Words About Books

Talking About Tolkien - The Steward and the King (Return, 6-5)

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Faramir kind of checks out for his last two weeks on the job and tries to convince Eowyn that he would be a worthy silver metal. Aragorn also has a romance.

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Discussing A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas (Part 1)

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

We're back with the third installment of Sarah J. Maas's Sexy Romance Fantasy. A Sexromantasy, if you will. Last time Feyre failed to stop the king of Hybern from claiming the cauldron. Now she's back at the Spring Court and doing her best to bring Tamlin down from the inside...wait, I mean...like metaphorically...like she's politically sabotaging him, not you know...sexy stuff.

CW: Sexual Content, Sexual Abuse

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Talking About Tolkien - The Fields of Cormallen (Return, 6-4)

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Sauron's dead. Volcano's are exploding. Orcs are going nuts and...is that?...THE EAGLES ARE COMING!

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Discussing The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego (Part 2)

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0400

And we're back! Is this a podcast that I'm publishing? Did I record this? I finished editing it. I'm putting it in the dropbox. I'm clicking on "schedule for future" and publishing it this coming Sunday at midnight. I'm putting in the title now. Oh wait is this a bone spur in my back? Am I choking to death? Where did all this blood come from? Oh geez everything is going black.

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Talking About Tolkien - Mount Doom (Return, 6-3)

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The episode is uploaded. But I do not now choose to write the description that I came to write. I will not do this deed.

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Discussing The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego Part I

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Bust out your bagpipes as we delve into the depths of an ~~ancient~~ slightly old library. It’s THE LIBRARY AFTER DARK by Ande ~~Peligrino~~ Pliego. Witness the dark secrets of someone who knows that a book reader is reading their mind and so will never directly voice said secret until the end of the book. ~~Suddenly~~ Eventually the elevator crashes and we enter the murder phase of this murder ~~mystery~~ reveal. It’s a ~~locked room mystery~~ slow motion series of reveals for the ages!

This description probably isn't as funny without strike-through text, but I have to publish this really soon so we're just going with the first draft.

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Talking About Tolkien - Land of Shadow (Return, 6-2)

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Tolkien really wants you to know how miserable this last bit of walking is.

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Talking About Genre With John Bierce

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

We sit down with Wabby Award Winning Author John Bierce to discuss the relatively new genres of Progression Fantasy, LitRPG, and Isekai.

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Pre-order Mage Errant in hardcover at a bookstore of your choice and send John a proof of purchase at mage.errant.bonus.story@gmail.com to get access free early access to a new short story.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Tower of Cirith Ungol (Return, 6-1)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

We're back! Find out how Sam gets past an army of orcs to rescue Frodo using no less than 3 magic items requiring attunement.

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World First - Two Idiots Talk About Stoicism on a Podcast

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Today the boys are talking about Epictetus...kind of.

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Nate Discusses All These Worlds by Dennis E. Taylor (Bobiverse III) THE FINALE

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The last Bobiverse episode is finally out! Now that we're done we can reflect on the experience. We're also going to tie up some storylines and get rid of The Others in a very dramatic way. Enjoy! Or don't, I'm not your dad.

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Nate Discusses All These Worlds by Dennis E. Taylor (Bobiverse III) Part I

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Welcome to the two-part finale of the Bobiverse on Words About Books. This episode we talk about Bob and his various quests to hook up with a redhead, fight a fascist pacific island government, become a dolphin, and maybe become the greatest smooth jazz singer of all time.

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Discussing Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Wealthy, but not ultra-wealthy, boy genius Artemis Fowl commits crimes to further enrich himself. It's like real life, but these crimes are committed against the fairy folk.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Black Gate Opens (Return 5-10)

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

My master Sauron the Great bids thee welcome.

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Discussing The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

What do you want? It's a secret. Go away.

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WAOB - What even is a cult (Ft. Cultish by Amanda Montell)

Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Chy are back. This time we sit down to try to hammer out a definition of the word "cult."

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Discussing The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Nate tried to force Ben to read a book that he would hate. Ben surprises Nate with his ability to appreciate anything a wide variety of stories.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Last Debate (Return, 5-9)

Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Hey, Patreon people...sorry that this one is up a little late. Recording was delayed due to an outbreak of tornadoes and I was not able to get to the editing in time. We'll have something special up for the patrons at some point.

We find out where that ghost army went. Gandalf proposes an all out assault on Mordor.

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Discussing Chain of Command by Frank Chadwick Part I

Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Finally some good f*king food! Is what I would have put at the beginning of this episode if the original clip from Gordon Ramsay wasn't loud and full of gross background noise. You'll have to just settle for it being in the description. In all seriousness Nate is pretty pleased to be reading books he really enjoys again. There have been a handful of mid books this year already that didn't excite him the way Frank Chadwick's Chain of Command has. Hope you enjoy it! If you want to hear more, the follow-up episodes will be on Patreon by the end of May 2026!

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Talking About Tolkien - The Houses of Healing (Return, 5-8)

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The hands of the King are the hands of a healer. Everyone knows this, and always has.

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Discussing Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good: Part II: by Timothy Zahn

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 17:00:00 -0400

The epic conclusion after Ben returns from getting that seltzer!

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Talking About Tolkien - The Pyre of Denethor (Return, 5-7)

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

And so passes Denethor son of Ecthelion...

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Discussing Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good: Part I by Timothy Zahn

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This week Nate reads and discusses another Thrawn book. This is for us. Also Ben's brain leaves his skull like Homer Simpson listening to Flanders' talk about cider and juice.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Battle of the Pelennor Fields (Return, 5-6)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

“Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!"

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Discussing The Odyssey Part IV - Are We Done Yet?

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

A Fourth Part?!?!? Not since season 1 have we seen such a thing! And to be real, Homer (or the collection of people known as Homer) really could have trimmed a lot of this down. Just a bit too much at the end and it's clearly running out of steam but Ben and Nate, but mostly Ben, are here to ride this until the wheels fall off and there is no more Odyssey left to speak of.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Ride of the Rohirrim (Return, 5-5)

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Theoden has arrived too late. He's cut off from Gondor by an army of orcs...then he meets Ghân-buri-Ghân, who really just wants to never have to talk to any of these people again.

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Discussing The Odyssey Part III - Don't Eat the Cows

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Odysseus finishes his telling of his tale to the king of the Phaeoeociians. First by recounting that time that he spent a year sleeping with a Goddess. Then that time he went to the underworld. Then that time he went back to the Goddess's island to sleep with her under the guise of burying his drunk friend. Then that time he heard some sirens singing. Finally ending with some monster confrontations and some cows that we should definitely not eat, you know, unless you're really hungry.

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April Fools: Special Announcement: Words About Old Books

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Nate has regrettably left the podcast, and there are going to be some changes to how we do things around here.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Siege of Gondor (Return, 5-4)

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The armies of Sauron have crossed the river. Denethor is unhappy to say the least.

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Discussing The Odyssey - Odysseus Tries to Get Home (Part 2)

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode we follow Odysseus as recounts the first 3 years of his journey to the Phaeacians. Nate's internet connection struggles to remain connected. Ben's car continues to fall apart.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Muster of Rohan (Return 5-3)

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Rohan gets ready for war. Merry starts to wonder why he never sees Eowyn and Dernhelm in the same place at the same time...

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Discussing The Odyssey - Telemechus Sets Out (Part 1)

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

We're finally reading The Odyssey. Well, some of us are at any rate...

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Talking About Tolkien - The Passing of the Grey Company (5-2)

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The only things deader than these paths are Eowyn's dreams.

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Discussing Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0400

The stunning conclusion* to the Legends and Lattes Trilogy! It's B&B2! What did the boys think of Fern's midlife crisis? How did it stack up to the other Legends and Lattes Books? What small business are we going to build this time? Find out on another exciting installment of Words & something else that starts with a W (I'm very tired and forgot to upload this).

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Talking About Tolkien - Minas Tirith (Return, 5-1)

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Gandalf and Pippin arrive in Minas Tirith where they meet the Lord Steward Denethor. You ever see this guy eat a tomato?

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Chad Dingleton Discusses Chuck Tingle's Compilation Book

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Special Guest Chad Dingleton is here to discuss a compilation of Chuck Tingle short stories! Also check our the free episode on Patreon.

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Discussing Ship of Destiny by Frank Chadwick (Part 3)

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0500

We discuss the exciting conclusion to Ship of Destiny by Frank Chadwick.

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Trailer: Pendragon Soldiers of Halla by D. J. MacHale

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

On PATREON! Ben and Nate finally discuss what everyone has been waiting for with bated breath. The final book in the epic 10-book Pendragon series. All your answers will be answered. All the mystery will be revealed. The final satisfying entry in a 10-book series that we covered the first book of and then skipped to the end! Only on Patreon!

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Discussing Ship of Destiny by Frank Chadwick (Part 2)

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

We continue our adventure with Sam Bitka and his lady-owl-friend. Prepare for thrilling engagements and alien wonders. But will it be enough to hold Nate's attention? Will we get a part 3?

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Discussing Ship of Destiny by Frank Chadwick Part 1

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Ben's wife insisted he read a book with a strange cover. You won't believe what happened.

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Discussing Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson Part 2

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Tried to make the book's deeper themes a little easier to understand. Failed. Posted the episode anyway.

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Discussing Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson Part 1

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

This week we tackle a Cyberpunk Classic that is genuinely pretty good but maybe twice as long as it needs to be.

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Discussing Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

This week we discuss a highly stylized book about the navigating the complexities of identity in America. Also Nate is a quarter Japanese.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Choices of Master Samwise (Towers, 4-10)

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Sam loves Frodo more than I have ever loved anything.

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Discussing Beware of Chicken Volume 5 by CasualFarmer

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

There's a new volume of Beware of Chicken and you'd better believe I'm talking about it.

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Talking About Tolkien - Shelob's Lair (Towers, 4-9)

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Frodo and Sam face down Shelob. Frequent references are made to The Silmarillion.

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Discussing The Hunger Games 3: Mockingjay

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Starving for Justice! The name writes itself! Anyway, I hope you're ready for the finale of the Hunger Games trilogy! I guess!

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Talking About Tolkien - The Stairs of Cirith Ungol (Towers, 4-8)

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Frodo and Sam finally cross into Mordor. Ben and Nate become distracted by questions of morality and-ARE THOSE CRUMBS ON SAM'S JACKET?!

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Discussing Hell Hole by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson (aka the Dune Braintrust)

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

It's that time of year again! Where Ben and Nate take a brief break and give you an episode from our bonus list. If you want to hear this stuff when it comes out rather than over a year (or 2) later, sign up for your patreon! $3 gets you our entire bonus episode library and we're planning on releasing even more this coming year. Check us out!

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End of Year Retrospect & WABie Awards 2025

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Ben & Nate are back with real WABies. And someday you might even see the episode if I ever get the video up and running! Yes, Season 6 is over. We give awards to our favorite books, throw out some stats, and head off into the sunset. See you next year!

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Talking About Tolkien - Journey to the Crossroads (Towers 4-7)

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

It is the calm before the storm. Frodo, Sam and Gollum enjoy a quiet moment of reflection and so do Ben and Nate.

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Merry Yule (Reginsmal and Fafnismal)

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

As the long night approaches, we tell tales of ancient Gods and Heroes to fortify our courage. Join us in the retelling of Reginsmal and Fafnismal from the Poetic Edda.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Forbidden Pool (Towers, 4-6)

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Gollum enters a forbidden pool and sings a song about murdering everyone. Do you want Faramir to take the shot?

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Discussing Virtual Light by William Gibson

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Love the bridge...not so keen on Rydell and Chevette.

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Nate's Naruto Conclusion

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 16:00:00 -0500

A bonus episode in which Nate lays out his concluding thoughts on Naruto.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Window On the West (Towers, 4-5)

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Detective Faramir is on the case.

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Discussing the Rest of Naruto (Part II)

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

We finish our discussion on Naruto. If Ben had only held out we could have just had a 3 hour conversation on Naruto non-stop. But here we are finishing the last, rather small, two arcs.

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Talking About Tolkien - Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit (Towers, 4-4)

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Sam teaches us why it's important never to leave our campfires unattended and to ensure that they are properly extinguished when we are done with them.

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Nate Discusses Naruto Part I

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Let's face it, nothing is going to beat Hulk Hogan for Nate's Nightmare November. But this one might come close.

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Ectoplasm and Photoshop - The History of Spiritualism by Arthur Conan Doyle (Part 3)

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

The last episode on Arthur Conan Doyle's History of Spiritualism...I promise. We get into the specifics of how manifestation works, the various physical proofs offered on behalf of the Spiritualism, and some of the theology behind the movement.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Black Gate is Closed (Towers, 4-3)

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 21:00:00 -0500

Frodo arrives at the Black Gate expecting sweet death to soon follow. (Un)fortunately, Gollum knows another way and the road goes ever on and on.

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We Decide Donkey Kong Canon Once and For All

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This week of Nate's Nightmare November, we take a break from talking about Hulk Hogan to instead talk about Donkey Kong. First we talk about some book but then we get into the real meat of things when we convene the Council of Nicaea to finally decide once and for all what is Donkey Kong and what is blasphemy and lies.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Passage of the Marshes (Towers, 4-2)

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Gollum leads Sam and Frodo through The Dead Marshes. With each step towards Mordor, Frodo's burden threatens to consume him.

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Surprise! Hulk Hogan had a SECOND BOOK! Hollywood Hulk Hogan BROTHER!

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

We did it! Nate has achieved maximum Hulkage brother! Ben didn't even know what hit him. He was caught so completely off guard, it was beautiful. It was my master plan. Nothing else this Nightmare November will be able to top that intro, DUDE but I will try my hardest. Enjoy another 2 hours of talking about Hulk Hogan's life INSIDE the ring BROTHER!

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Talking About Tolkien - The Taming of Smeagol (Towers, 4-1)

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Frodo and Sam descend the Emyn Muil and encounter Gollum. We see a different side of Frodo.

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Nate Discusses Hulk Hogan's Life Outside the Ring for Almost Two Hours! (Part II)

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Are you ready for Nate's Nightmare November to continue?!? We're moving on to PART TWO of Hulk Hogan's book: My Life Outside the Ring. I hope you're ready to hear Hogan talk about how awful his ex-wife was and that Nick did nothing wrong when he wrecklessly crashed his car!

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The Hydesville Incident - The History of Spiritualism by Arthur Conan Doyle (Part 2)

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

We talk about the much hyped Hydesville Incident. The incident that changed everything forever. We also talk about how you can create a fully functioning human body, complete with cardiac and pulmonary systems, out of ectoplasm.

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Night of the Living Dummy II by R. L. Stine (A Trailer)

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Words About Books is finally covering the Dummy book that everybody wanted/we thought we were getting the first time around. It's going live on Patreon only Saturday 11/8/2025!

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Discussing Hulk Hogan's Book: My Life Outside the Ring (Part I)

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0400

It's Nate's Nightmare November! We're talking about a wreslting book, again! This time we're talking about THE wrestler of the 1980s, Hulk Hogan. I can't wait. I've been so excited for this. Because it's so bad. It's just terrible. A grown man tells you a lot of lies or exaggerations, craps on his wife, then says "I wish her all the best." This is what my dog would have wanted. Don't forget to support us on Patreon! My dog would have wanted that too.

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Born of Science - Jane the Killer

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Ben saves Halloween

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Discussing Silent Invasion The Pennsylvania UFO-Bigfoot Casebook

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

A surprisingly sober and intelligent discussion of the Pennsylvania UFO-Bigfoot invasion of 1973. Stan Gordon is my new favorite UFOlogist.

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Before Hydesville - The History of Spiritualism by Arthur Conan Doyle (Part 1)

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

We begin our series on Arthur Conan Doyle's history of spiritualism. In this episode we cover a bit of the pre-history of the movement, discussing three notable mediumistic awakenings before THE HYDESVILLE INCIDENT (that we all remember, because it changed everything forever).

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Discussing The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (Part 2)

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

We conclude our discussion of The Exorcist. Will good triumph over evil? The answer may confuse you.

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Discussing The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (Part 1)

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

We spend a long time bringing Nate up to speed on Christianity. Then we spend a long time talking about The Exorcist.

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Abandoning Jeff the Killer: Scars of Corruption

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Well, hey guys, you know, they can't all be winners. Sometimes you try something thinking it will be fun and it turns into more of what we in the podcasting biz call "a learning experience." And that's what Jeff the Killer: Scars of Corruption is: a learning experience.

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Discussing Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling (Part 2)

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

I hope you're ready for part 2. We've got family abandonment, alien perversion, duels to the ego death, fish people, jellyfish people (they're different), and of course lots of drugs.

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A Conversation About Overpopulation Fiction With John Bierce

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Apologies, we had some issues with John's audio on this one. Ben and John sit down to discuss the time-honored tradition of Overpopulation Fiction. Is it dead? Is it more relevant than ever before? Can Ben ruin John's career by tricking him into bad-mouthing Taylor Swift?

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Discussing Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling (Part 1)

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This is without a doubt the strangest book I have ever read. I love it.

