Episode · The Book Review · 2020-10-23
Books mentioned on Real-Life Political Violence Fuels Fiction in ‘The Abstainer’
Gilbert Cruz discussed The Abstainer by Ian McGuire. Ian McGuire discussed The North water by Ian McGuire, The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad, and Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Pamela Paul discussed Room by Emma Donoghue, Miracle Creek by Angie Kim, Real life by Brandon Taylor, and The Elephant in the Room by Tommy Tomlinson, and read Dear Child by Romy Hausmann for a book club. Alexandra Alter discussed Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Greg Cowles discussed Pig Earth by John Berger. Lauren Christensen recommended Wild seed by Octavia E. Butler, and discussed Heavy by Kiese Laymon.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Abstainer
The Abstainer by Ian McGuire is a historical novel set in nineteenth-century Manchester that explores political violence, espionage, and complex human loyalties against a dark backdrop.
Discussed“his new novel is called the abstainer and he joins us from Manchester England Ian thanks for being here thanks very much for inviting me Pamela so this is historical fiction”
Where to get it
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The North water
The North Water by Ian McGuire is a gripping historical novel set aboard a whaling ship in the nineteenth century, following a brutal journey into the freezing waters of the Arctic.
Discussed“actually no that was one of and that was one of the reasons why I I was intrigued by it so I came across this when I was doing research for the north water and I was surprised”
Where to get it
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The Secret Agent
Discussed“actually because he wrote his novel The Secret Agent was was a novel that I read early on when I was thinking about whether this would work”
Where to get it
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Blood Meridian
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy is a harrowing and visceral historical novel that depicts the extreme violence and bleak reality of the American West through the harrowing journey of a runaway teenager known as the kid.
Discussed“and I thought about MacArthur's Blood Meridian his Great Masterpiece and I went back and and read that and that became tremendously helpful”
Where to get it
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Dear Child
Dear Child by Romy Hausmann is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the dark aftermath of captivity and family trauma.
Book club“Elizabeth Egan joins us now from Mont Clair New Jersey to talk about her latest pick for group text Liz thanks for being here Pamela thank you for having me so your pick this month for October is a thriller tell us about Ry houseman's dear your child”
Where to get it
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Room
Why people recommend it: Emma Donoghue's chilling novel portrays a mother and son surviving years of captivity in a single small room, offering a suspenseful and claustrophobic look at trauma and resilience.
Discussed“all right so there are echoes of room here of course when I first read the description of the book I thought wow this is room all over again but it's really not it it really takes a turn that is completely different from room”
Where to get it
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Miracle Creek
Discussed“another comparison you make in your column this month is to Angie Kim's Miracle Creek and I want to just digress a little bit and talk about that book because that I think came out last year or the year before and got a lot of attention”
Where to get it
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Lessons in Chemistry
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is a witty debut novel set in the early 1960s that follows Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist whose career is sidelined by pervasive workplace sexism, leading her to unexpectedly become the beloved host of a revolutionary cooking show.
Discussed“so this book is a debut novel by Bonnie garas and it's called lessons in chemistry and it's a novel set in the early 1960s and it's about a woman who wants to be a scientist but she encounters sexism and ends up being the host of a TV cooking show instead”
Where to get it
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Pig Earth
Discussed“I'm reading a novel called Pig Earth by John burger burger is best known as a British art critic he wrote a book called ways of seeing that is still used in College art history classes”
Where to get it
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Wild seed
Wild Seed by Octavia E.
Recommended“when you first said Pig Earth I think I was like oh wow I've never read this I have no no idea how we're going to transition from what you're reading to what I'm reading but um the themes sound really resonant I'm reading that's my first Octavia Butler book it's called wild seed and it's in a tetrology”
Where to get it
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Real life
Real Life is a critically acclaimed debut novel by Brandon Taylor that follows a young Black graduate student named Wallace as he navigates isolation, scientific research, and complex interpersonal dynamics within a predominantly white Midwestern university town.
Discussed“so the one I read first was real life which is a novel by Brendan Taylor it's a debut novel I think it's a largely autobiographical novel”
Where to get it
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The Elephant in the Room
The Elephant in the Room by Tommy Tomlinson is a candid memoir subtitled One Fat Man's Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America, detailing the author's personal journey with weight, health, and self-acceptance.
Discussed“the second book is the elephant in the room one fat man's Quest get smaller in a growing America by Tommy Tomlinson”
Where to get it
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Heavy
Heavy by Kiese Laymon is a powerful coming-of-age memoir that chronicles the author's deeply personal journey through family trauma, body image, and growing up Black in the American South.
Discussed“in the beginning your description really reminded me of heavy the K Layman yes the K Layman book”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (8) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“who are the Manchester Martyrs and how do they figure into Ian McGuire's new book the author of The award-winning novel The northwater will be here to talk about his latest novel The abstainer”
“who are the Manchester Martyrs and how do they figure into Ian McGuire's new book the author of The award-winning novel The northwater will be here to talk about his latest novel The abstainer”
“what makes a great Thriller with enough meat on its bones to discuss in a book club Elizabeth Egan will be here to talk about Romy houseman's dear child”
“Paul Ian McGuire joins us now he is the author previously of the north water which was one of our best books of 2016”
“Ian Maguire's new book is called the abstainer so here's a request for our listeners”
“she was publisher at Crown which is a penguin Random House imprint probably best known for publishing one of the most successful Memoirs in recent memory which is Michelle Obama's becoming she was handpicked to be Michelle Obama's editor and that was the bestselling book of 2018”
“he of course won the Pitzer for his most recent book The overstory so I'll be very curious to see what he does next”
“I'm reading a novel called Pig Earth by John burger burger is best known as a British art critic he wrote a book called ways of seeing that is still used in College art history classes”