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Every book Alexander Alter recommended on podcasts
Alexander Alter appears on The Book Review podcast to discuss a wide variety of contemporary fiction, speculative storytelling, and deeply personal memoirs. Through his contributions to the podcast, Alter showcases an expansive literary curiosity that embraces speculative futures, international fiction, and alternative history. He has recommended Zachary Mason’s gripping novel Void Star, highlighted Ayòbámi Adébáyò’s critically acclaimed novel Stay with Me, and drawn attention to Sarah Ladipo Manyika’s Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun, published by Cassava Republic. Alter also introduced readers to Tommy Orange’s debut novel There There, discussed Lawrence Wright’s remarkably prescient novel about a global pandemic titled The End of October, and explored Samanta Schweblin’s uncanny novel Little Eyes, which delves into a world obsessed with surveillance toys. Additionally, he examined Stephanie Danler’s fully autobiographical memoir Stray, which explores her personal relationships, and Curtis Sittenfeld’s alternative history novel Rodham, which reimagines the life of Hillary Clinton. Through these thoughtful reviews and literary introductions, Alter provides podcast listeners with an expansive roadmap of compelling contemporary narratives across multiple genres.
Books recommended by Alexander Alter
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The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian novel set in a totalitarian patriarchal society where women's rights have been stripped away.
Discussed“some other interesting series that are coming up this spring include the handmaid's tale by Margaret Atwood and of course this is a novel that came out many many years ago in 1985”
Where to get it
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Fear
Fear by Bob Woodward is a journalistic account of the Trump administration that explores internal decision-making processes and West Wing dynamics.
Discussed“another book by Bob Woodward his previous book about the Trump Administration which was titled fear sold millions of copies”
Where to get it
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Fire and Fury
Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff is a bestselling political non-fiction book that examines the inner workings of Donald Trump's White House and the chaos surrounding his administration.
Discussed“uh it's Michael Wolf's fire and fury and it's not often that you have the president of the United States engaging in a very public feuded with a publishing house and author”
Where to get it
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The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is Arundhati Roy's highly anticipated second novel, which arrived two decades after her celebrated debut, The God of Small Things.
Discussed“uh even I think possibly bigger deal was of course AR and daddy Roy who has not published a novel in 20 years and published her second novel this weekit's called the ministry of utmost happiness”
Where to get it
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The Mueller Report
The Mueller Report is the official public document detailing the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election.
Discussed“so since you sit next to me in the office you know that I'm lowkey obsessed with the Russia investigation in the Muller report and funnily enough it it is touching on the publishing industry quite a bit this year so robt Muller gave us testimony in Washington this week it was widely watched and Publishers have really taken advantage”
Where to get it
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The Sellout
The Sellout by Paul Beatty is a bold, satirical novel about race and racism in contemporary America that made history as the first American novel to win the Booker Prize in 2016.
Discussed“and since they opened it up to Americans of course Paul batty won last year for the cellout he was the first American to ever win”
Where to get it
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To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird explores racial injustice and moral growth in the American South through the eyes of young Scout Finch.
Discussed“this time it's a lawsuit that was filed in Alabama federal court by the estate of Harper Lee and they are bringing a suit against Scott Ruden and the producers of a forthcoming Broadway adaptation of tequilla Mockingbird”
Where to get it
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Spy of the first person
Spy of the First Person by Sam Shepard is a poignant, slim posthumous novel that reflects on aging, illness, and memory through the perspective of an observant narrator sitting on a porch in the American Southwest.
Recommended“working on a final book which was released this week by Koff titled spy of the first person”
Where to get it
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Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun
Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun by Sarah Ladipo Manyika is a vibrant and compassionate novel that follows an aging Nigerian woman living in San Francisco, capturing her daily interactions, independence, and reflections on life.
Recommended“one that covo Republic published in the US this year was called like a mule bringing ice cream to the sun which is such a great title and that was by Sarah laido mana and it's about an older Nigerian woman living in San Francisco”
Where to get it
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Little Eyes
Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin is a contemporary novel exploring a chilling global obsession with small, robotic surveillance pets that connect people across the world.
Recommended“little eyes by Samantha schweblin she is an Argentinian author who writes these sort of Fantastical stories and novels but they're kind of real they're more realistic than not they're sort of uncannily between the two and so this novel is about a world in which people have become obsessed with these little toys that are operated by people in”
Where to get it
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Rodham
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld is an imaginative alternative history novel that explores what might have happened to Hillary Clinton's life and career had she declined a marriage proposal from Bill Clinton.
Recommended“and another book people are really looking forward to is Curtis sfi's new novel rodom which is an alternative history of Hillary Clinton's life how it might have turned out if she had not accepted Bill Clinton's marriage proposal so she's done the first lady or former first lady Laura Bush now she's doing an almost president or would be”
Where to get it
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Stay with me
Stay with Me by Ayòbámi Adébáyò is a deeply emotional and gripping novel set in Nigeria that explores marriage, tradition, fertility pressures, and the complex dynamics of love and loyalty.
Recommended“it was published by knoff in the US and her name is ayobami Edo and her novel stay with me I think got a ton of critical praise when it came out here”
Where to get it
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Stray
Stray by Stephanie Danler is a deeply personal, fully autobiographical memoir that explores the author's turbulent upbringing, her complicated relationship with her family, and the lingering impacts of trauma and addiction.
