What's better than uncovering the mysteries of history? MAKING UP history so that it fits into a clue-based adventure!

-Listen to the audio album of Kellen's new 30-minute comedy special "Negative Comments"! Available by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile

OR WATCH his new special here for free with promo code KELLENERSKINE
https://www.drybarcomedy.com/kellenerskine

See The Book Pile LIVE in Los Angeles (adjacent...) on Sep 6th! Tickets here! (OR Join the Patreon and get in for free!)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kellen-erskine-stand-up-comedy-the-book-pile-podcast-tickets-952036465697?aff=Website

-Listen to next week's book before we talk about it!
The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin
https://amzn.to/3WZ9vlv

-Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 200 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com

-David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Look. It’s just possibly the worst book we’ve ever read. This is the maddest you’ll ever hear us.

-Listen to the audio album of Kellen's new 30-minute comedy special "Negative Comments"! Available by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile

See us LIVE in Los Angeles (adjacent...) on Sep 6th! Tickets here!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kellen-erskine-stand-up-comedy-the-book-pile-podcast-tickets-952036465697?aff=Website

-Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp

-Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 200 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com

-David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

JOIN OUR PATREON FOR BoNuS EPISODES!
https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile
*
Rediscover this gem of a Book Pile episode (originally episode #92)  that we dug up and polished from July of 2022! Dave brings up Sauron's oversight on Mt. Doom; Kellen thinks Frodo fell short; Dave first asks the question "What would you do if there were no consequences?" then promptly makes fun of Kellen's answer and never answers it himself (so clearly he would have failed the Fellowship).
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If you want to read/listen to The Return of the King  AND support the podcast at the same time, click here to buy the book! Free on Audible to first-time subscribers!
https://amzn.to/3V7BDDe
*
Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 100 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
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David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Okay, we’ll be honest. Last week’s murder mystery episode did really well. And we wanna keep riding that “whodunit” wave. So even though this is a book about creativity, not killing, we’re just gonna go ahead and say that when the author Edward de Bono died last year at age 88, he was murdered. Now are you interested? Please stay with us. Plus, Dave writes jokes the way he dates and Kellen tries to be wrong as much as possible.
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To buy the book, Lateral Thinking, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/44MNAAC
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

If you like murder mysteries AND Costco, then you will love these 10 murders for the price of one. Today we cover Agatha Christie at her best. Plus, Kellen hates a snack mentioned in this book and Dave makes fun of Thomas Jefferson (too soon?).
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To buy the book, And Then There Were None, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3rU824k
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

If you are someone who thinks following dreams is bad, prepare to spit out your drink. The Alchemist is a book about following your own personal legend. It’s based on the alchemists of old who successfully turned lead into nerve damage. Plus, Dave apologizes for being a cynic and Kellen showboats by speaking 2 seconds of Portuguese.
*
To buy the book, The Alchemist, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3OBlvXp
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Want to do as much good in the world as possible, but you don’t have a comedy podcast? Today’s book is about how to use data to make the biggest positive impact on the world. Plus, Dave wants you to know his net worth in Jet Skis and Kellen goes hard after the pogo sticking crowd.
*
To buy the book, Doing Good Better, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3q8OMzt
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

There are two ways to make it as a children’s author: tell kids the world is magical (Rowling, E.B. White), or tell kids the world is horrifying (Roald Dahl, The Brothers Grimm). Shel Silverstein tells kids the world is both magical and horrifying. Plus, Kellen wants people to stop copying Picasso and Dave gets philosophical about chaos.
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To buy the book, Where the Sidewalk Ends, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/43Ky2fr
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

As humans, we all sometimes struggle with bad decision-making: confirmation bias; overconfidence; marrying and settling down in the suburbs with a spouse and family and corporate job and the white picket fence and slowly wondering over 40 years… “Is this it? Is this all there is?” Well in today’s book, Chip Heath and Dan Heath help you make better choices! Plus, Dave has some advice for literary heroines deciding to get married in their teens, and Kellen finds a new definition for the word “boomer."
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To buy the book, Decisive, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/47bNwfo
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Listen, I bet Stephen King saved a lot of money on family trips once he convinced his kids that hotels are incredibly horrifying. (Like how he wrote Cujo to avoid buying them a dog.) Today we review the horror classic The Shining. Also, Kellen discusses this book with his years of boiler-repair experience and Dave owes his brother Josh an apology.
*
To buy the book, The Shining, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3rT87oR
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

