A Deadman's Books

On this episode we look at the summer blockbuster of 2026, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey starring Matt Damon. Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:The Odyssey by Christopher Nolan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Odysseus leaves to fight in the Trojan War, his way back home becomes a little complicated. Meanwhile, his wife Penelope and son Telemachus are fighting off suitors who are trying to take the throne in Ithaca. Telemachus must find his father. Odysseus must find his way home. In today's episode, we look at Gareth Hinds adaptation of Homer's the Odyssey done via graphic novel.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode: The Odyssey by HomerThe Odyssey adapted by Gareth Hinds#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #odyssey #homer #nolan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if you had never watched or read The Lord of the Rings but only played the Lego version? This week, Hollis tells us his perspective of LOTR, The Hobbit, and college football season. We roll on with our summer of Tolkien with our field trip to the video game, Lego: The Hobbit Thanks for listening!#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #tolkien #LOTR #fellowship #lordoftherings #hobbit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Continuing our Big Summer Read with the Lord of the Rings, we review Peter Jackson's 2002 adaptation of The Two Towers. Do we like the movie better than the book? Find out what we think in this week's episode.#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #tolkien #LOTR #fellowship #lordoftherings #hobbit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Frodo and Sam continue their journey towards Mordor, we also continue our Big Summer Read. The Fellowship has broken. While Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas chase an orc party to save Merry and Pippin, Frodo and Sam have ventured off to destroy the ring on their own with their new guide...Gollum. Tolkien's legendary tale continues to weave its yarn as the march to destroy the ring continues.Thanks for listening!Theme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananasResources for today's episode:The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #tolkien #LOTR #fellowship #lordoftherings #hobbit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Vintage ADMB, we go back to earlier this summer where we sat down and talked to Randy Cribbs about his novel, The Vessel: Tinaja (episode 88). To pair with the theme of eternal life and the expectations that may come with that which we discussed with Dennis E. Taylor's novel, We are Legion (We are Bob), we've pulled out a part from the interview in which Randy talks about the theme of eternal life and unlimited power in his own novel. Randy then discusses his writing process, how history leads him when writing, and how living in the city of St. Augustine, Florida is the perfect place for an author. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Bob sells his tech company, he immediately goes and commits to cryogenically freezing himself upon his death. The ironic thing is that it comes within that week. When Bob is brought back to life in the future, he soon learns that he is an artificial intelligence program...and things are different. A Christian theocracy has taken control of North American, Europe has become the United States of Europe, Brazil is extremely militaristic, Australia is doing their own thing, and the Middle East has been nuked into a wasteland that no one enters. Bob's directive is to control Heaven-1 to the starts to help find new habitable planets, but he has to beat everyone else there, and on his way out of orbit, he sees Earth flickering in the distance as it is being pounded by nuclear weapons. We're asking the tough questions: What does it mean to be living? What is true free will? Could you live with multiple clones of yourself? Jason Crockett joins us as we answer these and more.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:We are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis E. TaylorTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Opening with a critique on two text-book writers, C.S. Lewis ventures into those who are attempting condition society and bend it against what he calls the tao. The Tao that is what is inherently good. Lewis defines it has a moral compass that appears not just in a specific religion, but in every person. The discernment of what is right from wrong. Lewis goes on to list those who are trying to shape society to their will, conditioning those against what is right and wrong, as living outside the Tao. Lewis's Abolition of Man brings a relevant commentary on society still, and it can raise a mirror that may be tough to look at. We're asking the tough questions: Who's truly indoctrinating our youth? Has religious society change their true theology in for a false one that is built on politics? How do we recognize the conditioners? Jason Crockett joins us as we answer those and more.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:Abolition of Man by C.S. LewisTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #tao #lewis #narnia #merechirstianity #cslewis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of A Deadman's Books we throw back to episode 69 to when we talked with the legend Bill Landry about many topics, one including his life in theatre. Bill talk to us about his one man play, Einstein the Man, his life in theatre, and an event that took place while participating in a college theater troupe.