ICYMI – Mike and I had a little bit of a long break around the holidays due to many different things happening but one thing that we don’t intend to do is lose the urge to want to sit down and talk about the books we’ve read. If you haven’t yet subscribed to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast catcher – and didn’t see our two new January episodes, here are links to stream them from our Shelf Life website. We are looking to do a classic novel for our next episode – something that harkens back to our old High School years and have more lined up in the following months. It’s our intention to get back to releasing a new one at least once per month going forward but if you subscribe to our podcast you’ll be sure not to miss it.
We are not experts — we just discuss books that we like, love, or didn’t. We hope that you’ll find value in that and hang out with us as we discuss them.
If you like movies, I was also a guest on SlasherCast – SideEffect in January. Dave and I sat down and discussed The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies:
Mike and I did get together and discussed the novel by Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl” for our Shelf Life Podcast. You won’t miss out if you watched the movie instead of reading the book, as most of the book was in the movie- with some minor changes that you can probably figure out. We were joined by Jack from Slashercast who couldn’t wait to talk about what he read. It was a lively chat, that’s for sure.
Mike and I plan on discussing The Hunger Games books on our next episode, so stay tuned. 🙂
I forgot to mention that I had an opportunity to be a special guest on the Slashercast podcast this month on two occasions, two weeks in a row. Why is this news? I have been a guest on Slashercast : Side Effect , after all, but the guys haven’t had a guest on their weekly program in a long while and it made for extra bawdy laughs in a full length episode and I had a lot of fun filling in! These guys are always warm and welcoming and I couldn’t have felt more comfortable filling in for a few of the regular gents that are usually on the program (and are back in future episodes, don’t worry!)
I filled in for reviews on “As Above So Below” and “Leprechaun: Origins”
Also this month, Mike and I are getting ready to read and discuss the popular novel by Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl” for our Shelf Life Podcast. We’ll have special guests on this episode – a cross-over episode with Jack and Lauren from their movie podcast, DeathRattle Podcast. You’ll recognize Jack also from SlasherCast where we brought up the subject of “Gone Girl” in the “Leprechaun” episode. We’re excited to talk about this one- lots of emotions! Stay tuned!
As you can tell, I have not been able to do any Outlander episode recaps but I have been watching the show (most times more than once a week) like a madwoman. I’ve been trying to keep a level head on my shoulders when it comes to the show but they manage to really impress me every week. Episode 6, “The Garrison Commander” was absolutely brilliant and I think it’s my favorite episode yet.
Impromptu, my favorite episodes so far are:
#3 – Sassenach – The pilot
#2 – The Wedding – ep 7
#1 – The Garrison Commander – ep 6
The mid-season break is coming up – so I’ll see if that shakes up my “top 3” or not.
I will try and make a separate post discussing the show soon. My schedule has been pretty busy but I definitely want to talk about this show at some point!
Early last year Mike Sabourin and I were in the pre-recording stages of discussing a new (at the time) movie that had come out for Slashercast Side Effect. Chatting away, waiting for everything to fall in line before the episode got underway, he and I swung around to the topic of Outlander. This was just prior to the knowledge that it was going to become a show that Starz (or Ronald Moore) was interested in producing for their network. We were talking about the series up to that point and our anticipation for Written in My Own Hearts Blood (book 8). We sat there for a good fifteen minutes chatting away. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we started up a side cast to talk about the books we love?” was the resulting question that was raised just before we all settled in to discuss the movie we were all really there to discuss. But a Diana Gabaldon kinship started right there, that day. It was like suddenly bumping into a person you know at a gathering (whoops, did I get any of my diet Coke on you?) and realizing that you have more in common than the one thing you knew about them to start with. We both loved reading and Outlander was what sparked the idea that maybe we could get together once every month or so and chew the fat about what we’ve been reading lately.
We didn’t start our podcast adventure with it because- well, it’s a pretty big concept type book to cover for a first episode (we warmed up with a Stephen King book instead) and we also knew by episode one recording that it would be becoming a TV show this year so we might as well wait and see how the pilot went. Why not?
Time went by and as news began to surface about the casting of the show I tweeted and FB’d to people with whom I knew had read the book(s) and had a general excitement for what was being revealed. Mike and my podcast friend Iris can attest to my fan-girl-esque squeeing over the trickling news, because I think I beat them over the head with everything I saw (sometimes excitement just takes you away like a leaf on the wind).
Well, finally, it’s here. Mike and I sat down and recorded an episode about my favorite book series. I think I managed to dial back my gushy fat love and juicy joy for the series and look and the first book on its own merits, but I did pay homage and gave recognition that my love of all things Outlander really is because of the entire series as a whole and not based on just one piece of the Gabaldon pie – and I hope I’ve done that.
