How Novel!

Alternative title: Guys, I just wanted to fly whirlybirds :(  Alex and Natasha are a little late to this Royal shitshow,  but as Kesha says 'the party don't start 'till I walk in.' Listen as an Australian socialist and an Irish psychologist feel sympathy, horror, anti-colonialist rage, confusion over why rich people throw the worst fancy-dress parties, stress over the current state of democracy, and indignation that in a house with a hundred bedrooms, Harry still had to share with William. And he got the shit side.  Spare is a rough time, but one thing is for damn sure; Harry is Meghan's ride or die.And that’s beautiful.Follow Alex/Eve on Instagram @evedangerfieldFollow the podcast @how.novel.podcast

Alternative title: The dolls are opiates. And sometimes meth.Claire and Alex (AKA Eve Dangerfield) are back to discuss the book Alex's mum tried to throw away in the late 2000s, Valley of the Dolls! Jacqueline Susann... really did something with this one. The girls trace Susann's insights into 1940s Hollywood which was full of pills, backstabbing, homophobic slurs in the workplace, and the realization that love is surely impossible but a certain amount of doctors will always have shady morals.Also, social climbing is simp behavior and is never looked on favorably by anyone.Follow Alex/Eve on Instagram @evedangerfieldFollow the podcast @how.novel.podcast

Alternative Title. Ah sure you know yourself. This month Alex tackles critically acclaimed Irish novelist Sally Rooney's critically acclaimed novel about a critically acclaimed Irish novelist who wishes people would lay off her critically acclaimed novels. It's a bit of a minefield. Luckily Alex came prepared, inviting Irish National and intellectual powerhouse Natasha back on the pod to dissect the myriad class issues, feminist issues, existensial issues and emails (?) that make up this hectic book. Also Natasha helps to confirm Alex's theory that everyone in  BWWAY could stand to do ten weeks of CBT, drink less wine, and maybe go for a nice walk.Follow Alex on Instagram @evedangerfield Follow the podcast @how.novel.podcastYou can't follow Natasha becuase she's an actual professional. 

Alternative title: What that spur do tho?This week Alex is joined by Kate from Romantically Inclined reviews AKA Romancelandia's hilarious meme queen. They discuss Ruby Dixon's Ice Barbarian series and many important questions are raised,  such as; Should you get so much plastic surgery you become a lizard man?Can Skye Warren voice the next Disney Princess?Why do people still think double-bagging condoms is a good idea? Will Kate get rich and finance a screen version of the Ice Barbarians novels? #avatarbutshowthedicksAlex and Kate also discuss modern romance criticism, which is mostly people DMing you to say things you like suck, actually. But it's fine, the real romance novels were the friends we made along the way.Follow Eve on Instagram @evedangerfield  Follow Kate @romantically_inclined Follow the podcast @how.novel.podcast 

Alternative title: Gibby gets fake cancer. Claire and Alex go back to the "lady scammers" well and draw up 'The Woman Who Fooled The World' by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano. It's a deep dive into Belle Gibson, an influencer who pretended to have terminal brain cancer for attention and a cookbook deal. A&C rip into her as only two friends who've been in a lockdown for three weeks can. Along the way, Claire explains how late-night TV tricked her into believing The Secret was actual magic and Alex requests grifters fuck off out of the 'coconut water and positive thinking arena' because it's making people who like tarot cards look like c*nts.  They both bitch about St Kilda Bay which people refer to as a beach for no reason- it's flat as fuck.The real answer to your problems is either1. There is none2. Money3. Years of reflection and earnest self-improvement.We solved it, everyone. Game over. Go unfollow everyone with a salt lamp.  Follow us on Instagram @how.novel.podcast https://www.instagram.com/how.novel.podcast/?hl=en

