Best John F. Lovell & Jude Joseph Lovell Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 66: Unforgettable Short Stories 2:19:57

10M ago2:19:57

2:19:57

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, Lov…

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Episode 65: Science Fiction Xtravaganza! 2:17:46

11M ago2:17:46

2:17:46

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 ha…

1
FIXED Episode 64: The BXC’s Best Books of2023 2:08:52

12M ago2:08:52

2:08:52

According to our personal (and this podcast's) annual tradition, brothers and co-hosts Jude and John Lovell list their favorite reading experiences of the year that was 2023. Then we choose a few titles each to dive into at greater length, titles that didn't come up or weren't discussed in depth in any of the episodes recorded in the past year. We …

1
A Quick Message re: Episode 64 2:22

12M ago2:22

2:22

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!By John F. Lovell & Jude Joseph Lovell

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Episode 64: The BXC’s Best Books of 2023 2:08:52

12M ago2:08:52

2:08:52

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…

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Episode 63: Memorable Female Characters in Fiction 2:04:46

1y ago2:04:46

2:04:46

This time out, you're listening to the BookXXChange podcast... get it? We're focused on characters bearing the XX chromosome in Episode 63, wherein Jude and John choose their most memorable FEMALE characters in fiction. It's quite a diverse list as we cover everything from literary classics to Westerns, fantasy epics, immigrant stories, and even st…

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Episode 62: The BXC reviews ”The Rabbit Hutch” by Tess Gunty 2:01:54

1y ago2:01:54

2:01:54

"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 e…

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Episode 61: Stephen King, Then & Now (Part 2) 2:01:52

1y ago2:01:52

2:01:52

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 de…

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Episode 61: Stephen King, Then & Now (Part 1) 1:57:03

1y ago1:57:03

1:57:03

Episode 61 of everyone's favorite twin-led book podcast is so big, it had to be split into two parts! But, when your subject is the all-time legend and prolific writer STEPHEN KING, well, then it makes sense. This double-barrelled episode has been a long time coming for your fraternal hosts, as we are of the generation that has literally grown up r…

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Episode 60: The Art of the Memoir 2:02:13

1y ago2:02:13

2:02:13

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…

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Episode 59: Read Around the World - Mexico 2:14:48

1+ y ago2:14:48

2:14:48

In our second "Read Around the World" episode (the first being Episode 55), we turn our focus to our neighbors just south of us... the rich, fascinating, troubled and beautiful mystery that is Mexico. We touch on famous Mexican writers such as Paz, Fuentes and Ruflo, but also recommend titles in different genres (comic novels, crime novels, thrille…

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Episode 58: Ghosts! 2:09:11

1+ y ago2:09:11

2:09:11

One of our "!" episodes (after "Thriller!" and "Monsters!," check the archive for those) which, we think, means a wide-ranging and rollicking ride through a popular genre of books. In this case, spectral encounters and paranormal activity... from dusty old classic haunted house tales to meta/modern freakouts that play with cliches and conventions, …

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Episode 57: The BXC Reviews ”Catch-22” by Joseph Heller 1:46:11

1+ y ago1:46:11

1:46:11

Another episode-length discussion of a single novel we've deemed worthy of extra attention! This time around, the lads discuss an American classic neither of us were at all familiar with, Joseph Heller's world-famous debut novel Catch-22. We share our own personal impressions, talk about the impact it has had on the culture, compare and contrast it…

1
Episode 56: Fathers in Literature 2:06:09

1+ y ago2:06:09

2:06:09

We're a bit late here as far as the calendar goes, but the subject of fathers and fatherhood will never get stale. We had intended to publish this episode to align with Father's Day, but... June got away from us a little bit. That said, Jude and John talk about some of their most notable father figures in literature, and recommend books that explor…

