3 stars is generous. The hosts general knowledge of history and the human experience is limited therefore making the banter at best 2 dimensional and at worst banal drivel. I listened to one show perhaps I should give it a better try, but I just can’t.

Used to be quite enjoyable however this “marriage plot” season is a snore-fest.

I have listened to most episodes of this show. Their banter is easy on the ears and every once and while I get some great book suggestions. Don’t listen if you’re looking for an academic sort of analysis. They’re a couple white, middle aged guys and their biases show it. They aren’t super into academia and aren’t super smart, but they own it. They’re angry, opinionated, and like talking about writing. If you like dumb bar conversations and literature, you’ll like this podcast.

Car Talk ran for decades. What’s your excuse, wiseguys? Hiatus my a.

I like the premise. But I feel phoney considering I haven’t finished any of the books I purchased since moonwalking with einestein. Maybe hunger games or Harry Potter would be the podcast im looking for. That’s more my speed. Im also more of a introvert. It seems as though people listen to podcast to ignore the people around them instead of being mindful, but that’s just my opinion.

Love that they balance taking about reading and writing with more light hearted jokes. Some literary podcasts take themselves so seriously that it can be like a lecture. This is more like sitting in on a conversation

Mike and Tom, hosts of the podcast, highlight all aspects of great creative writing and more in this can’t miss podcast! The hosts and expert guests offer insightful advice and information that is helpful to anyone that listens!

I listened to 15 minutes of their podcast on Barthes’ A Lover’s Discourse. Truly embarrassing. Is this a spoof or are you really that stupid?

I listened to this hoping for a discussion about Woolf and got two dudebros talking about doughnuts and telling me that the book was stream of consciousness, but not “like the boring kind.” They then went on a lark about Friends fanfic (a joke that’s staler than Friends). It was like listening to two crusty, very out-of-touch old men trapped in younger men’s bodies.

I have started listening to book fight a few weeks ago every day on my way to school. It’s always captivating and interesting and there’s always so much to learn. Knowing little literary and publishing jargon, Mike and Tom really open me up to that industry and it’s processes in a easy, understandable way. They also give a great professional opinion on the story, how it’s written, and why some books are good and bad. I’ve read a few of the books they’ve covered and they do a great job by not spoiling anything.

The shallowness and cluelessnessness of this pair approaches self-parody. The episode I listened to on Margaret Milar was embarrassing to hear. I honestly can’t fathom what gives these two kids (and they sound like high schoolers thinking they are prepping for an exam they don’t want to take) think they have anything to add to any understanding of books. They actually debate whether Ross MacDonald influenced Dashiel Hammett. No kidding, they use Wikipedia as their main source. This embodies the worst aspects of podcasting, a low bar of entry made worse by quasi-literate kids who mistake impressionistic response for insight. Please stop.

Mike and Tom just get better and better. Love the banter and the honesty.

I don't have much to say other than the title. I've been listening to this podcast for years. It makes me laugh out loud like an idiot in public, helps me appreciate the books I've read more, and adds to my ever growing TBR shelf.

There are lots of book podcasts that are pretty by the numbers. I found this one desperately hunting for some specific analysis of A Separate Peace- a classic, and yet I couldn’t find any decent commentary to help me ride out the feelings of when a good book ends and there’s no one around you to talk about it with. So I love the episodes where I’ve read the book, and I’ve come to really enjoy even the other episodes as well. It’s a fun window into a world very different from my own.

I love it.

I am an avid reader and listen to several book podcasts regularly but this is my favorite (well, it’s kind of tied with Backlisted but for purposes of this review, let’s say it’s my favorite). The format is very informal and conversational, as if you’re joining two dudes…er…professors (which they are) at the local pub to chat about books and stuff over a pint. I love the discussions of the book pick itself, but perhaps love the digressions even more - and there are some (i.e. a lot). They may be ten minutes in before they even mention the book to begin with. They’re both insightful and really funny regardless of what their discussing and I’m loving going back through the archives. Highly recommend for anyone going through chemo for ovarian cancer (which I was early this year) or any other life threatening disease - it’s a great way to pass the time on the bad days. Also highly recommend for healthy people (which I am again now). Five stars. Or to use their rating system, that’s a composite five stars (it's confusing but you get the hang of it).

I have to admit I put off listening to this podcast for awhile as it was recommended by my dad. I am glad I put that aside because this podcast is smart and thought provoking with genuine banter in the mix. The hosts are intelligent and bring up some great insight to books but whenever I feel a topic is going straight over my head I feel okay because I at least get all the Simpsons references.

These guys are such fun to listen to! They don’t get too technical but focus on what’s fun(and what isn’t) about being a fan of books. I never miss it!

