Best Joe and Alex Kendall Podcasts (2025)

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The Picture of Dorian Gray Book Review 1:17:15

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1d ago1:17:15

1:17:15

Alex has given us the opportunity to read his favorite book of all time with him. This is his last pick of season two, and he wanted to go out with a bang. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a true classic that is still poignant and relevant in today's society. So, buckle up and let's enjoy the ride of a story that has given us one of the…

1
Bonus Episode: Joe Whines About Something He Knew Would Hurt: aka The Butcher Game Review 1:17:02

17d ago1:17:02

1:17:02

Poor poor Becky. Joe has cornered her and demanded that she sit through a review of a book he knew he would hate. That's right. The long anticipated book review of The Butcher Game by Alaina Urquhart. Sadly, Alex and Becky refused to buddy read the book with Joe. It was a painful read, but someone had to do it. And Joe certainly enjoys the pain... …

1
The Wanting Seed Book Review 1:17:56

1M ago1:17:56

1:17:56

And we're back! With another book review. This month Alex and Joe discuss a Joe pick. We read The Wanting Seed by Anthony Burgess. Yes. The guy that wrote A Clockwork Orange. Our first repeat author. Not the author either of us would have picked for jumping back to. But here we are. Next month will be Alex's last pick of the season. And he picked a…

1
[Rebroadcast] The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Book Discussion 1:07:22

2M ago1:07:22

1:07:22

Hello all, I have some bad news for all of our loyal fans. This month, Alex and I were unable to get a new episode recorded for the bonus material. Not wanting to leave it as a blank, I decided to rebroadcast our most popular episode by far. Part-Time Indian has over 100 downloads. So, obviously we did something right here. For all those fans that …

1
A Monster Calls Book Review 1:29:44

2M ago1:29:44

1:29:44

Alex has picked a powerful book for this month. We read A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. It is a middle school read with lots of pictures that are stunning and add to the text amazingly. A book truly worth reading. Even the curmudgeon, Joe, was impressed with this book. Next month Joe has picked a book that he doesn't love, but has had trouble forg…

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Bonus Episode: Movie to Book Comparison of Fear and Loathing 1:00:31

3M ago1:00:31

1:00:31

Joe and Alex have a super special bonus episode for everyone today. We had a fan request for a book, and we decided to combine the book with a movie critique. The book (and movie) that we are covering today is, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. A drug fueled ride of extremes that will make you sick with envy. Or make you want to…

1
Let's Pretend this Never Happened Book Review 1:17:17

3M ago1:17:17

1:17:17

Joe is back to torturing everyone again with his memoirs. He swears this one is better though. Alex may need some convincing. This month the brothers read Let's Pretend this Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson. It is a rip-roaring life to be shared, full of mental illness, awkward childhoods, and things that can only happen in Texa…

1
Bonus Episode; The Trouble with Heroes 1:06:29

4M ago1:06:29

1:06:29

Becky is joining the show again for this latest edition of bonus episodes! She has a new favorite book to talk about, The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner. This is an exciting book for young adult and middle school readers. So listen in and see what all the fuss is about. I do need to apologize for the audio quality on this one. This was a last …

1
From Hell Book Review 1:15:28

4M ago1:15:28

1:15:28

Alex is changing up the format again. Keeping it fresh even, maybe. This month he picked a book that is completely different from what we have been reading. Instead of describing imagery of words on page, Alex is having us describe pictures on paper. That's right. We are discussing a graphic novel. Not just any graphic novel, either, but one of the…

1
Darkness Over Arkham Play Through 50:47

5M ago50:47

50:47

This bonus episode is a little different. This month Alex thought it might be fun for Joe to see how he does in a Choose Your Own Adventure style story. Joe, through bad experiences in 3rd grade, knew he would struggle to make it far. The book that Alex picked for this strange and bizarre adventure was Darkness Over Arkham by Jonathan Green. It is …

1
Death on Demand Book Review 50:18

5M ago50:18

50:18

Joe has decided to make things a little more cheery for the readers after a few months of death and destruction. So he went the route of the cozy murder mystery. That's right, more death. This month we read Death on Demand by Carolyn Hart, the first book of the Death on Demand mystery series. So, lets jump into the cozy-verse and see how fun and re…

1
Bonus Episode: Endurance 55:25

6M ago55:25

55:25

In this month's bonus episode, Joe brings Becky back to talk about a book he got crazy excited about. Becky seems to think that Joe has found a new genre that he is becoming obsessed about. And Joe kinda agrees. In this episode, they will be discussing the book Endurance by Alfred Lansing. A book about an Antarctic exploration gone wrong. Next mont…

