Episode · The Book Review · 2026-10-16
Books mentioned on A Book Review Critics’ Roundtable
As much as we love hearing from authors on “The Book Review” podcast, there are precious few who have read more than our staff book critics — Jennifer Szalai, Alexandra Jacobs and Dwight Garner.
Alexandra Jacobs recommended Nothing Random: Bennett Cerf and the Publishing House He Built, Betsy-Tacy (Betsy-Tacy #1) by Maud Hart Lovelace and others, and Betsy-Tacy and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace and others, and discussed Rabbit, Run by John Updike. Dwight Garner recommended The Disappearers by Marlon James, American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee, The American way of death by Jessica Mitford, Class by Paul Fussell, The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell, American Fried by Calvin Trillin, Alice, Let's Eat by Calvin Trillin, Third Helpings by Calvin Trillin, On Fire by Larry Brown, Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead, The Oyster Diaries by Nancy Lemann, Biological War: A Scenario, and Brother of the more famous Jack by Barbara Trapido, and discussed Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. Also mentioned: Will and Attention by Meghan O'Gieblyn, Lives Other Than My Own by Emmanuel Carrère, To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, Into the Wood Chipper by Nicholas Enrich, and Love and hydrogen by Jim Shepard.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Nothing Random: Bennett Cerf and the Publishing House He Built
Recommended“I want to put on reader radar, Nothing Random by Gail Feldman. This is one of the first books I reviewed this year.”
Where to get it
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Will and Attention
Recommended“So, this is a book that I actually just recently reviewed, and it's called Will in Attention, and it's by Megan O'B.”
Where to get it
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The Disappearers
The Disappearers is a novel by Marlon James that marks the author's anticipated return to literary fiction.
Recommended“Well, I I I think that my best book of the year, famously, perhaps infamously, is Marlin James' novel, The Disappears.”
Where to get it
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American Hagwon
American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee is a sweeping novel exploring the complexities of education, upward and downward mobility, and the Korean diaspora within the United States, serving as part of a planned four-part thematic series.
Recommended“I felt the same way about American Haguan by freshly reviewed I adored this book. I also feel it is a flowering tree and all of that.”
Where to get it
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Pachinko
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is a sweeping historical novel that chronicles four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family living in Japan, struggling against deep-seated discrimination and hardship.
Discussed“Similar for Pachinko and American Hogwan. So, this is a big major writer, heavily anticipated book that's been percolating for like a decade. Thank goodness I liked it. Uh, no, I mean I I was I was anxious because you know Pachinko was such an enormous phenomenon. Phenomenon. I think this book is better than Pachenko.”
Where to get it
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Lives Other Than My Own
Lives Other Than My Own by Emmanuel Carrère is a deeply reflective French work that blurs the boundaries between memoir and journalism, examining mortality, grief, and human connection in the wake of tragedy.
Recommended“This is a book um Lives Other than My Own by Emanuel Carrer.”
Where to get it
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To the Lighthouse
To the Lighthouse is a landmark modernist novel by Virginia Woolf that explores themes of loss, subjectivity, and the passage of time through the experiences of the Ramsay family.
Recommended“My book that I'm evangelist for is To the Lighthouse by Virginia Wolf.”
Where to get it
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The American way of death
The American Way of Death by Jessica Mitford is a 1963 investigative expose that sharply criticizes the American funeral industry and became a surprise national bestseller.
Recommended“Jessica Mford's American Way of Death was one just because the way she rips the lid off this great topic and she's so entertaining about it.”
Where to get it
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Class
Class by Paul Fussell is a satirical and sociological exploration of the hidden hierarchies, tastes, and status signifiers that define social standing in the United States.
Recommended“Paul Fussell's class and his book The Great War in Modern Memory.”
Where to get it
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The Great War and Modern Memory
Recommended“Paul Fussell's class and his book The Great War in Modern Memory. Again, just for like that guy throws thunder.”
