Life On Books Podcast

August is women in translation month and all month long we have been celebrating, and why not do another listicle episode, this time talking about 5 of our favorite books in translation written by women, as well as 5 books written by women in translation that we're looking forward to reading. Here are the books discussed in this week's episode: The Dying Grass William T. Vollmann https://amzn.to/3T04VSN The Case of Cem Vera Mutafchieva https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9789533... To Hell with Cronje Ingrid Winterbach https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781934... The Forty Days of Musa Dagh Franz Werfel https://amzn.to/3yYnfVB Che Jon Lee Anderson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780802... The Employees Olga Ravn https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811... Agua Viva Clarice Lispector https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811... The Trouble with Being Born E.M. Cioran https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781611... Under the Volcano Malcom Lowry https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780061... History a Mess Sigrún Pálsdóttir https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781940... What Kingdom Fine Grabol https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781953... Fury Clyo Mendoza https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781644... Hurricane Season Fernanda Melchor https://amzn.to/3AxBj97 Into that Darkness Gitta Sereny https://amzn.to/3YZlx0T The Kindly Ones Jonathan Littell https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780061... The Passion according to G.H. Clarice Lispector https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811... Fever Dream Samanta Shweblin https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780399... Death in Spring Mercè Rodoreda https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781940... Texas the Great Theft Carmen Boullosa https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781941... Solenoid Mercea Cartarescue https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781646... Out Natsuo Kirino https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780593... Kintu Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781945... Americanah Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie https://amzn.to/4dVwTHq Human Acts Han Kang https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781101... Trieste Daša Drndié https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780544... My Annihilation Fuminori Nakamura https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781641... Malia Ingeborg Bachman https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811... The House of Spirits Isabel Allende https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781501... The Apple in the Dark Clarice Lispector https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811... Near to the Wild Heart Clarice Lispector https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811... A Breath of Life Clarice Lispector https://amzn.to/4fX9o2t Drive your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead Olga Tokarczuck

Omensetter's Luck by William H. Gass is considered a pioneering work in postmodern American literature, but did you know that the novel almost never came to be because the original manuscript was stolen? In this episode, we discuss Omensetter's Luck by William H. Gass, and all of its quirks, oddities, and genius. Whether you're a William Gass fan or are only vaguely aware of Omensetter's Luck, I think you'll enjoy this podcast! Books mentioned in the podcast Omensetter's Luck https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780141... The Invention of Morel Adolfo Bioy Casares https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781590... Marshland Otohiko Kaga https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781628... The Dying grass William T. Vollmann https://amzn.to/3AzLtpC Yellow Bird Sierra Crane Murdoch https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780399... Killers of the Flower Moon David Grann https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780307... To Hell with Cronje Ingrid Winterbach https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781934... Che Guevara: A revolutionary life Jon Lee Anderson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780802... Gravity’s Rainbow Thomas Pynchon https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780143... The Recognitions William Gaddis https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781681... In the Heart of the Heart of the Country William H. Gass https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781590... Ulysses James Joyce https://amzn.to/4dO3grH Finnegans Wake James Joyce https://amzn.to/46LaLxf The Tunnel William H. Gass (good luck lol) Stoner John Williams https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781590... Death in Spring Merce Rodoreda https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781940... Winter in Sokcho Elisa Shua Dusapin https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781948... Pachinko Parlor Elisa Shua Dusapin https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781948... Same Bed Different Dreams Ed Park https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780812... Join the Life on Books mailing list to stay up to date on all of our latest book giveaways, projects, and more! https://linktw.in/BRYAnVh Want to read one book from every country? Check out our resource online: https://linktw.in/Zeolty Want to know my all time favorite books? Click the link below! https://bookshop.org/shop/lifeonbooks Follow me on Instagram:   / alifeonbooks   Follow Andy on Instagram   / metafictional.meathead   This video was created with: Sony A7IV https://amzn.to/3WGit8i Sigma 24-70 https://amzn.to/3yjDPis Aputure 300X https://amzn.to/4fnxwv0 Aputure Light Dome https://amzn.to/3WptlGk Rode Wireless Mics https://amzn.to/3YpavBW Shure SM7B https://amzn.to/46vyQbk

