Episode · The Book Review · 2025-12-12
Books mentioned on Our Book Critics on Their 2025 in Reading
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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What We Can Know
What We Can Know by Ian McEwan is a contemporary novel by the acclaimed British author that generated substantial literary discussion upon its release.
Discussed“One of the ones that stood out to me this fall was your your review of the new Ian Mchuan book, which is a novel called What We Can Know.”
Where to get it
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Atonement
Atonement by Ian McEwan is a sweeping historical novel that explores themes of guilt, class, and the devastating impact of war across multiple decades.
Discussed“and it's a return to form in the sense that it takes you back to his great novel Atonement and the historical waves this novel ripples out upon and and yet it's in the way that is my favorite novel of Ian Mchuan.”
Where to get it
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Saturday
Discussed“My favorite is Saturday and the book that starts with that remarkable dinner party and he's cooking that that booya base at the start.”
Where to get it
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Flesh
Flesh by David Szalay is a sprawling, contemporary novel following its protagonist across various international locations.
Discussed“A big book from this year, and I say big because it won one of the year's big literary awards, the Booker Prize, was a novel called Flesh by a Hungarian British author named David Zoloy.”
Where to get it
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The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai is a sweeping, long-awaited major novel that examines modern displacement, ambition, and emotional isolation across global landscapes.
Recommended“Well, I feel like The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunonny should have won the Booker Prize, should have won the National Book Award.”
Where to get it
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Playworld
Playworld is an intricate, immersive novel by Adam Ross set against the backdrop of New York City, exploring modern relationships, family dynamics, and psychological depth.
Recommended“Yes, and yet the one I actually want to talk about is Playworld by Adam Ross which I think maybe suffered slightly by coming out in January.”
Where to get it
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When the Going Was Good
Discussed“Graden Carter's book was called When the Going Was Good.”
Where to get it
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I Regret Almost Everything
I Regret Almost Everything is a witty and candid memoir written by restaurateur Keith McNally.
Recommended“or Keith McN, the restaurant tour owner operator of Balthazar, His memoir called I regret almost everything is just riotously mean and funny and hilarious right down the line.”
Where to get it
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Notes to John
Notes to John is a posthumous collection of personal writings by Joan Didion that offers intimate glimpses into her thoughts and life.
Recommended“Another memoir that captivated me, although I don't even know if it could correctly fit into the memoir category, is Joan Ddian's Notes to John because when this this book came out, this is the kind of book that lights me a fire when there's a controversy preceding its publication or around its publication”
Where to get it
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Shadow Ticket
Discussed“The new pinchion novel came out this year, Shadow Ticket, he says that everything is destined to be a Broadway play.”
Where to get it
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More everything forever
More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley's Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity is a non-fiction book by science writer Adam Becker that investigates the ambitious and often controversial technological pursuits championed by Silicon Valley leaders.
Recommended“It's called More Everything Forever, AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley's Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity. And it's by a science writer named Adam Becker.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (4) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Susan Chver, who I really applaud. She's written memoirs before, most famously Home Before Dark and she's written other many other across genres.”
“and her as I was reminded I think of her as the author of the prime of Miss Gene Brody. She was so prolific and there's a there's an element of the supernatural”
“Yeah, there's a new biography of Dennis Johnson, the writer of Jesus Son and other books. It's not a great biography, but it's good enough.”
“And she's she becomes a major leftist activist and she wrote the American Way of Death. And she just was a fascinating sizzling creature.”