Kendall Bookworms

Welcome to our final book pick of season 2. This month the brothers read Joe's final pick, Hyperion by Dan Simmons. An epic sci-fi that not only won the Hugo in 1989, but also the brothers' hearts. Alex really knows how to cut this one down to the wire. He was enjoying this book so much that he didn't finish it until days before we needed to air the episode. To make it a tighter crunch, this is possibly the longest episode we have ...

In this fantastic discussion, Haley has come back to join Joe to talk about her all-time favorite book. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer has become one of those late bloomers of books that everyone is talking about. And for good reason. We get a little hippy-dippy at times, but this book is not only worth reading, but talking about with everyone. Haley a...

Alex has given us the opportunity to read his favorite book of all time with him. This is his last pick of season two, and he wanted to go out with a bang. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a true classic that is still poignant and relevant in today's society. So, buckle up and let's enjoy the ride of a story that has given us one of the world's most recognizable characters.

Next month, Joe is getting to give his last ...

Poor poor Becky. Joe has cornered her and demanded that she sit through a review of a book he knew he would hate. 

That's right. The long anticipated book review of The Butcher Game by Alaina Urquhart. Sadly, Alex and Becky refused to buddy read the book with Joe. It was a painful read, but someone had to do it. And Joe certainly enjoys the pain...

So please sit back and enjoy sharing that pain Joe endured for your entertainment, j...

And we're back! With another book review.

This month Alex and Joe discuss a Joe pick. We read The Wanting Seed by Anthony Burgess. Yes. The guy that wrote A Clockwork Orange. Our first repeat author. Not the author either of us would have picked for jumping back to. But here we are.

Next month will be Alex's last pick of the season. And he picked a special one to him. It is his proclaimed favorite book of all time. And if we ar...

Hello all,

I have some bad news for all of our loyal fans. This month, Alex and I were unable to get a new episode recorded for the bonus material. Not wanting to leave it as a blank, I decided to rebroadcast our most popular episode by far. Part-Time Indian has over 100 downloads. So, obviously we did something right here. For all those fans that have not yet had a chance to listen to this, please enjoy.

Also, an important milesto...

Alex has picked a powerful book for this month. We read A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. It is a middle school read with lots of pictures that are stunning and add to the text amazingly. A book truly worth reading. Even the curmudgeon, Joe, was impressed with this book. 

Next month Joe has picked a book that he doesn't love, but has had trouble forgetting. And really, isn't that what books are supposed to do? Stick with us in way...

Joe and Alex have a super special bonus episode for everyone today. We had a fan request for a book, and we decided to combine the book with a movie critique. 

The book (and movie) that we are covering today is, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. A drug fueled ride of extremes that will make you sick with envy. Or make you want to puke with all the excess. Either way, we hope that you enjoy our discussion. In t...

Joe is back to torturing everyone again with his memoirs. He swears this one is better though. Alex may need some convincing. This month the brothers read Let's Pretend this Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson. It is a rip-roaring life to be shared, full of mental illness, awkward childhoods, and things that can only happen in Texas. (Just a note from Alex: DO NOT LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK!!! Seriously. It's bad.)

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Becky is joining the show again for this latest edition of bonus episodes! She has a new favorite book to talk about, The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner. This is an exciting book for young adult and middle school readers. So listen in and see what all the fuss is about. 

I do need to apologize for the audio quality on this one. This was a last minute recording and editing thing. A few other episodes that the brothers had hop...

Alex is changing up the format again. Keeping it fresh even, maybe. This month he picked a book that is completely different from what we have been reading. Instead of describing imagery of words on page, Alex is having us describe pictures on paper. That's right. We are discussing a graphic novel. Not just any graphic novel, either, but one of the greatest ever written by one of the greatest authors of that medium.

This month we...

This bonus episode is a little different. This month Alex thought it might be fun for Joe to see how he does in a Choose Your Own Adventure style story. Joe, through bad experiences in 3rd grade, knew he would struggle to make it far. The book that Alex picked for this strange and bizarre adventure was Darkness Over Arkham by Jonathan Green. It is a Lovecraftian mystery, where you, the intrepid adventurer, must solve the strange ha...

Joe has decided to make things a little more cheery for the readers after a few months of death and destruction. So he went the route of the cozy murder mystery. That's right, more death. This month we read Death on Demand by Carolyn Hart, the first book of the Death on Demand mystery series. So, lets jump into the cozy-verse and see how fun and relaxing murder really can be.

Next month, Alex has chosen to go back to the darker a...

In this month's bonus episode, Joe brings Becky back to talk about a book he got crazy excited about. Becky seems to think that Joe has found a new genre that he is becoming obsessed about. And Joe kinda agrees. In this episode, they will be discussing the book Endurance by Alfred Lansing. A book about an Antarctic exploration gone wrong. 

Next month is a Joe pick. On the 5th of June, the brothers will be discussing Death on Dema...

The month of May is Alex's shot in the dark pick. That pick that he has not read but heard good things. We read The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. Neither brother had good feelings going in, and we weren't disappointed. Joe does whine a lot about books of this nature, while Alex does his best to defend it. 

Next month Joe is going to change it up a bit. He is having the brothers adventure into the cozy mystery world for a little bit. H...

Alex and Becky have a very delightful chitchat over a popular book that still produces thousands of memes and videos on the internet. It is one of the most noted books to the new bookshelves of Romantacy and Fairy Smut. That's right, they are talking A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. So, buckle up and get ready to hear what two well read people think about the hype of such a popular series and book.

Next month, May, i...

It is time again for a Joe pick. This month he has had his brother read a lesser known Frank Herbert novel. The White Plague came out about the same time as the 4th book in the famous Dune series. God Emperor of Dune blew off the Sci-fi shelves faster than a sandworm could swallow Harkonnens. This book not so much. That is not to say it is a "bad" book. But you'll have to listen to the brothers discuss as to why it may have missed ...

Joe has a bone to pick. A rant to make. And poor Alex has to suffer for it. Not only is he forced to participate in this conversation, Joe forced him to have to read this horribly dreadful book. That's right. The brothers read the 2024 Hugo winning book, Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh. Listen in as they discuss the reasons why they think this book should never have even been in the discussion for what was once such a prestigiou...

We are in an Alex book pick month. And he decided on a nice cozy young adult fantasy. The two brothers (and hopefully you!) read Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. A story about Sophie, a young shop girl, oldest of three sisters, who is cursed with old age by the Witch of the West.

April is back to a Joe pick month. We will be making the large jump from fantasy to science fiction. Joe has picked the lesser known novel of ...