Why read literature? Why read works in translation? Why read books written by women? Why continue to participate in a medium that might not have a future? That's what we tackle on today's episode of the Life on Books podcast, as we chat with Chad Post, the director of Open Letter Publishing, which is a project from the University of Rochester. Specializing in works in translation, Open Letter is one of the most important publishers in the US today. Chad himself has immense experience in the world of literature, and in particular works in translation, having started his journey at the famed Dalkey Archives, working side by side with its notorious founder Jon O'Brien. Open Letter Publishing is currently running a special for the month of August, where all of their books either written by women or translated by women are 40%. Click here to see the deal: https://linktw.in/pDTpZN Books mentioned in this podcast Zone Mathias Ernard https://amzn.to/3LZfX6W Winter in Sokcho Elisa Shua Dusapin https://amzn.to/4dccXA8 Garden by the Sea Merce Rodoreda https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781948... The Pachinko Parlor Elisa Shua Dusapin https://amzn.to/3WVKYPt Flowers of Mold Ha Seong-Nan https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781940... Death in Spring Merce Rodoreda https://amzn.to/4cd2LpO Spiral Meander Explode Jane Alison https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781948... The Bridge at No Gun Ri Charles J. Hanley, Sang-hun Choe, Martha Mendoza https://amzn.to/3SL5eRp Hard Rain Falling Don Carpenter https://amzn.to/3SL5eRp Stoner John Williams https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781590... Melville Rodrigo Fresan https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781960... A Muzzle for Witches Dubravka Ugreisc https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781960... Of Beasts and Fowls Pilar Adon https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781960... Last Words on Earth Javier Serena https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781948... The Savage Detectives Roberto Bolaño https://amzn.to/4dfj2f4 The Vegetarian Han Kang https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781101... The Museum of Eternas novel (the first good novel) Macedonio Fernandez https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781934... Thank you for not Reading Dubravka Ugresic https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781948... The Physics of sorrow Georgi Gospodinov https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781324... Cigarettes Harry Matthews https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781628... My life in CIA Harry Matthews Life a Users Manual Georges Perec https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781567... Join the Life on Books mailing list to stay up to date on all of our latest book giveaways, projects, and more! https://linktw.in/BRYAnVh Want to read one book from every country? Check out our resource online: https://linktw.in/Zeolty Want to know my all time favorite books? Click the link below! https://bookshop.org/shop/lifeonbooks Follow me on Instagram:   / alifeonbooks   Follow Andy on Instagram   / metafictional.meathead   This video was created with: Sony A7IV https://amzn.to/3WGit8i Sigma 24-70 https://amzn.to/3yjDPis Aputure 300X https://amzn.to/4fnxwv0 Aputure Light Dome https://amzn.to/3WptlGk Rode Wireless Mics

Millions of books are published each year, and with a back catalogue of nearly 130 million books since the printing press was invented in 1440, you have a lot of books to choose from...so how do we pick the right books to read? That's the topic of today's episode, where we break down how we select books to buy and read. Join the Life on Books mailing list to stay up to date on all of our latest book giveaways, projects, and more! https://linktw.in/BRYAnVh Want to read one book from every country? Check out our resource online: https://linktw.in/Zeolty Want to know my all time favorite books? Click the link below! https://bookshop.org/shop/lifeonbooks Follow me on Instagram:   / alifeonbooks   Follow Andy on Instagram   / metafictional.meathead   This video was created with: Sony A7IV https://amzn.to/3WGit8i Sigma 24-70 https://amzn.to/3yjDPis Aputure 300X https://amzn.to/4fnxwv0 Aputure Light Dome https://amzn.to/3WptlGk Rode Wireless Mics https://amzn.to/3YpavBW Shure SM7B https://amzn.to/46vyQbk#books #booktube #reading

Of course, medium length is being used subjectively here, and perhaps it's because this length of book makes up most of the published books in the world, but still, it seems that people don't often discuss their favorites that are specifically between 300-500 pages. So on today's episode, that's exactly what we do! Here are all of the books in today's episode, but first, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter: https://linktw.in/BRYAnVh Solenoid Mircea Cartarescu https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781646... Marshland Otohiko Kaga https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781628... Death in the Andes Mario Vargas Llosa https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780312... Conversation in the cathedral Mario Vargas Llosa https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780060... The feast of the goat Mario Vargas Llosa https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780312... Catch 22 Joseph Heller https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781451... The sympathizer Viet Thanh Nguyen https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780802... 1984 George Orwell https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9788119... Last Boat out of Shanghai Helen Zia https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780345... All the pretty horses Cormac McCarthy https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780679... The crossing Cormac McCarthy https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780679... The cities of the plain Cormac McCarthy https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780679... Hard rain falling Don Carpenter https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781590... The adventures of huckleberry Finn Mark Twain https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781598... Omensetter’s luck William H. Gass https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780141... Been down so long it looks like up to me Richard Fariña https://amzn.to/3yclILs On the road Jack Kerouac https://amzn.to/4dilgtP A tale of two cities Charles Dickens https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781543... Libra Don Delillo https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780140... If this is a man/the Truce Primo Levi https://amzn.to/3yaIUK3 Warlock Oakley Hall https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781590... Between two fires Christopher Buehlman https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9798662...