1
Episode 55: Read Around the World - Australia, New Zealand & Tasmania 2:17:06

1+ y ago2:17:06

2:17:06

This time out, the BXC brothers begin their new occasional series, "Read Around the World," and set their sights on books from/about Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania. These episodes will be your literary "travel guides" to places we may never get to visit in person, but have indeed visited in our imaginations and reading lives. We had a blast to…

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Episode 54: The BXC Reviews ”The Passenger” & ”Stella Maris” by Cormac McCarthy 2:04:32

1+ y ago2:04:32

2:04:32

Our occasional "BXC Reviews" series returns with an in-depth discussion of the TWO new novels from the highly regarded American writer Cormac McCarthy. Since our show's inception we've been looking for a chance to discuss McCarthy's work, and while this episode isn't a deep dive into his whole catalog, it is an extensive (and spoiler-filled) discus…

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Episode 53: The Return! (What We’ve Been Reading) 2:01:36

1+ y ago2:01:36

2:01:36

We are thrilled to be back, after a long hiatus, with a brand new episode in which your co-hosts Jude and John discuss some of the best books we read while we were on break. A little bit of Irish writing, poetry, a few science fiction selections, ancient civilizations, some social satire... there's quite a variety of titles here as regular follower…

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April 2023 update: the Book XChange podcast returns?? (teaser) 10:57

1+ y ago10:57

10:57

After an extended hiatus due to technical challenges, Jude and John Lovell tease the return of the Book XChange podcast. Readers and book lovers around the world, buckle up! We hope to start bringing you new episodes very soon... Want to suggest a topic for an upcoming episode? Please do email us at bookxchangetwins@gmail.com. We're eager to get Th…

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August 2022: An Update from the Book XChange Podcast 5:39

2+ y ago5:39

5:39

We've been forced to take an indefinite hiatus from recording, but hopefully this is NOT the end of the BXC podcast! John Lovell delivers an explanation of why we haven't recorded new episodes in a little while. Thanks for listening, and stay with us! -The BXC TwinsBy John F. Lovell & Jude Joseph Lovell

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Episode 52: Most Anticipated New Books (still to come in 2022) 1:54:34

2+ y ago1:54:34

1:54:34

This time around, the Book XChange looks forward to the rest of 2022 - and discusses books we haven't read, but hope to soon once they hit the shelves. We've loaded up the current episode with titles we are most anticipating as the rest of the year unfolds, and why we're looking forward to them. Fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, graphic novels... it's…

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Episode 51: The BXC Review of ”The Candy House” by Jennifer Egan 1:42:21

2+ y ago1:42:21

1:42:21

The great and unclassifiable American novelist and journalist JENNIFER EGAN takes center stage in Episode 51 of the Book XChange podcast, and this is an episode co-hosts Jude and John Lovell had been looking forward to for a long time. Her 2010 novel 'A Visit to the Goon Squad' won the Pulitzer Prize, and now 12 years later Egan returns to some of …

1
Episode 50: Re:Verse 1:59:44

2+ y ago1:59:44

1:59:44

Poetry is on the menu for this milestone 50th episode of the Book XChange - and why not? The world's only double-barreled bibliophile podcast takes on the challenge of reading poetry in our hyper-fueled, attention-challenged 21st century: is reading poetry worth the struggle? What is the value of slowing down, focusing one's attention and taking on…

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Episode 49: The Fate of the Planet 2:01:36

2+ y ago2:01:36

2:01:36

In this (quite literally) world-spanning episode, Jude and John look at books that dare to confront one of the most vexing and critical issues of our time: the impact our race is having on the physical environment. Our "common home" (in the phrase favored by Pope Francis) literally hangs in the balance due to a whole series of choices we've made as…

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Episode 48: Giving Essays A Try 1:56:04

2+ y ago1:56:04

1:56:04

In the 16th century, Michel de Montaigne created a new form of literary self-expression. He called these short pieces "essays," from the French verb "essayer" - "to try." In Episode 48 of everyone's favorite literary podcast hosted by genetic duplicates, Jude and John "try" to explain the appeal of essays to them, and why they find it to be one of …

