The Grand Thunk

Rhiannon and Alex delve into the poetry in dictionary definitions and the silences in films as Alex has been watching the yet-to-be-released adaption of Deborah Levy's book Hot Milk. Rhiannon shares a beautiful poem that gives space for calm and organisation without imposing it. We discuss resolving conflict as demonstrated in the glorious and informative storytelling and debates of The Rest is History podcast. And finally we explore the labour of motherhood through Emma Barnett's fantastic book Maternity Service.Show NotesThe Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John KoenigHot Milk by Deborah LevyHer Naked Skin by Rebecca LenkiewiczHot Milk Film Directed and screenplay by Rebecca LenkiewiczThe Banshees of Inisherin by Martin McDonaghThe Cost of Living by Deborah LevyThings I Don't want to Know by Deborah LevyReal Estate by Deborah LevyDucks in a Row by Donna AshworthThe Rest is History Podcast with Tom Holland & Dominic SandbrookMaternity Service: A Love Letter to Mothers from the Front Line of Maternity Leave by Emma BarnettNeuroscientist, TJ Power's tips on calming your anxiety https://www.instagram.com/p/DIg4rI5I2wh/?img_index=1

In this episode, Alex and Rhiannon delve into what it means to be a feminist, particularly in light of new rulings by the British government wand with the help of Aisling Bea's Feminist Commandments. They dive back into the Heart's Invisible Furies with new intel and input from Alex, and Rhiannon takes us on a journey through Holly Bourne's So Thrilled For You, a book that explores four different women and their attitudes towards motherhood. We're really proud of this episode!Show notes: London Writers' Salon Flamingo Chicks Aisling Bea's Five Feminist Commandments The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne So Thrilled for You by Holly Bourne Stacey and Joe, BBC One Sigmund Freud Correction: In Episode 51, Alex said that 1 million men were killed in the Battle of the Somme. To clarify, she meant there were 1 million casualties: people that were wounded, missing, or killed.

We're back with season 6 and have a jam-packed episode for you to dive straight in to! Rhiannon's reading has taken a baby book and nursery rhyme themed nose dive, but she was rescued by the brilliance of John Boyne in his stunning novel The Heart's Invisible Furies. Alex was moved by the tender and tragic love story set against the brutality of World War II in Alice Winn's In Memoriam. We both get our teeth stuck in to the somewhat unanswerable questions we were left with, after watching Netflix's tour de force, Adolescence, as well as some lighter tangents featuring David Tennant, potatoes and of course, this week's Who'd a Thunk. Episode transcript available - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lBMRV0dnscJmnfHe1O-FV5telSnEJGMZUt_A1r6of1k/edit?usp=share_linkShow notesMaternity Service by Emma BarnettTogether, Sharon Horgan and James McAvoyMotherland, BBCAmandaland, BBCIn Memoriam by Alice WinnThe Heart's Invisible Furies by John BoyneAdolescence, Netflix Toxic Town, NetflixHarry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne Richard Reeves, President of the American Institute for Boys and Men, talks to The Today Podcast about the issues raised in the Netflix drama Adolescence (via Rachel Parris' instagram story) https://www.instagram.com/reel/DH2lcCIidmY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== The Rest is Entertainment, podcast by Goalhanger Temptation Island, Netflix David Tennant on Off Menu PodcastRoman de Fauvel

Alex is joined by her husband, Rufus Martin, whilst Rhiannon is stunning the New Vic Theatre with her Mad Hatter adventures. Rufus asks Alex 50 (quite surprising) questions, including questions such as Best Book for Mowing the Lawn and Book You'd Wish People Would Shut Up About. A short but sweet episode about the books Alex has read over the last year (ish). We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts in our linktree in our bio on our instagram @thegrandthunk. (We're a little behind on our transcripts but we will catch up soon!) Message us or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! See below for a full list of what we discuss: Charlotte's Web by E B White American Dirty by Jeanine Cummins House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste Detransition, Baby by Torey Peters The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong Little Scratch by Rebecca Watson Passing by Nella Larsen Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi Why I Write by George Orwell Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes Braiding Sweet Grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer The Trees by Percival Everett Normal People by Sally Rooney Story of Art (Without Men) by Katy Hessel The Wood that Built London by C.J. Schüler Wahala by Nikki May Strandings by Peter Riley Argonauts by Maggie Nelson Hamnet by Maggie O' Farrell The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford Giving Birth Like a Feminist by Milli Hill Chocolat by Joanne Harris Seeds, Sex and Civilisation by Peter Thompson Such a Fun Age by Kiely Reid The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden The Inseparables by Simone de Beauvoir Perfume by Patrick Suskind The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare What Writer's Read edited by Pandora Sykes Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez Letters to Nora by James Joyce A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas Border Nation by Leah Cowan Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan Crust by Eliza Bacon Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter Wander Women: Tales of Transgression in a Bordered World by Alex Howlett and Alexandra Blanchard

We have a very special guest this episode, Alex Howlett, who is currently a reporter with Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit but most importantly, she is Alex B's co-author for their newly released book, Wander Women: Tales of Transgression in a Bordered World - OUT NOW! In this episode, the Alexes natter about their writing processes, delving into the details of the book and what they're wearing for the launch party on 14th Dec in London. BUY THE BOOK HERE - https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/wander-women/ Check out these reviews! A deeply thoughtful, intimate yet political exploration of women's free and unfree movement, sharing stories from refugees, disability activists and more. ‘A searing examination of human mobility at the margins, in this age of criminalisation and violence against those who move in search of safety and opportunity.' — Nanjala Nyabola, author of Travelling While Black and Strange and Difficult Times ‘Urgent and affecting, Wander Women brings forth extraordinary stories of courage and resistance.' — Aanchal Malhotra, author of Remnants of Partition: 21 Objects from a Continent Divided ‘Everyone should read this. Wander Women shows viscerally that we are all united by the pain caused by the patriarchy and our longing to be free. It takes a village to change the world–and I am more confident than ever that we can do it.' — Charlotte Proudman, award-winning barrister, and author of Female Genital Mutilation: When Culture and Law Clash ‘Wander Women explores the physical and social experiences of some remarkable individuals, navigating a bordered world and overcoming a complex intersection of vulnerabilities arising from war, migration, disability, sexual orientation, gender queerness and more.' — Lipika Pelham, author of Passing: An Alternative History of Identity ‘Intimate and powerful storytelling through the voices of women on the move whose experiences and struggles are too often marginalised or ignored.' — Leonie Ansems de Vries, Director of the King's Sanctuary Programme and Chair of the Migration Research Group, King's College London

Alex's writing retreat antics spark a conversation about youth and creation while Rhiannon takes us on a journey through Dame Judi Dench's garden and the special way in which she remembers those who have died with Louis Theroux. Alex has delved deep into the narrators behind fairy tales, from the women who inspired the Brothers Grimm to Artemisia Gentileschi, who was not only an extraordinary painter, but who gave perspective to the female characters in early versions of Cinderella and Rapunzel. Finally, Rhiannon tells us about an episode of Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast with Matt Edmondson as he talks about music and being diagnosed with Cyclothymia. P.S. For Season Five, our episodes will be coming in a different rhythm to our weekly releases! Hope you enjoy! We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts in our linktree in our bio. Message us or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! See below for a full list of what we discuss: Fleabag by Phoebe Waller-Bridge Banshees of Inisherin, Three Billboards Ebbing Missouri by Martin McDonagh Tick Tick Boom Louis Theroux Interviews with Dame Judi Dench - BBC iplayer Matt Hancock in I'm a Celebrity (Get Me Out Of Here!) Brothers Grimm (2005 film) Bridport Literary Festival The Fairy Tellers by Nicholas Jubber The Story of Art (Without Men) by Katy Hessel The Happy Place (Podcast) with Fearne Cotton and Matt Edmondson The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

