Hardcover Hooligans

Iron Flame - Part 3

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Our eternal plod through this ‘sexy’ tome continues. Plus, a plot twist no one saw coming: maybe we want to keep reading?

CW: There’s finally a sex scene in this book, so we talk about sexually explicit topics throughout and make sexual jokes. If this is not aligned with your sensibilities, best skip this one, old chap.

Iron Flame
By Rebecca Yarros
Published in 2023, by Red Tower Books

Spoilers
Part 1 of Iron Flame
All of Fourth Wing

Links:
Summary of the whole book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Flame

Thanks for Listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.
And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Tiktok if you’re into that sort of thing.

The Man in the High Castle

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0500

An alternate history where everyone makes decisions using an ancient Chinese fortune telling book instead of ChatGPT.

CW: This is a book about the Nazis winning World War 2. So we talk about that sort of stuff. I’m sure you know the sort of stuff we’re talking about.

The Man in the High Castle
By Philip K. Dick
Published in 1962, by Putnam

Spoilers
The Man in the High Castle

Links:
Summary of the whole book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_in_the_High_Castle

About Philip K. Dick: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick

Iron Flame - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0500

“This is a book written by a maniac for lunatics.” - Mc

CW: This is a sexy book, so we discuss sexual topics throughout. So don’t listen to this on speakerphone at a Wal-Mart. Or do, it would be good for our marketing maybe.

Iron Flame
By Rebecca Yarros
Published in 2023, by Red Tower Books

Spoilers
The first 200 pages of Iron Flame
All of Fourth Wing

Links:
Summary of the whole book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Flame

The Word for World Is Forest

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:30:00 -0600

A book that has nothing at all to do with what’s happening in our world right now.
Plus, we chat about current events in our city, which are, again, entirely unrelated to this book.

Places to donate:
Stand with MN: https://www.standwithminnesota.com/directory
Monarca (legal aid): https://monarcamn.org/
Legal Aid for Ukrainian Refugees in Minneapolis: https://www.gofundme.com/f/legal-aid-for-ukrainian-refugees-affected-by-ice

CW: mention of sexual assault at 17m19s

The Word for World Is Forest
By Ursula K. LeGuin
Published in 1972, by Doubleday

Spoilers
The Word for World Is Forest
Minor spoilers for The Dispossessed

Links:
Summary of the whole book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Word_for_World_Is_Forest

Iron Flame - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 07:00:00 -0600

It’s the book after Fourth Wing! Fifth Wing! No wait, it’s Iron Flame.
And current events might be affecting our experience of this book…

Iron Flame
By Rebecca Yarros
Published in 2023, by Red Tower Books

Spoilers
The first third of Iron Flame
All of Fourth Wing

Links:
Summary of the whole book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Flame

Fourth Wing - Part 2 (Re-upload)

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0600

We finally get to the NSFW parts of Fourth Wing! And also there is a sweet wizard fight.

Fourth Wing
By Rebecca Yarros
Published in 2023, by Entangled Publishing

Spoilers
Fourth Wing (entire book)

Fourth Wing - Part 1 (Re-upload)

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0600

We tackle the booktok sensation "Fourth Wing" to find out just what all the hub-bub is about. Is it good? Bad? Sexy??
Maybe it could be all three.

Note: this is a re-upload in anticipation of our upcoming episodes on 'Iron Flame'

Fourth Wing
By Rebecca Yarros
Published in 2023, by Entangled Publishing

Spoilers
Fourth Wing (first half)

A Court of Mist and Fury - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0600

While there are several climaxes in this book, the one that matters unfortunately made no sense.

Note: due to the nature of fairy smut books, this episode contains discussions of sexual themes and situations. Use caution when playing out loud on the bus.

A Court of Mist and Fury
By Sarah J. Maas
Published in 2016, by Bloombury Publishing.

Spoilers
All of A Court Of Thorns and Roses
All of A Court of Mist and Fury

Links:
Summary of the book: https://acourtofthornsandroses.fandom.com/wiki/A_Court_of_Mist_and_Fury

A Court of Mist and Fury - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0600

Everyone's favorite fairy smut series is back! And this time with…less sex? And more PTSD?!

Note: due to the nature of fairy smut books, this episode contains discussions of sexual themes and situations. Use caution when playing out loud on the bus.

*Double note: * right at the top, Danylo mistaken describes the mode of fantasy communication that's used the Stormlight Archive, NOT the mode of communication used in the Mistborn series. It's important to him that you all know that he knows he was wrong.

A Court of Mist and Fury
By Sarah J. Maas
Published in 2016, by Bloombury Publishing.