1
Episode 47: Novels with Spiritual Journeys 1:57:29

2+ y ago1:57:29

1:57:29

This time around, the brothers are looking at novels with overt spiritual themes - novels in which the main character, or characters, undergo some type of transformation or evolution (or devolution?) in what they believe and how they look at life. As we say in our introductory comments, the "Big Questions" and spiritual themes are something we've n…

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Episode 46: Dealer’s Choice - Annie Proulx 2:04:32

3y ago2:04:32

2:04:32

Both Jude and John agree that it's high time, and a distinct pleasure, to dedicate one of our "Dealer's Choice" episodes to a female writer - in this case, the esteemed and unique American author Annie Proulx. For those new to the show, a Dealer's Choice episode is when your humble hosts choose a writer whose work means a lot to us, and is well wor…

1
Episode 45: Monsters! 2:03:53

3y ago2:03:53

2:03:53

What is with the human family's fascination with MONSTERS and supernatural creatures? We try to unpack that perennial question and topic of interest in Episode 45 of America's favorite double-barreled books and reading podcast, The Book XChange. The Brothers Lovell reach deep back into the past with classics like "Frankenstein" and "Beowulf," but a…

1
Episode 44: The Working Life 1:59:44

3y ago1:59:44

1:59:44

Episode 44 begins with the classic strains of Bruce Springsteen's "Factory"... why? Because this time out, we are exploring books that are all about "the work, the work, the working life." For the vast majority of adults, work takes up much of our waking hours and in some ways (for better or worse) defines who we are. So it makes sense that innumer…

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Episode 43: And Now for Something a Little Different: The BXC 2022 Kick-Off Show 2:06:22

3y ago2:06:22

2:06:22

After a 33-day hiatus, which felt really long for us if not for our listeners, the BXC brothers return and finally kick off 2022 with a looser, less structured episode filled with a little of this and that. First, in response to a suggestion from a listener, we share what books we gifted each other for Christmas at the end of last year (and why). S…

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Episode 42: The BXC’s Best Books of 2021 1:54:00

3y ago1:54:00

1:54:00

For our final episode of 2021, we decide to broaden out a personal tradition and share it with listeners... we each share our 10 favorite reading experiences of the year, and discuss why these books made a lasting mark on us. Our choices are not at all limited to books that came out in 2021, but could be any book of any genre from any year. These b…

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Episode 41: WORLD WAR II 1:53:20

3y ago1:53:20

1:53:20

For episode 41 (commemorating, in part, the 80th anniversary of the United States' entry into the war in December 1941), the Book XChange brothers take on a subject that's as broad and wide-reaching as the conflict itself: World War II. As always, we aim here to provide some recommendations of books that aren't widely discussed and read, as well as…

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(SPECIAL) Episode 40: TIME O’CLOCK - Interview with writer Jude Joseph Lovell 1:53:27

3y ago1:53:27

1:53:27

Calling all adventurous and open minded readers - join us for a special episode of the BXC podcast, in which we turn the lens on ourselves a bit and interview one-half of your favorite literary-minded twins. Jude Joseph Lovell (or is it Foster Mullins?), co-host of this show and author of 12 books, has just launched a brand new mind-bending, time-t…

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Episode 39: Criminal Minds 2:03:45

3y ago2:03:45

2:03:45

McGruff the Crime Dog guests hosts in Episode 39 of the Book XCh... well OK, maybe not (and yes, we just dated ourselves - but those who know, know!). This time out, your humble hosts/book-hungry twins take a bite out of the vast buffet of books that explore crime, both real and imagined. We delve into classic mysteries, true crime reportage, histo…

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Episode 38: The BXC Review of ”Leave the World Behind” by Rumaan Alam 1:30:50

