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:

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?

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):

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!