You know those guys who wear wedding rings made out of rubber so they don’t accidentally get a fracture? I can’t help thinking if Frodo wore one of those he would still have all his fingers. Today’s book concludes the epic Lord of the Rings saga. (It also concludes our running joke of never actually finishing a book series.) Plus, Dave thinks the ring would reveal troubling things about his personal character, and Kellen probably tells his kids Gollum is alive enjoying a happy life somewhere.
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To buy the book, The Return of the King, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3KkRA3g
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Here at The Book Pile, we get a lot of fan mail asking, “Hey, when are you going to do more books about dictators? We, your fans, all love dictators.” Well today you’re in luck! Persepolis is a memoir about life under an oppressive government, for all our hardcore dictator fans (tator-tots, they call themselves). Plus, Dave wishes he had learned history better and Kellen gets called fat by some people in Brazil.
*
To buy the book, Persepolis, AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3Ohd428
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

If you have some kind of product you want to spread to the world, check out this podcast, unless your product is Nazis. In Contagious, Jonah Berger gives great tips for improving word-of-mouth. Plus, Kellen name drops the Today Show many times, and Dave has great news about Baby Shark.
*
To buy the book, Contagious, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3OA7b1u
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

JOIN OUR PATREON FOR BoNuS EPISODES!
https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile
*
Picture a bird. Pretty cool, right? Now open your eyes. There’s another bird by that bird. I bet you feel so racist.
Anyway, Bird by Bird is a beautifully written, witty, unpretentious book about writing.
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If you want to read/listen to this Bird by Bird and support the podcast in a fun way, click here to buy the book! Free on Audible to first-time subscribers!
https://amzn.to/4akxRei
*
Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 100 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

A live podcast! In which we make fun of the 3rd Twilight book! In a mean-spirited way! Come for the laughs, the drama, the sexism, the dull-eyed vapid characters. Stay for all the imprinting. Plus, Kellen tells a personal story about doing comedy in a cave, and Dave wants the fans to know that, like Edward, his lips are also “marble hard."
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To buy the book, Eclipse, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/43Jx0jW
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Want to get better at sports, music, dance, romance, or anything that involves the use of your body? (Except miming. You freak mimes, get out of here.) The Inner Game of Tennis describes an innovative approach to better, easier mastery of tennis and other activities. Plus, Kellen tries to never praise his kids, and Dave gets better at sports by focusing REALLY hard on relaxing.
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To buy the book, The Inner Game of Tennis, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3DCEfPX
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

When you hear a story, do you lose interest after like 5 minutes? Then you will LOVE short stories, a new thing we invented. Today’s book is a short story collection by Ray Bradbury, who realized that anything counts as scifi if you take a normal story and just put it on Mars. Plus, Kellen has planned out a WILD last day on Earth, and Dave wants you to think more about death.
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To buy the book, The illustrated Man, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/44Uyjhy
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

When you think of the future, what do you imagine? Flying cars? Uh, swimming planes? Boats that go on land? Well Ray Kurzweil is here to tell you how wrong you are. The Singularity is Near is full of stunning predictions about the future, made with absolute confidence even when they turn out to not be that accurate. (Kinda like when people predict “for better or for worse, in sickness and in health.") It was written in 2004, so some of the book has to be read with a grain of the-iPod-was-barely-a-thing-yet salt. Speaking of which, Kellen dunks on Google Glass; also Dave has worrisome news about nanobots.
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To buy the book, The Singularity is Near, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3KhZk6b
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
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David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