#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #heartland #heartlandseries #BillLandry #appalachia #easttennessee #EastTN #tennessee #appalachian #science #theatre #einstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When meeting with the National Lab in Oak Ridge asking his advice on how to get science packaged for children, Bill Landry had an idea: what if Albert Einstein could come and speak to them himself. Soon, the one man play, Einstein the Man was in production and traveling throughout Appalachia. As with anything with Bill Landry, the play started in 1979 and was shown over 1,000 times. In 2000, for its 20th anniversary, Lockheed-Martin published the play in book form. In this special crossover episode, we borrow from Jason Crockett's Second Stage podcast. In his podcast you can find conversations about plays that were once used in the classroom but have seemed to disappear. Also, it looks at obscure plays and how they might be used in the classroom.Check out Second Stage here:https://open.spotify.com/show/1XH9lSrS2YlZEhb3xpy5JWThanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:Einstein the Man by Bill LandryTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #heartland #heartlandseries #BillLandry #appalachia #easttennessee #EastTN #tennessee #appalachian #einstein #science Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy 4th of July, America. To celebrate the good ol' U.S. of A., we have put together five books that we think are essential to the American Lit experience. Also, at the end of the episode we play another game: best American author stays. Who does Jason Crockett list as his greatest American author of all time? Thanks for listening!Theme song for A Deadman's Books:Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Continuing with our Big Summer Read with Tolkien, we go back to the movies where we examine Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Viggo Mortensn, Christopher Lee, and many more. We talk about aesthetic choices, differences, casting choices, and more.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:The Fellowship of the Ring directed by Peter JacksonTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #tolkien #LOTR #fellowship #lordoftherings #hobbit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After receiving his uncle Bilbo's ring on the occasion of Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday, Frodo soon finds out there is more to this ring than simple tricks. After Gandalf the Grey does his research, they soon find that it is indeed the One Ring created by the dark lord Sauron in the pits of Mt. Doom. Frodo soon finds himself on a journey with eight other companions with the goal of destroying the ring. Frodo soon finds out that doing what is right is often the hardest thing to do. We make our first stop on this year's Big Summer Read as we check-in with the conclusion of our reading of Tolkien's epic The Fellowship of the Ring. If you haven't yet, you can join us still! Pick up your collection of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and come back to this episode when you're ready.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #tolkien #LOTR #fellowship #lordoftherings #hobbitTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a peaceful Timucuan chief is gifted a drinking vessel that is made out of an unknown material he soon finds that it possesses power that can lead those who drink from it immortality...and a maddening rage. The chief soon begins to harshly punish those around him and becomes war crazy as he invades surrounding tribes. Those of his village label the vessel "Tinaja" or demon. Flash forward to St. Augustine, FL in 2002, an archeologist is discovered dead. The mystery that follows through this ancient city shows just how connected it is to its past, and the mysterious powers that may or may not come from it. Author Randy Cribbs joins us from the campus of Flagler College as we discuss his writing of this novel, the city of St. Augustine, the importance of research, and maybe some things about ghosts.Purchase this book and others authored by Randy Cribbs here: https://randycribbsauthor.com/books/Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:The Vessel: Tinaja by Randy CribbsGhosts, Myths, and Legends of St. Augustine by Randy CribbsTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #StAugustine #authorinterview #STA #flagler #flaglercollege Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Margo has her dream life planned, Dream husband, dream job, dream kid, and dream house. So when her coveted house hits the market, she will do whatever it takes to make sure that she obtains the house of her wonder after being denied so many times in the past. We're asking the tough questions: How far is too far when you have become fixated with something? When you should abort a lie if you think you are caught? What happens when you dig the hole deeper? Hannah Randolph and Aubrey Simmons join us as we answer these and more.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episdoe:Best Offer Wins by Marisa KishinoTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Norman Maclean looks back on a time in his life in which his family tasked him to "help" his brother-in-law (that he doesn't like) through the Maclean family trade of fly-fishing. Asking his expert younger brother Paul to help provide him company, Maclean talks about how he doesn't even know how to "help" his own brother who needs it. The story culminates in a final fishing trip between a dad and his two sons that will forever live in Maclean's memory.