as a non-book person having his ear to the ground

and lots of people are saying this is good on TikTok and then it was Waterstone's book of the year and so I read that Wasn't it women's prize long listed as well last year? It must have been. I think it's been everywhere so for a first novel done so incredibly well

I did a book event with her did you? In Manchester when I was I was pitching Lydia Marmalade my kids book and they get all these different like 20 authors to stand in front of like booksellers of the north. And you all have like five minutes to like just pitch and her pitch was amazing.

Was it? Just the way she felt like I was like, oh yeah, I'm in. Yeah. Like and she spoke very well. Just because you're a brilliant writer, you shouldn't have to be an entertaining speaker. And vice versa, lots of people who speak really well can't write. They can say their words. So it's a very small little middle of Venn diagram.

Yeah. But when she was pitching it to the whole room, I was like, oh, that sounds amazing. Start writing a book in France. Yeah. with painters already, and I guess that's what people love about her writing, is the colours in the text, the visualisation of things. She's writing about a painter who's painting food and a love story set with that. When you read those books, don't you think, someone's been in the library?

That's why I think. Someone had to sit in the library for ages. They've been Googling that. Someone's been on thesauros.com. We've all sometimes had to refer to. Oh, no, exactly. Collins is better. Collins has a pheasaurus website.

Oh. I hope Thesaurus.com don't get angry, but I discovered the Collins one. You don't upset Big Thesaurus. There's a book I read called Hey Zoe, which I've said to you, written by Sarah Cosley, published in 2024, so I know it's all cool. We're all cool. But it's maybe worth mentioning to anyone listening, especially if they're listening for the first time, new series. New series.

You don't have to have any of the books. You don't have to read any of the books. Because it's conversations like this. It's chat. We chat about the book. Look, how we don't keep on topic. We chat about the book. Look, we will say sometimes, like, what happens, but we try and keep it, spoiler-free.

Yes. And we try and keep it so, like, you get the gist of a book. Like, I feel our job, it's like a good book friend to be like, I'm recommending this book to you because it has this, it has this. Here's the setting. Here's some of the themes. I'm not going to, like, go through it blow by blow. And then what happened in this scene and then what happened in that scene? We're not going to do that.

We don't have to read the book. And sometimes we interview the author. Yeah. So then you definitely don't have to read the book because they're not going to give away their seat there. all their goody bits. Then it's like you're listening to someone and you might think, oh, I'd like to read that one day

and sometimes you might not even think that. No one's going to come around and give you an exam. No one's going to give an exam, but tell you what, tell you what I think is useful. But it's a failing industry. If you do want to buy a book, that would be great. But if you're in chat,

if you're in chat with your friends, you can say, oh, I haven't read that yet, but I heard them talking about it on weirdos and they said, it's giving you a little cultural student. I should have said struggling industry, not failing. It will pick itself back up again.

Believe. Believe. Believe. I think it's retro and it might come back into fashion. Like records, like vinyl. Yeah. Hey, you know what, that's the thing with vinyl, every time someone was like vinyl's dead, eventually everyone was like, but it is the best. Yes. So it just couldn't die. Yeah. Obviously, it's not the same as it was. But people still buy vinyl.

Yeah. Bands still make vinyl. And it's precious to people and books should be. I got ink and started using my typewriter that I've had for a few years. Yes, you wrote me a poem for my birthday card. I love typing on my typewriter so much. I could feel that you were happy typing in. Sometimes I just write a few words. And I just really like them. I just really love those words.

Does it feel, just feels more, like, more... Rooted. And you have to hit the number. Yeah, you have to really hit it. Really so hard. And there's just a simplicity to it, just in the limitations and the fact that it can't go on the internet. Do you think you could write a whole novel on it?

I would like to write some things. Maybe a show. That's what I think. I've told you I started reading James Joyce's Ulysses. Tell me about this. So I think I'm going to leave the internet. This is my plan. I'm going to...

I told you my dad made a... album based on Ulysses. Yes, you did tell me that. 18 CDs based on James Joyce's Ulysses. Wow, and we thought, the internet thought you were niche. Yes. Look what she came from.

So I thought I might listen to my dad's Ulysses album. I'm going to have to buy a CD player. I don't have one. While also reading James Joyce's Ulysses, typing on my typewriter. And then I've literally, I think I'm sort of fighting AI. Like a lovely, like a modern Luddite with great hair. But no anger.

No, you're not smashing AI. But just sending myself backwards. How else do you fight it? Look, we're going to sound old. We are old. I can't, I hate it. I hate it. And it's ruined it.