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Discussing Yumi and The Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0400

Are you ready for the Sanderlanche?

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Continuing to Discuss Mess Effect by Shamus Young until the end of time

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This week nobody asked for this. Ben didn't. Nate didn't. The fans didn't. But yet here we are because SOMEBODY didn't write a book that would take 2 parts despite being 400+ pages. Blame that guy.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Palantir (Towers, 3-11)

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Pippin goes toe to toe with the will of Sauron. Gandalf wakes up to the screams.

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Discussing Mess Effect by Shamus Young Part I

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This week Nate tackles something very near and dear to his heart: Mass Effect. Also Shamus Young, a writer who had tragically passed away just a few short years ago. Ben is also here. Sometimes. He's around here. Occasionally he has some good observations that are born out of Nate failing to properly get his point across or describe Shamus Young's writing concepts and then he has to go back and add in a lot of post-recording footgate to better explain himself. This episode started with about 91 minutes of audio and after extensive cuts and recordings it now only has... 101 minutes... well, crap.

Check out Shamus Young's work at https://www.shamusyoung.com/ and consider supporting the author on amazon. The book is currently on sale for $5!

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Talking About Tolkien - The Voice of Saruman (Towers, 3-10)

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Saruman rolls a charisma saving throw with extreme disadvantage.

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Discussing Mass Effect Revelation by Drew Karpyshyn

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Ben finally tackles his Christmas present from Nate. Prepare to experience Mass Effect as you've never experienced it before! (Second hand from a guy who wasn't super interested in what he was reading)

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Talking About Tolkien - Flotsam and Jetsam (Towers, 3-9)

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

You really do not want to anger an Ent.

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Discussing The Hound or Hounds of Baskerville or the Baskersvilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This week we discuss a book that Nate struggles to get right and struggles to remember the fine detail of. Ben does a lot of heavy lifting. A dog not named Scooby Doo uses Scooby-Doo-like tactics to murder some men. Will Sherlock save the day? Yes.

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The President is Missing by James Patterson & Bill Clinton (A Trailer)

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Saturday 8/16/25 the full episode drops on Patreon for $3 tier members and above!

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Discussing World War II (and also The Man in the High Castle by Phillip K DICK)

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This week Nate did research into WW2 and because of that, you have to also hear about it. Suck it Ben.

Nate read: Stalin: Waiting for Hitler by Stephen Kotkin

Then Nate watched a bunch of videos: Battlefield (an oldie but a goodie. Just all of them but specifically the Battle for Russia, the Battle for France, Midway, Stalingrad, and Kursk)

Soviet Storm: World War II in the East (which isn't on youtube anymore but IS on Prime)

There are definitely other videos Nate watched that are not coming to mind readily.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Road to Isengard (Towers 3-8)

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Theoden realizes all the legends are true...

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Nate Discusses The Man In The High Castle by Philip K Dick

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

It's finally here. Nate reluctantly is forced to read a book he knew he wouldn't like going in. Uno Reverse! Nate is going to make his pain at reading this book into Ben's pain at listening to him discuss it. Prepare for Xanax Ben and Overstimulated Nate. The ultimate WAB Duo. Will anybody survive?

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Discussing A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas (Part 3)

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Wait really? Still? We're still talking about this?

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Talking About Tolkien - Helm's Deep (Towers, 3-7)

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The battle for Helm's Deep. Two armies enter. One army leaves.

Frequent references to:
https://acoup.blog/2020/05/01/collections-the-battle-of-helms-deep-part-i-bargaining-for-goods-at-helms-gate/

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Discussing A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas (Part 2)

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Content Warning: Explicit Sexual Content.

The one in which Feyre and Rhys make it to second base.

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Talking About Tolkien - The King of the Golden Hall (Towers, 3-6)

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The Beowulf comparison begins...

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Discussing A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas (Part 1)

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 01:00:00 -0400

This one went off the rails immediately. Nate is obsessed with Rhys's length and Ben keeps thinking about different ways to use ash wood to kill the fey. It takes us about 30 minutes to get to the point where they actually talk about the story. I'll be honest, I wouldn't recommend this episode. Tune in next week when they maybe have their stuff together. But if you've read this far then you're already in too deep.

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Talking About Tolkien - The White Rider (Towers, 3-5)

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there

I'll tell you how I overthrew the Balrog and became Gandalf the White...

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Discussing Oblivion: The Infernal City by Greg Keyes

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This week we tackle a current topic... well from like 2 months ago when we put it up on the patreon to be voted on. I don't think anyone is talking about the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake anymore so we're a little late to the party. That's just the kind of people WAB are. We show up at 3am after all your guests have already gone home bringing too much alcohol and snacks that you are absolutely going to be eating and drinking because we went through all this trouble, you jerk. Now turn on that TV becuase we want to drunkenly watch infomercials while we hit on your obviously tired and pissed off girlfriend. I'm feeling lucky. This description was actually more fun than this book was at any point. Can Dagoth Ur save this book? We'll find out!

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Talking About Tolkien - Treebeard (Towers 3-4)

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Takes a long time to say anything in old Entish.

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Nate Discusses Burn Notice: The Fix by Tod Goldberg

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This week Nate talks about one of his favorite TV shows from the late Bush/early Obama years! Burn Notice! The book in question is the first Burn Notice book and it is essentially an episode of the show but with some added confusion where Nate maybe understood the major details but not so much the connective tissue.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Uruk-hai (Towers 3-3)

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Pippin finds himself in the custody of Nate's alma mater: The Fighting Uruk'hai. He speculates that he may be somewhat underprepared for the adventuring life.

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Discussing The Worst Fictional Book We've Read (Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood Pt II)

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The title says it all. What more can we say? We wrap up this terrible book about forgiving your abusers because, hey, they're people too. Will Vivi finally apologize? No. We already spoiled that. She never once apologizes and, in fact, believes she did nothing wrong. I'm sorry we have to keep discussing this dumpster fire.

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Talking About Tolkien - Riders of Rohan (Towers 3-2)

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Eomer was having a pretty normal day until a mythical king shows up and involves him in a mythical quest to save the world.

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Discussing The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Today the boys discuss one of the worst things we've ever had the displeasure of reading. We didin't go in thinking we'd like it. We figured it would be something that just wasn't for us and we could understand (maybe) why others liked it even if it wasn't for us. What we got instead? Awful. Absoilutely positively awful. This is the story of an abused child learning that her abusive mom was a person too and learning to forgive her... no wait, sorry scratch that last part. She learns to apologize to her abusive mom. Her mom is the one who should be apologized to because her mom is luminous while we're a bunch of stupid idiots and her stupid ungrateful daughter needs to learn that her mom did less than the bare minimum necessary to raise those kids and like... some times things were good right? Right? Garbage. This book (and Vivi) was terrible.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Departure of Boromir (Towers 3-1)

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

We bid a fond farewell to The Horn of Gondor. And also Boromir.

"JRR Tolkien is the best perspective shift writer I've ever read." https://youtu.be/2sh9VvmzpMw

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Discussing The Futurlogical Congress by Stanislaw Lem

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This week the boys spin a wheel of books contributed by our Patreon and land on The Futurlogical Congress. How will we solve our overpopulation problem? Just never stop building. And drugs. Lots and lots of drugs.

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Discussing The World of Ice & Fire by George R R Martin

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This week the boys discuss information from A Song of Ice & Fire, repackaged into a wiki book and sold to you as merchandise... hold up. Have we done this before? I feel like we've done this before.

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Discussing Star Wars - Thrawn Ascendency - Chaos Rising by Timothy - Zahn (Part 2)

Sun, 25 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Thrawn faces off with The Benevolent Yiv. The boys struggle to stay on topic.

Star Wars Theme Kazoo Cover by Morpeef - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHGV1XVH92c

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Discussing Star Wars - Thrawn Ascendency - Chaos Rising by Timothy - Zahn

Sun, 18 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

It's Words About Books. It's Thrawn. You know what we're about.

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Discussing You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego Part II

Sun, 11 May 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Did Nate finish this episode and then forget to upload it? Maybe. But once you forget this came out late, we'll say it didn't. We'll gaslight you that we never ever missed a due date and that maybe you're the one who remembered things wrong. Anyway we're jumping RIGHT BACK into this book. No intro. Just boom, you're in the book, getting talked at. I hope that Fletcher fellow gets what's coming to him!

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Talking About Tolkien - The Breaking of the Fellowship (Fellowship 2-10)

Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

"Why not get rid of it? Why not be free of your doubt and fear? You can lay the blame on me, if you will. You can say that I was too strong and took it by force. For I am too strong for you, halfling."

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Discussing BRAND NEW Book: You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

Sun, 04 May 2025 01:00:00 -0400

This book discussion comes to you thanks to our Patrons! This week Detective Nate and Detective Ben return. Well, not really. We kinda give away most of what's going on up front. We had a good time reading and discussing this one.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Great River (Fellowship 2-9)

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The gang goes on a very stressful boat trip. Nate and Ben ponder mysteries divine.

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Discussing What Would Skeletor Do by Robb Pearlman

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Nate's wife gifted him a book. She got exactly what she wanted.

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Still Discussing Fire and Blood by George RR Martin (Part 3)

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Alright...let's finish this...We finally cover The Dance of the Dragons.

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Talking About Tolkien - Farewell to Lorien (Fellowship 2-8)

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The chapter in which Gimli demonstrates the proper way to ask a lady for some of her hair.

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Discusssing Fire & Blood & Aenys & Maegor by GRRM Part II

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This week we double down on Maegor's Aenys and also talk a little about Jahearys before ending the episode juuuuuust before the part that anyone who watched the HBO show would care about. See you next week when we discuss the Dance!

For anyone interested in a much smarter person discussing similar historical issues, please check out https://acoup.blog/2019/05/28/new-acquisitions-not-how-it-was-game-of-thrones-and-the-middle-ages-part-i/

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Talking About Tolkien - The Mirror of Galadriel (Fellowship 2-7)

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Hey! Wanna see some elf-magic?

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Discussing Fire & Blood by George R R Martin (Part I)

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun Dun Da-da-da-dunnnnnnnnn da-da-dunnnnnnnn. It's Fire and Blood! It's like A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones but worse! I hope you're ready for us to lay the groundwork and then we're gonna invade Westeros so that we can die and put our butt-named son on the throne after us. Is this what you want? Is this what you people are here for??

For anyone interested in a much smarter person discussing similar historical issues, please check out https://acoup.blog/2019/05/28/new-acquisitions-not-how-it-was-game-of-thrones-and-the-middle-ages-part-i/

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Talking About Tolkien - Lothlorien (Fellowship 2-6)

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 21:00:00 -0400

You are going to sit there while I describe this tree and you are going to like it.

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April Fools - Finally Discussing Harry Potter

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

A special bonus episode! This week we discuss Harry Potter in detail. We spend a lot of time analyzing the books in great detail, including concepts such as "what is a philosopher stone even?" We did avoid mention of the author, this is just pure Harry Potter discussion. You won't find coverage of Harry Potter like this anywhere else on the internet!

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A Book Discussion of Animorphs: The Invasion by K A Applegate - It should be obvious that this is a book discussion and not the book itself

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This week the boys talk about the first book in the Animorphs series. They talk about it. Like a book club. They don't just read the book into the microphone. Anyone who listens to it for like 1 minute would get this. It's not actually that complicated or hard to comprehend or understand. If we were to read this book it would take longer than an hour. You would have to be some sort of souless algorithm or a total moron to not grasp that this is fair use and not copyright infringement. It's not. You want to come after me for the $0 I made off of this? After I paid you money to read your book and sing its praises? Eat me, Scholastic.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Bridge of Khazad-dum (Fellowship 2-5)

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass."

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Discussing Beware of Chicken by CasualFarmer...again

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Words About Books is nearing the end of it's filler arc and for no reason in particular that inspired Ben to revisit Beware of Chicken.

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Talking About Tolkien - A Journey in the Dark (Fellowship 2-4)

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This is a Gandalf appreciation chapter. We sure would be screwed without Gandalf. Fortunately, he will live forever.

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Nate Meanders around For We Are Many (Bobiverse #2) by Dennis E Taylor Part II

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This week we have to finish up 4 or 5 more storylines. But we ALSO have to take you on a journey of words and delight all of your senses. I uhh, don't know what else to say. Ben told me to tell you that this is for fans more than anything because it goes off on tangents pretty regularly. But I had fun doing it and that's what counts.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Ring Goes South (Fellowship 2-3)

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In this chapter we climb a mountain. The mountain is evil. We go back down the mountain. Honestly, now that I think about it, that is kind of how all mountain climbing stories go.

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Nate Discusses For We Are Many (Bobiverse #2) by Dennis E Taylor

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This week Ben says we're in the "filler arc." Well Ben, is talking for almost 2 hours about a book "filler" to you? Do you know how much effort I put into this? Do you know how many notes I took? How thorough of a job I did? This isn't filler, Ben. This was NEVER filler. How dare you. How DARE you.

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Discussing The City That Would Eat The World by John Bierce

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0500

The boys once again put John Bierce's patronage to the test by discussing his latest book.

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Discussing the Sonic Comic (but not that one)

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This week the Patrons voted on us reading a Sonic Comic but not the Archie Comics one, the IDW one. It's written by Ian Flynn. The story is "Sonic fights a thing and runs into one of his friends and where is Doctor Eggman?" I just summaraized the comic.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Council of Elrond (Fellowship 2-2) Part 2

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

We conclude our discussion of the council of Elrond after taking testimony from Gandalf and Legolas. I also read to you the three paragraphs that comprise the entirety of The Hunt for Gollum, an upcoming feature film. I'm sure it will be great.

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Discussing Death on Gokumon Island by Seishi Yokomizo (Part 2)

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Having finally decided to shut up and talk about the book, Ben and Nate get to the bottom of these murders.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Council of Elrond (Fellowship 2-2) Part 1

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

We've made it to the Council of Elrond. This is perhaps the most lore dense chapter in all of Lord of the Rings. There's a lot to unpack. Better get comfortable, but don't worry. Unlike the actual Council of Elrond, we will break for lunch.

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Discussing Death on Gokumon Island by Seishi Yokomizo Part 1

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Detective Kosuke Kindaichi is back. He is tasked with notifying his fallen comrade's family of his death. Before he died, Chimata told Kosuke to save his sisters. But save them from whom? On the night of Chimata's wake one of his three sisters is found murdered. Can Kosuke solve this mystery in time to save the others?

No, he can't. That's actually spoiled pretty early on in the book. Join Words About Books as we struggle to make sense of what is going on.

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Talking About Tolkien - Many Meetings (Fellowship 2-1)

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

We're back! And so is Frodo. We have finally made it to Rivendell. Unfortunately, we're in meetings all day.

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Discussing A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Mona is just a 14-year-old girl with a full time job and an apartment. Now it's up to her to thwart a serial killer and defend a city under siege. Also in this episode, Ben's meme cuts turn into a surprising revelation.

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Discussing Catching Fire (Hunger Games 2) Part II by Suzanne Collins

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

We're back! With this two parter episode on the Hunger Games 2 and it sure is another Hunger Games. That's for sure. 10/10 lived up to the marketing. Will Katniss be able to either smother the flames of rebellion with her love or fan the flames of rebellion with her love? Will she become a symbol that President Snow wants to avoid killing so she doesn't become a martyr OR does he try to kill her because nuh uh? Why is everyone trying to save Peeta? Where is Gail? Who is Gail? Will President Snow's plans make any sense? Find out... maybe in this book. You'll have to listen to the entire episode (possibly a few times, we want your views) in order to find out maybe.

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Discussing Catching Fire (Hunger Games 2) Part I by Suzanne Collins

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Last year The Hunger Games clinched the WABie for Best in Show! So the boys are back to discuss the sequel: Catching Fire. This time the stakes are higher when an elderly man who smells like blood says that Katniss is about to get a lot of people killed and that she has to stop that. Then he kills a bunch of people and blames her. Then he sends in a new Head Peacekeeper to menace our plucky heroes. How will she handle this new threat? How will she lead a revolution? And will there be a second Hunger Games to totally rob the book of its momentum halfway through? Find out the answers to those questions and so much more!

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Discussing Beware of Chicken by CasualFarmer

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

A man dies and finds himself reincarnated into a Xian Xia world of martial arts mayhem, but all he wants is to be the best damn farmer the world has ever known. This is a recommendation from one of our patrons. Will it hold up? Or will he be expelled from The Wordy Book Sect?

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ALL OF DUNE COMPRESSED INTO ONE SUPER CUT!

Sun, 05 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This is it! It's all 6 Dune books and their supercuts smashed into one. You probably could actually summarize the series from this 2 hour trek. Thanks to everyone who continues to support us! We'll be back next week with book discussions!

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Discussing Unexplained World of the Chestnut Ridge by Ronald L Murphy Jr.

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This week we dig into the Patreon Bonus Vault to give you... this. It's from this year and it's Ben's Horror BS and it talks about Big Foot or something.

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Talking About Tolkien - Talking To John Bierce About The History of Publishing

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Ben sits down with John Bierce to set the story straight on the American Bootlegs of Lord of the Rings. Our story begins in the 15th century...