A short story is defined as a story that said it was taller on Tinder. Today’s book is a whole short story collection by magical realist Kelly Link. Plus, Dave is hiring an actor to play him on Instagram, and Kellen uses Latin so you know he’s intelligent.
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To buy the book, Get in Trouble, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/43PQDXH
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Sometimes during a time of global disease and war, it’s nice to read a little escapism about the worst financial collapse of our lifetimes. Today’s book is The Big Short. It’s by Michael Lewis, who has a talent for writing about global tragedies (2008 market crash, COVID-19, baseball). Plus, Kellen becomes a communist (knew it!). And Dave learns what an air fryer is, completing his journey into manhood.
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To buy the book, The Big Short, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3DAMlsn
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
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David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Do you like murder mysteries? Romance? Revenge? Gone girls? The police? Treasure hunts? Sociopaths? Mysterious pregnancies? If you answered yes to everything, it’s kind of weird that you like ALL those things, but boy is this episode for you! Plus, Dave doesn’t think we always have to be special, and Kellen has some thoughts on red flags.
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To buy the book, Gone Girl, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/45aiSRM
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Succeeding in Hollywood takes lots of practice, and that’s why Matthew McConaughey has put in 10,000 hours of being handsome. Today’s book is about how hard McConaughey’s career wasn’t. Plus, Kellen has some questions about Magic Mike and Dave has some aphorisms that were probably written by a human.
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To buy the book, Greenlights, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/44J6CIe
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Today we cover The Grapes of Wrath, which Kellen loved and Dave hated. ‘Cause we think the best art happens when the two creators have COMPLETELY different visions. (Remember in Star Wars how J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson just undid every creative decision the other one made, like two guys doing bad improv where they do NOT listen to each other at all? It was glorious.) Dave gives a good argument for why The Grapes of Wrath is boring, and Kellen just likes books about dirt I guess. (This description was written by anonymous...)
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To buy the book, The Grapes of Wrath, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3DGdxWG
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Helgoland is a spy thriller with lots of romance, great comedy, and hilarious, entertaining characters. You will love it as… okay, it’s actually about quantum mechanics, but if we told the truth, you would skip this episode. Plus, Kellen doesn’t think quantum physics actually changes your life, and Dave teaches physics via his favorite method – talking down to you.
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To buy the book, Helgoland, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3rU0JcQ
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
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David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

JOIN OUR PATREON FOR BoNuS EPISODES!
https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile
*
Rediscover this gem of a Book Pile episode (originally episode #84)  that we dug up and polished from May of 2022!
The Big Short is a little nostalgic jaunt back into the greatest financial collapse of our lifetimes. Also on this episode, the duo discuss air fryers, hot tubs, and nuclear-bomb insurance (in that order of priority).
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If you want to read/listen to this book and support the podcast at the same time, click here to buy the book! Free on Audible to first-time subscribers!
https://amzn.to/4b7hZwQ
*
Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 100 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

A wonderful book with rare commentary from a reclusive author. As you know, Calvin and Hobbes was a Trojan horse comic strip, written by a pastor to get kids interested in the teachings of John Calvin. . . Also, Dave hates on Garfield and Kellen hates on Garfield. What, I’m sorry, we hate Garfield. How did it get so big? Who is reading this.
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To buy the book, The Calvin and Hobbes, AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3KmJRSl
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Did history stress you out in high school? Not really your favorite subject? Well today we break down history in a fun, comedic way, and then at the end we test you and give you a grade that decides your whole future! Plus, Kellen wants you to know that not all of California is covered in feces, and Dave introduces his new best friend, Prester John.
(Also, stick around for the end song for a final correction of a vegetable fact.)
*
To buy the book, The Silk Roads, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/45923a4
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Stephen King knows that a short story collection is like an album – as long as you have a few hits, the rest can be crap. Today is our half-roast of Skeleton Crew! Plus, Dave has some fun ideas about the nature of suffering and Kellen thinks Stephen King’s endings need work. (What do you bet Stephen eventually dies in some random, uninteresting way?)
*
To buy the book, The Skeleton Crew, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/455hC2r
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Dave Grohl has lived a fascinating creative life that includes being part of Nirvana and Foo Fighters, collaborating with Paul McCartney and Tom Petty, and being the most featured musical artist on SNL. But in a billion years, he’ll be just as forgotten as the rest of us, so why try? (Today’s episode brought to you by nihilism!) Plus, Kellen wants your kids to drop out of high school and Dave wants you to get good at the drums by ruining your teeth!
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To buy the book, The Storyteller, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3Ozz1e6
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Long before The Sopranos or Breaking Bad, Ian Fleming accidentally created the first anti-hero! James Bond is what Reddit calls “a man of his time” (meaning “a bad person”). Today we roast his worst book, Goldfinger. Also, Kellen continues his love of coincidences in literature and Dave wishes his enemies would paint him in gold.
*
To buy the book, Goldfinger, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3q5Pduq
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends is a chilling book about the danger hackers pose to all of us. It is also a title with a super unclear pronoun. What is “this” referring to? The cause of the world ending? Or the way she’s being told? Until we get answers, we unfortunately cannot recommend this book...Also, Dave has some cybersecurity tips that will only take you 10 minutes, and that you still will not do. And Kellen loved the Stuxnet virus.
*
To buy the book, This is How They Tell Me the World Ends, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3Ob2SrY
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Timeline is an excellent Michael Crichton book about using a time machine to visit the Middle Ages. But, we just wanna point out – you could also use a time machine to get some dinosaurs. That’s why here at The Book Pile we believe every Michael Crichton book should just be Jurassic Park. The nanobots in Prey could have formed a giant dinosaur. The park in Westworld coulda been robot dinosaurs. What’s inside the sphere in Sphere? Dinosaur. Also in this episode Kellen and Dave revive a HEATED debate about sports: Are they silly?
*
To buy the book, Timeline, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3rJzAZS
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

