Episode · The Book Review · 2020-10-16
Books mentioned on The Ottoman Empire’s Influence on the Present Day
Pamela Paul discussed God's Shadow by Alan Mikhail, The Secret Life of Groceries by Benjamin Lorr, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, and Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. Alexandra Alter discussed Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. Parsa Lotfi recommended Matilda by Roald Dahl, and discussed Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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God's Shadow
God's Shadow by Alan Mikhail is a historical non-fiction work that explores the Ottoman Empire and its profound influence on the making of the modern world through the lens of Sultan Selim.
Discussed“historian Alan mcale will be here to talk about his new book God's Shadow”
Where to get it
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The Secret Life of Groceries
The Secret Life of Groceries by Benjamin Lorr is an immersive nonfiction exploration of the dark miracles and intricate logistics behind the American supermarket industry.
Discussed“his new book is called The Secret Life of groceries the dark Miracle of the American Supermarket”
Where to get it
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Shuggie Bain
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart is a deeply moving debut novel set in 1980s post-industrial Glasgow, chronicling a young boy's devoted efforts to save his mother from the grips of severe alcoholism.
Discussed“I just finished a book that had been on my radar but became Rose quickly to the top of the list because it's a finalist for both the booker and the national book award and that's Douglas Stewart's suy Bane and it's long and it's absorbing”
Where to get it
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Born a Crime
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah is a critically acclaimed autobiographical memoir detailing the comedian's extraordinary upbringing as the child of a white Swiss father and a Black Xhosa mother in apartheid South Africa, where his very existence was illegal.
Discussed“I think he started thinking about this after listening to us talk about born a crime by Trevor Noah”
Where to get it
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Lincoln in the Bardo
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders is a historical fiction novel that follows Abraham Lincoln in a Washington cemetery grieving his young son Willie amid a supernatural bardo of ghosts.
Discussed“the other author who immediately comes to mind is the great George Saunders I listen to Lincoln and the BAU a fairly experimental novel with a cast of notable and rather talented narrators”
Where to get it
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Lolita
Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita centers on the deeply disturbing relationship between an adult narrator and a young girl whom he exploits across America.
Discussed“I loved the Jeremy irons's rendition of Lolita and my roommate at one point asked me to stop because I would like clean the house while listening to Jeremy Irons”
Where to get it
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Matilda
Matilda by Roald Dahl is a classic children's novel about a gifted young girl who loves reading, overcomes neglectful parents, and uses her intellect and telekinetic powers to outwit the cruel adults around her, notably the tyrannical headmistress Miss Trunchbull.
Recommended“Kate is has has read a few of the r doll books especially Matilda and they are fantastic”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“probably I bought the cassette tape at least 25 years ago of The Accidental Tourist by an Tyler which I had read and liked and I saw that John malovich did the narration and at the time I was you know in sort of a John malovich phase”
“and at some point gave me the audio book of Rebecca by dapne De morier and the audio book read by Clare Bloom and was sort of like have had it work it out”
“I want to hear Melville reading Moby Dick”