The classic story, which you probably read in school, is a dystopian novel about a society that lives by very strict and uniformed rules. It's the story of a future in which families are given children, excess of kids are killed, elderly are discarded when they reach the end of their usefulness and everyone in the society must dedicated their lives to a special career based on their skill sets.
Jonas, our protagonist, is given the task of being the memory holder, the only person in the society who can remember the past. The Giver, his mentor, passes memories to him that change his mindset. He experiences past memories of snow, beaches, Christmas and love.
Those emotions evoke in Jonas the need to see the world for what it really is. We embark on an adventure with him to escape the only life he knows.
Set in the backdrop of a real estate company based out of Chicago; this play tells the story of a few men trying to get an edge in their sale positions. Some go to greater lengths than others.
The play is really about the down-on-their-luck and has-beens of an industry that is already struggling to convince consumers to buy a subprime real estate. Some characters, the ones who have seen the peaks, are finding the struggles of staying relevant more difficult each day and have to make difficult decisions to make ends meet.
Listen along with us as we discuss this small, yet mighty, play
The Kreutzer Sonata, is a small work of fiction by Leo Tolstoy that explores the philosophical ideals of marriage, sex, family and jealousy. In this novel, a man tells a bunch of strangers on a train about how he ended up killing his wife, and got away with it.
In the telling of the tale, the man and the strangers, debates the ideas that surround love and how some expected beliefs and actions with a spouse as viewed by society have been looked at wrong all along. In more than one example, we're thrown into the middle of a debate about what love is and why that should lead to marriage.
Listen along as we discuss what we really liked about this novel and what we did not!
Tennessee Williams's most famous work is his 1947 play A Streetcar Named Desire. It's a play that focuses on love, anger, jealousy, and ultimately betrayal. Set in the bustling streets of New Orleans, the play follows 3 main characters; Stanely, Blanche, and Stella.
In this episode, we discuss those 3 characters and the true intentions they had. We discuss the marriage of Stanley and Stella, Blanche's intentions in coming to visit them in New Orleans, the boisterous personality she brings with her from Mississippi, and Blanche's relationship with Stanley and where it all went wrong.
Listen along as we discuss this classic play!
This heartbreaking story is a tale about 2 children that grew up on the same continent and ended up on opposite sides of the war. And while neither one wanted to be involved, they both were.
We follow Werner, a young German boy whose love for gadgets gets the attention of the Nazi regime and forces him into the battlefield. And we simultaneously follow Marie Laure, a blind young girl in France that grows up during the occupation of her home country by the Nazis. Circumstances bring those two different people under the same roof for a lesson about humanity, kindness, and doing the right thing.
This novel is less about the war and more about the people in the war. We discuss the ups and downs of this book, what it means to be a soldier and how we felt reading this pulitzer prize winner.
It's about half-way through the year. So, we decided to recap our favorite and not-so favorite books that we have read thus far in 2024! Listen to this one and let us know if you agree with us.
Everytime a husband goes up to the attic of Lauren's flat in London, a new man comes down. She can't explain it, she was never married, she never had any life-altering experiences. Yet she comes home one day to find a man in her living room. Slowly, Lauren finds out that if the man goes up to the attic, a new man appears in his place.
The story is about Lauren finding the perfect husband; and perhaps also about how our perception of a person never really means what we think it means. So we journey with Lauren as she attempts to figure it out. And SPOILER ALERT: she doesn't.
A great concept with Chaotic story telling filled with multiple holes in the plot; this story is a mix of casual and infuriating reading. You might not agree with us on this one, but let us know what you think!!
Stephanie Garber takes us to a fantasy world, where competition and clues are the difference between life and death. Sisters Scarlett and Tells want more out of life than living in their abusive father's castle. Their dream is to attend the allusive performance put together by the mysterious 'Legend'. And when they finally get an opportunity to attend, they get more than they bargained for.
A fun story, mainly for young adults, about a world of colors, tricks, love-drama, and consequences of decision, this book (part of a series), is a good read for anyone looking to read something different and not so serious.
Tell us your thoughts about this episode on Instagram: @mensbookclubpod
In the author's hometown of Lincoln, Illinois, 1922, we are introduced to a group of characters who are tethered to one another by one act or another. The novel opens up about the murder of Loyd Wilson, by his best friend Clarence Smith, who then commits suicde. We then learn little by little about why that happened, how they became friends, why they had a fall out, and where the narrator (who is not a central part of the murder) fits into the novel.
A novel written with the backdrop of the open plains, tales of family scars, and a very well articulated writing style; William Maxwell takes us on a long, long journey in under 150 pages. This is a rainy day book if we've ever seen one.
Listen in and let us know your thoughts on Instagram: @mensbookclubpod
The Martian by Andy Weir is a famous Sci-fi book about a man who got left behind on Mars after his crew presumed him dead. While awaiting for help that he can't be certain will arrive, Mark Watney attempts to survive. Using his intelligence, his wit and his dark sense of humor, Mark Watney builds himself a habitat on the surface of Mars.
