We Put Our Favorite Books in a Bracket and Chose ONE WINNER

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]All right. My goal is to make this as hard on you as possible. My goal is to torture you for the last story standing.

[00:00:06]There can be only one. I'm really glad to hear you say that cuz I have the exact same goal.

[00:00:18]Welcome back to Talking Story. Hey, my name is John Mitten. That right there is my literary wingman, the one son, Little Jakey, two shelves, the best producer on book tube. my little ch of happiness that I'm ready to torture.

[00:00:31]>> You just want to get You're that excited to make me upset. You just want to get right into it.

[00:00:35]>> Look, here's the thing. Month in month out, you see me sometimes grind my gears to pick a book of the month, agonize, angst over it.

[00:00:44]>> Yeah.

[00:00:44]>> So now this is >> I usually only read one big book a month, so it's not that difficult for me. But explain what we're doing here.

[00:00:51]>> You always go like, "Well, I guess my book of the month is the one thing you've read." So look, this is what we're doing. Yeah, we're playing a little round of last story standing this or that. So, I'm going to go I have got a list of 10 things that I know you love. I know you love.

[00:01:12]>> Yeah. This is what worries me cuz I I I have a lot of strong feelings about my favorite books. It's hard to >> You do. And you're going to have to make some some hard hard choices here. And whatever the last ones left, the last story standing, I have a prediction.

[00:01:28]I've already written it down in permanent ink. And if I am right, if my pick is the same as your pick for the last story standing, you're going to take me book shopping and get me a book.

[00:01:39]Well, I'm going to do the same cuz I've written down the book that I think is going to be yours last standing. So, what happens if we're both right?

[00:01:45]>> Well, then we we both buy each other.

[00:01:48]It's just a little gift. We go we go to the bookstore together and each try to pick out a more expensive book.

[00:01:56]>> I love it. Okay, let's go. I'm ready.

[00:01:58]>> All right. All right. Are you So, we understand the rules. We're ready to go.

[00:02:02]Ready to go. Oh, we should say as always, if you would like to pre-order a hardcover copy of Discovery, pre-orders are going until May 8th. Check out our website right down there uh for t-shirts and and pre-orders and signed trade paperbacks. everything you want. It's right down there going on a little bit longer. So, go check that out while it's still available. Okay. Are you ready for your first two this or that that you have to make a choice?

[00:02:27]>> I'm really scared, but yeah, I'm ready.

[00:02:30]Sea of Tranquility.

[00:02:32]>> Okay.

[00:02:33]By Emily St. John Mandel, >> right?

[00:02:37]>> Or Pyreessi by Susanna Clark.

[00:02:43]>> Yes. Take it. take it.

[00:02:47]>> Oh no.

[00:02:50]>> Oh, this or that. You got to pick.

[00:02:53]>> Um, okay. I I already know what I'm going to pick.

[00:02:57]>> Um.

[00:02:58]>> Wa. That's amazing. That's way too fast.

[00:03:00]>> I do because I was actually thinking about this book that I'm about to say it is earlier. And I think it might be it might go all the way to the end unless there's books I'm forgetting. We'll see.

[00:03:12]But okay, >> here's the Okay, so let's let's look at the two, right? Sea of Tranquility is a wonderful book that like mom pitched to us and said, "You both have to read this sci-fi uh in a way that like you'll read 40 pages and go, "This is just historical fiction. This isn't sci-fi."

[00:03:31]And then flip one page and go, "Oh my god, this is sci-fi and it's awesome."

[00:03:35]and then >> go through this whole story spanning uh uh like centuries I believe and arrive at this conclusion about like maybe what the meaning of life is or or how to find happiness and peace within the scale of time and it's it's what that book accomplishes within like 200 and something pages is absolutely incredible but I'm going to I'm going to pick Pyrei by Susanna Clark.

[00:04:03]Okay. All right. I have to say I have to say I'm on target because this was my predictive winner of these two.

[00:04:09]>> Really? Okay. Okay. Yeah. But what I was going to say is I was thinking like days ago and I've been wondering a long time like I want to get another tattoo but I just don't know what to get and I've had this thought for years and I've finally settled on I think I'm going to get like the statue on the front cover of Pyrei on my arm. Oh, we just like we got a video for my Bondsmith tattoo. We're going to We are absolutely going to get a video of you doing that.

[00:04:34]>> I I haven't fully committed yet, but that's it's the it's the most I felt about like I would totally get a tattoo of that in a long time.

