Table of (Mal)Contents

So, we had a plan for this episode. We were going to have some fun talking through some decent questions Goodreads has been posting lately. But instead… well, you'll have to listen to what exactly happened this week. Because none of us are entirely sure. But we did have a lot of fun as we discussed: Nicolas Cage's method of acting Dave's unexpected trip to the ER (and pro-tips for getting to the front of the line) Real bacon vs turkey "bacon" Aaron butchering the pronunciation of a Nigerian author's name Books that have affected us over the past few months A few of the books we mentioned this week One Year After by William R. Forstchen The Looming Tower: Al-Quaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes Seeing Jesus from the East by Ravi Zacharias & Abdu Murray The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Adult Children of Alcoholics by Dr. Janet G. Woititz EdD Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DMus on Twitter or Instagram.

So with everything that's happening in the world recently, we decided to talk together about books we've read that have helped us explore the experiences of others. Specifically, the experiences of African Americans. This conversation was, honestly, a pretty awkward one for us to have since none of us are African American, and we didn't want it to be perceived as "three white people helping you understand the African American experience." That's not how we roll, and it's not something any of us are qualified to do anyway. Instead, we're sharing about books we've read and advice we've been given that have been helpful in our desire to be good learners and good neighbors in our community. In this episode you'll hear: A few of the books we've found helpful so far Reading recommendations from our listeners Why it's important not just to read about the African American experience, but to read good African American authors As promised in the episode, here are a couple of articles we found particularly helpful in processing the events of the last three weeks: Speaking My Blackness by Devin Cornelius What Can I do? by Shaq Hardy A few of the books we mentioned this week Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum Pachinko by Min Jin Lee The Color Purple by Alice Walker The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan & Roslyn M. Jordan Life is Not an Accident by Jay Williams Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DMus on Twitter or Instagram.

Recently it looked like we were maybe hopefully getting toward a happier and healthier place in this pandemic. The sun was shining, stores were opening… and well, 2020 keeps happening. But we're not talking about terribly serious stuff on this episode because it was recorded before 2020 got even worse. Maybe we'll get serious and talk about some of that next week. We'll see. But in the meantime, we do talk about some pretty fun and hopefully life-giving subjects, including: What it was like to go back into a bookstore for the first time When Scarlet’s going to start writing her rabbit book We workshop a new kids book (and it gets weird) Whether or not we should do a live show someday Audience participation! We've got a couple of activities for y'all: Share a photo of you in or outside your favorite bookstore and tag @malcontentspod on Twitter and Instagram If it ever becomes safe to do so, should we host a live recording—and would you come? A few of the books we mentioned this week Watership Down by Richard Adams Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems Rabbits for Dummies by Connie Isbell & Audrey Pavia On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson I’m Your Huckleberry by Val Kilmer The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DMus on Twitter or Instagram.

So, many weeks ago, back in the long forgotten times when people socialized together and we recorded our podcast in-person, and before Scarlet teamed up with us to class up this show and keep it firmly in the mostly-family-friendly radio space, there was another co-host. But his life got too busy with a new job, his other show, and a book deadline, so he had to say goodbye to his regular gig here. It took us—especially Dave—some time, but we healed. So, today, Barnabas joins us on the show to catch up! Listen in as we discuss: What we should really call endorsement requests If Scarlet is becoming a weird pet person Writing in normal times vs in the time of social distancing Why Dave should read an advance copy of Barnabas' new book What Scarlet might like about westerns (even if she probably won't read them) The category of books Barnabas wants to sucker punch A few of the books we mentioned this week Hoping for Happiness by Barnabas Piper Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson Doc Savage: Man of Bronze by Lester Dent Batman: The Last Knight on Earth by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins Stay Hungry by Sebastian Maniscalco Miracles by C. S. Lewis A Lowcountry Heart by Pat Conroy The New Girl by Daniel Silva One Last Strike by Tony La Russa Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DMus on Twitter or Instagram.

As you all know, Dave loves history (almost as much as he loves cats). And because I am a Canadian, he and Scarlet both wanted to help me learn more about American history, in the hopes that I can someday pass a citizenship test. So, we thought, why not have Thomas Kidd join us to help with both? Listen in as we discuss: Is there really more that can be said about some of these well-known historical figures? Why we need to be careful to not read back in our views and context into the past Why he is (and we all should be) fascinated by the biblicism of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin Great modern history writers A book Scarlet is endorsing And, of course, whether Dr. Kidd enjoys the West Wing Thomas S. Kidd teaches history at Baylor University, and is Associate Director of Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion. Dr. Kidd writes at the Evangelical History blog at The Gospel Coalition. He also regularly contributes for outlets such as WORLD Magazine, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. His recent books include Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father; George Whitefield: America's Spiritual Founding Father; and Baptists in America: A History, with co-author Barry Hankins.  A few of the books we mentioned this week Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe Hoping for Happiness by Barnabas Piper Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson The Spy Who Came In From the Cold by John le Carré Doc Savage: Man of Bronze by Lester Dent Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DMus on Twitter or Instagram.

