The Buddies tackle James Islington's "The Will of the Many," a fantasy novel that's been described as "Red Rising meets Magic School" but turned out to be more like "Tenant in a pyramid scheme." The Buddies dove into a world where people literally give up their will to power society, while the rich kids attend prestigious schools and play extreme capture-the-flag. In this episode the Buddies debated many topics including: whether naked fighting is the ultimate power move, the merits of getting knocked unconscious to time travel, and if this book series is going to be more like Lost season 1 or the Mistborn series. So join us as we grease ourselves up, and fire at Will into The Will of the Many.

Intro/Book Report (0:00-4:55)

Stock Up/Down (4:56-38:57)

Favorite Scene/Character (38:58-43:21)

Love/Hate (43:22-53:41)

Conclusion (53:42-56:32)

NEXT BOOK: The Strength of the Few by James Islington

The Buddies were lucky enough to have author TJ Derry on the pod to talk about his debut thriller, Carried Away. A book that starts as a dreamy Indonesian surf vacation and ends with them questioning every outdoor activity they've ever considered. The Buddies dove into the book and many other topics with TJ and finished things off with their patented podcast categories. So pack your trusty flint, some iced cold beers, and strap in for an amazing debut novel and thrill ride.

Intro/Book Report (0:00-1:08)

TJ Derry Interview (1:09-50:31)

Stock Up/Down (50:32-1:06:19)

Favorite Scene/Character (1:06:20-1:14:31)

Love/Hate (1:14:32-1:23:21)

Conclusion (1:23:33-1:25:53)

NEXT BOOK: The Will of the Many by James Islington

Warning: if you liked this book, you’re probably not going to like this episode. The Buddies spent 45 minutes trashing Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben's new book collaboration "Gone Before Goodbye". A book so spectacularly bad that the Buddies are considering picketing Barnes & Noble. This literary dumpster fire had all the hallmarks of a ChatGPT fever dream: nonsensical plot twists, a plastic surgeon performing expert heart surgery, even the clever character names like "Pork Chop" and "Cinderblock" couldn’t save this one. So grab your Thumper 7 artificial heart, practice your most unrealistic dialogue, and join the other Buddies/listeners who can appreciate a good 0.5-star review. Fool us once, Reese - never gonna fool us again.

Intro/Book Report (0:00-3:52)

Stock Up/Down (3:53-34:15)

Favorite Scene/Character (34:16-39:46)

Love/Hate (39:47-44:37)

Conclusion (44:38-48:18)

NEXT BOOK: The Will of the Many by James Islington