The Buddies found themselves in an unfamiliar section of the book store this week, as they wandered into the the non-fiction arena. A fellow Buddy/listener recommended The Art Thief by Michael Finkel, and the Buddies had to oblige. The book follows the crazy and somehow true story of Stéphane Breitwieser & Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus, and their torri…

The Buddies are jumping deep into the science fiction world again this week reading, The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (also a new series on Netflix)! Emphasis must be placed on the science part of this science fiction novel as the Buddies struggled to grasp everything that went on in this one. They had 99 problems and the Three-Body Problem was …

The Buddies re-enter the world of sword and sorcery with the first book in Joe Abercrombie’s First Law Trilogy: The Blade Itself. The Buddies were left wanting more time with the characters in this darker fantasy novel, so there is a good chance they’ll be reading book two in the future. The Blade Itself follows a number of malcontents and dissenti…

The Buddies are going back to school reading popular high school novel, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Things haven’t changed much since high school for the Buddies as they struggled to interpret the true meaning of the novel. The satirical anti-war book did provide the buddies some good talking points, namely: how being negative is a good t…

The Buddies take their 3rd and final crack at the ‘epic’ Shōgun by James Clavell. It’s been a long journey reading this 1,000+ page book, but if you followed along you’re now ready to dive into the new FX show. In their final installment the Buddies topics were very militaristic: ninjas, sacrificing pawns, pitched battles, and the dangers of pillow…

The Buddies are back! After a bit of a hiatus (someone selfishly decided to travel), the Buddies are back at in covering books 2 & 3 of Shōgun (chapters 10-46). A lot to cover on this one as the Buddies got into the meat (or the rice and fish if you’re Japanese) of the James Clavell’s epic novel. The Buddies got to talking about scholarly things li…

The Buddies are still reading through Shōgun (it's 50+ hours so give us a break), so they decided to jump into a different epic story based on a book. On this weeks episode they tackle 2021 blockbuster, Dune. They are joined once again by their buddy Mikko (@BuddyHive) to talk things over. They got to talking about spices, drugs, Pearl Harbor, and …

The Buddies start in on the epic historical fiction novel, Shōgun by James Clavell. They start with part 1 (prologue – chapter 9) on their 1,000+ page voyage. With a new tv show coming out on FX in February, the Buddies couldn’t put off D-mans favorite book any longer. The Buddies got to chatting about full sends, baths, and the importance of peein…

The Buddies are (Matt) Crusing through books so far this year checking off Airborn by Kenneth Oppel from their list. Airborn had a little bit of everything, an alternate world, airships, and pirates. Combine those things with the fact that it is written for younger adults and it adds up to the perfect mix for the Buddies. It got them discussing the…

The Buddies read their second Roald Dahl book in as many months, this time diving into fan favorite, Matilda. Dahl’s books have proven to be fun, quick reads, with the perfect reading level for the Buddies. To most, Matilda is the hero in this book, but the Buddies saw things differently. They discussed that, plus the intricacies of decorum, psycho…

The Buddies were honored to have Marschall Runge, M.D. on the podcast so they could chat about his debut medical thriller, Coded to Kill. Despite being severely outmatched in the IQ and credential department, the Buddies dug into Coded to Kill, discussing EHRs, what inspired the novel, and actors Dr. Runge would cast in the movie. They also were ab…

The Buddies close out the year with a true book club book in Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. Many said that the Buddies wouldn’t be able to comprehend this book, but many also said the Buddies would never get to 80 episodes, so it appears the haters were wrong (at least for the second one). The Buddies had some spicey topics this week chatting …

The Buddies are still working hard at deciphering the Cloud Cuckoo Land book, so they decided with the upcoming holidays, they’d watch a wholesome, family oriented, Christmas movie: Bad Santa. The high-brow comedy got the Buddies talking about a lot of important holiday topics: like what makes something a Christmas movie, how young is too young to …

We’re getting into winter time, and there is nothing like cozying up by the fire with a good book. Especially if that book is by Vince Flynn. Vinny Flynn as we like to refer to him, is the Buddy Book Club's go to comfort read. This is our 3rd journey with lead character, Mitch Rapp, this time reading Separation of Power. The Buddies got to discussi…

The Buddies were back in the kids section, this time selecting a childhood favorite, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Who doesn’t like them some Roald Dahl? He’s like The Beatles of kids books, just hit after hit, after hit. The Buddies thoroughly enjoyed this one, not just because they found a book that matched their reading levels…

The Buddies stayed up late and visited the Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The book was surprisingly philosophical and dealt with darker real-life subjects. So who better to chat about it than two immature barely literate buddies? The Buddies delved into the power of correcting people, the benefits of being in a coma, and once again explain the quan…

The Buddies revisited a child hood favorite for Halloween, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Shwartz. The horror filled book meant for kids, is still scary to this day in large part due to Stephen Gammell drawings. The Buddies got to reminiscing about childhood fears, and chatting about when negging goes too far, Halloween Games, and how t…

