Episode · The Book Review · 2024-02-09
Books mentioned on 4 Early-Year Book Recommendations
Gilbert Cruz recommended You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue and others, Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino, Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, Super-Infinite by Katherine Rundell, Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett, and The Other Side by Jennifer Higgie, and discussed Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Sadie Stein recommended Madness by Antonia Hylton.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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You Dreamed of Empires
You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue, translated by Natasha Wimmer, is an imaginative historical novel offering an alternative perspective on the Spanish conquest of Mexico by reframing the historical encounter as a chaotic, high-stakes heist carried out by fortunate thugs.
Recommended“there's you dreamed of Empires which our critic white Garner loved by Alvaro enri translated from the Spanish by Natasha Wimer”
Where to get it
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Beautyland
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino is a whimsical and poignant contemporary novel about an alien intelligence sent to Earth in the guise of a human girl in the 1970s, who navigates the complexities of human existence while communicating with her home planet through a fax machine.
Recommended“there's Beauty Land by Marie Helen bertino reviewed by our critic Alexander Jacobs it's about a young woman of alien origin living on Earth starting in the 1970s who communicates with her race back on their home planet via fact machine”
Where to get it
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Martyr!
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar is a dazzling debut novel about an orphaned young Iranian-American poet in recovery seeking meaning, legacy, and a dramatic exit through art.
Recommended“and then there's martyr by cave Akbar we talked about this one in the start of our year preview episode a couple weeks ago and the novelist Juno Diaz recently gave this one a rave review for us”
Where to get it
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Super-Infinite
Super-Infinite by Katherine Rundell is a critically acclaimed biographical work that chronicles the wild, multifaceted life and literary evolution of the seventeenth-century poet and preacher John Donne.
Recommended“Sarah you have brought a book that was released in 2022 the name of the book is super infinite the transformations of John done”
Where to get it
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Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is a gripping mystery novel by Janice Hallett that investigates a sinister cult and a historical disappearance through an inventive epistolary format filled with emails, transcripts, and documents.
Recommended“and this is a book called The Mysterious case of the alerton Angels this is by the British mystery writer Hallet”
Where to get it
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The Other Side
The Other Side by Jennifer Higgie is a compelling exploration of women in art and their connections to the spirit world.
Recommended“stie let us begin with the other side a story of women in art and the spirit world”
Where to get it
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Madness
Madness by Antonia Hylton is a striking work of non-fiction that investigates the history and legacy of Crownsville Hospital, a segregated asylum in Maryland.
Recommended“and this is a Madness by Antonia Hilton”
Where to get it
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Demon Copperhead
Barbara Kingsolver's acclaimed novel Demon Copperhead is a contemporary reimagining of Charles Dickens's David Copperfield, set against the grim backdrop of the opioid crisis in modern-day Appalachia.
Discussed“we're like why is demon Copperhead not on here”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (8) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“it was reviewed in the book review by James Shapiro the author of Shakespeare in a divided America which was one of our top 10 books of 2020”
“this is her fourth book she previously wrote the twiford code and the appeal”
“this is her fourth book she previously wrote the twiford code and the appeal”
“but more importantly to this book she was also the author of Ninth Street women which is a group portrait of five female painters”
“this book The Other Side a story of women in art in the spirit world is by Australian art critic Jennifer higgy who previously wrote a really interesting study of female self-portraiture called the mirror in the pal pette which you may remember”
“and she's out of college now and she asked me to read to her from Charlotte's Web”
“and I remember the war between the Tates or the other side of midnight”
“and I remember the war between the Tates or the other side of midnight”