The Bookening
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Dangerous Laughter
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Steven Millhauser is one of the coolest, most uncanny, weird, beautiful, mysterious writer's writers that a lot of people haven't heard of, kind of a ...
The Two Towers, Part 2
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is Gandalf a Christ figure? Is it even good to look for Christ figures in literature? Or is there a point at which a wizard fighting a Balrog is just ...
The Two Towers, Part 1
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our Lord of the Rings reviews continue, as our heroes talk The Two Towers. Ents, men, and Tolkien the Environmentalist are all subjects of discussion....
T.S. Eliot + 200th Ep Cats-iversary
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's our 200th episode. To """""celebrate""""", we watched Cats. This does give Brandon an excuse to talk about T.S. Eliot though. Yay! ★ Suppo...
To Kill a Mockingbird, Part 4
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In our fourth (been a while since we've done that many) episode on Harper Lee's immortal To Kill a Mockingbird, our heroes discuss the characters. I...
To Kill a Mockingbird, Part 3
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
So it has come to this. Our heroes continue to address criticisms of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, using words like critical race theory, repre...
To Kill a Mockingbird, Part 2
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's Part 2 of our discussion on To Kill a Mockingbird by the great Harper Lee. Our heroes provide some baggage, discuss whether this is THE great Ame...
To Kill a Mockingbird, Part 1
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Oh boy oh boy. We're discussing one of the great American novels, starting today, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Brandon provides some much need...
The Fellowship of the Ring, Part 3
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Moria! Moria! Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Moria Mori...
Waiting for Godot
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Oh brother. In this Dadaesque episode of The Bookening our heroes discuss Waiting for Godot by Samuel Becket. At least it is arguable that they do thi...
The Moon and Sixpence
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Yessir, we're talking about The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham, that classic touchstone that everybody loves and has definitely heard of. Ac...
The Trumpet of the Swan
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Um, what a weird book. The Bookening wraps their head around The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White. Or tries to. As usual (it seems) when we come t...
The Fellowship of the Ring, Part2
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We tried to get far in this episode. In fact, we got all the way from Tom Bombadil to the Council of Elrond. But there's still plenty of Fellowship of...
The Fellowship of the Ring, Part 1
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Bookening is talkin' Lord of the Rings, namely The Fellowship of the Ring (Book 1) by J.R.R. Tolkien, a book that, in their opinion, holds up quit...
Johnny Tremain
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. A book that every parent or teacher assigns and no kid likes. Well, The Bookening decided to actually read it as adul...
Sense and Sensibility, Part 3
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, it's the one where we really get into Sense and Sensibility. Is this one of Jane Austen's less mature works? Does it show any signs of being a fi...
Coronavirus update
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Just a little check in. We're not going anywhere. Love ya all. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Sense and Sensibility, Part 2
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this second episode about Sense and Sensibility, our heroes spend some time talking about their various histories with Jane Austen (this is their f...
Sense and Sensibility, Part 1
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
But you know that Sense and Sensibility was not originally published under Jane Austen's name? The title page just said "By a Lady." She was indeed a ...
The Hobbit, Part 3
04 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Oh boy, our heroes had to record this one late at night, after recording another episode, and their brains were fried. So if you like that kind of Boo...
The Hobbit, Part 2
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Well, friends, here in another episode of The Bookening on The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. In this one we get a suprsing amount of discussion out of a...
An episode about genre fiction
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a very simple episode on the notion of how we approach genre, which may have ramifications for how we think through our year of Tolkien. The q...
The Hobbit, Part 1
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Here is our first full real Tolkien podcast where we are actually talking about a book. Bilbo Baggins! Gandalf! Thorin Oakenshield! Tolkien poetry! Su...
An unexpected podcast
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you like The Bookening, you should like this episode of The Bookening. And it does contain some of the promised discussion of The Hobbit by J. R. R...
Tolkien Begins
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks, Patrons! We have unlocked the year of J. R. R. Tolkien, and this episode begins it all with our heroes discussing the baggage that they bring ...
