ArtsBooksComedy

The Book Pile

Kellen Erskine and David Vance

A podcast where comedians tell you about books so you never have to read! (Now including fiction!) Kellen does standup; Dave writes ads; together they highlight lessons from the world’s best books--and some of the worst. New episode every Monday!

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S1 · E221
Jun 4, 2025 · 20 min
Kellen's Favorite Books of 2025 So Far! (And three dumb ones)
SUMMARY: I pretty much summarized it with the title. I've read/listened to 50+ books since January 1 and I'M DONE. No, but I am done with two authors for sure, listen to find out who! 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 BOOKS LISTED IN THIS EPISODE: I actually hope you listen to this episode before reading this list, I hate spoilers and giving them, but I also wanted to provide convenient links to all the books I mention. So listen first, I promise it's more fun than finding out this way. Are you done? Great, here you go: Self Compassion: https://amzn.to/3SC5dyW 100 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think: https://amzn.to/3Zi5niG What I'd Say to the Martians, by Jack Handey: https://amzn.to/4jxikw0 Means of Ascent (LBJ book #2): https://amzn.to/4kp295g Sinbad by Kurt Vonnegut: https://amzn.to/43XuLwG Big Magic: https://amzn.to/4dMCVLP All About Me, by Mel Brooks: https://amzn.to/3Hlysn1
S1 · E220
Apr 25, 2025 · 33 min
Permission to Feel, by Marc Brackett
SUMMARY: If you like James Bond, Hunger Games, Star Wars, or Lord of the Rings, you will LOVE this spy thriller! We know the cover looks like a therapy book, but it’s not! It has action and comedy and romance, not therapy that is good for you. Come listen to this gripping caper, which is not a therapy book. You don’t have to worry about your feelings in this fun popcorn book. It’s not a therapy book. Hit play. WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN ON TOUR! APR 25-26 Indiana MAY 9-10 Dallas MAY 17 St Charles, IL For tickets go to KellenErskine.com -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp THE HOSTS! -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.
S1 · E219
Apr 18, 2025 · 33 min
Chesterton's Gateway, by Ethan Nicolle WITH GUEST Ethan Nicolle!
Have you heard of GK Chesterton? (No he's not that cheese-puff cat). WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN ON TOUR! APR 25-26 Indiana MAY 9-10 Dallas MAY 17 St Charles, IL For tickets go to KellenErskine.com -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile
S1 · E218
Mar 27, 2025 · 30 min
A SECOND LOOK AT: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
SUMMARY: This episode has everything you could hope for. Conspiracy theories. Hermione exoneration. And a rat who turns out to be a murderer. (Who knew Harry Potter was a sequel to 1300s Europe?) (It’s funny because the most devastating event imaginable happened many years ago.) (Your subconscious sense of humor deems the past to be intrinsically less worthy of empathy.) We hope you enjoy! WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN ON TOUR! MAR 28 Bakersfield, CA APR 2-4 St Pete, Clearwater, & Delray Beach, FL APR 25-26 Indiana MAY 9-10 Dallas MAY 17 St Charles, IL For tickets go to KellenErskine.com -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp THE HOSTS! -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.
S1 · E217
Mar 13, 2025 · 27 min
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
SUMMARY: Fight Club is a story with one of the most famous twist endings in book and movie history (they find out violence is good...) But before it was a hit movie, did you know it was also a disgusting book? Join Kellen and Dave as they complain about this well-written book they both kind of hate. WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN ON TOUR! MAR 16 New Bremen, OH MAR 20 Pittsburgh MAR 28 Bakersfield, CA APR 2-4 St Pete, Clearwater, & Delray Beach, FL APR 25-26 Indiana MAY 9-10 Dallas MAY 17 St Charles, IL For tickets go to KellenErskine.com -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp THE HOSTS! -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.
S1 · E176
Mar 10, 2025 · 30 min
THE ROAST OF Star Wars: The Force Awakens (the novelization of the movie), by Alan Dean Foster
JOIN OUR PATREON FOR BoNuS EpiSoDEs! https://patreon.com/TheBookPile * The king returns. Alan Dean is back, and he’s more Alan Dean than ever. Break out the thesauruses as we do a live roast of his novelization of The Force Awakens. Plus, Kellen teaches you some vocab words and Dave has a guessing game. * To buy the book and support the podcast, click HERE! https://amzn.to/3IJIhsx * 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.
