Leif sits down at the table with a bevy of video games to talk about. What starts as a simple journey through the waters of Subnautica and Abzu soon descends into a deeper, more frightening look at the interactive medium. Leif and Tim talk video game culture, games as art, and thalassophobia. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits t…

Tim is finally given reign to let loose. How will he wow us with his newfound historical knowledge? We discuss the Revolutionary War, dry history, and hypothetical dereliction of duty. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the episodes!Music by Veltpunch.

Leif scratches the surface of Robert Jordan's fantasy epic, The Wheel of Time. Emily rejoins to talk of this Lord of the Rings-like book. Like, extremely Lord of the Rings. We discuss literary influences, returning to old books, and why fantasy adaptations tend to disappoint. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it…

Tim was all ready to get started talking about his book when Emily decided to visit us from beyond the grave! Apparently the afterlife has a healthy library. After our initial shock, we discuss defacing books, fantasy maps, and Peter Jackson's changes to Tolkien's fantasy epic. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make …

Leif returns with another late Christmas gift, with Once and Forever: The Tales of Kenji Miyazawa. Listen as he truly gushes over an excellent collection of stories from this 20th century Japanese author and poet. Leif and Tim discuss Pixar and Ghibli animation, and people who are too good for children's stories. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPo…

Leif and Tim return from a winter break to talk about their Christmas hauls, and some good old fashioned fantasy. Leif is reading Swords and Deviltry, a sword and sorcery fantasy book starring Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, by Fritz Leiber. Topics of discussion include prolific authors, unlikeable characters, and D&D. Follow us on Twitter at @Tsundoku…

It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Emily is no longer with the podcast. She'll still drop in from time to time, but the fact of the matter is she didn't have what it took to put out a bi-monthly podcast. So, to step in and fill the void, Tim Everson has deigned to join us. This week, Leif read The Collected Works of Lovecraft, and comes…

Leif returns with another belated Christmas reading, this time with Shirow Masamune's Ghost in the Shell. Leif and Emily discuss the manga, its various adaptations, and cyberpunk vs cyberfascism. Emily forgets Scarlet Johansson's name, and Leif also forgets the word for sweatshop. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't ma…

Leif begins the laborious process of finally reading through his Christmas gifts through the years. He starts with Stories of Your Life and Others, a collection of short stories by Ted Chiang, and gifted to him by none other than Emily! Join us as we talk about short stories, the grandaddies of science fiction, and adapting stories. Follow us on Tw…

Learn about what's going on in PalestineDecolonize PalestineDecolonization in Palestine w/ Ussama Makdisi How you can support PalestiniansIslamic ReliefThe Palestine Children’s Relief FundAddameerBoycott, Divestment, SanctionsMore ways to help here... Emily has surpassed the average lore nerd and delved into the grandaddy of all fantasy bibles: The…

Leif is back with another video game to complain about! This time, it's all about the Dark Knight, and his best friend the Arkham Knight. Leif and Emily talk about video games, comic books, and horny game developers. This episode will really make you feel like you played Batman. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make…

Leif and Emily return for 2021, with a new episode, and some new cats! For the first episode of the new year, Leif is talking about rogue-likes, and how much he loves them. Emily joins him for discussions of video game difficulty, progression, and Supergiant Games. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the e…

Emily returns with her second book of the quarantine! It turns out, enjoying a book makes it far easier to read. Who knew? Emily discusses "great books", gender, race, and global warming. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the episodes!Music by Veltpunch.

One month is better than three, right? No apologies though, it's time for us to rip into grammar and punctuation and other super interesting things. Leif and Emily discuss English degrees, snobs, and early 2000's internet humor. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the episodes!Music by Veltpunch.…

We are back, with some other podcast recommendations. But first, donate what you can! Hoodrat to Headwrap: a Decolonized Podcast by Ericka Hart and Ebony Donnley Hella Black by Blake Simons and Delency Parham The Red Nation Podcast by Nick Estes and The Red Nation Citations Needed by Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson Ear Hustle by Nigel Poor, Earlonne …

Emily has big news, which will be broadcast across the country! Will Tsundoku Book Club survive this shake up? Will Leif ever learn to trust again? Leif and Emily discuss school, being forced to read, and ask each other: How many books is too many? Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the episodes!Music by …

