Buddy Book Club

The Buddies tackle Suzanne Collins' Sunrise on the Reaping,  the Hunger Games prequel that follows a young Haymitch Abernathy. If you liked the Hangover 2, Dumb & Dumber 2, and the Han Solo movie, then this book is for you. Not a lot of positive comments in this one, but the Buddies did wander into some bizarre tangents around spitting, gleeking, transfusions, and dead bees in figs. They...

The Buddies strapped in for book 2 (or some may say book 1.5) of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series with Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman. While this book may have not advanced the story too much, the Buddies had a good time reading and got into chatting about, AIM chatting, binge reading, and why being less intelligent and less sensitive is a good thing. So join us as we reconnect with...

The Buddies dove into Ashley Elston's 2024 thriller First Lie Wins, and let's just say they weren't thrilled. The Buddies found the book lacking in both thrills and twists, so they tried to provide some in this podcast. They got to talking about group chats, guardian angels, bathroom etiquette at parties, and a clever use of a zip lock bag. So join us (or maybe skip if you’re a fan...

The Buddies ventured into Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl , a lit-RPG novel. A lit-RPG novel, for those of you that don’t know, is basically a story told more like a video game RPG (we’re guessing, as this is our first time ever reading one). This book had the Buddies chatting about Cats, Nick Arcade, and the merits of Public Urination. Looking for a light-hearted, good time, with your pals P...

The Buddies popped open a bottle of Appalachian moonshine and dove into Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. If you enjoy listening to a light-hearted comedic book podcast navigate a relentless parade of poverty, addiction, and child abuse while desperately trying to keep things light, this episode is for you! The Buddies got to discussing the benefits of rural living, stereotypes, and what Sar...

 On this episode, the Buddies jumped on their dragons and rode into the Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros; a Young adult book with heavy emphasis on the adult portion. If you like dragons, magic, and sexual tension that goes from zero to a hundred faster than Dom Toretto, then this book is for you. The Buddies got to talking about Basil Exposition, trauma counseling for students, and even played a gam...

The Buddies dive into All the Colors of the Dark  by Chris Whittaker. A story that manages to combine elements of Joe Dirt, Shawshank Redemption, Where the Crawdad Sing, and Forrest Gump into one surprisingly coherent narrative. Or more simply put, a tale about a pirate turning into a great painter. The book had the Buddies debating proper broccoli-roasting techniques, questioning why Ivy League a...

The Buddies enter Britain and the world of King Arthur in The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell. If you're sophisticated, you'll know this as an "Arthurian tale" or a retelling of the classic animated TV show King Arthur and the Knights of Justice . The book had the Buddies debating the merits of LSD-powered sorcery, comparing bar game courage to battlefield bravery, and wonderin...

The Buddies are back for their 5th year! They kick off 2025 with Noah Hawley's, Before the Fall. The Buddies got to chatting about what this book was really about. It is marketed as a mystery novel, but deep down it’s about: the importance of never answering questions, having ‘French toast hands’, and destroying a house in the name of art. So, grab your life vests, your philosophical question...

The Buddies unearth the horror section this week with Silvia Moreno-Garcia's, Mexican Gothic . The Buddies didn’t… love this one per say. They got to talking about the Get Out similarities, Eminem’s lyric connection, and “atmospheric writing”. So light yourself a cigarette, we needed a few whilst reading this one. And Join us as we discuss/attack Mexican Gothic.  Intro/Book Report(0:00-3:03)...

The Buddies sadly close out their epic pilgrimage into the Harry Potter world with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts 1 & 2 . In this episode, they discuss a wide range of topics, including fearing death, goblin-wizard relations, and casting couches. Plus, they tackle the age-old question: Is it okay to slow dance with your best friend’s girlfriend alone in your room? So, grab your po...

The Buddies close out J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series with book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was a sad episode for the Buddies as they finished the last chapter in their favorite book series, and got to talking about: Snape the “good guy”, Unforgivable Curses basically being magical jaywalking, and "kids" fairytales. Per usual, the Buddies got into some conspiracy theor...

