Episode · The Book Review · 2026-07-03
Jill Lepore on The Book Review: books mentioned (Jul 2026)
Jill Lepore on What to Read This Fourth of July
Gilbert Cruz recommended Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead and London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe, and discussed We the People by Jill Lepore and Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy and others. Jill Lepore recommended American scripture by Pauline Maier and Glyph by Ali Smith. Elisabeth Egan recommended Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, Whistler by Ann Patchett, The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout, Man Overboard! by Kathleen Rooney, and The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson, and discussed The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, American Fantasy by Emma Straub, The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and others, How to Rule the World by Theo Baker, The Brightness by Chad Harbach, and Luna, Phoenix, Queen by Julie Orringer.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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We the People
We the People by Jill Lepore is a comprehensive history of the United States Constitution and its amendment process.
Discussed“She recently won a Pulitzer Prize for her book, We the People, A History of the US Constitution, and like many in her field, she has spent a lot of time over the last year thinking about the semi-quincentennial”
Where to get it
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American scripture
American Scripture by Pauline Maier is a rigorous and accessible historical examination tracking the creation and historical evolution of the Declaration of Independence.
Recommended“So, if you want to have a good readable history of the Declaration of Independence, there are some fantastic books out there, but the one that I love best is Pauline Maier's American Scripture. I learned a lot from that book when I read it at the time.”
Where to get it
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Glyph
Glyph by Ali Smith is a contemporary novel that captures the complexities of the modern sociopolitical landscape.
Recommended“So, in answer to the problem of what book explains the moment that we're in, I thought of Ali Smith's Glyph. Glyph with two F's is from 2024. It's It's even set in the United States, right?”
Where to get it
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The Thorn Birds
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough is a sweeping family saga spanning decades in the Australian outback, tracing forbidden love, ambition, and heartbreak across generations.
Discussed“And it was a motley crew of books from Danielle Steel to Mary Higgins Clark, to Rosamunde Pilcher, to John I actually remember getting one John Updike book from that rack. Um The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough and just sitting in an Adirondack chair all day without sunscreen”
Where to get it
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Red Storm Rising
Discussed“And there was a a giant book that Tom Clancy wrote called Red Storm Rising. Um that's about World War III.”
Where to get it
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Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer is a gripping and tragic non-fiction account detailing the author's harrowing participation in the disastrous 1996 Mount Everest climbing expedition that resulted in the deaths of several climbers.
Discussed“In fact, one of my favorite beach reads was Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, which takes you to the top of Mount Everest.”
Where to get it
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Yesteryear
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke is a contemporary debut novel that follows an online influencer known as a tradwife who suddenly wakes up inside the exact traditional world she has been posting and writing about.
Recommended“I think it will be Yesteryear, which is a story about an influencer who is a tradwife and suddenly wakes up in the very world that she's been writing about and posting about”
Where to get it
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Whistler
Whistler by Ann Patchett is a poignant novel that follows a fifty-something English teacher whose life intersects with her former stepfather at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Recommended“Okay, if you've already read Yesteryear, the perfect chaser is Whistler by Ann Patchett, in which a 50-something English teacher runs into her former stepfather at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
Where to get it
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The Things We Never Say
Why people recommend it: Elizabeth Strout's poignant novel explores human connection, complex relationships, and the quiet struggles of everyday life through her signature deeply observant narrative style.
Recommended“Her new book is called The Things We Never Say and here she introduces a new character, a man. His name is Arty Dam and he is a high school history teacher who lives with his wife in the house she grew up in on the water outside of Boston.”
Where to get it
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Man Overboard!
Man Overboard! by Kathleen Rooney is an engaging and meticulously crafted novel that explores themes of isolation, human relationships, and maritime journeys.
Recommended“Speaking of boats, I would like to tell you about Man Overboard by Kathleen Rooney.”
Where to get it
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American Fantasy
Discussed“It was called American Fantasy, and it was about a a cruise for fans of a washed-up boy band.”
Where to get it
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The Shampoo Effect
The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson is the second novel by the accomplished author and literary figure.
Recommended“This is a book by the author of Jenny Jackson. This is her second book and it's called The Shampoo Effect.”
Where to get it
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The Academy
Discussed“She was ready for a change, and she pivoted to boarding school novels, and she wrote a novel called The Academy with her daughter, whose name is Shelby Cunningham.”
Where to get it
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Cool Machine
Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead is the thrilling conclusion to the author's acclaimed Harlem crime trilogy.
Recommended“This summer, I'm excited for Colson Whitehead's Yeah. It is called Cool Machine. It is the third and final book in his Harlem Trilogy.”
Where to get it
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London Falling
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe is a true-crime narrative and investigative work by the acclaimed New Yorker reporter.
Recommended“I have to imagine that a bunch of people will be reading the new Patrick Radden Keefe this summer. It's called London Falling.”
Where to get it
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How to Rule the World
Discussed“This is a book called How to Rule the World, and it's by Theo Baker. It's a really interesting bookend, also nonfiction, to London Falling”
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“He wrote a book about 10 years ago called The Art of Fielding, and he has a book coming out this fall called The Brightness. It's sitting on my dining room table right now.”
Where to get it
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Luna, Phoenix, Queen
Discussed“And I've already started a book called Luna Phoenix Queen that's coming out, I think in October, and it's by Julie Orringer.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (14) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Jill Lepore is the author of We the People, A History of the US Constitution, and the forthcoming The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State, which is out in August.”
“Jill Lepore is the author of We the People, A History of the US Constitution, and the forthcoming The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State, which is out in August.”
“Seabiscuit fans, this is not a sequel. Be forewarned.”
“I this is a book that will be beloved by fans of remarkably bright creatures, which is book? Yeah, the octopus book.”
“But, her new book coming out this fall is The Thoroughbreds. I have the galley.”
“I'm saving it for my own vacation along with Dave Eggers' new book, Contra Posto, and Amy Bloom's first thriller, Blunt Instrument.”
“So, there's one summer where I had Shutter Island, the Dennis Lehane novel.”
“I had Hiroshima, which was the John Hersey Wow. uh book that was originally published in full in The New Yorker about um the atom bomb.”
“I think I brought Pride and Prejudice cuz it had been a very long time since. So, those were the four books I brought.”
“And Patrick Radden Keefe, who brought us Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, delves into the mystery of Zack Brettler's death.”
“And Patrick Radden Keefe, who brought us Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, delves into the mystery of Zack Brettler's death.”
“It's coming out in October, and it's called Other Worlds Than These. It is the third in the Talisman trilogy.”
“The Talisman is a book from 1984 that he co-wrote with Peter Straub, an author who died in in 2022.”
“He wrote a book about 10 years ago called The Art of Fielding, and he has a book coming out this fall called The Brightness.”