As is tradition on words about books, once per year we must ritualistically judge books by their covers. Nate has gathered 5 books on which he has "done no research" for Ben to judge. Will Ben be able to select one for the pair to read? Or, in a podcast first, will he be forced to resort to The Mystery Box. Find out on this exciting episode of Words About Books!Support the showDiscord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8CThreads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcastBlog - https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/Buy the Books - https://bookshop.org/shop/wabpod

In this chapter, Smaug leaves the gang alone with his treasure. Bilbo gets a very important mail shirt. Unfortunately, that's about all that happens. So to pad the run time Ben talks about his experience watching Peter Jackson's The Desolation of Smaug.Support the showDiscord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8CThreads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcastBlog - https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/Buy the Books - https://bookshop.org/shop/wabpod

At long last we finish out the Neuromancer/Sprawl trilogy. I never expected to get this far, yet here we are. What I'm saying is that Nate hasn't read this book for 2-3 years and can't remember most of what happened in it so Ben is gonna have to do a TON of carrying here.Support the showDiscord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8CThreads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcastBlog - https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/Buy the Books - https://bookshop.org/shop/wabpod

A new release! By... Ernest Cline... oh gosh. Yes Ernest Cline didn't retire after that brazen failure and complete lack of effort and has come back with... his best book to date? What is even happening here?!?Support the showDiscord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8CThreads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcastBlog - https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/Buy the Books - https://bookshop.org/shop/wabpod

The dragon is found. Bilbo tries to riddle his way out of another jam, but this time, he may have met his match.Support the showDiscord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8CThreads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcastBlog - https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/Buy the Books - https://bookshop.org/shop/wabpod

Finally, we're covering some proper literature on this podcast. The boys are discussing the book adaptation of the hit murder mystery show from the 80's. Jessica Fletcher is accused of murder in a foreign country. Can she clear her name and find the real killers before they ruin the reputation of Britain's greatest mystery writer who is not Agatha Christie? Yes, obviously. But I assume the journey will be fun regardless.Support the showDiscord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8CThreads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcastBlog - https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/Buy the Books - https://bookshop.org/shop/wabpod

Things are getting uncomfortably real for Thorin and his friends. To emphasize how screwed they are Ben recounts dragon lore from ages past.Support the showDiscord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8CThreads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcastBlog - https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/Buy the Books - https://bookshop.org/shop/wabpod

Ben and Nate discuss the award-winning children's novel. This one is light on summary and heavy on confused philosophical rambling. You have been warned...Support the showDiscord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8CThreads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcastBlog - https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/Buy the Books - https://bookshop.org/shop/wabpod

The gang makes it to Lake-town and Thorin rolls 20 after 20 on those charisma checks. Meanwhile, Ben struggles to find enough lore to scrape together an episodeSupport the showDiscord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8CThreads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcastBlog - https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/Buy the Books - https://bookshop.org/shop/wabpod

It has been a long time coming. We're finally wrapping up another Thrawn Trilogy. There isn't much Thrawn left. Is this the last of Thrawn we'll ever see?? What about the Grisks? The answer may surprise you... and it's "there isn't anywhere for this to go and it all ends in Rey Star Wars."Support the showDiscord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8CThreads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcastBlog - https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/Buy the Books - https://bookshop.org/shop/wabpod