1
The Poppy War Book Review 1:26:33

6M ago1:26:33

1:26:33

The month of May is Alex's shot in the dark pick. That pick that he has not read but heard good things. We read The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. Neither brother had good feelings going in, and we weren't disappointed. Joe does whine a lot about books of this nature, while Alex does his best to defend it. Next month Joe is going to change it up a bit. H…

1
Bonus Episode: ACOTAR 55:52

7M ago55:52

55:52

Alex and Becky have a very delightful chitchat over a popular book that still produces thousands of memes and videos on the internet. It is one of the most noted books to the new bookshelves of Romantacy and Fairy Smut. That's right, they are talking A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. So, buckle up and get ready to hear what two well rea…

1
The White Plague Book Review 1:10:02

7M ago1:10:02

1:10:02

It is time again for a Joe pick. This month he has had his brother read a lesser known Frank Herbert novel. The White Plague came out about the same time as the 4th book in the famous Dune series. God Emperor of Dune blew off the Sci-fi shelves faster than a sandworm could swallow Harkonnens. This book not so much. That is not to say it is a "bad" …

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Bonus Episode; Some Desperate Glory 1:01:50

8M ago1:01:50

1:01:50

Joe has a bone to pick. A rant to make. And poor Alex has to suffer for it. Not only is he forced to participate in this conversation, Joe forced him to have to read this horribly dreadful book. That's right. The brothers read the 2024 Hugo winning book, Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh. Listen in as they discuss the reasons why they think this b…

1
Howl's Moving Castle Book Discussion 58:34

8M ago58:34

58:34

We are in an Alex book pick month. And he decided on a nice cozy young adult fantasy. The two brothers (and hopefully you!) read Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. A story about Sophie, a young shop girl, oldest of three sisters, who is cursed with old age by the Witch of the West. April is back to a Joe pick month. We will be making the la…

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Bonus Episode; Double Stuffed 40:22

9M ago40:22

40:22

So. Joe did what he said he would never do. He folded. He gave in. He let Alex pick the bonus book. A book series that he said should burn in the pits of hell. So, for your post Valentine's present from your favorite, lovable, adorable book club podcast; we of Kendall Bookworms give you this month's bonus episode, Double Stuffed by Sylvia Morrow. T…

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Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko Book Discussion 1:00:43

9M ago1:00:43

1:00:43

Joe has picked another book called Night Watch. This time, instead of time travel and revolution, we are discussing Russian philosophy and bad writing. That's right, as the title of the episode says, we read Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch. A novel that takes place in post-Soviet Moscow, where the wizards of the Light and the Dark are battling it o…

1
Bonus Episode None of This is True Musings 52:23

10M ago52:23

52:23

Welcome to the bonus episode of the month. This month Joe tells Becky about a book that he read for one of his book clubs. It was a book that he had little faith in, but ended up being thankful that Becky insisted he give it a try and read it. So buckle up, because this rambling talk is going to be all over the place; with lots of ups and downs and…

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The Penelopiad Book Discussion 1:03:38

10M ago1:03:38

1:03:38

It is the start of a new year! And what better way than to make a resolution to listen to this podcast. This month Alex picked the retelling of The Odyssey from one of his favorite authors. The brothers read The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. It is through the eyes of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, and her long grueling wait for a wandering husban…

1
Bonus Episode; Becky Talks About the Harry Potter Series 54:24

11M ago54:24

54:24

In this very special bonus episode, Becky has come back to discuss several fan theories and controversies (no, not the main one about the author being a TURF). Joe puts his two cents in every once in a while to make sure he sounds like a doofus too. In the discussions the two of them cover topics such as what houses they believe they would have bee…

1
The Tain Book Discussion 1:20:19

11M ago1:20:19

1:20:19

It's December. Christmas is in the air. So, Joe and Alex thought it would be the perfect gift to for all of you to read and share our thoughts on a book so filled with blood and gore that it would make the Hogfather blush. And no we aren't reading The Hogfather. For the December pick Joe had us read The Tain as translated by Ciaran Carson. This boo…

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Bonus Episode; Author Interview - Alex Kendall 54:48

12M ago54:48

54:48

Welcome to Bookworms. In this very special bonus episode, Becky joins Joe to host an author interview. Today Alex Kendall is in the hot as he is about to republish his novel The Destroyer. New and improved; with hopefully all the grammatical errors removed. Listen in to discover his writing process and the passions that he is now pursuing. With it …

1
The Face in the Frost Book Discussion 59:50

1y ago59:50

59:50

Welcome one and all. This month we have a wild adventure story to bring to you. Alex chose the forgotten classic, The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs. A story of several old wizards fighting an old evil across a strange land oddly similar to our world, but at the same time oddly different. Next month Joe picked a mythical tale of blood and gore.…