Recommended“two other titles that people are really looking forward to are Stephanie danler stray her first novel Sweet Bitter was a huge hit... and her new book is fully autobiographical it's a memoir and it's titled stray and it looks at her relationship with the people in her life who have shaped her”
Where to get it
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The End of October
Lawrence Wright’s novel The End of October explores a catastrophic global pandemic and its profound societal consequences.
Recommended“I guess the big lesson of the pandemic is no one can predict the future except perhaps Lawrence Wright yes let's talk a little bit about some of the books coming out next week including wri's book his book and I read it on a net Galley is remarkably preent to a frightening degree and it is about a global”
Where to get it
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The witches: Salem, 1692
The Witches: Salem, 1692 by Stacy Schiff is a historical non-fiction account examining the infamous Salem witch trials.
Recommended“Stacy schiff's book about the Salem Witch Trials is coming out it's called The Witches”
Where to get it
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There There
There There by Tommy Orange is a powerful polyphonic novel that follows a diverse group of Native American characters living in modern-day Oakland, California.
Recommended“His book is coming out next week Koff is publishing it and it's called there there and he's got a really interesting background”
Where to get it
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Void Star
Void Star by Zachary Mason is a complex science fiction novel set in a near-future San Francisco defined by technological disruption and corporate dominance.
Recommended“and another April novel that I loved that again might give you nightmares but you'll probably enjoy it while you're reading it is void Star by Zachary Mason”
Where to get it
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10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
Discussed“another author on the short list was elif Shaak for her novel 10 minutes 38 seconds in This Strange World which also sounds somewhat experimental”
Where to get it
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1984
George Orwell's classic dystopian novel 1984 presents a chilling vision of a totalitarian regime characterized by extreme surveillance and psychological manipulation.
Discussed“last week on the podcast we were talking about the total Spike and S for George Orwells 1984 which is said like what's old”
Where to get it
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari is a thought-provoking exploration of humanity's most pressing contemporary challenges, ranging from technological disruption to political polarization.
Discussed“and this was a translation of his recent book 21 lessons for the 21st century in Russian”
Where to get it
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A birthday cake for George Washington
Discussed“so on Sunday Scholastic announced that they are stopping the distribution of this book called a birthday cake for George Washington By Ramen ganeshram which was illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton”
Where to get it
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A Cup of Rage
Discussed“apparently there's a Brazilian author who I had never heard of reduan Nassar this is um The Guardian called it an explosively erotic 47 page story called a cup of Rage was nominated so as you can see”
Where to get it
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A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo is a satirical children's picture book written by Jill Twiss and featuring illustrations by EG Keller, centering on the fictional bunny pet of Mike Pence to promote LGBTQ+ acceptance.
Discussed“and a day in the life of marlin bundo the parody picture book that was you know connected to John Oliver's Show and got a big Boost from his involvement”
Where to get it
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A Higher Loyalty
A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership is a memoir by former FBI Director James Comey that offers an inside look at leadership, institutional norms, and his high-profile interactions with political figures, including Donald Trump.
Discussed“we still have books like a higher loyalty by James Comey is is still number three John mechums the soul of America jumped on there”
Where to get it
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A Kids' Guide to America's First Ladies
Discussed“here's from a kid's guide to America's First Ladies First Ladies Like Pat Nixon and Betty Ford worked as models but Melania is the only one to have had a successful career and also the only one who posed nude at 5'11”
Where to get it
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A kind of freedom
Discussed“another one is Carol zoro's Baron Island and another one is Margaret Wilkerson seon's novel a kind of Freedom yeah the Margaret ston we just reviewed in the book review”
Where to get it
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A Place for Wolves
Discussed“and since her book came out it happened again with kosako Jackson's young adult novel a place for wolves which he also cancelled”
Where to get it
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A Wrinkle in Time
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle is a beloved children's science fantasy novel that follows young Meg Murry on a cosmic journey through space and time to rescue her father from a malevolent dark force.
Discussed“Publishers Weekly in their analysis said it was probably due to huge sales from two surprising titles last year which was a wrinkle in time which you wouldn't expect to sell so many copies since it's old”
Where to get it
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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a foundational American classic that follows a young boy's journey down the Mississippi River alongside an escaped slave named Jim.
Discussed“This is our prisoner on Huckleberry Finn Huck was the boy for me when I was a shaver”
Where to get it
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All we have left
Discussed“I think the the bulk of them are middle grade in ya um a couple of the ones that are that are new that I think are interesting are um all we have left by Wendy Mills and I spoke to her for the story”
Where to get it
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American Psycho
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis is a satirical psychological horror novel that explores the depraved and hyper-materialist life of a wealthy New York City investment banker named Patrick Bateman.
Discussed“I'm always at home reading book so that was very exciting and even more exciting I got to see uh the musical of American Psycho with Brett Easton Ellis the author of The novel which came out in 1991”
Where to get it
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American War
American War by Omar El Akkad is a dystopian debut novel that imagines a fractured United States caught in the throes of a second civil war in the late twenty-first century.
