Episode · The Book Review · 2017-11-17
Books mentioned on Mother Knows Best?
Pamela Paul discussed Raising Trump by Ivana Trump, The Kardashians by Jerry Oppenheimer, The Vanity Fair diaries by Tina Brown, and The Idiot by Elif Batuman. Greg Cowles discussed Autumn by Ali Smith. Jennifer Szalai discussed Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan and Devils in daylight. Also mentioned: Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, The Future Is History by Masha Gessen, Far from the tree by Robin Benway, and Half-light by Frank Bidart.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Raising Trump
Discussed“he reviews two books together on our cover raising Trump by Ivana Trump and the Kardashians and American Drama by Jerry opener”
Where to get it
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The Kardashians
Discussed“he reviews two books together on our cover raising Trump by Ivana Trump and the Kardashians and American Drama by Jerry opener”
Where to get it
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The Vanity Fair diaries
The Vanity Fair Diaries by Tina Brown is a compelling non-fiction chronicle capturing the tumultuous and glamorous years the author spent editing the iconic magazine between 1983 and 1992.
Discussed“I am delighted to have here Tina Brown whose new book is called the Vanity Fair Diaries 1983 to 1992”
Where to get it
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Sing, Unburied, Sing
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward is a powerful Mississippi-set novel that functions simultaneously as a raw road trip narrative and a haunting ghost story.
Discussed“and the winner of the fiction category this year was Jasmine Ward who won for her novel Sing unburied Sing which was absolutely you know one of I think every critic's top books of the year it seems like at this point”
Where to get it
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The Future Is History
The Future Is History by Masha Gessen is a profound non-fiction work examining how totalitarianism gradually reclaimed Russia and exploring the historical roots of the nation's contemporary political trajectory.
Discussed“I was suspecting that Masha Gan might win in the non-fiction category she won for her book the future is history how totalitarianism reclaimed Russia”
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.
Discussed“and in the category for young people's literature which was another exciting category this year the winner was Robin Benway for her novel far from the tree”
Where to get it
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Half-light
Discussed“he said he was pretty sure it would be frank badart for half Lake collected poems 1965 to 2016”
Where to get it
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Autumn
Autumn by Ali Smith is a reflective contemporary novel that captures the shifting political and cultural landscape of Great Britain.
Discussed“I'm reading a novel called Autumn by Ali Smith the British writer”
Where to get it
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Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life is a memoir by William Finnegan that chronicles a lifelong passion for surfing alongside his distinguished career as a New Yorker staff writer and war reporter.
Discussed“well so I've got two books here one of which I had talked about a bit last week which is called New World by William finegan”
Where to get it
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Devils in daylight
Discussed“this one was written in 1918 and it's by8 1918 not contemporary not contemporary and it's by the Japanese writer junichiro tanizaki and it's called devils in daylight”
Where to get it
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The Idiot
The Idiot by Elif Batuman is a brilliant coming-of-age novel that follows a young woman navigating her freshman year at Harvard and her nascent, epistolary romance with an older student.
Discussed“I'm now reading a book by El baman her first novel The Idiot”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (4) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“it put me in mind a little bit of Rachel cusk's recent books outline and Transit”
“it put me in mind a little bit of Rachel cusk's recent books outline and Transit”
“well speaking of translations you know I finished Leo tolstoy's hajim morat which was in a newly translated Edition and so not entirely unrelated”
“but of course her previous book was the possessed which was about I think the subtitle was adventures in Russian literature”