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WABies and End of the Year Retrospective 2024

Sun, 22 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

It's that time of year again! The boys hand out awards and review our year which felt like at least 2 or 3 years. Did you now we read The Deep Sky THIS year? How about The Honjin Murders? That was also 2024. That feels like at least 2023, maybe 2022. I am blown away by that, it's insane. Also Nate gets drunk and we hand out awards.

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Discussing The Maltese Falcon by Dashiel Hammett

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Content Warning: Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment

We're tackling the classic noir mystery. Will it live up to its reputation? You'll have to listen to find out.

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Talking About Tolkien - Flight to the Ford (Fellowship, Ch12)

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

If you want him, come and claim him.

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Discussing Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Part 2)

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0500

I legitimately forgot they got dragon tattoos until I relistened to this episode. This series truly is every trope.

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Discussing The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaros Pt 1

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 01:00:00 -0500

Warning: some spoilers for book 2

It's obligation fulfillment month on Words About Books! Our patrons voted on us to read this book back in July and we're just now getting around to it. Christmas is cancelled, Obligation Fulfillment Month is a go!

We're talking about a Booktok darling about dragons and stuff.

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Nate Victorious

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Ben thought there was no topic Nate could tackle that would rattle him. But Ben was wrong. Nate, armed with secret knowledge of Ben's weaknesses, has constructed an episode that finally and properly angers his co-host.

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Talking About Tolkien - A Knife in the Dark (Fellowship, Ch11)

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The boys gather round the campfire to tell tales and do battle with the forces of evil....

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Nate Continues to Discuss The Death of WCW until Ben's Brain Leaks Out of His Nose

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The follow-up to the critically and commercially acclaimed discussion of The Death of WCW! The most one-day downloads for this podcast ever and you can't prove otherwise because you don't have access to our numbers! Nate's Nightmare November rolls onward like the boulder that Sisyphus has to keep pushing up that hill. Except Sisyphus is Ben and the hill is this podcast. I'm drunk with power!

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Talking About Tolkien - Strider (Fellowship, CH10)

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Strider applies to join the party and we learn that Butterbur cannot be trusted to mail letters.

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Nate Discusses the Death of WCW by R.D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Nate's Nightmare November rolls on and this week Words About Wrestling is finally happening! Nate has picked the subject of the Death of WCW, one of the largest and most well-financed wrestling companies ever created and how it died a miserable death. So join us as Nate attempts to torture Ben once again!

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Talking About Tolkien - At the Sign of the Prancing Pony (Fellowship, Ch 9)

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The gang makes it to the inn of The Prancing Pony in the village of Bree. Gandalf is no where to be found. Frodo succeeds on a performance check. Fails on an acrobatics check. Then fails on a bluff check. Everyone is now in mortal danger.

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How many Super Mario Games are there? A Nate rabbit hole.

Sun, 10 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

It's Nate's Nightmare November and he has gone mad with power.

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Election Special - Kind of Discussing Breaking Through by Ralph Nader

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Does Ralph Nader have the solution to our current political climate? No. He doesn't. I look forward to your comments. Let the nightmare begin.

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Another Ben Drowned

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Did you really believe that it was over? Did you think you could watch me, share me, READ ME without consequence? Oh no. It isn't over. It will never be over. As sure as the sun rises in the East, as sure as this world ends in fire, Ben. Drowns. You have drowned him. And now you will rejoice in celebration of his unholy baptism.

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Talking About Tolkien - Fog on the Barrow-downs (Fellowship, Ch8)

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The Hobbits leave the house of Tom Bombadil with one assignment: don't go to the barrow-downs. Sure would be a shame if they happened to have a picnic/nap right on top of one...

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Creepypasta - Ben (No Relation) Drowned

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Ben enlists the help of Zelda expert Nathaniel Creed to solve the mystery of another Ben's drowning. Someone is out here killing Bens, and you know what Ben says to that? "Over my dead body!"

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Talking About Tolkien - In The House of Tom Bombadil (Fellowship, Ch7)

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

We spend an evening in the house of Tom Bombadil. Good food and good(ish) song flow freely. Then after dinner Tom takes us to sit by the fire and shares with us his insight into the nature of reality and the history of all creation. Everyone but Frodo falls asleep.

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Nate Derails Halloween

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week Ben attempts to recommend some books about modern magic, spiritualism, and ghosts. Nate said "that's not going to work for me brother." This is what happens when Nate was asked not to read the book and hasn't taken anything for his ADHD whatsoever. So... yeah, not really sure who this is for but if you want to listen to your boys talk about whatever, this scratches that particular itch.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Old Forest (Fellowship, Ch6)

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

A sentient willow tree swallows Pippin and Merry. A strange man sings several songs and then hits the tree with a stick. It's super effective

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Ben Discusses The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson for way too long

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week Ben wastes tons of time ruining magic and horror for himself by reading The Amityville Horror and then researching it and then everything just goes off the rails. Nate is really really glad to not have had to read this.

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Discussing Goosebumps - Welcome to Dead House by RL Stine

Sun, 06 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

For a variety of reasons, Ben has decided to give Goosebumps one more try. We're going back to where it all began: Welcome to Deadhouse. Will RL Stine be redeemed, or was Goosebumps truly just a fad? Find out on this exciting episode of Words About Books.

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Talking About Tolkien - A Conspiracy Unmasked (Fellowship, Ch5)

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Turns out Frodo is really bad at keeping secrets. Now 5 innocent ponies are about to enter into the adventure of a lifetime.

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Discussing Opus by Satoshi Kon

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week the boys check out a manga. Opus by Satoshi Kon. Get ready for a story within a story within a narrative within a podcast.

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Talking About Tolkien - A Shortcut to Mushrooms (Fellowship, Ch4)

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

A Ringwraith tramples farmer Maggot's fields and you won't believe what happens next. Also, is it just me, or is this episode a little too long?

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Nate Discusses Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week the BAD BOY OF PODCASTING Nate talks about a Chess romance book with Ben, who is just trying to provide for his family. If you want to join the patreon so that you can vote in great books like this, go do that. Right away. 'K bye.

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Talking About Tolkien - Three is Company (Fellowship, Ch3)

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Frodo meets an elf and we somehow wind up revisiting the entire 10,000 year history of the Noldor.

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Discussing William Gibson's Unused Screenplay for Alien 3

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate share their thoughts on William Gibsons's unused screenplay for Alien 3, a film that is hated by the fanbase. Could Gibson have done it better? Yeah, probably, but it's still kind of mid. You wanna hear about how my landlord took out a wasp nest? It is a metaphor for the Alien franchise, and also practical pest control advice? All this and more in another (exciting) episode of Words About Books

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Talking About Tolkien - The Shadow of the Past (Fellowship Ch2)

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Gandalf's back and he has some explaining to do.

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A Night With Ben & Nate: Dune Post-Mortem

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Words About Dune is over. Well, mostly. This is the finale where we wrap up talking about the book series that Ben started this podcast for. This whole thing has been an excuse to force someone to read Dune so he could talk to someone about it. Good times... good times.

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Talking About Tolkien - A Long Expected Party (Fellowship Ch1)

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Bilbo throws the largest party that the Shire has ever seen. Nate wonders if it is irresponsible to use the weapon of The Enemy to annoy your terrible relatives.

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Continuing to Discuss Chapterhouse: Dune by Frank Herbert

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week we wrap up our discussion of Chapterhouse: Dune. We leave the series on a bit of a downer note with our heroes (or whatever we would call them) taking off in a No Ship while the Bene Gesserit and Honored Matre leadership becomes one. The villains of this trilogy reveal themselves to be some higher level of Face Dancer, something beyond anything we've ever seen before. How will our heroes defeat this new threat and the transformation of an old threat? Will they need to call upon their Super Mentat and Super Ghola powers, that will surely be explained in the finale, and merge them with our past protagonists? Will all of humanity be merged into some sort of new super organism and finally take us to the end of the Golden Path and to, perhaps, something even the God Emperor himself couldn't see with all of his prescience? Find out... never. Yeah, big bummer. Turns out they're just robots now and two untalented hacks finish the series. Byeeeee.

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Talking About Tolkien - Prologue (The Fellowship of the Ring)

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

First, we're going to check back in with the gang from The Hobbit and see where they are now. Then we're going to get a little refresher on Hobbit lore.

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Discussing Chapterhouse Dune by Frank Herbert (Dune VI) Part I

Sun, 25 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Welcome back, Dune fanatics! This week, Ben and Nate tackle the mind-bending first half of Frank Herbert’s Chapterhouse: Dune. With the Bene Gesserit teetering on the edge of annihilation and the Honored Matres breathing down their necks, Chapterhouse is all that stands between the Sisterhood and total extinction. As expected, Herbert spins a web of political intrigue, philosophical quandaries, and ecological puzzles that only he could imagine—or make us question why we’re still trying to unravel them.

We’ll dig into the high-stakes drama facing the Bene Gesserit, ponder the curious case of Duncan Idaho (again), and debate what Herbert was really trying to say about the future of humanity—or if he was just messing with us all along. As usual, our analysis comes with a side of sharp wit and a good dose of snark.

And, of course, we can’t talk about Dune without addressing the elephant in the room: Brian Herbert. Let’s just say that if literary talent were genetic, Brian might have gotten the recessive genes. Frank Herbert’s legacy casts a long shadow, and Brian’s efforts to carry the torch are, well… let’s just say some things are better left untouched.

So gear up for a journey through the weird and wonderful world of Dune. If you’re a fan of the series—or just enjoy watching us dissect a good book—this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Words About Books: Where the spice flows, and our critiques are as brutal as a Bene Gesserit truthsay.

This episode's summary was generated by AI: the real enemy all along! Don't trust machines! That's the real message of Dune! There's no hidden meaning! There are no themes! There's nothing but the one obvious message! Robots bad! Crash the system!

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Discussing The Old Man and The Sea

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In honor of "Back to School" month, we're talking about The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. Will this book be the one that finally changes the boys' minds on fancy-pants literary fiction? The answer may surprise you.

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Discussing American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Part 2)

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

We conclude our revisit of American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Since the first time I read this book, I've changed. The way I think about Neil Gaiman has certainly changed. The real question is, will my earlier review of the book change?

(Yes, it will).

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Discussing American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Part 1)

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Ben revisits American Gods in the wake of the allegations against Neil Gaiman to see if learning something terrible about one of his favorite authors will change his interpretation of a text he enjoyed so much he bought it twice.

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Ben Discusses Pendragon: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale Part II

Sun, 28 Jul 2024 01:00:00 -0400

We're back! Ben is wrapping up our discussion of the first book of the Pendragon series. What does Ben think about it? Is it any good? I could tell you, but it's really better if you experience it for yourself.

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Ben Talks About Pendragon: The Merchant of Death by D. J. MacHale Part I

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 09:00:00 -0400

This episode was ready at midnight but we got engrossed in mummy hunting and, well, whoops. Anyway this week we talk about the other Christmas book, the one Nate got for Ben. It's the first book of the Pendragon series! Does anybody else remember this? I don't think anyone in modern times remembers or cares but it's possible that millennials remember and NOBODY ELSE. Also this accidentally turned into a 2-parter, to the delight of only me.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Last Stage (The Hobbit, Ch19)

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The final chapter of The Hobbit, in which we learn never to trust the Sackville-Bagginses. This one made me a little emotional guys. Is it normal for a book to make you feel feelings?

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Discussing The Monogram Murders (A Hercule Poirot Mystery) by Sophie Hannah

Sun, 14 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Last Christmas Ben gifted Nate The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah. Hannah was given the Christie estate's blessing to write new Hercule Poirot mysteries. Will this gift be a thoughtful and heartfelt token of friendship? Or will it be like every other gift Ben has given to Nate?

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Talking About Tolkien - The Return Journey (The Hobbit, Ch18)

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Why does it hurt so much? Because it was real.

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PATREON ORIGINAL: Discussing Dead Moon by Peter Clines

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Ben is dying of pneumonia so this week we had to go with a bonus episode from the old patreon vault. I'm not sure if this is something that inspires you to donate money to the patreon but this is what we do over there. We release episodes of books nobody asked for (the books, not the episodes).

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Talking About Tolkien - The Clouds Burst (The Hobbit, Ch 17)

Sat, 06 Jul 2024 15:00:00 -0400

Thorin tries to murder Bilbo, and a war for control of The Lonely Mountain begins.

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Discussing Noir by Christopher Moore (Part 2)

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week we continue our discussion of Noir by Christopher Moore. In this episode we learn the truth about what happened in Roswell in 1947. We also learn what a "cornet" is.

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Discussing Noir by Christopher Moore (Part 1)

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Content Warning: Sexual Themes

Christopher Moore is back with another book. It's fine. A mediocre man cracks wise while getting increasingly over his head in trouble. He'll probably be bailed out at the end by supernatural forces of which he is barely aware. Simultaneously he is romancing a much more attractive woman who inexplicably finds him charming. In other words, it's the same as all his other books except this time everyone talks like they're in an old movie.

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Talking About Tolkien - A Thief in the Night (The Hobbit, Ch16)

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

War seems all but inevitable. Fortunately, Bilbo has a plan involving a little bit of honest burglary. Will it pan out? Ben and Nate have doubts.

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Discussing The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week we talk about a book that, being honest, we did not care for. We wanted to read one more locked room mystery to see if this was our thing or not. The patrons voted for this one when it was put up and, well, here we are. It's not a great book and we had more fun talking about it than reading it.

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Talking About Tolkien - The Gathering of the Clouds (The Hobbit, Ch 15)

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

"Clouds", in this case, being a metaphor for a war that Thorin cannot possibly win.

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Discussing Throne of Glass By Sarah J Maas (Part 2)

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Alternate Title: Look to the Right

We finish our discussion of Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas! Who will win the competition to be the king's assassin? Who is going around killing and eating the champions? Which of these two men will our hero end up with? What's the deal with the opium-smoking lady? Find out! Including an extra special bonus for those who actually read the book.

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Discussing Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (Part 1)

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

We're back! Using new recording tech that may break more than I like but we're going to blame Ben for that for not proofing and "having a life". What a jerk. Anyway we should hopefully iron out those technical issues.

But now it's time to talk about Sarah J Maas again! We were pretty happy with Court of Thorns and Roses. So much so that we awarded SJM a prestigious WABie last year. Now we're going to visit her other series: Throne of Glass. Is it going to be an amazing can't-miss book series or a disappointing failure? You'll have to listen to find out!

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Talking About Tolkien - Fire and Water (The Hobbit, Ch14)

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 14:00:00 -0400

I wonder where Smaug went? Oh. Oh dear...

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Discussing Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K Dick

Sun, 26 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Alternate Title: Rick Deckard's Wife is Based

The boys discuss the cyberpunk(ish) classic that inspired Blade Runner. Ben even watched Blade Runner for this episode. Let's see what all the fuss is about.

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Judging Books by Their Cover VI

Sun, 19 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

As is tradition on words about books, once per year we must ritualistically judge books by their covers. Nate has gathered 5 books on which he has "done no research" for Ben to judge. Will Ben be able to select one for the pair to read? Or, in a podcast first, will he be forced to resort to The Mystery Box. Find out on this exciting episode of Words About Books!

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Talking About Tolkien - No One Home and The Desolation of Smaug Movie Discussion (The Hobbit, ch13)

Sat, 18 May 2024 13:00:00 -0400

In this chapter, Smaug leaves the gang alone with his treasure. Bilbo gets a very important mail shirt. Unfortunately, that's about all that happens. So to pad the run time Ben talks about his experience watching Peter Jackson's The Desolation of Smaug.

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Discussing Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson (sequel to the sequel to Neuromancer)

Sun, 12 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

At long last we finish out the Neuromancer/Sprawl trilogy. I never expected to get this far, yet here we are. What I'm saying is that Nate hasn't read this book for 2-3 years and can't remember most of what happened in it so Ben is gonna have to do a TON of carrying here.

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Discussing a NEW RELEASE: The Bridge to Bat City by Ernest Cline (Ernest Cline Saga VIII)

Sun, 05 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

A new release! By... Ernest Cline... oh gosh. Yes Ernest Cline didn't retire after that brazen failure and complete lack of effort and has come back with... his best book to date? What is even happening here?!?

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Talking About Tolkien - Inside Information (The Hobbit, Ch 12)

Sat, 04 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The dragon is found. Bilbo tries to riddle his way out of another jam, but this time, he may have met his match.

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Discussing Murder She Wrote: Gin and Daggers by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Finally, we're covering some proper literature on this podcast. The boys are discussing the book adaptation of the hit murder mystery show from the 80's. Jessica Fletcher is accused of murder in a foreign country. Can she clear her name and find the real killers before they ruin the reputation of Britain's greatest mystery writer who is not Agatha Christie? Yes, obviously. But I assume the journey will be fun regardless.

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Talking About Tolkien - On the Doorstep (The Hobbit, Ch 11)

Sat, 27 Apr 2024 09:00:00 -0400

Things are getting uncomfortably real for Thorin and his friends. To emphasize how screwed they are Ben recounts dragon lore from ages past.

