Episode 20: Top Books of the Year, Part 2 (Fiction)

NOTE: In this episode, after we completed recording, we experienced a problem with the audio that we were not aware of during recording. It appears the timing of our responses is compressed or shifted, so that in many cases our voices overlap by a few seconds. You can still follow the conversation, but in several situations our voices seem to be talking over each other. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope we will not experience this problem in future episodes. Thanks for your forebearance!

Happy 2021, listeners! Jude and John have returned for a second year of podcasting, and to kick off the new year right, we naturally look back at the one that just passed... and continue with our two-part series of "Top Reads of 2020." This time, we focus on fiction, and each bring our favorite novel (or story collection) from last year to the table for a rich and in-depth discussion. We also talk about which books we've dipped into to start our own personal year in reading, and end with an exciting teaser for a forthcoming release from one of your humble co-hosts... we hope you'll join in the great, ongoing conversation to hear what that is, and more! Cheers to all!

BOOKS DISCUSSED/MENTIONED/RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE

What Jude is currently reading/plans to read next:

'The Invisible Scar,' Caroline Bird -

'Invaders: 22 Tales from the Outer Limits of Literature,' Jacob Weisman -

What John is currently reading/plans to read next:

Various favorite short story collections -

Either 'I, Rigoberta Menchú' by Rigoberta Menchú, OR 'The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood,' Sam Wasson -

John's Top Fiction Read of 2020:

'Cry the Beloved Country,' Alan Paton -

Jude's Top Fiction Read of 2020:

TIE: 'The Turning' & 'The Shepherd's Hut,' Tim Winton -

Planned next episode of the Book XChange podcast:

In celebration of the impending release of BXC co-host Jude's new collection of stories (21 years in the making!), 'Door in the Air,' we'll celebrate the genre with a discussion about reading and writing short stories, and also reveal some of our favorite masters of the form.