The Buddies take a stroll down the non-fiction aisle this week, reading Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. The new Leonardo DiCaprio/Martin Scorsese film of the same title got them jazzed up to read this popular book. The Buddies tried to keep things light despite the shockingly true story of the Osage Murders of the 1920s. They got to chat…

The Buddies are back in the sci-fi world, this time venturing out into the great unknown, or one might say, The Expanse… as they took on book one of The Expanse series, Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey. The Buddies were quite agreeable on this one, as they discussed giving mass-murders seconds chances, the benefits of rioting, and the spot-on hi…

The Buddies were all goosed up to watch the 2000’s action movie Swordfish. The Buddies are currently reading the lengthy, Leviathan Wakes (and in the midst of the NFL season), but wanted to discuss the controversial movie for all the listeners that have been begging for it. The Buddies discussions/arguments got them talking about the name ‘Stanley’…

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman was recommended by one of the thousands of Buddies/listeners out there, and it did not disappoint. A super original funny, sad, clever, novel that flew by. The Buddies got into a few arguments on this one, but they did find common ground when it came to a few topics, such as: Swedish pizza toppings, unethical busin…

The Buddies were thrilled to welcome J. Lee, author of the newly released thriller: The Deadly Deal. The Buddies got a chance to ask J. some hard hitting questions such as: What is his go to McDonald’s order, what conspiracy theories he believes in, and they got to quiz him on his Seinfeld knowledge. They also of course asked him about his new page…

The Buddies made it to episode 69, nice! As promised, they delivered reading their favorite (and only) erotic romance novel, Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James. Beside talking about the birds and the bees, they also chatted about contract loopholes, the importance of biting your lip, and the true meaning of “inner goddess”. So pick out your finest…

The Buddies are back! We had a brief hiatus, that may or mayn’t have been related to our next book and a certain medical condition that lasted over four hours. Nevertheless, the Buddies turned the page to Book 2 of the Silo Series, Shift by Hugh Howey. Unbeknownst to them, this book is actually a prequal so naturally the Buddies discussed The Phant…

The Buddies love them some revenge stories like Red Rising and Gladiator; The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter, is a combination of both. The book which takes place in a war-torn fantasy world, had the Buddies getting into some heated battles themselves. Topics ranged from the brain enhancements of being ambidextrous to the pros and cons of getting i…

Nothing is more exciting than seeing a book you enjoyed turned into a movie/TV Series, and although the Buddies were new to Wool/Silo Series, neither disappointed. The Buddies cruised through all 10 episodes of the Apple TV Series and discussed their love/hates, and the show and book difference. They were joined (for the third time!) but special gu…

The Buddies enter into book 1 of the Silo Series, Wool by Hugh Howey, and it did not disappoint. The dark, futuristic dystopian story was right up the Buddies' alley, and certainly scratched the itch (the doctors are still working on those other itches). Plus, Apple TV just released the first season of the show to pair with it. Per usual the buddie…

The Buddies venture into the world of Narnia, rereading a child hood favorite, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. They touched on some interesting topics, such as: is this book is suitable for kids, is this book a religious indoctrination story, and is Turkish Delight more addictive than heroine. Find out all the answers to these i…

It’s officially summer (for all our northern hemisphere listeners), so the Buddies are jumping into some beach reads. They kicked things off with Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister. The time jumping murder mystery thriller, had the Buddies discussing Instagram’s 'for you' section, interview questions, and how they would have made the book…

The Buddies close out Brandon Sanderson’s epic Mistborn trilogy with book three: The Hero of Ages. It just felt right being back in the Mistborn world and revisiting old friends Vin, Elend, Sazed, TenSoon, and (our favorite) Spook. The Buddies got into deep conversations about the book and the ending of the series, as well as deeper more meaningful…

The Buddies are in the midst of finishing the epic Mistborn series, so while they're waiting they decided to check out a lighthearted 2001 comedy from their youth, Saving Silverman. Why did they pick this movie? Not sure. But it got them talking about Sweet Caroline and the Red Sox, girlfriend interventions, and reading books at the bar. So if you’…

The Buddies are always looking to the future, they have their eyes set on Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, which also happens to be the name of the book they just read by Gabrielle Zevin. This book was right up the Buddies ally discussing many of the things they love: video games, Boston, and sharing emotions. Gabrielle Zevin novel will put yo…

The Buddies nerd out and finally discuss one of their favorite genres: Star Wars (yes, it is its own genre). This time covering Timothy Zahn’s, Heir to the Empire. The book takes place five years after Episode 6 and features all of our favorite characters: Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie (or as Leia would call him, some random alien). The Buddies discus…

Before the Buddies were recording podcast episodes for the millions of listeners out there, they were having their own unrecorded podcast about the World War Z book. They use this episode to reminisce and argue again 10 years later, but this time about the movie. They debate crucial topics such as: why its overrated to have a family, the proper usa…

