In this episode, we are joined by the author Art Bell (@artbellauthor) as we dive into a collection of books that challenge assumptions—about power, identity, reason, and reality. Whether set in the fog of war, the haze of colonial ambition, the grim clarity of existential thought, or the murky alleys of criminal underworlds, each selection forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths and ask harder questions. Ideal for those who crave intellectually provocative reads with moral complexity, sharp insight, and a touch of darkness. If you're the kind of reader who doesn't just enjoy a good story but wants to pick it apart long after the final page, this one's for you.



Join the Books to Last Podcast, where book lovers share their top 5 must-read books for a dream getaway. Inspired by BBC's Desert Island Discs, each episode features fun stories, book recommendations, and heartfelt conversations. Tune in for inspiring tales and discover your next great read!



Guest Details:

Instagram: @artbellauthor

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artbell/

Facebook: Artbellauthor

Website: artbellwriter.com

Book: https://a.co/d/hfD3W81



Podcast:

W: https://anchor.fm/bookstolastpod

Twitter: @BooksToLastPod

Instagram: @BooksToLastPod



Music by DAYLILY

@daylilyuk on Instagram

https://open.spotify.com/artist/31logKBelcPBZMNhUmU3Q6



Spoiler Warning



Books Discussed:

 * Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
 * The Maltese Falcon by Samuel Dashiell Hammett
 * Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
 * The Stranger by Albert Camus
 * Churchill: Walking with Destiny by Andrew Roberts
 * Fear and loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
 * The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne

71 - Books to Question Everything with Art Bell, Author of What She's Hiding

Joined by Meg from @megsreadingclub, this episode, we’re diving into a mix of stories that bring together sharp wit, big emotions, and unforgettable characters. From classic social drama to epic fantasy battles, from gritty poetry to juicy Hollywood secrets, these books show people pushing back against the rules—whether society’s or their own. If you like smart, messy, and sometimes wild stories with strong characters, this episode is for you.



Join the Books to Last Podcast, where book lovers share their top 5 must-read books for a dream getaway. Inspired by BBC's Desert Island Discs, each episode features fun stories, book recommendations, and heartfelt conversations. Tune in for inspiring tales and discover your next great read!



Guest Details:

Instagram: @megsreadingclub

BBC interview about Meg's book club: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0jpv179



Podcast:

W: https://anchor.fm/bookstolastpod

Twitter: @BooksToLastPod

Instagram: @BooksToLastPod



Music by DAYLILY

@daylilyuk on Instagram

https://open.spotify.com/artist/31logKBelcPBZMNhUmU3Q6



Spoiler Warning



Books Discussed:

 * Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
 * The Adventures of Sherlck Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
 * Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas
 * Slug by Hollie McNish
 * The Seven Hisbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
 * Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
 * In Memoriam by Alice Wind
 * The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
 * The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

70 - Books to Stir Up Your Next Book Club with Meg from Meg's Reading Club

This episode dives into a seriously eclectic set of books picked by Mitch, owner of independent bookstore @vellichorbooksltd, to be castaway with. From cult classics to chaotic horror, outsider memoirs to dark spiritual manifestos, these stories all wrestle with what happens when we're pushed to the edge—mentally, morally, or cosmically. Whether it’s surviving the end of the world or losing yourself in a haunted house, each book taps into themes of isolation, identity, and the wild unknown. Join us as we unpack this eclectic mix of the unsettling, the introspective, and the defiantly unconventional.



Join the Books to Last Podcast, where book lovers share their top 5 must-read books for a dream getaway. Inspired by BBC's Desert Island Discs, each episode features fun stories, book recommendations, and heartfelt conversations. Tune in for inspiring tales and discover your next great read!



Guest Details:

Bookstore: https://www.vellichorbooks.co.uk/

Instagram: @vellichorbooksltd



Podcast:

W: https://anchor.fm/bookstolastpod

Twitter: @BooksToLastPod

Instagram: @BooksToLastPod



Music by DAYLILY

@daylilyuk on Instagram

https://open.spotify.com/artist/31logKBelcPBZMNhUmU3Q6



Spoiler Warning



Books Discussed:

 * Dracula by Bram Stoker

 * Things the Grandchildren Should Know by Mark Oliver Everett
 * The Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey
 * House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
 * The Stand by Stephen King
 * Thinner by Stephen King
 * Pet Cemmetary by Stephen King
 * IT by Stephen King
 * Carrie by Stephen King
 * The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

69 - Books to Read by Candlelight with Mitch, Owner of Vellichor Books

In this episode, we are joined by co-hosts of the @likewise_pod, Sam & Isa as we dive into their castaway book picks. One list leans into rom-coms, poetry, and music nostalgia—think heart, humour, and a love for words. The other goes big on fantasy, emotional twists, and intense character journeys. Even with their different tastes, both lists circle around themes like love, identity, creativity, and the messy, magical process of figuring yourself out. Whether it’s through epic battles or quiet moments, each book taps into what it means to grow, connect, and feel deeply. Join the Books to Last Podcast, where book lovers share their top 5 must-read books for a dream getaway. Inspired by BBC's Desert Island Discs, each episode features fun stories, book recommendations, and heartfelt conversations. Tune in for inspiring tales and discover your next great read!