The "Best Books of The 21st Century" list...left something to be desired. In this episode, Andy and I discuss which books would be in our top 10, as well as books from the 21st century we're most looking forward to reading. Which books would you put in your top 10 and why? Also, be sure to join our mailing list! https://linktw.in/BRYAnVh Books mentioned in this episode: Also, be sure to join our mailing list! https://linktw.in/BRYAnVh Books mentioned in this episode: Pachinko Min Jin Lee https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781455... The Good Earth Pearl S. Buck https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781982... Americanah Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780307... The Manifold Destiny of Eddie Vegas Rick Harsh https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781953... Pay as you go Eskor David Johnson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781952... Hell's Angels Hunter s Thompson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780345... City of Thieves David Benioff https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780452... Same Bed Different Dreams Ed Park https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780812... Tree of Smoke Denis Johnson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780312... Angels Denis Johnson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780060... Inherent Vice Thomas Pynchon https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780143... Gravity’s Rainbow Thomas Pynchon https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780143... The Anarchist Who Shared My Name Pablo Martin Sanchez https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781941... Don Quixote Miguel De Cervantes https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780062... The Count of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780140... The Road Cormac McCarthy The Road Cormac McCarthy The Sympathizer Viet Thanh Nguyen https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780802... Septology Jon Fosse https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781945... Fury Clyo Mendoza https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781644... Ducks, Newburyport Lucy Ellmann https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781771... The Recognitions William Gaddis https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781681... All the Pretty Horses Cormac McCarthy https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780679... Pirate Hunters Robert Kurson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780812... Shadow divers Robert Kurson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780375... The Instructions Adam Levin https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781952... Tinkers Paul Harding https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781942... Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming Laszlo Krasznahorkai https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811... A Bended Circuity Robert S. Stickley War Trash Ha Jin https://amzn.to/4fddtz8 A Naked Singularity Sergio de la Pava https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780226... First They Killed my Father Loung Ung https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780756... Herscht 07769 Laszlo Krasznahorkai

These are, without a doubt, the best short books ever written! In our opinion. We all love the feeling of accomplishment when you finish a huge 1,000 tome, but honestly, sometimes you just want to rip through a book without feeling like it's dragging on forever! That's why there's short books and novellas! In this episode Andy and I break down our favorite short books and what we love about them. While many new authors today may be writing short novels because they take less time to write, and people have shorter and shorter attention spans, writing a thought provoking and memorable short book can be tough. Consider that the author has fewer pages to pack their narrative punch. So if you're looking for a great short book, consider one of the books on this list! And if you want to support the show, consider buying a book through one of the links below! Solenoid Mircea Cartarescu https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781646... Fatal John Lescroart https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781501... Blinding Mircea Caratarescu https://amzn.to/3YiUUnx Marshland Otohiko Kaga https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781628... Gravity's Rainbow Thomas Pynchon https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780143... Fury Clyo Mendoza https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781644... The Good Earth Pearl S Buck https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781982... $100M Offers Alex Hormozi https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781737... Murder of Frogs Don Carpenter https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780486... Fridays at Enrico’s Don carpenter https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781619... American Gods Neil Gaiman https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780062... Gates of Fire Steven Pressfield https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780553... 100 years of solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781417... The Hobbit JRR Tolkien https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780618... Count of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780140... World war Z Max Brooks https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780307... A fever in the Heartland Timothy Egan https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780735... Same Bed Different Dreams Ed Park https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780812... JR William Gaddis https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781681... Infinite Jest David Foster Wallace https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780316... Lookout Cartridge Joseph McElroy https://amzn.to/4f0MgQf Fundamentals of Sports Training L. Matveyev Catch 22 Joseph Heller https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781451... America and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: a diagnostic Phillip Freedenburg You bright and Risen Angels William T. Vollmann https://amzn.to/3VYpQqd Hurricane Season Fernanda Melchor https://amzn.to/3WksUhR This Other Eden Paul Harding https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781324... Enon Paul Harding https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780812... Cannery Row John Steinbeck https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780140... The Pearl John Steinbeck https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780140... The Master and Margarita Mikhail Bulgakov https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780143... Between the world and me Ta-Nahisi Coates https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780812... In the heart of the heart of the country William H. Gass