We're back (again!) and this week we're talking weddings, peak dancing outfits, Christmas recommendations and … what we've been reading, watching and listening to! Rhiannon has joined The Prosecco Express with the hilarious Joanne McNally on her comedy road trip. Alex has been learning about the history of art (without men) as well as reading an extraordinary book by Nawal El Saadawi. And finally, Rhiannon confesses her most guilty pleasure, that for 46 episodes, she has managed to keep a secret. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts in our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Message us there or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! See below for a full list of what we discuss: Wander Women: Tales of Transgression in a Bordered World by Alexandra Blanchard and Alex Howlett Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi Joanne McNally, The Prosecco Express tour My Therapist Ghosted Me by Vogue Williams and Joanne McNally Made in Chelsea Everything I Know About Love, BBC adaptation of the book by Dolly Alderton What Writers Read Edited by Pandora Sykes Elizabeth Day They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera Libby, Borrow Box - Library The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel The Great Women Artists podcast Portrait Artist of the Year on SkyArts Featuring Alex's MIL Binny Matthews! Collins Dictionary top 10 words of 2022

SURPRISE! Rhiannon and Alex are popping up, out of the blue, with a Bonus episode! They have missed the podcast so much and are looking forward to starting a new season soon - but not just yet! In this episode Alex and Rhiannon discuss what they've been up to on their long poddy break, from pub crawls to getting married - and most importantly, what they've been enjoying! We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Alexandra Blanchard and Alex Howlett Wander Women https://www.waterstones.com/book/wander-women/alexandra-blanchard/alex-howlett/9781787387973 Emily Ratajkowski My Body Jeanne Cummins American Dirt Dolly Alderton Everything I Know About Love (book and TV series) V.E. Schwab The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Audrey Niffenegger The Time Traveller's Wife Madeline Miller The Song of Achilles Troy (film) The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

We have MOVED the date of our Book Club, to 31st March! Alex and Rhiannon's conversation meanders through eco-friendly baking, a whole host of new words and book characters living outside their books. Alex has been exploring the notion of ‘That Girl', a woman who lives for wellness and productivity as an extension of The Beauty Myth. Rhiannon has been discovering an accessible guide to feminism that makes the history, theory and current discussion of the women's rights movement less intimidating. And then an interesting ramble into the meaning of life. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. Visit our patreon www.patreon.com/thegrandthunk for bonus episodes, extra content, exclusive interviews and deep-dives into favourite things. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Should I bake? https://shouldibake.com/ Mob Kitchen - Comfort Mob Things I Don't Want to Know by Deborah Levy The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy Inkheart The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe Jane Eyre Ella Enchanted Feminism, A Graphic Guide by Cathia Jenainati The Take - ‘That Girl' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hVlxNGPvDo Mad Madam Min

Alex and Rhiannon contemplate going back in time and having one conversation with someone after Alex's recommendation Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Rhiannon has been thinking about toxic friendships with the gripping TV show Chloe. They sync up to coincidentally both recommend the same two articles to each other. And Alex has been branching out and reading literature by men. CN: Grief and loss We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. Visit our patreon www.patreon.com/thegrandthunk for bonus episodes, extra content, exclusive interviews and deep-dives into favourite things. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Before the Coffee gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Sonnet by Pablo Neruda Emma Thompson on living in a woman's body. My daughter thrums with life. My mother is frail. And I'm balanced in between. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/feb/10/living-in-a-womans-body-my-daughter-thrums-with-life-my-mother-is-frail-and-im-balanced-between The Big Lebowski The Mighty Boosh The Bechdel Test Chloe, BBC iPlayer, written by Alice Seabright
Sex Education 
The Crown, Netflix The Inseparables by Simone de Beauvoir Elena Ferrante's books Petition: Offer fast track asylum to any Ukrainians displaced due to the invasion https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/609382 We Lived Happily During the War by Ilya Kaminsky My Best Friend's Wedding https://www.vulture.com/2022/02/my-best-friends-wedding-ending-changed.html Sentimental Garbage Whenever it Kicks by Jessie Cave Give Birth Like a Feminist by Milli Hill

In this light-hearted episode, we discuss rogue dreams, dinner ladies and cheese jokes as well as, more somberly, the feelings of our NHS staff whilst watching ‘This Is Going To Hurt'. Alex has broken her heart with this week's book club book ‘The Song of Achilles' and James' Baldwin's Giovanni's Room. Rhiannon has been mesmerised by Animal Farm's puppetry whilst Alex has been debunking sleeping myths. This episode was recorded before recent world events. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. Visit our patreon www.patreon.com/thegrandthunk for bonus episodes, extra content, exclusive interviews and deep-dives into favourite things. See below for a full list of what we discuss: The Maintenance Phase podcast Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/ Alexy Guzey's article Hot Fuzz Girls Aloud Megamix Shaun of the Dead The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay and TV show on BBC 1 Animal Farm at Cambridge Arts Theatre Encanto on Patreon

Chelsey is a writer and journalist who uses tarot and oracle cards to help spark creativity and guide her writing. We had a fascinating chat discussing her path to tarot, the ways in which tarot helps her as well as the ways in which it intersects with the heroes journey. Chelsey tells us about some of her favourite books that inspire and nourish her, including Wintering by Katherine May and Harry Potter. Through these books we dive into topics like cycles of productivity and the different ways to experience magic, including getting your sex education from Harry Potter fan fiction. Find Chelsey on instagram @pipcardstarot or on her website: https://www.pipcardstarot.com/. We have transcripts in our linktree on our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Message us there or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. Visit our patreon www.patreon.com/thegrandthunk for bonus episodes and all sorts of extra content, like exclusive interviews and deep-dives into our favourite things. See below for a full list of what we discuss: The Castle of Crossed Destinies by Italo Calvino All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue The Artist's Way and The Listening Path by Julia Cameron Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack Harry Potter by JK Rowling Wintering by Katherine May

Rhiannon watched Hamilton live and Alex has finally gleaned a recommendation that Rhiannon will actually like. Rhiannon was entranced by Martin Freeman's transformation in his thought-provoking ‘The Responder' as it explores the nuances of the penal system. Alex has been reading Levy's memoir and attempting to trace its links to Orwell's Why I Write. And finally, both Alex and Rhiannon tell stories of their experiences of sharing bodily fluids with James McAvoy. Signing off, the Best of Wives and the Best of Women, Alex and Rhiannon We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. Visit our patreon www.patreon.com/thegrandthunk for bonus episodes, extra content and exclusive interviews. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Hamilton by Lin Manuel-Miranda The Crown, Unsane with Clair Foy My Son on Amazon Prime Cyrano de Bergerac with James McAvoy The Responder on ITV Game of Thrones Line of Duty Why I Write by George Orwell The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson Things I Don't Want to Know by Deborah Levy Dear Writer, Dear Actress by Anton Chekhov and Olga Knipper Useless Magic by Florence Welch @BetweenTwoBooks @VenitiaLaManna

40 - The Freaky Chairs of Monarchs, the Importance of Napping and Periods We discuss babies, Nadal's success and the importance of sanitary products in hospitals. Rhiannon has been reading about the importance of sleep whilst Alex has found her sleep impacted by the ninth book in the Outlander series. Rhiannon has been listening to the moving stories of diagnoses that turn lives upside down on Radio Four. And finally, we are so excited about our book club on the 10th March, where we will be reading The Song of Achilles. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: BBC Article - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-60081504 Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. Go Tell The Bees I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon Outlander TV Series Room 5 on Radio 4 (Episode 3 - Serena) Whenever It Kicks with Jessie Cave We Can't Talk About That Right Now This is Us Dolly Alderton's Love Stories (podcast) This Much Is True by Miriam Margolyes Spencer The Song of Achilles - Book club book!