Alternative Title: Sandwiches of Unknown Origins.Grab your teabags and butter your crumpets, Claire and Alex go in on Daphne Du Maurier's classic 1938 novel, Rebecca! It's spooky! It's wordy! It's got the most mentions of scones per page in a single text!Among the topics up for debate are clumsy heroines, justifiable homicides, men named Giles, and the incest taboo (again, for some reason).  Alex dubs the nameless narrator 'Elsa' for convenience-TAKE THAT PLOT DEVICE! Claire doesn't let Alex give spoilers for her own novel, 'Begin Again, Again' which you'd think would be the exception to the spoiler rule, but apparently isn't. If you like people cocking up British accents, you've come to the right place!!! Follow us on Instagram @how.novel.podcast https://www.instagram.com/how.novel.podcast/?hl=en

Alternative Title: I'm in love with a bag of blood Claire and Alex have reunited to recap a story close to both of their hearts, Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer AKA The latest installment in the Twilight Series. As some OG Twilight...fans might be a bit generous...SCHOLARS, maybe? the girls are excited to jump in and cover all the hits- confederate Jasper, sleep staring, milk-based heroines, Edward's invisible fedora, the right to brain privacy and the million other Twilight controversies A&C have been debating for nigh on eleven years! Keep an ear out for a special guest spot from SOMEONE WHO NEEDED TO USE THE OFFICE FOR A MOMENT! Follow us on Instagram @how.novel.podcast https://www.instagram.com/how.novel.podcast/?hl=en

Alternative title: Mrs. Featherington, are you pestering the Duke?Alex bites down on her dislike of Regency romances (including Austen. Come fight her, unlike Elizabeth Bennett, she carries knuckle dusters*) and swallows a chunk of Bridgerton, the duketastic sensation gripping the nation(s) AKA 'The Duke and I' by Julia Quinn.  If you love all that stuff, never fear! Natasha is here to defend you with her lost family castles, desire to wear regency fashion despite the fact leggings exist, and her knowledge of aristocratic books better than the one she and Alex discuss. Fair warning, if you like Bridgerton, Regency romance, girls who aren't like other girls or men who threaten to strangle you in a lol way...you probs won't like this episode. Skip it. Life's too short. The girls also discuss the Netflix show, AKA Gossip Girl with pianoforte, and if you like that you should probably skip this ep too. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! KNUCKLE DUSTERS!!!*The ghost of Claire haunts this episode, moaning "I loved the TV show, that guy is so hot and pianoforte is good."She is soundly ignored. *this is a joke, Alex doesn't carry hand weapons or approve of physical violence. Punching, as discussed in the episode, is for stupidheads.Follow us on Instagram @how.novel.podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/how.novel.podcast/?hl=en

Alternative title: why have something happening, when could have boobs?We're back bitches! This week we dive into The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis,  a book written by a man in the 1970's that despite a stumbler of an opening line DOESN'T feature a scene where Beth Harmon loses a chess tournament because she got her period. Nice!Natasha and Alex discuss child prodigies, substance abuse, TV adaptions, and that thing where guys are always telling you how hot you are on a spectrum of least to most fuckable (you're always a six).Roll tide on Alex's miniseries about a young woman who learns she sucks at chess and will always lose because she can't picture things in her head very well. Double roll tide on Natasha's pitch for season 2 of The Queen's Gambit-Beth Harmon goes to see a psychologist and learns substance abuse isn't a viable solution to childhood trauma and it's okay for other people to not like you.TW: talk of child abuse, sexual assault, and substance abuse.Follow us on Instagram @how.novel.podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/how.novel.podcast/?hl=en

Alternative title: Bring back Fanny! We want Fanny!This week on How Novel! the girls discuss the one place PC culture really has gone too far-revised copies of Enid Blyton's The Enchanted Wood in which literary simps changed Fanny's name to Frannie!But before they can talk magic trees, A&C have a podcast therapy chat about the American presidential election, children who speak in memes and Alex's mortal enemy-a 39-year-old vitamin salesman who can't stop comparing himself to a wolf. They eventually get around to Blyton, whose 1939 novel hasn't exactly 'aged well.' But not before Alex outs herself as a Pisces who blames old people for not dying fast enough and Claire admits being a communist poetry hater who likes ads on Instagram.Moonface isn't a good name for a character. CoronaVIRUS!