Table of (Mal)Contents

It finally happened: I (Aaron) finished the book I've been struggling to read for months, and Barnabas and I decided to talk through it while Dave was on vacation. (Because that's what friends do.) Listen in to a surprisingly earnest discussion about family dynamics, what Dave's doing on vacation, and our desperate need for coffee: Why all of Pat Conroy's books are an emotional rollercoaster The risks of writing honest memoirs (even if that memoir is told as a work of fiction) Why it's a huge mistake to order iced coffee (or coffee in general) from Chick-Fil-A The difference between experiencing spoilers in books and movies What Stephen Ambrose captured about the character of young men in the 1940s that seems to be missing in our generation Which podcast blend from Lagares Coffee Roasters is the best one (hint: it's ours) How this podcast is saving a listener from living in squalor Barnabas's thoughts-and-prayers request As always, thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today. A few of the books discussed on this episode Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose The Lords of Discipline, The Great Santini, Beach Music, South of Broad, The Death of Santini, and A Lowcountry Heart by Pat Conroy The Pat Conroy Cookbook Poland by James Michener Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM @malContentsPod on Twitter.

Things get super-nerdy—and even more middle-aged—on this episode of the show as Andrew Osenga joins us for a great conversation about science fiction, westerns, and being cat or dog people. Listen in as we discuss: Why Star Trek: The Next Generation looked like a Holiday Inn circa 1994 How we really feel about John Steinbeck Why westerns are great to read, and what makes a great western If mindless violence really has a place in books The parallels between westerns and sci-fi The sci-fi storytelling trope Andrew hates The book Amy Grant told Andrew he had to read Andrew Osenga is a musician, songwriter, producer, and host of The Pivot, where he sits down with artists, authors, and non-profit leaders to talk about moving from one career or passion to another. Thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today. A few of the books we mention on this episode Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Three-Ten to Yuma and Other Stories by Elmore Leonard The Trail Driver by Zane Grey Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt The Son by Philipp Meyer Deadwood by Pete Dexter The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson True Grit by Charles Portis A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM @malContentsPod on Twitter.

As you can imagine, we're all getting older and (theoretically) maturing. Well, one of us is, at any rate. In honor of my (Aaron's) 40th birthday (on August 21st), and the tendency for guys to start chucking their lives in an attempt to recapture their youth as soon as they officially become middle-aged, we decided to talk through the idea of midlife crises related to reading. Listen in as we discuss: How our reading habits have changed as midlife approaches Sparkly vs dark-and-brooding vampires Neil Gaiman and Nick Hornby as the literary equivalents of midlife crises If there was ever such a thing as "the good old days" Why an ordinary life is a good thing All this plus gift-giving in the studio! A few of the books mentioned on this episode Boring by Michael Kelley Ordinary by Tony Merida The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara The Rising Tide by Jeff Shaara Nick Hornby's works South of Broad and The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy Destiny and Power by Jon Meacham Bonus Content: "Bonhoeffer Convinced Me to Abandon My Dream" by Chase Repogle Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM @malContentsPod on Twitter.

We're back in the sauna/podcast studio for another round of Q&A thanks to our friend Andy Whisenant and the fine folks at Goodreads. Listen in as we dig into the following questions: Who are our favorite sidekicks—and do Ron and Hermoine qualify? If we were starting book clubs, what is the first book we would introduce to our audiences? What do our favorite books have in common? Which books do we have on our shelves that we really feel like we should have read, but haven’t? How would we describe the books we’re reading in three words? Thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today. A few of the books we mention on this episode: The High Divide by Lin Enger Undiscovered Country by Lin Enger Us Against You by Fredrik Backman The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens The Civil War by Shelby Foote Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry (I think you know who it's by) Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to the show. Give us a follow on Twitter at @MalContentsPod Be sure to use the Amazon affiliate links above to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the show. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM @malContentsPod on Twitter.