The book takes the reader through the intricacies of chemical reactions, mathematical formulas and bureaucratic ineptitudes. But most importantly, this book is a display of what would actually happen if everyone on earth was on the same side for once; and how many incredible things that would accomplish.
Join us on this episode as we take you with us... to Mars. Then tell us your thoughts on Instagram: @mensbookclubpod
Once again, we're back with an unpopular opinion as we discuss the most important debate in the book-reading community: Is listening to an audiobook considered reading? Do we consider a book being listened to the same as a book being read? Does the fiction vs nonfiction part make a difference?
Along with our opinions, we share some of our reading habits and how each of us differs in their approach to reading. Join us, and join the debate. We want to hear from you! Follow us on Instagram @mensbookclubpod
Frank and April Wheeler are stuck in a typical suburban lifestyle in Connecticut around the early 1960s. Their solution to escape the mundane? Travel to France and live out their dreams there. That decision brings peace and excitement, at first. However, little by little their dreams slowly get more and more unrealistic.
In the midst of their realities, April and Frank fight and argue and make choices that end up unraveling their entire lives. This Richard Yates novel is about a young couple, but it could be any young couple, anywhere, at any time. Join us on this episode as we dive deep into the lives and heads of the Wheelers.
Sadie and Sam are childhood friends that turn into co-owners of a successful video game company. Along with their friend Marx, the three of them embark on a tumultuous relationship filled with drama, agony and heartache, and death.
We do a very deep dive into this book, and come out feeling confused (?), and perhaps a little disappointed (?), but mainly we come out hating Sadie. We list the pros and cons of this book and whether we think this new novel idea is worth the read. Also, is this book a YA novel or not? Listen into what might be our most comprehensive episode yet.
Part 2
An epic about the American West and the pioneering spirit that drove men to settle in the farther corners of our country. This behemoth of a novel details the story of Augustus and Captain Call as they drive their cattle and crew from Southern Texas to Northern Montana.
Along the way, the men and the crew find themselves on an adventure that for some ends well and for others ends in death. This story is not for the faint of heart and certainly not for anyone who can't appreciate the open plains, rocky mountains and desert of the American West.
Join us on this two part episode as we unravel one of the best books we have read in a long time and what makes Larry McMurtry one of the best authors we have read in a long time.
Part 1
An epic about the American West and the pioneering spirit that drove men to settle in the farther corners of our country. This behemoth of a novel details the story of Augustus and Captain Call as they drive their cattle and crew from Southern Texas to Northern Montana.
Along the way, the men and the crew find themselves on an adventure that for some ends well and for others ends in death. This story is not for the faint of heart and certainly not for anyone who can't appreciate the open plains, rocky mountains and desert of the American West.
Join us on this two part episode as we unravel one of the best books we have read in a long time and what makes Larry McMurtry one of the best authors we have read in a long time.
Unpopular opinions incoming!!! We know, we know! Everyone loves these books but two different guys reading two different books came to the same conclusion about the same author.
We had to add these to the list. We had a lot to say about Fredrick Backman and his two popular novels; but in short, read something else! Find out why.
Texas Ranger, Tom White, investigates a series of murders in Oklahoma's Osage tribe. Initially believed to be accidental, Tom White uncovers a conspiracy bigger than he thought involving mayors, the mob, the government and families of the tribe.
This David Gramm non-fiction book reads like a thriller as he writes about the targeting of an antier Native American Indian tribe and the attempt to control their oil resources and the wealth of the land they lived on.
Join us as we try to keep our jaws closed on this episode!
In Stephen King's dystopian novel, the world has turned into one giant game show owned and controlled by Games Network. The only way to survive is to compete on the channel against others; and the winner gets a reward. The twist? The games are rigged and The Network stacks the odds against the participants.
Enter Ben Richards. A Man so desperate to give his daughter and wife a better life, that he competes in the highly rated show "Running Man". There he must escape and not be captured. Getting captured means death and running pays. We explore the grim side of this dystopian society in this episode and talk about the likelihood of getting such a world now.
Either God is real, or he isn't. But one way or another, you need some help and one claiming to be God is there to help. The only ask is that everyone has to believe in him.
Back again on our podcast is a book by Mitch Albom where a stranger joins a group of survivors after a boat capsizes in the middle of the ocean and is stranded without help. The stranger promises to help everyone; but only if they believe in him. The events are written by one of the survivors and is found on an abandoned lifeboat after it's found by a local policeman.
The story is about fact versus fiction, faith, trust and most importantly how far humans would push their own truths to survive.
On her way home, Susie Salmon is kidnapped and raped by her next door neighbor. And that's just chapter 1. The rest of the books follows the spirit of Susie as she watches her family and friends unravel and slowly try to pick themselves up following her death. All the while, Susie is trying to deal with the things she never said, the things she has never done and the words she wishes she can rain down on those around.
We follow this journey of a young girl as she tries to make sense of her world after the most horrific event clouds her and those around her.