The pals ditch Dave to talk about Noah Baumbach's 2022 Netflix adaptation of DeLillo's novel.

Books touched on: Genderqueer, by Maia Kobabe; Road of Bones, by Christopher Golden, Years of Rice and Salt, by Kim Stanley Robinson; Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi; Maame, by Jessica George; Kindred, by Ocatavia Butler and Damian Duffy; Ink Blood Sister Scribe, by Emma Torzs; Marlena, by Julie Buntin; Counterfeit, by Kirstin Chen; Comedy Bang Bang The Podcast The Book, by Scott Aukerman; Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys; The Spy Who Loved Me, by Ian Fleming.

Aaron asks the pals what they think of writers intentionally omitting personal hang-ups (like drinking or smoking) from their writing.

The pals discuss the recent controversy with the Hugo awards, as well as the challenge of self-censorship in the modern era.

The pals did a group read of Ryka Aoki's sci-fi novel Light from Uncommon Stars. Will it stand the test of time or be shot into the ocean of forgotten books?

Books this month: The Heart of It All, by Christian Keefer; The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon; Small Mercies, by Dennis Lehane; Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt; The Wild Ones, by John Mooallem; Foster, by Claire Keegan; The Mysteries, by Bill Watterson and John Kascht; The Last Ronin- The Lost Years, by Kevin Eastman; Doppelganger, by Naomi Kline; Classic X-Men.

Who is Tyler Cowan and does he do cocaine?

The pals close the book on 2023 and chat about what they are looking forward to in the new year.

The pals share their best (and worst) reading experiences of 2023.

The pals all read Don DeLillo's 1985 novel, White Noise. Should it be enshrined int he canon or blasted into the sea by cannon?

The pals follow up the episode on horror novels with an episode sharing their favorite horror movies and shows, including their individual Mt. Horrormores.

The pals share their favorite horror novels.

The pals discuss books with forwards and afterwards. Do you read them or skip those parts? What about supplementary matter in comics and other media?

The pals discuss their favorite mystery and thriller novels.

Nico asks his pals if friends are owed an automatic 5 stars on Goodreads. Is giving 4 stars and a*****e move? Also, do people still read professional book reviews?

Brick is increasingly vexed by his phone's grip on his time and wonders if phones are making us dumber. Bonus Bro2Bro included!

The pals discuss their favorite sci-fi novels.

Books this month: Kaya, by Craig Wes; Mouse Guard, by David Petersen; The Compleat Moonshadow, by Jean Marc DeMatteis; Marlfox, by Brian Jacques; Kitchens of the Great Midwest, by J. Ryan Stradal; Wool, by Hugh Howey; Demolition Angel, by Robert Crais; The Hunter, by Jennifer Herrera; The Great Transition, by Nick Fuller Googins; "Mall of America" by Susanne Wang; 33 1/3 Aja, by Don Breithaupt; 33 1/3 Come Away with ESG, by Sherry Percy; It Never Ends, by Tom Sharpling; Endzone, by Don DeLillo.

The pals read and review Toni Morrison' brutal and haunting novel 1987 Beloved. It's generally recognized as a masterpiece, will the Yaks keep it in the canon or shoot it into the sea? The deliberation may not be as clear cut as you thing. NOTE: our Patreon has not reached the level at which we can afford an on-staff factchecker. Some interpretations of historical facts by the Yaks may not be wholly accurate.

The pals share their favorite short story collections as well as a list of runners up they enjoy.

The pals enlist the AI chatbot Sudo to write the first draft of the long promised Elf Trap novella. Nico commits to proving he's smarter than a robot.

The plebeian pals discuss reading books written in languages other than English.

The pals share their favorite titles of the last 23 years, and a surprise Canon or Cannon decision is made.

The pals recount stories they read in grade school that stuck with them.