Discussed“and on top of that there's this whole new crop of dystopian fiction coming out this spring starting with American War by Omar Cod which is a debut novel and it takes place in America after a civil war”
Where to get it
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An Orchestra of Minorities
Discussed“another finalist was Choi Obama for an orchestra of minorities which is about a Nigerian poultry farmer who falls in love with a woman after he stops her from jumping to her death”
Where to get it
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Artemis
Artemis is a science fiction novel by Andy Weir set in a lunar city, featuring a 26-year-old protagonist named Jazz Bashara.
Discussed“Andy wear has a new novel coming out this fall it's called Artemis”
Where to get it
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Autumn
Autumn by Ali Smith is a reflective contemporary novel that captures the shifting political and cultural landscape of Great Britain.
Discussed“and the other brid on the list is Ali Smith for Autumn which has been called the first great novel about brexit”
Where to get it
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Be More Chill
Discussed“I I recently wrote about be more chill which is H based on a novel by Ned Vini and it became this viral hit when it was put on Off Broadway”
Where to get it
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Becoming
Becoming by Michelle Obama is an intimate and widely celebrated memoir detailing the former First Lady's journey from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years residing in the White House.
Discussed“so his book comes out before Michelle Obama's book becoming which is released on November 13th”
Where to get it
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Big Little Lies
Discussed“and already on TV for people that want to get started watching is lean Mor Ari's 2014 novel big little lies is now a series on HBO”
Where to get it
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Blood Heir
Discussed“there was one in particular that got a lot of attention earlier this year which was Amal wo's Blood air”
Where to get it
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Brown Girl Dreaming
Discussed“You have other authors like jacqulyn Woodson whose Memoir brown girl dreaming was written in free verse”
Where to get it
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Cherry
Cherry by Nico Walker is a gritty debut novel following an anonymous narrator who drops out of college to serve as an army medic in Iraq, only to return home battling severe PTSD and opioid addiction.
Discussed“so there's a novel that's coming out this month that really caught my attention it's coming out from Koff”
Where to get it
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Crisis of Character
Crisis of Character by Gary J.
Discussed“exactly on the on the non-fiction hard cover list this week for the New York Times the number one book is crisis of character by Gary J burn and Grant M Schmidt that is by a former secret service officer who claims to have witnessed scandalous Behavior by the clintons”
Where to get it
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Death by Water
Discussed“kenor o for uh death by water which is his 16th book translated into English”
Where to get it
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Disappearing Earth
Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips is a compelling novel that explores the mysterious disappearance of two young sisters in the remote and rugged landscape of Kamchatka, Russia, examining the profound ripples the event creates through a close-knit community.
Discussed“and then there was Julia Phillips debut novel disappearing Earth which I think got tremendous reviews”
Where to get it
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DON QUIXOTE
DON QUIXOTE by Miguel de Cervantes is widely celebrated as one of the first and greatest masterpieces in the novel form, following a man who sets out to save the world and make it a better place.
Discussed“here he is on Don kote this one grabs the cake cervante is one by a mile”
Where to get it
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Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham with 12 Silly Sounds!
Dr.
Discussed“I think I have to go with green eggs and ham”
Where to get it
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Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum
Discussed“Dr Seuss's horse museum is going to be released this fall by Random House children's book his longtime publisher”
Where to get it
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Ducks, Newburyport
Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann is an ambitious, experimental stream-of-consciousness novel structured around a single, massive sentence spanning over a thousand pages.
Discussed“and finally the only American on the short list this year is Lucy Elman who was chosen for her novel Ducks Newber Port which is highly experimental”
Where to get it
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East of Eden
East of Eden by John Steinbeck is a sweeping, multi-generational epic novel set in the Salinas Valley that deeply explores profound themes of good and evil, free will, guilt, and human redemption through the parallel histories of the Trask and Hamilton families.
Discussed“she basically filed the suit because she said that Gail Steinbeck was interfering with her plans to sell the film rights for East of Eden and Grapes of Wrath”
Where to get it
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Educated
Educated by Tara Westover is a gripping memoir detailing a young woman's struggle to break free from her survivalist, isolated family in rural Idaho to pursue formal education and academic self-discovery.
Discussed“you know Tara westovers Memoir educated has continued to sell really well you know that's sort of like in the JD Vance hillbilly elegy tradition of of a surprising Memoir”
Where to get it
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Every day is for the thief
Discussed“she was the first person to publish T Cole for example she published every day for the thief and he's gone on to become”
Where to get it
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Exit West
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid is a contemporary magical realist novel that explores migration, refugees, and global upheaval through the lens of a couple fleeing a war-torn country.
Discussed“for the non-americans on the list Mosen hammed made the short list for exit West which was his you know novel that sort of has a Fantastical premise”
Where to get it
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Fantastic Beasts
Fantastic Beasts by J.
Discussed“I'm also really curious to see what the sales and fan response will be to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them which is being published it's a screenplay of course she wrote it this time so unlike the play these are her words”
Where to get it
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.
Discussed“I'm also really curious to see what the sales and fan response will be to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them which is being published it's a screenplay of course she wrote it this time so unlike the play these are her words”
Where to get it
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Freedom
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen is a sweeping contemporary novel that chronicles the domestic struggles, marital disillusionment, and political anxieties of a middle-class American family.
Discussed“his next novel Freedom which also did incredibly well came out in 200 and sold 1.15 million copies”
Where to get it
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From the corner of the oval
From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein is a revealing memoir that chronicles the author's experiences transitioning from a young stenographer to a White House staffer working closely during the Obama administration.