Spoilers
All of A Court Of Thorns and Roses
First half of A Court of Mist and Fury

Links:
Summary of the book: https://acourtofthornsandroses.fandom.com/wiki/A_Court_of_Mist_and_Fury

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Part 2 (Re-upload)

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0600

Cauldron boil and fry me! It's part two of our discussion of the fairy smut phenomenon! And yes, Feyre's bowels are still watery!

A Court of Thorns and Roses
By Sarah J. Maas
Published in 2015, by Bloombury Publishing.

Spoilers
All of A Court Of Thorns and Roses
Some series spoilers

Links:
Summary of the book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses/summary/

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Part 1 (Re-upload)

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0600

In anticipation of the podcast's return to the world of Sarah J. Maas, here's our first episode on the romantasy phenomenon.

A Court of Thorns and Roses
By Sarah J. Maas
Published in 2015, by Bloombury Publishing.

Spoilers
A Court Of Thorns and Roses (the first half)

Links:
Summary of the book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses/summary/

A Canticle for Leibowitz - Part 3

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0600

After 400 years, humanity has finally recovered all their technology…including nuclear bombs! Uh oh!

A Canticle for Leibowitz
By Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Published in 1959 by J. B. Lippincott & Co.

Links:
A Canticle for Leibowitz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Canticle_for_Leibowitz

Walter M. Miller, Jr.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_M._Miller_Jr.

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! If it’s funny, we’ll read it on air. Guaranteed.
And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.
And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Tiktok if you’re into that sort of thing.

A Canticle for Leibowitz - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0600

We finally arrive at the first piece of true advanced technology in this novel: a lightbulb.

A Canticle for Leibowitz
By Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Published in 1959 by J. B. Lippincott & Co.

Links:
A Canticle for Leibowitz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Canticle_for_Leibowitz

Walter M. Miller, Jr.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_M._Miller_Jr.

The Story of Job: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Job

A Canticle for Leibowitz - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 07:00:00 -0600

No lasers, no spaceships, just a sci-fi novel about a monk who finds a grocery list. Featuring our first ever guest on the podcast!

Sorry we mentioned the new pope so many times–it was really relevant back when we recorded this.

A Canticle for Leibowitz
By Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Published in 1959 by J. B. Lippincott & Co.

Links:
A Canticle for Leibowitz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Canticle_for_Leibowitz

Walter M. Miller, Jr.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_M._Miller_Jr.

How to Gird Up Your Loins - Art of Manliness: https://www.artofmanliness.com/skills/manly-know-how/how-to-gird-up-your-loins-an-illustrated-guide/

Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0500

After an unintentional summer hiatus, we’re back with the third and final installment of our short series on Borges short stories.

And oh no! It turns out a billionaire creating a fantasy planet with his friends can destroy the world.

Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius
By Jorge Luis Borges
Published in 1940 by Sur.

Links:
Borges:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges

Tlön, Uqbar, Orbius Tertius
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tl%C3%B6n,_Uqbar,_Orbis_Tertius

Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

If we claimed we wrote a Borges story and read it in its entirety at the end of our podcast, that would make the story infinitely richer.

Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote
By Jorge Luis Borges
Published in 1939 by Editorial Sur.

Spoilers
Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote, by Jorge Luis Borges

Links:
Borges:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges

Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Menard,_Author_of_the_Quixote

The Library of Babel

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 18:00:00 -0500

An infinite library implies the existence of infinite Mr. Beast video transcripts.

The Library of Babel
By Jorge Luis Borges
Published in 1941 by Editorial Sur.
Part of the story collection “The Garden of Forking Paths”

Spoilers
The Library of Babel, by Jorge Luis Borges

Links:
The Library of Babel exists!
https://libraryofbabel.info/’

Borges:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges

The Library of Babel:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Library_of_Babel

Carrie

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The moral of this story is to not bully the girl with latent psychic abilities.

CW: discussions of violence, blood, domestic abuse, various sexual stuff, misogyny, religious abuse, and I’m sure other unpleasant things.

Carrie
By Stephen King
Published in 1974 by Doubleday.

Spoilers
Carrie

Links:
Summary and info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_(novel)

Dungeon Crawler Carl

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:00:00 -0500

I guess books are just video games now.

This week we cover “Dungeon Crawler Carl”, the first book in the best-selling LitRPG series of the same name.

Dungeon Crawler Carl
By Matt Dinniman
Self-published in 2020.

Spoilers
Dungeon Crawler Carl

Links:
Summary and info:
https://dungeon-crawler-carl.fandom.com/wiki/Dungeon_Crawler_Carl_(Book)

LitRPG:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LitRPG

Watchmen

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 16:30:00 -0500

That’s right, we read comic books now! Just kidding, it’s called a graphic novel. And this one’s about a bunch of superheroes who aren’t really that super and one blue guy who is TOO super. Get ready for morally grey characters, questionable motives, and a weird spooky pirate story.

