Kendall Bookworms

Joe has struck again, with another Sci-Fi book. This month he picked Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov. It is a classic of the genre and supposedly first genre mixing with the murder mystery.    Next month, Alex is bringing us back to YA and Middle School level reading with the hard to find novel, The Lost Track of Time by Paige Britt. So make sure you give yourself plenty of time to track down a cop...

Joe and Becky get down in discussing what not to do when hiking big mountains in winter. The Last Traverse by Ty Gagne is a true account of two men that attempted to traverse Franconia Notch in winter and get caught in a nasty storm. It is a moving story told in the words of the one survivor, the rescuers, and friends and family that knew the two men.   Next month, Joe has picked the classic Scien...

Alex has given himself a challenge since I told him to rage read Some Desperate Glory. He is trying to read all the other Hugo nominations from that year to see if SDG actually deserved to win and it was simply a bad year. This is the first book that he picked up from that class, and he thought Joe should check it out too.    In this episode we read The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Cha...

Yes. We are beating this dead horse some more. But, this episode had to be one of the most fun episodes we have yet to record. Alex, was finally guilted into reading the Butcher Game by Alaina Urquhart. Not wanting to stay quiet on his thoughts about it, he developed a game for Joe to play. There is even an award if Joe wins. Or if he loses, Alex gets to exact his costs out of Joe for forcing him...

Joe is a cheating cheat. How dare he. Two books in one podcast!? Alex was beside himself in how much he had to read in such a short time. He hasn't read that long of a book since he plodded along with a Brandon Sanderson book (and it took him months to read that).    This month the brothers read Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan, the compilation of books one and two of the Riyria Revelations...

The brothers have taken a break from reading and have watched a movie instead. For this bonus episode, Alex thought it would be a fantastic idea to compare the book, Mystic River by Dennis Lehane, to the movie of the same name, starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon. It is an interesting discussion that digs deep into what was similar and different and how well the movie was able to capt...

After Alex's disappointing book pick to start off season 3, he has turned it around a full 180 degrees. For this month he picked Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. This gripping crime drama is going to leave you on the edge of your seat as you speedread the whole thing in one sitting.  Listen to the brothers as they discuss the pure genius of Lehane and his ability to write characters and tension. The...

Welcome back to Kendall Bookworms. We have the long anticipated (to Joe anyways) comparison book to a previous bonus book. That's right. We read No Time Like the Future by Michael J. Fox so that Joe could show Alex the difference between a good celebrity memoir (this one) to that of a bad one (aka Tom Felton's memoir).   Joe's not petty. Well, maybe a little.   Next month are book of the month is...

Welcome to Kendall Bookworms season three. This month Joe got to pick his first book of the season. He picked Death's Head by David Gunn. It is a military sci-fi action book that never slows down. And neither do the brothers as they pick this book apart and talk about their thoughts and feelings on their reading experience.    Next month Alex is picking again. He is sticking to his mystery books a...

Welcome to Kendall Bookworms! This is our first bonus episode of season 3. And as the title suggests, Alex pulled a fast one on Joe. Alex decided to read the third and final installment of his all time favorite book series, Stuffed. As those familiar with these episodes, you all know this is a smut book. So anyone that snuck in the theater that should not be listening to this sort of thing, please...

And we're back!   It is the start of season 3. I know it has felt like a long time since you have heard our silky, sultry voices. Not doing that bonus episode makes it feel as if we have been gone forever.    But not to fear. We are back, like I said. And Alex, as per usual, has the privilege of the first pick of the season. And to start the season off, he decided to begin with a murder mystery. W...

Hey everyone! We made it! Two full seasons now. 32 books total that the brothers picked out for everyone to read. A whole bunch more in bonus episodes. It's been quite the ride. In this episode, the brothers are going to go over all the books they read this season, ranking them and comparing them to the first season. Then Joe is going to geek out on some stats and Alex is going to try and stump Jo...