It grieves all three of us on this podcast when anyone walks away from the Christian faith. Joshua Harris' recent announcement of his "deconstruction" of his faith is just one of many that each of us—Barnabas, Dave, and me—know of and are affected by to varying degrees. He isn't the only one, of course. There are so many (former) pastors that have either rejected the faith entirely, or through their behavior, been revealed to be out of step with the message they proclaimed. So what should we do with the books they wrote that we maybe found helpful once upon a time? Listen in as we discuss Should we get rid of books based on the author's character? Can (and should) we separate the message from the individual sharing it? What hope do we have for authors who reject the gospel they once proclaimed? How should we respond as we learn about the attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs of historical figures? All this plus sucker-punching, and our updates on what we're reading. Thanks to Gospel-Centered Discipleship for sponsoring this episode. If you're an aspiring writer who wants to learn from the likes of Jen Wilkin, Hannah Anderson, Jared Wilson, and our own Barnabas Piper, sign up to take part in their new writers cohort at tailored.coach/gcdwriters. And, of course, thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today. A few of the books we mention on this episode: Pappion by Henri Charriere Eric Lidell: Something Greater than Gold by Janet and Geoff Benge Not Forsaken by Jennifer Greenberg Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This only takes a second and will go a long way to helping other people find the show. If you know someone who would benefit from listening, share the show on your favorite social media network. Give us a follow on Twitter at @malContentsPod We use affiliate links from Amazon to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the podcast. Be sure to purchase a book or ten that we talk about on every episode. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM @malContentsPod on Twitter.

Over the last several months, we've mentioned a lot of works of historical fiction, but we've never really talked about historical fiction much at all: it's purpose, some of our favorite works, and does it include room for speculative fiction, too. So, now we're going to! Listen in as we discuss: The difference between period fiction and historical fiction (and if we're just splitting hairs on this) If alternative history works (e.g. "What if JFK was never assassinated?") count as historical fiction Buzz Aldrin sucker punching people What are a few good recommendations for those looking to start reading historical fiction Dave's accusation that someone might have said a word that we would not dare say on a family-friendly show like this one Thanks to Gospel-Centered Discipleship for sponsoring this episode. If you're an aspiring writer who wants to learn from the likes of Jen Wilkin, Hannah Anderson, Jared Wilson, and our own Barnabas Piper, sign up to take part in their new writers cohort at tailored.coach/gcdwriters. And, of course, thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today. A few of the books we mention on this episode: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 11/22/63 by Stephen King The Man In The High Castle by Philip K. Dick The Frozen Hours by Jeff Shaara The Conqueror series by Conn Iggulden The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead  The Winds of War by Herman Wouk Alaska by James Michener Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This only takes a second and will go a long way to helping other people find the show. If you know someone who would benefit from listening, share the show on your favorite social media network. Give us a follow on Twitter at @malContentsPod We use affiliate links from Amazon to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the podcast. Be sure to purchase a book or ten that we talk about on every episode. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM @malContentsPod on Twitter.

There are certain books so good they can only be described as transcendent. Others are cultural phenomena, but are best described as… well, you'll find out as we discuss The Notebook. That's right—all three of us have finally (mostly) read this book, and today, Barnabas, Dave, and I are talking about our experience in the most PG-12 episode of the show yet. Listen in as we discuss: Why Nicholas Sparks is one of the worst famous writers any of us have ever read What the movie would be like if Ryan Gosling's and Rachel McAdams' characters were played by ordinary looking actors instead of beautiful ones If we should read books with good romance The unhealthy expectations books like The Notebook create about relationships, marriage and sex Our dramatic readings of random passages of the book A better phrase than "dumpster fire" Thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today. Today's bonus content and challenge: Read: "'The Notebook' is a dumpster fire and I didn't realize it 15 years ago" by Carly Mellenbaum Your Challenge: If you read and really loved The Notebook, tell us why by tagging @malContentsPod on Twitter. We'll share our favorites on an upcoming episode and send you a book by one of us that we guarantee is better than The Notebook. As always, be sure to leave a creative and entertaining 5-star review on Apple Podcasts—one that we can't help but read on the air! And, if you have a question for us to answer on a future episode of the show, call our hotline at 615-538-7473 and leave us a message. A few of the books we mention on this episode: Keeper by Greg Rucka Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth The Pioneers by David McCullough Detective Comics #1000: The Deluxe Edition by Peter Tomasi, Brian Michael Bendis, Scott Snyder, Jim Lee, et al. Sharing and supporting the show Leave a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This only takes a second and will go a long way to helping other people find the show. If you know someone who would benefit from listening, share the show on your favorite social media network. Give us a follow on Twitter at @malContentsPod We use affiliate links from Amazon to help us pay for the costs of producing and hosting the podcast. Be sure to purchase a book or ten that we talk about on every episode. Interested in sponsoring Table of (mal)Contents? Let's talk via email or DM @malContentsPod on Twitter.