The Buddies watch movie #6 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on this week’s episode. They get to chatting about: Hogwarts "three strikes policy" for attempted murder, how Ginny and Harry's on-screen chemistry makes a flobberworm look charismatic, and whether Dumbledore the worst wingman in wizarding history. So, grab yourself some Felix Felicis, don’t tie your shoes, because...

The Buddies are now onto the sixth chapter of their magical journey with "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling. The Buddies explored vital wizarding matters including: the questionable ethics of love potions at a high school, the surprising benefits of writing in used textbooks, and whether Dumbledore needed better threat assessment training. The Buddies also tackled l...

The Buddies weren’t too happy about the 5th Harry Potter movie, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", where apparently the longest book in the series got hit with a shrinking charm. The Buddies discussed many important topics including: Death Eaters' and the Lost tv show crossover, Filch's unexpected workout routine, and whether the movie's pacing deserves to be thrown t...

The Buddies plunged into the fifth installment of their magical marathon with "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" by J.K. Rowling. The Buddies discussed many important topics including: becoming radicalized over owl injuries, the Weasley twins' mastery of guerrilla marketing, and whether Dumbledore's penchant for secrecy deserves a Howler. The Buddies also pondered life...

 The Buddies fly into the fourth installment of their Harry Potter book/movie marathon with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The Buddies conjured up a spellbinding discussion covering: Dumbledore choking out students, Beauxbatons' Disney-on-ice entrance, and ranking the top movies so far. So put on your magical eye, start flicking your tongue, and join us for the Goblet of Fire movie disc...

The Buddies read what might be their favorite book ever written in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. They are joined by special guest, and Harry Potter super fan, Jimmy for the fourth installment of the greatest series to ever live. This is a long one and they touch on pretty much every topic you can imagine. From the true dark lord, to wizard gambling, to going out on top (that is to say dying...

The Buddies apparate into the third Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  They got to chatting about: Wizards and their fashion choices, romantic scenes, Hermione's workout regiment, and how Snape's redemption arc got lost somewhere between the book and the big screen. So practice your "Lumos Maxima" for those late-night reading sessions, and join the Bu...

 The Buddies fly into book 3 of the Harry Potter series in, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. They're joined by special guest (with an appropriate name): Magic.  They discuss everything from taking a page out of Willy Wonka's 'how to deal with spoiled children' book, to the questionable penal system of Azkaban. They also get into important topics around: The raging horm...

The Buddies continue their marathon with movie #2, Harry Potter and the Chambers of Secrets, directed by Chris Columbus. The Buddies delved into a number of movie topics including: Mr. Weasley's book vs movie differences, the uncanny similarity between Quidditch and Star Wars space battles, and whether Moaning Myrtle's voice is more terrifying than the basilisk itself. So, grab your brok...

The Buddies jumped into book 2 of their epic Harry Potter book/Movie Marathon, with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling. The Buddies delved into a number of magical topics including: Mr. Weasley being a gangster, Quidditch equipment regulations, the economics of the wizarding world, and whether Moaning Myrtle's bathroom is preferable to a packed one after a feast at the g...

After completing book one of the greatest series of all time, the Buddies sat down to watch the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie. The Buddies discussed a number of things including: the pronunciation of "Quidditch", saying 'Happy' vs. 'Merry' Christmas, the drunken tendencies of magical hats, Professor McGonagall's potential gambling addiction, an...

The Buddies celebrate their 100th episode by fulfilling their promise and starting on a Harry Potter reading (and movie) marathon. The J. K. Rowling series has been a favorite of the Buddies (they’ve only referenced the books multiple times in all of their other 99 episodes) and they were eager to re-read. Strap in because the Buddies had a lot to discuss, this is a long one. The Buddies went in d...

After reading 1,000+ pages, and dedicating 3 episodes to the Shōgun book, the Buddies finally got a chance to complete the new Shōgun FX series. They didn’t want to be the people that say “the book is better than the show”, but they spend most of the pod (hopefully not too pretentiously) saying the book was better than the show. They got to talking about the positives of subtitles, swimming naked,...