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Discussing The Giver by Lois Lowry

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate discuss the award-winning children's novel. This one is light on summary and heavy on confused philosophical rambling. You have been warned...

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Talking About Tolkien - A Warm Welcome (The Hobbit, Ch 10)

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The gang makes it to Lake-town and Thorin rolls 20 after 20 on those charisma checks. Meanwhile, Ben struggles to find enough lore to scrape together an episode

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Star Wars: Thrawn Treason (Part II The Final Thrawntier)

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

It has been a long time coming. We're finally wrapping up another Thrawn Trilogy. There isn't much Thrawn left. Is this the last of Thrawn we'll ever see?? What about the Grisks? The answer may surprise you... and it's "there isn't anywhere for this to go and it all ends in Rey Star Wars."

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Talking About Tolkien - Barrels out of Bond (The Hobbit, Ch 9)

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Notably absent from this chapter is the most embarrassing CGI barrel fight in motion picture history.

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Discussing Star Wars Thrawn: Treason by Timothy Zahn (We will never stop)

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This might as well just be "Words About Thrawn". This blue alien has come in and just taken over the podcast. I think if you count the bonus super-cut we have, as of this week, talked about Thrawn for 13 episodes. Thrawn has tied with Dune! He cannot be stopped!

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Talking About Tolkien - Flies and Spiders and Bombur (The Hobbit, Ch 8)

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The gang is taken prisoner by sentient spiders. Fortunately, Bilbo has a very particular set of skills that makes him a nightmare to spiders like these.

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Oops All Ben!

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Captain Nate accidentally messed up the crunchitizing machine and we got ALL BEN! OOPS!

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Discussing Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The author of the legendary Legends and Lattes is back with another novel featuring everyone's favorite orc. Can Baldree rekindle the magic and produce another cozy fantasy story for the ages?

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Talking About Tolkien - Queer Lodgings aka Beorn to Be Wild aka The Hobbit Ch 7

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0400

In this chapter the squad finds themselves in Queer Lodgings as guests of a giant, muscular, half-man half-bear. You know, Tolkien was right, language is fun.

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Finishing Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert (Part III)

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 01:00:00 -0400

This week we wrap up an early Dune Month with the final part of Heretics of Dune! Including an interesting fight between Duncan and an Honored Matre that involves plans within plans and a beefstick. You've been warned now.

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Talking About Tolkien - Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire (The Hobbit, Ch6)

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This is a short chapter and a suspiciously long run time. I really hope we didn't go on any long tangents about the deep theological conundrums inherent in Tolkien's mythology...

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Discussing Dune Part 2 (The Movie) ft. The Gravy Man

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

We have a special guest, James of https://ifyouwantthegravy.wordpress.com/ here to help us understand this ground breaking medium of sight and sound that the kids are calling "movies". We'll be talking about Part 2 of Dune. Will this adaptation hold up to the legendary novel? Could it perhaps be even better? Find out on this exciting episode of Words About DUNE!

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Talking About Tolkien - Riddles in the Dark (The Hobbit, Ch 5)

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Bilbo finds a magic ring and riddles for his life. I'm sure it's just a regular magic ring that turns you invisible and not some soul-crushing doomsday weapon.

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Continuing to Discuss Heretics of Dune (Dune V Part II)

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0500

We're back with Heretics of Dune! Or Dune V-II. Today we advance slowly into the story a little further, kind of like how Frank advanced slowly into the story in this book. That's the WAB treatment at work! You get little hints and bits and pieces of the plot in between talking about how Kevin J Anderson is garbage! Just like the book!

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Talking About Tolkien: Over Hill and Under Hill (The Hobbit, Ch4)

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The gang learns that thunderstorms are just giants playing football. Gandalf may or may not be in possession of weapons grade explosives. A lot more pony's are explicitly left to die than you might expect from a children's book.

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Discussing Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert (Part 1)

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0500

It's that time again: Dune month. If you're wondering why it's early this year its because the movie came out and we want that SEO. We're talking about Heretics of Dune. The fifth book in Frank Herbert's Dune series. It is not what the movie is about. Enjoy.

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Talking About Tolkien: A Short Rest (The Hobbit, Ch 3)

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The gang takes a short, tiny, small...2-week long...rest. If you got invited to hang out with Elrond, you wouldn't be very quick to leave either. But just who is Elrond?

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Discussing a NEW RELEASE The Gorgon Incident by John Bierce

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This book is available Feb 27th, 2024 wherever good e-books are sold (or at the very least on Kindle).

This week we're discussing a book by PATRON John Bierce! We've covered The Mage Errant #1, The Wrack, and interviewed him and now we're BACK FOR MORE! We talk about several stories in the series and hopefully don't ruin our friendship with JB forever! Should be a good one!

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Talking About Tolkien: Roast Mutton (The Hobbit, Ch2)

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Bilbo begins his adventure. He runs 2 miles in under 20 minutes, and he even tries his hand at pick pocketing. Maybe there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye.

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Discussing Ghost Hunting for Dummies by Zack Bagans

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This is literally the worst book I've ever read.

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Talking About Tolkien: An Unexpected Party (The Hobbit, ch1)

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Ben once said that if we ever covered Tolkien it would have to be an entirely different podcast. Nate said "Ok." Now here we are, talking about Tolkien. On this podcast we will go through Tolkien's books chapter by chapter adding context and discussing the real world inspirations behind the story. You're encouraged to read along with us. In this episode, we discuss Chapter One of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Party.

If you want early access to these episodes, check out our Patreon!

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Solving The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This week we're taking a look at a Japanese murder mystery from the 40's. Written by the legendary Seishi Yokomizo, whose work only recently became available in English, The Honjin Murders is a locked room mystery in the style of Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr. I sure hope there isn't some strange Rube Goldberg machine involved...

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Discussing the Murder Mystery of The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei (Part II)

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

We're wrapping up our discussion of The Deep Sky by diving into the plot and the murder mystery. Follow along and see if you can guess which of the background characters did a pow pow and the see if you can guess their really stupid motivation. Bonus points if you can deduce how fast it takes to throw them out of an airlock.

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Talking About Tolkien: Announcement

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

We're officially announcing our new project, a minipodcast about The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

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Discussing The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei

Sun, 28 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This week Ben and Nate blast off into space to discuss a nominee for "best new sci-fi" according to some people who might not have good taste. It's The Deep Sky! A book that wants to be about four-hundred different things. We're covering the Sci-Fi aspects of the book and setting the groundwork this week. Then next week, after scaring off all the fans, we're going to discuss the plot and the mystery aspect of the book. If you want to see more content like this then pokemon go to our patreon and consider joining up!

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Discussing The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Part 2)

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate are back for the exciting conclusion to The Hunger Games (Book 1).

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Discussing The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Part 1

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 03:00:00 -0500

The Hunger Games came out in 2008. That was 16-years ago. Let it sink in. Nate has finally convinced Ben to read it. Will it live up to the hype? Will it top Battle Royale?

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A Slice of Abbadon’s Gate (The Expanse Wrap-Up)

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Season five baybay! This week Nate talks about part of the third book in The Expanse and we decide once-and-for-all whether we’re going to continue covering the series.

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Words About Books End of 2023 AWARDS SHOW

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0500

That's right the event that only comes once a year! Ben & Nate both drink. We give out the WABies (an award just as important as the Oscars) and we look back fondly (or not so fondly) on our 2023. Thanks for hanging with us everyone and we hope to see you in 2024. Oh and there's a gift exchange. I literally almost forgot about that. Oops.

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Discussing Armada by Ernest Cline

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0500

This was originally a Patreon bonus episode. Ben wanted it on the feed so bad that he eventually convinced me to release it around the holiday season. So here it is, a present from WAB to you. If you like what you hear consider joining our Patreon. For $3 you get all 4 bonus episodes, voting on a monthly book poll, early access to minisodes, and access to all of our other projects. Merry Xmas!

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Discussing Later On We'll Conspire by Kortney Keisel

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome back to another exciting installment of Santa Nate Save's Christmas (from Ben). This week we're reading Later On We'll Conspire by Kortney Keisel. Has Nate discovered a new Christmas classic or will his total lack of research prove fatal to the very holiday he claims to protect?

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Discussing The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 01:00:00 -0500

In this, the first of our 2023 Christmas episodes, Santa Nate struggles to save Christmas from Ben's anti-fun agenda. The first weapon in Santa Nate's arsenal: The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore. Will this Christmas comedy enlarge Ben's tragically small heart or has Santa Nate chosen poorly? Find out on this exciting episode of Words About Books!

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A Discussion of Timothy Zahn's Icarus Hunt

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0500

This week Nate talks about an original Timothy Zahn! That's right, no blue skinned alien Sherlock Holmes in this book! Does Timothy hit it out of the park or is it a side-quest heavy slog-fest? Find out on today's episode of WAB!

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Ben Discusses Alternate History (Stalin's Hammer by John Birmingham)

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

This week Nate didn't read the book. Hey, you win some you lose some. Actually Nate offered for Ben to hold off on this episode for a week so that he could read it but Ben just really, really needed to talk about this one.

That's right we're deep into the November of our Discontent! Ben has to discuss an action... spy thriller... alternate history thing starring Prince Harry. If you think that sounds funny, well, you're wrong according to Ben. Check it out!

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Discussing Garth Marenghi's TerrorTome by Garth Marenghi

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate read and discuss TerrorTome, the latest novel by fictional author Garth Marenghi. Are they prepared for the most vividly described psycho-sexual relationship between man and typewriter every put to paper? Honestly, no. That was pretty shocking.

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Discussing Halo Cryptum by Greg Bear

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Halo fan Nate and unwilling Halo book reader Ben discuss Halo Cryptum by Greg Bear. Apologies in advance for the amount of coughing and sniffling on the track. Let's pretend it was left in intentionally as a reminder to get your vaccines.

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Bonus: Ben and Spooky Chy Discuss the Five Nights at Freddy's Movie

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 17:00:00 -0500

Long ago Ben and Spooky Chy discussed Five Nights at Freddy's book The Silver Eyes. Based on that tenuous connection they have decided to upload their lengthy discussion of the recent Five Nights at Freddy's movie as a bonus episode of a book podcast.

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Tearing Apart House Atreides by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0400

We kick off The November of Our Discontent with a book guaranteed to upset both of us: House Atreides by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Delight in our suffering as Nate walks us through this book chapter by chapter, and be sure to let us know if you think we've had enough or if the misery should continue...

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The Tell Tale Nate

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

In a parallel universe, Ben became immune to interruption. May God have mercy on our souls.

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Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness (and Ash)

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to World's Most One-Sided Fist Fights! This week we take a look at Marvel Zombies when they take on the Army of Darkness! Who will win!? The zombie super heroes or the guys who routinely get beat by a guy with a shotgun? Find out when we travel back to a simpler time, a pre-Disney Marvel time.

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Jeff the Killer

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 01:00:00 -0400

Ben reads the legendary creepy pasta to Nate. Nate wonders if this violates the Geneva Conventions.

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Goosebumps: Night of the Living Dummy by R. L. Stine (Overly long discussion)

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This week the patrons voted on a Goosebumps book. Are you ready to be terrified by a living dummy? Because if so... just get through the first 80% of this book and we'll get around to that eventually. Stine was not kidding when he said it was a night of the living dummy and it was our fault for not taking him very literally. Are you ready to see the Goosebumps mascot at play in his debut book? Because... I mean it happens... like right at the end. Look I didn't realize that the book we probably wanted to read was the second part. So instead you're getting Mr. Wood and you just have to live with it. Mr. Wood is the Wish com version of Slappy much in the same way this book is the Wish com version of Night of the Living Dummy 2. This is the book you had at home when you asked your mom if you could get it. We're just going to have to all live with this together.

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Discussing Hellraiser (The Movie)

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

One can hardly talk about The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker without paying equal attention to the movie he directed based on it: Hellraiser. Join us for the rare Words About Movies episode.

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Discussing The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Guess what month it is? That's right. It's MY month. Today we're talking about Clive Barker's novella "The Hellbound Heart" upon which the legendary Hellraiser is based.

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Discussing Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (More Like BORING New World AMIRITE?!?)

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This week Nate takes a nap while Ben retells the story of Brave Ne...w... wo...r...zzzzzzzzz. Oh what? Huh? Oh yeah Ben retells it in a way that's like 1000x more interesting than the actual book itself.

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Discussing The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin (Part 2)

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate continue their discussion of The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin. Nate becomes distracted by bodily fluids. Content Warning: Violence Against Children, Forced Birth, Infanticide

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Discussing The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This week on the podcast Ben and Nate discuss The Fifth Season, Book 1 of The Shattered Earth trilogy. Will Ben be able to convince Nate that exploring the mysteries of orogeny is worth experiencing the miseries of The Shattered Earth?

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Ben vs. Nate: Debate 2023

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This week we've got an episode where we try to convince you to vote for one of our book picks. If this is well-liked we'll do it again next year. If not we'll just pretend this never happened. If you want to be part of the voting process go to our patreon or discord and vote for Nate (or Ben if you want to vote for him, whatever).

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Discussing Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 17:00:00 -0400

This week we discuss Ogres, a novella by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This book has a ridiculous cover. It's written in the present tense, second person. Is there any way that this isn't terrible? The answer may surprise you.

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Nate Emperor of WAB (God Emperor of Dune Part II by Frank Herbert)

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This week we wrap up our discussion of Dune IV Part II: escape from the house of mummies. Does a worm man have feelings? Can we exploit those feelings? Can you really be the most empathetic person on the planet if you're also getting with your husband's friend? Find out on the exciting conclusion of Robot Man Tries to Write Again!

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Dune IV: God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This week we touch upon Dune once again! Nate, The God Emperor of WAB, is one book closer to opening his package from Definitely Frank Herbert. Ben is one book closer to achieving enlightenment in his pantaloons. And Frank Herbert is one book closer to spelling it all out for us. What does the giant worm man have to say about government, the Romans and MENLY MANLY MEN?!?! Find out in this week's episode!

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Discussing A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas (Part 3)

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 12:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate conclude their discussion of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Can Feyre survive Amarantha's trials? Can Ben survive whatever has gotten into Nate?

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Discussing A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas (Part 2)

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate continue their discussion of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. In this one we get into the romance, the sex, and the mystery of the missing roast beef.

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Discussing A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate discuss A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. What are the odds that Ben and Nate will actually like this booktok favorite? Could anything live up to this much hype? We'll find out on this exciting episode of Words About Book!

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Ben Tells Nate About Hunt For the Skinwalker By Colm A. Kelleher and George Knapp

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Nate learns that reality is more complicated than he ever dared to imagine in a thrilling episode where Ben unveils the mysteries of the universe. How deep do the conspiracies go? Did Aliens write the bible? Are Bigfoots afraid of dogs? Are the aliens dogs themselves? Did a trickster god hide my car keys? The answer to all these questions and more is "probably."

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A VG Discussion of Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Thanks to our patrons for making us read today's book. This week we discuss Bridget Jones's Diary! Not the movie, the movie is probably better. No this is the book where we discuss a sad British woman slowly drinking and eating (or not) herself to death while wondering why nobody loves her. If you want to make us read more of this (or save us from this stuff) then go to our patreon and join our $2 supporter tier!

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Banjo Royale (Battle Royale by Koushun Takami Pt II)

Sun, 02 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Well this was unexpected... y'all. Yes we're wrapping up Battle Royale by discussing favorite scenes, breaking out the rubric, and discussing how we might faire in a battle royale situation. Would we band together? When would we have to betray one another? Would we go into a defensible house or hide in the forest? Well fate dealt us a different hand than either of us expected. Banjos. You have to listen to this one.

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The Road to Battle Royale (Battle Royale by Koushun Takami Part I)

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This week Ben & Nate talk about Battle Royale! It's Fortnite only as a book! We start by setting the stage, priming you for our impending discussion on what we would do in a Battle Royale situation, and discussing the idea of the book. Then... well you'll have to listen to it yourself! Also the movie was better.

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Discussing Star Wars: Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate discuss Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore. It's the Star Wars book that kicked off The New Jedi Order, a 19-book long Star Wars Legends series that features some of the greatest moments, but also some of the most boring moments in all of Legends. Which will this book be, and why was Nate's audiobook only 3 hours long?

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Discussing The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Content Warning: Suicide, Violence, Violence against children.

We discuss Paul Tremblay's novel turned M. Night Shyamalan film, The Cabin at the End of the World. Will this live up to the high standard set by Head Full of Ghosts, or is Shyamalan's interest in this story foreshadowing for disappointment to come?

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Discussing a Dirty Job by Christopher Moore (Part 2)

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 13:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate continue their discussion of A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. They try and fail to summarize the book before descending into the sweet release of total insanity.

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Discussing A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore (Part 1)

Sun, 28 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate decide to take a look at a book they read 15 years ago to see if it still holds up. That was a mistake. In Part 1 of our two part discussion of A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore we examine the characters and tone of the book and ask ourselves an important question: Have we grown up?

