Life On Books Podcast

In this episode we address many of the comments we received on a recent Tiktok video about General Jim Mattis who is quoted as saying "If you don't read, you are functionally illiterate." Many people pointed out that there are other ways to learn, and we don't disagree, but we do feel that books pose a unique advantage to learning that other mediums like listening or watching don't offer. In today's episode we dig into those differences, but we also ask for you to share your point of view on this as well. Please comment, and share your thoughts!

Ever wonder what avid readers think are the most overrated books or underrrated books of all time? Well we've got you covered because in today's episode, Tony and Andy are sharing their top 5 most underrated books and their top 5 most overrated books. Picking the most underrated books was difficult since there are so many amazing books out there that don't get much attention, not to mention how many extremely popular books simply aren't that good. There are a lot of controversial takes in today's episode, like "Dostoyevsky isn't that good" and so much more!#books #booktube #readmorebooks

In this episode we talk about our top 5 favorite books of all time, and make our case for why each one of them deserves to be on the list. It's clear right away that Andy's literature bro tendencies are taking over with name drops like David Foster Wallace and Infinite Jest, while Tony sings the same old song and dance about Joseph Heller and Catch-22 What are your favorite books of all time? Drop them in the comments!

In this episode of the ON Life Podcast we talk about the pros and cons of the internet on readers around the world. While most of us probably think of the internet as a net positive for life in general, and in particular for readers, there are definitely some drawbacks as well. Whether it's fear of missing out on certain books, encouraging a consumerist mindset, over saturating the book market, or gamifying reading, there are plenty of critiques to make about the internet and its effect on readers. On the flipside, readers now have more tools for finding books, and easier ways to connect with other readers, whether it's getting book recommendations on reddit, reading reviews on GoodReads, or sharing content on apps like Instgram or Tiktok, there are definitely some upsides as well. What do you think? Is the internet a net positive or net negative for the reading community?

In this epsisode of The ON Life Podcast, we sit down with New Hampshire Suspense Author Dan Lawton. Dan is the author of 8 books, including the "That Was Before" series. During our discussion we dive into the impact social media has on the career of writers, the relationship between writing and reading, as well as the future of writing with the proliferation of AI technology like ChatGPT and Mid Journey. Dan has won numerous awards, including the 2021 New Hampshire Writers' Project Literary Award for his book The Green House, as we as being a finalist for the 2020 IPPY award and 2021 Eric Hoffer Award. His fourth novel Plum Springs won the 2019 NH Writers' Project Reader's choice award for fiction. To check out more about Dan Lawton you can visit his website at: www.DanLawtonFiction.com #writer #author #suspense

Apparently today is Thomas Pynchon's birthday, so what better time to ask the question: Are hard to read books like Gravity's Rainbow worth reading? What is the appeal? What do you get out of harder books? We've all heard of these highly lauded but often daunting works: Moby Dick, Ulysses, Gravity's Rainbow etc...Not only are they mentioned for being challenging to read, but also are often considered some of the most important books it literary history. In this episode we dive deep into some of our favorite challenging pieces of literature, as well as discuss why someone might want to (or not want to) spend their time reading them.

In this episode we sit down to talk with Tom, a recent UNH grad who studied Philosophy. We talk about whether or not studying Philosophy is a good idea, and what you can do with a Philosophy degree.  To watch as well as listen, you can head over to YouTube.com/TheONLife