Episode · The Book Review · 2024-07-18
Books mentioned on Talking About the 10 Best Books of 2020
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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A Children's Bible
Lydia Millet’s novel A Children's Bible follows a group of rebellious youths navigating an apocalyptic landscape after ecological collapse upends adult society.
Discussed“and first up on the fiction list we have a children's Bible by Lydia Millet my colleague Emily Aken is going to start us off talking about that novel”
Where to get it
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Homeland Elegies
Homeland Elegies is a novel by Ayad Akhtar that explores identity, belonging, and the complexities of the American experience.
Discussed“we're going on to our second title on the fiction side is Homeland elies by aad akar John tell us about this book”
Where to get it
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Deacon King Kong
Deacon King Kong by James McBride is a vibrant novel set in a 1960s Brooklyn housing project, following the colorful fallout after an aging church deacon inexplicably shoots a local drug dealer.
Discussed“third on our list on the fiction inside Deacon King Kong by James McBride and Dave why don't you start off again tell us about that novel”
Where to get it
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Hamnet
Hamnet is a deeply moving historical novel by Maggie O'Farrell that imagines the domestic life of William Shakespeare and the profound grief surrounding the death of his young son.
Discussed“we are on number four now the fourth book on the fiction side is hamnet by Maggie o farell and to tell us about that my colleague Liz Ean”
Where to get it
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The Vanishing Half
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a compelling contemporary novel that examines family, racial identity, and the choices that shape our lives through the lives of twin sisters who choose to live in very different worlds.
Discussed“the fifth and final book on the fiction side is the vanishing half by Britt Bennett MJ over to you”
Where to get it
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Hidden Valley Road
Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker is a harrowing and deeply reported non-fiction work that chronicles the Galvin family of Colorado, where six of the twelve children were diagnosed with schizophrenia, offering a fascinating window into the history of psychiatric medicine and genetic research.
Discussed“first up Hidden Valley Road by Robert Hulker Deputy editor of the book review Tina Jordan joins us to talk about it”
Where to get it
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A Promised Land
A Promised Land by Barack Obama is the first volume of the former United States president's presidential memoirs, offering a detailed and reflective account of his early political life, his historic 2008 campaign, and the intense policy battles of his first term in office.
Discussed“second book on the non-fiction side is a Promised Land by Barack Obama call so this is a memoir by someone who all of our readers all of our audience watching this will be very familiar with who he is the 44th President of the United States”
Where to get it
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Shakespeare in a Divided America
Shakespeare in a Divided America is a non-fiction book by James Shapiro that examines how various political and cultural factions in the United States have weaponized Shakespearean plays to fight contemporary culture wars.
Discussed“the next book also a book about writing in its way is Shakespeare in a divided America by James Shapiro and to talk about that senior editor Greg Kohl's”
Where to get it
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Uncanny Valley
Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener is a sharp, revealing memoir that chronicles a young woman's journey leaving the publishing industry for the fast-paced, morally ambiguous world of Silicon Valley tech startups during the height of the digital boom.
Discussed“the fourth book on the non-fiction side is uncanny valley by Anna weiner Lauren over to you”
Where to get it
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The Undocumented Americans
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio is a powerful and deeply personal work of nonfiction that explores the lives of undocumented immigrants in the United States.
Recommended“one of the books that I really loved this year that did not make it on to the list is undocumented Americans by Carla kjo V vieno”
Where to get it
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The Bass Rock
The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld is a critically acclaimed contemporary novel that explores generations of trauma, family secrets, and the lives of women against the backdrop of the Scottish coastline.
Recommended“I'm gonna recommend a novel by a British writer named Eevee wild she was born in London and raised in Australia and London her third novel The Bass Rock came out this year”
Where to get it
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Just Us
Just Us by Claudia Rankine is a provocative examination of American race relations, whiteness, and the cultural imagination.
Recommended“one book that really got in my head and has stayed with me this year since I read it is just us by the writer Claudia Ranken”
Where to get it
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Owls of the Eastern Ice
Owls of the Eastern Ice by Jonathan Slaght is a gripping work of nature writing and scientific exploration chronicling the quest to find and protect Blakiston's fish owls in the Russian Far East.
Recommended“I don't know about the rest of you but I've spent a lot of time you know in the last year wishing I were someplace else which is perhaps why I loved a book so much called owls of the Eastern Ice by a scientist named Jonathan slot”
Where to get it
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Jack
Jack by Marilynne Robinson is a powerful novel exploring race, religion, and redemption within the fictional town of Gilead, Iowa.
Recommended“my pick is Jack by Marilyn Robinson which was a bit of a polarizing book but one I I loved a lot”
Where to get it
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Cleanness
Cleanness by Garth Greenwell is a deeply evocative novel that explores desire, intimacy, and expatriate life in modern Europe through exquisite prose.
Recommended“my pick is cleanness by gu Greenwell on a sentence by sentence basis”
Where to get it
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The Death of Vivek Oji
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi is a compelling contemporary novel examining identity, family, and grief in Nigeria.
Recommended“my pick is the death of Vivic AI by aqu am”
Where to get it
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Eat the Buddha
Barbara Demick's book Eat the Buddha received notable attention on The Book Review in July 2024.
Recommended“one is eat the Buddha by Barbara demic”
Where to get it
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The WEIRDest People in the World
The WEIRDest People in the World by Joseph Patrick Henrich explores how Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic societies developed distinct psychological profiles shaped by historical shifts in family structures and religious institutions.
Recommended“it's the weirdest people in the world by Joseph Henrik”
Where to get it
