Brooks's Books

Freed from the tyranny of fantasy reference books, we return to resolve those big cliffhangers from the end of Antrax! Morgawr may not have the breadth of horrifying concepts as Antrax did, but it sure has one really strong one. Join us as we get into how Terry starts to converge the separate story threads, the bold choice of reducing a character to a Macguffin, and dive deep into our feelings on...

Sometimes on this show we get to read really excellent books. Sometimes there's really great writing and themes. Compelling character arcs. Interesting worldbuilding ideas. Maybe even some good horror. Sometimes, instead, we read The World of Shannara. If you'd like your questions answered on the show, email us at brooksbooksshow@gmail.com. If you'd like to support the show financially, head over...

Welcome to Brooks's Books, the show where we're tormented by an evil AI for all eternity! Join us this week as we discuss how Leah wants better for Ryer Ord Star, Dave dislikes Phoenix Stones, and Josh believes that Bek Rowe is the personification of the Sword of Shannara. If you'd like your questions answered on the show, email us at brooksbooksshow@gmail.com. If you'd like to support the show fi...

Our schedules have been crazy lately, and Josh and Leah are stuck recording without Dave! We can't just finish Antrax without him on board, so instead the siblings got together to talk about some media we've enjoyed (or not enjoyed) recently. Next week we'll be back to our normal schedule, with the back half of Antrax. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for Antrax, and horror Terry is BACK IN FULL FORCE. I hope you're ready to be distressed! Join us as we explore the mysteries of Castledown, read one of the greatest chapters Terry has ever written, and also go "Eauauaghhhhhh!" If you'd like your questions answered on the show, email us at brooksbooksshow@gmail.com. If you'd like to support the show financially, head over to ko-fi.com/br...

The party has been assembled, and now it's time to set sail in the skies! This week we join the Jerle Shannara on its blitzkrieg tour of islands in the Blue Divide, and learn a lot more about... well, mostly Bek Rowe. Join us as we discuss the unusual structure of this book, its surprising increase in violence, and how much more compelling the mysteries of this book are than what we've had in the...

It's time to set out on a bold new adventure as Brooks's Books joins the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara! Join us as we settle in to our bunks on the ship and get to know the approximate 300 other people aboard. It's fun to be back in Shannara, getting to witness fancy new technology and catching up with the utter lack of progress our old friend Walker Boh has made. Also: we love a new creepy villain...

We're between seasons again, so movie time is upon us. This month our listeners chose Princess Mononoke, and it turns out that it's a very good movie! Join us as we discuss creepy worms, really tall sandals, and the coolest elk who ever lived. If you'd like your questions answered on the show, email us at brooksbooksshow@gmail.com. If you'd like to support the show financially, head over to ko-fi....

It's time for our last outing with Nest Freemark and John Ross, and we're a little sad to see them go. This week we're discussing themes of addiction, trapped negative emotion and coping mechanisms, whether or not Findo Gask is really The Coolest Demon Who Ever Lived, and, of course, famed rapper Lil Jon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a brief detour to a galaxy far, far away, we're returning to Hopewell, Illinois and Nest Freemark. What's she been up to in the last ten years since we've seen her? Join us as we discuss Christmastime in the Midwest, which juices are good and bad, and how Terry writes about The Drugs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Star Wars time continues, and Terry is continuing to do his best to put his personal stamp on this story. We've got podracing, we've got the Duel of the Fates, and strangest of all, we've got Jar Jar asking questions about why god allows suffering. Apparently, no one believes in Jar Jar's potential more than Terry Brooks. If you'd like your questions answered on the show, email us at brooksbookssh...

It's time for Terry's second and final attempt at writing a film novelization. Fortunately for all of us, this one is dramatically better! We were really surprised by how much strong characterization Terry managed to sneak into this book, including some for... Jar Jar? Next time we're reading chapters 13-24 of The Phantom Menace. If you'd like your questions answered on the show, email us at brook...

Things are coming to a head in Seattle! We discuss Terry's handling of the topic of homelessness in America, some really great uses of metaphor, and some... less great uses of secrets and reveals. Also, what's up with Terry and owls? If you'd like your questions answered on the show, email us at brooksbooksshow@gmail.com. If you'd like to support the show financially, head over to ko-fi.com/brooks...

Major technical problems and busy holiday schedules means no regular episode this week! Sorry folks. Instead, we spend a little time talking about some of our favorite media from this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We continue our journey into the Word & Void series with a trip to Seattle! It's time to catch up with John Ross and Nest Freemark five years after the events of the last book, and learn how much of a bad time John has had! There's some really interesting ideas in this one, and we discuss Terry's forays into examining homelessness and what sort of events could push a Knight of the Word too far...

We're closing out Running with the Demon with one hell of a bang! Word & Void has made quite the early impression on us, and we have a great time discussing what turned out be a VERY eventful reading. If you'd like your questions answered on the show, email us at brooksbooksshow@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Season 5 of Brooks's Books is here, and with it comes the Word & Void series! It turns out we were REALLY excited to talk about Running with the Demon, and ended up with a giant size episode. Join us as we do a real deep dive on Hopewell, Illinois, Nest Freemark, and John Ross. What a cool book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we get to season 5 and the Word & Void series, we're taking a little break to watch 1994's The Crow. This is easily our most divisive movie yet, and we dig into the tragic history of the movie, hear some thoughts from the director's commentary, and learn all about how many actors in this also appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

It's time to finish up the first Shannara prequel, and see how well Terry handles some of the pitfalls that prequels can fall into. Hope you're ready for a whole bunch of battles! What happens when the fate of the Four Lands is entrusted to a jock? If you'd like your questions answered on the show, email them in to brooksbooksshow@gmail.com. If you'd like to support the show financially, head on o...

We take one last dip into Shannara before spending next season away, and we're here to learn about the fall of the Druids. Look at all the familiar names and places! We dig into our thoughts on prequels, Terry's "tell, don't show" approach to character traits, and discover the coolest location that Terry has ever written. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we got together to play a couple of hours of the Shannara video game, we put a mic in the room to capture our experience. If you want to know what that was like, here is some mostly unedited audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Brooks's Books, we read books. Occasionally we watch a movie. Today, it's... a video game? Did you know there was a Shannara point and click adventure game released in 1995? Did you know that it has some really wild stuff in it? Join us as we dive into this really bizarre thing. If you'd like to support the show, head to ko-fi.com/brooksbooksshow. If you'd like your questions answered on the sh...

We've identified our witches, and we've identified what the brew is. Unfortunately, now it's time for us to... drink it? I'm losing track of the metaphor. Despite this book not living up to the standard of our other Landover favorites, there's a few bright spots to be found. Terry, why you gotta be so mean? If you'd like your questions answered on the show, email us at brooksbooksshow@gmail.com. N...

We've only got two Landover books left, and Witches' Brew is the last one for a long time! We'd better make the most of our stay. I sure hope that this is a great one! It's a great one, right? If you'd like your questions answered on the show, email us at brooksbooksshow@gmail.com. Next time we'll be reading chapters 12-21 of Witches' Brew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

We're prying our eyes away from our Mind's Eye Crystals just long enough to talk through the back half of the Tangle Box! Join us as we talk through more audiobook mishaps, find out Terry's real self-insert character, and discover the most unhinged scene we've covered on the show to date. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.