Episode · The Book Review · 2026-09-04
Books mentioned on It’s Time for a Big Ol’ Fall Book Preview
Jordan Baker said it best: “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” In just one short sentence, the character in F.
Gilbert Cruz recommended The Disappearers by Marlon James, American Scoundrel by Kai Bird and others, The Vanishing Family by Robert Kolker, Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee, The Rush by Nathaniel Philbrick, On the Calculation of Volume (Book V) by Solvej Balle, Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson, Ply by Hernan Diaz, Trust by Hernan Diaz, Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger, and Take My Word for It by LeVar Burton, and discussed Other Worlds Than These by Stephen King and others, The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas, and Promise Me, America by Joe Biden. Joumana Khatib recommended The Radiance by Ayad Akhtar, American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee, Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun, Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li, Stations by Louise Kennedy, Trespasses by Louise Kennedy, Dodge City by Patrick deWitt, Taipei Story by R. F. Kuang, and Every Story Is a Love Story by Imbolo Mbue, and discussed Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li, The Brightness by Chad Harbach, The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach, No Land to Stand On by Mahmoud Khalil and others, and Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus. MJ Franklin recommended Switzy by Emma Cline, Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo, Mazywood by Tananarive Due, Partita by Barbara Kingsolver, The Occidental Book of the Dead by T. Geronimo Johnson, and Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel, and discussed Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo and Hollywood, Ending by John Green.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Disappearers
The Disappearers by Marlon James is a compelling contemporary work that marks a major new chapter in the author's celebrated literary career.
Recommended“In September, Marlon James is back with his book, The Disappearers. It's his big return to literary fiction.”
Where to get it
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The Radiance
The Radiance is an autofictional novel by Ayad Akhtar that delves into contemporary American life, identity, and complex cultural dynamics.
Recommended“This is called The Radiance by Ayad Akar. If you're a reader, you probably know him for Homeland Elegies, which is one of the book reviews 10 best books of the year in 2020.”
Where to get it
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American Scoundrel
American Scoundrel by Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark is a compelling biographical work exploring the life and career of the notorious American lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn.
Recommended“I am here to talk about American Scoundrel by Kybird and Susan Goldmark.”
Where to get it
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Switzy
Switzy is a novel by Emma Cline that touches upon the topic of assisted dying.
Recommended“It's Switzerie by Emma Klene. You may know Emma Klein from books like The Girls. that was her debut novel or The Guest, which was a big summer hit in 2023.”
Where to get it
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The Vanishing Family
The Vanishing Family is a narrative non-fiction book by Robert Kolker that explores the heavy subject of dementia.
Recommended“The next book that I want to talk about, The Vanishing Family by Robert Kulker, um, is also about dementia.”
Where to get it
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Dead Beat
Dead Beat is a fantasy novel by Leigh Bardugo that explores themes involving ghosts.
Recommended“This is Deadbeat by Lee Bugo. How do you feel about ghosts? ... So, Deadbeat is the third and final book in Lee Bugo's 9inth House trilogy.”
Where to get it
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Ninth House
Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House is a dark fantasy novel set at Yale University that follows a protagonist tangled up with the campus's occult secret societies.
Discussed“I'm hibernating and to keep me company during that time I am reading 9inth House the first book in the series”
Where to get it
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American Hagwon
American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee is a contemporary novel exploring the complexities of education, societal expectations, and the Korean diaspora within the United States.
Recommended“This is American Hagwan by none other than Minjin Lee of Pachinko fame.”
Where to get it
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Pachinko
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is a sweeping historical novel that follows four generations of a Korean immigrant family living in Japan.
Discussed“I didn't really remember that it has been almost 10 years since Pachinko was published. ... 2017 is when that book came out, but I feel like it has just never left our consciousness.”
Where to get it
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Free Food for Millionaires
Min Jin Lee's debut novel Free Food for Millionaires follows the ambitious life of Casey Han, a first-generation Korean American Princeton graduate navigating identity, wealth, and societal expectations in 1990s New York City.
Recommended“I also would love to see people go back to Minjin Lee's like debut book, Free Food for Millionaires. Totally different than Pachenko.”
Where to get it
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Mazywood
Mazywood is a horror novel by Tananarive Due.
Recommended“The book I have is Maisywood by Tanana Ree Dw. If you don't know Tanana Reeved, know Tanana Ree. She is horror royalty.”
Where to get it
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Public Access Afterworld
Public Access Afterworld is a horror novel by Jane Schoenbrun.
Recommended“Okay, this is called Public Access After World by Jane Shonbrun. The author is a filmmaker and this is their debut.”