War and Peace, Part 4
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode our heroes finally tear into the meat of War and Peace, talking about all those wonderful characters, Pierre, Natasha, Andrei, Boris, ...
War and Peace, Part 3
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hey, folks! We're finally talking about the nitty gritty of War and Peace. First we open some absolutely great presents from a friend, in our patented...
War and Peace, Part 2
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Bookening podcast, Nathan says something silly near the beginning, Brandon says something nerdy about a book somewhere in the...
War and Peace, Part 1
01 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Leo Tolstoy was a colossal genius of the first order, and War and Peace is one of the best books that The Bookening has ever or will ever do. So that'...
Russian Christmas stories
25 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! You have six days to get the "year of Tolkien" thing we've been promising. Merry Christmas! Our heroes read two Russian Christmas sto...
Fantasy Draft, Part 2
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What would happen if Jane Eyre teamed up with Reepicheep the Mouse, or the White Witch fought King Henry from Shakespeare? You'll find out in this ver...
Booklist 2020 and Fantasy Draft, Part 1
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our heroes announce their entire booklist for 2020. Yay! Then they begin an awesome fantasy draft of all the characters and objects from the novels th...
Top 7 Things about Narnia
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Let's get this out of the way. This episode was recorded late at night and is fairly slaphappy. But once it gets going, our heroes do discuss their in...
Midnight's Children, Part 3
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A novel that's profane and silly and over the top and pretty much a masterpiece--Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. Our heroes have plenty of thou...
Midnight's Children, Part 2
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's part 2 of Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. Kind of. Also the story of how Nathan got married. You'll hear a disclaimer at the beginning of...
Midnight's Children, Part 1
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Now with audio glitch corrected!The Bookening discusses one of the most important books of the latter half of the twentieth century, and one that they...
The Crucible + A Streetcar Named Desire
06 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Okay, so, let's get this out of the way. There is a huge run of positive energy coming up very soon with Midnight's Children, War and Peace, and then ...
The Willows
01 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our heroes recorded this episode at the end of a long session and they may or may not have been a little stir crazy, as you'll hear. However ... Now T...
The Outsider (Lovecraft)
31 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"Unhappy is he to whom the memories of childhood bring only fear and sadness. Wretched is he who looks back upon lone hours in vast and dismal chamber...
Sredni Vashtar
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sredni Vashtar went forth,His thoughts were red thoughts and his teeth were white.His enemies called for peace, but he brought them death.Sredni Vasht...
Young Goodman Brown
29 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"Lo, there ye stand, my children," said the figure, in a deep and solemn tone, almost sad with its despairing awfulness, as if his once angelic nature...
Masque of the Red Death
28 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bede...
Henry V
23 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Bookening, our heroes discuss Henry V. It is a good episode. Listen to it. Support us here! ★ Support this podcast on Patr...
Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2
16 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hooray, it's our episode on William Shakespeare's Henry IV. Which part you ask? We're doing both parts in one amazing episode. You'll hear our heroes'...
The Last Battle
09 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Yay, it's our longest episode ever! (Pretty sure.) And we're closing the loop on C. S. Lewis (for now at least) and Narnia, discussing The Last Battle...
The Magician's Nephew
02 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Bookening really enjoyed The Magician's Nephew. That's right, they liked it a ton. Did you know this was the last Narnia book that C. S. Lewis wro...
The Horse and His Boy
25 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks, Patrons! The Bookening is returning to Narnia with The Horse and His Boy, a book that is a personal favorite of many a boy and girl. But will ...
Richard II
18 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode our heroes discuss Richard II. More specifically The Hollow Crown version, which they find to be absolutely delightful and awesome a...
The Hollow Crown (Shakespeare)
11 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Please!Our heroes take what they hope is a very short hiatus from Narnia, and begin discussing the Henriad by one William Shakespeare...