Discussed“it's coming up this summer in July is from the corner of the oval it's a memoir by Beck Dory Stein and it's being published by Spiegel and grow”
Where to get it
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Full disclosure
Discussed“St Martin's press announced this week that they have a memoir by her the title is full disclosure”
Where to get it
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Girl, Woman, Other
Discussed“the other novel that won is titled girl woman other and it's very experimental”
Where to get it
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Go Set A Watchman
Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee is a novel written before To Kill a Mockingbird that follows an adult Scout returning to Maycomb, Alabama, and confronting her aging father's complex racial views.
Discussed“so and that was ghost out of Watchman that um was a different manuscript with the same characters who were older”
Where to get it
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Graphic Novel"I Survived 9/11" The Attacks of September 11
Discussed“so there have been been a couple of um fairly popular ones including um I survived 911 by Scholastic which I believe has part of a series”
Where to get it
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Green Eggs and Ham
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr.
Discussed“I think I have to go with green eggs and ham”
Where to get it
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Green on Blue
Green on Blue by Elliot Ackerman is a gripping debut novel written by a decorated veteran of the Iraq and Afghan wars, offering an intense look at the realities of modern conflict through the eyes of an orphaned Afghan boy who joins a local militia.
Discussed“one is green on blue it's a novel by Elliot acrian he's a decorated veteran of the Iraq and Afghan Wars and a White House fellow”
Where to get it
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two - Playscript
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two - Playscript is a stage play script by J.K.
Discussed“It started on Sunday with the release of the Harry Potter play which was highly anticipated for months and tons of people pre-ordered it so we found out just how many people bought it it sold more than two million hard cover copies in the first two days on sale”
Where to get it
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
J.K.
Discussed“It started on Sunday with the release of the Harry Potter play which was highly anticipated for months and tons of people pre-ordered it so we found out just how many people bought it it sold more than two million hard cover copies in the first two days on sale”
Where to get it
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Here, Right Matters
Discussed“so he has a book out now called C right matters and that's selling very well”
Where to get it
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Hillary's America
Hillary's America is a political book by conservative author and pundit Dinesh D'Souza that serves as a critical warning against the dangers of a potential Hillary Clinton presidency.
Discussed“number two is Hillary's America by dases duza and he's a conservative author and pundit and he is again warning readers against the dangers of Hillary Clinton presidency”
Where to get it
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Hillbilly Elegy
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D.
Discussed“you know Tara westovers Memoir educated has continued to sell really well you know that's sort of like in the JD Vance hillbilly elegy tradition of of a surprising Memoir”
Where to get it
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Homegoing
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is an epic debut novel that traces the multi-generational impacts of slavery and violence across three centuries through the lineage of two sisters from Ghana.
Discussed“and yah Jesse the debut novelist whose novel homegoing I think made a huge impact it traces the impact of slavery across 300 years”
Where to get it
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Hope never dies
Discussed“it's called hope Never Dies and it is a crime fiction kind of cop buddy comedy starring Barack Obama and Joe Biden as amateur SLO who have teamed up to solve a mysterious death”
Where to get it
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I love Dick
I Love Dick by Chris Kraus is a cult-classic epistolary novel exploring obsession, female desire, and feminist theory through the framing of an unrequited infatuation.
Discussed“and another television show I love dick which are part of Amazon Studios you can watch them on Amazon Prime and she's starting a publishing imprint which I thought was pretty interesting because she does seem to have a literary take on things I love dick is an adaptation of a novel by Chris Krauss”
Where to get it
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It Can't Happen Here
It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis is a 1935 political satire novel that explores the rise of fascism and authoritarianism within the United States during a fictional political campaign.
Discussed“there's a sort of political satire by Sinclair Lewis it can't happen here which is selling incredibly well and has been reprinted so it's interesting to see that”
Where to get it
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It's Kind of a Funny Story
Discussed“Nini next novel It's Kind of a Funny Story does because it was based on his actual experience in a mental hospital after he had a brush with suicide when he was uh younger”
Where to get it
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Killing England
Discussed“in this book it's killing England it's about the American Revolution”
Where to get it
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Killing the Legends
Killing the Legends by Bill O'Reilly is a popular non-fiction historical work that explores the lives of legendary figures and American historical events.
Discussed“then no non-fiction bestseller list would be complete without an appearance by Bill O'Reilly of course he's at number seven with Legends and lies the Patriots and these are stories of the American Revolution it's a companion volume to his Fox News series”
Where to get it
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Killing the Rising Sun
Discussed“it's not great considering that last year killing the Rising Sun sold more than 250,000 copies in its first week”
Where to get it
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La mujer en la ventana / The Woman in the Window
La mujer en la ventana, known in English as The Woman in the Window, is a gripping psychological thriller by A.J.
Discussed“and then this week I was looking at new questions about Dan mallerie who is the author of the bestselling Thriller the woman in the window”
Where to get it
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Locke & Key, Vol. 1
Discussed“one other winner that I thought was an interesting one was Lock and Key by Joe Hill um the the book is by Joe Hill”
Where to get it
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Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan is a sweeping historical fiction novel set in New York City during World War II, following a young woman who breaks barriers to become the first female diver at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Discussed“we also have Jennifer Egan for her new novel Manhattan Beach this was a much anticipated followup to a visit from the Goon Squad and people have been waiting years and years for this novel this is very different it's historical fiction set in New York”
Where to get it
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Merchants of Truth
Discussed“and then last week we had the question surrounding Joel abramson's book Merchant of Truth”
Where to get it
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Never Let Me Go
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is a haunting dystopian novel that explores the poignant lives of students at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school who slowly discover a dark and tragic truth about their engineered existence.
