In this 77th episode, I review The Catcher in the Ry by J. D. Salinger. Though not for everyone, and not the kind of book I would typically read, listen to hear why I loved this one! Play or download the .mp3 Buy "The Catcher in the Rye" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Catcher-Rye-J-D-Salinger/dp/0316769177 Check out a couple of my novels: Haunte…

In this 76th episode, I review The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. I read this book to check out one of the founding pulp detective novels. Though there are some things to beware of reading this book today, it was a great read and very well written. Listen to hear my thoughts on the book, and some other thoughts on reading older literature in genera…

In this 75th episode, I review Shadows of the Highridge by Jay Swanson. This prequel novel to Jay's incredible "Into the Nanten" was amazing. It was a thrilling fantasy story, but what stood out to me the most was the authentic and superb dialog. Play or download the .mp3 Buy "Shadows of the Highridge" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-High…

In this 74th episode, I review "Destroyer" by Chris Fox, and its sequel "Void Wraith." These books are everything I was looking for in a Science Fiction novel and then some! Listen to the reviews to hear why. Also, they're the first and second in a series of six books, so when you enjoy the book, there will be more for you to read after. Play above…

Happy Halloween! Hey guys! It's been years since I've released a short story! I am so excited to be doing this again! I have also started podcasting my book reviews. If you liked the story, please buy a copy of the eBook and leave a review on Amazon. That would really help me out! Story Summary: Running from his problems, Cody accidentally stumbles…

In this 73rd episode, I review Into The Nanten - The Record of My Exile by Jay Swanson. It was my favorite book of 2016 back when I reviewed it. It started as a real-time live blog with journal entries. There is amazing artwork that goes with it, and an outstanding audiobook! Play or download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/…

In this 72nd episode, I review The Chimera Sequence by Elliott Garber. This book was rich in action, cosmopolitan characters, science and medicine, and touching scenes. It's about a group who risk their lives to fight off evil men while trying to save a special group of gorillas. The audiobook was amazing. The narrator nailed every accent and his n…

In this 71st episode, I review the classic novel A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle. It's easy to see why these great stories have been made into so many movies and TV shows. They're great! Listen to hear why I love Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing so much and why this first book in the series is special. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Ama…

In this 70th episode, I review classic novel Black Beauty. I was surprised by just how much I loved this heartwarming story. It has some great moral lessons, touching stories, and you learn a ton about horses. It really made me feel like I knew the characters, even though most were horses! Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon: Black Beauty Lear…

In this 69th episode, I review Wrong Side of Hell by Sonya Bateman. Listen to hear why I loved the book for it's amazing magical world, characters who had to give their all to accomplish their goals, and a little about my upcoming debut novel "Haunted House Flipper." Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon: Wrong Side of Hell (The DeathSpeaker Cod…

In this 68th episode, I review Lost Stars by Claudia Gray. Listen to hear why I loved the deep emotions and amazing world building in this book. It's one to read if you're a STARS WARS fan, young adult literature fan, both, or neither and you're just looking for a good book. I know you'll love this one. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon: Sta…

In this 67th episode, I review Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Listen to hear why I loved reading this book to my kids. The writing was gorgeous, the story was well crafted, and the topic of death was covered in a beautiful way for all audiences. I can see why this book is a classic. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon: Charlotte's Web Learn mo…

In this 66th episode, I review The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith. Listen to hear why I thought this book was really great for some reasons, and not that great for others. I loved the characters and the ending. I liked it enough that I will be reading the next one in the series, but the middle was just boring for me. Download the .mp3 Buy the…

In this 65th episode, I review The Heart Thief by S. Lee Benedict. Listen to hear why I thought this book was a fantastic combo of supernatural thriller meets coming of age meets police procedural. It was so good for so many reasons and the second book in the series is out now to so check this one out! Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon: The …

In this 64th episode, I review The Giver by Lois Lowry. Listen to hear why I thought this book was one of the most interesting books I've ever read. The changing story world pulls you in as you discover things are not what they seem. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon: The Giver (Giver Quartet) Check the author's website: http://www.loislowry…

In this 63rd episode, I review Storm Front by Jim Butcher. Listen to hear why I thought this book was such a fun read. Moody, dark, full of awesome magical detective work that had me on the edge of my seat, scared, and laughing my head off all in the same book. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon: Storm Front (Dresden Files) Check the author's…

In this 62nd episode, I review Looking for Alaska by John Green. Listen to hear why I thought this book was amazing for its brilliant writing and authentic coming of age narrative. I'm a sucker for coming of age stories and this one really got to me. I loved it. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon: Looking for Alaska Check the author's website…

In this 61st episode, I review Nocturnal by Scott Sigler. Listen to hear why I thought this book was possibly the best book I read in 2015. It was that good. It's a really long book but it's so good it reads like a quick novel. So much great stuff to share about why I loved this one. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon (Affiliate Link): Noctur…

