A listener recommended Columbus Day by Craig Alanson to the Buddies, because it follows around a joke-telling, cheeseburger-eating, lower-iq-having, protagonist. Figured we’d relate. They were absolutely right. The Buddies took on book #1 of the Expeditionary Force series and fit right in. They got to talking about chivalry, the duck test, and the negatives of having AI always around. So put on your  best down east accent, prepare to defend the world, and join us as we blast into Columbus Day.

Intro/Book Report (0:00-2:40)
Stock Up/Down (02:41-23:54)
Favorite Scene (23:55-26:08)
Favorite Character (26:09-27:47)
About the Author (27:48-29:39)
Love/Hate (29:40-41:01)
Lingering Questions/Casting the Movie (41:02-42:59
Conclusion (43:00-46:09)

NEXT BOOK: Scorched by Don Silver

The Buddy Book Club podcast was extra intelligent this week. That’s because the Buddies sat down with former U.S. intelligence officer and award-winning author Brian J. Morra to discuss his new book, The Righteous Arrows. The second book in the Able Archers series takes place in war-torn Afghanistan in the 1980s and once again follows characters Kevin Cattani and Ivan Levchenko. The Buddies got to ask questions about Brian’s writing style, the ripple effects of the conflicts discussed in the book, his thoughts on the OSI, and they even got a sneak peak of the upcoming books. So, join us and pick up the newly released The Righteous Arrows now!

Intro (0:00-1:46)
Interview w/Author Brian J. Morra (1:47-40:01)
Stock Up/Down (40:02-53:42)
Favorite Scene (53:43-55:32)
Love/Hate (55:33-1:01:27)
Conclusion (1:01:29-1:03:51)

NEXT BOOK: Columbus Day by Craig Alanson

The Buddies headed up north for their most recent book, into the woods… the North Woods by Daniel Mason. This Pulitzer Prize finalist novel had the Buddies fighting for their lives as their 8th grade reading abilities were really put to the test. It had them chatting about their love of apples, if they believe in ghosts, and Buddy love letters. So, strap in for this one, get your dictionary out, and your trusty ax, as we chop it up with the North Woods.

Intro/Book Report (0:00-3:15)
Stock Up/Down (3:16-31:57)
Favorite Story (31:58-38:18)
Love/Hate (38:19-45:05)
Lingering Questions (45:06-46:37)
Conclusion (46:38-49:18)

NEXT BOOK: The Righteous Arrows by Brian J. Morra

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 torrid stealing spree across Europe. The Buddies got to discussing the pros and cons of stealing 2 billion dollars’ worth of art, why having extra vacation time is bad, and why living by a code like Omar from the Wire is so important. So get your Swiss Army Knife ready, read up on the European legal system, and join us as we take on The Art Thief.

Intro/Book Report (0:00-4:30)
Stock Up/Down (4:31-32:51)
Favorite Character (32:52-35:15)
Love/Hate (35:16-39:46)
Favorite Art Heist Movies (39:47-41:05)
Conclusion (41:06-42:25)

NEXT BOOK: North Woods by Daniel Mason

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 one of them… Anyway, they got to talking about the benefits of leaving your family in favor of drinking and playing video games, and why Superman (shouts to the Lois & Clark tv show), had it right all-along. So, get your physics textbook ready, learn to love ‘sophons’, and join us as we navigate our way through the Three-Body Problem.

Intro/Book Report (0:00-3:23)
Stock Up/Down (3:24-29:39)
Favorite Scene/Character (29:40-33:20)
Love/Hate (33:21-46:04)
TV Show/Conclusion (46:05-51:31)

NEXT BOOK: The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

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 dissentients, much like the Buddies and it got them talking about varying topics like: Caleb Williams, nicknames and would you rathers when it comes to morning routines. So gather your ‘named men’, start speaking to the spirits, and join us as we start in on The Blade Itself adventure.

 Intro (0:00-2:18)
Stock Up/Down (2:19-25:24)
Favorite Scene/Character (25:25-34:05)
Love/Hate (34:06-39:54)
Conclusion (39:55-42:33)

NEXT BOOK: The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

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 thing, how life is easier when you’re hung like a horse, and the benefits of being a POW. So re-visit your high school reading assignments, pick up Slaughterhouse-Five and tell us what you think of the novel (or tell us what we were supposed to think).

Intro (0:00-2:49)
Stock Up/Down (2:50-26:16)
Favorite Scene/Character (26:17-28:49)
Love/Hate (28:50-34:33)
Lingering Questions/Listener Email (34:34-36:39)
Casting the Movie (36:40-37:20)
Conclusion (37:21-39:16)

NEXT BOOK: The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

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 talk.  So join us for the last Banzai and our last time with our friends Toranaga, Mariko, Anjin, Omi, and Rodrigues.

Intro (0:00-2:36)
Stock Up/Down (2:37-36:21)
Favorite Scene/Character (36:22-41:28)
Love/Hate (41:29-51:30)
Lingering Questions (51:31-53:23)
Conclusion (53:24-58:32)

NEXT BOOK: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

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 like: Karma, Religions, relieving yourself outside, and why Star Wars Episode 8 was awful. We hope you’ve followed us on this spiritual journey, jump on in and join us for chapters 10-46, because next week we’ll finish Shōgun and achieve full nirvana.

Intro (0:00-1:58)
Stock Up/Down (1:59-36:42)
Love/Hate (36:43-38:51)
Favorite Scene/Character (38:52-41:26)
Conclusion (41:27-42:31)

NEXT BOOK: Shōgun (Part 4 – Finish) by James Clavell

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 why you can assume anyone from Sweden is a bad guy. So take a little break from Japan (we assume you’re reading Shōgun along with us), and join us in a much dryer scenery as we worm our way through Dune.

Intro (0:00-2:40)
Stock Up/Down (2:11-31:03)
Love/Hate (31:04-39:28)
Studio Notes/Recasting (39:30-46:27)
Critics Review (46:28-49:03)
Conclusion (49:04-52:58)

NEXT BOOK: Shōgun (Part 2 & 3) by James Clavell