Episode · The Book Review · 2017-11-10
Kurt Andersen on The Book Review: books mentioned (Nov 2017)
Kurt Andersen on Channeling President Trump
Kurt Andersen discussed You Can't Spell America Without Me by Alec Baldwin and others. Gilbert Cruz discussed Code girls by Liza Mundy and Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. Maria Russo recommended The Way Home in the Night by Akiko Miyakoshi, Feather by Rémi Courgeon, On a magical do-nothing day by Beatrice Alemagna, The wild boy by Mordicai Gerstein, The boy and the whale by Mordicai Gerstein, Good Night, Planet, After the Fall by Dan Santat, The stars beneath our feet by David Barclay Moore, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser, The explorer by Katherine Rundell, Far from the tree by Robin Benway, and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez, and discussed The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein and Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine by Mark Twain and others. Greg Cowles discussed Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson. Jennifer Szalai discussed Cold new world by William Finnegan. John Williams discussed The Evolution of Beauty by Richard O. Prum and Darwin's dangerous idea by Daniel C. Dennett. Pamela Paul discussed The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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You Can't Spell America Without Me
You Can't Spell America Without Me by Alec Baldwin and Kurt Andersen is a satirical inside account of Donald Trump's first year in the presidency.
Discussed“it's called you can't spell America without me the really tremendous Inside Story of my fantastic first Year's president by Donald J Trump”
Where to get it
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Code girls
Discussed“Liza Mundy joins us now fittingly from the newsum in Washington DC to talk about her new book code girls the untold story of the American women code Breakers of World War II”
Where to get it
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Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly is a compelling historical nonfiction book that uncovers the vital contributions of African-American women mathematicians who played a crucial role at NASA during the space race.
Discussed“so you just an event with the author of hidden figures there's kind of a moment right now for these books it seems about women”
Where to get it
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The Way Home in the Night
The Way Home in the Night by Akiko Miyakoshi is a gentle and atmospheric picture book capturing a young child's late-night journey home through a quiet city.
Recommended“there's Akiko mioshi from Japan the way home in the night”
Where to get it
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Feather
Feather by Rémi Courgeon is a moving children's picture book about a young boy who dreams of flying and overcomes bullying with the help of family and determination.
Recommended“Remy kjan has a adorable book called feather of course beatric almana on a magical do nothing day”
Where to get it
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On a magical do-nothing day
On a magical do-nothing day by Beatrice Alemagna is a charming children's picture book that captures the experience of a child spending a rainy day disconnected from screens and immersed in nature.
Recommended“Remy kjan has a adorable book called feather of course beatric almana on a magical do nothing day”
Where to get it
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The wild boy
The wild boy by Mordicai Gerstein is a captivating children's book inspired by the true story of the Wild Boy of Aveyron.
Recommended“some of these these books like for example we have the boy in the whale by the great morai gersy a book I love”
Where to get it
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The boy and the whale
The boy and the whale by Mordicai Gerstein is a poignant children's book about a young boy who rescues a stranded whale.
Recommended“some of these these books like for example we have the boy in the whale by the great morai gersy a book I love”
Where to get it
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The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
Discussed“and gersen of course is an award-winning illustrator and author who did a book that many listeners who read picture books would know of which is the man who walked between in to he's just a wonderful Picture Book Creator”
Where to get it
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Good Night, Planet
Good Night, Planet by Liniers is a charming children's picture book that follows a little toy rabbit as it experiences the nocturnal world after its human child falls asleep.
Recommended“the Argentine Comics artist leners has a fantastic picture book I love this book I know it's called good night Planet”
Where to get it
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After the Fall
After the Fall by Dan Santat is a celebrated picture book that explores what happened to Humpty Dumpty after his famous fall from the wall.
Recommended“another picture book that I especially love reading with my youngest child because it has a lot of humor in it is Dan and tats after the fall how Humpty Dumpty got back up again”
Where to get it
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Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine
Discussed“it's called The purloining of Prince oo margarin and it's a it's a tale set in a sort of nameless Timeless Kingdom”
Where to get it
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The stars beneath our feet
The stars beneath our feet by David Barclay Moore is a contemporary middle-grade novel that follows a young boy navigating life, grief, and architecture in Harlem.
Recommended“well as you know I love middle grade fiction and my one of my favorites in this issue is called the Stars beneath our feet by David Barkley Moore”
Where to get it
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The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street is a charming middle-grade novel by Karina Yan Glaser that follows a multiethnic family living in Harlem.
Recommended“the other one is called the Vander beakers of 141st Street and that one is really oldfashioned”
Where to get it
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The explorer
The Explorer is an exciting middle-grade adventure novel by Katherine Rundell that follows a group of children surviving in the Amazon rainforest after a plane crash.
Recommended“in terms of middle grade fiction I would say it's a tie between those two Harlem books Stars beneath our feet and Vander beakers of of 141st Street but also the Explorer by Katherine Rondell”
Where to get it
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Far from the tree
Far from the Tree by Robin Benway is a poignant young adult novel that explores adoption, sibling bonds, and identity through the lives of three teenagers.
Recommended“the realism we have the one I really liked a national book award finalist called far from the tree by Robin Benway”
Where to get it
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I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L.
Recommended“then there's one other National book award finalist in our coverage I am not your perfect Mexican Daughter by Erica Sanchez that I really liked too really beautifully written”
Where to get it
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Another Brooklyn
Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson is a lyrical coming-of-age novel set in 1970s Brooklyn, marking the acclaimed author's first adult novel in two decades.
Discussed“the book I'm reading is another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson best known really as a children's book writer”
Where to get it
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Cold new world
Discussed“so I picked up a book this is a book called cold New World growing up in harder country by William finnean”
Where to get it
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The Evolution of Beauty
The Evolution of Beauty by Richard O.
Discussed“book is called the evolution of beauty by Richard o PR”
Where to get it
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Darwin's dangerous idea
Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel C.
Discussed“but I read a book maybe 15 20 years ago by Daniel dennet called Darwin's dangerous idea which is a great overview of evolution”
Where to get it
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The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories
Leo Tolstoy’s novella, The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories, examines the superficiality of conventional bourgeois life and a dying man's agonizing confrontation with his own mortality.
Discussed“and I don't want this to reflect badly on the book which is morat by Leo Tolstoy”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“we have a pregnant 16-year-old and we don't necessarily see the sex but release by Patrick NES which is on the fantasy”
“and listeners may remember that last year I recommended Dylan Thomas's child's Christmas in Wales”
“the New Yorker writer who wrote the surfing Memoir Barbarian days and I actually had no idea he had written this book”