[00:04:41]>> Okay. And we're going to get it right on your left butt cheek. Please no. I don't want that on on video.

[00:04:46]>> Oh, imagine the clicks. Imagine the clicks coming our way. Okay. All right.

[00:04:50]So, then that moves on to the next bracket.

[00:04:53]>> So far, we have Pyrei. So, this or that we have Pyreneesi by Susanna Clark.

[00:04:59]>> Yeah.

[00:05:01]or Frankenstein by Mary Shel.

[00:05:07]What's it gonna be? I really thought Pureessie was going to make it all the way to the end. I don't know. How much time do I have? I could sit here for hours.

[00:05:16]>> You see what it's like?

[00:05:18]>> Welcome to my world, Bucko.

[00:05:21]>> Suck. Your world sucks.

[00:05:24]Welcome to the suck.

[00:05:27]Yeah. Okay. I'm I'm just going to talk out loud and try and rationalize what I'm going to pick here.

[00:05:31]>> All right.

[00:05:32]>> Frankenstein is very special to me. Not only because it's it's an incredible book. Like I I'm not even going to try and talk about how great Frankenstein is cuz anybody do it better than me cuz I'm on the spot right now. Like if you haven't read Frankenstein, go read Frankenstein. What are you doing? And there's many videos of people talking about the genius that is Frankenstein.

[00:05:50]So I'm I'm not going to worry about that. But Frankenstein is special to me because it is the only book I read in school that I got to the end of and was like loved it. Like I I feel like this is the only time I've been given a book that said you have to read this. And I was like I think I love reading cuz I love this book. This is great. And that that was very special to me.

[00:06:14]>> I knew it would capture that moment for you when I said it.

[00:06:17]>> Yeah. Yeah. God. But Pyreneesi is I think about the ending of Pyrei and and the meaning behind it and how it's changed me as an individual and just how I view my place in the world. I think about that >> every four days or so. Like I that book is so >> I think I have to go pure AND ESSIE.

[00:06:42]>> OH, OKAY. You're going to final answer.

[00:06:45]I think I have to go pure and essay with the understanding that this is a list of my favorites and not objectively what I think is the better book because I think objectively Frankenstein is just a flawless master.

[00:06:58]>> No, this is this is last story standing your favorite >> then. Yeah. Yeah. I think I got to go with Pureessie.

[00:07:04]>> Okay. Are you ready? Are you ready to move on? That's your final. Okay, >> I'm ready. I'm ready. Pyreessi by Susanna Clark.

[00:07:10]>> This Yeah. or the that would be Curse of the Mistraith by Janney Wartz. I knew this was coming and I'm still not ready for it.

[00:07:22]>> What are the rest of the books? These are the only ones I can think that >> Wait, you just wait for it, buddy. Man, Curse of the Mist is so special cuz like my experience reading Curse of the Mystery was we had like semi been friendly with Janney up to that point and >> sure >> Janney had given us like some of the best advice about writing and how to really dive into your your style and >> like the phone call that we had. Let's be completely >> Let's be completely honest.

[00:07:59]>> Discovery is relatively good because of Janney. It that >> not the same without Jany work just hands down.

[00:08:06]>> She she had a phone call with us that was like the most I have learned about how to craft a story within the span of 40 minutes and it it didn't even compare to anything that I learned in any college course or anything like that. Um but then to to read her pros and her story >> and see her genius actually put to paper. It was just like the world opened up, you know, and and I'm reading Shits of Mar now and and >> I I'm just stalling. I don't know. This is stupid.

[00:08:40]>> It's a this or that. It's a this or that.

[00:08:43]>> This video is stupid.

[00:08:48]>> I'm going to go curse of the mystery.

[00:08:49]Then I'll TELL YOU WHY.

[00:08:50]>> OH, I DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING. That's an upset for me. Okay. All right.

[00:08:56]>> Actually, do I want to lock that in >> you could you haven't said final answer?

[00:09:04]You can you can you can hedge >> years from now. I'm going to look back on that book and really think like that that was a formative book for me and my love for fantasy and going back to Atherra someday and rereading curse the is going to feel like sitting in your childhood home I think.

[00:09:23]>> Okay, final answer. Final answer. I'm sticking with it. I I'll try not to take as long on the next ones.

[00:09:29]>> Let's go. This >> formulative fantasy experience that you think you're going to look back on. So, this Curse of the Mistraith by Janney Wartz or let's go classic fantasy Fellowship of the Rings by J.R.R.