Watchmen
By Alan Moore & David Ribbons
Published in 1987 by DC Comics.

Spoilers
Watchmen

Links:
Summary and info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchmen

The Greater Good: Analyzing Morality in Watchmen, by Jeffrey Wu
https://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/journal/past-issues/issue-8/wu/

The Way of Kings - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 07:00:00 -0600

We finish The Way of Kings and are left with boredomspren floating around our computers.

Plus, we read some one-star Goodreads reviews of The Way of Kings and do a quick overview of the other Stormlight Archive books.

The Way of Kings
By Brandon Sanderson
Published in 2010 by Tor Books.

Spoilers
The Way of Kings
Misc. spoilers for Words of Radiance, Oathbringer, and Rhythm of War
(marked off at the end of the episode)

Links:
Summary and info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_of_Kings

Japanese Whodunnit writer, Seishi Yokomizo:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seishi_Yokomizo

Read Japanese Literature Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/7ivFfWWvKoiavHypZuENzP

Outside, by Brandon Sanderson:
https://www.brandonsanderson.com/blogs/blog/outside

The Most Mormon Magic System, by Liz Busby:
https://sfrareview.org/2021/07/18/the-most-mormon-magic-system-how-brandon-sanderson-turned-agency-into-fantasy/

The Way of Kings - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 07:00:00 -0600

We embark on The Way of Kings, the first book in Brandon Sanderson’s magnum opus series, The Stormlight Archive.

This book dares to explore such important questions as “what if someone who was good at fighting also had depression?” and “what if big swords but no blood?”

Content warnings: discussion of depression, mentions of suicide

The Way of Kings
By Brandon Sanderson
Published in 2010 by Tor Books.

Spoilers
The Way of Kings
Some other Stormlight Archive plot spoilers (marked off near the end of the episode)

Links:
Summary and info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_of_Kings

Map of Shattered Plains:
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/stormlightarchive/images/2/2a/Shattered_Plains.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20121114150205

Bridgemen Squad:
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/stormlightarchive/images/2/27/Bridge_BMcS.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20200703022429

Kaladin’s New Bridge Strategy:
https://imgur.com/stormlight-bridge-design-side-carry-d9Ocndg

Assassin’s Quest - Part 3

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 07:00:00 -0600

Fitz’s story finds a poetic, complex, and bittersweet ending, but all we can talk about are Prince Verity’s cool silver arms. Which begs the question: did Robin Hobb want Prince Verity to eventually become this world’s Silver Surfer?

As usual, we also read a bunch of one-star Goodreads reviews about the book.

Plus, we announce what we’ll be tackling next on the Hardcover Hooligans podcast.

Assassin’s Quest
By Robin Hobb
Published in 1997 by Voyageur Books.

Spoilers
Assassin’s Apprentice
Royal Assassin
Assassin’s Quest

Links:
Summary and info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin's_Quest

Assassin’s Quest - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 07:00:00 -0600

Are chronic pain, sadness, social isolation, and the unbearable burden of duty worth it if it means you get abs?

The Hardcover Hiatus is over, and the boys are back to talk about the final sections of Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy.

Assassin’s Quest
By Robin Hobb
Published in 1997 by Voyageur Books.

Spoilers
Assassin’s Apprentice
Royal Assassin
Assassin’s Quest

Links:
Summary and info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin's_Quest

Elderlings in the Stone Garden:
https://shorturl.at/8EkKK
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/dkkLX

An Announcement

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:00:00 -0600

"Huh?! They're not dead?! And now they're trying to bait me into listening to this announcement by being intentionally omnious and vague?! What the hell?!" – All of you, right now

A quick announcement by Danylo about the future of the podcast.

Assassin's Quest - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Our favorite teenage wolf assassin is back, but does this mean he stops getting shafted by everyone and everything in his life? No. But has he learned anything from what he's gone through? Also, no. Will he continue to make questionable decisions about his life? Yes. And we get to read about it.

Content Warnings
Mention of sexual assault

Assassin’s Quest
By Robin Hobb
Book 3 of the Farseer Trilogy
Published in 1997 by Spectra.

Spoilers
Assassin’s Apprentice
Royal Assassin
First third of Assassin's Quest

Links:
Summary and info: https://robinhobbelderlings.fandom.com/wiki/Assassin%27s_Quest

Royal Assassin - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0500

We continue to read about the fraught life of a moody teen who is slowly turning into a crazy wolf man. Believe it or not, this causes problems in his personal life.