S1 · E216
Feb 24, 2025 · 24 min
The Body, by Bill Bryson
SUMMARY: (A Dave and Kellen episode!) This book is full of incredible trivia about the human body, beautifully and hilariously written. For instance, did you know that every one of your organs is being played by a tiny little Phantom of the Opera? When your stomach is rumbling, that’s him telling Christine to “Sing, angel!” If you release gas as you sleep, that’s simply the music of the night! Fun. WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN ON TOUR! MAR 16 New Bremen, OH MAR 20 Pittsburgh MAR 28 Bakersfield, C APR 2-4 St Pete, Clearwater, & Delray Beach, FL APR 25-26 Indiana MAY 9-10 Dallas MAY 17 St Charles, IL For tickets go to KellenErskine.com -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp THE HOSTS! -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.
S1 · E215
Feb 19, 2025 · 30 min
Re-Issue: Excellent Advice for Living, by Kevin Kelly
SUMMARY: Enjoy a digitally-remastered edit of one of our favorite episodes, where the author shares exactly what the book is called. Plus, Dave tells a story about being accidentally cool at a wedding, and Dave disagrees with a brilliant plan that Kellen has for safe combat with burglars... WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN ON TOUR! MAR 16 New Bremen, OH MAR 20 Pittsburgh MAR 28 Bakersfield, C APR 4 Delray Beach, FL APR 25-26 Indiana MAY 9-10 Dallas MAY 17 St Charles, IL For tickets go to KellenErskine.com -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp THE HOSTS! -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.
S1 · E214
Feb 10, 2025 · 33 min
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
SUMMARY: What if Pride and Prejudice were spooky? What if Mr. Darcy were less handsome, but also more abominable? What if instead of four sisters, Lizzie had no parents and a best friend who dies of tuberculosis? If you love Jane Austen, you’ll love this book, assuming you can get on board with some stuff. Today’s novel is the incomparable Jane Eyre. Though I guess it can be comparable to Pride and Prejudice. WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN ON TOUR! MAR 16 New Bremen, OH MAR 20 Pittsburgh MAR 28 Bakersfield, CA APR 4 Delray Beach, FL APR 25-26 Indiana MAY 9-10 Dallas MAY 17 St Charles, IL For tickets go to KellenErskine.com -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp THE HOSTS! -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.
S1 · E213
Jan 28, 2025 · 26 min
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
SUMMARY: The typical human lifespan is in the neighborhood of 4,000 weeks. That is an extremely precious, finite, and dwindling amount of life. It gives all of us urgent reason to (while we still can) take advantage of the Taco Bell 5 Dollar Taco Discovery Box deal. How would you live differently if you knew this was your last day to spend time with loved ones, work on a passion project, or eat a Doritos Locos Taco with a medium fountain drink (including the Baja Blast)? On this episode hear Dave's beautiful cigarette analogy, plus Kellen wishes that we had more inventions but fewer expectations... WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN ON TOUR! FEB 1 Milwaukee FEB 7-8 Youngstown, OH MAR 16 New Bremen, OH MAR 20 Pittsburgh MAR 28 Bakersfield, CA APR 4 Delray Beach, FL APR 25-26 Indiana MAY 9-10 Dallas MAY 17 St Charles, IL For tickets go to KellenErskine.com -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2024-2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp THE HOSTS! -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.
S1 · E212
Jan 21, 2025 · 16 min
How to Read 100 Books This Year
SUMMARY: Whether you want to read 100 books this year, or even just 87, Kellen has some tips for how to succeed--and he's strategically waited 3 weeks into January so that he could get a head start before you. WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL "NEGATIVE COMMENTS" ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2024-2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp THE HOSTS! -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 (who will be back next week): his 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.
S1 · E211
Jan 15, 2025 · 24 min
Everybody Lies, by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
SUMMARY: To celebrate this book about dishonesty, we’re gonna test how well you know Kellen and Dave with a game of two truths and a lie. You ready? See if you know us well enough to pass the quiz. 1. Statement 2 is false. 2. Statement 3 is true. 3. Statement 1 is false. Alright, we’ll see which of you are superfans! WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL "NEGATIVE COMMENTS" ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2024-2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp THE HOSTS! -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.
S1 · E210
Dec 30, 2024 · 38 min
Our Favorite Books of 2024!