[00:09:44]Tolken.

[00:09:48]>> You suck. You suck. You suck. You suck.

[00:09:52]I know what my answer is, but I think people are going to be mad at me.

[00:09:57]>> It's got It's Curse OF THE MYSTERY.

[00:10:00]>> OH, OKAY. OKAY. NOW, AGAIN, you're not you're saying your favorite.

[00:10:05]>> I'm not saying Curse of the Misraith is objectively a better book than Fellowship of the Ring because of course, Curse of the Misraith doesn't exist without Fellowship of the Ring.

[00:10:13]Like, I we all know that. Let's get past it.

[00:10:15]>> We all know that. We all know that. But this last story standing. Last story standing. Your favorite. my favorite. I ship of the ring was extremely captivating and I think maybe had I read it earlier when I was a kid, it would have won here. But curse of the means a lot to me.

[00:10:31]>> Okay. Okay. All right. Let's let's go with this then. Curse of the Mistraith by Janney Wartz. This or or go off the beaten path a little bit. Something that changed a different type of storytelling medium. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon. Ooh. Ooh. Oh, you're asking like do I do I want to pick what I think might be the greatest fantasy that I'll ever read in my lifetime or the thing that like I probably steal from every day.

[00:11:01]>> Yes, I know.

[00:11:05]>> This is mean.

[00:11:07]>> I mean spirited.

[00:11:09]>> You're going to get you're going to get to turn it around in just a second.

[00:11:12]>> I know. I'm excited to do that. H No, I think I have to go cursing the mystery still. Watchman is is >> undoubtedly one of the greatest works of fiction I think and will be remembered for a long long time. But >> personal personal best is just incredible.

[00:11:28]>> Okay. Okay. Let's go with Let's go with this Curse of the Mistra by Janie Wartz or Golden Sun by Pierce Brown. Something new, something flashy, something sci-fi.

[00:11:40]I love Golden Sun. You know this.

[00:11:42]>> I know you do. I know you do. But I I think this one might be an easier easier. didn't even hold a candle to curse to the mystery for me.

[00:11:48]>> I was pretty I was pretty sure. I was pretty sure. Okay, now here's one.

[00:11:53]Here's one.

[00:11:55]>> I don't like that face. Are you going to stick with this?

[00:11:58]>> Uhhuh. Curse of the Mystery by Janney Words. Or or stories that you loved from the time you were loving stories. Stories that led you to your own work at the Mountains of Madness.

[00:12:14]Oh, by HP Lovecraft.

[00:12:17]>> Do Do I stick with the fantasy that I love or do I pick the thing that I steal inspiration from maybe every hour of every day?

[00:12:28]>> Yeah, exactly. Also like At the Mountains of Madness is such a part of so many different things that like it at the mountains of madness is within the DNA of the thing. Like literally any like science gone wrong thing probably has some mountains of madness in there.

[00:12:48]I I go dude.

[00:12:51]>> And like I can't say that that's spoil >> that's spoilery. Watch out.

[00:12:56]>> I know that. We We'll count that as a tease.

[00:13:02]>> This sucks. This sucks. Do you Okay.

[00:13:05]When you pick your book of the month, do you feel like afterward like I'm I'm the most unhappy I've ever been?

[00:13:11]>> Yes.

[00:13:12]>> Okay.

[00:13:12]>> Yes. I just often times I have to go take a shower. I feel that out of sorts.

[00:13:19]Cuz to me, I'm still I think I'm going to pick curse of the mistraith for this one, but every single one I'm still looking back and being like, should I have picked pyreessi?

[00:13:29]>> It could be pure or or what? Or fellowship of the ring. I mean, think of fellowship. Fellowship of the ring. You know what I mean? Like >> I'm well aware of tranquility. You've let a lot go. Are you sticking with this? You're sticking with this curse of the mistraith. All right. All right.

[00:13:45]You're sticking with this curse of the mistraith. Here we go. These are I got two left. I got two left. Okay. This Curse of the Mistraith by Janney Wartz, the beginning of Wars of Light and Shadow. Or will you switch over to that one of our father-son buddy reads that explored life entirely from the out from the outside? Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice.

[00:14:10]>> Okay. Is there one book left after this?

[00:14:12]>> Yes.

[00:14:13]>> Okay, then I know what it is. Dude, this sucks.