Royal Assassin
By Robin Hobb
Book 2 of the Farseer Trilogy
Published in 1996 by Spectra.

Spoilers
Assassin’s Apprentice
Royal Assassin

Links:
Summary: https://robinhobbelderlings.fandom.com/wiki/Royal_Assassin

Image of final scene:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/KaxTxBlMQEr0n36ejcsgCc2Zatgc_lX94FjvUFt0oj_jXZp3Zxsettkbvoah5z8wF-JA-QsabcotQHq7Kgk_COzVITGSUFem0lDXk138U62LeMvdiSpDaEjdWA

Royal Assassin - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0500

In the previous book, Fitz bonds with a dog. In this book, he bonds with a wolf. What's the next step, the final evolution? What's the Blastoise of wolves?
These questions not answered in the episode, but it's still a fun discussion of a great book.

We're continuing with the second book in the Farseer Trilogy, Royal Assassin. And goddamit, it's even better than the first one.

And we're sorry about the weedwhacker noise in the background of Danylo's audio about halfway through. If we could go back in time and kill the weedwhacker guy, we would.

Royal Assassin
By Robin Hobb
Book 2 of the Farseer Trilogy
Published in 1996 by Spectra.

Spoilers
Assassin’s Apprentice
First half of Royal Assassin

Content Warnings
Mentions of sexual assault

Assassin's Apprentice - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0500

This book is unbelievably good. I love Fitz and Prince Verity and they are my real life best friends.

What an incredibly breath of fresh air! The fellas finish Assassin's Apprentice and are left feeling... good? Excited for the future? Almost as if maybe they should just be reading stuff they like and not stuff that makes them want to give up their ability to read? Find out within...

Assassin’s Apprentice
By Robin Hobb
Book 1 of the Farseer Trilogy
Published in 1995 by Spectra.

Spoilers
Assassin’s Apprentice

Links
Summary and info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_Apprentice

Chapter-by-chapter summary: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/robinhobbmeganlindholm/chapter-summaries-for-aa-group-re-read-t3975.html

Assassin’s Apprentice - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0500

The blurb on the back cover of this book makes it sound like it’s fantasy for babies, but it’s actually really really good.

Assassin’s Apprentice
By Robin Hobb
Book 1 of the Farseer Trilogy
Published in 1995 by Spectra.

Spoilers
Assassin’s Apprentice

Links
Summary and info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_Apprentice

Chapter-by-chapter summary: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/robinhobbmeganlindholm/chapter-summaries-for-aa-group-re-read-t3975.html

I Am Legend

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0500

We dive into the mind of Robert Neville, a lonely, sexually repressed, alcoholic 1950s white man who staves off his horniness by blasting classical music and checking out books from the library.

And yeah, he’s the last man in the world. And yeah, he’s killing LOTS of vampires.

(Also did we mention he’s really horny?)

I Am Legend
By Richard Matheson
Published in 1954 by Gold Medal Books.

Spoilers
I Am Legend (books AND movie)

Links:
I Am Legend: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Legend_(novel)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103874/

Content Warnings
Sexual assault

The Three Body Problem - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Well, we did it. We solved the Three Body Problem.

Maybe the real Trisolaran Empire was the friends we made along the way.

Big sigh.

The Three Body Problem
By Cixin Liu
Translated by Ken Liu
First published in China as a serial in 2006, then as a standalone book in 2008.
Published in 2014 in English by Tor Books.

Spoilers
The Three Body Problem (the whole book)

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.
And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Tiktok if you’re into that sort of thing.

The Three Body Problem - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Danylo and Mc venture into the past, to then rocket into the future in The Three Body Problem!

Things are not looking good for science, or anything else for that matter!

What could it be?? Aliens??

Yup.

The Three Body Problem
By Cixin Liu
Translated by Ken Liu
First published in China as a serial in 2006, then as a standalone book in 2008.
Published in 2014 in English by Tor Books.

Spoilers
The Three Body Problem (first half)

Fourth Wing - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0500

We finally get to the NSFW parts of Fourth Wing!

And also there is a sweet wizard fight.

Join us as Mc leads us through the joy of audiobook listening to great performers when the actual book probably actually sucks!

Fourth Wing
By Rebecca Yarros
Published in 2023, by Entangled Publishing

Spoilers
Fourth Wing (second half)

Fourth Wing - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Oh boy here we go.

A book that came out in the last five years?? What has this podcast become.

This week Mc tackles the booktok sensation Fourth Wing to find just what all the hub bub is about. Is it good? Bad? Sexy??
Maybe it could be all three. Like Challengers! I guess you gotta listen to find out...