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:A River Runs through it by Paul MacleanTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After growing up in a strict, fundamental Mormon home, Tara Westover overcame her odds of abuse, mistreatment, distrust, and a home structure that was against her just because she was a woman. We're asking the tough questions: What makes family ties so strong? Can we overcome obstacles laid before us? Is that really what the Westover house looks like? Hannah Randolph joins us as we answer these and more.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:Educated by Tara WestoverTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BIG SUMMER READ IS HERE!. Join us as we look to continue the ADMB annual Big Summer Read. After last year's reading of Stephen King's The Stand, we have decided to read J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Join us and read a long with us. We will have check-ins at the end of every book. Email us or comment your thoughts on the book. We hope that you will join us as we go back to Middle Earth!Thank you for listening! Theme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #LOTR #Tolkien #lordoftherings #middleearth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, academic, poet laureate of Cookeville, Tennessee, and mom Dr. Erin Hoover of Tennessee Tech University sits down to speak with us about her a couple of her poetry selections: her debut Barnburner and No Spare People. Hoover also talks to us about her inspirations as a poet, her life as a single-mother and academic, dealing with generative artificial intelligence in the classroom, and even reads a couple of poems for us. Thanks for listening! Resources for today's episode: Barnburner by Erin Hoover https://www.amazon.com/Barnburner-Erin-Hoover/dp/1932418679/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3D2YR8WW39H7O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tuywH-Nqv1cEIQhgakvYHA._uS41QJPUyGYqXCI0w6TC-sFgfrBoH6nz6kQnIxYOio&dib_tag=se&keywords=barnburner+by+erin+hoover&qid=1777522531&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=barnburner+by+erin+hoov%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-1No Spare People by Erin Hoover https://www.amazon.com/No-Spare-People-Erin-Hoover/dp/1625570597/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1EZ7E4QQ1PMQO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.e1NoLAP8WPWzSdjT391a6Q.jh2vrRz-J3foPOGcsfpN_wJKRRvnndMjZtftaD42sr4&dib_tag=se&keywords=No+Spare+People+by+erin+hoover&qid=1777522563&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=no+spare+people+by+erin+hoover%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-1Theme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #poetry #wingsup #techyeah Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Andy Dufresne is wrongly convicted for the double murder of his wife and her lover, he spends the next three decades of his life in The Shank methodically building up the prison library, maintaining a solo cell, and hammering a hole behind a poster for his escape to a dream that awaits him. We're asking the tough questions: Can anyone play it as cool as Andy Dufresne? Does life and literature always offer us true justice? Why do we as an audience receive film different than literature? How do you say obtuse in German? Jason Crockett joins us as we ask these and more on today's episode.Thanks for listening!Theme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananasResources for today's episode:Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #StephenKing #king #TheShank #Shawshank Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a school shooting takes place in a small southern town, Sheriff Titus Crown begins to pull a string that unravels a much deeper and sinister plot. S.A. Cosby's All the Sinners Bleed is dark, moody thriller that will have you reading until the very end.This week's curation:Silence of the Lambs (film)Miracle Creek by Angie KimDouble Indemnity by James CainL.A. Noire (video game)#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #SACosby Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the NAP is elected into power, Ireland slowly descends into fascism. Suddenly teachers are vilified by the government. Larry Stack, teacher and leader of the teachers union, takes to the streets to lead his fellow teachers in a peaceful protest march. However, Larry is arrested and never heard from again leaving his wife Eilish alone with four children and a father suffering from dementia. Paul Lynch's dystopian novel Prophet Song feels as if it isn't a far cry from modern reality as we follow how Eilish Stack attempts to survive and keeping her family together during the breaking down of society around her. She's ostracized for her beliefs, she loses her job as a molecular biologist after the NAP appoint their own in charge, and seemingly loses every man in her life. Lynch's novel will grab you by the collar and possibly shake you into awareness of the world around us. Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:Prophet Song by Paul LynchTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why did F. Scott Fitzgerald make it so hot at the Plaza Hotel? What was Will Andrews really finding on his quest in Butcher's Crossing? Why is Mina Plover reminiscent of a siren in The Land Breakers? Why did it storm the night before Caesar's death in Shakespeare's play? Are Astrophage from Project Hail Mary vampires? Author's use many different devices to craft their stories that we fall for every time. What if we had a guide that helped us read between what is literally there, and cross the river, baptizing ourselves in the figurative, and coming out the other side? Luckily Thomas C. Foster has done that for us, and now you too can read literature like a professor. It's not a superpower. It's just a matter of opening the mind. Jason Crockett joins us as we walk through Foster's compendium for literary devices, archetypes, and symbols.