Table of (Mal)Contents

There's often something that triggers a writer's desire to write—even if that something is as simple as reading a book and saying, "I can do better than that." So what were some of those moments for Barnabas and Aaron? That's our conversation on the show today. Listen in as we discuss:

• What made us want to write in the first place
• What authors do we look to for inspiration
• Who we think are good and great writers that are producing material right now
• Do we ever imitate other writers—and should we?
• Is it possible for a good writer to become a great one?
• The strangest review of the show we've seen recently

As always, thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today.

And, of course, leave a creative and entertaining 5-star review on Apple Podcasts—one that we can't help but read on the air! And if you have a question for us to answer on a future episode of the show, call our hotline at 615-538-7473 and leave us a message.

A few of the books we mention on this episode:

We don't talk about Christian books a whole lot, which is funny since we all work in Christian publishing. But since it's "summer reading list" season from ministry leaders and websites, we decided to discuss the books would we recommend Christians read to read instead of being known for having read them? Listen in as we discuss:

• What movies pastors constantly reference in sermons?
• Does Humble Calvinism qualify as a summer/vacation read?
• And why do we use the phrase "laundry list"?
• Does Aaron recommend too many boring books in this category?
• Who would we wish would sponsor the podcast?
• Which Christian author wrote the worst summer vacation read?

As always, thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today.

And, of course, leave a creative and entertaining 5-star review on Apple Podcasts—one that we can't help but read on the air! And if you have a question for us to answer on a future episode of the show, call our hotline at 615-538-7473 and leave us a message.

Bonus content: The origin of the phrase "laundry list".

A few of the books we discussed in this episode:

We love good stories—and great stories are even better when they're true. Real stories, true stories don't just pass on facts, they inspire us. Recently, Dave and I sat down with our friend Catherine Parks to talk about how biographies help us see God at work, movies, and reading well. Listen in as we discuss:

• People that surprised Catherine as she worked on Empowered and Strong

As always, thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today.

A challenge for our listeners:

Leave a creative and entertaining 5-star review on Apple Podcasts—one that we can't help but read on the air! And if you have a question for us to answer on a future episode of the show, call our hotline at 615-538-7473 and leave us a message.

A few of the books we discussed in this episode:

To learn more about the film, Why We Breathe, written and directed by Erik Parks, head over to whywebreathefilm.com. Check out the trailer below:

Fireworks, grilling, and spending time with friends. That's what you do on Canada Day, which happens to be the day we're releasing this episode. Oh, and Independence Day is this week, too, and all the Americans do that same stuff. Except bigger. And more explosive. Because that's how we do it here in America. Thinking about this got us all kinds of patriotic in the studio, and you get to enjoy the benefits. Listen in as we discuss:

• Which country has a better national anthem?
• Nicknames for America and Canada
• Dave reveals his midlife crisis by eating avocado toast
• How Canada became a sort-of semi-independent country
• How Canadians learn about America
• America's dubious history with dealing with issues
• Books that help us learn about the histories of both nations
• The problem The West Wing and comedic timing

As always, thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today.

Bonus content: Will Ferrell's "Get Off the Shed" sketch.

Not every conversation makes sense, but sometimes they really make no sense. Such is the case in this episode recorded in Birmingham a couple weeks back, where our nadir was reached after a hard day of standing in a conference hall. Listen in as we discuss:

• Dave's poor defense of Dave Matthews Band
• Music we'd never let our kids listen to
• Cat poetry after an impromptu on-air reading
• Dave's experiences at a recent book convention
• The pros and cons of getting recommendations from Amazon vs a human being

A few of the books we mentioned on this episode:

As always, thanks to Lagares Roasters for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Pick up a bag (or 12) today.

Just for fun: Here's the Trekkers Sketch from SNL Dave referenced.