Fourth Wing
By Rebecca Yarros
Published in 2023, by Entangled Publishing

Spoilers
Fourth Wing (first half)

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 20 May 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Cauldron boil and fry me! Danylo has finished A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR), and he has some thoughts and feelings.
Maybe, just maybe, the real ACOTAR was the friends we made along the way.

A Court of Thorns and Roses
By Sarah J. Maas
Published in 2015, by Bloombury Publishing

Spoilers
A Court of Thorns and Roses (entire book, and some for the rest of the series)

Links
Read AI Jereny's wonderful book reviews: https://medium.com/@jerenymarkenz/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-by-sarah-j-maas-book-review-1283bec0de22

A Court Of Thorns and Roses - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 06 May 2024 07:00:00 -0500

WHY GOD WHY??? Danylo and Mc explore the #Booktok phenomenon 'A Court of Thorns and Roses', written by Sarah J. Mass. It's uh.... well it's certainly a novel!
We are trying something new! In an unexpected twist, Mc hasn't read the book. Does he have the attention span to listen to Danylo talk about lore he doesn't care about? Find out within!

A Court of Thorns and Roses
By Sarah J. Maas
Published in 2015, by Bloombury Publishing.

Spoilers
A Court Of Thorns and Roses (the first half)

The Silmarillion - Part 3

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Danylo and Mc finally finish The Silmarillion, and with that all of J.R.R. Tolkien’s most notable work. Turin Turumbar is the most depressing man of all time, Mîm sucks, and a hidden city becomes no longer hidden in dramatic fashion.

The Silmarillion
By J.R.R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Tolkien
Published in 1977 by George Allen & Unwin.

*Spoilers: *
The Silmarillion
The Lord of Rings
The Hobbit

Links:
Chapter summaries: https://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/reference/silmsummaries/home.php

Glaurung vs. Anchalagon the Black: https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-52aa34e3b323b6238b0bae292bff39d4-c

The Silmarillion - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0500

The tragic saga of the Silmarils continues with Sauron doing a Battle of the Bands, a talking dog, and the coolest heist ever.

The Silmarillion
By J.R.R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Tolkien
Published in 1977 by George Allen & Unwin.

*Spoilers: *
The Silmarillion
The Lord of Rings
The Hobbit

Links:
Chapter summaries: https://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/reference/silmsummaries/home.php

Lame image of Carcaroth: https://images.beastsofwar.com/2022/08/91082101-20220828151912_IMG_3158-01.jpeg

The Hunting of Carcaroth: https://www.muddycolors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/justin-gerard-BL2017-n16-12e.jpg

Beren and Luthien confront Carcaroth: https://cdn.cara.app/cdn-cgi/image/width=640/production/posts/f06427f7-6044-4be3-9ec3-09ab1c4548fb/Xavier%20Collette-Ssb0OetKRFUBGjHYpCuT2-Carcharoth_preview01.jpg

Dune Part 2 Movie vs. Book

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0500

Danylo and Mc have a timely discussion on a movie that came out like a month ago. They discuss the differences between Frank Herbert’s novel Dune (1965), and the recent film Dune Part 2 (2024) by Denis Villeneuve, starring Timothée Chalamet and a very bald and very white Austin Butler. Does Space Elvis love knife fights? Yes, yes he does.

Dune
By Frank Herbert
Published in 1965 by Chilton Books.

*Spoilers: *
All of Dune, Dune Messiah, Dune Part 1 movie, Dune Part 2 movie
(We say at the beginning we’ll start spoiler-free, and then immediately forget that’s what we’re doing, so…spoilers throughout)

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

The Silmarillion - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0500

If you thought fantasy couldn’t get nerdier than the appendices of Lord of the Rings, let us introduce you to The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien, the "prequel" to Lord of the Rings. It is very cool. And beautiful. And also boring sometimes. Is it for everyone? No. Is it for anyone? Well…

The Silmarillion
By J.R.R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Tolkien
Published in 1955 by George Allen & Unwin.

*Spoilers: *
The Silmarillion
The Lord of Rings
The Hobbit

Links:
Chapter summaries: https://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/reference/silmsummaries/home.php

The Lord of the Rings - Appendices

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 07:00:00 -0600

That’s right, the appendices of The Lord of the Rings have so much frickin’ nerd stuff we need a whole separate episode.

We’ve got some great stories like Helm Hammerhand beating everyone up, Aragorn’s dating history, and Sam getting elected mayor of the Shire every year until he dies.

The Return of the King
By J.R.R. Tolkien
Published in 1955 by George Allen & Unwin.