Where to get it
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Other Worlds Than These
Other Worlds Than These by Stephen King and Peter Straub is a collaborative novel that connects the imaginative universes of previous works like The Talisman and the Dark Tower series.
Discussed“He has a new book uh titled Other Worlds Than the These. Uh he wrote it with Peter Stra. Stephen King, someone I have talked about on this podcast before”
Where to get it
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Partita
Partita is a coming-of-age novel by Barbara Kingsolver that centers on a notable inciting incident.
Recommended“That um inciting incident is the start of Partida by Barbara Kingsolver. Um you may remember Barbara Kingsolver from a great number of books.”
Where to get it
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Music Against the Night
Music Against the Night is a historical novel by Yiyun Li.
Recommended“So this is a novel that's called Music Against the Night by Yan Lee.”
Where to get it
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Things in Nature Merely Grow
Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li is a deeply emotional memoir that explores profound personal grief, examining the devastating suicides of the author's two sons and her subsequent journey toward emotional endurance and survival.
Discussed“Yan Lee's last book was a memoir, Things in Nature Merely Grow. And that delved into the suicides of both of her sons, both of her children, and how she really picked herself up afterwards”
Where to get it
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The Rush
The Rush by Nathaniel Philbrick is a comprehensive historical exploration that chronicles the California Gold Rush and its deep connections to the Civil War and the formation of the modern world.
Recommended“This is called The Rush: California Gold: The Civil War and the Making of the Modern World by Nathaniel Philick.”
Where to get it
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The Occidental Book of the Dead
The Occidental Book of the Dead by T.
Recommended“This is The Accidental Book of the Dead by T. Geronimo Johnson. And this one is really tricky to explain, which is why it's great.”
Where to get it
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The Brightness
The Brightness by Chad Harbach is an anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed and widely popular novel The Art of Fielding, continuing the author's exploration of complex human relationships and ambition.
Discussed“This is another highly anticipated longest justating sequel to a beloved novel, The Brightness by Chad Harbaugh. Chad Harbach being the author of the art of fielding which was to be uh frank everywhere.”
Where to get it
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The Art of Fielding
Discussed“Chad Harbach being the author of the art of fielding which was to be uh frank everywhere. So this is actually pretty exciting because the brightness it's still in the universe that Harbach set up in the art of fielding.”
Where to get it
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On the Calculation of Volume (Book V)
On the Calculation of Volume (Book V) is the fifth installment in an ongoing series of novels by Danish author Solvej Balle.
Recommended“we devoted an entire episode to a series of novels written by the Danish author Salv Bala. Those novels are titled on the calculation of volume. In April, Bala had just released the fourth volume”
Where to get it
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Stations
Stations is a novel by Irish author Louise Kennedy.
Recommended“This is Stations by Louise Kennedy. Louise Kennedy is an Irish author. Her debut novel, Trespasses, also blew me away.”
Where to get it
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Trespasses
Trespasses is a critically acclaimed debut novel by Irish author Louise Kennedy.
Recommended“Her debut novel, Trespasses, also blew me away. It is a beautiful, heartbreaking romance.”
Where to get it
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Dodge City
Dodge City is a novel by Patrick deWitt.
Recommended“I'm going to start with Dodge City by Patrick Dit. My first thing is that I love Patrick Dit because he's really intelligent without being too clever.”
Where to get it
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Our Noble Selves
Our Noble Selves is a post-World War II mystery novel by Kate Atkinson.
Recommended“Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson out in September. Kate Atkinson is the beloved English mystery writer. She has written the Jackson Brody series of books.”
Where to get it
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Taipei Story
Taipei Story is a coming-of-age novel by R.
Recommended“I have Taipei story by RF Kuang, who you might know for yellowface, babble, or catavistus, which I now know how to pronounce.”
Where to get it
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Exit Party
Exit Party is a dystopian mystery novel by author Emily St.
Recommended“I have Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel who you may remember from Station 11. This new one is a dystopian mystery.”
Where to get it
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Ply
Ply is a novel by Hernan Diaz.
Recommended“along with the author of this next book Ply by Ernand Diaz. That's out at the end of September. And this is the follow-up to his book Trust”
Where to get it
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Trust
Trust by Hernan Diaz is a structurally ambitious and celebrated novel that delves into themes of wealth, power, and multiple perspectives in historical America.
Recommended“And this is the follow-up to his book Trust, which I I think I've read two or three times at this point. I really love that book.”
Where to get it
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Hollywood, Ending
Hollywood, Ending by John Green is a contemporary novel centering on two young actors who find themselves navigating the intense pressures of sudden fame and survival.
