Ben & Erik's Bookstore: Recent Episodes
Ben & Erik's Bookstore
The bearded bros make it clear they are bad at chess and stirring honey into tea while discussing the backsummadvert of The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis.
While discussing the backsummaradvert of The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett, the bearded bros continue their May/June Feud, Ben straps on some suspenders, and Erik says the phrase, "I'd lean towards the smelly dude on the subway" (there IS context).
Ben indulges in his intellect and creativity while Erik tries not to drop big books on his face as they discuss the backsummaradvert of Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.
While Erik's voice goes rogue (again) and Ben recounts his least favorite book of all time, the bearded bros discuss the backsummaradvert of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.
While Erik loses his cool over a particular country superstar (for no apparent reason), Ben keeps the discussion going about Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing.
As the (cough) bearded bros celebrate their fiftieth episode, they decide to do something special and discuss the backsummaradverts of 15 movies, ranging from The Death of Stalin to a particularly square sponge.
The bearded bros talk about avoiding stagnation and Ben's (cough) rebellious youth while discussing the backsummaradvert of Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Ben talks about his unique (and cute) marriage proposal story and Erik dives into his "vast" knowledge of fantasy literature while they discuss the backsummaradvert of The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth #1) by N.K. Jemisin
The bearded bros spend most of the time getting serious about finding the self after reading the backsummaradvert of Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In by Phuc Tran.
The bearded bros discuss relationships, college transitions, and a literal mic drop, all prompted by the backsummaradvert of Normal People by Sally Rooney.
While Ben shares his infinite wisdom and Erik struggles with the validity of companion novels, the bearded bros discuss the backsummaradvert of Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer.
After a rant about Vikings, Erik forces Ben to discover his true identity and the bearded bros tackle the dense backsummaradvert of Hyperion by Dan Simmons.
The bearded bros discover Ben's animated doppelganger, look for the brass tacks of dreams, and discuss the backsummaradvert of Me, Myself, & Bob: A True Story of God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables by Phil Vischer.
The bearded bros get heated about alternate history while discussing the backsummaradvert of The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor.
In this rapid-fire episode, the bearded bros put their money where their mouths are (as unhygienic as that is) and randomly select books, discuss their backsummaradverts in two minutes, and decide on the spot to buy them or to send them to the dungeons.
The bearded bros discuss the human need for conflict and the effects of a prolonged dive into the imagination on book selection (oh, and the backsummaradvert of The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann).
The bearded bros discuss the point of storytelling (maybe 38 episodes too late?) while getting ideas from the backsummaradvert for The Institute by Stephen King.
The bearded bros discuss the intricacies of the apocalypse as well as the pros and cons of knowing "the end" after reading the backsummaradvert of Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnus Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
The bearded bros reminisce on their awkward adolescences (and tearaway pants?) while discussing the backsummaradvert of I Am Not Okay With This by Charles Forsman.
The bearded bros sip caffeine into their souls, discover that crepes are not chocolate-covered omelettes, and share their opinions on coffee politics while discussing Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World by Michael Pollen.
The bearded bros hunt for answers among their wackadoodle psyches to discover what's in Area X from Jeff VanderMeer's Annihilation (South Reach #1).
The bearded bros are back to tackle Do You Mind if I Cancel? (Things That Still Annoy Me) by Gary Janetti.
The bearded bros discuss their reworked backsummaradverts from the previous two episodes (and, boy, do they do good work!).
The bearded bros take on making the unknown known and personifying the incomprehensible with a backsummaradvert by Ben himself about a Divine Council and Lucifer.
The bearded bros switch up the formula by discussing a backsummaradvert that Erik wrote! (This outta be good...)
The bearded bros return after a wintry hiatus to discuss the elegant framework of backsummaradverts, body-switching, and The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. NEW SEGMENT (not batteries) INCLUDED.
Listen to the development of Erik's cold and Ben's unending questions as the bearded bros discuss how to become gods (not how they become gods, of course...unless you know how to...) while talking about Middlegame by Seanan McGuire.
After chewing on some Milk Duds, the bearded bros chew on how to get out of emotional ruts as well as how what seems like fantasy could just be coincidence after reading the backsummaradvert for Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah.
While Erik doesn't stop talking about movies he's seen and Ben blurts inexplicit swear words, the bearded bros take a trip into the future (or is it...?) with Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan.
Taking a swing at a more academic book, the bearded bros discuss society, Ben's epic Scottish forts, and the backsummaradvert of Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society by Nicholas A. Christakis.
In their Halloween episode, the bearded bros dig into their childhoods while discussing The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager.
Has Erik found a new obsession? Did reading actually tone his biceps? Find out here as Erik talks about The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (from Episode #5: A Dash of Fruit Gushers).