*Spoilers: *
All of The Lord of Rings

Links:
Summary of the appendices: https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Appendices

Tolkien’s Grave Stone: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/jrr-tolkiens-grave

SPQR, by Mary Beard: https://rb.gy/ikjyah

A Distant Mirror, by Barbara Tuchman: https://rb.gy/ok2nlf

Lord of the Rings Calendar explained (calendar is #5, plus other appendix info): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pciR1eElWoQ

The Return of the King - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 07:00:00 -0600

Danylo and Mc read and discuss the finale of Lord of the Rings. There's like twelve different endings, including Sharkey and the infamous Scouring of the Shire.

The Return of the King
By J.R.R. Tolkien
Published in 1955 by George Allen & Unwin.

*Spoilers: *
Most of all of The Lord of Rings (we talk about what happens in all the movies constantly)
The Hobbit

Links:
Summary of the whole book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/returnking/summary/

The Return of the King - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 07:00:00 -0600

Mc and Danylo read Book 5 (a.k.a. the first half) of The Return of the King. Battles with orcs, battles with pirates, and battles with despair!
Plus, Mc shares an internet book culture pet peeve.

The Return of the King
By J.R.R. Tolkien
Published in 1955 by George Allen & Unwin.

*Spoilers: *
Most of all of The Lord of Rings (we talk about what happens in all the movies constantly)
The Hobbit

Links:
Summary of the whole book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/returnking/summary/

The Two Towers - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 07:00:00 -0600

Our heroes get ever closer to Mordor, where it’s dangerous to look at the evil stuff for too long. Danylo definitely thought this part was going to be boring (it was not), and Mc gets confused about the layout of a cave. But in all sincerity, the main take is that these books definitely don’t get enough credit for their subtlety and nuance. It’s just good.

The Two Towers
By J.R.R. Tolkien
Published in 1954 by George Allen & Unwin.

*Spoilers: *
Most of all of The Lord of Rings (we talk about what happens in all the movies constantly)
Spoilers for Amazon’s Rings of Power show

Links:
Summary of the whole book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/twotowers/summary/

Map of Mordor: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/16/2d/f9/162df9c79f622e6eb9f4f1dba79994af.jpg

Classic video about potatoes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihMMw0rnKz4

Sam vs. Shelob image: https://arthive.com/artists/9342~Ted_Nesmith/works/274387~Spider

The Two Towers - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 07:00:00 -0600

Danylo and Mc chug some ent-draughts and discuss the first half of The Two Towers. Dwarves love running actually, Wormtongue is the alt-right pipeline, and waving around a sword cures depression. We also meet the second and final woman in these books! Wow!

The Two Towers
By J.R.R. Tolkien
Published in 1954 by George Allen & Unwin.

*Spoilers: *
Most of all of The Lord of Rings (we talk about what happens in all the movies constantly)
The Hobbit

Links:
Summary of the whole book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/twotowers/summary/

Maps of Helm’s Deep: https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/169207/why-was-the-breaking-of-the-wall-of-helms-deep-so-important-in-the-two-towers

The Fellowship of the Ring - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 07:00:00 -0600

Danylo and Mc read the second half of The Fellowship of the Ring, during which they try to answer the question “what if Frodo was wearing armor made of Bitcoin?”

The Fellowship of the Ring
By J.R.R. Tolkien
Published in 1954 by George Allen & Unwin.

*Spoilers: *
Most of all of The Lord of Rings (we talk about what happens in all the movies constantly)
The Hobbit

Links:
Summary of the whole book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/fellowship/summary/

The Fellowship of the Ring - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 07:00:00 -0600

Danylo and Mc throw a long-expected party by reading the first book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (we know it’s not technically a trilogy, it’s one whole story, but who cares). Danylo constantly compares the book to the movies (sorry), and Mc revisits one of his favorite books.
They both have a crush on Aragorn.

The Fellowship of the Ring
By J.R.R. Tolkien
Published in 1954 by George Allen & Unwin.

*Spoilers: *
Most of all of The Lord of Rings (we talk about what happens in all the movies constantly)
The Hobbit

Links:
Summary of the whole book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/fellowship/summary/

Reasons for Liking Tolkien, by Jenny Turner: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v23/n22/jenny-turner/reasons-for-liking-tolkien

Tom Bombadil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Bombadil

Lord of the Rings Musical Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/album/6PpBGWOamHlsuI5diOtMBe?si=UDbWASI-T5S_dSPreq7yhw

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

The Hobbit

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 07:00:00 -0600

**ATTENTION! **Mc misspoke about Tolkien rewriting a bit of the Hobbit regarding the dwarves. He was conflating the Riddles in the Dark rewrite with the letter Tolkien sent the publisher. Sorry!!!!! Neither of us will EVER misspeak again.

