Fireproof Garage

The Oil Change is the Fireproof Garage in brief: a quick top 3 segment from Darren of Simon of books around a theme. For this episode, Simon takes us through his three favourite books about the band Paul McCartney once described as "a big act".

It took an hour to set up the audio feed for this podcast, so please excuse the brevity of this description. On this seventh episode of the Garage gets off track almost immediately as Simon and Darren discuss Harper Lee's new novel (man is that weird to write) Go Set A Watchman. Well Simon discusses it since he's the only one who's read it. Spoiler alert: it's okay. The ostensible topic for this episode is The Greatest Stories Ever Told (as in orally), in other words great performances or spoken word deliveries. Darren's choice is Roméo Dallaire whom he had the pleasure of hearing deliver a talk that endured in his memory despite the terrible powerpoint slides that accompanied it. Strangely, missing the opportunity to meet Darren hasn't figured significantly in Dallaire's life since. Between offering advice on performing spoken word (how did that happen?) Simon's choice for a great performance is Cate Kennedy, who worked on an if:book project with him called Lost in Track Changes. The reading event for that project was generally of extraordinary quality, but Kennedy was still a stand out. Some links for you: http://www.romeodallaire.com http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/portfolio/lost-in-track-changes/

Simon nominates Boo Radley as the most enduring character from To Kill A Mockingbird, which inevitably leads to a discussion around Go Set A Watchman, a book neither of them has actually read. Darren's enduring characters are Death from Markus Zusak's The Book Thief and Christopher Boone from Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which leads to a discussion of 'otherness' in characterisation and the importance of empathy. And, of course, if you're interested you can watch the two talking heads to accompany the audio, if that's your thing.

In a world first, Simon's daughter provides an accidental musical backdrop to the latest episode of Fireproof Garage, where Darren and Simon discuss enduring characters from the stories they love, beginning with double...oh...seven and winding up with Darren wrapped in bandages for some reason following a stroke. A list of James Bond novels and short stories Despite our discussion, Idris Elba claims he won't be the new Bond The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston Wikipedia entry for Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Blanco Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming, a book that Simon simultaneously enjoyed despite the fact it did his head in Also, apparently, Darren would like you to know that he won hand ball competition in grade six. And Simon would like to apologise for the horrible noise that happens with his microphone.

In the latest episode we delve further into the sad (and somewhat well passed) demise of our doppelgänger Chevrolet dealership in Livermore, California before taking a look at the books on TV. Some links to the stuff we talk about: Ties That Divide / Groth Chevy struggles with family differences the Yelp Reviews that started it all Support Groth Bros is available if anyone wants to use it. Canada Reads

We are still looking for a name for this podcast and we may continue to do so until one or both of us are dead. If you still have a suggestion, let us know on Twitter: @darrengroth and @simongroth. Hat tip to John Birmingham who has made a decent suggestion, which we may or may not modify. Vale the Groth Bros Chevrolet Dealership in Livermore, California. The Yelp reviews do not suggest our podcast is at fault. The Books We Could Not Put Down: I’m not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti (Darren) The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Simon and Darren) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Domnique Bauby (Simon…oh and Bauby was the editor of Elle, not Vogue) Laugh, I Thought I’d Die: My Life with ALS by Dennis Kaye (Darren) The Books We Couldn’t Finish…oh man… here we go: Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut (Darren) Death of a River Guide by Richard Flanagan (Simon) The Cold Six-Thousand by James Ellroy (Darren) The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler (Darren)

The podcast still doesn't have a proper title or anything, but in the meantime, here's Darren and Simon talking about the books and writers that influenced their journeys on the way to whatever it is they do now.

Darren and Simon overcome technical numptiness to record the first of a new podcast series about very little, but mostly books. In the first episode they discuss their bookshelves and take some time to appreciate the word 'hobo'.