Person
Every book Lovia Gyarkye recommended on podcasts
Lovia Gyarkye’s most recommended books
- A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
- Another Country by James Baldwin
- Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks
- A surprised queenhood in the new Black sun by Angela Jackson
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Annie Allen by Gwendolyn Brooks
- Anowa by Ama Ata Aidoo
- Beyond the Horizon by Amma Darko
- Bluets by Maggie Nelson
- Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process by John McPhee
Lovia Gyarkye discussed literature and her ongoing reading projects across multiple episodes of The Book Review, sharing recommendations and insights on various fiction and non-fiction works. Gyarkye discussed reading James Baldwin's 1962 novel Another Country, noting it as one of Baldwin's most challenging novels, and also highlighted Gwendolyn Brooks's first novel Maud Martha, explaining that it initiated her love for Brooks's writing and offers an excellent entry point into the author's poetry and artistic vision. In addition to these works, Gyarkye discussed reading Marlon James's A Brief History of Seven Killings, noting its topical nature and widespread popularity among readers. Gyarkye also examined several other books during her podcast discussions, including Charlotte Shane's Prostitute Laundry—touching on themes related to Maggie Nelson's Bluets—and John McPhee's Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process, which she reread for nostalgic reasons having studied under McPhee at Princeton. Furthermore, she explored dramatic and narrative works such as Ama Ata Aidoo's play Anowa and Amma Darko's novel Beyond the Horizon, describing the latter as part of her personal quest to read more Ghanaian female writers. Through these varied discussions, Gyarkye highlighted an eclectic mix of classic novels, contemporary fiction, drama, and personal reflections.
Books recommended by Lovia Gyarkye
-
A Brief History of Seven Killings
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James is a sprawling, ambitious historical novel that uses the 1976 attempted assassination of Bob Marley to weave a complex narrative spanning decades of political violence, drug wars, and systemic turmoil in Jamaica and the United States.
Recommended“I'm reading a brief history of seven killing by Marlon James which is very topical on brand because as we know his new book is coming out and I mean I feel like kind of silly recounting the plot of a brief history because it's one of those books that I feel like everybody talks about having read or going”
Where to get it
-
Another Country
Another Country by James Baldwin is a complex and unflinching 1962 novel that explores the turbulent intersections of race, sexuality, identity, and bohemian life in Greenwich Village and Paris.
Recommended“I'm R reading another country by James Baldwin which I'm sure comes to a shock to nobody who knows me but it was published in 1962 and I think is one of Baldwin's most difficult novels”
Where to get it
-
Maud Martha
Maud Martha is the singular and lyrical first novel by renowned American writer Gwendolyn Brooks, capturing the quiet triumphs and subtle heartbreaks of a young Black woman growing up in Chicago.
Recommended“yeah you know actually it's not her collection but her first novel mod Martha that I think is that's where I began that's where my love for galine began and I think is a really excess way to sort of get a taste of her poetry but also of of this idea of what she was trying to do”
Where to get it
-
A surprised queenhood in the new Black sun
Discussed“and Ang Jackson I think in this sort of in celebration of first Centennial a lot of books have come out including these two anthologies and Angela Jackson wrote a really great bio about her uh called a surprise Queen Hood in the New Black Sun”
Where to get it
-
Americanah
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a compelling contemporary novel that follows a young Nigerian woman who immigrates to the United States and confronts issues of race, identity, and cultural displacement before eventually returning home.
Discussed“I think she really with Americana and with half a yellow sun really reinvigorated an already existing genre”
Where to get it
-
Annie Allen
Discussed“and so she a lot of her poems cover just like what does it mean to fall in love what is it like to move and and I think that's what the bulk of Annie Allen her first her second sorry her second um collection and the one that won her the poitz is really about”
Where to get it
-
Anowa
Discussed“and the second anoa was published in 1970 I read the book sort of backwards”
Where to get it
-
Beyond the Horizon
Discussed“I'm reading a book called Beyond the Horizon by Amad Darko and it's also a continuation of my personal quest to read more Gan female writers”
Where to get it
-
Bluets
Discussed“where she's talking about Maggie NE Nelson's bluettes and she says at one point Maggie says clearly I'm not a private person”
Where to get it
-
Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process
Discussed“the first one is draft number four by John MC and he's actually my professor at Princeton and so I'm rereading it for nostalgic reasons”
Where to get it
-
Half of a Yellow Sun
Half of a Yellow Sun is a historical novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie that vividly portrays the experiences of the Nigerian Civil War.
Discussed“I think she really with Americana and with half a yellow sun really reinvigorated an already existing genre”
Where to get it
-
Prostitute Laundry
Discussed“I'm reading prostitute laundry by Charlotte Shane who is I mean I guess a Brooklyn Bas writer”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amy Chozick on 'Chasing Hillary' | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 2 |
| The History of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 2 |
| The Fire Next Time | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 1 |
| The Uses and Misuses of Identity | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 1 |
| Assessing the Facebook Problem | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 1 |
| Beth Macy on 'Dopesick' | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 2 |
| Amy Schumer on ‘Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo’ | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 3 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“the first play is published in 1965 it's called dilemma of a ghost”