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Discussing One of Us Is Lying (On the Ground, Choking to Death) by Karen M McManus

Sun, 21 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This week we have another mystery! That we both solved almost immediately. We're not trying to do more mysteries it just happens to be that way. 5 students enter detention. 5 of them leave. Except one of them leaves TO A HOSPITAL! And then he leaves that hospital. IN A BODY BAG!

The Words About Books boys discuss the mystery of Simon The DeadGuy (I forgot his last name). Who could have killed him? Was it The Jock? The Popular Girl? The Nerd? Or the Bad Boy Criminal? It's The Breakfast Club meets Agatha Christie and the most important question of all has yet to be answered: Which one of them is lying?!

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Lacero: A Ready Player One Canon Fanfiction by Andy Weir

Sun, 14 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

What? Read that title again. Yes this is Lacero. A fanfic that became canon. Why did it become canon? Listen to a few minutes of the podcast and it all becomes crystal clear. How was a 6 page short story stretched into a 47 minute podcast? Because we're goddamn professionals, that's how.

Especially Nate.

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Mortal Instruments - City of Bones by Cassandra Clare [Ft. Uncited] (Part 2)

Sun, 07 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This is Part Two of a conversation we had with Uncited: The Internet's Least Reliable English Lit Podcast on The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. Please check out Part 1 if you have not done so already. In this part we conclude our discussion with thrilling tales of vampires, seductive warlocks, and of course everyone's favorite siblings! Alec and Isabelle...wait who did you think I meant?

Please check out our guest's podcast over at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/uncited/

You can reach them on Twitter at
https://twitter.com/UncitedPod/

And on Instagram at
https://www.instagram.com/uncitedpod/

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Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare [Ft. Uncited] (Part 1)

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate are joined by Amy and Chantelle of Uncited: An English Lit podcast to discuss a masterpiece of the English literary canon: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.

Please check out our guest's podcast over at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/uncited/

You can reach them on Twitter at
https://twitter.com/UncitedPod/

And on Instagram at
https://www.instagram.com/uncitedpod/

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Ben and Nate Return to Thrawntanamo Bay (Part 2)

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate continue their discussion of Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn (Thrawn #1). In this episode Thrawn has a romantic encounter with a certain fowl of the evening and Arihnda Pryce goes absolutely insane.

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Ben and Nate Return to Thrawntanamo Bay

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate discuss Thrawn by Timothy Zahn (Thrawn #1). It's been far too long since Ben and Nate checked in on their favorite Chiss Grand Admiral. This time we tackle the tale of Thrawn's rise to power within the Imperial Navy. Will Thrawn be able to gain power without compromising his morals? Will he be able to discover the true nature of The Emperor's secret project? (It's the Death Star. It's always The Death Star.)

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Nate Recommends/Tortures Ben with We Are Legion We Are Bob by Dennis E. Taylor

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 01:00:00 -0400

This week Nate clones himself endlessly in an attempt to destroy Ben's will to exist. Also he discusses a book with a similar idea called We Are Legion We Are Bob. Will Nate win Ben over to reading this book and finding enjoyment in programmer humor? Or will he just use this as a shallow excuse to hurt Ben using literature as his weapon? Find out on the next exciting episode of WAB POD!

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Discussing The Maid by Nita Prose

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate read The Maid by Nita Prose. It won several awards for both Best Debut Novel and Best Myster/Thriller novel, but can this Book/tok/stagram/tube darling stand up to the rigorous academic scrutiny of Words About Books. We shall see...

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A Very Special Words About Books Episode (Best of Ben)

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This week on Words About Books we have a special episode. Yes we're still going to have our regular Sunday release but Nate thought he would take this opportunity to appreciate Ben by sharing his favorite Ben moments on the podcast. He's not bitter. We hope you enjoy this episode.

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Judging Books By Their Covers V

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 01:00:00 -0400

This week on Words About Books we're going to do something we've never ever done before on Judging Books By Their Covers. Want to know more? You'll have to listen to find out and you won't believe our ears! Hey if it works for Hell's Kitchen, it might work for us.

Yes it's that time of year where Ben has to pick a book from Nate's treasure trove of books... only with a twist! We also talk about the NCAA bracket at the time of the recording. You might also wonder where the monthly book is. Well Ben decided to move to another apartment and let us all down. So March is going to be a little slimmer pickens but don't worry this episode and the month of April will make up for it. You'll just have to tune in to find out!

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Nate Recommends Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 01:00:00 -0400

This week on Words About Books a medicine man explains to a computer programmer man how science works. We discuss Project Hail Mary in detail and Nate just might convince Ben to read a book he recommends.

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Ray Bradbury's Zero Hour and The Long Rain

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0500

It was a podcast. It was a long podcast. It was a torrential downpour of po-

And we're done! This week we're talking about Ray Bradbury short stories as voted on by the patrons! Do you want to be a sexy captain of industry? Then sign up for our patreon and MAYBE that will happen. We don't know. No refunds!

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Discussing Fated by Sarah Fine [Servants of Fate Book 3] (Part 2)

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0500

This episode contains explicit content. Don't listen to this without listening to part 1. And if you listened to part 1 and you want to listen to part 2, then you number among an elite group of Words About Books listeners with a stronger than average tolerance for nonsense. You deserve to be commended. You are the real heroes.

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Discussing Fated by Sarah Fine [Servants of Fate, Book 3]

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 23:00:00 -0500

This episode contains explicit material. Servants of Fate is an Erotic Urban Fantasy set in a Dystopian Environmental Collapse Future with a magic system inspired loosely by Greek Mythology. If that sounds like a lot, it's because it is.

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Author Interview - John Bierce (Mage Errant and The Wrack)

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 01:00:00 -0500

This week we were fortunate enough to have the chance to sit down and talk with John Bierce. John is the author of the Mage Errant series and The Wrack. We chat a bit about his writing process, mega structures, and the sexy sexy subject of Geology.

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Spy x Family: One we actually really liked!

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0500

This week we are finally talking about something we liked! A Japanese manga which is SORT OF like a book. It's part wacky comedy, part spy drama, part wholesome family story. Highly recommended if you enjoy good stories and fun adventures.

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How to Kill Your Family (with a Razor-Sharp Wit) by Bella Mackie

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Thank you to our Patrons for voting for today's episode! This is a book that sounds so incredible. A woman is in prison for a murder she didn't commit. Oh but she DID kill 6 people, all members of her rich father's family. Now she's writing her memoirs about those 6 killings while a mystery unfolds on what really happened to the person she didn't kill.

Or that's what I thought anyway. Instead it's mostly a mean-spirited dick (Grace) rambling for 400 pages. No that's not a joke, that's even written in the book. To quote the book: "Christ, I'm rambling again." This book is painful to read and even more painful to listen to.

I promise we don't only read books we don't like. I mean we read an Agatha Christie novel earlier this year and it was awesome! Nate genuinely thought the premise to this book sounded amazing but the author does not know how to write novels. Nothing about this book works. It's easily one of the worst books we have ever read on this podcast. So strap in for a deconstruction of everything that went wrong with this book as we attempt to solve the real mystery: what is this book and what is it trying to say?

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The Expanse - Caliban's War (More Like Caliban's Bore) by James SA Corey Part 2

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0500

We're still talking about Caliban's War, and we still don't like it. On the plus side, with a part two episode this long we know that no one else is listening. Now we can get into all the really juicy criticisms.

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The Expanse - Caliban's War (More like Caliban's Chore, amirite?)

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0500

This week Ben and Nate read the sequel to one of their favorite books of last year. Join them as they embark upon a quest to find a missing girl and unravel the mystery of a mysterious alien monste-and hey wait a minute, is any of this starting to sound painfully familiar?

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And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0500

This week Ben and Nate are voted by the patrons to travel to an island off the coast of Devon to investigate 9 murders and a suicide. Which one of the islands residents could have done all of these murders? And which one knows that we're listening to his/her inner monologue in order to cheat us out of being able to solve the mystery? Find out on this week when we tackle And Then There Were None!

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Norse Myth - Dude Where's My Mjolnir

Sun, 08 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0500

We're talking about norse myth again. This time we talk about the one where Thor has to do drag to save Asgard and retrieve his hammer Mjolnir!

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"Author" "Interview" - Chad Dingleton, Writer of Extra Sensual Perception

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Ben puts off medical treatment to make sure he's available for Words About Books' first ever author interview. He should have known better. Join Ben as he has a life changing discussion with amateur Erotica author, Chad Dingleton, who is almost certainly not just Nathaniel Creed in sunglasses and a backwards baseball cap.

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End of the Year Awards + Xmas Show Gift Exchange!

Sun, 25 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0500

It's that time of year again! Nate drinks alcohol and gets festive while Ben is a less-rich Scrooge. A Grinch if you would. We give our coveted end-of-the-year awards, exchange book gifts for next year, and look back on season 3 and forward to season 4 in this Very Special Episode of Words About Books.

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The Mage Errant by THE John Bierce

Sun, 18 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0500

This week on Words About Books we tackle John Bierce's other work: The Mage Errant. Listeners of the show might know that we covered another one of his books last year called The Wrack. That book was Nate's #1 book of 2021! Will The Mage Errant claim the 2022 role? Or will we keep going on tangents talking about Naruto? The answer may surprise you! Also since Nate had to cut a ton of stuff from this episode consider throwing $2 at us on Patreon as we're going to start putting our extra tracks on there for that amount very soon. It's 8+ minutes of tangents and filler! That's way less than Naruto!

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Nate Should Read Babel by RF Kuang

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Ben attempts to convince Nate and The Listener to read Babel by RF Kuang. If you have already read this book, listen anyway and be convinced to read it again.

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ARMADA BY ERNEST CLINE (Preview)

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Ben did it! He finally convinced Nate to talk about Armada. Support us on Patreon for $5 or more and get access to this AND ALL OTHER BONUS EPISODES AND ADDITIONAL CONTENT!

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Claimed by Sarah Fine (Servants of Fate) Part 2

Sun, 04 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0500

We continue our discussion of Claimed by Sarah Fine (Servants of Fate). If you haven't already please check out part 1, or this will not make much sense.

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Claimed by Sarah Fine (Servants of Fate Book 2) Part 1

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate discuss claimed by Sarah Fine. Long ago we read a book chosen somewhat at random. That book was Marked by Sarah Fine and we mocked it relentlessly. Then something unexpected happened. It lived absolutely rent free in our heads for the next two years. We MUST find out what happens next. Maybe you care, maybe you don't, but this IS happening.

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Ben vs. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Sun, 20 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0500

This week the boys discuss a book voted on by the Patrons over at Patreon: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants! Ben goes all Carmen on us when he describes this book. Nate thanks the Patrons for giving us a book Ben finally hates. If you want to hear more about the Sisterhood OR you never want to hear from them again then consider becoming a $2 Patron to vote in our monthly polls! Help Nate annoy Ben or help Ben curb Nate's tyrannical abuse of power! Democracy!

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I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (We're Also Glad)

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0500

This week Words About Books tackles non-fiction! Something we've probably perhaps never done maybe? It's Jennette McCurdy from such hit shows as iCarly and also others doing her actual passion: writing. She expertly writes her memoirs in an easy-to-read and shockingly entertaining fashion. Also her mom died and we don't say this often, but good for her.

This episode courtesy of Nate's wife.

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Why Nate is Not an English Major & Memories of My Melancholy W****s

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0400

This episode brought to you by all the beautiful people over at our Patreon. If you want to vote on what we're going to read and discuss then head on over to https://www.patreon.com/WABPod

This week the boys read Memories of My Melancholy Whores by a Nobel Prize winning author. On a 100% related subject Nate discusses why he's no longer an English major. Hint: this book played a key role in that decision.

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The Raven (Halloween Spooktacular 2022)

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 11:00:00 -0400

It's Halloween and you know what that means! A spooky story from your pals at Words About Books. The spookiest part? Nate got this out... LATE :O

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Dracula by Bram Stoker Part 3

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0400

We conclude our discussion of Dracula by Bram Stoker. As you all know, part 3's are only for the super fans. So get ready to get weird.

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Horror Classic - Dracula by Bram Stoker Part 2

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0400

The discussion of Dracula by Bram Stoker continues. Lucy dies and then takes up child murder. In that order. Van Helsing and the boys team up to mutilate a sexy corpse. Mina saves Jonathon, I wonder if he'd ever be able to save her?

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Horror Classic - Dracula by Bram Stoker

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0400

We read the legendary Dracula by Bram Stoker. This is the book that put vampires on the map. It has it all. Monsters, Mayhem, Vague Allusions to Sex, and SO MUCH JOURNALING. Prepare yourselves for bad accents and hot takes. Guard yourselves with your heaviest crucifix and your most potent spices. Turn out the lights, and turn up this episode of WORDS ABOUT BOOO-KS

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The BETTER Haunting of Hill House (Miniseries Discussion)

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 01:00:00 -0400

This week Ben and Nate read a book with moving pictures and sound on something called a "Netflix". It's the Haunting of Hill House miniseries! It's like the original except it fleshed out a lot of the characters and improved on the foundation that the book laid down in almost every way! Seriously it's great you should check it out!

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Horror Classic: The Haunting of Hill House (A Discussion)

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0400

The boys start Spooky Month 2022 with a discussion of a classic in ever sense of the word: The Haunting of Hill House. Is there a spooky ghost? How can we defeat a House that stands on its own? And why the hell did Shirley Jackson think having two late-game cartoon characters would be a good idea? All these answers AND MORE await you!

I wondered about calling this "Discussion at House on the Hill" as a parody of Betrayal at House on the Hill. But then nobody would know or care what I was talking about. So instead you get a boring title.

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The Dresden Files - Grave Peril by Jim Butcher Part 2

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0400

We conclude our discussion of Jim Butcher's Grave Peril. We follow Harry Dresden as he infiltrates a vampire party, and then escapes, and then reinfiltrates the vampire's head quarters even less prepared than he was the first time. Is it crazy? Or is it just crazy enough to work?

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Dresden Files - Grave Peril by Jim Butcher

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Two Dresden novices jump into the series for the very first time. They discover a world of magic, monsters, weird audio book direction, and many many descriptions of the humanoid mammary. Join them as they try to find out who is driving the spirit world of the Chicago Metro Area into a chaotic maelstrom!

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Children of Dune by Frank Herbert Part III

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Nate's body is on fire as he types this. He's really sick. Just like this episode is sick and on fire yo! This be pumpin' dawg! That's right! We're here or the final episode of the first Frank Herbert Dune Trilogy! Who will claim the Imperial Throne? Alia? Baron von Jiggly Jello? Farad'n? Leto the II? The answer might surprise you... but of all of those answers one is only HALF right!

Prepare yourself for one last adventure as we head toward the final conclusion which sees the creation of a nigh unstoppable superman-worm!

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Children of Dune by Frank Herbert Part II

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 11:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate continue their discussion of Children of Dune. Clumsy re-enactments, reference humor, plans within plans...this episode has it all!

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Children of Dune by Frank Herbert Part I

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0400

We're back for our yearly spice trance! That's right, break out your space crack and start huffing it with every orifice and inch of skin you can possibly put spice into or on top of. When the police come, just let them know you were trying to achieve enlightenment and have them listen to the episode too - we want your views.

This year we're covering Children of Dune. This episode sets the groundwork: two children who have lived many lives have a horrible choice to make. Their aunt and regent of the Empire has become possessed by a malevolent spirit, her husband is contemplating his own machinations, there's a preacher who may spark a civil war, their grandmother has returned to the planet with unknown motives, and uh... there are some tigers? Some tigers that are trying to kill them? Look, they can't all be winners.

Join Nate and Ben as they examine the fall-out of Paul's supposed death and the birth of his two children. If you can't get you enough of this sweet sweet Dune there's an additional 6 minutes of cut content on our patreon too.

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An Attempt to Recommend Sandman by Neil Gaiman

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Ben attempts to recommend that Nate (and the audience by proxy) read or watch Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Nate will not be recommended to without a fight, though. The conversation wanders through the DC Universe, Alan Moore, and I think One Piece for a minute there...honestly forget how that one came up.

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Norse Myth - Taking a Voluspa Day

Sun, 14 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0400

It's been a rough few weeks here at Words About Books headquarters. We decided to relax and unwind with a refreshing Spa Day...a Voluspa Day! We're diving back into The Poetic Edda with Jackson Crawford's translation of Voluspa. Tag along as we follow Odin All-Father on a quest to learn how our world began and perhaps more importantly, how it will end...

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Ready Player Two III (Ernest Cline VI) THE FINALE

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0400

This week it's done. We're done. Nate is done, most of all. We read every Ready Player Book part-by-part. That is a total of two books, but it feels like a million. A million shitty books. Every chapter is so densely packed with references, idiocy, escapism, and the rampant justification for an existence not worth having. Every time you dig into one wrong point you run into ever more worse points and poor writing. So like... we're done. We're done. We're finally done.

Thankfully Ernest also seems to be done because Part 3 of this book is 5 or 6 chapters. I guess there wasn't really anywhere to go with after Part 2 ended with "and then the loser protagonist basically won". If we're lucky and fortunate he'll stop writing and go away. If he ever does come out with Ready Player Zero... let us know if you want us to review it because I really don't want to.