Discussed“Speaking of surprises, we have Hollywood ending by John Green. John Green is the author of The Fault in Our Stars, a ton of YA novels.”
Where to get it
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No Land to Stand On
Discussed“All right, I have a memoir. This is No Land to Stand on Notes from Detention by Mahmud Hal.”
Where to get it
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The Time Traveler's Wife
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is a popular contemporary romantic novel about a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to unpredictably time travel and his artist wife who must cope with his frequent absences.
Discussed“So, in 2003, a book called The Time Traveler's Wife came out. I read it so long ago. I remember almost nothing about it other than the fact that I really, really loved it.”
Where to get it
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Life Out of Order
Life Out of Order is a novel by Audrey Niffenegger.
Recommended“Audrey Niffaneer, the author of that, has written a sequel, I think a long-awaited sequel to The Time Traveler's Wife that is called Life Out of Order, and it is out in early October.”
Where to get it
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Every Story Is a Love Story
Every Story Is a Love Story is a novel by Imbolo Mbue.
Recommended“Uh, I have a novel that I cannot wait to read called Every Story Is a Love Story by Imbolo Buouet. This is about a man who is widowed.”
Where to get it
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Peck & Peck
Discussed“I also have Peek and Peek by Bonnie Garas, who of course is the author of Lessons in Chemistry, which was astronomically popular.”
Where to get it
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A Court of Splintered Harmony
Discussed“This is the latest in Sarah J. Moss's A Court of Thorns and Roses series. This one is called A Court of Splintered Harmony.”
Where to get it
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Take My Word for It
Take My Word for It by LeVar Burton is an upcoming memoir by the beloved actor, educator, and cultural icon.
Recommended“If you know Reading Rainbow, you know Lavar Burton. um the patron saint of bookish kids, at least in my generation. He has a memoir that's coming out titled Take My Word for It”
Where to get it
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Promise Me, America
Discussed“Former President Joe Biden is releasing a book called Promise Me America. And it's a memoir about his presidency.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (24) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“I will quote a book titled The Great Gatsby, which says, "Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."”
“You may remember Marlon James from his book um A Brief History of Seven Killings, which won the Booker Prize in 2015.”
“If you're a reader, you probably know him for Homeland Elegies, which is one of the book reviews 10 best books of the year in 2020.”
“Kai Bird is also interesting because he was the co-author of American Prometheus. It was the Pulitzer winning biography that eventually got adapted into the movie Oppenheimer”
“You may know Emma Klein from books like The Girls. that was her debut novel”
“or The Guest, which was a big summer hit in 2023. That was about a woman who was scamming her way through the Hamptons.”
“So, his last book, Hidden Valley Road, which was one of the book reviews top 10 books of 2020, was about this family.”
“But her previous book, The Reformatory, was particularly like a big breakout. That was like if you get niced with ghosts.”
“most recently she published Demon Copperhead which came out in 2022, won the 2023 Puliter Prize, and just like it was everywhere.”
“And if you love books like Heart the Lover by Lily King, I think you will love this one.”
“the reason I brought up boats is because I think if you know Nathaniel Filick, you might know him best as the author of In the Heart of the Sea. This was uh a book that told the true story of the Essex”
“And that true life story and that true life story ended up inspiring Moby Dick, which is supposedly one of the great works of American fiction.”
“This is like if you took Eraser by Peral Everett, mashed it with homie by Dess Smith, mashed it with transcription by Bin Ler.”
“This is like if you took Eraser by Peral Everett, mashed it with homie by Dess Smith, mashed it with transcription by Bin Ler.”
“This is like if you took Eraser by Peral Everett, mashed it with homie by Dess Smith, mashed it with transcription by Bin Ler.”
“This is more the sort of like big bustling like social coming of age novel like Clare Massud like the emperor's children or something like that.”
“And this is when I when I started reading this, I was like, "Oh my god, it's going to be like normal people but better."”
“Benjamin is the author of The Immortalists, a book that I think deserves more praise. I love that book.”
“RF Kuang, who you might know for yellowface, babble, or catavistus”
“RF Kuang, who you might know for yellowface, babble, or catavistus”
“RF Kuang, who you might know for yellowface, babble, or catavistus, which I now know how to pronounce.”
“Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel who you may remember from Station 11.”
“John Green is the author of The Fault in Our Stars, a ton of YA novels. He seems to be synonymous with YA literature.”
“Bonnie Garas, who of course is the author of Lessons in Chemistry, which was astronomically popular.”