1
Bonus Episode w/Guest host Haley; A Libertarian Walks into a Bear 1:04:44

1y ago1:04:44

1:04:44

Welcome to Bookworms. Today Alex and Joe have a very special guest to talk about a hilarious yet worrying book. Haley, resident of Grafton, has joined the brothers to talk about A Libertarian Walks into a Bear by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling. In this discussion, the three try to stop laughing long enough to discuss what it really is like to live in the…

1
Alice Book Discussion 1:03:41

1y ago1:03:41

1:03:41

Welcome to Bookworms! This month the brothers discuss Joe's first pick of the season. The book that they discussed was Alice by Christina Henry. Alex thought it was just okay, but Joe worked his voodoo and talked Alex into thinking it was an alright book after all. An increase in a whole half star in Alex's rating. If you want to hear how Joe did t…

1
Bonus Episode; Becky Discusses Chasing Shadows 51:09

1y ago51:09

51:09

Welcome to our first bonus episode of the season. This month, Becky was kind enough to discuss an interesting book that she had recently read called Chasing Shadows by Gregory Skomal. This is an interesting book on the history of studying sharks. Specifically the "Great" White Shark off of the coast of New England. Becky and Joe only hit the high p…

1
An American Dream Book Discussion 1:04:59

1y ago1:04:59

1:04:59

Welcome to the first episode of season 2! Alex may have picked a difficult one to start off with, but both brothers are excited to get back into the swing of things. And this first one was a doozy. Alex picked the book, An American Dream by Norman Mailer. Mailer was one of the greats in the 60's and 70's but in these times has kind of fallen off th…

1
Season 1 Wrap-up 1:13:29

1+ y ago1:13:29

1:13:29

Alex and Joe meet up one final time to talk about how their first season went. They go over some of their favorite books and moments and play a couple of little quizzes with each other. Joe runs the stats and makes a plea for people to become more engaged with the podcast. The brothers also make their announcement for the upcoming season. We are lo…

1
Bonus Episode; Alex talks about House of Leaves 55:32

1+ y ago55:32

55:32

Our final Bonus Episode of Season 1! We made it people. Thank you to all of those people that have stuck with us since the get go. Alex and Joe hope that you have enjoyed the show thus far. And hopefully you all enjoy this special episode that we put together. This book is different. Alex read House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Be careful read…

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Use of Weapons Book Discussion 1:54:09

1+ y ago1:54:09

1:54:09

This is our season finally for our 16 picks! And boy is it a doozy. Joe tried to warn Alex that it might be better to split this one into two parts. But he didn't listen. More fool him. So now you get to enjoy your second long episode in a row. We promise we will be better about it next season. In this episode Joe and Alex read the book Use of Weap…

1
Bonus Episode w/Guest Host Adam; Discussing Song Lyrics 1:39:43

1+ y ago1:39:43

1:39:43

Welcome to another bonus episode. Today Alex and Joe bring Adam back to discuss song lyrics. Poor Adam still hasn't figured out that if he doesn't want to be on the pod, he needs to stop coming up with episode ideas. Of course the brothers have a sneaking suspicion that he enjoys it. It is a longer episode than normal, so we hope that it is still a…

1
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Book Discussion 56:15

1+ y ago56:15

56:15

Welcome to our humble little podcast. Season one is rapidly coming to an end. This month is Alex's last pick! He gave Joe an easy one. The brothers buddy-read the lovely and epic children's novel The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. It is a book that Alex absolutely adores. One of those books that once he started reading, he c…

1
Bonus Episode; Another Fan Recommendation, Beyond the Wand 1:10:45

1+ y ago1:10:45

1:10:45

Today we have another fan recommendation! Sadly, it was a bit of a miss for Joe and Alex this time. Listen to how the brothers discuss how they are such book snobs that they couldn't get into something as interesting as a celebrity memoir. They do have a good time discussing it none the less. And they hope that they get more recommendations in the …

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The Liar Book Discussion 58:04

1+ y ago58:04

58:04

Welcome to our latest episode. For this month, Alex and Joe read a strange novel by one of Joe's favorite people of all time. We read The Liar by Stephen Fry. This is kind of a spy novel but not. It is also a coming of age novel, but again not. One thing that it is, is funny. Or at least Joe thinks that. Give us a listen to find out why Alex thinks…

1
Bonus Episode; Alex and Joe read a fan suggestion, The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread 1:10:39

1+ y ago1:10:39

1:10:39

Hello all! Today's bonus episode was a fan suggestion. This super fan had the request that we read a lost classic called The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread by Don Robertson. This story is one of the novels that got the great Stephen King interested in writing. Give it a listen to see what two lesser known brothers think of it. Our next regularly…

1
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Book Discussion 1:04:52

1+ y ago1:04:52

1:04:52

This month Alex and Joe discuss another controversial book. Today we are talking about The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. We don't delve too deeply into the controversy about the author, as neither of us looked too hard into it. It didn't really have much to do with the assigned reading. What we do discuss though, is…