Discussed“he's very got this very spare elliptical idiosyncratic style where you have this first person narrator like the butler in Remains of the Day or or the girl in uh Never Let Me Go which is a boarding school in England”
Where to get it
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No Easy Day
No Easy Day by Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer is a firsthand account of the military raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.
Discussed“so but anyway the publisher is describing it as redeployment which is Phil's short Story collection meets No Easy Day and number four”
Where to get it
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Parnassus on Wheels
Discussed“Parnassus was named um after Christopher Morley's novel Parnassus on Wheels which is about a woman who travels around selling books out of her horse drawn Caravan”
Where to get it
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Quichotte
Discussed“the other finalists included Salon rushy he was on the short list for his new novel kote”
Where to get it
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Redeployment
Phil Klay's Redeployment is a powerful and critically acclaimed short story collection that captures the raw realities and psychological aftermath of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Discussed“we've already seen some incredible literature coming out of those Wars with Phil cly's redeployment he won the national book award”
Where to get it
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Romance in Marseille
Discussed“including just this month Claude McKay's novel romance in Marseilles which was a novel of the Harlem Renaissance that took 87 years to finally come out but was published as a penguin classic”
Where to get it
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Sharp Objects
Sharp Objects is a dark thriller by Gillian Flynn that follows a troubled reporter returning to her hometown to cover the murders of two young girls while confronting her own deeply dysfunctional family and traumatic past.
Discussed“and of course um another one that people are really excited about I don't know exactly when it's coming out how far long it is but Gillian Flynn's sharp objects is being adapted”
Where to get it
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Sing, Unburied, Sing
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward is a powerful Mississippi-set novel that functions simultaneously as a raw road trip narrative and a haunting ghost story.
Discussed“what about among the Oldtimer nov oldtimers we have um Jasmine mards Sing unburied Sing which has gotten incredible critical praise”
Where to get it
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Swell
Discussed“so this week there were two novels that came out on the same day that represented returns for two novelists after a long Hiatusone was swell by Jill eisenstat and it's been 26 years since her second novel came outso she has been writing a little bit of non-fiction and doing various things but hadn't published anything in a really”
Where to get it
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The ^AStrange Case of Donald J. Trump
Discussed“and then another one coming out in June is is Dan Fifer's yes we still can politics in the age of Obama Twitter and Trump”
Where to get it
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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Discussed“I'm very curious to see how people react to is a prequel to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins I'm always interested to see what happens when Blockbuster authors try to continue their franchises kind of beyond the lifespan of the story that initially took off particularly when there is a huge movie adaptation and things like that”
Where to get it
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The Book of Joan
The Book of Joan by Lidia Yuknavitch is a dystopian science fiction novel set in a ruined, war-torn future where the remnants of humanity orbit a devastated Earth.
Discussed“another one that's coming out soon is Lydia yuk nich's novel The Book of Joan which is set in the near future again where the globe has been devastated by climate change and War”
Where to get it
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The book of strange new things
The book of strange new things by Michel Faber is a thought-provoking science fiction novel that follows a Christian missionary sent to minister to an extraterrestrial population.
Discussed“so Amazon is apparently in advaned talks to take on this adaptation of the book of strange new things which is a it's this sort of kind of quiet science fiction novel”
Where to get it
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The Buried Giant
Kazuo Ishiguro's atmospheric and evocative novel The Buried Giant examines memory, love, vengeance, and the fragile peace of a mythical post-Arthurian Britain.
Discussed“this was about 10 years ago that he showed her 50 pages of what became you know the buried giant the novel that's coming out next week”
Where to get it
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The Corrections
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen is a sweeping, critically acclaimed novel that explores the complex dynamics of an American family at the turn of the twenty-first century, ultimately propelling the author to massive mainstream prominence.
Discussed“the corrections which came out in 2001 and really put him on the map and of course you know had a bit of an Oprah bump which was controversial at the time that novel sold 1.6 million copies”
Where to get it
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The Crossover
Discussed“and then when he came up with the idea for the crossover which is his first breakout book he was rejected by 22 Publishers before it finally got published it became a bestseller it won the Newberry medal in 2015”
Where to get it
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The emissary
The Emissary by Yōko Tawada is a translated work of contemporary Japanese fiction that presents a somber and dystopian vision of society.
Discussed“and the winner this year was yoka toada for the Emissary and her translator Margaret matsun”
Where to get it
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The Fault in Our Stars
John Green's The Fault in Our Stars is a young adult novel that follows two teenagers with terminal cancer who fall in love while navigating the profound realities of illness and mortality.
Discussed“um this was for 2014 of course when everyone was freaking out about John Greens the Fon our star”
Where to get it
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The Fifth Season
N.K.
Discussed“so she's won for the first novel in the series which it's called the fifth season”
Where to get it
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The friendship code
Discussed“the one that girls who code is publishing next week is called the friendship code”
Where to get it
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The Girl on the Train
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is a psychological thriller centering on an unstable commuter who becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation after observing something suspicious from a train window.