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:How to Read Literature like a Professor by Thomas C. FosterTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alfred Mann was born into slavery. It was the only world that he ever knew. But after marrying Frankie from a nearby plantation, and learning through their first born-child that he has been forced to share his wife with his wife's white masters, Alfred begins to have thoughts of breaking free. Soon, he hears that the Union army is just on the other side of the river, and they are taking any runaway slaves, granting them freedom, and turning them into soldiers. After Alfred makes it across that river, he is sent on a journey in which he aims to find out what freedom really means. Author, Dr. Troy D. Smith joins us on this episode as we talk about what he says is his proudest achievement: his Spur Award winning novel, Bound for the Promise-Land.Thanks for Listening!Resources for today's episode:Bound for the Promise-Land by Dr. Troy D. SmithTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two men are seeking redemption. Both of their hopes intersect and land on the same set of interviews to change their public image and restore them back to the figures that they once were. David Frost thinks that he will be going up against a loser, clumsy ex-president in Richard Nixon. Nixon thinks that he will be going up against softball questions from a British talk show host who is on the verge of washing out. Both are in store for a surprise. As always, our in-house Richard Nixon expert Russ Witcher sits down with us to answer the hard questions: Did these interviews shape modern journalism? Is Richard Nixon really a likeable, relatable person who just made a mistake that went too far? Who has the best Richard Nixon impersonation? Jason Crockett and Russ Witcher join us today as we answer these questions and more. Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:Frost/Nixon by Peter MorganTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #frostnixon #nixon #richardnixon #POTUS #america #president #vietnam #play #broadway Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Julius Caesar dies, he leaves in his will for his adoptive son Octavius to ascend as his heir. Caesar the August comes to Rome, but finds that there are many plots surrounding him in the world of Roman politics. John Williams's epistolary novel AUGUSTUS covers the political rise and life of Octavius Caesar the August through letters, journal entries, and memoirs from those that surrounded him. From close friends and family, to bitterest enemies and schemers, John Williams's novel brings out this interesting period of history in a unique way. We're asking the tough questions: What would you do to cover for you child? What would a modern Marc Antony look like? Would you help some one that was floating down a river? Jason Crockett joins us as we ask these and more on this week's episode.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:Augustus by John WilliamsTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #rome #romanempire #casear #augustus #ancientrome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the Ides of March come upon them, Brutus and Cassius decide that they must take the fate of their beloved Rome into their hands. With the assassination of Julius Caesar, Rome is thrown into chaos. With seemingly no plan after they finish the killing, two sides develop between Brutus and Cassius / Marc Antony and Octavius. William Shakespeare walks us through a story of loyalty, betrayal, pride, and blindness. We're asking the tough questions: Is Brutus sympathetic? Is Marc Antony a good guy? Can you separate politics from your friends? Jason Crockett joins us as we answer these and more. Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William ShakespeareTheme song to A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Nazis are rising. They are attempting to dominate Europe through land and through culture. That includes the world of motorsport. Enter American-French heiress Lucy Schell. Her attempts to enter a "mans-world as a driver were met with stiff competition. Undeterred, Schell uses her inheritance to fund a French team to take on the Nazi propaganda machine, and defeat Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union in a grand-prix race. Her choice to lead the team on the track was Renee Dreyfus, who was Jewish. In a true good guys vs. bad guys story, Schell and Dreyfus take on the Nazis on the track to show that even in the darkest of times, good still wins out.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:Faster by Neal BascombTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #motorsport Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Pearson meets the love of his life, Lucy, and begins his life with her as a preacher and contractor. Unfortunately, John's weakness for women lead him to a tumultuous experience between he and Lucy, and his next wife who captures him through voodoo.This week's curation:Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neal HurstonSweat by Zora Neal HurstonZora Neal Hurston on Zombies (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmKPjh5RX6c)Meet the Past featuring Zora Neal Hurston (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=023WLvot4Y8) #booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Janie Crawford's grandmother has a plan for her life, and it's one that Janie doesn't agree with. After attempting to make the plan happen, she leaves her arranged marriage with Logan Killicks for the sweet talking Joe Starks. Starks takes Janie to Eatonville, Florida where Janie seems to be living her dream life. However, before long, she sees she is still in the same relationship she was before. After Starks dies, Janie comes across someone younger than her in Tea Cake. While Tea Cake may seem like someone you don't write home about, he gives Janie the life she has always dreamed of. One of true love. However, a storm is brewing, and things will change. Today, we cover our 2025 best read of the year: Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. This episode is split into two parts. In part two, we're asking the tough questions. How is a book about a state's heritage banned by that state? Where does Hurston stand in top 5 books in American canon? Jason Crockett joins us as we answer these and more.