SUMMARY: Our best books this year had everything: Murder! Therapy! Lyndon B. Johnson! The three elements of good literature. Come join us as we review our favorite books of the year. Happy New Year, and thanks for listening to The Book Pile! We really appreciate it. See you in 2025! WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2024-2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp Buy any of the books (the BEST books!) mentioned in this episode and support the podcast at the same time! Just click below! In no order, they are: A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles https://amzn.to/3DOeiAc Permission to Feel, Marc Brackett Ph.D. https://amzn.to/49YI0i2 Here One Moment, Liane Moriarty https://amzn.to/4gPRAGV What Alice Forgot, Liane Moriarty https://amzn.to/40eKo13 Dead Men Scare Me Stupid, John Swartzwelder https://amzn.to/40fOIx9 Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia https://amzn.to/40dlK0x The Body, Bill Bryson Tchaikovsky https://amzn.to/3Pga9rq A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson https://amzn.to/3BSwZlV The Years of Lyndon Johnson (book 1 of 4), Robert Caro https://amzn.to/3BSA1GP Children of Time, Adrian Tchaikovsky https://amzn.to/3DLBLSB The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip, George Saunders https://amzn.to/3PfNIT4 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, Oliver Burkeman https://amzn.to/3VZ9pus The Great Mental Models (book 1 of 4) https://amzn.to/41QsfI7 Raising Emotionally Strong Boys, David Thomas https://amzn.to/40cY24M Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, Lindsay C. Gibson PsyD https://amzn.to/3DyRkx3 Bea Wolf, Zach Wienersmith https://amzn.to/4gBW1op Slaughterhouse-Five the Graphic Novel, Kurt Vonnegut & Ryan North https://amzn.to/4gBQPkm Eichmann in Jerusalem, Hannah Arendt https://amzn.to/3VWGUO4 The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin https://amzn.to/49V2VCJ The Nutshell Technique, Jill Chamberlain https://amzn.to/40hcpoN Zen in the Art of Writing, Ray Bradbury https://amzn.to/3VZa0wc Live From New York https://amzn.to/3VZe8wc To Hold Up The Sky, Cixin Lui https://amzn.to/4iYk9mL Quiet, Susan Cain https://amzn.to/3Pif1ML The Elephant in the Brain https://amzn.to/3DBgwTH When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi https://amzn.to/4a12SVP A Heart that Works, Rob Delaney https://amzn.to/3Wo9BUz THE HOSTS! -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
S1 · E209
Dec 23, 2024 · 21 min
Re-Issue: A Christmas Carol (with an EVEN NEWER introduction for 2024!)
Rediscover this gem of a Book Pile episode (#114) that we dug up from 2022 (now with an even newer intro full of public-domain Christmas music!) Listen to Dave whisper laugh! Hear Kellen disagree with Dave's habit of walking out of movies! Notice how Kellen tries to defend himself against what appears to be a an unequal luggage-packing relationship with his wife... JOIN OUR PATREON to get in free to any of Kellen's comedy shows in 2025! https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile * Dave’s graphic novel escape room: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp * 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, and check out any or all of these fun British narrators! Tim Curry: https://amzn.to/41NI823 Patrick Stewart: https://amzn.to/3VNQfYj Hugh Grant: https://amzn.to/41NIqWH
S1 · E208
Dec 17, 2024 · 29 min
Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke
SUMMARY: We live in a society inundated by endless sources of entertainment and cheap dopamine. In today’s book, Anna Lembke discusses how we can respond to such dangers, like, for instance, a pool table. Friend, either you're closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge, or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated by the presence of a pool table in your community. Well, ya got trouble, my friend, right here I say, trouble right here in River City Why, sure, I'm a billiard player Certainly mighty proud I say I'm always mighty proud to say it I consider that the hours I spend With a cue in my hand are golden Help you cultivate horse sense And a cool hеad and a keen eye J'evеr take and try to find An iron-clad leave for yourself From a three-rail billiard shot? But just as I say It takes judgment, brains, and maturity to score In a balkline game I say that any boob can takeAnd shove a ball in a pocket And I call that sloth The first big step on the road To the depths of deg-ra-day-- I say, first, medicinal wine from a teaspoon Then beer from a bottle! An' the next thing ya know Your son is playin' for money In a pinch-back suit And list'nin to some big out-a-town jasper Hearin' him tell about horse-race gamblin' Not a wholesome trottin' race, no! But a race where they set down right on the horse! Like to see some stuck-up jockey boy Settin' on Dan Patch? Make your blood boil? Well, I should say Now, friends, lemme tell you what I mean Ya got one, two, three, four, five, six pockets in a table Pockets that mark the diff'rence Between a gentlemen and a bum With a capital "B," And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool! WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2024-2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp THE HOSTS! -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.