In the 60s, a group of creative guys in the UK formed a cheeky but charismatic group that gained popularity in Britain before becoming a sensation in America, pushing the boundaries of genre before finally breaking up, and also two of them are now dead. And that group is the Beatles. You thought we were gonna be tricky and say it’s Monty Python, right? You dumb imbecile.
Okay, all that stuff is true of Monty Python too. Please enjoy John Cleese’s excellent, excellent tips on creativity. Also, Dave has a great idea for a new Miles Davis school and Kellen does a perfect impression of a gold miner.
*
To buy the book, Creativity, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/44OExiO
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Today’s episode is a children’s book about a society that loves watching game shows (fun!). 24 contestants enter a fun franchise called the Hunger Games and, in the spirit of The Biggest Loser, 23 of them lose weight! (The person who doesn’t lose weight gets to go back to the games later and try again!) Read this book with your young kids who love game shows! Also, Dave has theories about Peeta’s real job and Kellen has a critique of Peeta’s frosting skills.
*
To buy the book, The Hunger Games, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/47afIiW
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

First the good news about this book — one of us really liked it! You’ll have to listen to the episode for the bad news. (This is called clickbait. We clickbaited you.) The Space Between Worlds is a scifi story that stretches across multiple universes, and is also about love. Plus, Dave and Kellen says something CRAZY about Nazis. (As we wrote that last clickbait, we chuckled and muttered to ourselves, “We have you now…”)
*
To buy the book, The Space Between Worlds, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/47f6Mc8
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

JOIN OUR PATREON FOR BoNuS EPISODES!
https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile
*
Look, we’re going to level with you. If we describe this episode's book right here, you’ll leave. The description sounds boring. Your feeble attention span has been weakened by the internet age. So just trust us and try this one. Some parts are about love. Is that enough of a dopamine hit for you? You sad sack of TikTok-addled chemicals?
*
If you want to read/listen to this book and support the podcast in a fun way, click here to buy the book! Free on Audible to first-time subscribers! Free on Kindle to Amazon Prime members!
https://amzn.to/3Uoi6gi
*
Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 100 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Here at The Book Pile, we connect deeply with Einstein, since all 3 of us are creative and none of us graduated from an American high school. Today we cover Isaacson’s excellent biography of Einstein — a man we would go so far as to call a genius! Plus, Kellen uses relativity to win at laser tag, and Dave once again brings Al-Qaeda into this.
*
To buy the book, Einstein, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3OjqN8A
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

This book is one of those things you buy just in case, although you hope you never need it — like fire insurance, or a bone saw. In So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, Jon Ronson explores the stories of people whose lives were ruined by public shaming. Plus, Kellen tries to explain his misunderstood set on Jimmy Kimmel, and Dave wants you to know whatever comments of his you’ve heard were taken OUT OF CONTEXT.
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To buy the book, So You've Been Publicly Shamed, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/43RfkmH
*

In honor of the Da Vinci Code, today’s episode description is written using Dan Brown’s prose:
Chapter 1
The two podcast hosts entered the studio, with their probing blue eyes, arrestingly deep voices, and “erudite” appeal. They tasted the familiar tang of a podcast studio — an arid, deionized essence that carried a faint hint of carbon — the product of industrial, coal-filter dehumidifiers.
Then a voice spoke, chillingly, “Do not record.”
Only fifteen feet away, outside the sealed gate, the mountainous silhouette of their attacker stared through iron bars.
“Who could that be?” the surprisingly-handsome podcast hosts said in unison.

Who indeed.

