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Artwork for The Side Quest Book Club Podcast

The Side Quest Book Club Podcast

Slava & Jonathan
Words Of Radiance
Crime and Punishment
Project Hail Mary
Vitalerium
The Girl With All the Gifts
Cradle
Pride and Prejudice
Red Seas Under Red Skies
Wintersteel
Uncrowned King Tournament
Brandon Sanderson
Raskolnikov
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Paper Roses
Kaladin
Cosmere
Pandora's Box
Indie Authors
Jane Austen
Great Man Theory

If you’re a reader looking for something deeper or an indie author working on your book, The Side Quest Book Club is for you. We skip the usual book reviews and ratings. Each episode turns fun side quests into real lessons, so you’ll leave not just entertained, but with a better understanding of why storytelling matters.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes185Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BooksArtsFictionScience Fiction

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Side Quest Book Club Podcast

Latest Episodes

How to start a podcast without waiting for perfect gear — just pick a narrow niche and find your 10 episode ideas.

In this how-to episode, Slava and Jonathan walk through the actual process of launching a podcast in 2026, from defining your topic an... more

She built a magic system out of Gödel's incompleteness theorem.

Physicist-turned-author Keon Shore on THE BAD APOTHECARY, book one of The Ninth Path, and the Jungian shadow underneath it.

Keon walked away from physics, then spent years turning inte... more

He stocked shelves at Barnes & Noble and kept the A-slot open for a book he hadn't sold yet.

Crime thriller author Marc Avery on DISCIPLINE, ten years from first draft to physical book, and building an audience on Threads.

A hundred rejections in, ... more

She was offline for ten years. She came back and built an anti-piracy platform for authors.

Indie author and solo dev Jules Mourne on thing.pub — a free platform for sharing manuscripts without feeding them to AI.

Jules walks us through how thing.p... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Evan Kidwell
Indie author of Young Adult Fantasy, Timeaous Spark series
Author
Episode: Indie Author Interview - Evan Kidwell - Young Adult Fantasy
Mark Benson
Young adult writer, NASA ambassador and space enthusiast
NASA
Episode: Indie Author Interview - Mark Benson - Young Adult, Sci-Fi Thriller
Debbie Show
Author of Paper Roses and subject of the interview
Episode: Paper Roses Part 3 - Debbie Show - True Story - Thriller - Historical Fiction Book
Debby Show
Author of Paper Roses
Indie author
Episode: Paper Roses Part 2 - Debbie Show - True Story - Thriller - Historical Fiction Book
Joseph Ramos
Special guest, known as JF on Instagram
Episode: Crime and Punishment Part 4 - Fyodor Dostoevsky - Classic Literature - Russian Literature
Nicholas Keating Casbarro
Author of Vitalerium
Vitalerium (author)
Episode: Vitalerium: Descent into the Void Part 3- Nicholas Keating Casbarro - Sci-fi Cyberpunk Dystopian Book
Callie Schiavone
Author, creative world builder, audio drama creator and producer
Twenty Hills Publishing / audioepic.com
Episode: She Had Glass Eyes Part 2 - Indie Author Interview with C.S. Schiavone
Nicholas Casbarro
Author of Vitalerium series
Vitalerium series; Atmosphere Press
Episode: Author Interview - Nicholas Keating Casbarro - Vitalerium Decent into the Void with Special Surprise
Spencer Spensardum
Cosmere expert, returning guest
Cosmere community
Episode: Words of Radiance Part 9 - Brandon Sanderson - Fantasy Book - Progression Fantasy Book

Hosts

Slava
Host of The Side Quest Book Club Podcast, drives interviews and discussion.
Jonathan
Host of the show, participates in discussions and moderates episodes.
Shiara
Co-host providing perspectives and leads discussions with hosts.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 21 ratings
  • Fun book club podcast

    Genuine and fun hosts discussing great books. Also good source to discover books I don’t think I would have otherwise known about from indie authors.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Citizen Unknown
    United States6 months ago
  • The “MUST LISTEN”