Discussed“so we're pretty early in 2015 but it looks like we already have our first breakout big best seller and it's one that I'm sure you've heard of now the girl on the train by Paula Hawkins”
Where to get it
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The God of Small Things
The God of Small Things is the Booker Prize-winning debut novel by Arundhati Roy that traces the childhood experiences of fraternal twins in Kerala, India, whose lives are shattered by the destructive societal rules governing love and caste.
Discussed“and of course when where's debut novel came out the god of small things it was a huge hitit sold six million copies”
Where to get it
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The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a classic American novel that chronicles the harrowing journey of the Joad family as they migrate from the dust-bowl of Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression, highlighting the systemic struggles and resilience of displaced agricultural workers.
Discussed“she basically filed the suit because she said that Gail Steinbeck was interfering with her plans to sell the film rights for East of Eden and Grapes of Wrath”
Where to get it
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The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is a powerful young adult contemporary novel that follows a teenage girl grappling with the fatal police shooting of her childhood best friend.
Discussed“particularly Angie Thomas the author of The hate you give which you profiled her I I profiled her I love the book and it was you know on the top of the New York Times bestseller list”
Where to get it
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The Hunt for Red October
The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy is a classic techno-thriller novel centered on a rogue Soviet submarine captain and the geopolitical high-stakes game that ensues between superpowers.
Discussed“that's the novel that was adapted Into The Hunt for Red October”
Where to get it
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The new Negro
Discussed“and that was the new negro which was published by Oxford University press which I think had two finalists”
Where to get it
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The Obelisk Gate
The Obelisk Gate is a critically acclaimed fantasy novel by N.
Discussed“and then this year she won for the sequel the Obelisk gate”
Where to get it
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The Patrick Melrose novels
Discussed“and that is an adaptation of Edward St obin's Patrick Melos novels which are incred oh my God that's going to be dark”
Where to get it
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The Poet X
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is a celebrated young adult novel in verse that follows a Dominican-American teenager in Harlem who uses slam poetry to understand her world and find her voice.
Discussed“kids is always a great category and this year people were really excited because the prize went to Elizabeth ASO for her novel The Poet X”
Where to get it
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The Queue
The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz is a provocative dystopian novel by an Egyptian writer that explores life under the rule of a surreal, authoritarian administrative apparatus known as the Gate, drawing sharp inspiration from the disillusionment following the Arab Spring.
Discussed“I met a really interesting author basma abdulaziz who is an Egyptian novelist uh she was visiting New York because her novel The Q is being published in English this week by Melville House Press and it's a fascinating novel because she was inspired by the Arab Spring and kind of the disappointing aftermath of the Arab Spring”
Where to get it
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The Reason I Jump One Boys Voice From The Silence Of Autism
Discussed“mean a couple of examples of ones that have really taken off as a result of his support are um the Memoir the reason I jump which is by a Japanese boy with autism”
Where to get it
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The Remains of the Day
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro is a masterclass in psychological fiction, following an aging English butler named Stevens as he reflects on his career of dedicated service and his unrequited love amid the shifting political landscape of post-World War II Britain.
Discussed“he's very got this very spare elliptical idiosyncratic style where you have this first person narrator like the butler in Remains of the Day or or the girl in uh Never Let Me Go which is a boarding school in England”
Where to get it
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The Room Where It Happened
The Room Where It Happened by John R.
Discussed“so the latest is Simon and of course released John Bolton's book this week and that was something the Trump Administration tried very hard to prevent from happening”
Where to get it
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The son
Discussed“the one that I'm looking forward to that's starting in early April is an adaptation of Philip Meyer's epic Western the sun which is premiering on AMC”
Where to get it
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The soul of America
Discussed“we still have books like a higher loyalty by James Comey is is still number three John mechums the soul of America jumped on there”
Where to get it
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The Stone Sky
The Stone Sky by N.K.
Discussed“and then this week the third book in the trilogy came out and the reviews have come in It's called The Stone sky”
Where to get it
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The Testaments
Discussed“so the U Margaret Atwood won for the Testaments which is never heard of it”
Where to get it
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The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historical fiction novel that reimagines the antebellum South by turning the secret network of abolitionist routes into a literal subterranean railway system utilized by an enslaved woman named Cora seeking freedom.
Discussed“a lot of people were surprised to see that Coulson Whitehead was not did not make it from the long list to the short list for the Underground Railroad”
Where to get it
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The yellow birds
The Yellow Birds is a critically acclaimed contemporary novel by Kevin Powers that offers a harrowing, lyrical portrayal of the realities of military service and the psychological toll of the Iraq War.
Discussed“we've already seen some incredible literature coming out of those Wars with Phil cly's redeployment he won the national book award and with Kevin Po's yellowbirds”
Where to get it
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The Yellow House
The Yellow House by Sarah M.
Discussed“Sarah broom her Memoir the yellow house won and there was a huge outpouring of cheers”
Where to get it
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Too Much and Never Enough
Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L.
Discussed“book by President Trump's niece Mary Trump which is called too much and never enough how my family created the world's most dangerous man”
Where to get it
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Trump: The Art of the Deal
Trump: The Art of the Deal by Donald J.