[00:14:20]This sucks cuz I know the three books that are on the table right now and I I can't pick one of them. Interview with the Vampire is truly like a masterpiece worker. Like I I just I just I I think I'm going to pick Curse of the Mistwraith, but I I I have to do Interview with the Vampire justice and say I think Interview with a Vampire is like one of the like story in general is an incredible thing because it is it is one of the most pure forms of art where you can influence emotions but also express emotions. And Interview with the Vampire is one of the most impressive versions of expressing grief and and turning it into productivity and but also like just putting glimmers of life in there that can only be understood by somebody that has gone through so much pain. It's it's a masterpiece and I'm I'm not happy that I'm not picking it.

[00:15:13]>> You're going to stick with this Curse of the Mistra by January.

[00:15:16]>> I'm going to stick with this. I'm going to stick with this. But go ahead, say the last one. so I can cry. Here we go.

[00:15:22]So, I think you could say it. Are you going to stick with this Curse of the Mistraith or are you going to switch to that?

[00:15:30]>> You know what it is. You know what I'm going to throw at you at the end.

[00:15:33]>> It's Boys Life.

[00:15:34]>> Boy's Life by Robert McCamon. I'm going to go Boy's Life.

[00:15:40]>> You didn't even think, dude. No, but anybody that has watched the discussion that you and I did on Boy's life knows exactly why. Like I I talked about Curse of the Mis being one of those books that I'll probably come back and read years and years down the road and it'll be like sitting in my childhood home. It'll just be comfort food.

[00:16:01]Boy's Life is, no spoilers, is such a heightened version of that. Uh yeah, that book captured magic. That book is magic.

[00:16:13]>> That book is magic. So, I have to do this. I have to do this. Are you ready?

[00:16:17]>> Did you get it right? Did you get it right?

[00:16:20]>> Oh, no way. I thought you were going to guess and I prompted you.

[00:16:25]>> No. No. You're taking me book shopping.

[00:16:28]>> All right. I owe you a book. But I think I I think I might have you.

[00:16:33]>> Okay. Well, this will be awesome if we take each other book.

[00:16:36]>> Now I'm second guessing myself.

[00:16:39]>> Well, we haven't started. You can change. You can change. You can hedge.

[00:16:42]>> Yes. I'm going to I'm going to change.

[00:16:44]I'm going to change. And I'm going to write it on a second sheet of paper so that you can see that I'm not cheating.

[00:16:49]>> But for you have to tell me how'd I do how did I do with my list.

[00:16:54]That was really like I I'm so unhappy with how that went >> because I feel like I should have each of those books deserves me to sit and really think about that answer for like 20 minutes a piece at least. you know.

[00:17:10]>> Oh, absolutely. And for all of you at home, if you've not read any of those, oh my gosh, highest of recommendations.

[00:17:16]>> Oh my god. Great, great, great books.

[00:17:18]Now, here's the thing. You've read a lot more books than me. Books for me that are like Pureessie is just an untouchable masterpiece. Boy's Life untouchable masterpiece. You've got more of those than I do because you've you've read more.

[00:17:31]>> I do. I do. Yeah.

[00:17:32]>> So, with that being said, are you ready?

[00:17:34]>> Uh, I I am ready. I'm I'm ready to to face the gauntlet and let one story stand at the end.

[00:17:41]>> Now, I'm starting actually what I think is a little bit light, but I think is an interesting mashup in themes. We're starting with Blackwater by Michael McDow.

[00:17:54]>> Okay.

[00:17:54]>> Versus Interview with the Vampire BY ANNE RICE.

[00:17:57]>> OH, THAT'S NOT EVEN RIGHT. That's not even right. Those are two. Look at this.

[00:18:03]Those are those are in the Ah, come on now. Okay, look, here's the thing.

[00:18:08]Those are both because let's face it, a large part of Interview with the Vampire happens in New Orleans and that but I would I would consider both amazing examples to a large extent of Southern Gothic.

[00:18:20]Perfect examples of >> setting is a big piece of the character of that story. atmosphere, settings, where they lived, how they grew up, how who what that makes them, the culture of their family, all of that is just permeated through both of those.

[00:18:36]>> Yeah.

[00:18:36]>> Um, >> however, you did say recently, Blackwater might be one of the greatest southern gothics you've ever read.

[00:18:43]>> I did say that and I think it is one of the greatest southern gothics. It is not greater than Interview with the Vampire.