The book for our next book club - on 10th March - is THE SONG OF ACHILLES. Let's get reading! This episode, Alex has been exploring the purpose of having distance between a character and the audience, as well as the motivation behind unlikeable protagonists. Meanwhile, Rhiannon has been delving into the genius of Ricky Gervais' acerbic grief in After Life, as well as a modern perspective of body image. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: This Way Up, Channel 4 After Life, Netflix This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes Graham Norton Show Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie Killing Eve Mission Impossible The Bodyguard, BBC1 The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10440489/Kim-Kardashians-hourglass-figure-harmful-body-image-study-says.html The Social Dilemma, Netflix The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Listen up for Rhiannon's top, never-before-heard, crisp tips! Alex has been interrogating the standards of beauty as a tool of the patriarchy with Naomi Wolf's The Beauty Myth, whilst winding down with a hilarious early 2000s rom-com. Meanwhile, Rhiannon has been pondering how women are treated in the workplace with a gripping murder mystery as well as breaking hearts with a moving story about a hen called Sprout. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! For exclusive episodes, check out our Patreon at patreon.com/thegrandthunk. Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: The League of Gentlemen Sentimental Garbage (Caroline O'Donoghue) with Ella Risbridger Podcast This is Us, Amazon Prime The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf Marlowe Granados Rules of the Game, BBC iPlayer Sex Education The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-mi Hwang Chicken Run The Boy, the Horse, the Fox and the Mole by Charlie Mackesy The Sweetest Thing Sex in the City

We're back for Season 4! Can you believe it? After a beautiful Christmas break, we're brimming with joy, verve and recommendations! Rhiannon has been luxuriating in the well of Julia Davis' work whilst Alex is delighted that the podcast, Strippers in the Attic, are back with a second season. Alex and Rhiannon disagree about Naiose Dolan's Exciting Times and Alex will share with you the best and worst books of her holiday. We're so happy to be back! We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Sentimental Garbage with Ella Risbridger Gavin and Stacey Dear Joan and Jericha podcast Love Actually The Adam Buxton Podcast, Julia Davis' episode Strippers in the Attic podcast Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan A 1940s verbal test given to prospective announcers at the Radio Central New York The Inseparables by Simone de Beauvoir The Grand Thunk Who'd a Guest? episode with Susan Furber Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

We have such a fun, bumper episode filled with so much nonsense and laughter. Rhiannon is buzzing about the Harry Potter Reunion, has been adoring Stanley Tucci's open and touching interview with Elizabeth Day and has dived into the real-life story of Mahmood Mattan and the Cardiff justice system. Alex has been finding out more about the tragedy at Travis Scott's concert and on a lighter note, delighting in a horni fantasy series called The Court of Thorns and Roses. If you miss us on our break, sign up to our Patreon for fresh, new content! We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: The Great Escape on Channel 5 (with sets by Alex!) Return to Hogwarts, HBO Max James Bond Stanley Tucci on How to Fail by Elizabeth Day The Devil Wears Prada The Shit Show podcast The Shit I Care About Instagram Chicken Shop Dates Showtrial, BBC 1 Shadow and Bone Dune Succession Lady Literacy Book Club The Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed To Kill a Mockingbird Red (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift Vogue 73 Questions; Emily Blunt, Emma Stone, Taylor Swift, Adele, Liam Gallagher Architectural Digest

Today we had the pleasure of speaking to Susan Furber about her debut novel, The Essence of an Hour, her writing processes as well as her recommendations. Susan comes in hard with corkers like Simone de Beauvoir's recently released novel, The Inseparables - which Susan tells us is an excellent entry point into de Beauvoir's oeuvre - as well as diving into her simultaneous love for and eye-rolling at the Titanic. CW: Sexual assault. Solace Women's Aid, Rape Crisis and Mind are all organisations if you are in need of support. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: The Essence of an Hour by Susan Furber Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald What Red Was by Rosie Price My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man James Joyce The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante American In Paris Funny Girl Jane Austen Simone de Beauvoir: She Came to Stay The Inseparables Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter The Second Sex The Mandarins The Woman Destroyed Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee Titanic

Alex crept out of her home to consume large amounts of popcorn at the cinema whilst marvelling at the epic resplendence of Dune whilst Rhiannon has been enjoying the hilarious Andy Samberg in an infinite time loop. Alex still hasn't let go of Halloween with the bizarre but vastly entertaining Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Rhiannon, meanwhile, has been exploring the heart-wrenching politics of the compensation scheme after 9/11. Following a number of dud reads, Alex was charmed by Piranesi and its enthralling and dilapidated halls. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Pride and Prejudice with Zombies Shaun of the Dead Zombieland Harry Potter Worth Devil Wears Prada US Office Roald Dahl Meet Me At Our Spot by Willow Smith Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Palm Springs Brooklyn 99 Groundhog Day Dune 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy Squid Game Red Sparrow Charlie's Angels

This episode heralds the last of our spooky watching (just joking, it will never end) with The Cabin in the Woods, as Alex delves deep into the meta-language of horror films. Rhiannon has been exploring complex family dynamics with Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere. Alex has been on a little jolly to London and has come back bursting with events and exhibitions to tell you about whilst Rhiannon has been on tenterhooks, waiting for the next episode of Succession. And we have some more EXCLUSIVE updates about our Zoom book club on the 12th November (sign up via our linktree to get free tickets and 40% off our book club book, Happy Hour)! We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Succession, HBO Game of Thrones The House of Dragons Good News Movement Sara Blakely, Spanx The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel and Ben Miles Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel Charleston Exhibition ‘The Bloomsbury Muse' in the Philip Mould Gallery Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Libraries West App Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng Cheaper by the Dozen The Cabin in the Woods Paradise Lost by John Milton Jennifer's Body Three Little Words hosted by John Bishop and Tony Pitts (guest episodes; Aisling Bea and Rob Brydon) The Mean Reds Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados Sentimental Garbage Breakfast At Tiffany's The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

We natter about the newest James Bond and whether it feels more feminist that previous Bonds while Alex has been reading Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again, a nuanced breakdown of sex, consent, vulnerability and feminism. We talk about the politics of Sebastian Faulks' recent announcement that he won't be describing the physical characteristics of women any more for fear of offending. We get down to the real, gritty questions, such as ‘What really is a shapely breast?' before moving onto the lighter fare of care homes in the pandemic, through Channel 4 film, Help, starring Jodie Comer. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again by Katherine Angel James Bond: No Time To Die No Time To Die by Billie Eilish Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish S Club 7 American Idiot by Green Day Sebastian Faulks Bernadine Evaristo Dawn French Help on Channel 4 Together on BBC 2 Being Mortal by Atul Gawande The Great British Bake Off The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