Mc and Danylo read a classic in the fantasy genre, which is also a classic in the “cheating at riddle games to get over-powered jewelry” genre.

The Hobbit
By J.R.R. Tolkien
Published in 1937 by George Allen & Unwin.

*Spoilers: *
All of The Hobbit
We also talk about the Lord of the Rings movies constantly, so…spoilers for some 20-year-old movies, I guess.

Links:

Summary of the whole book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/hobbit/summary/

Stuart Little Meme: https://www.reddit.com/r/lotrmemes/comments/sldipv/do_you_agree/

On Fairy Stories: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Fairy-Stories

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Jewish Dwarves article: https://daily.jstor.org/j-r-r-tolkiens-jewish-dwarves/

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

Dune Messiah

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 07:00:00 -0600

After the baffling conclusion of Dune, Danylo and Mc read the sequel, Dune Messiah. We get the satisfying conclusion of the epic story of Paul Muad’Dib Atreides, as well as a bunch of weird 1960s sci-fi pervert stuff.

Dune Messiah
By Frank Herbert
Published in 1969 by Putnam Publishing.

*Spoilers: *
All of Dune
All of Dune Messiah

Links:
Summary of the whole book (the wikipedia page is pretty thorough):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_Messiah

Terminology of Dune:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_Dune_(franchise)_terminology

The photo that Mc sent Danylo at the end:
https://www.tumblr.com/dunequotes/155008451782/leto-ii-atreides-the-god-emperor-and-santa-claus

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

Dune - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0500

The sweeping, epic adventure story of Paul “Muad’Dib” Atreides just suddenly kinda…ends. And he wins. And beats everyone. And becomes emperor. Okay.
Danylo and Mc talk about Dune’s legacy, lasting impact, and how Frank Herbert doesn’t know what women talk about when there are no men around.

Dune
By Frank Herbert
Published in 1965 by Chilton Books.

*Spoilers: *
All of Dune

Links:
Summary of the whole book

Terminology of Dune

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

Dune - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0500

Kwisatz Haderach. Bene Gesserit. Fremen. Melange. Muad’Dib. The C.H.O.A.M. Company.
What do these goofy words even mean? Find out on this week’s episode.
Hint: they’re all things in the novel Dune, by Frank Herbert.

Dune
By Frank Herbert
Published in 1965 by Chilton Books.

*Spoilers: *
The first half of Dune (up to Book II, Third Section)

Links:
Summary of the whole book

Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear

Terminology of Dune

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

The Dispossessed - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0500

We return to the twin moons of Urras and Anarres to see if capitalism and ownership have poisoned our interpersonal and societal relationships (spoiler alert: yes).

But there’s still kind of a happy ending??? Based. 10/10.

Content Warning: Discussion of sexual assault

The Dispossessed
By Ursula K. Le Guin
Published in 1974 by Harper and Row.
Winner of the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the National Book Award

*Spoilers: *
All of The Dispossessed

Links:
Summary and analysis of The Dispossessed

Wikipedia page for The Dispossessed (it has cool background info and stuff)

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us with feedback or hate mail, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

The Dispossessed - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0500

If you want to have constant thoughts about the horrors of our capitalist and governmental systems, then this book is for you. And if you already do that, well…here’s more of that.

Danylo and Mc read Ursula K. Le Guin’s classic sci-fi book, The Dispossessed, and have to resist the urge to tell everyone they know that money, laws, and owning things is fake actually.

The Dispossessed
By Ursula K. Le Guin
Published in 1974 by Harper and Row
Winner of the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the National Book Award

*Spoilers: *
Chapters 1-6 of The Dispossessed

Links:
Summary and analysis of The Dispossessed

Wikipedia page for The Dispossessed (it has cool background info and stuff)

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review!
And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com and/or follow us on social media: @hardcoverhooligans.

Mistborn: The Hero of Ages - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0500

Danylo and Mc finally finish the Mistborn Trilogy and crawl out from under the debris of the Sanderlanche™. They give their thoughts on the book and the trilogy as a whole and, oh boy, do they have a lot of thoughts.

They also “read” the novella Mistborn: A Secret History as a special “treat”.

The Hero of Ages: Book Three of Mistborn
By Brandon Sanderson
Published in 2008 by Tor Books.