There's often something that triggers a writer's desire to write—even if that something is as simple as reading a book and saying, "I can do better than that." So what were some of those moments for Barnabas and Aaron? That's our conversation on the show today. Listen in as we discuss: What made us want to write in the first place What authors do we look to for inspiration Who we think are good and great writers that are producing material right now Do we ever imitate other writers—and should we? Is it possible for a good writer to become a great one? The strangest review of the show we've seen recently As always, thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today. And, of course, leave a creative and entertaining 5-star review on Apple Podcasts—one that we can't help but read on the air! And if you have a question for us to answer on a future episode of the show, call our hotline at 615-538-7473 and leave us a message. A few of the books we mention on this episode: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman The Oracle Year by Charles Soule Beach Music by Pat Conroy The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

We don't talk about Christian books a whole lot, which is funny since we all work in Christian publishing. But since it's "summer reading list" season from ministry leaders and websites, we decided to discuss the books would we recommend Christians read to read instead of being known for having read them? Listen in as we discuss: What movies pastors constantly reference in sermons? Does Humble Calvinism qualify as a summer/vacation read? And why do we use the phrase "laundry list"? Does Aaron recommend too many boring books in this category? Who would we wish would sponsor the podcast? Which Christian author wrote the worst summer vacation read? As always, thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today. And, of course, leave a creative and entertaining 5-star review on Apple Podcasts—one that we can't help but read on the air! And if you have a question for us to answer on a future episode of the show, call our hotline at 615-538-7473 and leave us a message. Bonus content: The origin of the phrase "laundry list". A few of the books we discussed in this episode: Recapturing the Wonder by Mike Cosper Wherever I Wind Up by R. A. Dickey Afraid of all the Things by Scarlet Hiltibidal Two Funerals Then Easter by Rachel Joy Welcher The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson The Father Brown Mysteries and The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton Epic by Aaron Armstrong My Losing Season by Pat Conroy Seinfeldia by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong The Legend of Greg by Chris Rylander Circe by Madeline Miller

We love good stories—and great stories are even better when they're true. Real stories, true stories don't just pass on facts, they inspire us. Recently, Dave and I sat down with our friend Catherine Parks to talk about how biographies help us see God at work, movies, and reading well. Listen in as we discuss: People that surprised Catherine as she worked on Empowered and Strong How to fight against bias when writing biographies What biographies can teach kids How Catherine's family has embraced the Jack Reacher Sucker Punch of the Week Why Dave just needs to own being #40Dave Just how old is Catherine's husband, anyway? As always, thanks to our friends at Lagares Coffee Roaster for partnering with us to make the Table of (mal)Contents blend. Order all the bags you can handle today. A challenge for our listeners: Leave a creative and entertaining 5-star review on Apple Podcasts—one that we can't help but read on the air! And if you have a question for us to answer on a future episode of the show, call our hotline at 615-538-7473 and leave us a message. A few of the books we discussed in this episode: Empowered and Strong by Catherine Parks The Pioneers by Dave McCollough The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix East of Eden by John Steinbeck To learn more about the film, Why We Breathe, written and directed by Erik Parks, head over to whywebreathefilm.com. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgrRv1MVN0Y