Person
Every book Alexandra Jacobs recommended on podcasts
Alexandra Jacobs’s most recommended books
- The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary Sullivan
- All About All About Eve by Sam Staggs
- Academy and the Award by Bruce Davis
- Money by Martin Amis
- Adventures in the screen trade by William Goldman
- Conversations with Wilder by Cameron Crowe
- Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli by Mark Seal
- Notes to John by Joan Didion
- On Consolation by Michael Ignatieff
- People Collide by Isle McElroy
Alexandra Jacobs appeared on podcasts to discuss and recommend a variety of literary works and memoirs. She enthusiastically recommended Susan Cheever's When All the Men Wore Hats, describing it as a fascinating combination of literary criticism, memoir, and biography that sheds new light on John Cheever's life and fiction. Jacobs also discussed Joan Didion's posthumous Notes to John, noting that she was captivated by the book and the controversy surrounding its publication. In addition, she shared several of her favorite books about movies and Hollywood history. These included Sam Staggs's All About All About Eve as a look into the making of a classic film, Julie Salamon's The Devil's Candy about the adaptation of The Bonfire of the Vanities, Mark Harris's Pictures at a Revolution regarding the birth of New Hollywood, Mark Seal's Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli about the making of The Godfather, and William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade, which she praised as one of the best books ever written about screenwriting.
Books recommended by Alexandra Jacobs
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The Betrayal of Anne Frank
The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary Sullivan is a gripping cold case investigation that reexamines the historical mystery surrounding the famous diary and the betrayal that led to the arrest of Anne Frank and her family.
Discussed“I reviewed a fascinating new book called the Betrayal of Anne Frank which is a cold as its subtitle indicates is a Cold Case investigation”
Where to get it
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All About All About Eve
All About All About Eve by Sam Staggs is a comprehensive and engaging nonfiction book that takes a deep dive into the making, cultural impact, and behind-the-scenes history of the classic Hollywood film.
Recommended“it's funny I was going to mention another book about the movies that I really like which is a book by a guy named Sam Stags called all about All About Eve”
Where to get it
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Academy and the Award
Discussed“well it is an it's an Insider view but interestingly Bruce Davis I thought he he did an amazing job he really stepped outside he the the book is about the the he calls it a buildings Raman about the Oscars”
Where to get it
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Money
Money by Martin Amis is a satirical 1984 novel that skewers the excesses, crass consumerism, and moral bankruptcy of 1980s celebrity culture through the chaotic perspective of protagonist John Self.
Discussed“there's a book by Martin Amos on here 1984 book called money”
Where to get it
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Adventures in the screen trade
Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman is a widely celebrated memoir and instructional guide detailing the author's experiences as a prominent Hollywood screenwriter.
Recommended“he wrote a book called adventures in the screen trade which is I think one of the probably one of the best books about screenwriting ever”
Where to get it
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Conversations with Wilder
Conversations with Wilder by Cameron Crowe is a full-length book featuring dialogue with the legendary filmmaker Billy Wilder.
Recommended“but then there is one called conversations with wilder and this is Cameron Crow wow full book length conversation with Billy Wilder”
Where to get it
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Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli
Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli by Mark Seal is a nonfiction book that details the dramatic behind-the-scenes history of the making of the iconic film The Godfather.
Recommended“it's called leave the gun take the canoli by Mark seal which is about the making of The Godfather”
Where to get it
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Notes to John
Notes to John is a posthumous collection of personal writings by Joan Didion that offers intimate glimpses into her thoughts and life.
Recommended“Another memoir that captivated me, although I don't even know if it could correctly fit into the memoir category, is Joan Ddian's Notes to John because when this this book came out, this is the kind of book that lights me a fire when there's a controversy preceding its publication or around its publication”
Where to get it
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On Consolation
On Consolation is a reflective work of nonfiction by Michael Ignatieff that examines how historical figures, artists, and thinkers throughout the centuries have found solace and meaning during times of personal crisis, grief, and political turmoil.
Recommended“but what I'd love to talk about delightful as Smith Memoir was was on consolation by Michael IGN and I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly the professor and former Canadian politician”
Where to get it
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People Collide
People Collide is a sophomore fiction novel by Isle McElroy that examines modern relationships through an imaginative and disruptive body-swapping premise involving a married couple.
Recommended“and the one that sticks out in my memory most recently is isle McElroy who did a sophomore fiction called people Collide and it's about a married couple that switch bodies”
Where to get it
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Pictures At A Revolution Five Movies And The Birth Of The New Hollywood
Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood by Mark Harris is a detailed cultural history examining the five films nominated for Best Picture in 1967 and the sweeping cinematic transformations of that era.
Recommended“I also I love pictures out a Revolution by Mark Harris who's a wonderful writer that may know let's just put for our former colleague Mark Harris is a a wonderful who who contributes to the time sometimes he he is one of the greatest writers on Show Business”
Where to get it
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Solid Ivory
Solid Ivory by James Ivory is a collection of memoirs and essays by the acclaimed film director offering a vivid look into his life, art, and cinematic career.
Recommended“I reviewed solid Ivory Memoirs by James Ivory”
Where to get it
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The Country of the Blind
The Country of the Blind is a compelling book by Andrew Leland that investigates the multifaceted experience of vision loss, weaving together personal memoir, historical context, and philosophical inquiry.