Discussed“there are many of Donald Trump's books that are up quite a bit now we have the art of the deal his uh best seller from the 80s which is at 13 it was at 52 and his policy Book Grade again is up to 69”
Where to get it
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Trust Exercise
Susan Choi's novel Trust Exercise is a complex narrative that explores a high-pressure performing arts high school while constantly upending reader expectations through startling structural shifts.
Discussed“Susan Choy won for her fifth novel trust exercise and she was in pretty interesting company this year with the fiction finalist”
Where to get it
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Two years eight months and twenty-eight nights
Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie is a sprawling novel that reimagines a world of magical realism, jinn, and philosophical conflict inspired by One Thousand and One Nights.
Discussed“what's the name of that book that's two years8 months and 28 nights which is a riff on a,1 nights”
Where to get it
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Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray is a sprawling satirical novel that chronicles the intertwined lives of Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley against the backdrop of British society during and after the Napoleonic Wars.
Discussed“here he is on Vanity Fair by th Tha never did anything better than this”
Where to get it
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Wake up America
Discussed“there is wake up America by Eric bowling this is a Fox News Channel personality who is talking about the key American virtues that he maintains are under attack by President Obama and Hillary Clinton”
Where to get it
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War of the Encyclopaedists
Discussed“one is the war of the encycloped it's coming out in May from scrier and what's stricking about that is it's co-authored by a veteran and a poet”
Where to get it
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Where the Crawdads Sing
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is a bestselling coming-of-age mystery novel set in the marshlands of North Carolina that follows the isolated life of a young girl.
Discussed“the one kind of huge bright spot in fiction has been where the crow dad sing by dilia Owens which which was apparently the top selling print book in the first half of 2019 and sold more than 900,000 copies”
Where to get it
Appearances
Other mentions (88: passing, ad reads, own books)
“you know we saw in the first few months of this year this huge surge in sales for classic dystopian novels 1984 Brave New World uh the handmaid's tale which is still selling briskly”
“you know we saw in the first few months of this year this huge surge in sales for classic dystopian novels 1984 Brave New World uh the handmaid's tale which is still selling briskly”
“you know we saw in the first few months of this year this huge surge in sales for classic dystopian novels 1984 Brave New World uh the handmaid's tale which is still selling briskly”
“and of course there's other dystopian books as we spoke about last week Rising as well like uh you know Alis Hy's Brave New World is up there”
“another book by another Clinton is uh Chelsea Clinton is publishing a book called governing Global Health about healthc care and she's co-written that with Debbie Shar”
“and that's why it's called killing the Rising Sun”
“she has been writing a little bit of non-fiction and doing various things but hadn't published anything in a really long time and people mostly just think of her for her 1987 novel from Rockway”
“the novelist Jasmine word she was there to talk about her upcoming novel sing unburied sing”
“and this year the actress Isa Fischer was there to discuss the first book in her new series Marg in charge”
“J Asher was also let go by his literary agency as was another major children's book author James Dashner who is the author of the bestselling series The Maze Runner”
“so the Newberry award this year went to Hello Universe which is a novel by Aaron and trod Kelly”
“similarly the calicot medal which goes to the most distinguished American picture book went to Wolf in the snow which was Illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell and it's a wordless picture book”
“there is the kreda Scott King book awards that went to piecing me together by Renee Watson”
“and the Michael Prince award went to we are okay by Nina Lor which is a young adult novel”
“and then a debut novelist Emily fridland H and that that's for history of wolves exactly”
“people were surprised to see those two books fall off as well as Smith swing time because that did get a lot of critical love”
“and the British writer Fiona Mosley made the short list for her debut novel elmet”
“one was the levers by Lisa Co”
“another one is Carol zoro's Baron Island and another one is Margaret Wilkerson seon's novel a kind of Freedom”
“this was a much anticipated followup to a visit from the Goon Squad and people have been waiting years and years for this novel”
“Daniel all con was nominated for his short Story collection the king is always above the people”
“some notable names on there include Masha gassen who was nominated for the futurist history how totalitarianism reclaimed Russia”
“and Nancy McLean's democracy and chains the Deep history of the radical right stealth plan for America”
“another exciting name on the list is Erica L Sanchez her novel is I'm not your perfect Mexican daughter”
“also Samantha maoby for all the wind in the world and I a boy is also nominated for American Street”
“also Samantha maoby for all the wind in the world and I a boy is also nominated for American Street”
“he is the author of World War Z which is which was a huge bestseller and a movie”
“her novel American wife was about Laura Bush”
“he's of course the author of The Martian which was a massive besteller a book that he started off by self-publishing”
“they you know they got a contract with Tim Ferris who's a huge bestselling author it's a 4our work week exactly Guru”
“he published a with Sky horse titled the case against impeaching Trump”
“reminds me of what pet should I get which was his most recent postumus released book”
“I'm not going to go to the Broadway production”
“he wrote an earily prophetic satire called The Day of the Donald Trump Trump's America which came out six months before the 2016 election and predicted Trump's win”
“well I recently reread the H it's tell by Margaret Atwood in anticipation of of the sequel that she's writing which is called the Testaments it's coming out this fall”