    I stumbled upon this show a few weeks ago and haven't stopped listening since. The chemistry between the hosts is incredible, and they have a way of making even complex topics feel easy to understand. If you're looking for something that is both entertaining and informative, this is it!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RickyXdd
    India9 months ago
  • Great Podcast episode #54

    Great episode with Jonathan, Slava and Jess—so appreciated Jess’ contributions and her thoughts on Instagram poetry, Rupi Kaur and the role of aesthetics in gauging the health of a civilization.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Episode 54
    United States3 years ago
  • Great show

    Books and banter.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    theSlavas
    United States3 years ago
  • Interesting and fun

    Great show. I like the camaraderie between the hosts—makes for an enjoyable listen. Never heard of the first story they reviewed, but now I want to read it.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    J.Schuh
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show blends indie author journeys with literary analysis in a way that's both entertaining and informative.
Listeners appreciate the thoughtful, deep dives into books and the chemistry between hosts.
Guests often bring practical insights for aspiring writers and indie authors.

Top Books Podcasts

The Book Review
The Book ReviewThe New York Times
The Book Club
The Book ClubGoalhanger
Myths and Legends
Myths and LegendsJason Weiser, Carissa Weiser, Nextpod
The Thing About Austen
The Thing About AustenThe Thing About Austen
Selected Shorts
Selected ShortsSymphony Space
Fantasy Fangirls
Fantasy FangirlsFantasy Fangirls

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Indie Author Interview - Evan Kidwell - Young Adult Fantasy
Q: Where can people find you and your work?
People can buy the book on Amazon, follow Evan Kidwell author on social media, join his newsletter, and watch for Book 2 titled Timeaous Spark and the Fragmented Protection, with updates on publication timelines.
Indie Author Interview - Evan Kidwell - Young Adult Fantasy
Q: How large is this series going to be?
The series is planned to be about seven to eight books, with a broad arc across the hierarchy system and each book touching on different aspects while advancing the overarching plot toward a final culmination.
Indie Author Interview - Evan Kidwell - Young Adult Fantasy
Q: If a kid who bullied you would pick up your book, what do you hope they would learn by the last page?
I hope they would see a bullied character who faces consequences for their actions and recognize the harm they caused, potentially reflecting on their own behavior and choosing to change. Ideally, the reader would understand the impact of bullying and feel moved to treat others with empathy, including their future children, if they have any.
Paper Roses Part 3 - Debbie Show - True Story - Thriller - Historical Fiction Book
Q: Can you share what you learned about creating a satisfying ending in a memoir-leaning project?
Debbie emphasizes that fiction requires a stopper for emotions and a conclusion that gives readers a clear ending, even if the real events wouldn't naturally provide one; beta readers helped refine the ending.
Paper Roses Part 3 - Debbie Show - True Story - Thriller - Historical Fiction Book
Q: Would you walk us through what that editor was like and how that journey shaped the book?
Debbie explains that the developmental editor acted as both reader and coach, helping to uncover holes in the autofiction, push for more empathy, and guide structural revisions over months and multiple drafts.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
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Age Range
Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Side Quest Book Club Podcast

What is The Side Quest Book Club Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on deep-dive literary conversations that go beyond simple reviews. Across episodes, the hosts and guests discuss indie authors' publishing journeys, the craft of storytelling, and the ways trauma, resilience, and real-world experiences shape fiction—from YA fantasies to classic Russian and English literature. Listeners can expect thoughtful analyses, practical writing advice, and lively debates about character ethics, narrative structure, and the cultural impact of books—often framed through ambitious side-quests that illuminate why storytelling matters. A few standout angles include blending personal experience with fiction, exploring space and science themes in storytelling, and treating literature as a lens for contempo... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Side Quest Book Club Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Side Quest Book Club Podcast:

1. Friends Talking Fantasy Podcast

How many episodes of The Side Quest Book Club Podcast are there?

The Side Quest Book Club Podcast launched 4 years ago and published 185 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Side Quest Book Club Podcast?

Recent guests on The Side Quest Book Club Podcast include:

1. Evan Kidwell
2. Mark Benson
3. Debbie Show
4. Debby Show
5. Joseph Ramos
6. Nicholas Keating Casbarro
7. Callie Schiavone
8. Nicholas Casbarro

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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