Life On Books Podcast

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!

Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park has been gaining a lot of hype lately, with some calling the book the next "Gravity's Rainbow" and Park the "new Thomas Pynchon." But are those statements true, and does the book live up to the hype? In this podcast episode, Tony and Andy break down what they thought of Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park, what they liked and didn't like, as well as tackle the burning question...is it really the next Gravity's Rainbow?

Each year 6 different authors win the Pulitzer prize. In 2016, Viet Thanh Nguyen won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction with his book The Sympathizer. On its surface the Sympathizer is about a North Vietnamese spy, but in reality it's a story about searching for one's identity. In this episode, Andy and Tony break down the Sympathizer and talk about its themes: communism, capitalism, socialism, colonialism, class warfare, social norms, and so much more. The Sympathizer is diverse, unique, and definitely a great piece of modern literature. Join us for the discussion! Books mentioned in the podcast (in no particular order) The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen https://amzn.to/3uepwcv Baron Wenckheim's Homecoming by Laszlo Kraznahorkai https://amzn.to/3FOjD8L Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park https://amzn.to/49vJZdh All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy https://amzn.to/47nVK3l Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon https://amzn.to/47ay432 War Trash by Ha Jin https://amzn.to/40BOWgA Libra by Don Delillo https://amzn.to/40xriS4 The Trees Grew Because I Bled There by Eric LaRocca https://amzn.to/3MEMdNt Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace https://amzn.to/49sibX2 The Bridge at No Gun Ri https://amzn.to/468MHCt The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck https://amzn.to/462rb29 Monument Maker by David Keenan https://amzn.to/3ssYSfF Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger https://amzn.to/3FPgtkT Schopenhaur's Telescope by Gerard Donovan https://amzn.to/40yBPga

In this episode, Andy and Tony discuss their favorite quotes and passages from some of their favorite books, and talk about the impact these words had on them as individuals. This discussion really highlights how impactful books can be, how books can change as as people, and demonstrates how reading books can lead to interesting conversations about the world. The books mentioned in the episode are linked below (in no particular order): Been Down So Long it Looks like Up to Me https://amzn.to/45K18ge Omensetter's Luck https://amzn.to/471VzuC Libra https://amzn.to/3QcpLw1 Gravity's Rainbow https://amzn.to/3s5MXUR Infinite Jest https://amzn.to/40a18ER Catch-22 https://amzn.to/45KvWNG If this is a Man/the Truce https://amzn.to/45N2abl The Count of Monte Cristo https://amzn.to/3Qvu0UQ East of Eden https://amzn.to/46ALZip As the Wolf Howls at my Door https://coronasamizdat.com/index.php?id_product=35&rewrite=as-the-wolf-howl-at-my-door-by-chandler-brossard&controller=product Baron Wenckheim's Homecoming https://amzn.to/3tIz9jz The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll https://amzn.to/40hJRK3 The Sympathizer https://amzn.to/3tNPDXP A Man of Two Faces https://amzn.to/49jjXd8 Same Bed Different Dreams https://amzn.to/3SdWrI9 Storm of Steel https://amzn.to/3Fu4OHY Lawrence in Arabia https://amzn.to/3QvIcgI Goodbye to all That https://amzn.to/474HZ9O Into the Wild https://amzn.to/3SkLlRE