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Words About Books vs. Ready Player Two (Ready Player Two Part II)

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0400

This week it's finally time to bust out the 80s references! And also, you know, the actual story of Ready Player Two. After Ernest wastes a lot of time and energy on a dull part 1 he's basically starting and finishing the book in part 2! The true battle between Words About Books and Ready Player Two is about to commence!

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A Needlessly In-Depth Analysis of Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Hey are you ready for a fun trip into 80s nostalgia! Well you've come to the right place... in like 121 pages or so. Yeah we'll throw you a bone here and there. You remember Marty McFly's alarm clock?!? Yeah... I hope that reference will sustain you. Because we're not going to spend a whole lot of time in the Oasis doing Ready Player One stuff. Sure we'll go steal the script to Princess Bride but all that action and plot progression and "stuff that's actually happening" is going to have to come in part 2 of the book.

I'm not joking. If you've read this book (and you obviously have because everyone reads along with us) you know that the pacing of this book is awful, the author really didn't care about this book, and he phones in the majority of it. That's so apparent here in part 1 where we're going to lay the ground work. The same way Ernest does: telling it to you directly. Then we're going to lay some groundwork, put some work on the ground, build up to some future stuff, establish the ground that we will be standing on, pouring the foundation for the book... do you get the point yet?

This book sucks but Nate had to read it so you have to listen to this episode. Support the show so that Nate knows that everything is going to be okay.

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THE BEST OF WABPOD Quarter 2 2022

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Another compilation episode just for you! Yes you, the person reading this right now. Nate made this only for you.

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The Ghost Hunters Adventure Club and the Train to Nowhere by Dr. Cecil H. H. Mills

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Cecil is back and he's done it again! This brilliant super genius author man has once again changed the game in ways that we won't fully understand for generations to come. He's released another fantastic book about two alleged brothers and their much smarter female friend as they tackle THE TRAIN TO NOWHERE! It's got action. It's got drama. It's got suspense. It's got Nate challenging Arin Hanson to a fist fight! It's got everything you could ever possibly want in both a book and a podcast covering said book. We really hope this book does well because if it does we're all going to come out super rich with yachts!

Also if you're reading this in the future check out our final episode of this year, December 25th, 2022 to see if this book wins another Words About Books award wherein we will inscribe Dr. Cecil and his book's name on a trophy and then... keep it. It's our trophy. Last year Dr. Cecil made it in the top 3 but NOT number 1. But maybe this year is finally his year to get the "coveted" trophy? Again he won't actually GET the trophy but he will get to look at it.

Also coming soon: merch related to this book! Because when Dr. Cecil tells you to sell knock-off merch to keep the capitalism machine running, you listen.

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Thrawn Alliances Part 2: As The Mokivj Turns

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Ben continues to describe Thrawn Alliances by Timothy Zahn to Nate. Things quickly get out of hand as Ben crumbles under the weight of two very similar timelines. Truthfully, we didn't even bother editing this one very closely. You wanted Thrawn. We'll give you Thrawn. In fact, why don't you all go smoke a whole CARTON of Thrawn.

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Thrawn (Yes, again) Alliances Part 1

Sun, 03 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Ben read Star Wars: Thrawn: Alliances by Timothy Zahn.
Listeners demanded it. They even bought us coffee for it! Now it's here. It is Ben's turn to describe a Thrawn book to Nate. The result has been described as "a disaster" and "are you STILL recording?"

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Getting Tuf On Ecological Crime

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate read "Guardians" by George R.R. Martin featuring his legendary recurring character, a hairless, obese man named Tuf. This is a real thing and I actually quite enjoy it.

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Minecraft: The Island and Interrupting Ben Nonstop

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0400

This week on Words About Books we tackle Minecraft: The Island! Ben picked this book when he was given the option and he has no regrets. Come listen as we discuss Max Brooks playing Minecraft for the first time and blogging about his experiences. Now with cannibalism and body horror!

Fun tip: Did you know that if you pull out your crafting table, put a block of copper in the top left corner, the bottom right corner and the top left corner and then put a block of lapis lazuli in the middle and a block of amethyst in the bottom left corner you can ALSO interrupt Ben repeatedly!? It's fun, try it some time.

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Bonus Episode: Thrawn, Coffee, and Ben's Misery

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Extra episode time! We get paid money for Ben's human suffering! It's the best! If you're interested in ruining Ben's life feel free to throw money at him! His misery is INCREDIBLY cheap!

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A Long Meandering Summary of Iron Widow

Sun, 12 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Ben describes Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao to Nate. The boys are burnt out from House of Leaves, so Ben decides to regale us with a tale of a YA book he read recently. It's described as The Handmaid's Tale meets Pacific Rim. Does it deliver on that promise? Can Ben remember any of the terminology? Will Nate stop saying "polycule?" Find out all this and more on this week's episode of Words About Books!

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House of Leave(s) Part 3

Sun, 05 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0400

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House of Leave(s)

Sun, 29 May 2022 00:00:00 -0400

ThIs week Ben and Nate reaD HOuse of Leaves by Mark DaNielewski. A bOok abouT a movie that never existed. Nate’s exCitement quickly weArs off as he discoveRs that thE mystery oF The NavidsOn RecoRd is noT wHat he was promIsed. Ben uSes his douche philosophy powers to try discover what the novel is actually aBout, but even he has his limits. HOuse of Leaves isn’t a stOry that holds your hand and wipes your bottom. Can the boys survive this labyrinth of a booK?

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Get Thrawned Again! It's The Hand of Thrawn Duology!

Sun, 22 May 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Prepare to get Thrawned all over again as Nate recounts what happened in The Hand of Thrawn Duology while Ben is forced to sit and listen! Our heroes are once again meandering around waiting for the plot when THRAWN RETURNS! OR DOES HE?!? NO! BUT MAYBE YES!? Witness the mad dash to run in every direction possible all at once in order to obtain a document that will stop people from using the lack of said document as a justification for genocide! Witness as Ben's will to live is slowly sucked away with every new plot development. And that's just the first book! THIS EPISODE COVERS TWO BOOKS! FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! WHAT AN AMAZING VALUE!

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Lokasenna, The Most Passive Aggressive Myth

Sun, 15 May 2022 11:00:00 -0400

Ben forces Nate to read Lokasenna, a poem about the Norse gods from the Poetic Edda. The boys are finally taking the plunge into real art and culture. This week we're covering a classic of European myth and history: Lokasenna. A poem in which Loki becomes very drunk and roasts all the gods.

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Judging Books By Their Cover IV

Sun, 08 May 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Nate has once again compiled a list of books for Ben to choose for our next book club. Ben can judge them only based on the information present on their covers. This time there is a secret theme to all of the choices. See if you can guess what it is.

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Think Global, Read Local

Sun, 01 May 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Ben reads Shepherd's Fall by George R. Appelt Jr. What was supposed to be a relatively straightforward discussion of a mysterious local horror author quickly goes off the rails. The boys grapple with a multifaceted narrative filled with ghosts, possible zombies, demons, and serious foundation damage that could run well into the 5-figures.

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WABPod New Rating System and Marathon Re-Review

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0400

This week Ben finally unveils a rating system he kinda sorta plagiarised from an English Creative Writing class. Yes after months of threatening both Nate and the listeners he's finally gone and done it! And the results are... actually pretty good. Hopefully this will help us organize our thoughts and help you the listener understand what we liked, didn't like, and why from a variety of standpoints. After unveiling this new ratings system we stress test it by talking about EVERY BOOK THAT WE PREVIOUSLY BOTH READ AND DISCUSSED ON THIS PODCAST AND RE-REVIEW THEM ALL!

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THE BEST OF WABPOD Quarter 1 2022

Sun, 17 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0400

We've got a bonus for you this week! The best of the first quarter of WAB Pod! Chapter markers available off of our website.

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Axiom's End Addendum and Nate Being Right About Everything

Sun, 17 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0400

This week on Words About Books Ben continues to move to another apartment instead of buying a house. So while he's busy throwing away his money we have to do a short episode. So we're talking a little more about Axiom's End to get a deeper conversation. Ben then brings up what a "popcorn movie" is and is wrong. He's just wrong. If he puts up a twitter poll be sure to tell him how incorrect he is. Anyway here's more Axiom's End by Lindsey Ellis!

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A Discussion About Axiom's End and Noumena

Sun, 10 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0400

This week on Words About Books Ben & Nate discuss Axiom's End by Lindsey Ellis. Because Nate is writing the description and editing he can tell you that Ben spent the first 16 minutes off the mic and then he came back to eat a sandwich necessitating the complete re-recording of the introduction.

Join us as we discuss Axiom's End, a book about First Contact. It's a book set in the late 2000s aka "the good old days???" where World of Warcraft and Oblivion were still things people talked about and George W Bush was still president. Only in this world ALIENS! Our main character is swept up in the chaos of First Contact and the existential threat of human extinction. Ben & Nate both rated it pretty highly although Nate rated it more "above average" while Ben rated it "highly recommended". He really really wants these two to get together.

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James Talks Bond

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Words About Books is back with another exciting episode this week! Nate & James (aka New Ben) discuss a long-running book series: James Bond. We run through every single book there is in the franchise, starting all the way back with Dr. No. The Bond franchise is unique in that its books are moving pictures with sound added to them. Oh crap I think we just watched every film in the Bond franchise instead of actually reading... oh well! Hear our thoughts on EVERY movie in the Bond franchise including the two non-canon ones! It'll be a good one for sure!

If you want to see more from James he's got a website here: https://ifyouwantthegravy.wordpress.com/

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Words About Books LIVE Episode!

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Today is a very special episode of Words About Books. We do our first LIVE EPISODE BAYBAY! We recorded this a few days ago and are putting it up today. I know it's coming out on April 1st but that's coincidental. This is a deadly serious episode. We honored a great man who did great things and Nate had the honor to be part of that. Hope you enjoy!

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Ben Recommends Legends and Lattes

Sun, 27 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Ben convinces Nate to Read Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. That's right! Our resident expert on horror and human misery has decided to take a break from the hellish nightmare he insists on living to enjoy a pleasant, slice-of-life, low stakes fantasy novel about an Orc who wants to open a coffee shop and the friends she makes along the way.

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Halo: The Master Chief Strikes First

Sun, 20 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Last year on Words About Books we got on the Halo Infinite coattails by talking about Halo: The Fall of Reach. This year there's a Paramont+ Halo show so WE'RE BACK BAYBAY!

This week on Words About Books Nate reads Halo: First Strike and it becomes very apparent that Ben doesn’t get the fundamental underlying concept of early Halo. Let me make it easy for you: humans good, aliens bad. That’s it. It’s pretty straight forward. They keep killing our planets and Master Chief has to stop them and maybe learn to care about humanity along the way. It's called CHARACTER GROWTH, BEN! No, he WON'T learn to care about alien-life or their hopes and dreams. Now stop thinking about it and shoot 'em all! It’s not that hard, BEN.

Anyway Master Chief blows up a bunch of persons, places, AND things and punches a lot of aliens to death like a super Chad boss man. Sgt. Johnson is around being a cool dude. Then the book gets retconned out of existence. Stick around until the end for the Halo: First Strike speedrun! Should be a good one!

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Waking the Leviathans Part III

Sun, 13 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0500

We conclude our discussion of Leviathan Wakes by James SA Corey. Ben and Nate are well on their way to becoming some sort of Joker figure as Ben's hatred of Holden turns into a kind of stygian madness and Nate nearly dies laughing at his own jokes.

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Leviathans and How to Wake Them Part II

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 01:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate continue their discussion of Leviathan Wakes by James SA Corey. The boys really dig into the philosophical meat of The Expanse series on this one. The previous sentence was intended to be sarcastic.

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Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey Part I

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The boys read Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey. We're finally taking a look at the much hyped Expanse series. A number of hard questions must be answered. Does it live up to the hype? Can a book still work for you if you hate its main character? Are lawful good players in D&D the actual worst?

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The Rent Is Too Damn Lovecraftian

Sun, 20 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0500

This week we discuss 14 by Peter Clines. Ben attempts his first podcast ever without the assistance of caffeine. Nate struggles to imagine what it would be like to live in an apartment building filled with people who like and respect him.

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Burned by the Burning God Part 3

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate at last reach the end of their journey. Not just to this book but to this series of books. We get to look back and examine what it was all about. What was the purpose of all of this? What did we learn? What was the takeaway message? Is it okay to burn a village of your own people for fun? Is colonialism bad? It's bad right? It's bad? Right? Perhaps the most important question we look back on is this: was it all worth it? Were all the sacrifices of friends and family, the endless wars, the hunger and starvation, the betrayals, the drug addiction... was it all worth it? The answer is no.

Also be sure to listen to the end where Ben and Nate settle their bet from last year! If Rin dies and Kitay also dies as a result of their soul bond link, Nate gets one of Ben's book picks this year!

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Burned by The Burning God Part 2

Sun, 06 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The boys continue their discussion of The Burning God by R.F. Kuang. Ben defends Part 2 from Nate's relentless onslaught, but even Ben must admit that mistakes were made. Another question is raised. Would Daji be a better protagonist than Rin?

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The Thrawn Trilogy Supercut

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0500

It's finally time to put Thrawn to rest. Here's 5 episodes of our podcast over a 100 episode timeframe supercut and smashed together. If Thrawn studied this art, he'd give us a goddamn medal. Hope you enjoy!

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Burned by The Burning God Part 1

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate discuss The Burning God, R.F. Kuang's conclusion to The Poppy War trilogy. The boys are shocked to find that The Burning God is not quite the slam dunk they thought it would be. Nate asks an uncomfortable question. Does this book ruin the series?

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A Blatant Attempt to Cash in on the Popularity of Spiderman

Sun, 23 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0500

We discuss The Superior Spiderman by Dan Slott, with artwork by Ryan Stegman, Humberto Ramos, and Giuseppe Camuncoli. The boys are swerving out of their lane and discussing graphic novels once again. For science. It has nothing to do with a certain property that is smashing box office records...

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The Original Star Wars Episode 9 (Thrawn Trilogy #3) Part II

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to episode 100! We wrap up our discussion of the Thrawn Trilogy that we started ONE HUNDRED EPISODES AGO! Thanks everyone for sticking with us this long. Hope you enjoy one last dive into Thrawn as we discuss The Last Command by Timothy Zahn.

Hello there. Prepare to go to a galaxy far far away one more time. Here we go again! Thrawn has the high ground! But our heroes have turned against him! But really, he did that to himself. Despite all of Thrawn's power and intellect he couldn't not get stabbed to death. The only one he couldn't save was himself. Uhh... yeah no I'm out of horrible Star Wars memes. Listen to this episode. Do it! That's all I got. Listen all the way to the end to learn that Thrawn is replaced as the main villain for the last few chapters of the book.

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The Original Star Wars Episode 9 (Thrawn Trilogy #3)

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0500

A long long time ago, in an alternate reality. Star wars had a different episode 9.

Here we go again! Words About Books is in for one last adventure in the Star Wars Universe. This time we discuss Star Wars: The Last Command, the final book in the Thrawn Trilogy. We discuss all your old favorites, some of your new favorites, an insane Jedi Master, and the white-clad Grand Admiral himself. We also talk about the Porkins Formation, because Porkins was done dirty. Don't forget we covered the previous two episodes of the Thrawn Trilogy (Heir to the Empire and Dark Force Rising) so be sure to check those out too!

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Aliens Infiltrator: Brought to You by ALPHA CHAD

Sun, 02 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The boys discuss Aliens Infiltrator by Weston Ochse. Nate invents a fascinating new product that turns him from a lowly, virgin caterpillar into a beautiful, masculine butterchad. Look, I won't lie to you, we threw this together real quick and then went on Christmas break.

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Words About Books 2021 End of the Year Extravaganza!

Sun, 26 Dec 2021 00:00:00 -0500

It's the End of the Year Holiday Episode! A special time where the Bookmen look back on this past year and reflect on all the crap they put one another through. This year especially has felt like half a decade so there's plenty to reminisce about. Then we get a look ahead at next year and all the changes coming to the podcast as well as life in general. Also Nate drinks. It should be a fun episode to cap off the year, thank you so much for sticking with us. We'll see you in 2022!

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End of the Year Mash-Up Montage

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Ho-ho-ho it's Santa Nate. I'm giving you all a special gift this year: MORE WORDS ABOUT BOOKS! That's right! If you were interested in hearing some of the best bits of this year from the 12 big books we read, Nate has you covered. If you missed an episode or weren't sure it was for you but you like what you heard here, go have a listen. It's the gift that keeps on giving! Just be sure to leave cookies out for ole Santa Nate when he breaks and enters into your house to leave you Words About Books in your stocking!

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Nate Tortures Ben With Starcraft...Again

Sun, 19 Dec 2021 00:00:00 -0500

We discuss Starcraft: Firstborn by Christie Golden. After our Halloween episode, the luggage carrying Nate vanished. Ben assumed he was dead. Ben was wrong. Nate is back, and this time, it's personal. The boys are talking about Starcraft, again, whether Ben likes it or not...