Alex reminds us of the importance of time and using it in a worthy manner with Seneca's On the Shortness of Life. Rhiannon has been entertained by the bureaucratic fireworks of Joe Lycett but is less convinced by Sally Rooney's much awaited novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You. Alex has been gripped, truly, by Caroline O'Donoghue's novel Promising Young Women whilst Rhiannon was touched by the poignancy of The Starling. And finally, Alex delivers a hopeful Halloween watchlist, for anyone wanting to join in with Halloween without being scared. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney On The Shortness of Life by Seneca Promising Young Women by Caroline O'Donoghue Lord of the Rings Promising Young Woman The Bold Type on Netflix Parsnips, Buttered by Joe Lycett The Starling on Netflix The Cabin in the Woods Severance Little Shop of Horrors The Rocky Horror Picture Show Extra-Ordinary The Team That Invented the Birth-Control Pill https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/10/the-team-that-invented-the-birth-control-pill/380684/ The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

We are so excited to announce that we will be reading Happy Hour: A Novel by Marlowe Granados for our first *LIVE* book club on Friday 12th November at 7.30pm (UK time). We are also so proud to collaborate with Verso Books to give you, our lovely listeners, a discount on Happy Hour when you sign up to the event. Please message us or email us to book your place in our book club and receive the discount link! In this episode, we chat about the caustic and toxic relationship between mother and daughter, reality and memory in Avni Doshi's Burnt Sugar. We also explore escaping from abusive relationships in Netflix's new hit show Maid. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Happy Hour: A Novel by Marlowe Granados Verso Books Derry Girls Sex Education Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Booksmart directed by Olivia Wilde Video essay by @featuresandfictions Hocus Pocus The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix Sabrina, The Teenage Witch on Amazon Prime Maid on Netflix Room by Emma Donoghue Maid on Netflix Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

We have a hard-hitting intro that dives straight into the pressing issues of the day: petrol shortages, the weather and the importance of windows. Alex has been racing through Sex Education and throughly enjoying Season Three's developments. Rhiannon has continued with the Connor Swindells theme by watching Vigil and divulging a taste of the tension that that show evokes. Alex has been reading Zadie Smith's Grand Union, a collection of short ‘pieces', while Rhiannon has been loving Elizabeth Day's Magpie. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: The Great British Bake Off Sex Education on Netflix Vigil on BBC One Magpie by Elizabeth Day The Party by Elizabeth Day How To Fail with Elizabeth Day The High Low ‘A Pop-Culture special feat. Rob Kardashian with author Elizabeth Day' Grand Union by Zadie Smith Pocahontas Game of Thrones Friends David Attenborough The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

A snappy and varied episode today as Rhiannon gives a rave review of murder thriller ‘How to Kill Your Family' by Bella Mackie. Alex has been syphoning articles from Emma Gannon's newsletter and Rhiannon has been raging at Laurence Fox's Twitter. Alex deconstructs the Moulin Rouge and Cruella and Rhiannon has been rating supes, otherwise known as superheroes. Plus some nourishment for struggling creatives in the form of Amie McNee. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: The Great British Bake Off How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie Killing Eve Emma Gannon - Olive, The Multi-Hyphen Method, Newsletter - the Hyphen Bella Mackie Article - https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/bella-mackie-novel Productivity Dysmorphia - https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2021/09/10640493/what-is-productivity-dysmorphia Sally Rooney Article - https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/sally-rooney-i-m-really-paranoid-about-my-personal-life-i-feel-self-conscious-1.4655068?s=03#.YTOoBdb8TE4.twitter Haley McGee Lawrence Fox Sentimental Garbage - Caroline O'Donoghue Moulin Rouge The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath Cruella The Boys on Amazon Prime Amie McNee - For the Procrastinator and For the Burnt-Out Artist, Podcast- Unpublished. @inspiredtowrite The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

Listen to the end for a very exciting announcement! Back in full flow, we discuss a hilarious new podcast, our speculations on the Met Gala, our thoughts on the infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte, as well as releasing an exclusive preview into Alex's masterpiece and what might have been our jingle. We have a couple of Guilty Pleasures lined up to recommend as well as a very serious discussion about the Texan abortion laws. We have lots of articles to recommend on this subject which give insight into these laws and their ramifications. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Shagged, Married, Annoyed Podcast Oceans 8, Oceans 11, Oceans 12, Oceans 13 Met Gala: Emma Radacanu, Carey Mulligan, Kim Kardashian, Alexandria Ocazio-Cortez. Titting About by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders Married At First Sight Love Is Blind Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo King of Scars and Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/01/health/texas-abortion-law-facts.html by Roni Caryn Rabin in The New York Times https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/religious-right-real-origins-107133/ By Randall Balmer in Politico Magazine https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/caitlin-moran-the-texas-abortion-ban-is-just-plain-wrong-3l82btz62 By Caitlin Moran in The Times Sabrina on Netflix Emily in Paris on Netflix Cruella on Disney+ The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Freaky Friday, Just My Luck) Crossroads The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

Today we speak to the author of What Red Was, Rosie Price, about her writing practice, her favourite books and T.V. shows as well as her guiltiest pleasure and her next novel! We discuss getting into the writing mood, the links between yoga and writing, nervous pooing, as well as the moral incentive behind watching Love Island. We had so much fun and we highly recommend her novel What Red Was! CW: Sexual assault. Solace Women's Aid, Rape Crisis and Mind are all organisations we would point you towards if you are in need of support. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: What Red Was by Rosie Price The Wire created by David Simon The Sopranos created by David Chase Peaky Blinders created by Steven Knight Promising Young Woman written and directed by Emerald Fennell Elle directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by David Birke The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky Sally Rooney Love Island In the year to the end of March 2020, 58,856 cases of rape were recorded by police forces in England and Wales. These led to just 2,102 prosecutions, compared with 3,043 in the previous 12 months. Victims' commissioner Dame Vera Baird said in her annual report that the level of prosecutions has got so low that "what we are witnessing is the de-criminalisation of rape". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48095118 The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

It's MotherThunking Season 3! We're so happy to be back with you all with all our delicious news and recommendations collected in our hiatus. Rhiannon encountered a rogue priest and we mull over the need for male writers to include shapely, heaving breasts in every scene featuring a woman. We discuss the big events in the media over the past month, including Afghanistan, the Olympics, incels and of course, the man with a box on his head on the A37. And we have some stunning books for those of you interested in feminism, Ireland and grief. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: The Last Wish (The Witcher) by Andrzej Sapkowski Choose Love Does Anyone Have the Right to Sex by Amia Srinivasan in the London Review of Books https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v40/n06/amia-srinivasan/does-anyone-have-the-right-to-sex Incels Aren't a Punchline https://novaramedia.com/2021/08/18/incels-arent-a-punchline-its-high-time-we-took-them-seriously/?fbclid=IwAR1_XqAZlXESpaqKJtUQphutbYrex-EDpEDuncFUa7YcsU4xP1_trkhp3GM Pieces of Britney by Pandora Sykes on BBC 4 Sounds The Wheel This Way Up on Channel 4 by Aisling Bea Scenes of a Graphic Nature by Caroline O'Donoghue Ellipsis by Isabelle Farrah Hannah Gadsby The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer Sunset by Jessie Cave The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