3y ago1:30:50

1:30:50

For the fifth time, the Book XChange podcast dedicates an entire episode to discuss a single book - in this case, one recommended to us by a BXC listener. 'Leave the World Behind' is a bestselling thriller written by Rumaan Alam - one that has been widely read and discussed, nominated for the National Book Award, and was also recently snapped up by…

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Episode 37: Hidden Gems 1:49:21

3y ago1:49:21

1:49:21

For this edition of everyone's favorite biweekly literary podcasts, your Book XChange hosts present some "deep cuts" from their own personal bookshelves. The idea with our "Hidden Gems" episode is to offer some "of the beaten path" recommendations of books - from all genres, fiction and non-fiction - that might intrigue our listeners and/or give th…

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Episode 36: The BXC Goes West (Part 1) 1:56:08

3+ y ago1:56:08

1:56:08

Jude and John grab a rifle, a pony, and go ridin' out into the bloody "evening redness in the west" in Episode 36 of the Book XChange podcast. The subject of "the American west in literature" is about as vast, wide open and intimidating as the very landscape itself, so we decided it may take not one, but TWO episodes to do it justice. In this first…

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Episode 35: GO BIG... or Go Home! 1:52:32

3+ y ago1:52:32

1:52:32

In this episode the BookXChange looks at the experience of reading BIG, meaty, epic-length books... books that might function well as doorstops, should you have a need for one. We dive into whether the experience of reading big books (fiction or non-fiction) is at all different from reading shorter ones; whether a reader needs to "prepare" more men…

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Episode 34: The BXC Review of ”A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving 1:51:52

3+ y ago1:51:52

1:51:52

The fourth in our podcast's regular series of "deep dives" into books that, for whatever reason, have the popularity, subject matter or complexity to justify an extended discussion. This time we tackle one of the more popular novels in the past several decades, a book that has struck a nerve with a great many American readers in particular, and was…

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Episode 33 1/3: Our Favorite Books about Music 2:15:29

3+ y ago2:15:29

2:15:29

By John F. Lovell & Jude Joseph Lovell

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Episode 32: Freedom 1:48:28

3+ y ago1:48:28

1:48:28

By John F. Lovell & Jude Joseph Lovell

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Episode 31: ”The Intimidators” (Books We’re Afraid To Take On) 1:55:27

3+ y ago1:55:27

1:55:27

Readers around the world... admit it. We all have them. Those big, complicated, intimidating books that glare at us from our shelves, almost with an air of defiance, just daring us to take them down, dust them off, and you know... actually READ them. But for whatever reason, we haven't been able to get up the guts to do so... well, welcome to episo…

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Episode 30: Animal Kingdom 1:51:12

3+ y ago1:51:12

1:51:12

By John F. Lovell & Jude Joseph Lovell

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Episode 29: Spoiler Alert! (Our Favorite Endings in Literature) 1:53:27

3+ y ago1:53:27

1:53:27

Be warned! By definition, every single book discussed in this episode of the Book XChange podcast is going to be utterly spoiled... Jude and John discuss some of their favorite all-time endings in literature, and why we feel they've made such a lasting imprint on our memories. There are many ways to end a story: wicked twists in the plot, notes of …

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(SPECIAL) Episode 28: Celebrating Year One; Books About Twins 2:06:07

3+ y ago2:06:07

2:06:07

In this special celebratory episode, your twin hosts Jude and John Lovell reflect back on the first year of the Book XChange podcast: what it's meant to us, and what we hope to continue to do with it going forward. And in a nod to the unique "hook" of our show, that is, identical twins reflecting on books and reading... we tackle books that feature…

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Episode 27: Hemingway 2:02:34

3+ y ago2:02:34

2:02:34

The recently-premiered new PBS documentary "Hemingway" (from the renowned filmmaking team of Ken Burns and Lynn Novick) provided the BXC brothers with the perfect excuse to dive back into the short fiction of one of America's most celebrated and influential writers. Because the film centers on Hemingway's stories rather than his novels, John and Ju…