The Buddies watch movie #6 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on this week’s episode. They get to chatting about: Hogwarts "three strikes policy" for attempted murder, how Ginny and Harry's on-screen chemistry makes a flobberworm look charismatic, and whether Dumbledore the worst wingman in wizarding history. So, grab yourself some Felix Feli…

The Buddies are now onto the sixth chapter of their magical journey with "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling. The Buddies explored vital wizarding matters including: the questionable ethics of love potions at a high school, the surprising benefits of writing in used textbooks, and whether Dumbledore needed better threat assessm…

The Buddies weren’t too happy about the 5th Harry Potter movie, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", where apparently the longest book in the series got hit with a shrinking charm. The Buddies discussed many important topics including: Death Eaters' and the Lost tv show crossover, Filch's unexpected workout routine, and whether the movie's …

The Buddies plunged into the fifth installment of their magical marathon with "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" by J.K. Rowling. The Buddies discussed many important topics including: becoming radicalized over owl injuries, the Weasley twins' mastery of guerrilla marketing, and whether Dumbledore's penchant for secrecy deserves a Howler. …

The Buddies fly into the fourth installment of their Harry Potter book/movie marathon with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The Buddies conjured up a spellbinding discussion covering: Dumbledore choking out students, Beauxbatons' Disney-on-ice entrance, and ranking the top movies so far. So put on your magical eye, start flicking your tongue, a…

The Buddies read what might be their favorite book ever written in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. They are joined by special guest, and Harry Potter super fan, Jimmy for the fourth installment of the greatest series to ever live. This is a long one and they touch on pretty much every topic you can imagine. From the true dark lord, to wizard g…

The Buddies apparate into the third Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. They got to chatting about: Wizards and their fashion choices, romantic scenes, Hermione's workout regiment, and how Snape's redemption arc got lost somewhere between the book and the big screen. So practice your "Lumos Maxima" for those late-night read…

The Buddies fly into book 3 of the Harry Potter series in, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. They're joined by special guest (with an appropriate name): Magic. They discuss everything from taking a page out of Willy Wonka's 'how to deal with spoiled children' book, to the questionable penal system of Azkaban. They also get into important to…

The Buddies continue their marathon with movie #2, Harry Potter and the Chambers of Secrets, directed by Chris Columbus. The Buddies delved into a number of movie topics including: Mr. Weasley's book vs movie differences, the uncanny similarity between Quidditch and Star Wars space battles, and whether Moaning Myrtle's voice is more terrifying than…

The Buddies jumped into book 2 of their epic Harry Potter book/Movie Marathon, with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling. The Buddies delved into a number of magical topics including: Mr. Weasley being a gangster, Quidditch equipment regulations, the economics of the wizarding world, and whether Moaning Myrtle's bathroom is pref…

After completing book one of the greatest series of all time, the Buddies sat down to watch the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie. The Buddies discussed a number of things including: the pronunciation of "Quidditch", saying 'Happy' vs. 'Merry' Christmas, the drunken tendencies of magical hats, Professor McGonagall's potential gambling add…

The Buddies celebrate their 100th episode by fulfilling their promise and starting on a Harry Potter reading (and movie) marathon. The J. K. Rowling series has been a favorite of the Buddies (they’ve only referenced the books multiple times in all of their other 99 episodes) and they were eager to re-read. Strap in because the Buddies had a lot to …

After reading 1,000+ pages, and dedicating 3 episodes to the Shōgun book, the Buddies finally got a chance to complete the new Shōgun FX series. They didn’t want to be the people that say “the book is better than the show”, but they spend most of the pod (hopefully not too pretentiously) saying the book was better than the show. They got to talking…

The Buddies close out Pierce Brown’s, Red Rising trilogy, with book 3: Morning Star. It was sad to see one of the Buddies favorite trilogies come to an end, but luckily in five years they’ll completely forget the series and be able to do it all over again! The Buddies got to chatting about: yearbooks, the prisoner's dilemma, and the drawbacks of fi…