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Hillary Clinton and the Spontaneously Combusting Children

Sun, 12 Dec 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Words About Books is discussing Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson this week. Nate wanted a heartwarming, fun, and light book just in time for the holidays. Join us on this adventure as we discuss main character lady raising children that nobody wants because she's in love with definitely-not-Hillary-Clinton-we-swear. I hope you're ready for a heart-felt discussion of raising children, what it means to be a family, the bond and love that brings us all together, and rich asshole sociopathic politicians getting everything they ever wanted and suffering no repercussions. Stick around until the end to... oh... nope nevermind, that's actually the end. Also the children catch on fire sometimes when they're upset.

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Horror's Back on the Menu [Boneyard Soup Spotlight]

Sun, 05 Dec 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Thanks to the folks over at Boneyard Soup, Ben was able to force more horror content into the podcast! This episode we take a look at the first year of Boneyard Soup's publication. There are thrills! There are chills! And after all is said and done you'll be left wondering...did a sociologist hurt Ben and Nate?

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The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang Part 3

Sun, 28 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0500

At last we end our discussion on The Dragon Republic by discussing the exciting conclusion to the War for Freedom and Democracy. In the blue corner: the Bringer of Freedom, the King of Liberty, the Sultan of Sovereignty, you know him, you love him, put your hands together for your beloved lord and savior (and mine) VAAAAAAAAAAISRA! And... in the red corner. The reigning and defending champion. A truly evil woman with no redeeming qualities whatsoever (until she sits down and just explains her reasoning and positions) that's right. The Despot: DAAAAAAAAAAAJI *piped in boos*. On this very special episode we're going to see what happens when Rin brings on a Dragon Republic and then, spoilers, see what happens when that Republic turns out to be a farce that leads to one despot replacing the other. Wait, Vaisra is a lying cheat?? When did this happen!?

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The Dragon Republic by RF Kuang Part 2

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate cover part 2 of RF Kuang's The Dragon Republic.

Welcome to The Dragon Republic. We're a representative republic here to liberate The Empire of Nikara from the tyrant Daji. Now, I know what you're thinking. Is this really the right time for a war? Do I really need freedom more than I need to not be killed by bandits while trying to salvage what's left of the harvest? The answer is yes. You do. Because if you answer no, well, then, we're going to shoot you with a big cannon.

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The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang Part 1

Sun, 14 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Nate and Ben are back again, this time to talk about the fantastic sequel to the already great book The Poppy War. Yes, the guys are discussing The Dragon Republic and the ongoing story of the teenage-girl-equivalent of Mao Zedong: Fang Runin "Rin". What happens when a rage-monster opium addict gets the power to immolate her enemies? Freedom, freedom happens. Will Rin kill the Empress in part 1 of the podcast/book and then spend the next 2 parts having a big awesome party? Tune in to find out and don't forget to pick up a copy of the book and read along!

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Y'all hear about this Dune movie? [Ft. James]

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate are joined by the gravy man, himself to discuss Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part 1

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Ben Tortures Nate with Reading (Halloween Spooktacular 2021)

Sun, 31 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0400

It's that time of year again, the time where we finally get to end BHBM. Thank God! Hey wait, wasn't this parking lot a lot better lit before? Who is that exceptionally hairy man over there and why is he advancing toward me very aggressively, with an H.P Lovecraft tome in his hand? Oh God! He's beating me! Somebody send help, oh, this hurts so much. I'm currently in the process of blacking out but with my final words of consciousness I want to blame Ben! It was Ben all alongjidfkmblvbcn,b fk

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Ask Your Doctor If Short Horror Fiction Is Right For You

Sun, 24 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Ben has spent the month of October doing a deep dive into literary horror fiction magazines. He presents his findings to a disinterested Nate.

Featuring: Unnerving Magazine, Nightmare Magazine, Dark Magazine, and Boneyard Soup.

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Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury Part 2

Sun, 17 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Ben insists that we return to the Dark Carnival for more faygo and youth-restoring carousel rides. Nate thinks it's a bad idea, but what does he know? He spent all last night murdering innocent balloons.

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Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury Part 1

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Ladies and Gentleman! Juggalo's and Juggalette's! It is October and The Dark Carnival has come to town. We have games. We have rides. Unconventionally, our main event is a podcast. And not just any podcast! A BOOK PODCAST!

It is time to discuss Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. Listen, if you dare, as our very own Illiterated Man locks intellectual horns with a creature that is half man, half bear, and half coffee!

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[Graphic Novel] Uzumaki by Junji Ito

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0400

It's that time of the year again: time for Nate to be subjected to some horror stories that Ben picked out for an entire month! We start off Ben's Horror BS month with Uzumaki by Junji Ito, a story that Nate learns is nothing like Naruto Uzumaki. If you love cosmic horror mysteries where everybody is slowly going insane, this story is for you. Otherwise you'll be like Nate: "Spirals fall, everybody dies."

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Nate & Ben discuss the Dune 2000 Miniseries

Sun, 26 Sep 2021 00:00:00 -0400

The boys are back with more Dune content to burn Ben out and give Nate an absolute victory. This time we discuss the Dune Miniseries from 2000. We keep calling it the BBC Dune because Nate foolishly thought it was a BBC thing but everything looks like it's a Sci-Fi thing. Who know!? Or cares?! Let's talk about the miniseries and some of the things it does very right and some of the things it does... less well. It's the definitive Dune visual adaptation for maybe another month!

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We Read a Dune Comic Book

Sun, 19 Sep 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Nate gets his first taste of The Expanded Duniverse as we dive into House Atreides by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. This time, though, we did things a little differently and we decided to check out a graphic novel adaptation of the hit novel. We hoped some great art might distract us from the terrible writing. It didn't.

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[Bonus Episode] Ben & Nate talk about Game of Thrones

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 12:00:00 -0400

Did you think we could cover Sandkings without talking about Game of Thrones for an hour? Of course we couldn't! From the Words About Books editing room floor we're bringing you a special bonus episode. Everyone else has beat this dead horse, now it's our turn. Stick around to the end because Ben actually has a solid idea for how to end A Song of Ice and Fire. GRRM if you're listening, you can hire us to write your next Game of Thrones adaptation.

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Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert Part 2

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate are back to talk about Dune Messiah! The exciting conclusion to the book, but unfortunately not the Dune Series. Ben didn't write a script to keep us on task so Nate is here to entertain mostly himself and to annoy Ben nonstop. Occasionally we talk about Dune Messiah and whatever J-Rays are. Also there's a discussion about Joseph Stalin for some reason. Should be a blast!

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Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert Part 1

Sun, 05 Sep 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Words About Dune is back for a second year in a row! By popular demand the boys read the misunderstood sequel to Frank Herbert's original Dune book: Dune Messiah. We tackle and dissect a number of huge philosophical questions such as: Constitutions = bad? Heroes = bad? If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear it, something something enlightenment? And the most important question of all: is it okay for a 15 year old and a middle aged man to hook up if the 15 year old has lived a thousand life times and the middle aged man is in the body of a 15 year old himself? As always be aware of the secret podcast within the podcast where Nate tries to crack Ben.

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Two Old Men Attempt To Discuss Mythology [ft. Pizza Snail]

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 02:00:00 -0400

Ben is joined by friend of the show Scott a.k.a. Pizza Snail to talk about mythology. Their conversation quickly branches into a multifaceted examination of religion, human nature, canonical texts, copyright law, and Rick Astley.

Prepare yourself, Dear Listener, to play a game of "Deep or Dumb" unlike any you've encountered before...

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Halo: The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund

Sun, 22 Aug 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Nate has another video game book for Ben, just in time for Halo Infinite! This time we go back to the distant year of 2001, a month before Halo: Combat Evolved was set to change the video game landscape. That's right! Today Nate discusses Halo: The Fall of Reach. This is the definitive* story of The Master Chief's origin, in which he single-handedly saves Reach from being destroyed and they lived happily ever after. We answered many questions this episode including: how hard does The Master Chief punch? How attached was he to his parents? Should you attempt to pick a fight with Master Chief at the gym? How hard will Master Chief kill you if you pick a fight with him at the gym? If you kidnap a child at age 6 and he's grateful for it, is it really even kidnapping? And the most important question of all: will Ben admit he is interested in Halo on any level? Tune in to find out! Also at the end we announce when our stream is going to take place, should be a good one! *Later retconned completely.

Edit: I forgot to give credit where it was due. Thanks to Kevin MacLeod who provides copyright/royalty free music. He was responsible for the Gregorian Chant. His soundcloud is here: https://soundcloud.com/kevin-9-1/gregorian-chant

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The Wrack by John Bierce

Sun, 15 Aug 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Imagine a world ravaged by plague. Ok, well, imagine a world ravaged by plague but this one has magic. Ben and Nate join the ranks of the Moonsworn to see if they can unravel the secret of the mysterious illness sweeping the content: The Wrack!

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Count Zero by William Gibson

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 00:00:00 -0400

An alternate title for this episode was "Today's Dystopia is Tomorrow's Utopia." The boys dive back in to William Gibson's Sprawl Trilogy, and needless to say, it makes them think. It makes them think perhaps a little too hard. Join us for a discussion of a cyberpunk masterpiece that slowly turns into an impassioned plea for the institution of a global technocracy.

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The Ghost Hunters Adventure Club by Dr. Cecil HH Mills

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 00:00:00 -0400

It's always intimidating to cover an author who changed absolutely everything about literature. You can imagine how hard it was for the boys to even begin discussing a novel written by a titan of the craft like Dr. Cecil H. H. Mills. One shudders to imagine where society would be right now if Mills's magnum opus, Cerberus From On High, had not been destroyed in a tragic warehouse fire. Would we have world peace? Would we have jetpacks? Alas, we do not live in that glorious alternate timeline. We live here, and we have The Ghost Hunters Adventure Club and the Secret of the Grande Chateau.

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Sandkings by George R. R. Martin

Sun, 25 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Ben & Nate recruit two other people to build castles and go to war with one another. Spoiler Alert: Nate wins by running away and letting them kill each other off. On an unrelated note the boys dive into Sandkings from a little known indie sci-fi writer named George R. R. Martin. Maybe you've heard of him?

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Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan Part 3

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0400

The time has finally come to talk about some uncomfortable elephants in the room. In this episode we discuss the weird "romantic" choices that the book makes, And of course, we reach the exciting conclusion to this chapter in the Powder Mage Trilogy.

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Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan Part 2

Sun, 11 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate continue their exploration of Brian McClellan's gunpowder infused epic. With the mystery of Kresimir revealed, and the Kez army on the borders of Adopest there's only one thing left for Tamas to do...go on the annual St. Adom's Day hunt! Will Tamas's hound catch the fox first? Will Mihali finish his roast in time?! Oh...and to a lesser extent...will Taniel be able to hold the only fortress standing between Adopest and total obliteration?

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Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan Part 1

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0400

It's the 4th of July. We find ourselves in America, a nation with little tolerance for kings. A masculine, manly, musk arises from our hosts as they slave over a hot grill. The smell of gunpowder lingers fresh in the air. There could be no better time or place to immerse one's self in Brian McClellan's Powder Mage trilogy. Journey with Ben and Nate into a world not unlike our own, except here you can snort gunpowder for super powers and the Secretary of the Treasury approves of unions.

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2 Ben 2 Nate (An Evening with Ben & Nate II)

Sun, 27 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0400

It's that time again! It's time for our boys to sit down in our comfy overstuffed chairs, light the fireplace in the study, put on our finest silk smoking jackets, pour a glass of whiskey and way too much ice, and grab our gentlemanly pipes. Nate's blows bubbles. Yes it's time for another evening with Ben and Nate discussing books that didn't make it into the podcast over the last 8 months. This time with an added contest to raise the stakes. So sit back and relax with a watered-down whiskey of your own and prop up your legs in your favorite room-covered-in-animal-heads as the boys discuss all kinds of deep literature. From self-enlightenment all the way to hitting another man with a steel folding chair because he has wronged you. This episode has it all.

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Books and Where to Find Them [ft. Pizza Snail]

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Ben sits down with longtime friend of the show and Twitch Pinball Wizard, Pizza Snail. They tackle the the ever complicated topic of book discovery and book recommendations. Will these two elderly men be able to stay on topic? No. The answer is no. Our editor is furious.

Check out Pizza Snail on twitter https://twitter.com/1Pizza_Snail/ or on Twitch at https://twitch.tv/pizza_snail and check out his weird art projects at https://www.brainfirecowboy.com

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Beyond the Galaxy: The War Between Teku and Krad Part 2

Sun, 13 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate conclude their discussion about this shared universe science fiction anthology. If you haven't already, please check out part 1 as we will be picking up right where we left off.

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Beyond the Galaxy: The War Between Teku and Krad

Sun, 06 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Suggested to us by Jay Key, author of The Adventures of Duke LaGrange. Ben and Nate check out a new shared-universe short-story anthology. Beyond the Galaxy imagines a world where, in the year 2020, aliens came to Earth and harvested most of humanity to use as spaceship fuel. You know what? For all I know, that may have actually happened. I haven't left my house in 16 months.

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Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes by Kira Breed-Wrisley [ft. Spooky Chey]

Sun, 30 May 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Nate is out on paternity leave and has left the show in the capable hands of Ben and Spooky Chey a.k.a. Ben's wife! They discuss one of Spooky Chey's favorite books. Unfortunately for Ben, it's a video game book. Will this be the one that changes his mind?

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Judging Books by Their Covers 2021

Sun, 23 May 2021 00:00:00 -0400

It's that time, once again. Ben was unable to decide on a novel for next month's Book Club. So once again, Nate has put together a list of 5 mystery books for Ben to choose from based solely on their covers. I don't know about you, but I've got a good feeling about this.

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A Guided Tour Through Star Wars Legends

Sun, 16 May 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Star Wars Legends is a now defunct, non-canon, continuation of George Lucas's Star Wars films. The series boasted over 150 novels, of which Ben has read at least 20. Nate forces him to take a walk down memory lane, and relive his misspent college years. We'll be discussing the New Jedi Order, Legacy of the Force, and Fate of the Jedi arcs in particular.

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Star Wars: Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn Part 2

Sun, 09 May 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate conclude their discussion of Timothy Zahn's legendary (see what I did there) Dark Force Rising!

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Star Wars: Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn Part 1

Sun, 02 May 2021 00:00:00 -0400

A long time ago in a Samsung galaxy far, far away...Ben listened to his first ever attempt at podcasting. It was an episode in which the boys read Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire. It was terrible. The book and the podcast, they were just awful. Frightened, Ben fled to other books. No matter how far he ran, though, the shadow of Darth Nateus, The Needy, followed. Now, tired of running, Ben must face the Dark Lord and take the next step on that journey he started so long ago... Words About Books presents, the sequel to the very first book we ever covered: Timothy Zahn's Dark Force Rising!

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Selections from The Machine of Death

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate read a random selection of short stories from the Machine of Death anthology edited by Ryan North, Matthew Bennardo, and David Malki. And wait, what's this? Did someone finally purchase a copy of Edenverse Volume 1? Oh... Anyway, they also speculate what they would do with the knowledge of their unchangeable future demise.

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The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix Part 3

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 00:00:00 -0400

What began in blood must also end in blood. It's been an emotional roller coaster getting to this point, but the boys are proud to present the final episode in their series on Grady Hendrix's "The Southern Book Clubs Guide to Slaying Vampires."

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The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix Part 2

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 00:00:00 -0400

The horrors continue as Ben and Nate drink deep of all that Grady Hendrix has to offer in his surprisingly brutal book about middle aged women fighting vampires. As the story progresses though, even Ben begins to wonder if they haven't bitten off more than they can chew.

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The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate check out one of last year's most talked about horror novels. It turns out to be a bit more intense than either of them were bargaining for. Get ready for things to get dark!

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April Fools 2021: Breaking News! Dune: The Cline(s) Cut

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Updated to be clear this was an AF that totally fooled everyone. You all believed I had a source in the publishing industry. Hahaha you fools! I can’t even read or write!

Today we have a special episode just for you. Nate is kind of a big deal in the editing world and he got his hands on a few select pages of a Dune re-write that they're doing RIGHT NOW. You heard that right. A Dune re-write. As in the first Dune book by Frank Herbert being re-written! Ben thinks maybe someone is just messing with Nate but nobody listens to Ben anyway. Listen for yourself and you can be the judge. Just remember: you heard it here first folks!

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Neuromancer by William Gibson

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Hang on to your microsofts, Console Cowboys, because we're jacking in to William Gibson's genre defining sci-fi classic Neuromancer! This is one Cyberpunk that doesn't disappoint.

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Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Part III

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 00:00:00 -0400

Konnichiwa all you Otakus out there. I hope you're ready for the final installment of the epic sci-fi hit: Ready Player One! Join Ben and Nate for the dramatic conclusion we were all waiting for, in theory. At last Wade has a plan he executed 3 weeks ago that will come in at a crucial moment to turn the tide of this battle. But will it be enough? Will Wade win the 400 billion dollars, or will he realize that the true prize was the friends we got along the way? Both. It's both. He gets the girl and the money. What do we get? We get to watch our lives crumble away as we're bankrupted by the very rich twenty-something we helped put into power. If there's a metaphor in here, you can bet Ernest Cline drove right past it in his DeLorean! Be sure to check out our blog where Ben tells you why he hates this book in exquisite detail and listen until the very end for an ultra super secret Easter egg hunting clue. Good luck hunters!

