{"podcast":{"title":"Quick Book Reviews with Philippa Hall","slug":"quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832","podcast_index_feed_id":183832,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6087d3aca4a81031ba098a59","website_url":"https://play.acast.com/s/quick-book-reviews","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6087d3aca4a81031ba098a59/1735832732838-15640c7a-3144-49ba-9bc0-a59a401d1e9a.jpeg","author":"Philippa Hall","episode_count":476,"summary":"Thousands of books. No time to waste. No spoilers. Ever. Quick Book Reviews — your twice-weekly reading companion with host Philippa Hall What it is Quick Book Reviews is a spoiler-free book podcast hosted by Philippa Hall, published every Monday and Friday. Philippa reads widely so busy readers don't have to guess — delivering honest, enthusiastic, bite-sized reviews alongside in-depth author interviews and a friendly window into the publishing world. This is a warm, welcoming show for readers who love books but don't have time to read everything — and want someone they trust to help them choose what's next. Format Spoiler-free reviews : Fast, honest breakdowns of new releases and upcoming fiction Author interviews : In-depth conversations with novelists about plot, character, and writing craft — from global names to indie debuts Publishing insider news : Literary trends, BookTok and Bookstagram highlights, and behind-the-scenes publishing gossip Genres covered Crime · Psychological thriller · Cosy crime · Contemporary drama · Dark academia · Rom-com · Historical fiction · Horror · Romantasy Ideal for Readers with an ever-growing TBR pile · Book club members looking for their nex…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-20T04:19:55.610709+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832"},"episode":{"title":"Tom Rob Smith on 20 Years Together, Love Stories, Writing Endings and Why This Book Is So Personal","slug":"tom-rob-smith-on-20-years-together-love-stories-writing-endings-and-why-this-book-is-so-personal","published_at":"2026-05-01T05:02:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832/tom-rob-smith-on-20-years-together-love-stories-writing-endings-and-why-this-book-is-so-personal","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832","url":"https://shows.acast.com/quick-book-reviews/episodes/tom-rob-smith-on-20-years-together-love-stories-writing-endi","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6087d3aca4a81031ba098a59/e/69de7a018424efe84cd9e3c6/media.mp3","summary":"In this episode of  Quick Book Reviews , Philippa is joined by bestselling author  Tom Rob Smith  to talk about his moving and deeply personal new novel,  20 Years Together . Known for acclaimed books including  Child 44 , and for screen work such as  London Spy  and  The Assassination of Gianni Versace , Tom discusses why  20 Years Together  is such a different book from his previous work, why he chose to write it now, and how it grew out of real emotional and philosophical questions around love, commitment, and marriage. This is a conversation about writing, relationships, storytelling, hope, and the challenge of creating an ending that truly lands. In this episode: Why Tom Rob Smith wrote  20 Years Together How the novel was inspired by real questions about marriage and long-term relationships Why this book is so different from his crime and thriller fiction The overlap between  love stories and thrillers The challenge of writing emotionally honest fiction Why endings matter so much How a book can leave readers in tears Tom’s thoughts on adapting stories for  television, film, or fiction How place, views, and writing environments shape the creative process What Tom is reading right now Books and authors mentioned: 20 Years Together  – Tom Rob Smith Child 44  – Tom Rob Smith London Spy  – Tom Rob Smith The Assassination of Gianni Versace  – based on the book by Maureen Orth Aftermath  – Rachel Cusk The Swimming-Pool Library  – Alan Hollinghurst The Line of Beauty  – Alan Hollinghurst Our Evenings  – Alan Hollinghurst The Diving Bell and the Butterfly  – Jean-Dominique Bauby What to expect This episode is perfect for listeners who love: thoughtful author inter…","meta_description":"In this episode of Quick Book Reviews , Philippa is joined by bestselling author Tom Rob Smith to talk about his moving and deeply perso…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1973,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832/episodes/tom-rob-smith-on-20-years-together-love-stories-writing-endings-and-why-this-book-is-so-personal/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832/tom-rob-smith-on-20-years-together-love-stories-writing-endings-and-why-this-book-is-so-personal.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}