This podcast was great until the election. Now it is too cynical and always seems to circle back to their problem with Trump. If I wanted to listen to that, I would listen to a political podcast.

I really like this podcast, they always pick interesting books and are usually very funny to listen to!

The podcasters seem like nice enough educators, but the discussions grate a bit, some of their opinions seem a bit fatuous, and after hearing Tom repeatedly hawk his book I decided it isn’t for me.

The book of lost things was my first episode since I loved this book and never found anyone else who read it. I was disappointed that the episode was more about nonsense stuff like raccoons and cargo sweats then the book. Not returning.

Yes, this podcast is comical; even sometimes funny. I had to very if i accidentally hit the speed up button. These dudes speak so fast I have to take a mental pause and rewind and replay each sentence to try to understand what I just heard. It's Infused with distracting tangents and opinions (that's the funny) I wish these guys would take a deep breath and slow down before speaking. I wish three sentences could be cultivated not containing the words "like", "stuff" and "um". I'm a child of the 80's so my expectations for eloquent speech are remarkably low. The irony that a podcast with book reviewers could be hosted by two such inartful speakers isn't lost on me.

In a world where we (the pretentious, bookish folk) lie about hip and sacred texts we love and have "grown to appreciate," Mike and Tom are unafraid to be honest. They talk about books and authors for what they are and what they aspire to be, not to highest standards of academic literarry criticism (unless of course the book aspires to to it). Also the Banter is great.

This podcast is one of those days when the world seems a little bit brighter. A type of day experienced only a couple of times a year. A day that on your morning walk to work you play a familiar song, and you smile. Your day seems a little more tolerable, and you may even get a coffee before work. BookFight is a warm summer morning. BookFight is something to look forward too.

I was so surprised to hear that the hosts were not just writers but also teachers and involved in publishing, because I don't think they actually read the book that they were talking about. I listened to the podcast about Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, one of my favorites.... and they got so much wrong, from what each of the characters did to get on the island, to the killers motivation. They were so off base I just really couldn't believe they rea anything past the first chapter. A complex, influential mystery was boiled down to nothing, and then they entertained each other with randomness .... I don't get the point

By far my favorite episodes are the those that force the hosts to go outside their comfort-zone a little. Usually at the behest of a guest. The recent episode on Who Censored Roger Rabit? is a great example.

The content is smart, hilarious, not at all pretentious. If I go a few days without getting to listen to Mike and Tom’s cheerful banter I start to lose my mind. Really an inspiration and source of joy in my life—highly recommend to everyone who loves books, humanity, or just great conversation.

This podcast brings me great joy everytime a listen to it. So smart, knowledgable and funny. Loved it when I was an academic biologist--need it as a law student. Thank you both!

Oh Book Fight, how I want to hate you. Your snarky takes on the latest new releases, your strange obsession with all things Philadelphia, your vaguely sexist "lady news". Yet, I can't stop listening. You guys are both entertaining and informative, and I get a lot more enjoyment from this podcast than from most of the other scripted podcasts I listen to (in looking at you, This American Life). If you're looking for an entertaining romp on the wrong side of the tracks, you can't go wrong with Book Fight.

This is the only podcast I listen to consistently. Mike and Tom talk about books the way I want to listen to people talk about books. It's entertaining and worth it to subscribe, to feel like I got my dose of lit talk while I'm driving. Even if you're not a fan of the source material, there is usually a reference from The Simpsons. Who doesn't love that?

Free-ranging chats around a selected book or story; hosts Tom McAllister and Mike Ingram have an easy chummy chemistry that makes the digressions as much fun as the frequently incisive literary critique.

Book Fight, one of the most original podcasts for books I've encountered, never fails to make me laugh. Mike and Tom, two authors and professors, astutely analyze a wide breadth of literature and pepper their discussions with everything from salt lick reviews to tug boat and raccoon news. What more could a listener ask for? Their humor, zany in the most intelligent way, reminds me of early David Letterman. Loyal listeners' love for the podcast only grows over time since many of their jokes form a running thread throughout the episodes. I further enjoy how each season features a different theme, ensuring the content never gets stale. Book Fight does not hold back any punches, so the podcast may not be a match for those who object to adult language and content. Everyone else enjoy the brawl!

As someone who lives in the middle of nowhere for her job, I rely on podcasts for company. And it seems increasingly difficult to find a podcast that is not off-puttingly overproduced and self-aggrandizing. Mike and Tom are like the wise-cracking buddies you had in grad school; genuinely good and emphatic people who were not afraid to tell you that you needed deodorant, or that maybe that douche you're dating didn't have your best interests in mind. I like how they don't take themselves too seriously, that their occassional angry rants are genuine, their thoughts on literature balanced and open, and that they seem like two very close friends who like and admire each other while still making fun of each other mercilessly.