And the book we gifted Dave on this episode:

Recently, the team was in Birmingham for a certain work-related event. Because we needed a break from what we were doing for our work-jobs, we decided to record a couple of episodes of the show… and it just so happens that an author Barnabas and I enjoy was in town and able to join us on the show. This week we're joined by K.B. Hoyle, author of The Gateway Chronicles and The Breeder Cycle, to chat storytelling, writing middle-grade fiction, and being a Christian who writes for the general market. Listen in as we discuss:

• The difference between the practice of storytelling and the practice of writing
• The contradiction of figuring out what books are exactly like—and nothing like—the one you're writing
• Why writers should always tell true things about the world
• If "binge" culture has hurt our reading experience
• Why you can't market a book into being a phenomenon
• Why J.K. Rowling hasn't had a book resonate the way Harry Potter did
• To do when your publisher closes its doors before you finish a series
• What a publisher's feedback really means when they reject your manuscript

As always, thanks to Lagares Roasters for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Pick up a bag (or 12) today.

As for the books we discussed this week, be sure to check out all of K. B. Hoyle's books:

The Gateway Chronicles:

• The Six
• The Oracle
• The White Thread
• The Enchanted
• The Scroll
• The Bone Whistle

The Breeder Cycle:

• Breeder
• Criminal

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In a special bonus episode, we're answering a big question that we've kind of talked about in the past, but we really felt like it would be good to hit directly: What factors determine whether we buy or borrow a book?

• What prompts us to buy a book brand-new in a brick-and-mortar bookstore—and are we part of the problem with them going under?
• What books we'll borrow from the library
• How the library is really useful for audiobook consumption
• Why we don't like borrowing books from people (or loaning them for that matter)

As always, thanks to Lagares Roasters for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Pick up a bag (or 12) today.

It's getting hot outside, which means it's the time of year when many blogs are sharing their annual Summer Reading Lists™, mostly filled with big thick theology books and historical works. Which is… fine. But is that the best way to use your reading time when you actually get to go on vacation? That's what we're talking on this episode over donuts made in my kitchen. Listen in as we get fatter and happier discussing:

• Two good approaches to summer reading
• The time Dave watched Jaws before going to the beach
• If it's a good idea to read on the beach at all
• The kinds of books you should (and shouldn't) read on vacation
• The character Aaron wants to punch in the face

Also, when the heck are we going to finally discuss The Notebook?

As always, thanks to Lagares Roasters for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Pick up a bag (or 12) today.

Some of the books we mentioned on this episode include:

Bonus content: Weekend Update featuring Buford Calloway (the origin of the "Dixie Champagne" reference)

Since Dave was being all professional and in a meeting, Barnabas and I decided to have a conversation about what might be the grossest phrase associated with writing: the writing process. What are the habits, practices, and disciplines that work for us? What does it look like to be writers who have jobs? Y'know, simple stuff like that. Listen in as we dig tackle the following topics:

• Which of us would prefer to live the romanticized version of the author's life
• What our writing processes actually look like
• Which is worse: Coldplay or Dave Matthews Band
• The best way to use humor in writing
• Why "writing like you speak" isn't great advice

As always, thanks to Lagares Roasters for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Pick up a bag (or 12) today.

The only books we mentioned on this episode are our own, so if you'd consider all of them up, that'd be amazing.

Aaron's books:

• Awaiting a Savior
• Contend
• Epic: The Story that Changed the World

Barnabas' books:

• The Pastor's Kid
• Help My Unbelief
• The Curious Christian

We tend to joke a lot about "content," "grit," and "scenes" in books. But today, we're having a serious conversation (as serious as we get anyway) about the place of questionable content in fiction, if there is actually a legitimate place at all. Listen in as we get think-piece-y while discussing:

• If we should make distinctions between violent and sexual content
• What we do when we get caught off-guard by explicit content in a book
• Why it’s not good for fiction to get preachy
• If explicit content is a crutch for trash writing
• Whether or not James Bond is a sociopath
• Aaron and Barnabas' recommendations for a fiction series for Dave to read

As always, thanks to Lagares Roasters for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Pick up a bag (or 12) today.