Leif liked Emily's A.D. comic book, so he decided to follow up with one of his own. A.D.: After Death asks important questions like: what is the cure for death? What killed off humanity? And should you get back with your ex? Leif also tries to get over his desire for newer, flashier art. A.D. After Death was written by Scott Snyder, and illustrated…

Leif finishes off his Humble Bundle collection with Song of Kali, a horror novel by Dan Simmons, sort of. Join Leif and Emily as they discuss racism, humanity, and the Fairly Oddparents. It's... a strange one folks. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the episodes!Music by Veltpunch.…

In order to get her mind off of the current coronavirus pandemic, Emily decided to read A.D.: After the Deluge, a comic about Hurricane Katrina and the people who lived through it. Your isolated hosts discuss crises, looting, and double-page spreads. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the episodes!Music b…

Tim returns to tell us a tale of two books, and how our podcast inspired him to quit reading one of them! We discuss relationships, hauntings, and how this episode definitely isn't sponsored by Amazon Prime shipping. Running with Scissors is written by Augusten BurroughsGhostland: An American History in Haunted Places is written by Colin Dickey Fol…

We're joined by Tim to discuss Budayeen Nights. This collection of short stories by George Alec Effinger center on the cyberpunk future in a nameless city, steeped in Middle Eastern culture. What does it take for Leif to enjoy a book? Apparently, good characters, humor, and not holding the reader's hand. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for ext…

Emily reveals her love of essay collections with Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris. But what do we do when those essays aren't quite what we were expecting? Leif and Emily discuss faulty memories, Rent, and somehow, Israeli apartheid. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the episodes!Music by Veltpun…

It's 2020, and Tsundoku Book Club is back, leaving apologies for late episodes in the 2010s. Leif starts out strong by going back to his strong suit, complaining about genre fiction after reading Fall of Gods, an illustrated book. Emily and the birthday boy discuss Kickstarter, concept art, and compelling storytelling. Fall of Gods was created by R…

Our final episode of the year We have special guest Jamie Bienhoff on to talk about Jane Austen's most famous work, Pride and Prejudice. We discuss required reading, audio books, and adaptations galore. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the episodes!Music by Veltpunch.…

Emily warns us all about how the media is controlling us, and is being controlled itself. Naturally, a few political rants ensue. We discuss Noam Chomsky, The West Wing, and conspiracy theories. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the episodes!Music by Veltpunch.…

Leif officially dips his toes into his Steam library, and found two games to play. In one, you can play anything from a cow to a quark, while the other makes you live through the family experience of a child dying from cancer. The biggest similarity between the two is that they're both short. Leif and Emily discuss intention, theory, and what makes…

Emily gets a turn at a comic book! She talks about the Adventure Zone graphic novel and the podcast it was borne from. Leif and Emily talk Dungeons and Dragons, the McElroy Family, and fickle preferences. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the episodes!Music by Veltpunch.…

This week, Leif gets to enjoy a book, even when it's super depressing! Leif read The Forge of God, by Greg Bear, which he found on the Humble Bundle site. Leif and Emily discuss alien invasions, how non-political presidents in fiction are, and how depressing climate change can be. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't ma…

This time, it's Emily's turn to discuss a gift that was appreciated a little late. That gift was Celeste, the pixel-platformer with a killer soundtrack and killer levels. We discuss difficulty and accessibility in videogames, and that's about it. No list of three for you this time around. Don't worry, it'll be back. Follow us on Twitter at @Tsundok…

In this episode, Leif tries to talk about the podcast 372 Pages We'll Never Get Back, but just ends up talking about Ready Player One, the bestseller by Ernest Cline. Leif and Emily talk about 80s film, 80s movies, and 80s cinema. They also reflect on how their trivia knowledge makes them better people. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extr…

Believe or not, we do occasionally read the books we have just bought. Emily and Leif give their apologies for an irregular schedule by letting you know what they've been reading and playing. Emily discusses buying and eating local foods, and contrasting soothing and frustrating games. Leif talks about unrealistic sci-fi, realistic sci-fi, and wond…

In a show about unread books, some books can be read, and left unfinished. Emily discusses Gillian Flynn's Dark Places, from the same author of Gone Girl and Sharp Objects. We discuss likable characters, film adaptations, and what to do when reading gets boring. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the epis…