There's probably few things more difficult for a writer than figuring out exactly how to start a book. Afterall, the first line of a novel is essentially a "hook." If you don't reel people in, they'll likely put it down and pick up something else instead. Think about some of the most famous opening lines, like Charles Dickens in a Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times". Or Melville's Moby Dick: "Call me Ishmael". In this episode, Andy and I dive into some our favorite opening lines, passages, and pages. What are some of your favorite book openers? Here are the books mentioned in this episode: Hard Rain Falling by Don Carpenter https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781590173244 Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson https://amzn.to/3xCGfIC Angels by Denis Johnson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780060988821 Solenoid by Mircea Cartarescu https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781646052028 Memed My Hawk by Yashar Kemal https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781590171394 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781417735983 The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781590173466 The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781982147174 Hamas: From Resistance to Regime by Paola Caridi https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781644211892 Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780316066525 Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780143039945 Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780679728757 It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781501110368 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780345816023 A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780141439600 Jorge Luis Borgs Collected Fictions https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780140286809 The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781455540013 The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781250033314 Something Happened by Joseph Heller https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780684841212 Catch-22 by Joseph Heller https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781451626650 The Recognitions by William Gaddis https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781681374666 Moby Dick by Herman Melville https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780142437247 The Stranger by Albert Camus https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780679720201 The Brother by Rein Raud https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781940953441 The Instructions by Adam Levin https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781952119736 Pay as you Go by Eskor David Johnson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781952119743 East of Eden by John Steinbeck https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780140186390 Mason and Dixon by Thomas Pynchon https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780312423209

In this podcast we take a trip to Andy's new apartment, where we sit down to discuss what it means to be "well read", if you should intentionally try to "read diversely" and of course, we talk a lot about books. What does it mean to you to be "well read"? Are you there yet, or do you think it's a lifelong pursuit? Books discussed in this episode: Vulture Capitalism by Grace Blakeley https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781982180850 Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781568364278 Broughtupsy Christina Cooke https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781646221882 The Brother by Rain Raud https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781940953441 Lost Empress by Sergio De La Pava https://amzn.to/3Vxf36a Tell them of Battles and Elephants by Mathias Enard https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811227049 The Instructions by Adam Levin https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781952119736 Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780143039945 Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780679728757 Moby Dick by Herman Melville https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780142437247 Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780805086843 Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780812976717 Women and Men by Joseph McElroy https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780979312397 The Lost Scrapbook by Evan Dara https://amzn.to/45Bu7UI #literature #books #guyswhoread

Today on the Life on Books Podcast we are doing a deep dive on the hidden literary gem of Hard Rain Falling by Don Carpenter. Hard Rain Falling was Carpenter's debut novel, and despite it being the work of a master of his craft, Carpenter's career never seemed to materialize in the same way as his contemporaries. In Hard Rain Falling you won't be wowed by pyrotechnic prose, or need to keep a dictionary nearby as is the case with so many respected authors. Instead what you'll get is a gritty, bleak, and unique story that sinks its hooks into you and won't let you go until you've finished. In our modern time, so many books are described as "daring" "bold" or "ambitious" but often fail to live up to those claims. Hard Rain Falling is all of those things, and more. In 1966, when the novel debuted, tackling topics like race relations, gay romance, class struggle, questioning the morality of the prison system and capitalism were all taboo subjects, yet Carpenter fearlessly took these head on. Don Carpenter has been called the "American Dostoevsky" and after reading Hard Rain Falling, I'm inclined to agree. Here are all the books mentioned in the podcast: Hard Rain Falling by Don Carpenter https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781590... Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson https://amzn.to/3RPVvcj Angels by Denis Johnson https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780060... The Garden by Aiden Scott Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780679... What Kingdom by Fine Grabal https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781953... An Apprenticeship of Pleasures by Clarice Lispector https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811... Vulture Capitalism by Grace Blakely https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781982... History a Mess by Sigrun Palsdottir https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781940... Hamas from Resistance to Regime by Paola Caridi https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781644... Memed, My Hawk by Yashar Kemal https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781590... Fox by Dubravka Ugresic https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781940... On the Edge of Reason by Miroslav Krieza https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811...