Where to get it
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American Fried
Recommended“and also Calvin Trillan's books about food. They're called collectively the Tummy Trilogy, but I hate that name because it makes them seem cute and trilogy. Yeah. But their their initial titles are American Fried, Alice, Let's Eat, and Third Helpings, which a introduced me to sort of vernacular food all around us and why it matters.”
Where to get it
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Alice, Let's Eat
Recommended“and also Calvin Trillan's books about food. They're called collectively the Tummy Trilogy, but I hate that name because it makes them seem cute and trilogy. Yeah. But their their initial titles are American Fried, Alice, Let's Eat, and Third Helpings, which a introduced me to sort of vernacular food all around us and why it matters.”
Where to get it
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Third Helpings
Recommended“and also Calvin Trillan's books about food. They're called collectively the Tummy Trilogy, but I hate that name because it makes them seem cute and trilogy. Yeah. But their their initial titles are American Fried, Alice, Let's Eat, and Third Helpings, which a introduced me to sort of vernacular food all around us and why it matters.”
Where to get it
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On Fire
On Fire by Larry Brown is a compelling memoir by a Mississippi fireman who ultimately transitioned into a celebrated novelist, sharing powerful reflections on his life and experiences.
Recommended“But the book I'm going to shill for is a bit more lowbrow in the best way possible. A memoir by Larry Brown, the uh late Mississippi writer called On Fire.”
Where to get it
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Betsy-Tacy (Betsy-Tacy #1)
Recommended“the book or books that made me certainly the first one that come comes to mind is actually a series and that was the Betsy Tacy series by Mod Hurt Love Lace. Uh, the Betsy Tacy series. One of the things that's so beautiful about it is it starts out as children's books, Betsy, Tacy, and then it's Betsy, Tacy,”
Where to get it
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Betsy-Tacy and Tib
Recommended“One of the things that's so beautiful about it is it starts out as children's books, Betsy, Tacy, and then it's Betsy, Tacy, and Tib.”
Where to get it
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Rabbit, Run
Discussed“so I read rabbit run and I was off and I think John Updike is the reason I didn't go to graduate school”
Where to get it
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Into the Wood Chipper
Into the Wood Chipper by Nicholas Enrich is a book that examines a dramatic real-world scenario involving institutional policy, bureaucratic missteps, and technological implementation.
Recommended“And it's called Into the Wood Chipper by Nicholas Enrich.”
Where to get it
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Cool Machine
Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead is the anticipated third and final installment in the acclaimed author's celebrated Harlem Trilogy.
Recommended“One was Coulson Whitehead's Cool Machine, the last of his Harlem crime series. Maybe the most entertaining book I read this year.”
Where to get it
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The Oyster Diaries
Recommended“Nancy Lemon's The Oyster Diaries, this witty New Orleans ccentric novel, was a great discovery this year.”
Where to get it
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Biological War: A Scenario
Recommended“Biological War by Annie Jacobson, the first thing you should know is it reads like a rocket. I mean, it is like the most gripping novel.”
Where to get it
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Brother of the more famous Jack
Brother of the More Famous Jack is a classic novel by Barbara Trapido that explores complex family dynamics, coming-of-age themes, and bohemian intellectual life.
Recommended“Barbara Trapo, a novel called Brother of the More Famous Jack. Terrible title. British writer. Came out 40 years ago. Newly discovered. Fantastic.”
Where to get it
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Love and hydrogen
Recommended“Jen, Love and Hydrogen, a short story collection by Jim Shepard. It came out about 20 years ago.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (4) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Marlon James' previous book, A Brief History of Seven Killings came out 10 11 years ago.”
“I mean, I'm tempted to say Make Way for Ducklings, but um but I won't.”
“And it sent me back to read her previous book about called Nuclear War, which is just as good.”
“about the photographer Peter Huer who took the famous photograph on the cover of Hanya Yanukahar's A Little Life and others”