Recently I discovered that McKay's, our favorite second-hand bookstore, has been offering themed grab bags of books to help people stay on top of their reading during this season. So, of course, I bought one—and it was 100% YA fiction. But what kind of YA fiction was it? You'll find out as Scarlet, Dave and I discuss: When we can record in person again Which books from our bag seem like they're worth reading If our McKay's bag accurately reflects Nicholas Cage's career choices Dave prepping for the apocalypse The hot mess of Aaron's (abandoned) quaranbeard Our reflections on talking about Canada for 30 minutes last week How James Patterson could possibly write as much as he does (completely out of jealousy) A few of the books we mentioned this week Death Without Company by Craig Johnson Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron One Second After by William R. Forstchen All Star Superman by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews Summer in the City by Candace Bushnell The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Weiss The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson The China Garden by Liz Berry Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer Radiance by Alyson Noël Pivot Point by Kasie West Shadowlands by Kate Brian Very in Pieces by Megan Frazer Blakemore The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM us on Twitter or Instagram.

Two countries unite on today's episode of the show as Drew Dyck joins us for a chat about being Canadians in Americaland, Canadian geography, and life on the interwebs. For those not in the know, Drew Dyck is an acquisitions editor at Moody Publishers, an author, and a fellow Canadian. Listen in as we discuss: What Drew loves best about the online world right now What's the worst thing online right now Fun Canadian city names Why everyone hates Toronto If Canada would be a good place to be in a post-apocalyptic wasteland The right name for an anchor baby Tom Holland vs Tom Holland A few of the books we mentioned this week Your Future Self Will Thank You by Drew Dyck Dominion by Tom Holland The Decadent Society by Ross Douthat Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM us on Twitter or Instagram.

As we continue to trudge through this season of social distancing and everyone sheltering at home, we're all finding it to be a struggle to do some of our favorite things. Y'know, like reading. So today, Karen Swallow Prior—one of our favorite guests from 2019—makes a return visit to the show to talk about reading habits, binge-watching, and generally class up the program. Listen in as we discuss: Which female literary characters men should make a point of studying Why it's hard to read in high-stress situations How we can overcome losing the art of deep, uninterrupted reading Why "TL;DR" is the worst Why Karen started her new B&H classic literature series with Sense and Sensibility and Heart of Darkness Where are our favorite reading spots Why it's a great idea to cite the people on your thesis panel All this, plus a few listener questions! (Thanks Joe Waller and Richard Harbison!) Karen Swallow Prior is the author of On Reading Well and has been a Professor of Literature at Liberty University and will be transitioning to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fall 2020. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram. A few of the books we mentioned this week On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen (get it for 44% off from LifeWay) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (get it for 44% off from LifeWay) Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry Madam Bovary by Gustave Flaubert Anyone by Charles Soule The Overstory by Richard Powers Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Misreading Scripture with Modern Eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon O'Brien Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM us on Twitter or Instagram.

We're back with a brand-new episode, and we've brought a friend along! Daniel Darling joins us to talk about some nice, easy subjects including politics, online discussion, and the nature of celebrity. Listen in as we discuss: The difference between being Christian famous and actually famous Why we need to be wise with how we speak online The continued debate over retiring the sucker punch Becoming a writer before social media Scarlet's plan to go back to school Diet ice cream and parenting techniques A few of the books we mentioned this week A Nice Little Place on the North Side by George F. Will The Second Mountain by David Brooks Half Time by Bob Buford A Way With Words by Daniel Darling Anyone by Charles Soule Ember's End by S. D. Smith Churchill: Walking with Destiny by Andrew Roberts Good Faith by David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson Misreading Scripture with Modern Eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon O'Brien Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM us on Twitter or Instagram.

We're back with a brand-new episode, in which Scarlet takes over as our benevolent dictator (she wanted me to call her our benign dictator, but I can't do it). Listen in as we discuss: The myth of extra time Giving books as gifts If giving a book as a gift has ever backfired on us When and why to quit reading a book If we've ever quit books that were convicting and/or offensive How many Churchill biographies Dave has read By the way, this week, we changed our category listing for the show. Let us know if you see it change! A few of the books we mentioned in this episode JLA Vol. 4 by Grant Morrison, Mark Waid, and Howard Porter Ember's End by S. D. Smith Schulz and Peanuts by David Michaelis The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard Churchill: Walking with Destiny by Andrew Roberts Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM @malContentsPod on Twitter.