Guest Details:

Youtube: @likewisepod / https://www.youtube.com/@likewisepod

Instagram: @likewise_pod

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/LikewisePod



Podcast:

W: https://anchor.fm/bookstolastpod

Twitter: @BooksToLastPod

Instagram: @BooksToLastPod



Music by DAYLILY

@daylilyuk on Instagram

https://open.spotify.com/artist/31logKBelcPBZMNhUmU3Q6



Spoiler Warning



Books Discussed:

 * Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
 * The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
 * The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde by Audre Lorde
 * You, Again by Kate Goldbeck
 * A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles' Song by Steve Turner
 * A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
 * Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
 * The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
 * Unsteady by Peyton Corinne
 * Eastern Standard by Sierra Spencer
 * The Wicked King by Holly Black
 * The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
 * Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
 * Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

68 - Books to Bond Over (Even If You Have Totally Different Tastes) with Sam & Isa from Likewise Pod

We are joined by Sophie, proprietor of bookish goods and beautiful handcrafted gifts and the briliant mind behind @foxredcrafts as she joins for five books to be castaway with. This episode is perfect for readers who love crossing genre lines — fantasy romantics, nostalgic adventurers, and emotionally driven daydreamers alike. If you’ve ever wanted to live in a castle, a treehouse, or ride a dragon, we’ve got you. Join us as we explore why we return to these kinds of stories again and again — and what that says about the magic we’re really looking for.



Join the Books to Last Podcast, where book lovers share their top 5 must-read books for a dream getaway. Inspired by BBC's Desert Island Discs, each episode features fun stories, book recommendations, and heartfelt conversations. Tune in for inspiring tales and discover your next great read!



Guest Details:

Instagram: @foxredcrafts

Website: https://foxredcrafts.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/foxredcrafts



Podcast:

W: https://anchor.fm/bookstolastpod

Twitter: @BooksToLastPod

Instagram: @BooksToLastPod



Music by DAYLILY

@daylilyuk on Instagram

https://open.spotify.com/artist/31logKBelcPBZMNhUmU3Q6



Spoiler Warning



Books Discussed:

 * Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
 * The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
 * Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
 * Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
 * One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
 * The Haunting of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes

67 - Books to - Dragons, Vampires, Bears—Oh My! with Sophie from FoxRedCrafts

This week we take an absolutely wild journey through special guest, Brooklyn Quintana's (@brooklyn.quintana) list of five books she would be castaway to. This list is perfect for readers drawn to psychologically rich, morally complex narratives that explore ambition, madness, power, and the blurry lines between fantasy and reality—this collection spans eras and genres, yet shares a haunting fascination with the human condition and the cost of desire.



Join the Books to Last Podcast, where book lovers share their top 5 must-read books for a dream getaway. Inspired by BBC's Desert Island Discs, each episode features fun stories, book recommendations, and heartfelt conversations. Tune in for inspiring tales and discover your next great read!



Guest Details:

YouTube: Brooklyn Q @thebrooklynquintana

Instagram: @brooklyn.quintana

Blog: https://www.brooklynquintana.com/

Books: https://www.fynneasfog.com/



Podcast:

W: https://anchor.fm/bookstolastpod

Twitter: @BooksToLastPod

Instagram: @BooksToLastPod



Music by DAYLILY

@daylilyuk on Instagram

https://open.spotify.com/artist/31logKBelcPBZMNhUmU3Q6



Spoiler Warning



Books Discussed:

 * Nine of Swords (Fynneas Fog #1) by Brooklyn Quintana
 * Blood in the Water (Fynneas Fog #2) by Brooklyn Quintana
 * The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
 * The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe
 * The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe
 * Eldorado by Edgar Allan Poe
 * The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
 * Pan's Labyrinth by Mar Diestro-Dopido
 * Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll

66 - Books to Lose Yourself in the Shadows of the Human Psyche with Brooklyn Quintana, Author of the Fynneas Fog Series

This episode our very special guest is author Farah Ali (@farahali.06) as she shares her castaway books. This list is perfect for literary fiction lovers who appreciate a mix of classic and contemporary, lyrical and experimental, historical and philosophical works—books that linger in the mind long after reading.



Join the Books to Last Podcast, where book lovers share their top 5 must-read books for a dream getaway. Inspired by BBC's Desert Island Discs, each episode features fun stories, book recommendations, and heartfelt conversations. Tune in for inspiring tales and discover your next great read!