What do you know, a new episode! This time, Leif discusses Dune, Frank Herbert's Sci-Fi classic. His dad, Kent Nelson, comes along for the ride, providing knowledge and shame as Leif once again reads an undeserved present. We discuss the famous book, the infamous movie, and religion in science fiction.Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra …

Wrapping up Jesus June and July is Emily reading the entirety of the Chronicles of Narnia! And most of them are good! Leif and Emily discuss religion, mythology, racism, and of course, which of the movies are good or not. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the episodes!Music by Veltpunch.…

This week, Leif digs through a theological text that pretends to be about the Peanuts comic strip. You can hear the resignation dripping from his voice throughout the episode. You can also hear the clips in audio as technical issues are had. Bear with us, but we didn't feel like re-recording for a book like this. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPo…

Long time listener Tim Everson joins us once again to discuss Tom Sawyer Abroad, the very real follow-up to Huckleberry Finn. Was this actually written by Mark Twain? Why haven't we heard of this literary achievement? Why must we once again be subjected to Tom Sawyer's insufferable personality?Tim seeks to answer these questions, as well as pitch u…

The De-Textbook is everything Cracked.com stood for in 2013. Clickbait, contrarianism, and blowing your mind. Leif and Emily bring in special guest Tim Everson to scold Leif for not reading this very thoughtful present. Does a book written by a legion of internet writers in 2013 hold up in 2019? Find out in this episode of Tsundoku Book Club! Follo…

We're back, and Emily decides to put Clive Staples Lewis to task for his theological work in Mere Christianity. Emily walks us through the ups and downs of C.S. Lewis' friendly tone as he tries to explain what all Christians believe. Leif tries to remember details about a book he hasn't read in 10 years. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for ext…

Bask in the glory of the handsome and daring Captain Midnight, an All-American Man just looking for an All-American Girl that loves the troops as much as he does. Will he and his faithful companion, Ikky Mudd, get out of this scrape? Will Emily's rolling eyes survive the misogyny? Find out on this episode of Tsundoku Book Club! Follow us on Twitter…

This week, we take Fate into our own hands! Join Emily, Leif, and special guest brother Nate as they discuss peeking out from the familiar territory of Dungeons and Dragons, and explore the world of generic story-driven role-playing system of Fate. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for extra tidbits that don't make it into the episodes!…

Leif subjected himself to a flight of comics tasters. Over tens of minutes were spent poring over the finest vintages of new comics on the market. What will Leif decide? Who will make the pull list, and who will get sent to the bargain bin? Find out this episode of Tsundoku Book Club! This episode contains discussion of comics that can't be fully a…

Lynels and moblins and bokoblins, oh my! Emily regales us with tales of her childhood and adulthood playing Legend of Zelda games after finally beating newest title on the Switch. We discuss boss battles, open worlds, and disappointing endings. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod!By Leif Nelson and Emily Miner

Part two of the first recorded episode is here! Leif's mom, Liz Nelson, reads Waging Peace: A Special Operations Team's Battle to Rebuild Iraq, a book that's been sitting on the window shelf for more than ten years. We discuss guilt, culture clash, and what we do despite our best intentions.By Leif Nelson and Emily Miner

Who hasn't read the colossal standard of fantasy? Emily apparently. Join us as Emily, Leif, and a special guest discuss the book, the movie, Tom Bombadil, and all four women of the Lord of the Rings.By Leif Nelson and Emily Miner

Your long wait has ended, as Emily and Leif have finally recovered from their various illnesses! This episode, Leif reads The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley. Marvel as he mixes up genres, and complains about fantasy info dumps. We are finally on social media! Follow @TsundokuPod on Twitter for episode corrections and second thoughts from the hosts…

Folks, if we can make a simple suggestion, don't start uploading a podcast right before the holidays! It'll really throw a spanner in the works. This episode, Emily discusses A Thousand Years of Good Prayers: Stories by Yiyun Li. We talk about short story collections, eunuchs, and why connecting with characters is overrated.…

Tsundoku is a Japanese word for the practice of gathering books and never reading them. Join Emily and Leif as they try to figure out why its so hard to read the books that are so fun to buy.Then, Leif talks about Unfollow, a comic about 140 characters who gain an enormous inheritance with a deadly cost. Follow us on Twitter at @TsundokuPod for ext…