In this episode, we travel to the 5 college's booksale in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and on the way we take your book related questions. We talk about our favorite places to read, what it means to have success in the literary space, whether we prefer waffles or pancakes, and so much more. As always, here are the books mentioned in this episode Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/3QRHOZN Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780143039945 The Tunnel by William Gass https://amzn.to/3wJsAza Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781628974638 Berserk by Kentaro Miura https://amzn.to/4bteVv0 Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781506711980 Watchmen by Alan Moore https://amzn.to/3QY1UBz Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781779501127 V for Vendetta by Alan Moore https://amzn.to/4dTwTsg Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781779511195 Cain’s Jawbone by Edward Powys Mathers https://amzn.to/3yD4whO  Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781800180796 Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming by Laszlo Kraznahorkai https://amzn.to/3UTEWMZ Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811226646 Pay as you Go by Eskor David Johnson https://amzn.to/44UObRL Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781952119743 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck https://amzn.to/3KfBCqN Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780140177398 Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose https://amzn.to/3QRvHMo Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781501179402 Passing by Nella Larsen https://amzn.to/3V80KpE Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780142437278 The Passion According to GH by Clarice Lispector https://amzn.to/3UZUAXw Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811219686 Vulture Capitalism by Grace Blakely https://amzn.to/4bLXG7X Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781982180850 Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa https://amzn.to/3QROCXl Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781568364278 Tell them of Battles, Kings and Elephants by Matthias Enard https://amzn.to/3UThyPP Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780811227049 Then I am Myself the Word by Christof Koch https://amzn.to/3KdnVbR Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781541602809 Oblivion by David Foster Wallace https://amzn.to/3KcZKu0 Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780316010764 The Pale King by David Foster Wallace https://amzn.to/3QYqcvo Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780316074223  In the Spirit of Crazy Horse by Peter Matthiessen https://amzn.to/3WYIIau Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780140144567 Grunts by John C. McManus https://amzn.to/3KdUaYi Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9780451233417 The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvilli https://amzn.to/4dKfORL Or https://bookshop.org/a/103053/9781950354146

In Today's episode we do a reading recap as well as announce the new Life on Books Book Club! Here are all of the books discussed in this episode! Hard Rain Falling by Don Carpenter https://amzn.to/3WynGQ3 Tell them of Battles, Kings, and Elephants by Matthias Enard https://amzn.to/3ye4WeD The Passion According to G.H. by Clarice Lispector https://amzn.to/3WEspQa Oblivion by David Foster Wallace https://amzn.to/3WEGOfk This is Water by David Foster Wallace https://amzn.to/3WAUHek Speedboat by Renata Adler https://amzn.to/3KiJlEF Meditations by Marcus Aurelias https://amzn.to/4dzCJPs Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace https://amzn.to/3UZRKmA The Instructions by Adam Levin https://amzn.to/3WCvjVq JR by William Gaddis https://amzn.to/3UTxeDY The Mystery Dot Doc by Mathew McIntosh https://amzn.to/3yqpqk7 House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski https://amzn.to/3UWDTNG Pachinko by Min Jin Lee https://amzn.to/3WHdip5 Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson https://amzn.to/44Dmfle Angels by Denis Johnson https://amzn.to/3UUJJiB Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy https://amzn.to/3WVXuiD  The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen https://amzn.to/3UYS1Ge The Lime Twig by John Hawkes https://amzn.to/3wC1slu The Melancholy of Resistance by Lazslo Krasznahorkai https://amzn.to/3ynywhP Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor https://amzn.to/3yvWW8D Omensetter’s Luck by William Gass https://amzn.to/4dERkJv The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/3WHWZbt Underworld by Don DeLillo https://amzn.to/3K9JB8x White Noise by Don DeLillo https://amzn.to/4dGA4n0 Tinkers by Paul Harding https://amzn.to/4bh2Bhx Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed https://amzn.to/3UZsVqM Catch-22 by Joseph Heller https://amzn.to/4bC9UQE Warlock Oakley Hall https://amzn.to/44HzEsq Babel by RF Kuang https://amzn.to/3wAsLga

Dr. Christof Koch: Consciousness, Free Will & The Grand Theory of Everything In this episode we interview Dr. Christof Koch, a trained physicist turned neuroscientist who's primary area of research focuses on consciousness. We sit down with Dr. Koch to discuss his latest book "Then I am Myself the World" out in May of 2024 on Basic Books where he recounts his experience with consciousness altering substances, Integrated Information Theory, which is the foundational theory for his research, and of course...what he's currently reading! You can find all of the books mentioned in this episode in the links below. ⁠⁠ In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan ⁠https://amzn.to/3WlhDy4⁠ The Schopenhauer Cure by Irvin Yalom ⁠https://amzn.to/4b1JdoK⁠ When Nietzsche Wept by Irvin Yalom ⁠https://amzn.to/3UnSLDd⁠ The Feeling of Life Itself by Christof Koch ⁠https://amzn.to/3Umeewf⁠ The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley ⁠https://amzn.to/3Qtn61Y⁠ Oblivion by David Foster Wallace ⁠https://amzn.to/3WkLG91⁠ Determined by Robert Sapolsky ⁠https://amzn.to/3JH1Imc⁠

