Episode · The Book Review · 2022-04-08
Books mentioned on Fiction About Lives in Ukraine
John Williams recommended Riverman by Ben McGrath and Catholics by Brian Moore, and discussed Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov, Death and the Penguin by Andreĭ Kurkov, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, the lonely passion of judith hearne by Brian Moore, and The Emperor of Ice-Cream by Brian Moore. Elizabeth Harris discussed This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson, Sex is a funny word by Cory Silverberg, Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, Lawn boy by Jonathan Evison, and Beloved by Toni Morrison. MJ Franklin discussed Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart, and Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. Lauren Christensen discussed The Neapolitan Novels : My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante and others and My Brilliant Friend by Chiara Lagani and others.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Grey Bees
Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov is a poignant novel that explores the lives of ordinary people caught in the complexities of conflict in Ukraine, centered notably on the daily struggles of a quiet beekeeper.
Discussed“lucky breaks a short story collection by yvenia beruset translated by Eugene ostashevsky and gray bees by Andre kirkov translated by Boris druk”
Where to get it
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Death and the Penguin
Discussed“but then I realized when you mentioned it I had read his book death in the penguin”
Where to get it
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Riverman
Riverman: An American Odyssey by Ben McGrath is a compelling nonfiction work that follows the life and tragic disappearance of a dedicated canoeist who patrolled the Hudson River.
Recommended“he has been a staff writer at the New Yorker magazine since 2003 and his new book is River man an American Odyssey”
Where to get it
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Into the Wild
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a gripping non-fiction book that chronicles the tragic journey of Christopher McCandless, a young man who abandoned conventional society to live alone in the Alaskan wilderness.
Discussed“there's obvious Echoes In This Book of John krackow into the wild”
Where to get it
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This Book Is Gay
This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson is an informative non-fiction guide offering insights into LGBTQ+ identities, relationships, and adolescent experiences.
Discussed“A County prosecutor's office in Wyoming considered Criminal charges against Library employees for stocking books like this book is gay and sex is a funny word”
Where to get it
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Sex is a funny word
Discussed“A County prosecutor's office in Wyoming considered Criminal charges against Library employees for stocking books like this book is gay and sex is a funny word”
Where to get it
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Gender Queer
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe is an autobiographical graphic novel that chronicles the author's journey of self-discovery, gender identity, and adolescence.
Discussed“so the most targeted was a book called gender queer by Maya kabi”
Where to get it
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Lawn boy
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison is a contemporary novel that follows a young Mexican-American man working as a landscaper while coming to terms with his sexual identity and navigating economic hardship.
Discussed“the number two book was a book called lawn booy by Jonathan everon which is a novel that follows a young Mexican-American man who works as a landscaper and is coming to terms with his sexual identity”
Where to get it
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Beloved
Beloved by Toni Morrison is a powerful historical fiction novel that tells the harrowing story of Sethe, an escaped enslaved woman haunted by the trauma of her past and the literal ghost of her daughter.
Discussed“feature a mother who wanted beloved removed from her son's High School curriculum some years ago”
Where to get it
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Heartstopper
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman is a critically acclaimed young adult graphic novel series that follows the romantic journey of two British schoolboys navigating friendship, identity, and adolescence.
Discussed“so I have been reading two books side by side and it's funny because they are completely different one is Young the new book by Douglas Stewart and the other is the heart stop series The ya graphic novel series by Alice oan”
Where to get it
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Young Mungo
Discussed“so I have been reading two books side by side and it's funny because they are completely different one is Young the new book by Douglas Stewart and the other is the heart stop series”
Where to get it
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Shuggie Bain
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart is a deeply moving debut novel set in 1980s post-industrial Glasgow, chronicling a young boy's devoted efforts to save his mother from the grips of severe alcoholism.
Discussed“it's by Douglas Stewart who you may know as the author of shuggy Bane which was beautiful and devastating”
Where to get it
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The Neapolitan Novels : My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child
The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante form a gripping literary tetralogy comprising My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child, tracing the lifelong friendship of two women in Naples.
Discussed“I have very belatedly embarrassingly belatedly just gotten into the Alena fante Neapolitan novels and I was telling John that I was binge listening to the audio books”
Where to get it
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My Brilliant Friend
My Brilliant Friend by Chiara Lagani, Elena Ferrante, and Mara Cerri is the acclaimed opening volume of the Neapolitan quartet tracking the lifelong friendship of two women in Italy.
Discussed“and it's funny because I I tried to read my brilliant friend which is the first novel when it came out was like I more than 10 years ago at this point and for some reason I I just couldn't get into it”
Where to get it
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Catholics
Catholics by Brian Moore is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that explores deep theological and institutional conflicts within the Catholic Church following sweeping modern reforms.
Recommended“it's called Catholics it's a a very slender almost Nolla by Brian Moore who was an Irish writer who eventually settled in Canada”
Where to get it
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the lonely passion of judith hearne
Discussed“I'd read two of his books previously the lonely passion of Judith Hearn which is I think currently available from the New York Review of Books Classics line and the Emperor of ice cream”
Where to get it
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The Emperor of Ice-Cream
Discussed“I'd read two of his books previously the lonely passion of Judith Hearn which is I think currently available from the New York Review of Books Classics line and the Emperor of ice cream”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“The Bluest Eye comes up a lot all right”