Becky joins us for the last bonus episode of the season for one of her favorite books that she read this year. She tells Joe all about the book Come Fly the World by Julia Cooke and the amazing women who flew on Pan Am as stewardesses. It is an interesting story that Becky is clearly thrilled about. Some check it out.   We also passed 1,000 downloads for the year! So, thank you for all the people...

Welcome to our final book pick of season 2. This month the brothers read Joe's final pick, Hyperion by Dan Simmons. An epic sci-fi that not only won the Hugo in 1989, but also the brothers' hearts. Alex really knows how to cut this one down to the wire. He was enjoying this book so much that he didn't finish it until days before we needed to air the episode. To make it a tighter crunch, this is po...

In this fantastic discussion, Haley has come back to join Joe to talk about her all-time favorite book. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer has become one of those late bloomers of books that everyone is talking about. And for good reason. We get a little hippy-dippy at times, but this book is not only worth reading, but t...

Alex has given us the opportunity to read his favorite book of all time with him. This is his last pick of season two, and he wanted to go out with a bang. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a true classic that is still poignant and relevant in today's society. So, buckle up and let's enjoy the ride of a story that has given us one of the world's most recognizable characters.   Next mont...

Poor poor Becky. Joe has cornered her and demanded that she sit through a review of a book he knew he would hate.  That's right. The long anticipated book review of The Butcher Game by Alaina Urquhart. Sadly, Alex and Becky refused to buddy read the book with Joe. It was a painful read, but someone had to do it. And Joe certainly enjoys the pain... So please sit back and enjoy sharing that pain Jo...

And we're back! With another book review.   This month Alex and Joe discuss a Joe pick. We read The Wanting Seed by Anthony Burgess. Yes. The guy that wrote A Clockwork Orange. Our first repeat author. Not the author either of us would have picked for jumping back to. But here we are.   Next month will be Alex's last pick of the season. And he picked a special one to him. It is his proclaimed favo...

Hello all, I have some bad news for all of our loyal fans. This month, Alex and I were unable to get a new episode recorded for the bonus material. Not wanting to leave it as a blank, I decided to rebroadcast our most popular episode by far. Part-Time Indian has over 100 downloads. So, obviously we did something right here. For all those fans that have not yet had a chance to listen to this, pleas...

Alex has picked a powerful book for this month. We read A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. It is a middle school read with lots of pictures that are stunning and add to the text amazingly. A book truly worth reading. Even the curmudgeon, Joe, was impressed with this book.    Next month Joe has picked a book that he doesn't love, but has had trouble forgetting. And really, isn't that what books are s...

Joe and Alex have a super special bonus episode for everyone today. We had a fan request for a book, and we decided to combine the book with a movie critique.    The book (and movie) that we are covering today is, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. A drug fueled ride of extremes that will make you sick with envy. Or make you want to puke with all the excess. Either way, we hope...

Joe is back to torturing everyone again with his memoirs. He swears this one is better though. Alex may need some convincing. This month the brothers read Let's Pretend this Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson. It is a rip-roaring life to be shared, full of mental illness, awkward childhoods, and things that can only happen in Texas. (Just a note from Alex: DO NOT LISTEN TO THE AU...

Becky is joining the show again for this latest edition of bonus episodes! She has a new favorite book to talk about, The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner. This is an exciting book for young adult and middle school readers. So listen in and see what all the fuss is about.    I do need to apologize for the audio quality on this one. This was a last minute recording and editing thing. A few other...

Alex is changing up the format again. Keeping it fresh even, maybe. This month he picked a book that is completely different from what we have been reading. Instead of describing imagery of words on page, Alex is having us describe pictures on paper. That's right. We are discussing a graphic novel. Not just any graphic novel, either, but one of the greatest ever written by one of the greatest auth...

This bonus episode is a little different. This month Alex thought it might be fun for Joe to see how he does in a Choose Your Own Adventure style story. Joe, through bad experiences in 3rd grade, knew he would struggle to make it far. The book that Alex picked for this strange and bizarre adventure was Darkness Over Arkham by Jonathan Green. It is a Lovecraftian mystery, where you, the intrepid ad...