Person
Every book Liz Egan recommended on podcasts
Liz Egan is a dynamic and insightful contributor to The Book Review podcast, where she frequently offers predictions on major seasonal reads, thoughtful literary retellings, and deeply moving contemporary fiction. Egan's podcast appearances highlight a keen awareness of buzzy debuts alongside a deep appreciation for character-focused storytelling. She anticipated that Caro Claire Burke's novel Yesteryear would capture the spirit of the summer, and paired it with Ann Patchett's novel Whistler and Elizabeth Strout's character-driven work The Things We Never Say. Egan also recommended Jenny Jackson's second novel, The Shampoo Effect. Her literary tastes extend to imaginative adaptations and powerful emotional narratives, as seen in her praise for Akwaeke Emezi's The Death of Vivek Oji, Judy Blume's adult novel In the Unlikely Event, Curtis Sittenfeld's modern Pride and Prejudice retelling Eligible, and Madeline Miller's enchanting mythological novel The Song of Achilles. Through these diverse recommendations, Egan demonstrates a sharp eye for relatable human drama, clever narrative reimaginings, and compelling storytelling that resonates deeply with a wide audience of fiction lovers.
Books recommended by Liz Egan
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Master Slave Husband Wife
Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo is a work of narrative nonfiction by an independent scholar detailing a historic escape.
Recommended“the book I would like to tell you about is Master Slave husband wife by Ilan woo”
Where to get it
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Brother of the more famous Jack
Brother of the More Famous Jack is a classic novel by Barbara Trapido that explores complex family dynamics, coming-of-age themes, and bohemian intellectual life.
Recommended“I know I'm going to read brother of the more famous Jack by Barbara tredo which comes to me from a friend who has been recommending it really highly”
Where to get it
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Day
Day by Michael Cunningham is a poignant novel that unfolds across three successive Aprils—2019, 2020, and 2021—capturing the profound shifts in a family's life during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recommended“Day by Michael Cunningham this is a novel that unfolds in three aprils April 2019 April 2020 and April 2021”
Where to get it
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Elegy for Iris
Elegy for Iris is a poignant memoir by John Bayley that chronicles the final years of his wife, the brilliant philosopher and novelist Iris Murdoch, as she succumbed to Alzheimer's disease.
Recommended“and speaking of Iris Murdoch I have to ask if you've read El for Iris by John Bailey”
Where to get it
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Eligible
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld is a witty, contemporary retelling of Jane Austen's beloved classic novel Pride and Prejudice, relocating the classic romance and family drama to the modern-day suburbs of Cincinnati.
Recommended“so I think I would recommend eligible by Curtis sienfeld it is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in the suburbs of Cincinnati”
Where to get it
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French Braid
French Braid by Anne Tyler is a richly observed novel that explores the complex dynamics, unspoken tensions, and enduring bonds within a Baltimore family across multiple decades.
Recommended“so what I am reading is French braid by Anne Tyler it's her 24th novel”
Where to get it
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Heft
Heft by Liz Moore is a deeply moving contemporary novel that intertwines the lives of an isolated, former academic and an observant, struggling teenager living in coastal New England.
Recommended“and if you're a Liz more completist as I am may I suggest that you go back at some point and read heft which is one of her first books and as much as I love all her books that one might be my very favorite”
Where to get it
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In the unlikely event
In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume is a poignant adult fiction novel that reflects on a series of real-life plane crashes in Elizabeth, New Jersey, during the 1950s.
Recommended“her last book which came out four or five years ago is called in the unlikely event”
Where to get it
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Liars
Liars is a darkly witty and psychologically astute novel by Sarah Manguso that explores the complex dynamics of marriage, female ambition, and domestic resentment from the perspective of a writer married to a visual artist.
Recommended“however I do have a scary novel a psychological dread domestic novel that if you are a scaredy cat or wuss or wimp like me and we should wear it proudly I think some of you might like liars by Sarah manguso”
Where to get it
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Long Island Compromise
Long Island Compromise is a sweeping contemporary novel by Taffy Brodesser-Akner that explores the generational trauma, financial anxieties, and complex domestic life of a wealthy family following a historic kidnapping.
Recommended“two other books I would recommend keeping an eye out for this summer are Long Island compromise by Taffy briser anner who brought us fman is in trouble a couple years ago”
Where to get it
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Meant to Be
Meant to Be is a novel by Emily Giffin that reimagines the story of JFK Jr.