Books, like movies or any other type of entertainment – aren’t for everyone and there are certainly people who don’t like what they read and I felt like it was a good idea to make sure I tried to represent more than just the fans who love the books. I think it’s easy to gloss over a first time read of a story and forget that maybe you ever had a problem with it because you love the entire franchise. My co-host and friend Mike had many wonderful counter points to some of the topics I brought up, which makes for a fabulous dialogue that I hope you’ll enjoy listening to!
I know that Mike and I would have liked to have really delved into the TV show with a lot more depth, but the recording was getting pretty long and he, unlike me, had not yet seen episode 2 yet- so I felt like knowing what I knew of the episode might take away his discovery of what that new episode might feel like for him. Especially if you have heard his reveal about the Jamie Fraser/Sam Heughan character. So maybe we’ll save a much deeper look into the show to book for a later time, (or maybe I’ll blog how I feel about the episodes as the show goes along) but it is talked about – there’s no way we could sign off the recording without having done so. The show is absolutely huge, which makes my fan girl heart sing with sweet happiness (as I’m sure it does for many people).
** There IS one thing that I forgot to mention on the show that I meant to! **
Did you know that Stephen King’s new book, Revival, which is out in November, has a ‘Jamie and Claire’ duo in it? Luckily their last name isn’t Fraser- it’s Morton, and they are brother and sister in his story, but when I saw that my mind went “noooooooooooo”. As if any author hasn’t used that name combo before in their works in the last 23 years, right? I know. Couldn’t help it though.
You can listen to the show, and this episode, via streaming online at the link below – or you can find us by searching for Shelf Life Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or another podcast catcher application that you might use for your Smartphone (there are many out there. Downcast, Podcast Addict, etc).
You can expect a non-spoiler section and there WILL be a SPOILER section clearly designated in each episode. In the end we just decided that for the people who had read the books, it’d be a nice place to chat about it all. Let it all hang out. And if you didn’t read them, that you had a place you could stop the show to check the book out and come back to us afterwards. We give you a Recommends segment at the end of most of our episodes as well as a ‘what have we been reading’ discussion at the start of each episode. Maybe it’ll help build your TBR (to be read) lists.
That’s where I’ll leave this blog post for now.
Be good to each other!
-DAC
Our Twitter :
Me = @DA_Chaney
Mike = @TheFlickist
The show = @TheShelfLifePod
If you want to hear more Outlander goodness from episode to episode with fans of the TV show – you should look up the following podcasts:
The Outlander Podcast – on iTunes, Audioboo, and Podcast Addict
The Scot and the Sassanach – on iTunes and Stitcher
The Outlander Cast with Mary and Blake – on iTunes and Stitcher
This past weekend I recorded a new podcast episode with Dave and Ted from SlasherCast for their Side Effect program.
We sat down and discussed the explosive sequel, “The Raid 2“. The recording will be up by mid-week on their website but you can also catch it on their feed on iTunes, Stitcher, or preferred podcast catcher application on your Smartphone by searching for SlasherCast (the Side Effect episodes are side ‘casts on that appear in the main stream of the show and will be available there and properly labeled when new ones are loaded). We grade the movie and go over the film first, without spoilers, and then in the later half, we go spoiler heavy and discuss favorite parts and our things we had trouble with. Want to know what we thought? Check it out when it hits the SC feed and get in touch and let us know what you thought. Stay tuned to the end for a special episode #hashtag to use on Twitter!
I have a list of podcasts that I listen to (I will list my favorites on a future post) and on one of my top favorite shows, The Hollywood Outsider (a TV and movie podcast) Justin Macumber published a new book, “Still Water“. He asked that people who bought his book take selfie pictures with his title. Having purchased a Kindle title, I threw my hat in the ring and did just that.
(photo: The IMAHO t-shirt is a Hollywood Outsider fan t-shirt, “I’m a Hollywood Outsider” (fan) )
I am only half way through the book but so far I am enjoying it. The book is centered around a coal mining town that stumbles on an ancient evil secret.
If you’re interested in checking it out, you can find it, Justin, and The Hollywood Outsider at the links below. Enjoy!
And if you buy a copy, be sure to tag Justin on FB with a selfie. He’ll love it.
In anticipation of the World War Z movie coming out, SlasherCast has asked me to listen to and review the tremendous audiobook by Max Brooks, as narrated by many famous modern day voice talents. It is an unabridged version, that is newer than the one previously loaded, with less content.
Please definitely check this review out- if you’re trying to decide if this is for you- this review should be able to help you! You can also check it out on iTunes under the SlasherCast stream, episode 17 of the Side Effect.
DA Chaney 