“every year there's one or two books that are unexpected bestsellers and they run out of stock one year it was all the light we cannot see”
“you've had some huge hits like Michelle Obama's becoming Bob Woodward's fear which has sold I think almost 2 million copies now”
“you've had some huge hits like Michelle Obama's becoming Bob Woodward's fear which has sold I think almost 2 million copies now”
“when there is an unexpected demand for say a literary novel that made a bunch of 10 best lists for example Lisa holiday's asymmetry or Washington black when they need to go back and do reprints to meet the demand they're they're not able to do it”
“when there is an unexpected demand for say a literary novel that made a bunch of 10 best lists for example Lisa holiday's asymmetry or Washington black when they need to go back and do reprints to meet the demand they're they're not able to do it”
“another one is the over Story by Richard Powers which was also on a lot of Tim best lists”
“Sabrina and Karina that was a dark horse in the race”
“and finally Lea Lami her novel The Other Americans was one of the finalists”
“it was Margaret Atwood who has won before she won in 2000 for the blind assassin and a less well-known author Bernardine avisto who is a British author of Nigerian and British descent”
“it's her you know her incredibly highly anticipated sequel to The handmaid's Tale”
“so there was a bit of an outcry this week over a book by yval Noah Harari he's of course the famous author of sapiens”
“another judge that I thought was an interesting choice is Emily Wilson who's a classicist and translator and she got a lot of Acclaim for her translation of the Odyssey which was sort of a reinterpretation in a way of the Epic”
“there were 13 books selected by a panel of five judges and the only obvious candidate who was on the list I thought was Hillary mantel for the mirror in the light”
“there were 13 books selected by a panel of five judges and the only obvious candidate who was on the list I thought was Hillary mantel for the mirror in the light”
“of the story in exhalation Ted Chang's most recent collection called the life cycle of software objects where you have these people creating these kind of sentient avatars”
“two other titles that people are really looking forward to are Stephanie danler stray her first novel Sweet Bitter was a huge hit and it was the semi-autobiographical tale about a waitress in New York City and it was about the restaurant scene and it people called it a Kitchen Confidential of our time that was in our New York”
“this happened of course with George R Martin and Game of Thrones how the authors kind of navigate that”
“in addition to suy Bane on the fiction short list there is Lydia millets a children's Bible Charles 's interior Chinatown”
“in addition to suy Bane on the fiction short list there is Lydia millets a children's Bible Charles 's interior Chinatown”
“Charles 's interior Chinatown daa pilia is the Secret Lives of church ladies and ranol lams Leave the World Behind”
“daa pilia is the Secret Lives of church ladies and ranol lams Leave the World Behind the church ladies is from an academic press”
“Gerald Walker is listed for how to make a slave in other essays Jen Chaplan for my autobiography of Carson molers”
“Gerald Walker is listed for how to make a slave in other essays Jen Chaplan for my autobiography of Carson molers”
“and the last among the finalists is Carla Coro via vencio's book The undocumented Americans”
“some other books that are coming up on Amazon include listen liberal by Thomas Frank author of what's the matter with Kansas”
“she's a sociologist out of Berkeley and she did the second shift and um a number of other books that kind of explain the way we live now”
“One was a historical Thriller called his bloody project by gr McCrae Bernett”
“there was a linked short Story collection which I guess the judges were treating as a novel for this purpose by David Cay it's titled all that man is”
“and a genre bending debut novel Eileen by Essa m”
“there was another novel hot milk by Deborah Ley which made the the cut”
“books like the Mary Trump the Stephanie Meyer which was sort of a surprise not not a surprise hit but it was announced and then quickly released John Bolton Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games author all those books have sold more than a million copies”
“another thing to consider that could drive sales in a major way is there are a lot of big adaptations of books coming out this year in 2020 including the TV show based on the outsider by Stephen King”
“there's Jenny hans's PS I love you”
“Joan didan the last thing he wanted is coming out Call of the Wild all the right places by Jennifer nen”
“little fires everywhere”
“the plot against America Secret Garden”
“the plot against America Secret Garden”
“she wrote the novel Water for Elephants”
“there was only a dip at haset book group where sales declined 9% and that was largely according to the publisher because of Stephanie Meyer's midnight sun which came out in 2020”
“yes so the piters came out this week and I was familiar with the fiction winner as everyone will be Anthony dor is all the light we can see”
“there was Harper Le's go a Watchman and eel James Gray”
“there was Harper Le's go a Watchman and eel James Gray”
“and with the non-fiction winner Elizabeth colar is the six Extinction”
“this is not what you expect from the author of remains of the day”
“I think that the Tina Fay got somewhere between five and6 million for her book bossy pants which went on to be a huge bestseller”
“just because there's very little known about this book apart from the fact that it takes place 20 years after to Kill Mockingbird”
“he's published other novels since glamorama lunar Park but nothing has defined his career in the same way as American Psycho”
“he's published other novels since glamorama lunar Park but nothing has defined his career in the same way as American Psycho”
“the audio book of the year is the girl on the train by Paula Hawkins her bestselling Thriller”
“the Audio Drama of the year was The Jungle Book the mowgly stories and this is another multicast production”
“which book did he win for he won for best male narrator this is again like the Oscars they have best female narrator and best male narrator and he was reading Daniel Silva's Thriller the English spy”
“yes uh Michael Strahan won for best business personal development audio book and that's for his own book wake up happy”
“Jack Black won for his narration of ARL Stein's The Little Shop of monsters and that's in the young listeners category”