Recommended“it's called meant to be and it's by Emily gfin it came out on May 31st and it re-imagines the story of JFK Jr and Carolyn bassette Kennedy who was his wife”
Where to get it
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Tell Me Everything
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout is a deeply evocative novel that brings together some of the author's most cherished literary creations, including the iconic figures Olive Kitteridge, Lucy Barton, and Bob Burgess.
Recommended“and also Elizabeth Stout's new book it's called tell me everything and and I haven't read it yet but it promises to include some of Stout's most beloved characters including Olive kid Lucy Barton and Bob Buress that's coming out in August”
Where to get it
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Thank You for Listening
Thank You for Listening is a contemporary romance novel by Julia Whelan that follows a former audiobook narrator who reluctantly returns to the booth for one final project after stepping away from the profession due to personal tragedy.
Recommended“I am fan girl screaming so far over a book that I just picked up last night called thank you for listening by Julia whan”
Where to get it
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The Days of Afrekete
The Days of Afrekete by Asali Solomon is a poignant and structurally innovative novel that reimagines Virginia Woolf's Mrs.
Recommended“it's called the days of afri and it's by assali Solomon who teaches writing at haford”
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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The God of the Woods
Liz Moore's bestselling novel The God of the Woods is a suspenseful mystery set in the Adirondack mountains during the 1970s, revolving around a wealthy dynastic family whose daughter disappears from a summer camp they founded.
Recommended“i have another creepy book to recommend if you guys are interested do you want me to tell you absolutely it takes place in the ader Dax it's called the god of the woods and it's by Liz Moore whose last book was long bright River”
Where to get it
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The Shampoo Effect
The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson is the second novel by the accomplished author and literary figure.
Recommended“This is a book by the author of Jenny Jackson. This is her second book and it's called The Shampoo Effect.”
Where to get it
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The Song of Achilles
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a lyrical and moving reimagining of the Iliad that focuses on the deep romance between Achilles and Patroclus.
Recommended“my recommendation is song of Achilles by meline Miller it is the story of Petras and achiles and it is wonderful”
Where to get it
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The Things We Never Say
Why people recommend it: Elizabeth Strout's poignant novel explores human connection, complex relationships, and the quiet struggles of everyday life through her signature deeply observant narrative style.
Recommended“Her new book is called The Things We Never Say and here she introduces a new character, a man. His name is Arty Dam and he is a high school history teacher who lives with his wife in the house she grew up in on the water outside of Boston.”
Where to get it
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Transcendent Kingdom
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi is a poignant contemporary novel following a brilliant neuroscience PhD candidate grappling with her brother's tragic death from an overdose and her mother's severe depression while striving to reconcile faith and science.
Recommended“I am here to tell you guys about a book that I'm reading that I think you might have both read it's called Transcendent Kingdom and it's by yah JSI who wrote homegoing which came out her debut novel that came out oh maybe seven or eight years ago”
Where to get it
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Whistler
Whistler by Ann Patchett is a compelling contemporary novel that follows a fifty-something English teacher whose life shifts unexpectedly when she encounters her former stepfather at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Recommended“Okay, if you've already read Yesteryear, the perfect chaser is Whistler by Ann Patchett, in which a 50-something English teacher runs into her former stepfather at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
Where to get it
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Yesteryear
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke is a contemporary debut novel that follows an online influencer known as a tradwife who suddenly wakes up inside the exact traditional world she has been posting and writing about.
Recommended“I think it will be Yesteryear, which is a story about an influencer who is a tradwife and suddenly wakes up in the very world that she's been writing about and posting about”
Where to get it
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American Fantasy
Discussed“It was called American Fantasy, and it was about a a cruise for fans of a washed-up boy band.”
Where to get it
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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
Discussed“are you there God it's me Margaret was one of those books that I I remember where I was sitting”
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.
Critiqued“if you go into it knowing that you might have a good reading experience I'm not in the business of canceling books or I'm not in the business of canceling Bridget Jones's Diary there's too much in it that is funny and is true but you should go into it aware that you will be faced with so much sexism”
Where to get it
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Circe
Circe by Madeline Miller is a captivating mythological retelling that reimagines the life of the infamous witch from Homer's Odyssey, narrating the epic events entirely from her unique perspective.
Discussed“and and then right after that I read Cersei loved that for a totally different reason”
Where to get it
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David Copperfield
David Copperfield is a classic 1849 coming-of-age novel by Charles Dickens that follows the lifelong trials, growth, and personal development of its titular protagonist.
Discussed“I'm not a particular Dickens fan I actually went back and read David Copperfield after reading demon Copperhead so I did it in the reverse order”
Where to get it
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Empire of Pain
Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe; Ricard Gil is a meticulous investigative non-fiction book that chronicles the rise of the Sackler family and their pharmaceutical company, Purdue Pharma, detailing their role in manufacturing OxyContin and fueling the devastating opioid epidemic in America.