It's the end of Season 2 and to send us on our merry way, Alex has a big list of her favourite books on discount from Verso Books and Pluto Press. Rhiannon has been asking the big question of ‘Who Am I?' this week and finding out with the help of a couple of quizzes. She has also been loving Billie Piper's Desert Island Disc and discovering Billie's past as a child star. Meanwhile, Alex has dived headlong into The Bodyguard and is in love. Rhiannon is debating her commitment to Love Island whilst Alex recounts her enjoyment of last year's Too Hot To Handle. And finally, both Alex and Rhiannon have been misjudging books by their covers with Clare Chambers' Small Pleasures. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: 16 Personalities Test Verso Books: A Kick in the Belly by Stella Dadzie The Verso Book of Feminism, edited by Jessie Kindig Burn It Down! edited by Breanne Fahs Hostile Environment by Maya Goodfellow Revolting Prostitutes by Molly Smith and Juno Mac Pluto Press: Feminism, Interrupted by Lola Olufemi To Exist is to Resist edited by Akwugo Emejulu, Francesca Sobande bell hooks Desert Island Discs - Billie Piper I Hate Suzie Yerma Dr Who Framing Britney Spears by The New York Times Pieces of Britney with Pandora Sykes - BBC The Bodyguard on Netflix Together on BBC iPlayer Love Island Too Hot to Handle Shadow and Bone Rocketman Game of Thrones Small Pleasure by Clare Chambers The Euros Flora Anderson @videoflone Sunset by Jessie Cave Time on BBC The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

Alex has been relishing the opening of galleries and has been to not one but two exhibitions of Rodin. She's also been splurging in Waterstones on young adult novels, including a tarot mystery with Caroline O'Donoghue, the first novel in the Shadow and Bone series and a novel that the bookseller described as a ‘Brokeback Mountain with zombies'. What more could you ask for?! Meanwhile, Rhiannon has been devouring the touching comedy, ‘Feel Good' by Mae Martin, adoring the funny and realistic representation of addiction and romance. She also tells us about ‘The Beekeeper of Sinjar', a heartbreaking read about a beekeeper's heroic mission to find the Iraqi women taken by Daesh. Finally, Alex lightens the tone asking Rhiannon about the 16 Personalities Test. Who doesn't love a quiz to find out your true self? We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Rodin in the Tate Modern The Victoria and Albert Museum - Cast Courts Monument to Emily Georgiana, Lady Winchilsea Covid Sniffer Dogs - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/12/science/covid-sniffing-dogs.html Sherpa on Netflix All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo Shadow and Bone on Netflix Wranglestone by Darren Charlton Feel Good by Mae Martin and Joe Hampson The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri The Beekeeper of Sinjar: Rescuing the Stolen Women of Iraq by Dunya Mikhail 16 Personalities Test

Rhiannon has been watching the BAFTAs, hosted by Richard Ayoade, while Alex has been tracing the history of the phrase ‘call me by your name' and its importance in queer culture and music. Rhiannon read The Rosie Project and has been mulling over the swiftness with which people diagnose characters with neurodiversity based on stereotypes. Meanwhile, Alex loved an Italian novel called A Girl Returned, with its gritty and entrancing characters. Netflix's documentary, Sherpa, captivated Rhiannon as it told the stories and difficulties faced by the mountain people of Everest and finally, Alex has been travelling down memory lane with Dorset-based, Thomas Hardy-inspired, Tamara Drewe. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: BAFTAs hosted by Richard Ayoade Paul Mescal - Normal People Amie - Sex Education Montero (Call Me By Your Name) by Lil Naz X https://genius.com/videos/Lil-nas-x-breaks-down-the-meaning-of-montero-call-me-by-your-name Call Me By Your Name Mystery of Love by Sufjan Stevens In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion Mad Girl by Bryony Gordon A Girl Returned by Donatella Di Pietrantonio Sherpa on Netflix Tamara Drewe on Netflix Love Actually

We're back with an nauseatingly nostalgic episode, starting with a few tips on Eurovision scoring systems and implement-free pineapple dining experiences. Rhiannon has been closely following Naomi Osaka stepping back from post-match press conferences, asking the question - are they now defunct? Alex has been indulging in her love of all things Dolly Alderton touches, reading Everything I Know About Love and reminiscing about the High Low. Rhiannon has been on a similarly nostalgic journey with the Friends Reunion, a couple of hours of pure, fuzzy joy. Alex has a few recommendations for reading around the politics and history of Palestine. And finally, Rhiannon has been delighting in the funny and relatable comedy, Motherland, starring Anna Maxwell Martin. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale by Haley McGee Sentimental in the City with Dolly Alderton and Caroline O'Donoghue All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue @czaronline The High Low with Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes Bella Mackie - How to Kill your Family We're Not the Good Guys. Osaka shows up Problems of Press Conferences by Jonathan Liew https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2021/may/31/were-not-the-good-guys-osaka-shows-up-problems-of-press-conferences Naomi Osaka @naomiosaka Friends Reunion, HBO Courtney Cox's Instagram The Last Earth by Ramzy Baroud On Palestine by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappé Motherland, BBC Anna Maxwell Martin in Line of Duty, BBC and Would I Lie to You Hot Fuzz The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

Alex has been exploring Camus' surprisingly woke speeches, exploring the role the artist has to play in politics and understanding whilst Rhiannon has been facing her mortality in Atul Gawande's book about standards of care for the elderly. Alex shares with us the importance of generalists and having hobbies in a world that prioritises hyper specialisation. Rhiannon has discovered Olivia Colman's secrets for securing a partner in the National Theatre's Life in Stages, whilst Alex has been confronting how little she knows about art with the Great Women Artists Podcast. And finally, the conversation moves to weddings, with Sara Pascoe's dislike for weddings and Alex's penchant for the occasional Say Yes to the Dress excerpt. And apologies for Alex's sound quality! We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Create Dangerously by Albert Camus Being Mortal by Atul Gawande Sentimental in the City with Caroline O'Donahue and Dolly Alderton Atul Gawande TEDTalk Range by David Epstein Give Birth like a Feminist by Milli Hill Life in Stages by National Theatre Great Women Artists Podcast with Katy Hessel and Ali Smith How to be Both by Ali Smith Barbara Hepsworth, Pauline Boty, Tacita Dean and Lorenza Mazzetti The Panic Years by Nell Frizzell Podcast with Sara Pascoe The Panic Years by Nell Frizzell Book Out of Her Mind by Sara Pascoe Say Yes to the Dress - Gok Wan The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