In case you haven't noticed, there has been an explosion in books being adapted to television and movies lately. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, in fact, it's a great way for writers to have financial success and stability in their writing careers. This practice has become so common, Reese Witherspoon has an entire business model based on not just publishing books, but gobbling up the film rights to those books, essentially giving her an near unlimited pipeline of content. One of the most recent adaptations that we were excited about is Shogun, which is based on the 1970s novel by the same name, written by James Clavell. If you haven't read Shogun, it's an epic adventure, smartly written with a swath of complex characters and plot lines. While both Andy and Tony have been enjoying Shogun (out now on Hulu), we certainly have our critiques as well. In this episode we also talk about our favorite book to screen adaptations thus far, and which books we'd love to see on the big screen. Here is a list of all of the books mentioned in the episode. Shogun by James Clavell https://amzn.to/49csA7R Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright https://amzn.to/3xafpHt Too Much of Life by Clarice Lispector https://amzn.to/4acgop2 Lost Empress by Sergio De La Pava https://amzn.to/43Dhh7M A Bended Circuity by Robert Stickley A Naked Singularity by Sergio De La Pava https://amzn.to/4cpOAPs Passion According to GH by Calrice Lispector https://amzn.to/4abhHEC Dispatches by Michael Herr https://amzn.to/3x8zcqB Musashi by Eiji Yushikawa https://amzn.to/3x8zcqB Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison https://amzn.to/43xVcao King Rat by James Clavell https://amzn.to/49c9gaL Tai-Pan by James Clavell https://amzn.to/3TTFHGP Noble House by James Clavel https://amzn.to/4alIjCG Whirlwind by James Clavell https://amzn.to/4appgId Gai-Jin by James Clavell https://amzn.to/4abu3fW A Song of Fire and Ice by George RR Martin https://amzn.to/3IVFxZi White Noise by Don DeLillo https://amzn.to/4989VKB No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy https://amzn.to/4czyouZ Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/4auaCyW Jaws by Peter Benchley https://amzn.to/43I1RPt Jurassic Park by Michael Cricthon https://amzn.to/4a87fxD The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu https://amzn.to/4azLuH3 The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nyguen https://amzn.to/3VCQ2Z2 Dune by Frank Herbert https://amzn.to/3TDkWxs Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann https://amzn.to/3vxlpcH The Wager by David Grann https://amzn.to/3TBGjiJ Hold the Dark by William Geraldi https://amzn.to/3ISYkUK Leave the World Behind with Rumaan Alam https://amzn.to/3PFSjyK Vineland by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/49bUPDJ Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy https://amzn.to/3PGmRjP Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace https://amzn.to/43zZX3f Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/49aGoQh Underworld by Don DeLillo https://amzn.to/3x69piI JR by William Gaddis https://amzn.to/4awhjAp The Crying of Lot 49 https://amzn.to/49f3DJd Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park https://amzn.to/43BXdT9 A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens https://amzn.to/3PzZmsQ The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas https://amzn.to/4cBi6Sk Satantago by Laszlo Krasznahorki https://amzn.to/3xb2PaJ The Melancholy of Resistance by Laszlo Krasznahorki https://amzn.to/3TPpl1L. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson https://amzn.to/4cye8Kk Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky https://amzn.to/43z29rI Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson https://amzn.to/3vEkvLr Last  Boat out of Shanghai by Hele Zia https://amzn.to/4atmbGz East of Eden by John Steinbeck https://amzn.to/3xeVjMd Love and Terror by William Herrick https://amzn.to/4aaPu0Q

In this episode we talk about what happened to the Life on Books Podcast, why we haven't posted a single new episode in 2024, despite finishing 2023 so strongly and with some very big goals. In this episode, Andy and Tony pull back the curtain on their private lives and talk about some of the monumental shifts in both of their lives, and how that has kept them from releasing a new episode. In this episode we talk about relationships, mental health, the concept of consciousness and free will, infidelity, and of course..books! Here is a list of all of the books mentioned in the podcast! Comeback Pod Show Notes Behave by Robert Sapolsky https://amzn.to/49CKOjW Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky https://amzn.to/4a0IUtj Determined by Robert Sapolsky https://amzn.to/3P9Pplq Ethics by Spinoza https://amzn.to/3Vcjzsl Essay on the Freedom of the Will https://amzn.to/4a2V9p4 Praise Worthy by Alexis Wright https://amzn.to/4a26w0I Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy https://amzn.to/3vai5Uy Madam Bovary by Gustave Flaubert https://amzn.to/3PxAqCj The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald https://amzn.to/3uPYMQB Lady Chatterly’s Lover by DH Lawrence https://amzn.to/4c3xcQi Tess of the D’Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy https://amzn.to/4393jtK The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne https://amzn.to/49CRfn6 Anna of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett https://amzn.to/3T7oZlr Effie Briest by Theodor Fontaine https://amzn.to/3uZp56N A Doll’s House by Henrik Isben https://amzn.to/3P9X4Ac The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton https://amzn.to/3wMBCv2 Then I am Myself the World by Christof Koch https://amzn.to/4a1ZFV6 A Brief History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson https://amzn.to/3v6m3gY Too much of Life https://amzn.to/434GkQy The Anarchist who Shared my Name by Pablo Martin Sanchez https://amzn.to/3IozQmn A Woman Back from Moscow by Ha Jin https://amzn.to/48DDUK4 Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/438pEYp The End of the World is a Cul De Sac by Louise Kennedy https://amzn.to/4c1Vz0W