Discussed“I'm loving the book for the story and the writing but also because I just finished reading Empire of pain Patrick Ren Keefe's book about the Sackler family and its connection to oxy”
Where to get it
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Forever
Discussed“I did pass around forever which was another one of Judy Bloom's books that had some fairly graphic sex scenes that were very educational”
Where to get it
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Freckle Juice
Discussed“I loved her books for younger readers like Freckle Juice and super fudge”
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“I am here to tell you guys about a book that I'm reading that I think you might have both read it's called Transcendent Kingdom and it's by yah JSI who wrote homegoing which came out her debut novel that came out oh maybe seven or eight years ago”
Where to get it
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How to Rule the World
Discussed“This is a book called How to Rule the World, and it's by Theo Baker. It's a really interesting bookend, also nonfiction, to London Falling”
Where to get it
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Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer is a gripping non-fiction account of the disastrous 1996 Mount Everest expedition that claimed the lives of multiple climbers.
Discussed“In fact, one of my favorite beach reads was Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, which takes you to the top of Mount Everest.”
Where to get it
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Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom;
Discussed“they joined the Abolitionist speaker circuit and they also told their own story in a book called Running 1,000 miles for Freedom which Ilan wo first encountered decades ago as a graduate student”
Where to get it
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Superfudge
Discussed“I loved her books for younger readers like Freckle Juice and super fudge”
Where to get it
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The Academy
Discussed“She was ready for a change, and she pivoted to boarding school novels, and she wrote a novel called The Academy with her daughter, whose name is Shelby Cunningham.”
Where to get it
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The Brightness
The Brightness by Chad Harbach is an anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed and widely popular novel The Art of Fielding, continuing the author's exploration of complex human relationships and ambition.
Discussed“He wrote a book about 10 years ago called The Art of Fielding, and he has a book coming out this fall called The Brightness. It's sitting on my dining room table right now.”
Where to get it
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The Thorn Birds
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough is an epic family saga spanning decades, chronicling the ambitions, forbidden romances, and heartbreaks of the Cleary family across the vast and unforgiving landscape of the Australian outback.
Discussed“And it was a motley crew of books from Danielle Steel to Mary Higgins Clark, to Rosamunde Pilcher, to John I actually remember getting one John Updike book from that rack. Um The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough and just sitting in an Adirondack chair all day without sunscreen”
Where to get it
Appearances
Other mentions (19: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Seabiscuit fans, this is not a sequel. Be forewarned.”
“I this is a book that will be beloved by fans of remarkably bright creatures, which is book? Yeah, the octopus book.”
“I'm saving it for my own vacation along with Dave Eggers' new book, Contra Posto, and Amy Bloom's first thriller, Blunt Instrument.”
“And Patrick Radden Keefe, who brought us Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, delves into the mystery of Zack Brettler's death.”
“And Patrick Radden Keefe, who brought us Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, delves into the mystery of Zack Brettler's death.”
“He wrote a book about 10 years ago called The Art of Fielding, and he has a book coming out this fall called The Brightness.”
“and then it led to an entire genre of books that I won't call copycats but that were descendants of Bridget Jones and those were the shopaholic books The Nanny Diaries I don't know how she does it by Allison Pearson”
“so I think I would recommend eligible by Curtis sienfeld it is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in the suburbs of Cincinnati”
“so I think I would recommend eligible by Curtis sienfeld it is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in the suburbs of Cincinnati”
“so please don't ask me about The Bean Trees which came out I think when I was in high school a million years ago”
“as for Dickens I read what I was required to read in school and I was never someone to pick up Great Expectations just for fun”
“the first book I can remember noticing it in was girl interrupted by Susanna kase which was made into a not so great movie but was a wonderful Memoir that came out in like the late 80s or early 90s”
“French braid was reviewed for us by Jennifer Haag who also has a wonderful new book out called Mercy Street and she described the Garrett family”
“not not only because she's the author of another novel called my Oxford year but because she is one of the world's preeminent Audi book narrators”
“I am reading French raid by Anne Tyler”
“I just came back from Maine and the first book I wanted to talk about is by Jay Courtney Sullivan who wrote a novel called main but her new novel is called The Cliffs”
“it's called the god of the woods and it's by Liz Moore whose last book was long bright River”
“and it has a new intro from Maria simple the author of where did you go bernardet”
“two other books I would recommend keeping an eye out for this summer are Long Island compromise by Taffy briser anner who brought us fman is in trouble a couple years ago”