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episdoe:Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale HurstonTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #hurston #ZoraNealeHurston Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Janie Crawford's grandmother has a plan for her life, and it's one that Janie doesn't agree with. After attempting to make the plan happen, she leaves her arranged marriage with Logan Killicks for the sweet talking Joe Starks. Starks takes Janie to Eatonville, Florida where Janie seems to be living her dream life. However, before long, she sees she is still in the same relationship she was before. After Starks dies, Janie comes across someone younger than her in Tea Cake. While Tea Cake may seem like someone you don't write home about, he gives Janie the life she has always dreamed of. One of true love. However, a storm is brewing, and things will change. Today, we cover our 2025 best read of the year: Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. This episode is split into two parts. In part one, we're asking the tough questions. Is Hurston's dialogue harmful or authentic? Would we let our daughters date Tea Cake? Did the dog bite her? Jason Crockett joins us as we answer these and much more in today's episode. Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episdoe:Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale HurstonTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #hurston #ZoraNealeHurston Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a stranger and his daughter are stranded, single mother Collie Wright welcomes them into her home. Little does she know that those walking up to her house will be the future half of her family, and also reveal a deep secret through an accidental murder that she has been covering up. We're asking the tough questions: What sacrifices are parents willing to make for their children? How should we as parents react if our children turn into people we didn't expect them to be? Why are those in Appalachia so connected to the land? Amy Hawkins joins us as we talk about this and more in today's episode.Thanks for listening! Resources for today's episode:The Winter People by John EhleTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For 25 years, a local television show captured time that defined a region. WBIR's The Heartland Series began as a way to showcase the most beautiful place in the world: The Great Smoky Mountains. However, the show evolved into much more as it expanded in documenting the culture and people of East Tennessee, the Upper Cumberland, and parts of Western North Carolina. On the heels of our fantastic interview with the icon and host of The Heartland Series Bill Landry, Jason Crockett joins us as we take a walk back through some of our favorite episodes of The Heartland Series. We also play a little Appalachian vocabulary quiz, and this or that Appalachia edition.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's show:The Heartland SeriesFoxfire: StoryTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #Appalachia #appalachian #easttn #Tennessee #BillLandry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the heart of an adventurer and the soul of a poet, Bill Landry climbed a ridge and found below him the heartland. Our land. A land of the principal people. A land full of storytellers, deep thinkers, and hard workers. Today, we have a very special guest. The legendary Bill Landry joins us and talks about his life of doing the Heartland Series on WBIR in Knoxville, the people he met, the lessons he learned, and the books he's written. Bill even talks with us about his career in theater as actor and playwright. Jason Crockett joins us as we get the chance to sit down and talk with childhood hero and East Tennessee icon, Bill Landry.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:WBIR's The Heartland Series (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gPCpuxCodY)Appalachian Tales & Heartland Adventures by Bill LandryTellin' it for the Truth by Bill LandryEinstein the Man by Bill Landry#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #heartland #heartlandseries #BillLandry #appalachia #easttennessee #EastTN #tennessee #appalachianTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bootlegger Marion Sylder kills a man on his way home from Atlanta back to East Tennessee. He carries the body with him back to the mountains, and dumps the body in an abandoned concrete pit. Little does he know that he end up crossing paths with the dead-man's son and becoming a mentor type figure. All the while, an old man of the mountains witnessed Sylder dump the body of the man that was murdered, and he has tended to the body the last seven years. Cormac McCarthy's debut novel follows the comings and goings of three characters with the backdrop of East Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains. There's bootlegging, there's mink trapping, and there are Wampus cats. We're asking the tough questions. Did McCarthy try too hard in his first go? How authentic are the characters that are presented in the book? Why are the Appalachian people so afraid of cats? Jason Crockett joins us today as we answer these and more.