Person
Every book Greg Cole recommended on podcasts
Greg Cole appears on book review podcasts as a thoughtful literary critic and host evaluating major fiction and non-fiction releases, year-end favorites, and runner-up lists. Throughout his discussions, Cole highlights several standout books that deeply resonated with him. He names Richard Powers's novel 'The Overstory' as a runner-up that stuck with him in unexpected ways, and recommends Kiese Laymon's debut memoir 'Heavy' as his top non-fiction runner-up pick. Cole also expresses his personal admiration for George Saunders's novel 'Lincoln in the Bardo' as a favorite that narrowly missed top fiction lists. In addition to reflecting on past literary awards and favorites, Cole discusses his current reading habits, noting that he is engaged with Joan Silber's novel 'Improvement'. Furthermore, he participates in broader panel discussions exploring contemporary and translated literature, contributing insights on titles such as Stefan Hertmans's novel 'War and Turpentine', Zadie Smith's 'Swing Time', and Jesmyn Ward's novel 'Sing, Unburied, Sing'.
Books recommended by Greg Cole
-
Heavy
Heavy by Kiese Laymon is a powerful coming-of-age memoir that confronts generational trauma, systemic racism, weight, and the complexities of growing up Black in the American South.
Recommended“is the book heavy uh by a guy named kesse Layman who um it's his first Memoir”
Where to get it
-
Improvement
Improvement is a contemporary novel by Joan Silber that weaves together the lives of disparate characters whose paths intersect in unexpected ways, exploring themes of connection, consequence, and redemption.
Recommended“this week I I am reading Janes Sil new novel Improvement”
Where to get it
-
Lincoln in the Bardo
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders is an experimental historical novel that imagines the grief of Abraham Lincoln visiting his deceased son in a cemetery populated by a chorus of ghosts.
Recommended“well I I think it will surprise nobody who knows me that I would have loved to have seen George saunders's Lincoln and the BAU end up on on the fiction list”
Where to get it
-
The Overstory
The Overstory by Richard Powers is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that follows several Americans whose lives connect through trees and their deep relationship with the natural world.
Recommended“the novel that um has really stuck with me in a way that I I didn't initially anticipate was the over Story by Richard Powers”
Where to get it
-
Herzog
Herzog by Saul Bellow is a celebrated modernist novel following a beleaguered intellectual who writes frantic, unsent letters to friends, enemies, and historical figures while suffering a midlife crisis.
Discussed“and this time around I did that with Sal Bell's Herzog which became my beach reading for most of this trip”
Where to get it
-
Last things
Last Things by Jenny Offill is a poignant debut novel that follows a young girl trying to make sense of her parents' crumbling marriage through the lens of art and science.
Discussed“it's called Blast things”
Where to get it
-
Locking up our own
Locking Up Our Own by James Forman Jr.
Discussed“it's very much um kind of a a fictional counterpart to locking up our own”
Where to get it
-
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“why don't I start off by talking about Jasmine Wards sing unburied sing”
Where to get it
-
So long, see you tomorrow
So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell is a celebrated, poignant novella that explores a childhood memory, isolation, and a tragic murder in a small Midwestern town.
Discussed“May remember on the last podcast I was is reading the William Maxwell novel so long see you tomorrow”
Where to get it
-
Swing Time
Swing Time by Zadie Smith is an intricate novel that explores themes of race, class, friendship, and cultural identity through the lens of young girls dreaming of becoming tap dancers.
Discussed“it's called swing time”
Where to get it
-
War and turpentine
War and Turpentine by Stefan Hertmans is a deeply moving biographical novel that reconstructs the life of the author's grandfather, Urbain Martien, a painter and decorated soldier whose existence was indelibly scarred by the unspeakable traumas of the First World War.
Discussed“by a Belgian a Flemish writer named Stephan hertans it's a novel called war and turpentine”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rise of Hitler | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 2 |
| Thrillers and True Crime | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 1 |
| 'The Second Coming of the KKK' | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 4 |
| Talking About the 10 Best Books of 2018 | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 2 |
| Inside The New York Times Book Review: ‘I Contain Multitudes’ | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 3 |
Other mentions (3: passing, ad reads, own books)
“in the early part of my career not the long awaited followup to tarantula 1971 novel”
“in that it's about a couple of girls growing up in the projects in North West London”
“winner last year with Paul batty the sellout”