In this 60th episode, I review Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. Listen to hear why I thought this book was an awesome gruesome adventure! Lots of wonderment, and a whole lot of super scary dinosaur action. The story of why I chose to read this book is fun too. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon (Affiliate Link): Jurassic Park: A Novel Check…

In this 59th episode, I review Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. Listen to hear why I like this book a lot, even though it's not a genre I typically read. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon (Affiliate Link): Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood, Book 1) Check the author's website: http://charlaineharris.com/ Music Attribution: Mus…

In this 58th episode, I review the Heir to the Empire (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, Vol. 1) by Timothy Zahn. Listen to hear why I thought it was an amazing book that did a fantastic job of handling some of the most beloved characters in fandom. Timothy Zahn knocked it out of the park in this one. I also talk about how amazing the audiobook narrat…

In this 57th episode, I review the book "Mr. Mercedes" by Stephen King. It's the first book in his Bill Hodges trilogy. Listen to hear why I loved this book, especially in audio format. Will Patton narrated the audiobook and did an outstanding job.. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon (Affiliate Link): Mr. Mercedes: A Novel (The Bill Hodges Tr…

In this 56th episode, I review the book "The Way of Kings" by Brandon Sanderson. It's his first book in his epic fantasy series called The Stormlight Archive. Listen to hear why I struggled through the first 3/4 of the book, only to fall in love with it at the end and be super excited for book 2 in the series. It was a big of an uphill battle for m…

In this 55th episode, I review the book "Hollow World" by Michael J. Sullivan. Listen to hear why I think it's an instant science fiction classic. This is a book that really made me think and made me laugh. The future the protagonist visits in this time travel novel was pretty amazing and not what I was expecting. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on …

In this 54th episode, I review the book "The Fault in our Stars" by John Green. Listen to hear why it was an instant classic for me and falls into the class of books I know I'll read again over the years. Unlike most episodes, where I stick to strictly reviewing the book, I do a bit of rabbit trailing about why certain books seem to be my favorites…

In this 53rd episode, I review the book "Sand" by Hugh Howey. Listen to hear why I loved it as much as Hugh's more well known book Wool! That's saying a lot because Wool was AMAZING! Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon (Affiliate Link): Sand: Omnibus Edition Check out the author's website: http://www.hughhowey.com/ Music Attribution: Music by …

In this bonus episode of Stories of Dan Dan The Art Man you finally get a new short story I wrote! This time, however, someone else is the narrator. I share with you The Melting Podcast episode 38 - Stoke the Fire and Mystery Meal. This awesome podcast has story prompts you can write a story from and submit to them. If they accept it they record it…

In this 52nd episode, I review the book "Invito Rex" by Brand Gamblin. Listen to hear why it was such a fun read. Bear Polo? A chess-like game called Circus on a circular board? This book had a lot of cool stuff, made me laugh a lot, and had great dialog. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon (Affiliate Link): Invito Rex (Noblesse Oblige Book 2)…

In this 51st episode, I review Tim O'Brien's book "The Things They Carried." Listen to hear why I got it as an audiobook for its amazing narrator Bryan Cranston, but stayed for the great writing and story telling by Tim O'Brien. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon (Affiliate Link): The Things They Carried Learn more about the author: https://e…

In this 50th episode, hey we got to 50 everyone!!! In this 50th episode I review Dan Well's book "The Devil's Only Friend." This is the best book I have read this year! In this special 50th episode I'm reviewing a book I just finished reading instead of the next one on the list from about 2 years ago. Listen to hear why I thought this book, even th…

In this 49th episode, I review Stephen King's book "The Green Mile." This book blew me away. It's easily one of my favorites. Reading back through my review of it made me want to read it again. Listen to hear why I thought it was so great. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon (Affiliate Link): The Green Mile Check out the Author's Website: http…

In this 48th episode, I review Patrick E. McLean's book "The Merchant Adventurer!" If you love fantasy but are looking for something a little different then check this book out! The merchant our hero usually passes by or buys weapons from is the main character of this epic quest! Have a listen to find out why I loved this book for it's gorgeous wri…

In this 47th episode, I review Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." I read this book by listening to the great audiobook narrated by Anne Hathaway. She made the book really fun and had incredible character voices. It was a wonderful experience listening to the book. Also, this episode is a bit different as I spend most of my review plugging t…

In this 46th episode I review Jon Grisham's "The Firm." It's the first book I've read by him and I usually like to start with an author's first novel. I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't think this book was amazing but I was very impressed with the writing and I like the book a lot. The characters were great, and so was "The Firm" itself as a char…