A packed episode this week! Rhiannon has started falling in love with Netflix's new fantasy show, ‘Shadow and Bone' and Alex is still getting to grips with motherhood through Candice Brathwaite's ‘I Am Not Your Baby Mother', a memoir/manifesto about being a black British mother. Rhiannon has been digging into the frank and opinionated world of Katherine Ryan with her podcast ‘Telling Everyone Everything'. It was Eurovision this week and in celebration, Rhiannon watched ‘The Story of Fire Saga', the hilarious tale of two Icelandic singers performing at Eurovision with the help of some elves and the intervention of the gloriously camp Dan Stevens. Alex has been struggling with the tragedy of ‘The Pursuit of Love' whilst Rhiannon has been delighting in the authentic portrayal of a woman working hard in ‘Mare of Easttown'. And finally, Alex has been discovering the secrets to success with Grace Beverley! We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Smooth My Balls Shadow and Bone, Leigh Bardugo Netflix Ben Barnes' Instagram I Am Not Your Baby Mother by Candice Brathwaite The Duchess - Katherine Ryan Telling Everyone Everything with Katherine Ryan Ready to Mingle - Katherine Ryan Eurovision Song Contest - The Story of Fire Saga The Pursuit of Love - BBC and book by Nancy Mitford Mare of Easttown - HBO Line of Duty - BBC iplayer Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey The Fall - BBC iplayer Ctrl Alt Delete by Emma Gannon and Grace Beverley Olive by Emma Gannon Working Hard or Hardly Working by Grace Beverley The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

Rhiannon has truly embraced moving to the countryside and is brimming with tall tales of grass growing and cheeky pigeons. Alex has been admiring Billie Eilish's new look and they discuss the controversy surrounding this transition from iconic look to iconic look. Alex has also been deep-diving into notions of a separate genius and what that means for the conscious mind, but more importantly, what does this mean for Philip Pullman's work? Rhiannon has been reading the beautiful book ‘Where the Crawdads Sing' and has fallen in love with the use of the natural world in Delia Owen's writing. Alex has immersed herself in the world of fantasy with ‘Shadow and Bone', a new and thrilling universe filled with darkness, magic and Ben Barnes' eyes. Rhiannon discusses a beloved podcast by siblings Jessie and Bebe Cave whilst Alex has been unsettling herself with the beautiful novel ‘Starve Acre'. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Billie Eilish - Your Power, Vogue - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzeWc3zh01g TedTalk by Elizabeth Gilbert His Dark Materials (The Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass) by Philip Pullman The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes Daemon Voices by Philip Pullman Adam Buxton Podcast with Philip Pullman Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, starring Daisy Edgar Jones Shadow and Bone, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - Netflix Rocketman, Sir Elton John, starring Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell - Netflix Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley, The House of Silence by Thomas Hardy, poem The Hare, a folk song We Can't Talk About That Right Now by Jessie and Bebe Cave Sunrise by Jessie Cave (play) Sunset by Jessie Cave (book) Fleabag by Phoebe Waller-Bridge The High Low Podcast The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

Alex has a surprise for Rhiannon as she finally watches the Great British Bake Off and she revels in James McAvoy's baking charisma. Alex has also been deep-diving into the world of childbirth whilst reading the incredibly rousing ‘Give Birth Like a Feminist' by Milli Hill. Meanwhile, Rhiannon discusses the importance of mutuality in eliminating the racism in our systems through her reading of ‘What White People Can Do Next', a provoking and explorative book by Emma Dabiri. Whilst Alex has been exploring the languid characters of Françiose Sagan's novels, Rhiannon watched the powerful and stirring film ‘Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', starring Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman. ‘Who'd a Thunk?!' makes a stunning comeback and we discuss the impact of Greta Thunburg's youth in a documentary tracking her Year to Change the World. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: The Great British Bake Off Give Birth Like a Feminist by Milli Hill What White People Can Do Next by Emma Dabiri Don't Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri Those Without Shadows by Françoise Sagan Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Netflix Nomadland, directed by Chloe Zhao Promising Young Woman, written and directed by Emerald Fennell Greta Thunberg - A Year to Change the World, BBC 1 The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

Welcome to our first 'Grand Guest' with the captivating Haley McGee. Haley is an actor, podcast host, playwright and most recently, an author. Her funny and vulnerable memoir explores the cost of love as Haley struggles to get out of debt. The only items she has to sell to get out of debt have been given to her by her exes but how much should they be sold for? Haley pose some challenging questions, ‘Is the mixtape from your first love worth more than the vintage typewriter from a philanderer? Do the lies you told the guy who gave you a jewellery box dock its price?' All these questions culminate in a one-women show that Haley writes, revolving around creating a Formula for Love. This book is thought-provoking, touching, funny and, at times, shocking. This book is for your friends that like romance, your friends that like maths, your creative friends and we reckon, pretty much all your friends. We loved it and we loved talking to Haley about it and the process of writing it! We fused the Grand Thunk with the Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale and asked Haley for recommendations that are old loves and new loves and she didn't disappoint. Haley McGee - @yeshaleymcgee - https://linktr.ee/yeshaleymcgee The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale - Haley McGee https://linktr.ee/exboyfriendyardsale?mc_cid=da27e39817&mc_eid=a303f7c606 The Cost of Love - Podcast - Haley McGee The Value of Everything - Mariana Mazzucato Haley's Course - http://www.haleymcgee.ca/creative-quarantine-challenge Martha Graham's letter to Agnes DeMille Elizabeth Gilbert TED Talk How to Fail with Elizabeth Day - Elizabeth Gilbert The Runaway by Alice Munro The Great British Bake Off - Channel 4 My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

It's Episode 15 and we're adoring the sunshine! Alex tells us about a sentimental and charming novel about moving past grief while Rhiannon has been exploring Roisin Conaty's comedy, GameFace. Alex has taken one for the team and watched Seaspiracy and divulges all the dirty secrets of the sea. Rhiannon, however, has been reading critique of Seaspiracy (see below), giving context to this dramatic documentary. Rhiannon regales us with a story about Rosamund Pike with her thumb up the bum of a pineapple, before telling us about Pike's new film, I Care a Lot, featuring a sketchy legal system and a very sharp bob. And finally, Alex has been re-discovering beauty and pretending it's not pretentious with the music of Aurora. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Where We Belong by Anstey Harris GameFace - Channel 4 Thanks a Million by Angela Scanlon with guest Roisin Conaty Seaspiracy - Netflix Article on Seaspiracy - https://www.vox.com/2021/4/13/22380637/seaspiracy-netflix-fact-check-fishing-ocean-plastic-veganism-vegetarianism I Care a Lot - Netflix Rosamund Pike Pineapple video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIo-x9atAls It Happened Quiet by Aurora - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U-N6LqzdIM A couple of technical issues have meant the sound quality of this episode isn't to the standard we'd like it to be (but luckily this has been resolved going forwards). So please bear with us for this episode and we'll be back with super smooth silky audio next week. The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

Alex has been reading up on the origins of the feminist term Bluestocking, originally used to describe a man - typical - before telling us about the charming instagram-famous novel 'Hamnet'. Rhiannon delves into a new Tom Hanks film, tracing the history of news readers and translating that to today's news sources. Alex has been reading ‘The Ungrateful Refugee' and postulates on what it means to be a refugee. Meanwhile, Rhiannon has been reading ‘Cilka's Journey', diving into a passionate discussion about the lack of consent in imprisoned sex work but despite this, the blame that is attributed to women in these situations. We end with a few podcast recommendations to charm your ears. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. Content Warning: rape and sexual violence during the discussion on 'Cilka's Journey' from 30 minutes. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale Brilliant Women: 18th-Century Bluestockings by Elizabeth Eger and Lucy Peltz Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell News of the World The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You by Dina Nayeri The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris Tom Allen on The Adam Buxton Podcast Strippers in the Attic podcast The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

