{"podcast":{"title":"The Bibliofilles","slug":"the-bibliofilles-7704872","podcast_index_feed_id":7704872,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/thebibliofilles","website_url":null,"image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/72575482-09f9-11f1-9e02-3f018f40f414/image/671a4678c327404db346a60b1ee54200.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"The Bibliofilles","episode_count":25,"summary":"The Bibliofilles began, as all great modern love stories do, on Facebook during Lockdown. Sophie asked for a recommendation. Chaya prescribed The Song of Achilles. A DM became a dialogue; a dialogue became @thebibiliofilles; and now, finally, a podcast. Chaya is a barrister, Sophie a former editor. We read across all genres and trends, from classics and non fiction, to contemporary fiction, romantasy and everything in between. The Bibliofilles: The Podcast is life through books, where we get to ruminate beyond the reviews and reels, with thematic episodes, academic deep dives, classics, cult favourites and viral sensations. There will be a book club built for those of us who never quite fit the mould. (with a twist, naturally).","last_synced_at":"2026-07-20T10:20:32.231576+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bibliofilles-7704872"},"episode":{"title":"Looksmaxxing | Has Wellness Gone Too Far?","slug":"looksmaxxing-has-wellness-gone-too-far","published_at":"2026-06-22T05:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bibliofilles-7704872/looksmaxxing-has-wellness-gone-too-far","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bibliofilles-7704872","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/LPS8469348160.mp3","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/LPS8469348160.mp3","summary":"When does wellness become a problem? This week on The Bibliofilles, we're diving into one of the most urgent cultural conversations of the moment looks maxing and optimisation culture and exploring it through the lens of literature. From viral influencers using extreme methods to \"engineer\" attractiveness, to the Fitbit-ification of reading via Goodreads targets, we unpack how the obsession with maximising every aspect of life is quietly making us miserable and why fiction saw it all coming. 👇 All books mentioned are linked below 👇 Rouge by Mona Awad 👉 https://amzn.to/4uBKo73 The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 👉 https://amzn.to/44gkf2Z The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 👉 https://amzn.to/4fOQddP Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 👉 https://amzn.to/4ozSWdn Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood 👉 https://amzn.to/4ovIFPe Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding 👉 https://amzn.to/4oAQ9At Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy 👉 https://amzn.to/4uOMOiV We also discuss the backlash to Steven Bartlett optimisation obsession, the incel-to-mainstream pipeline of looks culture, and why reading itself has been infected by optimisation thinking. Perfect for: fans of feminist literary criticism, cultural commentary, book recommendations, and anyone who's ever felt exhausted by the pressure to self-optimise. 🎧 Subscribe on Substack for extended essays and exclusive bonus content including our viral extra with Maggie O'Farrell! 👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more bookish conversations with Chaya & Sophie. Sponsored by London Notropics ⁠https://londonnootropics.com⁠ #looksmaxing #looksmaxxing #beautystandards #malegaze #botox #glowup #manosphere #podcast #trending #bookish #books #filler #lipfiller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"When does wellness become a problem? This week on The Bibliofilles, we're diving into one of the most urgent cultural conversations of the moment looks ma…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2465,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-bibliofilles-7704872/episodes/looksmaxxing-has-wellness-gone-too-far/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bibliofilles-7704872/looksmaxxing-has-wellness-gone-too-far.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}