Episode 30: Animal Kingdom

The Book XChange goes on safari for this, the 30th episode of the show... and discuss favorite or notable books that feature, or are about, animals. Once we got going on this topic, we realized how deep a rabbit hole (shout out to Richard Adams!) it is. Which makes sense, because if there's one thing that unites peoples of all times, places and cultures, it's a love for/fascination with our animal friends. There's a reason they are featured so heavily in our myths, cosmologies, religions and artistic efforts. How much do they really understand about us? Do animals have consciousness? culture? souls? values? How much do we really understand about them? From famous epics that pit man against beast to road novels with non-human companions - as well as non-fiction classics that aim to deepen our knowledge and appreciation for other species - this episode takes all of these fascinating topics on and more. Even fantastical creatures get their due... we're looking forward to having our listeners join us for this epic sojourn into the Animal Kingdom. Enjoy!

BOOKS DISCUSSED/MENTIONED/RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE

What John is currently reading/plans to read next:

'The Tree of Man,' Patrick White -

TBD -

What Jude is currently reading/plans to read next:

'Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy,' Jane Leavy -

'Solar Bones,' Mike McCormack -

Books/Writers discussed in this episode:

'Moby ,' Herman Melville -

'Last Chance to See,' Douglas Adams -

'Travels with Charley,' John Steinbeck -

'Beyond Words: How Animals Think and Feel,' Carl Safina -

'The Whale Rider,' Witi Imihaera -

The 'Game of Thrones' series, George R. R. Martin -

'The Peregrin,' J. A. Baker -

'The Soul of An Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness,' Sy Montgomery -

'Grief is the Thing With Feathers,' Max Porter -

The 'Chronicles of Narnia' series, C. S. Lewis -

'Watership Down,' Richard Adams -

The 'Dun Cow' books, Walter Wangerin -

'H is for Hawk,' Helen Macdonald -

'Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia,' Dennis Covington -

'Platero y Yo,' Juan Ramon Jimenez -

'Animal Farm,' George Orwell -

'The Dialogue of the Dogs,' - Miguel de Cervantes -

Planned next episode of the Book XChange podcast:

"Books We're Intimidated By" - the brothers discuss which books they've long thought about reading, but for whatever reason have lacked the courage or motivation to take on... an entire episode on books we HAVEN'T read? Yep, that's right... should be different, anyway!