S1 · E207
Dec 12, 2024 · 22 min
Kellen Crams to Get His 100 Books Read by The End of The Year!
SUMMARY: Kellen is behind on his reading, and he needs your help! (Sounds like a Saturday morning PBS cartoon...). Kellen gives a rundown of most of the books he's read so far this year; also he has an idea for a very classy author name; and at around the 15-minute mark he quits recording for a full day to recover from starting to lose his voice in real time (and--if you catch when it happens--it sounds like a miracle), and through the magic of editing, he picks it up right where he left off and you don't have to hear his vocal chords slowly die after that. WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile LINKS TO BUY THE BOOKS MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE (listed in the order they came in the podcast discussion): 11-22-63, by Stephen King https://amzn.to/3ZQVkBL Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide, John Cleese https://amzn.to/3ZEKTzM Children of Time, Adrian Tchaikovsky https://amzn.to/3OXq25O A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson https://amzn.to/3VGohOh A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson https://amzn.to/3Drchd5 They Body, Bill Bryson https://amzn.to/4fmOVme To Hold Up the Sky, Cixin Liu https://amzn.to/3Bpx5RP The Wandering Earth, Cixin Liu https://amzn.to/4gSMnh9 East of Eden, John Steinbeck https://amzn.to/3ZAlpn9 Mad at the World (Steinbeck biography), William Souder https://amzn.to/41AMN7g My Man Jeeves, P.G. Wodehouse https://amzn.to/4iyzs5s Dead Men Scare Me Stupid, John Swartzwelder https://amzn.to/4fhwsrl James Acaster's Guide to Quitting Social Media https://amzn.to/3ZDT8wc The Anxious Generation, Jonathon Haidt https://amzn.to/3OZSqEk A Heart That Works, Rob Delaney https://amzn.to/4iCCJRd Permission to Feel, Marc Brackett https://amzn.to/49yRRuZ The Creative Act, Rick Rubin https://amzn.to/3ZRx1U5 -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
S1 · E206
Dec 3, 2024 · 39 min
A 2nd LOOK AT: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets!
SUMMARY: It's been 3 years so we gave this book "another go" as they say in non-American English speaking countries, like Wizard Land. Today we cover the second Harry Potter, which managed to improve on the original, and is also – no offense – the only book you could get rid of without changing anything important. Don’t be mad, but if the series just went straight from Sorcerer’s Stone to Prisoner of Azkaban, you basically wouldn’t know any better. You’d just have to be like, “By the way, Hagrid has a new job, and here’s Ron’s sister.” Look, don’t shoot the messenger. WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN DES MOINES THIS WEEK, Dec 6-7! For tickets go to: KellenErskine.com -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2024-2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp THE HOSTS! -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.
S1 · E205
Nov 25, 2024 · 24 min
Re-Issue: The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury
SUMMARY: 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 sci-fi if you take a normal story and just put it on Mars. Plus, Kellen has planned out a very unexpected last day on Earth, and Dave uncovers a deceptive photograph. WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN ALASKA THIS WEEK Nov 26 - 29! Go to KellenErskine.com for tickets -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2024-2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -Dave’s book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp THE HOSTS! -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.
S1 · E204
Nov 18, 2024 · 25 min
THE ROAST OF: The Spy Who Loved Me, by Ian Fleming
SUMMARY: This is a James Bond book without James Bond, a love story without love, and a spy story without spying. The only person who’s unaware of all this is the author, Ian Fleming, AKA the only person feminists beg to please write fewer female characters. KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN CHICAGO THIS WEEK Nov 22-23! Go to KellenErskine.com for tickets -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2024-2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -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.
S1 · E202
Nov 4, 2024 · 31 min
Yes Please, by Amy Poehler
SUMMARY: Dave and Kellen take another dive into the great Amy Poehler's (SNL, Baby Momma, Parks and Recreation) memoir. Also Dave is terrible at comforting people and Kellen rants about actors' award speeches. KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN PROVO & SALT LAKE CITY THIS WEEK! Nov 7th (Provo) then 8-9 (SLC) go to KellenErskine.com for tickets -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2024-2025 by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile -If you want to read Yes Please and support the podcast in a fun way, click here to buy the book! https://amzn.to/4e9O0oM -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.

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