[00:18:50]>> I thought that might be your answer. I thought let's A, as you alluded to, Interview with the Vampire is one of those rare, such a rare moment where it's lightning in a bottle where uh an artist literally opens themselves up in the bravest of ways and lives and put their life's blood of loss onto the page so we can all experience what this gift we all have that we call a life is. uh how it's intermingled with tragedy, how you cannot have triumph without loss and what does that mean and how do we find faith in the face of that and uh just these huge big questions addressed in the most gut-wrenching and honest of ways with the most beautiful lush language >> uh to carry you through it. It's it's it's a masterpiece. It's remarkable. I have to take I mean this I read this in high school. This is this is like you're talking about that moment for me >> will will forever be etched. I have to go with Annne Rice Interview with the vampire >> and I was talking about um transcending genre earlier like interview with the vampire is to say it's more than a vampire story is not only like >> an understatement it's just kind of disrespectful. Like I interview with the vampire is >> just an amazing story. It It's a feat.

[00:20:14]>> If saying it's more than a vampire story is scratching the surface, but it's also the vampire story. Both.

[00:20:20]>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. So, I Anyway, final answer. I'm locking it in.

[00:20:24]Interview with the Vampire and Rice.

[00:20:26]What's next?

[00:20:26]>> Okay. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice versus >> Oh, something Wicked This Way Comes BY RAY BRADBERRY.

[00:20:34]>> OH, OKAY.

[00:20:36]I mean, language you can't, you know, Ray Bradberry.

[00:20:39]>> It's Ray Bradberry. He He's not going to get shown up even by Anne Rice. Like it's it is he's that level of of >> Yeah.

[00:20:47]>> craftsman. Uh and it's got the themes that I love. It's got those themes. I love the father-son themes. It's got those I mean I read that around the same time and it stuck with me for so long.

[00:20:59]And it and and it also looks at that closing window of a life and what does that mean for you and how can you transcend that to leave something even after you've left and oh I okay you haven't read something wicked yet.

[00:21:15]>> I have not but I think at one point you and I plan to buddy readad it eventually.

[00:21:19]>> We have to we have to it's on our fatherson read for the year.

[00:21:22]>> Oh that's what I'm thinking of then.

[00:21:24]Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:21:24]>> Yeah. Yeah. I think it's coming up.

[00:21:26]Uh-huh.

[00:21:28]Oh, wow. Wow. Wow.

[00:21:30]>> It feels so good not to have to pick something.

[00:21:34]>> Okay. I'm going to I'm going to be I'm going to be the magpie and just go with something new and shiny. I'm going to switch over to something wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury because >> look I there's no secret that fatherson thing. That's the thing.

[00:21:51]That's that's the again, this is just my favorite last story standing. And when you get into that theme of of dads and the time they have to teach their son what it means before, you know, like that's that's I Yeah. Yeah.

[00:22:07]I'm debating if I want to be really mean or if I want to save it for another matchup. I think I'm just going to be mean. Let's go with it. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury.

[00:22:17]>> I know what you're going to say. I know what you're I know what you're going to do. Do you want to say it?

[00:22:22]>> No. Go ahead.

[00:22:23]>> Boy's Life by Robert McC.

[00:22:25]>> That's just wrong. You know that's You know how wrong that is. You know how wrong that is. Here's the thing. Here's the thing. This is what I love about story. Yeah.

[00:22:34]>> And you kind of brought it up a little bit when you said, "Oh, that moment in high school where I had to read something and for the first time, I love that. I think I'm a reader. I think I'm someone that can be swept away and someone that can see the magic in this and someone that can see what story means and it transcends and how it's defined who I am and where I fit and all those kind of things. So for that reason >> for that reason even though McCammon was doing his best to channel Ray Bradberry's greatness into Boy's life that I'm sure that's where he that's that's his springboard.

[00:23:11]That's where he's jumping off from.

[00:23:13]>> Sure.

[00:23:13]>> But for the sheer reason that you and I shared that read together and for me that will be forever etched in time as a part of a moment in my life that is just crystal and an amber and and is just so important and I will immediately remember how we talked about it and how we looked at each other when we talked about it and what it means for us when we read it and what it will mean for us going in into the future. Right. Yeah.

[00:23:41]>> So for that experience, for that attachment I have with you to that story, I have to go with Boys Life by Robert Mccam. Not and then also just say it's it's just one of the most amazing examples of magical realism. Just >> Oh yeah. It's >> beautiful. Just beautiful.

