Books and politics go hand in hand, while there may be some apolitical reads out there, they are probably not the majority. So today we're talking about how the books we've read have shaped our world view, and oh what a crazy world it is. Books mentioned in this episode: Libra by Don DeLillo https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780140... The Pearl by John Steinbeck https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780140... Marshland by Otohiko Kaga https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781628... The Immortal Life of...

It's one of the most famous novels of all time, beloved by all different kinds of readers. Some describe it as "The Great American Novel" while others say it's the greatest western ever written, so on this episode of the Life on Books podcast, we tackle the topic of Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, and weigh on what we think of the book, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Join our Patreon and become part of our amazing community! patreon.com/LifeonBooks Lonesome Dove by Larry...

We all have our preferences when it comes to books, so today Andy and I are going over our biggest red flags in books, and what is usually a big turnoff for us when choosing what to read. We also take some time to discuss things we don't like about the book community in general. We would love to know what your biggest red flags are in a book, so make sure to let us know down below! Become part of our growing book community! patreon.com/LifeonBooks Books mentioned in this episode: Against...

Two years ago I decided that I hadn't read enough books from countries outside of the US, so I embarked on a journey of reading one book from every country. The journey has been slow as I am not solely focusing on this project. I've made some great progress in Europe and Asia, but Latin America has been a bit of a weak spot for me. Andy has read a few more books from the South American region, so today we are discussing some of the works we've read from these countries, what we think of...

We've talked about our favorite short books...we've talked about our favorite medium length books...now it's time to talk about our favorite LONG books. Today we're discussing great books that are 600+ pages. These aren't necessarily our all time favorite long books, as there is some overlap with the books that make our all time favorite books list in general, but these are long books that we really enjoyed, and highly recommend! Books mentioned in the episode: Lonesome dove Larry...

We are in Q4 of 2024, and today we're talking about our "10 before the end", which are the 10 books (5 each), that we'd like to read before the end of the year. What are some books you'd like to read before the end of the year? Also, don't forget, our Patreon is now live and quickly growing! Come be a part of our awesome community where we talk books and have additional content for you to dive into! www.patreon.com/lifeonbooks Books mentioned in this episode Against the Day by Thomas...

Few philosophical or artistic movements have been debated quite like postmodernism, yet despite the ongoing debate about what postmodernism really is, the phrase was probably one most weren't familiar with until public figures like Jordan Peterson warned everyone about the "postmodern neo-marxists!" Some people seem to think that postmodern writers like Kurt Vonnegut, Thomas Pynchon, and David Foster Wallace are brilliant writers and thinkers, while others have called their books sophomoric,...

Summer has fallen asleep and fall weather has already begun to creep in, so it's time to pull those hoodies out of the closet, and cozy up with some great books, and we've just got the books for you (kinda). Here are some of our top recommendations for books to read this fall! All the books mentioned in this episode: The taker and other stories Rubem Fonseca https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781934... The Dying Grass William T. Vollmann https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780143... Texas the...

Today on the Life On Books Podcast we are answering all of YOUR bookish questions, from how to navigate a bookstore as a beginner, to how to build a daily reading habit, and so much more. Join the Life on Books mailing list to stay up to date on all of our latest book giveaways, projects, and more! https://linktw.in/BRYAnVh Want to read one book from every country? Check out our resource online: https://linktw.in/Zeolty Want to know my all time favorite books? Click the link...

August is women in translation month and all month long we have been celebrating, and why not do another listicle episode, this time talking about 5 of our favorite books in translation written by women, as well as 5 books written by women in translation that we're looking forward to reading. Here are the books discussed in this week's episode: The Dying Grass William T. Vollmann https://amzn.to/3T04VSN The Case of Cem Vera Mutafchieva https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9789533... To Hell with...

Omensetter's Luck by William H. Gass is considered a pioneering work in postmodern American literature, but did you know that the novel almost never came to be because the original manuscript was stolen? In this episode, we discuss Omensetter's Luck by William H. Gass, and all of its quirks, oddities, and genius. Whether you're a William Gass fan or are only vaguely aware of Omensetter's Luck, I think you'll enjoy this podcast! Books mentioned in the podcast Omensetter's...

Why read literature? Why read works in translation? Why read books written by women? Why continue to participate in a medium that might not have a future? That's what we tackle on today's episode of the Life on Books podcast, as we chat with Chad Post, the director of Open Letter Publishing, which is a project from the University of Rochester. Specializing in works in translation, Open Letter is one of the most important publishers in the US today. Chad himself has immense experience in the...