Welcome back! We're so happy to be back and regaling you with all sorts of nonsense as well as a few recommendations! Rhiannon tells us about the fight for uni degrees for women in the play ‘Blue Stockings' in a tangential discussion of her recent move. Alex divulges her obsession with the charming and sentimental ‘Anne with an ‘E'' after Rhiannon entertains us with Dawn French's warming novel ‘Because of You'. We touch on the Women's Prize and firmly assert that trans women are women in the wake of a recent and abhorrent open letter. We both talk about some of the cozy fiction we've been enjoying and we discuss the shame that can sometimes creep up when talking about comfort reads. Alex has been reaffirming her love for Dolly Alderton and ‘Sex in the City' in a new podcast whilst Rhiannon has been immersed in the true crime drama, ‘The Serpent'. Alex finishes on the brilliant essays of ‘The Good Immigrant', particularly focussing on essays by Darren Chetty, Vera Chok, Wei Ming Kam and Nish Kumar. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts on our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale Because of You by Dawn French Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters Luster by Raven Leilani The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Anne with an E, Netflix Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery Sentimental Garbage podcast Caroline O'Donoghue Sentimental in the City, Dolly Alderton and Caroline O'Donoghue Thanks a Million podcast by Angela Scanlon I Weigh, Jameela Jamil The Multi Hyphen Method by Emma Gannon The Serpent, BBC and Netflix The Good Immigrant, edited by Nikesh Shukla The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

We kick the episode off with Abi Daré's The Girl with the Louding Voice, an inspiring and informative book with a phenomenal and surprising use of language that has completely invigorated Alex. Both of us watched The Dig and we revel in the beauty of its subtle and artful pace, as well as the astonishing acting of Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan. Alex tries not to cry as she discusses How We Disappeared, the story of Wang Di, a comfort woman during World War 2. Rhiannon has been exploring all things unusual in David Attenborough's Perfect Planet, including the surprising mating patterns of Fig Wasps and their wigs. And we announce that this is our final episode of Season 1. We're so happy to have so many of you listening along and we will be back shortly, brimming with new recommendations and Who'd a Thunk it moments! CW - from 25 minutes, discussion of rape. We are an accessible podcast, you can find transcripts in our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends! See below for a full list of what we discuss: The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré The Dig by Moira Buffini on Netflix How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee Because We Were Beautiful https://thediplomat.com/2018/01/confronting-koreas-censored-discourse-on-comfort-women/ Perfect Planet, David Attenborough My Octopus Teacher Steve Irwin The Bee Movie

A packed episode begins with musical delights as both Bridgerton and the infamous Handforth Parish Council meeting have been put to music. Rhiannon looks at weddings from a hilarious new angle with the podcast Who Shat on the Floor at My Wedding and we both reminisce about the first sex scene we ever read in Malorie Blackman's Noughts and Crosses. Alex tells us about Bernadine Evaristo's Blonde Roots, a world of slavery inverted whilst Rhiannon has been reading Lustre by Raven Leilani. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts in our linktree on our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Genghis Khan - https://thetyee.ca/Books/2010/07/26/GenghisFeminist/ Catastrophe, Channel 4, Merman Productions Bridgerton Musical, Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear Handforth Parish Council Meeting - Andrew Lloyd Webber song Flo and Joan - Handforth Parish Council, the Musical Who Shat on the Floor at My Wedding podcast Blonde Roots by Bernadine Evaristo Girl Woman Other by Bernadine Evaristo Noughts and Crosses trilogy by Malorie Blackman Liza of Lambeth by W. Somerset Maugham Atonement by Ian McEwan Lustre by Raven Leilani The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

Happy Valentine's Day! We've got an episode full of goodies here for you today! This week's podcast heralds a new segment, ‘Well, Who'd a Thunk?', for those all those eye-catching and sometimes eye-watering stories that just confirm that the madness of humanity isn't going anywhere. We catch up on It's A Sin, raving about the joy and heart-break of this brilliant show. Alex shares her thoughts on Promising Young Woman, a toxic revenge story of magnificent proportions, whilst Rhiannon opens our eyes to the remarkably smooth app, Borrow Box, your local library made digital. Rhiannon has been listening to The Midnight Library, a story that explores the potential lives that spiral out from every choice made. Alex has been reading the astonishing debut novel of Rebecca Watson, little scratch, which presents totally dynamic formatting exploring the inner monologue of a banal day at work - a Mrs Dalloway for the modern era. Our thoughts on inner monologues spiral tangentially before Rhiannon brings us back to stark reality, recalling the comedy of Daniel Sloss. To date, his comedy routine has broken up 34,000 relationships. The question for this Valentine's Day is whether your relationship is strong enough to last the show. Content Warnings: This episode includes discussions of a film that includes rape, and discussions of a book that contains sexual assault and self harm. We are an accessible podcast, you can find transcripts in our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends! See below for a full list of what we discuss: It's A Sin, Channel 4, Red Production Company Promising Young Woman, written and directed by Emerald Fennell The Great Gatsby Birds of Prey, produced by LuckyChap Entertainment BorrowBox app The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, audiobook read by Carey Mulligan About Time, written and directed by Richard Curtis little scratch by Rebecca Watson Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness Daniel Sloss' Dark and Jigsaw on Netflix Books That Matter

This week we dive into the TV masterpiece, It's a Sin, that has swept the nation and has been recommended to us on multiple occasions (thank you listeners!). It's A Sin arrives in all its glory and we are in love. 
Synchronicity emerged in our reading this week, as Alex was consumed by Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters and Rhiannon sank into She Wants It by Joey Soloway. Both books offered incredible insight into the journeys and pluralities within transitioning. Alex shares another comedy song contribution, which is happening so frequently that it's almost ready to become a feature. Rhiannon drastically shifts the tone of the podcast by discussing cricket - we're as surprised as you are - and won Alex over with the drama of the Australian cricket team's journey to redemption, in the Amazon Prime series The Test. Finally, Alex shares her podcast hot tips, after listening to a fascinating discussion on Good Ancestor about white supremacy and erasure in yoga. We are an accessible podcast, you can find transcripts in our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends! See below for a full list of what we discuss: It's a Sin, Channel 4 Russel T Davies for The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jan/03/russell-t-davies-i-looked-away-for-years-finally-i-have-put-aids-at-the-centre-of-a-drama Years and Years, BBC and HBO A Very English Scandal, BBC One Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters She Wants It by Joey Soloway Government Consultation on toilet provision - https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/toilet-provision-for-men-and-women-call-for-evidence/toilet-provision-for-men-and-women-call-for-evidence We Exist London Email Template - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cZ4Vw4rfVV2GqF4y3cToIHApxGhpoop38x8FTwkGj0c/edit Taylor Swift, Willow (+John Mulaney) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWWE1Pt_iEk The Test, Amazon Prime Layla Saad & Susanna Barkataki on Good Ancestor podcast Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad

This week's podcast saw an unexpected turn to economics, as Alex does her best to explain what is being lauded as the democratisation of finance, the ongoing battle between Reditters and the hedgefund giant, Melvin Capital. We've attached some links below for those of you who are still confused and need Trevor Noah pretending to be Margot Robbie to explain. Rhiannon has been reading the memoir of Jean-Dominique Bauby, written with the blinking of his eye, as he chronicles life with locked-in syndrome and we discuss the nuances of transcription. Alex has been reading Maggie O'Farrell tell her life story, beautifully and tangentially, through 17 brushes with death. It reminds us, just as the moribund awareness of death that Covid has brought to the world, of the importance of living life fully. Alex has also been reading Ann Patchett's The Dutch House and discusses how the injustices of fairy tales - of evil stepmothers and privilege ripped away from youth - still leave her seething with anger. Meanwhile, Rhiannon's book, What Red Was, provokes another kind of rage as it details the impact of rape on the life of a young woman and the ramifications of silence and speaking out. Finally, we discuss Meghan and Harry's baffling new podcast, featuring a delightful debut from their young son, Archie. Their podcast features snippets of celebrities detailing their lockdown lives and who doesn't want to know what Elton John and Brené Brown have been up to! Content Warning: rape and sexual assault. To avoid, skip from 34 to 44 minutes. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts in our linktree in our instagram bio @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. See below for a full list of what we discuss: Gamestop Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD3wtQOBE_A https://thedeepdive.ca/gamestop-the-gme-short-squeeze-explained/ https://www.ft.com/content/4f76d769-4460-450f-9373-1e54f7da6c19?shareType=nongift The Big Short The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby What Writers and Editors Do by Karl Ove Knausgaard, Paris Review I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell Intimations by Zadie Smith The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Matilda by Roald Dahl What Red Was by Rosie Price Archewell Audio, Harry and Meghan's Podcast The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to!

Who hasn't seen Bridgerton? Well, we have and we delve into all the scandalous details of this period drama with a modern twist, including that scene (Content Warning), the costumes and the colour conscious casting. Rhiannon rhapsodies about the highlight of the inauguration, Amanda Gorman's The Hill We Climb. Meanwhile, Alex has been finding out the salacious secrets of S&M spiders from the New Scientist. Rhiannon is back to tell us her final thoughts on Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life whilst Alex has been researching the Ethiopian struggle against Mussolini during her reading of Maaza Mengiste's The Shadow King. We have a big discussion about fat protagonists in This Is Us and James Corden's discussion of fat shaming; long story short, fat shaming doesn't work. And finally, Alex has watched a number of documentaries on the Obamas and has the audacity to compare young Barry to a ‘Lit Fuck Boi'. Let us know your thoughts on that! We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts in our linktree bio on our instagram @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to! See below for a full list of what we discuss: Bridgerton - Netflix The Hill We Climb - Amanda Gorman New Scientist - Lenka Sentenská Lifelines by Al Smith - Radio 4 A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara James Corden - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax1U04c4gaw This is Us - NBC & Amazon Prime The Shadow King - Maaza Mengiste Barry - biopic about Barack Obama Becoming Documentary - Michelle Obama - Netflix

Prepare to have the solid foundations of your world rocked as Alex shares her antipathy for Normal People's protagonist, Connell, excellently played by Paul Mescal. Daisy Edgar Jones' bangs prompt Alex and Rhiannon to discuss how their lockdown fringes are faring. Rhiannon sings The Wheel theme tune for us after hearing an inspiring poem from Nobel Laureate poet, Louise Gluck. We deliberate no-platforming and cancel culture as allegations have emerged concerning one of the actors in a show we review. Rhiannon tells us about politician Jess Phillips' punchy guide to change whilst Alex has been reading about the transformative capacity of education and the multiple perspectives of history in Tara Westover's memoir Educated. We discuss Elif Shafak's latest novel as well as Industry, the rollicking exploration of sex and drugs in the finance world. We talk about male nudity and sex scenes as well the importance of loving your work and not depending overly on productivity for validation. We are an accessible podcast so find transcripts in our linktree bio on our instagram @thegrandthunk. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, rate, review and tell all your friends. The Grand Thunk, the podcast in which Alex Blanchard and Rhiannon Kearns discuss the books they've been reading, the films and TV shows they've been watching and the podcasts they've been listening to! See below for a full list of what we discuss: Normal People - BBC iPlayer The Wild Iris - Lousie Gluck The Wheel - BBC iPlayer Actors on Actors - Variety - YouTube Truth to Power: 7 Ways to Call Time on BS - Jess Phillips Educated - Tara Westover - Memoir 10 minutes and 38 seconds in This Strange World - Elif Shafak Industry - HBO, viewed on BBC iPlayer How to Fail with Elizabeth Day - Elizabeth Gilbert The Guilty Feminist

What a pithy week, with plenty of startling tonal changes! Both of us watched the first released episode of The Great and we discuss the role of coarse humour in period dramas. Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts has us thinking about auto-theory and non-normative motherhood, as well as the representation of motherhood and disability in popular culture. Rhiannon recommends a couple of podcasts, including Nadyia Hussain on How to Fail with Elizabeth Day discussing parenthood and speaking out. (CW: sexual assault). We discuss the beautiful footage of the documentary My Octopus Teacher as well as delving into Rhiannon's first hand experience with an octopus (or two)! And finally, Rhiannon tells us about A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara and its presentation of the complexity of male friendships. Find a transcript of this podcast in our linktree on our instagram. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. See below for a full list of what we discuss: The Great - Channel 4 The Argonauts - Maggie Nelson 100 tampons - Marcia Belsky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHqvA4Is0Aw The Undoing - HBO Michaela Coel on Grounded with Louis Theroux Nadiya Hussain on How to Fail with Elizabeth Day My Octopus Teacher - Netflix A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara

We dive straight into a hilarious clip from Aisling Bea's This Way Up, followed by the guiltiest of pleasures, Outlander, and a debate about its portrayal of sexual violence. Rhiannon discusses the documentary Rising Phoenix, which looks at the history of the Paralympics and the empowering beauty of high level sports. In Alex's reading of Zadie Smith's Intimations, we talk about carving meaning out of time, particularly during lockdown where we have so much of it. We finish by nattering about Vaginismus and the nuances of female health, as well as the data biases against women and People of Colour, specifically in the medical sphere. Find a transcript of this podcast in our linktree on our instagram. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. See below for a full list of what we discuss: This Way Up Outlander His Dark Materials Rising Phoenix directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, on Netflix. Intimations by Zadie Smith Skin a Cat by Isley Lynn Invisible Women: Exposing Data Biases in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom by Sylvia Plath

Episode 3 extends the discussion of the fallibility of journalism through Clarissa Ward's autobiography as well as the importance of believing in the trivialities of life in order to avoid getting lost in the existential. We discuss the lyrical letter from a son to his mother On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong as well as exploring the healing nature of poetry with the Poetry Pharmacy. We also both talk about books we've struggled to get into and we debate when it is right to give up on a book. CW: Suicide, domestic violence, war. Find a transcript of this podcast in our linktree on our instagram. Follow us on social media @thegrandthunk or email us - thegrandthunk@gmail.com. See below for a full list of what we discuss: The Queen's Gambit On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist by Clarissa Ward Official Secrets The Trial of the Chicago 7 Forensic Architecture The Crown Junkyard by Headlong Theatre The Poetry Pharmacy by William Sieghart Milkman by Anna Burns On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong Poor by Caleb Femi If On A Winter's Night A Traveller by Italo Calvino The Fall, BBC 2 This Way Up - Channel 4, written and starring Ailsing Bea The Adam Buxton Podcast