[00:23:58]>> Yeah.

[00:23:58]>> Yeah. I I Okay.

[00:24:00]>> Completely understand that answer. I And I feel the same way. I I will remember us reading that book together forever.

[00:24:07]>> Yeah.

[00:24:07]>> That was fantastic. I think come around October when you and I read Something Wicked that it could be a different story. It could be.

[00:24:14]>> Maybe. Maybe it'll be a new favorite of mine. I don't know.

[00:24:17]>> But for right now, I'm going Boy's Life, Robert McC.

[00:24:20]>> And for right now, I'm going to pick Boy's Life by Robert McCammon versus An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham. Oh, wow. That Okay, so here's the thing. I love fantasy. I love fantasy. I love speculative fiction so much because for me I see the world in it more sometimes than the real world because I think there's magic in the real world that's hidden in the real world that's hidden so often. Um and Autumn War book three of the long Price Quartet is such an amazing example of what speculative fiction can do. It takes you on this ride. It takes you somewhere else. It levels you in the revelations that have been building up in into the two previous books and earlier in book three. It is the best.

[00:25:11]It is for me at this point the best example of the cost of magic I've ever read. But I have to go with Boy's Life by Robert Mccam. It I love it. I love it. It's it when I do my all-time favorite series list, it will be way up there. But Boy's Life is rarified air. I have to say >> Boy's Life is pretty untouchable. But my goal is to now make you pick something else.

[00:25:37]>> Oh, that Okay, that tells me you wrote something else down.

[00:25:40]>> I I did. Yeah. And I bet you can you can probably guess what I wrote down, but we're we're going to go Boy's Life by Robert McCammon.

[00:25:49]>> Yeah.

[00:25:49]>> Or A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin.

[00:25:53]>> OH, OKAY. SO, THAT'S probably the best single epic fantasy book I've ever read.

[00:26:00]Yes.

[00:26:02]It's pure magic. The payoffs, the revelations, the characters that you're that you would walk into traffic for by this point.

[00:26:09]>> You sat in silence for two seconds and I knew he's not going to pass up the chance to talk about how great Storm of Swords is.

[00:26:15]>> I I mean, let's I mean, you're talking about my favorite series of all time. Like, it is number one fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire.

[00:26:26]>> It is number one. It is number one. And I think that might is the best book in the series. Like it's just Oh, it's it's page after page of just gobsmack.

[00:26:38]>> Uh, now you're just stalling.

[00:26:41]>> I know. But here's the thing. Here's the thing. As much as I love that journey, as much as I love that ride, for me, story and art operates at its best when I am driven to feel something, am driven to learn something about my own emotional core in myself. And as good as it is, I don't I can't think of a fantasy. I mean, Otto's up there.

[00:27:10]it would autom as good as it as it is in that I it for me it does not have the emotional gut punch that Boy's life by Robert McCammon does for me >> I will stick with Boy's life by Robert Mccam >> I figured you would but I we're we're building to something here now I'm going to give you an easy one >> okay I'll take an easy one >> but I think >> I know what I know what you're building to it's one of two there's two left on the board here I don't know what I'm There's four left on the >> I don't know what I'm I know, but there's two I have in my mind that I don't know.

[00:27:45]>> Oh, we're working on those are special.

[00:27:48]I'm holding those.

[00:27:48]>> I might have to stand up and walk off camera.

[00:27:53]>> Okay. Well, let's let's take a quick break here. We have Boy's Life by Robert McCammon >> or >> Project Hail Mary BY ANDY WEIR. OH, THAT'S see uh I think I think oh so important right now. Like I said, this this this >> this story this story that gives you such glimmer of hopes and and touches on these things that I think are so important that we need right now of of of how do we overcome our existential problems? We overcome them together with intellectual curiosity coming together to address them no matter what the cost. Um, I this is so important for us right now. So topical right now, but I'm sticking with Boy's Life by Robert McCammon. As much as I love Project Hail Mary, if it will be on my favorite sci-fi of all time, no doubt that book will be there. That story will be there.

[00:28:45]>> I'm telling you, there's two I have in my mind that would make me that would be that would put Boy's life in danger.

[00:28:53]>> We're building. We're building. I think there is a book that you're forgetting about, which we're going to get to right now. Okay, we'll see.

[00:29:01]>> Now, we are going to travel back to the the days of young John in his early enjoyment of books where it all started.