Recommended“one excellent book that I think was a contender for top whatever was the country of the Blind by and Leland”
Where to get it
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The devil's candy
The Devil's Candy by Julie Salamon is a detailed work of non-fiction that chronicles the notoriously disastrous Hollywood adaptation of Tom Wolfe's bestselling novel The Bonfire of the Vanities.
Recommended“another great book is Devil's candy the bonfire of the vanities goes to Hollywood by Julie Solomon who I think recently did a podcast on it”
Where to get it
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The Founders
The Founders by Jimmy Soni is a narrative history chronicling the creation of PayPal and the ambitious entrepreneurs who helped shape modern Silicon Valley.
Recommended“it's called the founders it's the story of PayPal and the entrepreneurs who shaped Silicon Valley”
Where to get it
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When All the Men Wore Hats
When All the Men Wore Hats by Susan Cheever is a multifaceted literary work that blends memoir, biography, and literary criticism to explore the life and legacy of the author's famous father, John Cheever.
Recommended“and she gives us new details from their life, the chiever's lives, but also sort of shows how she figured into his fiction and his diaries. It's just fascinating because it's, you know, it's two genres in one and it's literary criticism and it's memoir and it's a little bit of biography.”
Where to get it
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American Psycho
Bret Easton Ellis's controversial 1991 satirical novel about a wealthy Manhattan investment banker leading a double life as a serial killer remains a potent cultural touchstone.
Discussed“I mean when Dwight said suggested American Psycho for this list and I'm not I think I was shocked into silence but then I read his very eloquent explanation and I was convinced”
Where to get it
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Beautyland
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino is a whimsical and poignant contemporary novel about an alien intelligence sent to Earth in the guise of a human girl in the 1970s, who navigates the complexities of human existence while communicating with her home planet through a fax machine.
Discussed“are you going to say Beautyland I want to ask you about Beauty Land”
Where to get it
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Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding is a landmark contemporary comedic novel that popularized the Bridget Jones series and captured the experiences of a single British woman navigating romance and professional life in the 1990s.
Discussed“I know that all our all our readers clocked the extra words there in the middle but I mean there's again there's so many different kinds of funny that the slap stickness of Bridget Jones's Diary where the these absurd situations pile up and the narrator's self-deprecation accumulates to the point where I don't know somebody help me”
Where to get it
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Christopher Isherwood Inside Out
Discussed“Brad G is the perfect person to write this biography”
Where to get it
The other 14 books Alexandra Jacobs recommended or discussed, ranked
- Easy Riders Raging Bulls by Peter Biskind
- Gypsy by Gypsy Rose Lee
- Heartburn by Nora Ephron
- Here's the Deal by Kellyanne Conway
- Hitchcock/Truffaut by Alfred Joseph Hitchcock
- Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
- My Beloved Monster by Caleb Carr
- Seeing Through by Ricky Ian Gordon
- The Art and Craft of Motion Picture Editing by Michael Hoggan
- The Conversations by Michael Ondaatje
- The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown
- The Grapes of Wrath - An Opera in 3 Acts by Ricky Ian Gordon
- The Palace Papers by Tina Brown
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our Book Critics on Their 2025 in Reading | The Book Review | 2025-12-12 | 2 |
| It's Still Summer. Let's Talk Road Trip Books. | The Book Review | 2025-08-01 | 3 |
| Our Book Critics On Their Year in Reading | The Book Review | 2024-12-13 | 5 |
| Books About the Oscars | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 13 |
| Books That Make Our Critics Laugh | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 5 |
| Our Critics' Year in Reading | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 2 |
| Jennifer Egan Talks About 'The Candy House' | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 2 |
| Alan Cumming Talks About ‘Baggage’ | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 1 |
| Two New Memoirs About Affliction | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 1 |
| Ann Patchett on ‘These Precious Days’ | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 1 |
| One Island, Two Men and Lots of Big Questions | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 1 |
| Imani Perry Talks About 'South to America' | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 3 |
Other mentions (14: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Susan Chver, who I really applaud. She's written memoirs before, most famously Home Before Dark and she's written other many other across genres.”
“And she's she becomes a major leftist activist and she wrote the American Way of Death. And she just was a fascinating sizzling creature.”
“it's like a version of Feel the fear and do it anyway and Elaine was an early adopter of that as as she was of so many other things”
“he wrote the books The Princess Bride and Marathon Man”
“he wrote the books The Princess Bride and Marathon Man”
“and he worked on The English Patient which is where the two met Mike gach wrote The English Patient”
“what about Kingsley what about lucky gym which you know was published before our cut off our arbitrary cut off”
“I actually feel my my year was not intentionally but by coincidentally book bookended by these huge this Prince Harry's spare and then Barbara strien”
“and then Barbara strien my name is Barbara those were the book ends of my year practically”
“well the one the one I remember most was a room with view based on the EM Forster novel which I saw”
“and the fact is they really did a t they actually did TMA yit's slaves of New York”
“considering that her her boss's famous her former boss's famous book is the art of the deal”
“he's best known perhaps for torch song Trilogy on stage”
“something like you know the power broker I don't know”