The Buddies we’re so happy to see their friends, Darrow, Sevro, and Mustang again as they read Golden Son, book 2 of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Series. The Buddies have talked about how this is one of the only series to come close to Harry Potter, and book 1 currently sits on top of their favorite books read on the podcast. So how did this one turn …

The Buddies take their first foray into criminal enterprises, in City on Fire by Don Winslow. The book follows the Irish and Italian mobs as they fight for control of Providence, Rhode Island in the 1980s. Unfortunately, City on Fire did create some tension between the Buddies who have Irish and Italian ancestry, respectively. They got into arguing…

The Buddies were lucky enough to sit down with Don Silver, author of the newly released coming-of-age thriller, Scorched. The book follows 15-year old Jonas Shore and the many ups-and-downs he experiences as a youth and the impacts it has later in his life. The Buddies chatted with Don about stepping into the shoes of a high schooler again, music i…

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 …

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 Ke…

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,…

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 torri…

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 …

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 dissenti…

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 t…

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…

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 li…

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 …

The Buddies start in on the epic historical fiction novel, Shōgun by James Clavell. They start with part 1 (prologue – chapter 9) on their 1,000+ page voyage. With a new tv show coming out on FX in February, the Buddies couldn’t put off D-mans favorite book any longer. The Buddies got to chatting about full sends, baths, and the importance of peein…

The Buddies are (Matt) Crusing through books so far this year checking off Airborn by Kenneth Oppel from their list. Airborn had a little bit of everything, an alternate world, airships, and pirates. Combine those things with the fact that it is written for younger adults and it adds up to the perfect mix for the Buddies. It got them discussing the…

The Buddies read their second Roald Dahl book in as many months, this time diving into fan favorite, Matilda. Dahl’s books have proven to be fun, quick reads, with the perfect reading level for the Buddies. To most, Matilda is the hero in this book, but the Buddies saw things differently. They discussed that, plus the intricacies of decorum, psycho…

The Buddies were honored to have Marschall Runge, M.D. on the podcast so they could chat about his debut medical thriller, Coded to Kill. Despite being severely outmatched in the IQ and credential department, the Buddies dug into Coded to Kill, discussing EHRs, what inspired the novel, and actors Dr. Runge would cast in the movie. They also were ab…

The Buddies close out the year with a true book club book in Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. Many said that the Buddies wouldn’t be able to comprehend this book, but many also said the Buddies would never get to 80 episodes, so it appears the haters were wrong (at least for the second one). The Buddies had some spicey topics this week chatting …

The Buddies are still working hard at deciphering the Cloud Cuckoo Land book, so they decided with the upcoming holidays, they’d watch a wholesome, family oriented, Christmas movie: Bad Santa. The high-brow comedy got the Buddies talking about a lot of important holiday topics: like what makes something a Christmas movie, how young is too young to …

We’re getting into winter time, and there is nothing like cozying up by the fire with a good book. Especially if that book is by Vince Flynn. Vinny Flynn as we like to refer to him, is the Buddy Book Club's go to comfort read. This is our 3rd journey with lead character, Mitch Rapp, this time reading Separation of Power. The Buddies got to discussi…

The Buddies were back in the kids section, this time selecting a childhood favorite, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Who doesn’t like them some Roald Dahl? He’s like The Beatles of kids books, just hit after hit, after hit. The Buddies thoroughly enjoyed this one, not just because they found a book that matched their reading levels…

The Buddies stayed up late and visited the Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The book was surprisingly philosophical and dealt with darker real-life subjects. So who better to chat about it than two immature barely literate buddies? The Buddies delved into the power of correcting people, the benefits of being in a coma, and once again explain the quan…

The Buddies revisited a child hood favorite for Halloween, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Shwartz. The horror filled book meant for kids, is still scary to this day in large part due to Stephen Gammell drawings. The Buddies got to reminiscing about childhood fears, and chatting about when negging goes too far, Halloween Games, and how t…

