Episode · The Book Review · 2020-11-27
Books mentioned on Talking About the 10 Best Books of 2020
Gilbert Cruz discussed A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet and others, Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar, Deacon King Kong by James McBride, Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker, Shakespeare in a Divided America by James Shapiro, Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener and others, and War: How Conflict Shaped Us by Margaret MacMillan. Gal Beckerman recommended Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick and The WEIRDest People in the World by Joseph Henrich, and discussed A Promised Land by Barack Obama. Lauren Christensen recommended The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio. John Williams recommended The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld. Greg Cowles recommended Just Us by Claudia Rankine. Tina Jordan recommended Owls of the Eastern Ice by Jonathan Slaght. MJ Franklin recommended Cleanness by Garth Greenwell. Emily Eakin recommended Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor. Also mentioned: Jack by Marilynne Robinson and The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi.
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 by Ayad Akhtar is a critically acclaimed novel that blends fiction and memoir to explore identity, belonging, and the American Muslim experience in the post-9/11 era.
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 and humorous novel set in a 1960s Brooklyn housing project, following the chaotic fallout after an eccentric old church deacon 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 deeply reported non-fiction work that chronicles the harrowing true story of a mid-century American family dealing with the devastating impact of schizophrenia across multiple children.
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 presidential memoir by the 44th President of the United States, offering a detailed and reflective look into his early life, political rise, and the first term of his historic presidency.
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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War: How Conflict Shaped Us
Discussed“the fifth book on the non-fiction side and the 10th book among our 10 best of 2020 is war how conflict shaped Us by Margaret McMillan Dave Kim over to you”
Where to get it
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The Undocumented Americans
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio is a powerful work of creative nonfiction that explores the lived experiences, struggles, and resilience 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: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl by Jonathan Slaght is a captivating work of science and adventure that chronicles the author's grueling expedition into the remote snow-covered wilderness of the Russian Far East in search of the elusive Blakiston's fish owl.
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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Hurricane Season
Hurricane Season is a visceral, turbulent novel by acclaimed Mexican writer Fernanda Melchor that explores the dark underbelly of a rural community following a gruesome discovery.
Recommended“my pick is Hurricane season by firanda meltor this is the first novel to appear in English by meltor who is a young Mexican writer”
Where to get it
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Eat the Buddha
Eat the Buddha is a poignant and deeply reported non-fiction book by Barbara Demick that explores the tumultuous history, life, and tragic deaths within a Tibetan town under Chinese rule.
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 Henrich is an anthropological and psychological exploration of how Western populations became psychologically unique compared to the rest of the world.
Recommended“it's the weirdest people in the world by Joseph Henrik”
Where to get it