Guest Details:

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/farahali06

Instagram: @farahali.06

Books:

https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-river-the-town-farah-ali/7595753

https://bookshop.org/p/books/people-want-to-live-farah-ali/16219585?ean=9781952119293



Podcast:

W: https://anchor.fm/bookstolastpod

Twitter: @BooksToLastPod

Instagram: @BooksToLastPod



Music by DAYLILY

@daylilyuk on Instagram

https://open.spotify.com/artist/31logKBelcPBZMNhUmU3Q6



Spoiler Warning



Books Discussed:

 * Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
 * Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
 * The Butterfly's Burden by Mahmoud Darwish, translated by Fady Joudah
 * Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Susan Bernofsky
 * Flights by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer Croft
 * Milkman by Anna Burns
 * Open City by Teju Cole
 * Exhalation by Ted Chiang
 * A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
 * The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald
 * Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald
 * People Want to Live by Farah Ali
 * The River, the Town by Farah Ali

65 - Books to Get Lost In and Learn From with Farah Ali

Our guest this week is Rali Chorbadzhiyska, from Rali Editorial (@reading.rali) as she picks her five books to be castaway with. Her picks encompass both thought-provoking and entertaining reads and a range of unconventional narrative forms. They would be perfect for readers who enjoy authors like Haruki Murakami, Jean-Paul Sartre, or Kazuo Ishiguro, with an appreciation for books that range from whimsical or surreal to deeply psychological and philosophical.

Join the Books to Last Podcast, where book lovers share their top 5 must-read books for a dream getaway. Inspired by BBC's Desert Island Discs, each episode features fun stories, book recommendations, and heartfelt conversations. Tune in for inspiring tales and discover your next great read!
Guest Details:
Instagram: @reading.rali
Website: https://www.ralieditorial.com/
Podcast:
W: https://anchor.fm/bookstolastpod
Twitter: @BooksToLastPod
Instagram: @BooksToLastPod
Music by DAYLILY
@daylilyuk on Instagram
https://open.spotify.com/artist/31logKBelcPBZMNhUmU3Q6
Spoiler Warning
Books Discussed:

 * The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
 * Under the Skin by Michel Faber
 * Adam by Gboyega Odubanjo
 * School of Life: Relationships: Learning to Love by The School of Life
 * You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
 * The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
 * Wivenhoe by Samuel Fisher
 * Orbital by Samantha Harvey

64 - Books to Challenge Your View of Relationships with Rali Chorbadzhiyska, from Rali Editorial

This episode's guest in Nick from over @booksunderthewoods as he shares the five books he would take with him when castaway. Each of his picks is a book that is perfect for readers who are passionate about identity, family, adventure, and the struggle to belong, whether in fantastical realms, space, or historical landscapes. Get ready to be transported to new worlds, challenge your beliefs, and discover what it means to be truly human.



Embark on a literary voyage with the Books to Last Podcast, inspired by the BBC's beloved Desert Island Discs. Join us as we invite passionate book enthusiasts to reveal their top five must-have books for a mysterious remote adventure. Explore captivating tangents and heartwarming anecdotes along the way. Tune in for book recommendations and inspiring tales from avid readers!



Guest Details:

Instagram: @booksunderthewoods



Podcast:

W: https://anchor.fm/bookstolastpod

Twitter: @BooksToLastPod

Instagram: @BooksToLastPod



Music by DAYLILY

@daylilyuk on Instagram

https://open.spotify.com/artist/31logKBelcPBZMNhUmU3Q6



Spoiler Warning



Books Discussed:

 * The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
 * Artemis by Andy Weir
 * The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
 * Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
 * Hawkman Vol. 4: Hawks Eternal by Robert Venditti
 * A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin
 * Shōgun by James Clavell

63 - Books to Take on Epic Journeys with Nick from booksunderthewoods

This episode our guest is award-winning author, Deborah Tomkins. Her list is a fascinating collection of books involving profound reflections on identity, ethics, and society, an engagement with the natural and environmental world, as well as the exploration of transformation—whether individual, societal, or cosmic.

Embark on a literary voyage with the Books to Last Podcast, inspired by the BBC's beloved Desert Island Discs. Join us as we invite passionate book enthusiasts to reveal their top five must-have books for a mysterious remote adventure. Explore captivating tangents and heartwarming anecdotes along the way. Tune in for book recommendations and inspiring tales from avid readers!
Guest Details:
Website: www.deborahtomkinswriter.com
BlueSky: @tomkinsdeb.bsky.social
Podcast:
W:https://anchor.fm/bookstolastpod
Twitter: @BooksToLastPod
Instagram: @BooksToLastPod
Music by DAYLILY
@daylilyuk on Instagram
https://open.spotify.com/artist/31logKBelcPBZMNhUmU3Q6
Spoiler Warning

Books Discussed:

 * Aerth by Deborah Tomkins

 * Earth Shattering: Ecopoems
 * The Chrysalids by John Wyndham
 * The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
 * Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams
 * Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
 * We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
 * The Wilder Path by Deborah Tomkins

62 - Books to Engage With the Natural World with Deborah Tomkins, Author of Aerth

In homage to the BBC's classic Desert Island Discs, the Books to Last Podcast challenges book lovers and readers to select the five books they would take to their mystery remote locale. Tangents and anecdotes likely.

Jordanne Dunn

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