The Dream Hotel

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I do love an unputdownable page-turner, especially when it's dystopian feminist fiction, and The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami delivers on every front.

In this episode of Bedside Reading, I'm delighted to welcome Victoria Sweetmore to the podcast to discuss this compelling and thought-provoking novel. What begins as a gripping speculative thriller quickly opens up into a rich exploration of power, autonomy, surveillance, identity, discrimination, and the ways in which systems can shape and constrain our lives.

The Dream Hotel is one of those rare books that manages to be both intensely readable and deeply unsettling. As the story unfolds, it raises questions that linger long after the final page, inviting readers to reflect on the balance between safety and freedom, the use of data and technology, and what it means to be judged for who we are or who we might become.

Victoria and I explore the novel's many layers, discussing not only what makes it such an accomplished work of fiction, but also the wider themes and conversations it inspires.

Whether you're a fan of dystopian fiction, feminist literature, or simply love a novel that gives you plenty to think about, this is a book well worth discovering.