1
Bonus Episode; Valliant Women with Becky Guest Hosting 1:17:24

1+ y ago1:17:24

1:17:24

For National Women's Month, we have a special book for everyone. Becky joins Joe to discuss the book Valliant Women by Lena Andrews. It is about the women that helped win World War Two; the brave women that broke tradition to assist our Soldiers and Marines and Navy in whatever capacity that they could. Becky gets her heckles up and Joe makes sure …

1
Lamb Book Discussion 59:29

1+ y ago59:29

59:29

This month Joe and Alex discuss the book, Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. This was Joe's pick. As he says, one of his top 5 books of all time. This is a controversial book about the "lost years" of Jesus and how he developed his teachings. A perfect book to read leading up to Easter this year, so you…

1
Bonus Episode; Becky talks about two retellings of Cinderella 31:26

1+ y ago31:26

31:26

In this bonus episode, Becky was kind enough to join Joe again and discuss some fairytale retellings. Becky picked out two of her favorite childhood retellings, The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci and Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe. Becky has lots of questions about why we retell so many fairytales, and why so many are based on wo…

1
Gone Baby Gone Book Discussion 1:04:49

2y ago1:04:49

1:04:49

This month Alex and Joe discuss the book, Gone Baby Gone by Denis Lehane. This is a crime thriller that takes place in '90s Boston. Both of us reflect on those simpler times and the tropes that these kinds of books loved to throw around back then. One thing that we had to keep reminding ourselves of, no cell phones. Oh how times have changed. Our n…

1
Bonus Episode; Stuffed with guests Becky and Megan 45:50

2y ago45:50

45:50

In this episode we have two very special guests today. Both our wives, Becky and Megan are here to discuss a book that Alex is calling the greatest classic since Gilgamesh and Joe thinks it as the dumbest thing ever written... We are talking about the book, Stuffed by Sylvia Morrow. 87 pages of pure hell. About a sentient pillow. And the love makin…

1
Stiff Book Discussion 1:15:18

2y ago1:15:18

1:15:18

This month Joe and Alex discuss the book Stiff by Mary Roach. They are joined by their favorite returning guest host, Becky. This was one of Becky's favorite teenage books. Yes, she is a little strange. But we all still love her. We talk about everyone's favorite subject, death. And more importantly, what to do with your body after you are no longe…

1
Bonus Episode; Becky gives a talk about the book Peak 1:02:23

2y ago1:02:23

1:02:23

In this bonus episode, Becky has returned once again to discuss the book Peak by Roland Smith. She gives an in-depth overview of the book and gives us some of the prompts that she would give her middle school students. Joe and Becky discuss some of the ins and outs of climbing Everest. Neither of us are experts on the matter, so we apologize for al…

1
Bull Book Discussion 44:47

2y ago44:47

44:47

This month Alex and Joe discuss the Greek myth retelling, Bull, by David Elliot. It is a different kind of book. Completely told in poetic prose. The author is a local (to us) author that Alex was lucky enough to meet once. Listen to him geek out about this epic tale that looks at an old favorite from the point of views of some of the more minor ch…

1
Bonus Episode; An Author Interview with Troy Farkas and his Book Surrender 48:54

2y ago48:54

48:54

Alex and Joe interview their first author! Local author Troy Farkas who recently published his debut self-help novel Surrender, A Guide to Living Your Best Life in Your Twenties was kind enough to sit down with us and discuss his book and his philosophy on life. If you are interested in buying this local (to us) author's book, you can find it at an…

1
Night Watch Book Discussion 1:07:26

2y ago1:07:26

1:07:26

This month Alex and Joe discuss the absolutely hilarious book, Night Watch, by Sir Terry Pratchett. In this episode, Joe reads far too many quotes and gushes about how much he loves this book. Alex makes fun of his older brother for this shameful display of feelings while continuously repeating how this book is well done. Our next book is going to …

1
Bonus Episode; Hopscotch With Adam 49:35

2y ago49:35

49:35

In this bonus episode, Adam joins us against his will. He suggested this book, Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar. Alex and Joe do their best to describe this book to Adam, since Adam did not do his reading assignment. This book is interesting because there are multiple ways to read it, and Alex and Joe compare notes on the ways that they read the book. A…

1
John Dies at the End Book Discussion 1:05:22

2y ago1:05:22

1:05:22

This month Alex and Joe talk about the hilarious horror novel, John Dies at the End, by Jason Pargin aka David Wong. In this book Alex and I try to tackle the craziness of the storyline. Honest. It's all over the place. We share our different theories on the many plot holes and strangeties (yes I know that is not a real word). Joe even gets Alex to…

Joe And Alex Kendall Podcasts