Words About Books

Ben and Nate continue their discussion of Children of Dune. Clumsy re-enactments, reference humor, plans within plans...this episode has it all! Support the show Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/wordsaboutbooks.bsky.social Discord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8C Threads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcast Blog - https://...

We're back for our yearly spice trance! That's right, break out your space crack and start huffing it with every orifice and inch of skin you can possibly put spice into or on top of. When the police come, just let them know you were trying to achieve enlightenment and have them listen to the episode too - we want your views. This year we're covering Children of Dune. This episode s...

Ben attempts to recommend that Nate (and the audience by proxy) read or watch Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Nate will not be recommended to without a fight, though. The conversation wanders through the DC Universe, Alan Moore, and I think One Piece for a minute there...honestly forget how that one came up.   Support the show Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/wordsaboutbooks.bsky.social Discord - h...

It's been a rough few weeks here at Words About Books headquarters. We decided to relax and unwind with a refreshing Spa Day...a Voluspa Day! We're diving back into The Poetic Edda with Jackson Crawford's translation of Voluspa. Tag along as we follow Odin All-Father on a quest to learn how our world began and perhaps more importantly, how it will end... Support the show Blue Sky -...

This week it's done. We're done. Nate is done, most of all. We read every Ready Player Book part-by-part. That is a total of two books, but it feels like a million. A million shitty books. Every chapter is so densely packed with references, idiocy, escapism, and the rampant justification for an existence not worth having. Every time you dig into one wrong point you run into ever more wor...

This week it's finally time to bust out the 80s references! And also, you know, the actual story of Ready Player Two. After Ernest wastes a lot of time and energy on a dull part 1 he's basically starting and finishing the book in part 2! The true battle between Words About Books and Ready Player Two is about to commence! Support the show Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/wordsaboutbook...

Hey are you ready for a fun trip into 80s nostalgia! Well you've come to the right place... in like 121 pages or so. Yeah we'll throw you a bone here and there. You remember Marty McFly's alarm clock?!? Yeah... I hope that reference will sustain you. Because we're not going to spend a whole lot of time in the Oasis doing Ready Player One stuff. Sure we'll go steal the scri...

Another compilation episode just for you! Yes you, the person reading this right now. Nate made this only for you. Support the show Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/wordsaboutbooks.bsky.social Discord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8C Threads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcast Blog - https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/

Dr. Cecil is back and he's done it again! This brilliant super genius author man has once again changed the game in ways that we won't fully understand for generations to come. He's released another fantastic book about two alleged brothers and their much smarter female friend as they tackle THE TRAIN TO NOWHERE! It's got action. It's got drama. It's got suspense. It&...

Ben continues to describe Thrawn Alliances by Timothy Zahn to Nate.  Things quickly get out of hand as Ben crumbles under the weight of two very similar timelines. Truthfully, we didn't even bother editing this one very closely. You wanted Thrawn. We'll give you Thrawn. In fact, why don't you all go smoke a whole CARTON of Thrawn.  Support the show Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profil...

Ben read Star Wars: Thrawn: Alliances by Timothy Zahn. Listeners demanded it. They even bought us coffee for it! Now it's here. It is Ben's turn to describe a Thrawn book to Nate. The result has been described as "a disaster" and "are you STILL recording?"  Support the show Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/wordsaboutbooks.bsky.social Discord - https://discord.gg/6B...

Ben and Nate read "Guardians" by George R.R. Martin featuring his legendary recurring character, a hairless, obese man named Tuf. This is a real thing and I actually quite enjoy it. Support the show Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/wordsaboutbooks.bsky.social Discord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8C Threads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcast Instagram - https://www.insta...

This week on Words About Books we tackle Minecraft: The Island! Ben picked this book when he was given the option and he has no regrets. Come listen as we discuss Max Brooks playing Minecraft for the first time and blogging about his experiences. Now with cannibalism and body horror! Fun tip: Did you know that if you pull out your crafting table, put a block of copper in the top left corner, the b...

Extra episode time! We get paid money for Ben's human suffering! It's the best! If you're interested in ruining Ben's life feel free to throw money at him! His misery is INCREDIBLY cheap! Support the show Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/wordsaboutbooks.bsky.social Discord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8C Threads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcast Instagram - h...

Ben describes Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao to Nate. The boys are burnt out from House of Leaves, so Ben decides to regale us with a tale of a YA book he read recently. It's described as The Handmaid's Tale meets Pacific Rim. Does it deliver on that promise? Can Ben remember any of the terminology? Will Nate stop saying "polycule?" Find out all this and more on this week's...

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ThIs week Ben and Nate reaD HOuse of Leaves by Mark DaNielewski. A bOok abouT a movie that never existed. Nate’s exCitement quickly weArs off as he discoveRs that thE mystery oF The NavidsOn RecoRd is noT wHat he was promIsed. Ben uSes his douche philosophy powers to try discover what the novel is actually aBout, but even he has his limits. HOuse of Leaves isn’t a stOry that holds your hand and wi...

Prepare to get Thrawned all over again as Nate recounts what happened in The Hand of Thrawn Duology while Ben is forced to sit and listen! Our heroes are once again meandering around waiting for the plot when THRAWN RETURNS! OR DOES HE?!? NO! BUT MAYBE YES!? Witness the mad dash to run in every direction possible all at once in order to obtain a document that will stop people from using the lack o...

Ben forces Nate to read Lokasenna, a poem about the Norse gods from the Poetic Edda. The boys are finally taking the plunge into real art and culture. This week we're covering a classic of European myth and history: Lokasenna. A poem in which Loki becomes very drunk and roasts all the gods.  Support the show Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/wordsaboutbooks.bsky.social Discord - https://dis...

Nate has once again compiled a list of books for Ben to choose for our next book club.  Ben can judge them only based on the information present on their covers. This time there is a secret theme to all of the choices. See if you can guess what it is. Support the show Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/wordsaboutbooks.bsky.social Discord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8C Threads - https://www.threa...

Ben reads Shepherd's Fall by George R. Appelt Jr. What was supposed to be a relatively straightforward discussion of a mysterious local horror author quickly goes off the rails. The boys grapple with a multifaceted narrative filled with ghosts, possible zombies, demons, and serious foundation damage that could run well into the 5-figures. Support the show Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/w...

This week Ben finally unveils a rating system he kinda sorta plagiarised from an English Creative Writing class. Yes after months of threatening both Nate and the listeners he's finally gone and done it! And the results are... actually pretty good. Hopefully this will help us organize our thoughts and help you the listener understand what we liked, didn't like, and why from a variety of...

This week on Words About Books Ben continues to move to another apartment instead of buying a house. So while he's busy throwing away his money we have to do a short episode. So we're talking a little more about Axiom's End to get a deeper conversation. Ben then brings up what a "popcorn movie" is and is wrong. He's just wrong. If he puts up a twitter poll be sure to...

We've got a bonus for you this week! The best of the first quarter of WAB Pod! Chapter markers available off of our website. Support the show Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/wordsaboutbooks.bsky.social Discord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8C Threads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcast Blog - https://blog.wordsabout...

This week on Words About Books Ben & Nate discuss Axiom's End by Lindsey Ellis. Because Nate is writing the description and editing he can tell you that Ben spent the first 16 minutes off the mic and then he came back to eat a sandwich necessitating the complete re-recording of the introduction. Join us as we discuss Axiom's End, a book about First Contact. It's a book set in th...