In this 45th episode I review Stephen King's "Doctor Sleep." It's the sequel to the classic horror novel The Shining. Written several years later it picks up the story of the boy from The Shinning as a man of some years. This book had amazingly different and creepy villains, great characters as always, and a page turning story. Listen to hear why I…

In this 44th episode I review the classic Science Fiction epic "Dune" by Frank Herbert. Listen to hear why I'm glad I read this book even though gave up on reading it 3 separate times before I found interest in the story and ended up really enjoying it. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon (Affiliate Link): Dune Visit the late Author's Website:…

In this 43rd episode I review "Destroyer" by Chris Fox. I loved this book! Unlike some other Military Science Fiction novels I've read this one was never boring! Tons of awesome characters, alien races, and action scenes. Even some cool Indiana Jones style exploring and discovering scenes! Give this one a listen, you're not going to want to miss ou…

In this 42nd episode I review "Dust" by Hugh Howey. Did you like my new animated intro? Listen to hear why this was such an amazing book and a satisfying ending to Hugh's Silo Saga. We read Wool and were amazed and had to know more about the Silo world. Then we read Shift and learned more. Now we get to see it all wrap up in an amazing last adventu…

In this 41st episode I review "Under the Empyrean Sky" by Chuck Wendig. Listen to hear all the reasons I really enjoyed this fun SciFi "corn-punk" novel that was full of coming of age emotion, adventure, and cool world building. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon (Affiliate Link): Under the Empyrean Sky (The Heartland Trilogy) Visit the Autho…

In this 40th episode I review "I Don't Want to Kill You" by Dan Wells—the third book in an amazing supernatural thriller trilogy. Listen to hear why I thought it was an amazing end to a fantastic trilogy of books. All of the books were great and this last one was a real page turner. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon (Affiliate Link): The Pas…

In this 39th episode I review The Passage by Justin Cronin. Listen to hear why I'm torn when it comes to this book. Some of the best fiction I've ever read in my entire life is contained in this novel, but at the same time there's a huge jolting shift in the story that left me bored and frustrated in the middle. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Am…

In this 38th episode I review The Coffee Legacy by Katharina Bordet. I loved this book. It has awesome fantasy elements in a modern setting. That modern setting is also in traditional Viennese cafe culture, so for a coffee lover I was totally in from page one. Listen to hear why I gave this great book with rich characters 5/5 stars. Download the .m…

In this 37th episode I review the amazing prequel novel to Wool Omnibus called Shift Omnibus by Hugh Howey. Wool is one of my all-time favorite reads and when you're done with it you HAVE to know how the story world of people living in an underground Silo because the outside world is poisonous - came to be. This book Shift answers that question and…

In this 36th episode I review the fantastic urban fantasy novel A Minor Magic by Justin R. Macumber. This book is not a genre I usually read but I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. It was so good! Listen to hear why. Download the .mp3 Buy the Book on Amazon: A Minor Magic: Born of Fire - Book 1 (Volume 1) Affiliate Link Visit th…

In this 35th episode I review my favorite epic fantasy novel The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett. It has three fantastic main characters, an amazingly realized fantasy world that was the reason I first became intrigued in the world, and some super scary bad guys. In short it was awesome! I never became bored reading this massive tome. Download the .mp…

In this 34th episode I review one of the great American novels The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I love the writing imagery and symbolism in this book. Have a listen to hear why this is easily one of my favorite classics. Download the .mp3 Music Attribution: Music by Kevin MacLeod at http://www.incompetech.com Licensed under Creative Commons…

In this 33rd episode I review The Martian by Andy Weir. It was amazing! I don't read much in the hard science fiction genre but this book won me over right away and now I'd consider it an instant Science Fiction classic. Listen to hear why I loved it so much. The audiobook and movie are great too! Download the .mp3 Buy the book on Amazon here: http…

In this 32nd episode I review Ready Player One by Ernest Cline! This is the funnest book I've ever read! Video games! 80's Pop Culture! Amazing adventures in a virtual reality! What more could you want as a geeky reader? Listen to hear why I loved this one. Download the .mp3 Buy the book on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-A-Nove…

In this 31st episode I review the amazing novel and free audiobook Sense Memory by Brion J. Humphrey. It was a 5/5 star book for me. Listen to hear why I loved this awesome twisted crime/psychological/supernatural thriller. Download the .mp3 Buy the book on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Sense-Memory-Benjamin-Cady-Novel/dp/1482796066/ Get the a…

In this 30th episode I review Haywire by Justin R. Macumber. Listen to hear why I gave this Science Fiction adventure novel 5/5 stars and loved it! Download the .mp3 Visit the website: www.DanDanTheArtMan.com Audiobook Pick-of-the-Week: Haywire Written by Justin R. Macumber Narrated by Veronica Giguere This episode of Dan Dan The Art Man's Book Rev…