It's ruined the internet. I can't believe how many people are you. Sorry, if you're using it. People are using it to write fucking emails. Just write an email. People are using it to write prize winning novels. Okay, so I was on the tube. Yeah.

And the man next to me had his phone out at a readable distance. Obviously, I read it. And he had written a metaphor. Yeah. And he was asking chat GBT, like, could this be improved? And I read the metaphor and it was quite a long sentence. And it wasn't great. It was a bit confused.

Yeah. And firstly, he started hassing chat. He said, come on. And chat GGBT said, sorry, I'm just having a think. And he said, yeah, come on. What do you think? And then chat GBT said, this is perfect. It can't be improved.

The way you've used the language. And I thought, if a person said that to me, I wouldn't trust them. If a person was like, your language is perfect, I'd be like, well, you're fucking creep. I'm not going to believe anything you say. Yes. What? What's wrong with opinions? Like, I don't understand.

If I gave you something to read and you said, this is perfect, I'd be like, well, she's going to kill me. That's a sign someone is going to manipulate you and they want you to trust them. But it's like, why would you ever use it? I feel like such an old woman because I can't understand why people are using it. But is this like someone going, these cars go too fast? I don't mind other people using it. It makes other people happy, but the fact is it made me unhappy, so I need to create an alternative universe for myself.

But do you mind they're using it? If they're using it, aren't you worried about? I'm worried about them. Because I can avoid absolutely everything, including those people. Yeah, but they're still out there creating culture. Not that I'll absorb. I've only just seen the Barbie movie. What did you think?

It was okay, yeah. I got distracted because I realised that if you put champagne inside chilies, you know, the water bottles, it stays fizzy and cold. Okay. Why did that come from your Barbie movie? Because I poured a bottle of champagne into two chilies for me and my husband to drink. I thought you meant a chili, the actual kind of vegetable. No, no, no, no.

How is it doing? I'll save that for Master Chef. A tiny shot of champagne. Oh, the Chili's water bottles. It stays busy. Busy and cold for an entire movie. And that was your main takeaway for the Barbie film. My husband and I just kept going, mine's still cold.

It's fizzy and we don't have to go to the fridge. We've both got half a bottle of wine. It was great. That's your chap. TB tea. watch a film but I've decided I'm only going to watch films in the cinema because then my husband doesn't check his phone. Oh. That's where we went to the roses. Yeah. I want to watch all things at cinema. I miss the cinema so much. Let's bring it back in. Let's bring it. Less time on phones,

more time on a big screen. I would really like that. I liked the Barbie movie. I liked it. It's hot take. But the main thing that I love, love it is the bit where they flashed the 995 BBC Pride and Prejudice. Oh. Like that reference. I just couldn't believe she put it in a film. I was like, That's cool. I screamed in his cinema. Yeah. I was like you seeing as someone that you know. Yeah, I was like, oh my God,

Jane Austen's my friend. But it was like, oh, you care about the same thing and you've made a joke about it in a Hollywood film? That's very cool. Thanks. I liked Rob Brydon and Big Tom's came in. I thought that was very funny. They were funny characters.

Unnerving to see people you know well in a Hollywood film as well. That makes me feel a bit part of The Matrix. Do you ever feel like that? Like, how are they there? Yeah, it shouldn't happen. Well, I'm happy for them. But you know, you just feel like, but then you're... I once took my daughter to see a recording of Strictly.

She hated every minute. She was like, this is television and I do not... Yeah, I don't want it to be real. It's in a box in the room. That's how I felt when I first did mock the week and they played the theme tune and I'm why am I inside the telly? That's how I felt when I did have, I got news for you. Yeah, why am I inside the telly?

I'm inside the telly, it's not right. Yeah. And as a child, you always thought it would be possible. Yeah. And then to find out that it is, you'd like, get me out, get me back on the sofa. I'm a child still. I did not think it was possible. That's why I found it even more on that thing. I was like, what, this is like the world's split open.

We should talk more about books. Oh, I know. If you've listened this far, thanks, thanks. We want people, listeners, weirdos, to, so we're going to do a Christmas episode like we do every year. Always. Always. So can you write in with, like, have you got a book conundrum, a present conundrum? Yeah. Is there someone who's hard to buy for, you want to get them a book, so we can do book recommendations? Book recommendations would be great because we did some summer recommendations and actually I took loads of our summer recommendations

and read them for instance Atmosphere was on one And Ali Smith Gliff I loved it I mean I was Oh I mean Love is the wrong word because it is like being absolutely Beaten up emotionally

Yeah you said the beginning was a bit like Well the beginning I was like oh okay oh okay And then I got murdered by her Okay I got murdered by her emotionally Okay But you think it's worth it Oh yeah absolutely

I'm protecting you from it That's the reason it's that we're not doing you for the podcast. I'm protecting you. A one of those, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

And to children. So, we're just not doing it. Yeah. So we're going to do like, so yeah. And also, if you have any recommendations for books that you're like, you should do this. Because we do get messages and we read them. Yeah. On the Instagram saying this is a perfect weirdos book.