In this episode we discuss all of the amazing books we read in 2023, from literature to nonfiction and audiobooks. We also discuss some of the things we experienced as "social media influencers" and "Bookstagrammers," what our goals are for 2024 and so, so much more. Thank you to everyone who has watched or listened to our book podcast this year. We couldn't have done it without your support, and we're looking forward to sharing and talking about more books with you in the new year! Year End Pod Show Notes The Netenyahus by Joshua Cohen https://amzn.to/3S1PBVM Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/48DpQk0 The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/48B7jF7 Angels by Denis Johnson https://amzn.to/3RKtRwt King: A Life by Jonathan Eig https://amzn.to/3RFKwkv Libra by Don DelIllo https://amzn.to/4aQmv3c The Wager by David Grann https://amzn.to/3U1mdR9 Grimmish by Michael Winkler https://amzn.to/4aG34d3   Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park https://amzn.to/3NOoM4V The Tunnel by William H. Gass https://amzn.to/48h92iW The Bridge at No Gun Ri https://amzn.to/3NKJEdk 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez https://amzn.to/3TJJjv7 Pay as you Go by Eskor David Johnson https://amzn.to/3NNbHZP Love and Terror by William Herrick https://amzn.to/3S2BfEz Troll by Dave Fitzgerald https://amzn.to/48DVgXs The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen https://amzn.to/48zcpBG https://amzn.to/48fYJM1 This Other Eden by Paul Harding https://amzn.to/3vfBVxv JR William Gaddis https://amzn.to/3S2yGSY War Trash by Ha Jin https://amzn.to/41JBvvF Antagony by  luis goytisolo https://amzn.to/3RLbfw6 The Lift by Dimitri Kralj https://coronasamizdat.com/index.php?id_product=70&rewrite=the-lift-by-dimitrij-kralj&controller=product The Hole by Jose Revueltas https://amzn.to/48cjcl0  The Pearl by John Steinbeck https://amzn.to/4aCw4Tc The Hospital by Ahmed Bouanani https://amzn.to/4aCEwSp The Trees Grew Because I Bled There by Eric LaRocca https://amzn.to/47kXfPF Babel by RF Kuang https://amzn.to/47g86tX The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas https://amzn.to/47lvvuf Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace https://amzn.to/3NP1eNj The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins https://amzn.to/48eoYCT  The Logos by Mark DeSilva https://amzn.to/3TIddzW A Naked Singularity by Sergio De La Pava https://amzn.to/3S2Ys9S Warlock by Oakey Hall https://amzn.to/3vr4MPj Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick https://amzn.to/3vr4MPj A novel to read on the train by Dumitru Tsepeneag https://amzn.to/3RJoZrf   Baron Wenckheim's Homecoming by Laszlo Krasnahorki

In this episode we sit down with author Ed Park to discuss his newest novel Same Bed Different Dreams. Same Bed Different Dreams is Park's second novel, his first, Personal Days was published in 2008. His recent release is a masterpiece of post modern fiction, taking over 9 years to complete, yet despite it's unique narrative structure, his sophomore novel remains entertaining and perhaps more importantly, approachable to readers of all kinds. We take a deep dive on Ed's favorite authors, inspirations, and how the heck he wrote such an incredible novel with its zany blend of history, pop-culture, sports and more. Books mentioned in this episode: Personal Days by Ed Park  Big Bang by David Bowman https://amzn.to/3GYXXHm Let the Dog Drive by David Bowman https://amzn.to/3TDtSEM Warlock by Oakley Hall https://amzn.to/3RZT6MB Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/3RDtL9F Pafko at the Wall by Don DeLillo https://amzn.to/4aMqdea Mason and Dixon by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/48bnZ65 Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace https://amzn.to/48xb2Dt A Frolic of HIs Own by William Gaddis https://amzn.to/3RVCIwy The Recognitions by William Gaddis True Grit by Charles Portis https://amzn.to/3TGc8Zw The Dog of the South by Charles Portis https://amzn.to/4azIECE Masters of Atantis by Charles Portis https://amzn.to/3tEuv6n Who Sleeps with Katz by Todd McEwan https://amzn.to/48yv5la Natural History by Maureen Howard https://amzn.to/3RVcSsv  Ducks Newburyport by Lucy Ellman https://amzn.to/48xbPnZ Septology by Jon Fosse https://amzn.to/48pgSag Immediate Family by Ashley Nelson Levy https://amzn.to/47eID3Z Austerlitz by WG Sebald https://amzn.to/3TA6yrD All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy https://amzn.to/48aiox5 The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth McKenzie https://amzn.to/3GXkBjl The Theory of the Leisure  Class by Thorstein Veblen https://amzn.to/3GWlYir Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell https://amzn.to/3NKzd9M A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan https://amzn.to/4aAmBLY A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell https://amzn.to/3RLLs7g Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/3vjGfMo The Watchman by Alan Moore https://amzn.to/3RYItcU Maus by Art Speiglenman https://amzn.to/3TDVFF6 Fun Home by Allison Bechdel https://amzn.to/479XNYx It’s a good life if you don’t weaken by Seth https://amzn.to/48xt0FV Grass by  Keum Suk Gendry-Kim https://amzn.to/48p3Rxg