But on BAEBS Episode #7 (Dystopian Children's Songs), Erik said he wouldn't read Anthem by Ayn Rand?...Oh well! He did anyway!
As Erik deals with his haunted apartment and Ben finds alternate book covers, the bearded bros "constructively" criticize the backsummaradvert of Skukuza: An African Adventure by Anthony Ivins.
As Erik destroys his voice, Ben uses his soothing tones to discuss love, the Renaissance Faire, and Well Met by Jen DeLuca.
The bearded bros tackle their first true story -- as well as cookies dunked in coffee -- with Karen Abbott's The Ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg King, the Women Who Pursued Him, and the Murder that Shocked Jazz-Age America (luckily the backsummaradvert is not as long as the title).
Now that their podcast is at the legal drinking age, Ben and Erik celebrate by diving into the long...long...long...long backsummaradvert of Borne by Jeff VanderMeer.
This week, see the dark side of Erik as he sends Ben's favorite band to Purgatory, they discover fan-made Lord of the Rings spin-offs, and they find the RPG elements in The Harrowing by James Aitcheson.
Feast your ears on the first episode of Erik's Corner, the place where Erik talks about the books that he read and that were featured on Ben & Erik's Bookstore. First up: The Hike by Drew Magary (from Episode #6 A Hop, A Skip, and A Hike).
This week, the bearded bros discuss enlightenment and the inspiration behind their podcast's intro with Bobby Hoffman (why does that name sound familiar...?) and Chris Panico from the incredible podcast No Nonsense Storytime.
With the future and their inevitable demise on their minds, the bearded bros turn to Calypso by David Sedaris to make them realize what's important in life (or something like that).
While Ben emits wisdom and Erik sputters demonic nonsense, the two discuss The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell and how it relates to life, the cosmos, and Star Wars.
Will the bearded bros be right in thinking that the lightest object in the universe is love? Will Ben actually enjoy the zombie apocalypse? And will The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele be worth the read? Find out this week on....BEN & ERIK'S BOOKSTORE!
While in human form (rather than bugsy), Ben and Erik discuss humanity's predicament in today's world, guided by the backsummaradvert of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.
In their quickest -- yet most in-depth -- discussion yet, the bearded brothers take on Recursion by Blake Crouch as well as their embarrassing romantic episodes.
In their second episode away from each other, Ben and Erik tackle the mythological tale of Circe in...well Circe by Madeline Miller.
The bearded bros return after life just kinda kept on happening to discuss Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes, baseball mummies, and how not to make a new sport.
After Ben introduces Erik to the Godmobile, the duo discusses why, in Sarah Fox's Wine and Punishment (Literary Pub Mystery #1), a small town in Vermont holds so many pumpkin-spiced mysteries.
Will Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe sufficiently suffice the sincere duo's sprawling expectations of smart fantasy?...Or will they just talk about time travel again? Who knows!
As the dudes tackle the romance(?) genre in Meagan Spooner's Sherwood, they create new ice cream flavors, unravel time travel paradoxes, and discuss how incredible this retelling of a classic could be.
Barely ignoring Ben's haunted room, the bearded friends explore the correlation of personality and the spirit, Daniel Day-Lewis' Batman, and fisticuffs while discussing Craven Manor by Darcy Coates.
While discussing Anthem by Ayn Rand, Erik sues Ben (and Ben tries to sue back) after complementing each other over their insights of dystopian societies.
While discussing The Hike by Drew Magary, Ben learns about platformers, Erik repeatedly shows his musical talent(?), and they both contemplate permanent interplanetary travel.
The friends revisit the idea of an academy as well as discuss the qualities of a good backsummaradvert, long sentences, and when it is appropriate to loudly stir cinnamon into coffee, all while deliberating what they'll find in The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
In a type of radio blooper reel, Ben and Erik present their first bonus Tangent Episode that includes their various tangents edited out from previous installments for you to enjoy. It's the extra fun you don't normally hear! (P.S. This episode was longer but twenty minutes of audio were corrupted...this is why they work with books!)
After finally remembering to time an episode, Ben and Erik discuss the YA genre and possible puzzling problems published in The Disasters by M.K. England.
In an episode featuring delicious (and incredibly hot) coffee and the dark side of Ben, the bearded friends get Way (hehe) deep into the possible philosophies within The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard).
Surrounding their discussion on the very existence of Cosette: The Sequel to Les Miserables by Laura Kalpakian is Ben and Erik's eternal war fought with alliteration and rhyme on a particularly stoney road to Dublin.
After Ben introduces himself and Erik, we discuss what sort of diabolical dough they might see in Game of Scones (A Sugar & Spice Mystery #1) by Mary Lee Ashford.