Millions of books are published each year, and with a back catalogue of nearly 130 million books since the printing press was invented in 1440, you have a lot of books to choose from...so how do we pick the right books to read? That's the topic of today's episode, where we break down how we select books to buy and read. Join the Life on Books mailing list to stay up to date on all of our latest book giveaways, projects, and more! https://linktw.in/BRYAnVh Want to read one book from every...

Of course, medium length is being used subjectively here, and perhaps it's because this length of book makes up most of the published books in the world, but still, it seems that people don't often discuss their favorites that are specifically between 300-500 pages. So on today's episode, that's exactly what we do! Here are all of the books in today's episode, but first, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter: https://linktw.in/BRYAnVh Solenoid Mircea...

The "Best Books of The 21st Century" list...left something to be desired. In this episode, Andy and I discuss which books would be in our top 10, as well as books from the 21st century we're most looking forward to reading. Which books would you put in your top 10 and why? Also, be sure to join our mailing list! https://linktw.in/BRYAnVh Books mentioned in this episode: Also, be sure to join our mailing list! https://linktw.in/BRYAnVh Books mentioned in this episode: Pachinko Min...

These are, without a doubt, the best short books ever written! In our opinion. We all love the feeling of accomplishment when you finish a huge 1,000 tome, but honestly, sometimes you just want to rip through a book without feeling like it's dragging on forever! That's why there's short books and novellas! In this episode Andy and I break down our favorite short books and what we love about them. While many new authors today may be writing short novels because they take less time to...

There's probably few things more difficult for a writer than figuring out exactly how to start a book. Afterall, the first line of a novel is essentially a "hook." If you don't reel people in, they'll likely put it down and pick up something else instead. Think about some of the most famous opening lines, like Charles Dickens in a Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times". Or Melville's Moby Dick: "Call me Ishmael". In this episode, Andy and I dive...

In this podcast we take a trip to Andy's new apartment, where we sit down to discuss what it means to be "well read", if you should intentionally try to "read diversely" and of course, we talk a lot about books. What does it mean to you to be "well read"? Are you there yet, or do you think it's a lifelong pursuit? Books discussed in this episode: Vulture Capitalism by Grace Blakeley https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781982180850 Musashi by Eiji...

Today on the Life on Books Podcast we are doing a deep dive on the hidden literary gem of Hard Rain Falling by Don Carpenter. Hard Rain Falling was Carpenter's debut novel, and despite it being the work of a master of his craft, Carpenter's career never seemed to materialize in the same way as his contemporaries. In Hard Rain Falling you won't be wowed by pyrotechnic prose, or need to keep a dictionary nearby as is the case with so many respected authors. Instead what you'll get is a...

In this episode, we travel to the 5 college's booksale in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and on the way we take your book related questions. We talk about our favorite places to read, what it means to have success in the literary space, whether we prefer waffles or pancakes, and so much more. As always, here are the books mentioned in this episode Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/3QRHOZN Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780143039945 The Tunnel by William...

In Today's episode we do a reading recap as well as announce the new Life on Books Book Club! Here are all of the books discussed in this episode! Hard Rain Falling by Don Carpenter https://amzn.to/3WynGQ3 Tell them of Battles, Kings, and Elephants by Matthias Enard https://amzn.to/3ye4WeD The Passion According to G.H. by Clarice Lispector https://amzn.to/3WEspQa Oblivion by David Foster Wallace https://amzn.to/3WEGOfk This is Water by David Foster...

Dr. Christof Koch: Consciousness, Free Will & The Grand Theory of Everything In this episode we interview Dr. Christof Koch, a trained physicist turned neuroscientist who's primary area of research focuses on consciousness. We sit down with Dr. Koch to discuss his latest book "Then I am Myself the World" out in May of 2024 on Basic Books where he recounts his experience with consciousness altering substances, Integrated Information Theory, which is the foundational theory for his...

In case you haven't noticed, there has been an explosion in books being adapted to television and movies lately. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, in fact, it's a great way for writers to have financial success and stability in their writing careers. This practice has become so common, Reese Witherspoon has an entire business model based on not just publishing books, but gobbling up the film rights to those books, essentially giving her an near unlimited pipeline of content. One of the...

In this episode we talk about what happened to the Life on Books Podcast, why we haven't posted a single new episode in 2024, despite finishing 2023 so strongly and with some very big goals. In this episode, Andy and Tony pull back the curtain on their private lives and talk about some of the monumental shifts in both of their lives, and how that has kept them from releasing a new episode. In this episode we talk about relationships, mental health, the concept of consciousness and free...