[00:29:08]>> Oh, no. Don't don't.

[00:29:10]>> Boy's Life by Robert McCammon.

[00:29:12]>> I wasn't thinking of that one. Don't.

[00:29:15]>> Or The Hobbit by J.R.

[00:29:19]>> I wasn't thinking of that one.

[00:29:20]>> Literally the beginning of your enjoyment of fantasy. Like honestly like the the I >> you you passed to me your your illustrated edition of The Hobbit that had >> Yes.

[00:29:31]>> the old school illustration there. It's gorgeous. Yeah.

[00:29:34]>> And I have another one right up there.

[00:29:36]Here's the thing.

[00:29:37]>> Like I remember what chair I was in in my grandparents TV room when I watched that cartoon, that Ralph Bashi cartoon of The Hobbit. And then the next time my teacher took our class to the library, I got the book and and I was for that was it. I from that moment to now I have had you could ask me at any day of the week, any moment in time, hey, what book are you reading? And I would have an answer.

[00:30:06]>> Yeah.

[00:30:07]>> From that moment to this. Uh that's a and that I back in that spot. I'm back in that place immediately when you say the hobbit. I know. One might say you would not live to enjoy boy's life had you not read The Hobbit.

[00:30:20]>> I I things could be so different.

[00:30:23]>> Yeah.

[00:30:23]>> So different. But but it but but but no way. Are you really?

[00:30:30]>> But it put me on that path. And as I've grown and things have more layers and nuance and I I I've sunk myself deeper into story, what I find in boy's life comes out on top. Especially when I think about the moment it had it gave me with my own son. I will stay with Boys Life by Robert McC. But that's a tough call.

[00:30:52]>> Now there's two others I'm thinking of that that are even worse.

[00:30:55]>> It's time to pull out the big guns.

[00:30:58]>> No, I don't want it. I don't want it.

[00:31:01]>> Put your headphones on.

[00:31:02]>> Put your headphones on. I can't I I don't know. I can't hear you. You're going to make me hold it up. WHERE IS IT?

[00:31:08]>> NO. NO. All right. I'm I'm >> Boys Life by Robert McCammon or Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.

[00:31:15]>> That's And there's >> I do believe we we made a video once where you listed your favorite books of all time and this was number one.

[00:31:24]>> It was number one and and that was a while ago. Here's the thing with that masterpiece of a book for for me. I'm just speaking for me.

[00:31:32]>> Sure.

[00:31:32]>> All these things you're talking about that we're saying, "Oh, this makes that book special. This makes that book special." It's an examination of language and how language works >> in in in us communicating and and telling story and how important story is. It's speculative fiction. It takes you on these flights of fancy. It takes you into the far-flung future. It takes you it takes you everywhere. It it examines the gift of a life and why it's important and and how it can be used and how if you line up enough of them and you have some type of continuum, you have even more than one life and it and you're still a part of it all. And it's there's something even all of these things that I love about all these books and the moment the moment of of of interpersonal connection with me. I remember when when when your mom, Amy, my wife, made me read that book and and and the discussions we had about it and how how it angered me and then how I got it and then how it how it it it changed me and how it it blew my hair back in such a profound way. It has all those things in one book.

[00:32:46]All those things exist in one book. I have to change to Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.

[00:32:53]>> Yes.

[00:32:54]Oh. Oh, that makes me so so happy. Not because you're leaving boy's life behind, but because now we get to have the matchup of the century.

[00:33:05]>> I know what's coming. I know what's coming.

[00:33:10]>> Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell or or >> Lonesome Dove by Larry Lonesome Dove by Larry McMerry. You suck.

[00:33:20]>> I was so hoping this would happen.

[00:33:25]Now, I will say this. You made that video where CLI was your number one book of all time. But that was before you read Lonesome Dove yet. Talk a little bit about why Lonesome Dove is special to you real quick, just in case anyone's missed it.

[00:33:36]>> Here here's here's the thing. I I look, I'm an older guy. I come from a time where uh it wasn't easy. It it it it wasn't easy to have relationships with your with your parents, with your folks. Uh there there was it it was different. It was different.

[00:33:57]They came from a different generation.

[00:33:59]It was hard and and it was easy to keep a family. It it was hard. It was hard to keep a family together. It was easy for that crack to form and that and and those cracks formed in in my family. And I and and I I I thought I'd never be able to go back and understand some of who my father was, what he stood for, what he believed. I mean, to his core, what he believed. This was a this was a oh gosh, this was a this was a broken down cowboy that would quote Shakespeare to you.

