Episode · The Book Review · 2018-05-25
David Sedaris on The Book Review: books mentioned (May 2018)
David Sedaris on ‘Calypso’
Gilbert Cruz discussed Calypso by David Sedaris and others and Insane by Alisa Roth. Pamela Paul recommended Less by Andrew Sean Greer, and discussed Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris. Alexandra Alter discussed A Higher Loyalty by James Comey and others, The soul of America by Jon Meacham, Shade by Pete Souza, Becoming by Michelle Obama, From the corner of the oval by Beck Dorey-Stein, Yes We (Still) Can by Dan Pfeiffer, and The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and others. Tina Jordan recommended The Outsider by Stephen King, and discussed The Stand by Stephen King. Greg Cowles discussed Pet Sematary by Stephen King and Ulysses by James Joyce. John Williams discussed The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner and Outline by Rachel Cusk.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Calypso
Calypso by David Sedaris is a darkly humorous essay collection in which the author explores aging, mortality, family eccentricities, and political shifts from the vantage point of his home in coastal North Carolina.
Discussed“David sederis will explore this and other pressing issues when he joins us to talk about his latest book Calypso”
Where to get it
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Insane
Discussed“Alisa Roth will be here to talk about her book insane America's criminal treatment of mental illness”
Where to get it
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Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris is a collection of humorous and deeply observational personal essays by the acclaimed satirist.
Discussed“there was that great one I think from uh let's explore diabetes with owls”
Where to get it
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A Higher Loyalty
A Higher Loyalty by James Comey is a high-profile political memoir by the former FBI director that chronicles his career in public service, his handling of sensitive investigations, and his interactions with political leaders including Donald Trump.
Discussed“we still have books like a higher loyalty by James Comey is is still number three John mechums the soul of America jumped on there”
Where to get it
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The soul of America
Discussed“we still have books like a higher loyalty by James Comey is is still number three John mechums the soul of America jumped on there”
Where to get it
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Becoming
Becoming is a widely discussed memoir by Michelle Obama that details her life, public journey, and transition through various stages, including her time as First Lady of the United States.
Discussed“so his book comes out before Michelle Obama's book becoming which is released on November 13th”
Where to get it
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From the corner of the oval
From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein is a revealing memoir that chronicles the author's experiences transitioning from a young stenographer to a White House staffer working closely during the Obama administration.
Discussed“it's coming up this summer in July is from the corner of the oval it's a memoir by Beck Dory Stein and it's being published by Spiegel and grow”
Where to get it
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Yes We (Still) Can
Why people recommend it: This insightful political book examines modern campaigning, media dynamics, and civic engagement during turbulent times in American politics.
Discussed“and then another one coming out in June is is Dan Fifer's yes we still can politics in the age of Obama Twitter and Trump”
Where to get it
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The President is Missing
The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson is a high-stakes political thriller that imagines a crisis where the American commander-in-chief suddenly vanishes while dealing with a catastrophic cyberattack.
Discussed“co-authored by James Patterson and former President Bill Clinton called the president is missing and this is a thriller that has been kept heavily Under Wraps at least the plot of it has”
Where to get it
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The Outsider
The Outsider by Stephen King is a genre-blending thriller that begins as a straightforward police procedural investigating a gruesome local murder before twisting into a terrifying supernatural horror story.
Recommended“I've started the new Stephen King which is called The Outsider”
Where to get it
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The Stand
Stephen King's monumental post-apocalyptic epic The Stand details the devastating sweep of a weaponized influenza strain that wipes out the vast majority of humanity, leaving survivors to choose sides in a final conflict between good and evil.
Where to get it
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Pet Sematary
Pet Sematary by Stephen King is a dark horror novel about a grieving family that discovers a malevolent burial ground behind their home with the power to resurrect the dead.
Discussed“I have a soft spot for Pet Cemetery”
Where to get it
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The Mars Room
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner is a gritty, critically acclaimed contemporary novel that explores the bleak realities of the American women's prison system through the eyes of an inmate named Romy Hall.
Discussed“so I read Rachel kushner's the Mars room”
Where to get it
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Outline
Outline by Rachel Cusk is a critically acclaimed contemporary novel known for its minimalist style and unique narrative structure where the protagonist reveals herself primarily through the stories told to her by others.
Discussed“I'm rereading Rachel cusk's outline in preparation for reading the third book in that”
Where to get it
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Ulysses
James Joyce's landmark modernist novel Ulysses chronicles an ordinary day in the life of Leopold Bloom in Dublin, mapping human consciousness and daily existence through a revolutionary stream-of-consciousness technique.
Discussed“what's your favorite James Joyce novel it's it's about a month since I last discussed ulses on this show”
Where to get it
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Less
Less by Andrew Sean Greer is a comedic novel that follows a failed novelist nearing fifty who accepts a series of haphazard international literary events to escape a wedding.
Recommended“I am reading Andrew sha Greer's less which just won the Pitzer prize for fiction and listeners may recall he was a guest here on the podcast last year”
Where to get it