Little Women
04 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our heroines (what???) review Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Support us here! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
The Silver Chair
28 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you to everyone who helped us continue our Narnia series. Now, our heroes talk about The Silver Chair. The heroic optimism (yeah, optimism) of P...
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
21 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jake really loves this book. Brandon does not as much. Thus disagreement stalks The Bookening crew in this episode, as Brandon goes on the attack agai...
Prince Caspian
14 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our heroes discuss Prince Caspian, a novel that they really liked, except for some weird pagan stuff at the end. What was Lewis doing there and why? O...
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
07 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our heroes discuss The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis's 'supposal' theory of allegory, whether these books ARE allegory or not, what t...
The Chronicles of Narnia, Part 2
31 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here!In which our heroes try to clean up some mess regarding C. S. Lewis and some of his more interesting opinions. And then talk about the...
Chronicles of Narnia, Part 1
24 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here!The Bookening provides some much needed context on C. S. Lewis, as our heroes embark on their multipart quest to talk through all The ...
Revenge of the poetry
17 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Brandon and Nathan hammer home their recent forays into poetry by reading and examining three poems together: The Wild Swans at Coole...
Witness for the Prosecution (1957 film)
10 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here!Brandon is still recovering from ACL surgery, so Nathan, Jake, and Dubstep Dani (the mom who's a bomb of reading) review Witness for t...
Top ten summer reads
03 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here!Chillax and join us for a mellow summer episode. After teaching you how to make the perfect margarita (no, seriously), Nathan walks yo...
Do women like poetry? Also, what IS poetry?
26 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here!Do women like poetry? Our heroes answer this horribly sexist question in this episode. And then Brandon at long last gives us a linear...
Bonus ep: Poetry at Brandon's House
19 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here!We're gonna go ahead and call this a bonus episode instead of a real one. It was recorded on a crazy late night in Brandon's kitchen w...
The Witness for the Prosecution
12 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! So close to reading Narnia and making Jake wear elf ears. Oh dear. It's another thing that Nathan didn't particularly like. But also ...
Why we do what we do
05 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here!After playing "Guess the literary quote", our heroes answer some email and end up talking about why they do the show the way they do t...
The Old Man and the Sea, Part 2
29 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here!In this episode our heroes continue to discuss Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. They have good things to say about it. This...
The Old Man and the Sea, Part 1
22 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Our heroes provide some much needed context for The Old Man and the Sea. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Sanity at the Movies - Avengers: Endgame
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here!Apologies, no new episode this week. Our heroes will be back next week with Old Man and the Sea. In the meantime, here is the first ep...
Of Mice and Men, Part 2
08 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! After a visit from Dusty the Magical Podcast Elf, our heroes discuss Of Mice and Men. Is this a book that is ruined because everyone ...
Of Mice and Men, Part 1
01 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Our heroes talk Steinbeck, literary snobbery, and Of Mice and Men. Also they talk about the mice and cats for some reason. ★ Su...
Catcher in the Rye, Part 2
24 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us today! Our heroes have a huge disagreement about Catcher in the Rye and don't come to consensus at the end. It's weird. ★ Support this...
Catcher in the Rye, Part 1
17 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Hey, in this episode our heroes provide some much needed context for Catcher in the Rye. It looks like this book might be a big disag...
Jane Eyre, Part 4
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Jane Eyre's view of sexuality is all messed up, yo. This podcast discusses it. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Jane Eyre, Part 3
03 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here please and thank you! The Bookening is talking about Rochester in Jane Eyre in this episode, and the weird crazy ways the book goes of...
Jane Eyre, Part 2
27 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Our heroes talk about the first part of the novel Jane Eyre. Is Mrs. Reed a straw (wo)man? Is Helen Burns too good to be true? Will o...
Jane Eyre, Part 1
20 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Brandon provides his patented context on Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Alice in Wonderland
13 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Our heroes discuss Alice in Wonderland, the place of surrealism in art, and whether you should read this book to your kids given Lewi...
No new episode today
06 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! No new episode today. But you can always listen to this little bit of content and write us a nice review on iTunes or something. ★...
Persuasion, Part 3
27 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support this fine podcast here! In part 3 of their discussion regarding one Jane Austen's Persuasion, our heroes discuss Jane Austen's Persuasion. The...
Persuasion, Part 2
20 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Really! Our heroes continue to discuss Persuasion. Is it the most romantic of Austen's novels? The most mature or the least? Was Anne...
Persuasion, Part 1
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support your local Bookening! In which Brandon provides some much-needed context on Jane Austen's Persuasion. And Jane Austen herself. And we discuss ...
How to read, Part 2
06 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
SUPPORT US HERE! Our heroes get practical as they discuss how to read. Should you underline? If so, pen or pencil? Audiobooks--yes or no? Is skimming ...
How to read, Part 1
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Yes, you know you want to! Today, by special request of a person they love very much, our heroes are talking about how to read. How s...
The Great Gatsby (2013 film)
23 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! In his Wikipedia page, Leonardo DiCaprio is wearing one of those newsboy hats. He also stars in The Great Gatsby. Our heroes review t...
The Great Gatsby, Part 2
16 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Was Gatsby a real figure or a cipher? Was Daisy a good woman or lost? Why can't any of our heroes remember the novel? Is that a featu...
The Great Gatsby, Part 1
09 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here please and thank you! Nathan has some happy news, and Brandon has some good context on The Great Gatsby. ★ Support this podcast o...
Redux 2018 and Booklist 2019
02 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our heroes review the year they just had and announce the booklist for 2019. Support us here! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
121. Bleak House, Part 3
26 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Hey, it's part three of the show where we discuss Bleak House with Dani. Help Dani's kids not starve HERE. ★ Support this podcas...
120. Bleak House, Part 2
19 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our heroes continue to discuss Bleak House. Now with their pal Dani. Support us here! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
119. Bleak House, Part 1
12 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
SUPPORT US HERE! It's a special MUSIC FREE episode as our heroes begin a discussion of Bleak House. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
118. King Lear, Part 3
05 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Hey, way back 10 thousand years ago, our heroes said they were going to discuss King Lear (by one William Shakespeare) some more. And...
The Phantom ruins everything
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! It's not a full episode today, sadly, due to circumstances beyond our control. But we do have something to tide you over until next w...
117. A Good Man is Hard to Find, Part 2
21 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Our heroes have been circling the same questions with Flannery O'Connor for two episodes now, and they're finally ready to land on so...
116. Good Country People (w/ David Kern)
14 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What's this? Our heroes have a guest! And from a rival podcast, Close Reads (check them out here!). It's David Kern, who has a lot of great thoughts a...
115. A Good Man is Hard to Find, Part 1
07 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes sir, Brandon provides some MUCH needed context on Flannery O'Connor in this ...
114. Frankenstein (1931 film)
31 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Spook-port our fear-oes fear! (Support our heroes here :| ) Our heroes review the original Boris Karloff Frankenstein film that has a lot more to do w...
113. Frankenstein, Part 2
24 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our heroes argue about Frankenstein, its merits (if any), and its place (if any) in the canon and our children's education. Will they reach a consensu...
112. Frankenstein, Part 1
17 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Today our heroes begin their spooooooooooooky look into Frankenstein with a discussion of Romanticism, feminism, and all the isms tha...
111. King Lear, Part 2
10 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Last Lear episode, we didn't even get around to talking about King Lear. This time we do. Brandon has more context, and also the terr...
110. Bookening Live Show!
03 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! Hey! This is a fun little item. Our heroes got to do their first live show as a fundraiser for Charis Classical Academy in Madison, W...
109. King Lear, Part 1
26 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! The or the? That's one thing our heroes discuss. Also Brandon provides his patented awesome context for William Shakespeare. A good t...
108. Blood Meridian (or not)
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Support us here! In this episode our heroes talk about Blood Meridian and why none of them actually finished the silly thing. ★ Support this podc...