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthyTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #mccarthy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Mary leaves Bill for another man, Bill becomes bitter towards women. However, when the two cross paths fifteen years later, their love lives have taken completely opposite roads. In our first review of a short-story, we look at Langston Hughes's micro-story, Early Autumn which was first published in 1950 for The Chicago Defender. We're asking the tough questions. Is micro-fiction overlooked? How can such a short story pack such a huge punch? Is this the perfect story? Hannah Randolph joins us as we answer these and more. Thanks for listening! Resources for today's episode:Early Autumn by Langston HughesTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The number four book in 2025's top 5, In Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, a shepherd named Santiago has a dream interpreted and is sent on a journey to find his treasure at the Pyramids of Egypt. Before leaving, he runs into a mysterious king who tells him about omens and his Personal Legend. The story then follows the boy's expedition for that Personal Legend while teaching us along the way how to seek our own.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:The Alchemist by Paulo CoelhoStar Wars Episode IV: A New HopeThe Story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)Sadie and Maud by Gwendolyn BrooksGreenlights by Matthew McConaugheyTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for thei first annual Deadman's Books awards, The Deadies. In this episode we will hand out awards to our books from 2025 in categories such as, the longest, the grossest, and the worst book of the year amongst others. We will also reveal our Top 5 reads from 2025, revealing our favorite book we read from the previous year. Live from Frankfurt, Germany, it's The 2025 Deadies!Thanks for listening!Theme song for A Deadman's books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason Crockett sits down with us as we look back over our favorite moments of the year. We are thankful for one year of podcasting, and are looking back at the many memories we have made this year. We have interviewed authors, discovered new books, and asked the tough questions. Also, we want to thank you all for listening along with us. Thanks for a great first year. We are looking forward to what this next year has in store for us. Thanks for listening! Theme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today at the movies, we continue looking at A Christmas Carol through the adaptation performed by the one and only Muppets. Michael Caine stars next to Kermit the Frong, Gonzo, and Rizzo in this Christmas classic. The kids sit down and talk about their favorite parts, songs, and what message they got out of this timeless story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jacob Marley was dead...and so was his partner Scrooge's heart. After denying his nephew's invitation to Christmas dinner, refusing to give to charity, and reluctantly giving his worker's Christmas Day off, Scrooge heads back to his home where his old partner is waiting for him. Marley's ghost tells him that he will be visited by three ghosts in an effort to get Ebenezer to change his ways so that his afterlife would not be the same or worse than Jacob Marley's. After being taken to Christmases of the past, present, and future, Scrooge realizes that he can change. We're asking the tough questions: Has A Christmas Carol been adapted as many times as Shakespeare's work? Is it impossible to view A Christmas Carol without taking in its heavy social comments? Is A Christmas Carol even more relevant today than it has ever been? Is A Muppet's Christmas Carol the best adaptation? Jason Crocket joins us for a our Christmas special as we answer these questions and more.Merry Christmas!Theme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #Classic #ClassicLit #Christmas #ChristmasCarol #Muppets #Dickens #charlesdickens Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A chase begins as The Gunslinger chases the Man in Black across a desert landscape. Seemingly the old west at first, we soon find out that this chase could be taking place in some sort of variant dimension that the Man in Black is pulling people into as a way to distract the Gunslinger from his ultimate mission: killing the Man in Black. Or is that the mission? We're asking the tough questions. Could Randall Flagg be the villain in most of Stephen King's novels? How can we conversate sometimes with our biggest enemies? How should we take it when authors go back in later publications and change their stories? Jason Crockett joins us as we answer these questions and more.Thanks for listening! Resources for today's episode:The Gunslinger by Stephen KingTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #stephenking Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, Jason Crockett joins us as we sit down and talk about Appalachian literature. We have curated a starter pack for you if you love Appalachia like we do. We're talking what defines Appalachia as a region, what are true trademarks of the people of Appalachia, and the harmful stereotype that has been created. We also will discuss what makes Appalachian authors so fantastic, and why they are deep storytellers. We hope you enjoy this starter pack!Lord yes, thank you for listenin'Today's resources:The Land Breakers by John EhleCold Mountain by Charles FrazierThe Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthyDemon Copperhead by Barbara KingsolverCades Cove: The Life and Death of an Appalachian Community by Durwood Dunn#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #author #appalachia #eastTN #appalachianmountains Theme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's bonus episode, we bring in our in-house Richard Nixon expert Dr. Russ Witcher to take us on a field trip to the past and discuss one of the key, pivotal figures from our book this week: Hogs, Horns, and Nixon Coming. We're asking the tough questions: Is today's political climate comparable to the Nixon's? What can we take from Nixon's legacy apart from Watergate and Vietnam? Where does Nixon rank on the all-time POTUS list? Dr. Witcher lends his expertise to answer these and more on today's episode.