Chapter 2
It was Trevor.
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To buy the book, The Da Vinci Code, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3q5LOMb
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

We discuss our 10 favorite books we read in 2021, PLUS we've included more bonus audio from the botched live-taping of THE ROAST of The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
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TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Among all the classic horror books dealing with horrifying supernatural terrors preying upon small children, this is the one with the prettiest poetry. Plus, Dave dumbs things way down, and Kellen tries to save the Berlin Wall.
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To buy the book, Something Wicked This Way Comes, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/43TPRsy
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country.
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel grappling with bigotry and other issues facing America, and also it’s way better when you’re not being forced to read it for a grade. Plus Kellen has a great idea for long lines at Disneyland, and Dave wants to someday be as lazy as Harper Lee.
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To buy the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3YmKLnK
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country.
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

In today’s Netflix society, full of rampant paranoia about the dangers of sociopaths, it’s important to remember… they could be anyone! Today Kellen and Dave show off their psychology credentials (none) in this discussion of antisocial personality disorder. Plus, Kellen has serious doubts about quadruplets and Dave stands up for sociopaths almost to a suspicious degree.
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To buy the book, The Sociopath Next Door, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3OhG6yF
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country.
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Today’s episode is a thrilling murder mystery, an engaging character drama, and a profound examination of heavy topics, all written by Sherlock’s nemesis. Plus, Kellen misbehaves at a zoo and Dave comes up with a nightmare factory.
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To buy the book, Big Little Lies, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3KjPBML
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country.
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Rachel Ignotofsky is a phenomenal writer, illustrator, and designer, and in today’s book she introduces us to her magnificent fictional planet of “Earth.” Come experience her excellent worldbuilding as she introduces creatures called “animals” that live in mystical “ecosystems." Plus, Dave gets shamed for visiting Machu Picchu and Kellen pitches an excellent new protein supplement.
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To buy the book, The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3DB5k67
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country.
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Today’s episode on Dune is just like the movie: we both wore enormous fat suits, and failed to warn you this is only Part 1 of 2. Today we cover the scifi classic that inspired the blockbuster movie. Plus, Kellen launches a great new diaper line, and Dave gives a warning about madmen.

*
To buy the book, Dune, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3YhZTTg
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
*
Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country.
*
David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

JOIN OUR PATREON FOR BoNuS EPISODES!
https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile
*
Rediscover this gem of a Book Pile episode (episode #99)  that we dug up and polished from 2022!
The Inner Game of Tennis describes an innovative approach to better, easier mastery of tennis and other activities. Plus, Kellen tries to never praise his kids, and Dave gets better at sports by focusing REALLY hard on relaxing, and yelling at himself when he doesn't do it right.
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If you want to read/listen to this book and support the podcast at the same time, click here to buy the book! Free on Audible to first-time subscribers!
https://amzn.to/4aOE5Em
*
Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp
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Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 100 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com
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David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

In 2014, Sony was hacked in a massive crime that leaked terabytes of data, causing immense suffering to the Sony team – and helped us learn about movies! This book goes behind the scenes on what it’s like to run a movie studio. Also, Kellen begins his rap career and Dave leans into his German origins.
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To buy the book, The Big Picture, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/477yo2V
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TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
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Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country.
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David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Have you ever read a book and just known the author’s marriage is terrible? Today’s roast is New Moon -- about a love triangle where the protagonist does NOT love one of the boys, so it’s a janky triangle with a leg that’s way shorter -- the first isosceles love triangle! Plus, Kellen moves on from his Twilight-loving past, and Dave does not move on from his Twilight-hating present.
***NOTE***
This episode was originally taped in front of a live audience, but the venue's audio software "crashed" and was lost. We apologize to all who were present who now don't get to have that memory recorded. After hearing the news, we recorded as we usually would (cold and alone), but we have included a few minutes of the original live recording as it was captured on an offstage mic. You'll find it at the end of this episode--it's not high quality, but it's something (which could have been the tagline to this book...).
***ALSO***
If you need a quick recap of this book because you haven't read it (congrats by the way), this is the one where Edward (handsome vampire) breaks up with Bella (dull human) to "protect her," and leaves for most of the book while Bella becomes close friends with Jacob (handsome dull werewolf). And now you're ready.
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To buy the book, New Moon, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3OCJwgQ
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TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
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Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country.
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David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Jurassic Park helped launch a classic American genre -- a park that seems fun but is actually trying to kill you (Westworld, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Disneyland). Plus, Kellen has a fun description of an ankylosaurus, and Dave thinks there should be a scene in Jurassic Park where a velociraptor is on a beach and sees an ancient velociraptor Statue of Liberty, and is like, “You animals!!!”
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To buy the book, Jurassic Park, or listen to it free on Audible AND support the podcast, click here!
https://amzn.to/3Qll3Oy
*
TheBookPilePodcast@gmail.com
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Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 50 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Kellen was named one of TBS's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017. He currently tours the country.
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David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.