Episode · The Book Review · 2022-09-30
Celeste Ng on The Book Review: books mentioned
Celeste Ng on Race, Class and Suburbia
Gilbert Cruz discussed Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng and others, Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, Everything I never told you by Celeste Ng, and In the unlikely event by Judy Blume. Judy Blume discussed Telex from Cuba by Rachel Kushner and Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume.
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 state-sanctioned censorship destroys specific books, Asian Americans face pervasive violence, and children are forcibly separated from parents who openly criticize 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 debut novel that investigates family dynamics, race, and expectations in suburbia through the gripping mystery of a family dealing with a tragic loss.
Discussed“so it's interesting because your first book everything I never told you your debut began with a dead girl and you were sort of trying to figure out reconstruct what happened this new novel begins with a fire”
Where to get it
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In the unlikely event
In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume is an adult novel inspired by the author's childhood experiences with a tragic series of three real-life commercial airline crashes that shook her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, in the early 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 is a historical novel by Rachel Kushner set in an American-owned mining company town in Cuba right before the outbreak of the Cuban revolution.
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
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Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself
Starring Sally J.
Discussed“yes in your favorite in your very favorite of my books starring Sally J Friedman as herself which is truly my most autobiographical book this book is not autobiographical although people seem to think that it is”
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”