[00:34:33]Loved story, loved words, loved what they meant, loved what they would move him to do and feel and say.

[00:34:42]And I had squandered my opportunity to get to know him on a level and I thought I'd never get that back.

[00:34:48]And that time that time with that book, that time with uh Gus and call gave me that window back. It was a time machine. It gave me that window back. This was a story he desperately wanted to share with me. But here's the thing.

[00:35:04]Oh, whoa. Really? If I if I have to pick one, when we started this channel, and you know what I love to read, you know what kind of channel we I wanted to build? A fantastical fiction channel. To me, I love the magic. I love speculative fiction. I love going somewhere.

[00:35:23]Cloud Atlas has that. Lonesome Dove doesn't.

[00:35:28]They both examine everything that I love about life and the beauty of it and the magic of it. But I do think if I were to have to pick one over the it would be such a tight, unbelievably tight race.

[00:35:41]But I think Cloud Atlas would come out on top. I am blown away. I think Cloud Atlas would come out on top. I think I would have to >> Do you know how angry I am that this happened? This This was my guess.

[00:35:55]Lonesome time.

[00:35:55]>> Which one? First guess or second guess?

[00:35:58]>> This was my guess before I CHANGED IT.

[00:36:04]YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE. YOU SHOULD HAVE STUCK WITH IT. I look >> I I'm talking about the slimmest of margins. You You did right to >> You did right to switch back and forth because like you say, I'm going to go I I'm going to feel horrible and dirty about myself and go take a shower and then probably change my mind.

[00:36:23]>> So, I mean that that's that's that's where that would like ask me about any one of those books tomorrow, the day after. you'll get a different answer every single time. And I'm sure if I ask you, what's your favorite book, Cloud Atlas or Lonesome Dove, on a Tuesday or a Thursday or Wednesday, like it's probably going to be, >> I don't know, feel lonesome Dove today.

[00:36:43]I don't know, you know, it's hard.

[00:36:45]>> It it is hard. And not and and oh my goodness, Lonesome Dove takes you somewhere. It it takes you back to a time that is not there anymore. And people that people it in in such an amazing real fashion. So when I say speculative, it it does it it absolutely does that. genre. Western western is genre and and it is so really that's an impossible choice. That's really an impossible choice to make between those two.

[00:37:11]>> Yeah.

[00:37:11]>> I mean that's I if I were to make a a a a top 10 book of all time. I mean I would probably have to I'd probably have to to call it a tie on on on those on those two. But I know what the rules are. So I know you have I have to >> Well, today you didn't pick a tie and now I I owe you a book.

[00:37:32]>> You owe me a book. So I don't But here's the thing. I don't feel good about it.

[00:37:38]>> I don't either. This is the first time I think we've recorded a video where we've gotten to the end and I feel horrible.

[00:37:44]>> Yeah. I I feel like I actually went through the ringer on that and I think I made the wrong call. I I I honestly think I made the wrong call.

[00:37:54]Well, this sucked. Let's never do it again.

[00:37:56]>> No, let's never do this again.

[00:38:00]>> What is your favorite book of all time?

[00:38:01]Do you Would you have made different choices than we did? Let us know what you thought. Uh my dad here is going to reply to every single comment that's down there just because that's what he likes to do. Because I love to talk to people that love books like these people right here. These are our amazing correspondents, directors and producers, our fine fine patrons at Patreon who make all of this possible. They keep the lights on. They they run our book club for us. They just do all the heavy lifting. We just kind of show up and and make bad decisions. I mean, let's let's be honest. Evidenced by this video today. And if you haven't hit that subscription button and join this group that loves to talk about things like that, what a group. It it it's it's an amazing group. And when you join it, it's so amazing. You're going to feel a tingle right down to your toes. I feel great about that. I don't feel great about anything right now. I think you would agree that's indisputable. No. Why would I do that? Because you would do it to make me feel better cuz I need it right now.

[00:38:54]>> Hey, given all the torture that you just put me through, I'm willing to dispute anything in this moment. I'm going to let you have it totally fair. You're so out of energy that you can't fight back.

[00:39:06]I feel wrecked, man. I don't feel good.

[00:39:09]If you're still here, you're book people. And in our book, that makes you the best people. Thanks so much for joining us here on Talking Story.