A perfect weirdos book and a perfect weirdos guest. Yeah. Obviously, we've got some ambitions. Lena Dunham has just announced her new. A new book. She's got a new book. Lena, please. Other pipe dreams. Maggie O'Farrell. Has a new book coming out next year.

Next year. Yes, she just announced. That's very exciting. Sarah Jessica Parker is doing the Booker Prize. So she'll have to be here for a bit. Oh my God. So look, that's me manifesting. That's some good manifest.

I do my manifesting by I'm not asking the universe, asking our listeners to manifest it for us with us. I mean, the most manifested author, Chimamanda, of course. So she'll be out. That's when we'll quit the podcast. Well, Dream count must be coming out on paperback. Yeah. She'll be doing a Sunday brunch.

Saturday kitchen. She'll have to do weirdos as well. Yeah. She's here. She's here. We should also say we have people, I'm sure you know, we have the Patreon. This is new territory. This is new territory for us.

This old ladies. We're trying out new formats on there. So short a little podcasts. I would like to be meaner about some books. Not nasty. But if I don't enjoy something or think something is flawed, it would be nice. to have a place to talk about it not being as great. Because look, guys, we try and be as honest as we can,

but we don't want to, like, pull something apart. Because it's hard to write a book, but on Patreon, we might do that. And also, it's a personal opinion, is the other thing. But on Patreon, we might give some very honest opinions. Bit more honest, yeah. A bit more honest. Yeah. And also books that the other person definitely is not going to read.

Yes. So I talk to you about some true crime books I read. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I love reading true crime, but we're never going to do it on the podcast. And I'm going to talk to you about a big Swedish feminist book. And we're going to do, if we haven't done this already, an episode on Liz Gilbert, Patreon, a quick update. That definitely is on there.

We're going to talk about it. I can't wait to talk about it. Any other ready bits? You bought me a really good pencil case that says hide and go read. And I tell you what, it's been a game changer. Is it having a pencil case? Because it's thin enough to be a bookmark. I put my pencils and my pens and my post-it notes in there, which is what you need when you're like really assessing a book.

And now I feel like I'm taking it seriously. That's really professional. Yeah, I feel like I've got to become professional, professional book reader. And there was a good NPR clip of a woman. Oh, she's a really famous NPR radio host who does book. And there's a clip of her going on Instagram, but how she reads books. I'll send it to you. So it's like because she has to always interview people.

So it's like how she folds it and what it all means. She does like all different systems of folding and underlining so then she can interview someone. That's exciting. Because you interview people at book events and things. I do something. So do you. Yeah. But I'm not, no, I don't know.

interview people. I'm interviewing Rachel Paris. Yes, her new book. She has a new book coming out introducing Mrs Collins, which is a spin-off Jane Austen about Charlotte Lucas, who obviously marries Mr Collins, and about what happens afterwards. I'm interviewing her at Bath coming up in November. Oh, lovely. We interviewed Alan Davies. We did. There's a man. That's a man we talked to. High five. High five, men. We know you're there. Yeah. Don't worry why chromosomes. We'll slip you in occasionally. Really great the interview of Alan Davis. Oh, it was so fun. That's coming up later in the series. He's so lovely.

What a lovely, funny human. And a great book. And that story he told. Oh, that was my favourite. That's so funny. And we've got some very exciting episodes coming up. They're tasty. Most exciting.

Next episode, self-esteem. Rebecca Lucy Taylor. That's our full name. That's her full name. Self-esteem. Huge fan. Yes. And so that's exciting for our first episode.

So please carry on listening. Thank you for listening. Tell your friends. Share the episodes. Leave nice comments, rate with you, all of that stuff. If it helps, the podcast get a pencil case maybe. If you need a little dopamine hit that's not too pricey. And yeah, let's know if you've got any books that you want us to...

Yeah, we'd love to hear from you. Yeah, we'd love to hear for you on our Instagram at Sarah and Carriads Weiddo's Book Club. And join the Patreon. Yep, and also all our books are still on sale. And I'm off on tour. Bye!