I love this podcast. The hosts are hilarious, and after each episode, I feel a bit smarter about literature. I haven't read most of the books (and probably never will). As a psych professor, though, I appreciate the glimpse in to humanities.

There are only two podcasts that I listen to consistently. This is one of them. Mike and Tom are very insightful with their reviews but they also know how to have fun with it. I have yet to listen to a boring episode and I actually look forward to my Monday drive into work. Would definitely recommend to friends, family, enemies...basically everyone.

This is a great podcast for anyone who likes books or writing or enjoys listening to two guys talk about books or writing. Also good for raccoon lovers.

I listen to Book Fight when I’m cooking. I listen to it when I’m showering, which maybe sounds strange. I freak out when I see they’re reviewing my favorite books. My roommates tell me I’m an old man for listening to what is essentially talk radio and I listen all the more. I love the curmudgeonly personalities of Mike and Tom, love their takes on literature, culture, and their inane digressions. Their recommendations are pretty incredible too—all about Marah lately after the Kids in Philly shoutout. All about this podcast; Book Fight Pod: no brainer.

Enjoy listening to this every Monday. Love a good book rant :)

I'm in and I've been in since episode 1. I've subscribed to countless book and writing podcasts and I've unsubscribe to all of them , but Bookfight. Here's a podcast about books that are important (usually). A podcast by writers about writing who aren't doing this to sell you their self published crap genre series. Smart, funny and unpretentious.

Talk about what we talk about when we talk about books -- plus reading, writing, teaching, and publishing -- with lots of tangents and laughs. For instant classics, try episode 95 (epic title fight) and the Silver Linings Playbook bonus episode (TKO).

They are the men I hope one day to be, even if I am older than one of them.

Very entertaining and wide-ranging - worth making your way through the entire back-catalog.

Mike & Tom are entertaining informative, and intelligent, working their way through books and essays to give you their thoughts and snark about each week's selection. Great guests and seasonal themes.

Thoughtful podcast about literature and also a lot of other things. Smart criticism and a great deal of humor, too. If you’re a writer or a reader, you should be a listener.

Mike and Tom are anti-bros. Which is to say you can sip beer in the basement with them so long as you don't ask for a PBR and rhapsodize about man-caves. Because they aren't interested in posers or trends, unless discussed with incisive insight. They are intelligent but irreverent practitioners of wit—whether discussing literary feuds, tugboats, or monkey dinners. Their banter is barbed and biting, but their friendship is evident and enviable. I didn't know that straight men could be at once so snarky and so smart. I feel fortunate to sit ringside to these worthy representatives of the City of Brotherly Love.

Monday mornings rocks solely because of this podcast!!!

It’s like making two new friends who actually enjoy talking about books and have smart things to say about them. But unlike pretty much every literary podcast out there, these two new friends aren’t all high and mighty about their literary knowledge. Instead they sometimes don’t finish the book because they didn’t like it, or they talk about raccoon news, or they disparage Q, or they troll the NaNoWriMo message boards (a November event that needs to happen all year round). Don’t even get me started on the insanity that is Fan Fiction Corner. In the end, it’s two smart, funny people saying smart and funny things that brings joy to the beginning of every week.

Book Fight is a sometimes irreverent, always tangential discussion about books, stories and other well written ephemera. Mike and Tom love reading and writing and this means that their discussions about books and writing are woven around their lives, experiences, and general zaniness. With sharp with and no fear of being a little goofy Book Fight allows you to enjoy a discussion about writing done well, most of the time, without sacrificing a laugh and a smile. Whenever I finish this podcast it makes me want to pick up a book. The highest praise I can give a podcast that is, ostensibly, about reviewing books.

If you only listen to 1 book podcast this year, what the hell is the matter with you? There are dozens of great podcasts out there but this is one of the best. Funnier than Literary Disco (mostly), swearier than BOTNS, more Philadelphia based than The Readers and less self-righteous than Book Riot this show successfully combines the 3 “R”’s of the literary world; reading, writing and raccoons. A word of caution, if you are looking for a podcast specifically about raccoons then this one probably isn’t for you, it’s mostly intelligent, thoughtful discussion of literature, laced with plenty of humour, a moderate amount of profanity and entertaining digressions that will appeal more to the casual raccoon enthusiast than the hardcore fan. In addition to teaching creative writing at Temple the presenters, Tom McAllister and Mike Ingram, are both published authors, and you will probably end up wishing they were your real friends, rather than those sad losers you actually hang out with. Jason S