The Book of Love vs The Dud Avocado: Fantasy, Paris & Book Club Verdicts

The Book of Love vs The Dud Avocado: Fantasy, Paris & Book Club Verdicts

March 31, 2026 · 53 min · Episode 188

About this episode

The episode discusses two contrasting novels, The Book of Love and The Dud Avocado, along with listener feedback and recent reads.

The Book of Love vs The Dud Avocado: Fantasy, Paris & Book Club Verdicts In this episode of  The Book Club Review , we return to our book club roots with two wildly different novels:  The Book of Love  by Kelly Link and  The Dud Avocado  by Elaine Dundy. The Book of Love is the first novel from acclaimed American short story virtuoso and Pulitzer Prize finalist Kelly Link. In a seemingly ordinary coastal town three teenagers become pawns in a supernatural power struggle. Vulture magazine named it ‘the escapist masterpiece of the year’ but what did Laura’s book club think? Our second book-club pick is Elaine Dundy's The Dud Avocado – a fizzing, exuberant novel from 1958 about a young American woman let loose in Paris, determined to live life on her own terms. It gained instant cult status on first publication and remains a timeless portrait of a woman hellbent on living, a book that feels bracingly modern despite being nearly seventy years old. But did it make for a good book club read? We've also got some listener feedback on  Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, we're catching up on recent reads, and the books we’re excited about next. Get more from…

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