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:Hogs, Horns, and Nixon Coming by Terry Frei Theme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In college football's centennial year of 1969, a game is chosen at the beginning of the year that will represent a celebration of the sports first 100 years. Move forward to December 6 and this game has become all that it was hoped to be as the number one and two teams in the nation would face off against each other in Fayetteville, Arkansas with none other than sitting President of the United States Richard Nixon choosing to attend the game. However, while the Texas Longhorns and Arkansas Razorbacks were getting ready to meet on the field, there was another game that was happening outside of it. Terry Frei walks us through in his book the political upheaval of the time that was looking to gather at the University of Arkansas to use the game as a chance to get their message out. From war protests over the war in Vietnam, to the civil rights movement continuing its fight, this game shows how whether we want them to or not, sports and politics will always meet at some point.Thanks for listening!Resources for today's episode:Hogs, Horns, and Nixon Coming by Terry FreiTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #football #collegefootball #CFB #sportsbooks #sportslit #nonfiction #texas #arkansas #longhorns #razorbacks #Nixon #politics #richardnixon #vietnam #civilrights Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A group of kids are left stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. While there, the children begin to form society. In that society come contrasting ideas which leads to two dividing factors. At what point does the straw snap? Jason Crockett joins us, and we're asking the tough questions. At what point do people feel as if they have been pushed far enough? How do you keep doing what is right when the other side is winning and it looks so good? Where does Lord of the Flies land in British canon? Is it comparable to The Hobbit? Narnia? Harry Potter? We talk about these and more in this week's episode.Thanks for listening!Today's resources:Lord of the Flies by William GoldingTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #author #LOTF #lordoftheflies #british #classic #britishlit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A sudden worldwide plague strikes ending the lives of all creatures with a Y chromosome...except for two. Yorick Brown and his pet monkey Ampersand have found themselves in a post-apocalyptic world. While being the last man on Earth may seems like a dream scenario, Yorick is about to find out that there is more trouble ahead than pleasure. Jason Crockett joins us as we ask the tough questions. Can graphic novels be literary? If you had the chance to create a literary graphic novel, what would the necessary elements be? We answer these and more in today's episode.Thanks for listening!Theme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #author #graphicnovel #comicbook #dc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New York Times bestselling author Kevin Wilson sits down with us to talk about a variety of topics including his latest novel, Run for the Hills. In this episode, Kevin talks to us about the value and longevity of books, how his ideas and characters find their way to his writing, and his writing process & how the writing process could look completely different not just for each person, but also for the stage of life they are in.Thanks for listening! Resources for today's episode:Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson Run for the Hills by Kevin WilsonTheme song for A Deadman's Books: Surfing! by automaticbananas#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #author #NYT #newyorktimes #NYTbestseller #KevinWilson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the Cutter family is mysteriously murdered, a small town is shaken. The police work patiently to hunt down their murderers before eventually bringing them to justice. Truman Capote's famous true-crime novel looks back at his jailhouse interviews that he conducted to put together one of the most popular narrative-nonfiction novels of all-time, and giving birth to one of the most popular genres of today.#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #truecrime #murder #capote #trumancapote #infamous Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you are not a big reader of horror, our horror expert Jason Crockett will walk you through a curated starter pack fo those interested in starting the genre. From short stories to novels and podcasts, Jason gives us the right tricks and treats this Halloween to begin your horror journey.#booktube #booktok #bookstagram #ReadersofYouTube #Bookish #CurrentlyReading #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookReview #BookLovers #Lit #Literature #horror #creepy #spooky #halloween #horrorstory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.