In this episode we sit down with Eskor David Johnson, the Trinidad and Tobago author, to discuss his debut novel, Pay As You Go. Pay As You Go has been labeled as "magical realism" by fans, a "Mock epic" by author and Penguin press editor Ed Park, and is one of our favorite books of the year. Whether you see it as a coming of age story, a hero's journey, or something else entirely, Pay As You Go is sure to appeal to a wide range of readers due to its fantastic storytelling, loveable and ridiculous characters, and a humanistic element we can all relate to. On top of discussing Pay As You Go, we also ask Eskor about his writing process, his time at the Iowa writers workshop MFA program, his love of photography and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and so much more. This was hands down one of our favorite episodes to date, and we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it! Books mentioned in this podcast: Pay as you Go by Eskor David Johnson https://amzn.to/3v3BJBn The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz https://amzn.to/3TuHSkk 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez https://amzn.to/3GP4Evy JR by William Gaddis https://amzn.to/4aEMvyv Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa https://amzn.to/3RrqXMJ The Hospital by Amhed Bounani https://amzn.to/3GP2U5C Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie https://amzn.to/3Ny0ewW The Shipping News by Annie Proulx https://amzn.to/41BtRmY Tinkers by Paul Harding https://amzn.to/47bswUS A house for Mr. Biswas by VS Naipaul https://amzn.to/3ROqyWc Miguel’s Street by VS Naipaul https://amzn.to/3tiJ1AT Speedboat by Renata Adler https://www.amazon.com/Speedboat-NYRB-Classics-Renata-Adler/dp/1590176138?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1703093985&sr=1-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=theonlife-20&linkId=9c4d8554c1502c371b3b885db80ba5ea&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl The Adventures and misadventures of Maqroll by Alvaro Mutis https://amzn.to/3REvr2W My Brilliant Friends by Eleana Ferrante https://amzn.to/3Hbq1Yp Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy https://amzn.to/3Rz9MZE The collected Fictions of Luis Borges translated by Andrew Hurley https://amzn.to/3GUtdaB Poverty by America by Matthew Desmond https://amzn.to/3GOWgMP Evicted by Matthew Desmond https://amzn.to/3RNJIeG

What is literature? Dictionary.com defines it as: writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. That definition feels somewhat satisfactory, but is there more to it than than? In today's episode, Tony and Andy dive into what defines literature, where the line is draw, and if books written for the specific purpose of selling copies and making money can be considered literature or not. Here are the books mentioned in today's episode: The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Jordan Campbell East of Eden by John Steinbeck You Bright and Risen Angels by William T Vollman Thank you for Smoking by Christopher Buckley The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll by Alvaro Mutis Wailing, Madness, Shame, and Death by W. Gavin Shogun by James Clavell Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa Musashi’s Book of Five Rings Heart of a Dog Mikhail Bulgakov Master and the Magherita by Mikhail Bulgakov Plum Springs by Dan Lawton Saint Sebastian’s Abyss by Mark Haber Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir White Noise by Don Delillo Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park The Recognitions by William Gaddis JR by William Gaddis Emoji Dick by Fred Benenson #literature #hardcoreliterature #books

We've been getting lots of questions about books. In our DMs, on our comments, so we asked you all to give us your bookish questions and we are here to answer them! In this episode Tony and Andy break down everything from how they met, to how you can read faster and remember more of what you read. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions, and if we didn't get to your question this time, another book Q&A is in the future! In the meantime, keep those questions coming, join the discussion! Afterall that's why we do this, to build a great community of readers around some great books!