Episode · The Book Review · 2024-07-18
Books mentioned on Celeste Ng on Race, Class and Suburbia
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Our Missing Hearts
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng is a dystopian novel set in a United States where certain books are destroyed, Asian Americans face constant violence, and children are taken from families who speak out against the government.
Discussed“Celeste in's new novel our missing Hearts takes place in a United States where certain books are destroyed asian-americans face constant violence and children are taken away from families who speak out against the government it feels far off but not so far off as Stephen King writes in his review of in's book her dystopia feels milder than in”
Where to get it
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Little Fires Everywhere
Little Fires Everywhere is a contemporary novel that explores the intertwined fates of families in an idyllic Ohio suburb, touching on themes of race, class, and motherhood.
Discussed“this week we're rerunning in's appearance from 2017 on the podcast when she spoke to us for the release of her last novel little fires everywhere”
Where to get it
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Everything I never told you
Everything I never told you by Celeste Ng is a character-driven debut novel that explores family dynamics, racial identity, and expectations within a mixed-race family in 1970s Ohio following the mysterious death of a daughter.
Discussed“your first novel everything I never told you you had an amazing highly unusual experience for a debut author in that it became a mega bestseller I think Amazon for the first time named it the best book of the year”
Where to get it
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In the unlikely event
In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume is a poignant adult fiction novel that reflects on a series of real-life plane crashes in Elizabeth, New Jersey, during the 1950s.
Discussed“Pamela recently as part of our recurring series The Essentials which helps readers w we through authors with substantial backlists we took a look at Judy Bloom while she's best known for her work for younger readers her most recent novel 2015's in the unlikely event was aimed squarely at adults”
Where to get it
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Telex from Cuba
Telex from Cuba by Rachel Kushner is a critically acclaimed historical novel set against the turbulent backdrop of the American expat community in pre-revolutionary Cuba.
Discussed“she had been invited as a new voice and she was on stage talking about her first novel Telex from Cuba a book that I had loved very much”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (5) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“her dystopia feels milder than in books like 1984 or the handmaid's tale the effect quote makes it more able and hence more upsetting”
“her dystopia feels milder than in books like 1984 or the handmaid's tale the effect quote makes it more able and hence more upsetting”
“Laura Litman was talking about her next novel sunburn which isn't out yet I heard her talking about it today and she said it in 1995”
“I I in my defense I did take two years off to work on a movie the movie of Tiger Eyes”
“when you know when people come up to you and say oh my God Judy Bloom Deanie or oh my God you know Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing”