Short fiction fans, here's another episode tailor-made for you. Jude and John sit down and discuss some of our personal "unforgettable" short stories - not necessarily our all-time favorites, but the ones that we just can't get out of our heads... sometimes years or even decades after having read them. A few classics are discussed here (Bierce, Lovecraft, Poe, Wharton, O'Connor) - but for the most part, we try to bring up stories that may not be as well-known or widely anthologized. What follows is a classic BXC conversation that blends the heart-breaking, horrific, hopeful and the "holy sh*t ..read more

Welcome to the Book XChange's Science Ficiton Xtravaganza, wherein your humble twin hosts line up and discuss a plethora of science fiction titles we've read, remembered, and want to recommend. Science fiction is SUCH an incredibly broad genre to cover, and we don't even try to survey it all - rather, we list books we've read over the years that have really stayed with us for one reason or another, and that we think have something to offer to our listeners. Whether you're a sci-fi junky or only dabble in it occasionally, we think there's something here for everyone. Enjoy responsibly!  ..read more

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John delivers a quick update on Episode 64, which was accidentally uploaded out of order. Tune in so you can figure out which Episode 64 is the right one to listen to/download. Thanks for supporting the show, folks. More great content coming ..read more

IMPORTANT: The editing on this version of Episode 64 was messed up, sadly, and the audio was accidentally uploaded in a jumbled order. We apologize for the screw-up. If you want to hear the Episode as it was originally intended, and we hope you do - please download the "FIXED Episode 64" version of this show, which will appear in the feed very soon.  Full title of the CORRECT version of Episode 64 is: "FIXED Episode 64: The BXC's Best Books of 2023." Thanks for your patience with us, and for listening to the BXC podcast.  -J & J ..read more

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"The Rabbit Hutch" by Tess Gunty is a debut novel by a young writer from Indiana that has taken the literary world by storm, winning the prestigious National Book Award last year and garnering ecstatic praise far and wide. But what did America's favorite book nerd twins think of this buzzy, socially conscious novel? That question gets answered in episode 62 of the Book XChange podcast, as we dive deep into this polyphonic novel about a decaying town in Middle America and various residents of a dilapidated apartment building located therein. Glad to have you along for the ride. Please like, rev ..read more

Well Constant Readers... one week later, we have made good on our promise (against all odds!) and we present to you Part 2 of our Stephen King extravaganza. We begin with an in-depth take on King's 2022 novel Fairy Tale, which we both enjoyed - and then, John lobs several King-related questions at Jude (the more experienced King reader) that are designed to get listeners thinking about their own favorites and opinions when it comes to King's books. Questions like "Which King book is the scariest?," "What are your most egregious King blind spots?," and "If forced, what would you say is the best ..read more

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What exactly is it about memoirs that make them so widely read and discussed, and so compelling? What distinguishes a good memoir from one that becomes a classic in the genre? What makes a person's experience or ordeal worth sharing with a wider audience, and what value can another person's trauma/survival story/struggle impart to a reader? For our 60th episode, Jude and John dig in and examine what is it about this particular form that hits a nerve with people - and share some of our own favorite examples and "wish list" reads. If you've ever been mesmerized by the narrative of someone else's ..read more