*Spoilers: *
Minor Cosmere and Stormlight Archives spoilers (but really who cares)
All of Mistborn: A Secret History
All of The Hero of Ages
All of The Well of Ascension
All of Mistborn: The Final Empire

Links:
Summary of the whole book
https://coppermind.net/wiki/Summary:The_Hero_of_Ages

Summary of Mistborn: A Secret History
https://coppermind.net/wiki/Summary:Mistborn:_Secret_History

Reading every Mistborn book is like...
https://giphy.com/gifs/crash-truck-TfUFeB7B5ltKw

Zane image
https://coppermind.net/wiki/Zane_Venture

Hoarding rugs
https://www.reddit.com/r/bookscirclejerk/comments/121t525/sanderson_is_in_the_media_now_we_feast/

Roger Ebert quote about fans and fandom
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1192222-a-lot-of-fans-are-basically-fans-of-fandom-itself

Brandon Sanderon’s Magic: The Gathering cards (it’s like the third image down in the article)
https://www.wired.com/story/brandon-sanderson-is-your-god/

The Greatest/Meanest/Weirdest article of all time
https://www.wired.com/story/brandon-sanderson-is-your-god/

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

Mistborn: The Hero of Ages - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0500

Danylo and Mc are almost at the end of a fantasy trilogy and still nothing important is happening. Your Favorite Mistborn Characters™ do nothing but walk from place to place, gather information, and sit around. Isn’t the world supposed to be ending?

The Hero of Ages: Book Three of Mistborn
By Brandon Sanderson
Published in 2008 by Tor Books.

*Spoilers: *
Parts 1-3 of The Hero of Ages
All of The Well of Ascension
All of Mistborn: The Final Empire

Links:
Chapter-by-chapter summary of the whole book

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

Mistborn: The Well of Ascension - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Danylo and Mc lose their minds a little bit in this episode. They vent about how insane Brandon Sanderson’s writing choices are, and how his Mormonism seems to seep into every aspect of his writing.
We’re sorry it’s so long. We hope it makes sense.

The Well of Ascension: Book Two of Mistborn
By Brandon Sanderson
Published in 2007 by Tor Books.

*Spoilers: *
All of The Well of Ascension
All of Mistborn: The Final Empire

Links:
Chapter-by-chapter summary of the whole book

Brandon Sanderson Is Your God | Wired

Brandon Sanderson Reddit AMA | Response to LGBTQ question

LDS Living Brandon Sanderson Article

Sanderson’s Response to the Wired Article

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

Mistborn: The Well of Ascension - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 21:00:00 -0500

Mc and Danylo start the second book in the Mistborn Trilogy. They finally feel like they’re reading a real book, except for the part when our hero inexplicably punches a dog in the head. And then it starts unraveling from there…

The Well of Ascension: Book Two of Mistborn
By Brandon Sanderson
Published in 2007 by Tor Books.

*Spoilers: *
Parts 1-3 of The Well of Ascension
All of Mistborn: The Final Empire

Links:
Chapter-by-chapter summary of the whole book

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

Mistborn: The Final Empire - Part 3

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0500

Danylo and Mc finish their read-through of Mistborn. They discuss its flaws, its weirdness, and what, if anything, this book is actually about. Hint: it’s not just cool metal magic.

Mistborn: The Final Empire
By Brandon Sanderson
Published in 2006 by Tor Books.

*Spoilers: *
All of Mistborn: The Final Empire

Links:
Chapter-By-Chapter Summary of the whole book: https://coppermind.net/wiki/Summary:Mistborn:_The_Final_Empire

Lord Ruler fan art

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

Mistborn: The Final Empire - Part 2

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 06:30:00 -0500

Danylo and Mc continue their read-through of Mistborn. Mc finds most of the characters grating. Danylo starts to regret the decision to re-read a book he initially liked. They both ponder why people love this book so much.

Mistborn: The Final Empire
By Brandon Sanderson
Published in 2006 by Tor Books.

*Spoilers: *
Beginning through Part 3 of Mistborn: The Final Empire

Links:
Chapter-By-Chapter Summary of the whole book: https://coppermind.net/wiki/Summary:Mistborn:_The_Final_Empire

Steel Inquisitor:
https://coppermind.net/wiki/Steel_Inquisitor

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If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.

Mistborn: The Final Empire - Part 1

hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com (Hardcover Hooligans) — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 06:00:00 -0500

In our debut episode, we read a book that’s consistently recommended on the internet for anyone starting in the fantasy genre. Does Mistborn live up to the hype? Is it actually a good intro to fantasy?

Mistborn: The Final Empire
By Brandon Sanderson
Published in 2006 by Tor Books.

Spoilers:
Beginning through Part 2 of Mistborn: The Final Empire

Links:
Chapter-By-Chapter Summary of the whole book: https://coppermind.net/wiki/Summary:Mistborn:_The_Final_Empire

Thanks for listening!
If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com.