The Buddies take a stroll down the non-fiction aisle this week, reading Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. The new Leonardo DiCaprio/Martin Scorsese film of the same title got them jazzed up to read this popular book. The Buddies tried to keep things light despite the shockingly true story of the Osage Murders of the 1920s. They got to chat…

The Buddies are back in the sci-fi world, this time venturing out into the great unknown, or one might say, The Expanse… as they took on book one of The Expanse series, Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey. The Buddies were quite agreeable on this one, as they discussed giving mass-murders seconds chances, the benefits of rioting, and the spot-on hi…

The Buddies were all goosed up to watch the 2000’s action movie Swordfish. The Buddies are currently reading the lengthy, Leviathan Wakes (and in the midst of the NFL season), but wanted to discuss the controversial movie for all the listeners that have been begging for it. The Buddies discussions/arguments got them talking about the name ‘Stanley’…

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman was recommended by one of the thousands of Buddies/listeners out there, and it did not disappoint. A super original funny, sad, clever, novel that flew by. The Buddies got into a few arguments on this one, but they did find common ground when it came to a few topics, such as: Swedish pizza toppings, unethical busin…

The Buddies were thrilled to welcome J. Lee, author of the newly released thriller: The Deadly Deal. The Buddies got a chance to ask J. some hard hitting questions such as: What is his go to McDonald’s order, what conspiracy theories he believes in, and they got to quiz him on his Seinfeld knowledge. They also of course asked him about his new page…

The Buddies made it to episode 69, nice! As promised, they delivered reading their favorite (and only) erotic romance novel, Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James. Beside talking about the birds and the bees, they also chatted about contract loopholes, the importance of biting your lip, and the true meaning of “inner goddess”. So pick out your finest…

The Buddies are back! We had a brief hiatus, that may or mayn’t have been related to our next book and a certain medical condition that lasted over four hours. Nevertheless, the Buddies turned the page to Book 2 of the Silo Series, Shift by Hugh Howey. Unbeknownst to them, this book is actually a prequal so naturally the Buddies discussed The Phant…

The Buddies love them some revenge stories like Red Rising and Gladiator; The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter, is a combination of both. The book which takes place in a war-torn fantasy world, had the Buddies getting into some heated battles themselves. Topics ranged from the brain enhancements of being ambidextrous to the pros and cons of getting i…

Nothing is more exciting than seeing a book you enjoyed turned into a movie/TV Series, and although the Buddies were new to Wool/Silo Series, neither disappointed. The Buddies cruised through all 10 episodes of the Apple TV Series and discussed their love/hates, and the show and book difference. They were joined (for the third time!) but special gu…

The Buddies enter into book 1 of the Silo Series, Wool by Hugh Howey, and it did not disappoint. The dark, futuristic dystopian story was right up the Buddies' alley, and certainly scratched the itch (the doctors are still working on those other itches). Plus, Apple TV just released the first season of the show to pair with it. Per usual the buddie…

The Buddies venture into the world of Narnia, rereading a child hood favorite, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. They touched on some interesting topics, such as: is this book is suitable for kids, is this book a religious indoctrination story, and is Turkish Delight more addictive than heroine. Find out all the answers to these i…

It’s officially summer (for all our northern hemisphere listeners), so the Buddies are jumping into some beach reads. They kicked things off with Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister. The time jumping murder mystery thriller, had the Buddies discussing Instagram’s 'for you' section, interview questions, and how they would have made the book…

The Buddies close out Brandon Sanderson’s epic Mistborn trilogy with book three: The Hero of Ages. It just felt right being back in the Mistborn world and revisiting old friends Vin, Elend, Sazed, TenSoon, and (our favorite) Spook. The Buddies got into deep conversations about the book and the ending of the series, as well as deeper more meaningful…