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Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Part II

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate are back to talk about part two of Ready Player One! I hope you have your notepads out and at the ready because there will be an Easter egg you can find in part 3 worth $140,000 to a lucky listener! All you need is to study our lives in such intricate detail that you give up your own life to do so. Then our real master plan will be complete and we'll steal your bodies and begin the cycle again. Nah I'm just kidding, it's just more useless knowledge without any commentary or examination and you wasted your life for nothing! Be sure to check out our blog so you can read all the ways and reasons Ben hates this book. Should be a blast!

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Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Part I

Sun, 07 Mar 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate dust off a 2010s classic that gives us a view of 20 years from now through the lens of 40 years ago, from a guy who maybe spends a little too much time immersed in the cesspool we call pop culture. It's Ready Player One! Do you remember Atari? Do you remember Dungeons and Dragons? Do you remember Neuromancer? Do you remember untreated severe depression and extreme isolation? We sure do! We sure do for over 300 pages! Join Nate as he tries to keep Ben's rage from exploding as we explore Part I of this epic quest for a stupid video game contest (Wade's words not mine). If this book has anything interesting to say about the pop culture it's studying, this should be a blast! I can't wait!

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The Veldt by Ray Bradbury

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Have you ever wondered what might happen if you allowed an Oculus Rift to raise your children? If you guessed that you'd be eaten by ethereal lions, then you're correct. This week we cover a short story by science fiction legend, Ray Bradbury!

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Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer Part 3

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 00:00:00 -0500

The exciting conclusion to our series on Stephanie Meyer's Midnight Sun. We will attempt to answer some of the Twilight Saga's most difficult questions. Why did anyone ever believe Alice's alibi? What judge would ever award Renee full custody of a child? Should Stephanie Meyer consider writing a novel from the perspective of the bag of footballs that serves as a Bella decoy?

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Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer Part 2

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 23:00:00 -0500

The trial of Edward Cullen begins in earnest. Ben struggles to defend the problematic behavior of everyone's favorite crystalline vampire from Nates relentless accusations. Even with help from his future self, though, Ben has his work cut out for him.

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Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 00:00:00 -0500

In 2020, a year which many considered to be...not good, Stephanie Meyer delivered unto Twilight fans a gift more than 12 years in the making: Midnight Sun. Join us as we dive back into the series that made Young Adult Paranormal Romance its own section in Barnes and Noble.

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Hunters of Dune is Disappointing

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500

This is a mostly spoiler-free discussion of Ben's first, and last, foray into the expanded Dune universe. A warning will be given before we enter spoiler territory for anyone wanting to read the novel.

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The Chocolate War & School Assigned Reading

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500

This week Nate looks back at a book he read in high school and absolutely nobody else did. Then the discussion shifts gears into school reading in general when Ben shares that he was assigned To Kill A Mockingbird 3 years in a row! Be sure to listen to this episode, because there will be an assigned paper at the end and there are no Sparknotes.

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Edenverse by Ben Edward & Nathaniel Creed Part 2

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Some authors are inspired by mythology, some by music, some by the great masters of literature who preceded them. Ben and Nate are inspired by Danny Phantom and Full Metal Alchemist. The cringe concludes in Part 2 of our Edenverse re-examination.

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Edenverse by Ben Edward & Nathaniel Creed Part I

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500

IT'S TIME! IT'S TIME! That's right everyone. We're starting 2021 off with a bang! This month's book is Edenverse! The greatest book every written by anyone hosting this podcast! This time around Nate drinks alcohol while Ben drinks discomfort and sorrow. So if you want to join in on the discussion go ahead and grab a drink, grab the book ($0.99 on amazon! Free on poorlywritten.ninja), and have a seat while we pour our soothing voices directly into your earholes. After that don't forget to get your voice out there by going to our goodreads page (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1098011-words-about-books-podcast) and joining in on the discussion. Is this your favorite and also least favorite book written by these two authors? Us too! Let's talk about it so that Ben can cringe forever.

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Season 1 - Epilogue

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500

As our first year of Words About Books draws to a close the boys take some time to discuss where the podcast has been and where it will be going in the future.

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Paradox Bound by Peter Clines

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 23:00:00 -0500

Nate surprises Ben with his analysis of Paradox Bound by Peter Clines. It's got action! It's got drama! It's got time travel! It's got adventure! It's got... MAGA propaganda? Oh boy. Take a listen in on this one and don't forget to follow us on twitter @WABPod or the future will unravel!

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The Story of Starcraft

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Well it's finally here. My revenge for Ben making me read all that other shit. In this episode you listen to 90 minutes of a 3 hour conversation I forced Ben to have about the story of Starcraft I. Ben also has a wager for me: if we get 100 downloads in 90 days, he'll be forced to stream the first Starcraft game. So if you want to torture Ben as much as I do, download this episode. Have your friend download the episode. Share the download link to everybody you know! Celebrate the end of the shitty year that was 2020 but ensuring someone else will be having a worse 2021 than you! And remember: you don't have to listen to it. Once you click play, Ben loses.

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Starcraft: Liberty's Crusade by Jeff Grubb

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Nate forces Ben to listen to a discussion on Starcraft in this week's episode. Will this be the exception to the rule that books based off of games are hot garbage? Will Ben want to read this book after today's discussion? Find out on another exciting episode of Words About Books!

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Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate journey to Earth's second moon of Kahani to formally apologize for poisoning the fabled Sea of Stories with their terrible writing. When they arrive they find the entire mess has been pinned on some guy named Khattam-Shud and that their adventure was actually an allegory for the importance of free speech.

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Dune The Movie [1984]

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Finally! It's out! I never thought we'd see the day! Ben and Nate get a sneak peek at Dune: The Movie directed by acclaimed director David Lynch and starring... *checks notes* Kyle MacLachlan. Will this film be the instant classic that everyone says it will be? Will it define an entire era of filmmaking? Will it be the next Lord of the Rings? Will Nate and Ben figure out that this movie was made in 1984 and is way different from the movie people are actually looking forward to?!? FIND OUT TODAY on an exciting new episode of Words About Books!

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An Evening with Ben and Nate

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate reflect on 2020 in the only way they know how, by talking about all the books they've read.

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How to Pick Up Women with a Drunk Space Ninja by Jay Key

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Unfunny jokes. Bickering. An unlikeable protagonist that you’re supposed to love. Welcome to the flawed logic and page skimming universe of Duke LaGrange! Nate and Ben tackle an indie comedy book in today's episode. How to Pick Up Women with a Drunk Space Ninja: The Adventures of Duke LaGrange Book 1. Or HtPUWwaDSNTAoDLB1 for short. Was that a funny joke? I didn't think so either. Now imagine having to read 300+ pages of jokes at that level. Just remember that a flawed book is an opportunity for learning and prime discussion.

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The American Election Extravaganza!

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0400

To celebrate the impending American election, Ben presents his top 5 Donald Trump take down books. Find out which of these is the right book to help you mentally prepare for a second dark age! Fire and Fury by Micheal Wolff, Fear by Bob Woodward, Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump, The Room Where it Happened by John Bolton, and Rage by Bob Woodward

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The Shadow Out of Nate

Sat, 31 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

The following audio sample was found in the library of Miskatonic University. It was late and I was the last student to leave. Most of the electric lighting was off. Only the blasphemous glow of the gibbous moon pouring through the windows provided illumination. There it was. A laptop sitting adjacent to a still opened copy of the dreaded Necronomicon. The laptop was unlocked and Audacity was open on the screen. After nearly 30 minutes of waiting for the owner to return my curiousity got the better of me. I played the shadow-haunted audio clip. I wish I never had. I mean nothing bad happened in the audio clip, but later on I found out that I had early-onset fishman syndrome and that was 30 minutes of life I really could have used back. Anyway, Imma go chill with Dagon soon, check this weird clip out.

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Cool Air and Pickman's Model by HP Lovecraft

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate tackle two of their favorite Lovecraft short stories. Nate finally finds a Lovecraft story he can review positively.

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At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate accompany a doomed expedition to Antarctica. There they discover archeological artifacts that will rewrite everything we know about the history of life on this planet. But in the frozen wastelands no one can hear Nate scream, and sometimes the past refuses to die...

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The Shadow Over Innsmouth By HP Lovecraft

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate follow HP Lovecraft on a journey to the shadow-haunted town of Innsmouth. Everyone there looks like an obvious monster, and several people warn us not to go, but in this economy you ALWAYS take the cheaper bus.

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Deep in the Crease - HP Lovecraft

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate kick off the month of Lovecraft with a deep dive into the biography of the man himself. We get into it all: his tragic childhood, his awkward marriage, the racism, and the incredible afterlife of his fiction.

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Bonus - Judging Books By Their Covers

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

It's Nate's birthday and the only gift he wants is for Ben to choose the groups' next read from a pool of 10 random books. The books vary wildly in both subject matter and quality. The only data Ben can use to inform his choice are the front and back covers of the books.

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Bonus - Star Wars: Heir to the Empire SPECIAL EDITION REMAKE

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Ben & Nate tackle Thrawn once again in a re-examination of Heir to the Empire and all of Star Wars. How have things changed since The Rise of Skywalker? Has Ben's heart softened after having to read some truly awful books for this podcast? Will this episode finally redeem the horrible Words About Books Podcast? Find out in another exciting edition of Words About Books, now in 3-D!

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Sourcery by Terry Pratchett

Sun, 06 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

A Wizard, A Barbarian, and some sentient Luggage team up to save the world from an all powerful Sourcerer! This month we read Sourcery by Terry Pratchett. A Rincewind novel set in the Discworld. If you're not sure what any of that means, don't worry we've got you covered.

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The Last Word with Nate: Agatha Christie

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 10:00:00 -0400

In this brief wrap up to our series on The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Nate discusses outsmarting Ben. Oh, and he gets around to apologizing to his grandmother eventually.

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The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie Part 2

Sun, 23 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Detective Ben continues his investigation into The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, though the case seems to be getting away from him. Fortunately Agatha Christie's brilliant detective Hercule Poirot is on deck to assist.

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The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie Part 1

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0400

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of Agatha Christie's most challenging mysteries. Our own Detective Ben goes up against the legendary Hercule Poirot in a race to solve the murder of Roger Ackroyd. An innocent man's life is at stake should the true killer not be found, and time is running out.

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Dune by Frank Herbert Part 4

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0400

The exciting conclusion to our Dune series. This episode takes an in depth look at part 3 of Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic. Was the conclusion worth the wait? Find out on this episode of Words About Books.

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Dune by Frank Herbert Part 3

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0400

On this episode we discuss the introduction of the enigmatic fremen, a few lack luster plots within plots, and Nate's slow descent into despair as this book gets no closer to ending.

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Dune by Frank Herbert Part 2

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 00:00:00 -0400

There's a traitor in our midst. It's Nate. He keeps trying to escape, but we've tightened his shackles and we're ready to continue our conversation about Dune.

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Dune by Frank Herbert Part 1

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 00:00:00 -0400

After The Fold and Marked, Ben decides it's time for the boys to read some proper literature. This ENTIRE MONTH the podcast will be covering one of Ben's favorite (and longest) books. Nate begins to question his life choices. *Apologies in advance for some awkward edits. We had a lot of material to cut down for this one.

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Marked Part 2

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 00:00:00 -0400

On this episode of words about books Ben and Nate chill in a hot tub 6 feet apart and talk about the steamy conclusion to Marked. Twitter: @wabpod Show Notes and Additional Commentary blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja

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Bad Faith Criticism Corner: Marked Gold

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Ben descends further into madness with a detailed (and quite possibly incorrect) calculation of the precious metals market in the fictional romance story Marked.
Twitter: @wabpod
Additional Show Notes and Commentary: https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja

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Marked Part 1

Sun, 21 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Are Ben and Nate mature enough to discuss an adult romance? Is the author mature enough to write an adult romance? On this episode of words about books the boys discuss the complications of a shockingly uncomplicated relationship. There's also a reality destroying subplot.

Twitter: @wabpod
Show Notes and Commentary: http://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja

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Deep in the Crease: Peter Clines's Catalogue

Sun, 14 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400

After our series on The Fold, Nate was unable to leave well enough alone and dove deep into the bibliography of Peter Clines. Perhaps a little too deep. Join Ben as he tries to cure Nate of this all-consuming obsession.

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The Fold Part 3

Sun, 07 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Ben has finally snapped. He was last seen running into the woods and screaming something about "quantum physics" and "that's not how it works." Nate plans to look for him if he ever stops laughing. Join us for the exciting conclusion to our series on The Fold.

Twitter: @wabpod
Shownotes and Additional Commentary: http://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja

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The Fold Part 2

Sun, 24 May 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate find themselves asking some hard questions. Is Mike a good person? What does this magical door actually do? Did Peter Clines hastily slap this together the night before it was due? Find out in Part 2 of our series on The Fold.

Twitter: @wabpod
Shownotes and Additional Commentary: http://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja

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The Selection of Marked

Sun, 17 May 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Hear the convoluted process by which the boys select their next book: Marked by Sarah Fine. For those who read along with us, please be aware that Marked contains very explicit sexual content. For those who plan to listen, we will be keeping our discussion of the book much more tame.

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The Fold Part 1

Sun, 10 May 2020 00:00:00 -0400

The Fold by Peter Clines is a sci-fi story about scientists who don't know how to do science that build a magic door that allows instant travel across space time. Also sometimes it kills people. Join Ben and Nate as they struggle to figure out where it all went wrong...

Twitter: @wabpod
Shownotes and Additional Commentary: http://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja

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Head Full of Ghosts Part 3

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 00:00:00 -0400

The Possession ends not with a whimper but with a spectacular crash. A blog post warns of even darker things to come. A family in crisis asks: how much spaghetti is too much spaghetti? In this somber final episode of Head Full of Ghosts we will learn the tragic fate of the Barrett family.

Let's discuss...

Coming Soon.

The Fold by Peter Clines (5/10/2020)

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Head Full of Ghosts Part 2

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate watch in horror as things spiral out of control for the Barrett family. The boys question if a reality TV show is really the best environment for a sick child, and if an exorcism is really the best treatment. What will the horrible ghosts in Marjorie's head make her do next? Will Nate be able to survive another millennial blog post? Can Ben stop talking about horror movies during this book club?

Let's discuss!

Coming Soon

Head Full of Ghosts Part 3 (4/26/2020)
Next Book: The Fold by Peter Clines (5/10/2020)

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Corona Virus Special: Reading Survival Guide

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 22:00:00 -0400

The Corona Virus has trapped most of us within our homes. In this episode Ben shares some tips on how to acquire books during these troubled times. Nate struggles to keep up. They also give several recommendations of books you may want to check out. Further recommendations and show notes available at: http://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/

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Head Full of Ghosts Part 1

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate decide to curl up under a blanket with a flashlight and read Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay. Head Full of Ghosts is the story of Merry and her older sister Marjorie. Marjorie had been struggling with mental health issues, but as time goes on the family begins to wonder if something more sinister isn't lurking beneath the surface.

Let's discuss!

Coming Soon

Head Full of Ghosts Part 2 (4/12/2020)
Head Full of Ghosts Part 3 (4/26/2020)
Next Book: The Fold by Peter Clines (5/10/2020)

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Corona Virus Breaking News: Words About Beards

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 17:00:00 -0400

Corona Virus has finally affected me. It is truly a sad day in history.

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Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Ben and Nate discuss Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way by Bruce Campbell. This book is a semi-fictional account of Bruce Campbell's efforts to break into the A-list. Will Bruce succeed in elevating his career to new heights, or will the B-movie virus follow him like a shaky cam through the Tennessee woods?

Let's discuss!

Coming Soon

Next Book: Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay (3/29/2020)

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The Poppy War Part 3

Sun, 01 Mar 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate conclude their discussion of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. Buckle up cause it's about to get dark.

Coming Soon

Next Book: Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way by Bruce Campbell (3/15/2020)

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The Poppy War Part 2

Sun, 16 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate continue their discussion of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. Will Rin save the day? What even are Gods? Find out!

Coming Soon

Poppy War Part 3 [Final] (3/1/2020)
Next Book: Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way by Bruce Campbell (3/15/2020)

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The Poppy War Part 1

Sun, 02 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate discuss The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. The Poppy War is a dark fantasy that borrows elements from several periods of Chinese history, especially the second Sino-Japanese war.

Coming Soon

Poppy War Part 2 (2/16/2020)
Poppy War Part 3 [Final] (3/1/2020)
Next Book: Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way by Bruce Campbell (3/15/2020)

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Pilot Episode - Heir to the Empire

Sun, 19 Jan 2020 16:00:00 -0500

Ben and Nate read Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn. Heir to the Empire is the book that kicked off the Star Wars legends series, and introduced one of Star Wars most popular non-movie villains: Grand Admiral Thrawn.

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