The Buddies find themselves back in space, this time stranded on Mars in Andy Weir’s, The Martian. If you like science, trashing on disco, and journaling, this book is for you. If you like two guys who can barely read criticizing a widely popular book, well over their reading abilities, well then this podcast is for you. So join us as we talk suici…

“The book is better”. “The book is better”. Start practicing that saying now; these are words to live by. The Buddies put this theory to the test while reading Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 classic, No Country For Old Men. The movie, inspired by the book, went on to become wildly successful, but the Buddies wanted to go straight to the source material. It…

The Buddies never say die! The Buddies watch everyone’s favorite kid-adventure film, The Goonies. There was some dissenting opinions on this one, but the Buddies were able to come together and pay homage to Rube Goldberg, breaking stuff, and Rosalita the housekeeper. So dust off the treasure map, warm up your truffle shuffle, put on your ‘slick sho…

Christopher Buehlman, Between Two Fires, is like a horror filled, comedic acid trip. Which is exactly how many describe the Buddy Book Club podcast, so the Buddies were big fans. Between Two Fires puts you in 14th century France, a place of: plague, death, and waging war between angels and demons. This episode had the Buddies questioning three thin…

The Buddies were big fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s, Daisy Jones & The Six (checkout our past episode on the book!) This time they’re discussing the recently released Amazon TV Show based on the book. They once again welcome @tuckerpeanutbut aka Billy Dunne to the pod to discuss. Topics ranged from why Pittsburg in the late 70’s was the greatest Ame…

The Buddies scope out book #2 of the Mitch Rapp series, The Third Option, by Vince Flynn. They are joined by @jimmyhawley – and he came in firing quicker than Mitch Rapp at a terrorist convention. The conversation ranged from mild discussions around water skiing to the positive qualities of Saddam Hussein. So bring your body armor, water skis, kink…

The Buddies watch the 2005 romantic comedy classic, Hitch, or as one Buddy described it, “The best RomCom ever made”, whilst the other Buddy described it, “an absolutely awful movie, I hope to never see again.” The Buddy Book Club podcast has made it to 51 episodes, but it may not see a 52nd after the Buddies came to blows on many topics. Those top…

The Buddies revisit a childhood classic, The Sandlot movie. It was their collective 115th viewing of the movie, but the first as adults, and it gave the Buddies a different perspective especially on many of the characters. The Buddies got into deep discussions about Wendy Peffercorn, James Earl Jones’ character, and Scotty’s parents. Lot of questio…

The IQ level on this episode rose significantly as the Buddies were joined by Marie Still, author of the newly released psychological thriller, We’re All Lying. The Buddies we're lucky enough to get an advance copy of the book and ask some pertinent questions surrounding Marie’s debut novel. They also had the chance to ask questions everyone was wo…

The Buddies take a crack at the World War II historical fiction novel, The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. Code Breaking, Math, Romance, Book Clubs – all things the Buddies are terrible at, but also happen to be central themes in this great read. Despite feeling like fish out of (the Bletchley Park) water, the Buddies did still really enjoy this book and …

The Buddies really consumed their latest movie, The Menu, starring Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Nicholas Hoult. The Buddies discussed their love for Cheeseburgers, Lumière from Beauty and the Beast, and prostitutes/call girls. They break bread (not actual real bread just like the movie) with recurring (second time) guest Magic (@nicoitaliano…

The Buddies jump into the classic dinosaur sci-fi/horror story of Jurassic Park. No one believed that the Buddies could step up and read a long non-YA book, but ‘Life (the buddies) finds a way’. This episode featured a lot of theories and conspiracies (chicken, Malcolm’s effect, Lex’s true identity), and a lot of selling of traditionally strong sto…

The Buddies revisit The Gray Man, this time watching the $200 million Netflix action flick. The conversation touched on some of the Buddies favorite topics: Bathroom Etiquette, Austin Powers, and how to correctly pronounce/spell certain words. So join us the only podcast that can match the Gray Man in both action and character attractiveness. Intro…

The Buddies get real deep into sci-fi and politics in their most recent book, Foundation by Isaac Asmov. This book, in many ways like the Buddies, was a bit dense, so they were lost quite a bit while reading this one. Nonetheless, they powered through and got to chatting about the importance of Wikipedia, Star Wars, Rom Coms, and if Asmov knew that…

The Buddies find themselves back in Tolkien’s Middle Earth, this time watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Let’s just say this wasn’t the Buddies favorite movie. They discuss the differences between The Hobbit book versus movie, argue about throwing money at problems, food meaning, fully stocked pantries, and much more. Are you in need of a …

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides hits home with the Buddies in many ways. It’s a psychological thriller that takes place in a psych ward – which is where many believe the Buddies belong. And it features a patient, Alicia, that has gone mute since murdering her husband – many wish the Buddies would also go mute. So really a perfect book to kic…