Resident Book Queen Jordan Lauf Previews Spring Books

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Resident Book Queen Jordan Lauf Previews Spring Books"

All Of It – WNYC
Host: Tiffany Hansen (in for Alison Stewart)
Guest: Jordan Lauf, Producer & Book Guru
Episode Date: February 26, 2024

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Episode Overview

This episode features producer and book aficionado Jordan Lauf sharing her top book recommendations for Spring 2024. With Spring being a prolific season for publishing, Jordan offers an engaging mix of new releases, beloved classics, and listener favorites across genres—spanning historical fiction, sci-fi, nonfiction, and more. The lively conversation includes notable mentions of film/TV adaptations, unique literary perspectives, and introduces exciting forthcoming titles, while welcoming listener calls and texts with their recommendations.

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Key Discussion Points & Book Recommendations

1. Spotlight on "Get Lit" Selection

• The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
  • Genre: Historical fiction with horror/fantasy elements
  • Synopsis: Set in 1950s Florida, follows a boy at an abusive, segregated reformatory who can see ghosts.
  • Jordan Lauf (01:46):

    “It’s really just an abusive, horrible place. And he learns that he can see ghosts there of boys who have died. … It’s a tough read, but it’s an engaging read.”

  • Jordan reassures horror-averse readers:

    “It’s more a historical fiction novel with some fantastical elements. … You’re not gonna be lying awake at night, I don’t think, worried about what’s in your closet.” [03:01]

  • Adaptation: Jordan mentions free copies and an upcoming Get Lit event with a musical guest.

2. Science Fiction Accessible for Non-Fans

• The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (translated by Ken Liu)
  • Jordan Lauf (04:06):

    “I thought that sci fi was not for me. And then I read this book and I was like, okay, maybe. … It’s set in China’s Cultural Revolution, [with] humans figuring out how to communicate with aliens and they’ve sent a message and perhaps the aliens are coming.”

  • Upcoming Adaptation: Netflix series from the creators of Game of Thrones launches March 21.
  • Jordan’s enthusiasm:

    “It’s got these sort of big political and philosophical questions. It’s also set mostly on Earth, which I found helpful as someone who is not a sci fi expert.” [04:06]

3. Bite-Sized, Poetic Fiction

• Foster by Claire Keegan
  • Quick read under 100 pages
  • Jordan Lauf (06:37):

    “For how few words, it packs a really big emotional punch. … About a young girl living in Ireland whose parents sort of drop her off with … an older couple who don’t have any kids.”

  • Film Tie-In: The Quiet Girl adaptation praised by Jordan and listener texts.

4. Listener Recommendations & Discussion

(with selected responses from Jordan and Tiffany)

• The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers (recommended by Jack)

  “An absolutely wonderful read for children of all ages.” [08:26]

• The Third Hotel by Laura van den Berg (recommended by Dave)

  • Explores grief and magical realism with an unreliable narrator [09:24]

• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

  • Jordan: “I haven’t [read it], but I read his most recent one, which … was excellent. … It’s long, though.” [10:09]

• The Rise and Reign of the Mammals by Steve Brusatte

  • Inspired by Jordan’s visit to the museum; explores history of mammals and paleontologists’ stories [10:35]

• Coleman Hill by Kim Coleman Foote & Go Back and Get It by Dionne Ford

  • Both nonfiction, intertwining family history and healing from generational trauma (recommended by Wendy) [12:08]

• Fledgling by Octavia Butler

  • “Fresh take on vampires, if vampires are your thing.” [13:12]

• Sequel to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

  • Addresses generational guilt and complicity (recommended by Debbie) [13:45]

5. Anticipated Spring 2024 Releases

• The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft (March 5)

  • Literary translator’s debut novel; translators come together to work on a masterpiece, discover the author has gone missing.
  • Jordan Lauf (15:09):

    “It’s got a mystery element … but also it’s got the translation aspect, which I find really interesting.”

• All Our Yesterdays by Joel H. Morris (Lady Macbeth backstory)

  • Historical fiction for Shakespeare fans [18:18]

• James by Percival Everett (March 19)

  • Retelling of “Huckleberry Finn” from Jim’s perspective, providing voice and narrative depth to a secondary character.
  • Jordan Lauf (21:00):

    “Percival’s sort of taking the spotlight away from Huckleberry Finn and giving it to Jim.”

• Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson (March 12)

  • Nonfiction, literary/philosophical engagement with the Book of Genesis.
  • Jordan Lauf (23:08):

    “If you’re someone looking to engage with the Bible in a thoughtful way… this could be a really interesting place to begin.”

• The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo (April 9)

  • Adult fantasy set in Spain’s Golden Age with political intrigue and magical realism. [25:45]

• Knife by Salman Rushdie (April 16)

  • Memoir about the aftermath of the attack on his life and his recovery.
  • Jordan Lauf (26:33):

    “This is obviously a story that shook the literary world… and I’m glad that he has put pen to paper on it.”

• The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson (April)

  • Nonfiction; follows early days of the Civil War and Lincoln’s election.
  • Jordan Lauf (27:04):

    “If you’re like, huh, what should I get my dad for Father’s Day? Try Erik Larson. Dad’s everywhere love Erik Larson.”

• La Borinqueña by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez (Listener plug)

  • Puerto Rican superhero’s hardcover collected edition; proceeds support nonprofit grants across Puerto Rico. [21:49]

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Additional Notable Quotes & Moments

• Reading Aloud:
  Jack shares reading “The Eyes and the Impossible” aloud with his partner; Jordan reflects:

  “I thought that, you know, reading aloud to each other was sort of a lost art. So I’m really glad to hear that you guys are doing that. That warms my heart.” [09:09]

• On Revisiting Classics:
  Jordan on rediscovering classics in adulthood:

  “Anna Karenina… felt like a part of my literary canon that was missing. … It’s a really good winter read.” [24:36]
  “Jane Eyre is a favorite. That always holds up for me and I’ve reread that one a couple times.” [24:36]

• Listener: Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver)

  • Jordan:

    “It’s the best book I’ve read in years.” [18:02]

• Nonfiction and Memoir

  • Chris Miller’s Chip War and Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry are lauded for their insight and authenticity by listeners. [25:13]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:44] Jordan introduces “The Reformatory” and this month’s Get Lit event
• [04:06] Discussion of “The Three-Body Problem” and Netflix adaptation
• [06:37] “Foster” by Claire Keegan and adaptation “The Quiet Girl”
• [10:35] “The Rise and Reign of the Mammals” recommendation (inspired by museum visit)
• [15:09] Preview: “The Extinction of Irena Rey” by Jennifer Croft
• [18:18] Historical fiction from Lady Macbeth’s POV: “All Our Yesterdays” by Joel H. Morris
• [21:00] “James” by Percival Everett—Jim’s story from Huckleberry Finn
• [23:08] Nonfiction: “Reading Genesis” by Marilynne Robinson
• [25:45] “The Familiar” by Leigh Bardugo; Spanish magical history
• [26:33] Salman Rushdie memoir “Knife”
• [27:04] “The Demon of Unrest” by Erik Larson

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Notable Listener Recommendations (Selected)

• “The Fox Wife” by Yangsze Choo
• “The Personal Librarian”
• “Under the Skin” by Lena Viarosa
• “A Point of Beauty: True Stories of Holding on and Letting Go” (Moth anthology)
• “Slapstick” by Kurt Vonnegut (focus on loneliness/isolation post-pandemic)
• “Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel (accessible sci-fi)

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Tone & Takeaways

The tone is conversational, inclusive, and enthusiastic—Jordan is approachable, passionate, and ensures her suggestions are accessible to all reading tastes. Listener engagement is celebrated; recommendations span a broad spectrum, and upcoming events and titles build excitement for spring reading.

Jordan Lauf’s approach:

“I tend to be a little more forward looking [for work], but I always love revisiting the classics—Jane Eyre is a favorite.” [24:36]

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Ready-To-Read at a Glance

• Looking for a short, poetic read? Try Claire Keegan’s Foster
• Craving accessible sci-fi, with an adaptation soon? The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
• Interested in literary takes on historical events or Shakespearean characters? See All Our Yesterdays and James
• Nonfiction that’s insightful and timely? Check out Marilynne Robinson’s Reading Genesis or Erik Larson’s The Demon of Unrest
• Yearning for fantasy with a twist of history? Don’t miss Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar

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For a full list of discussed titles and future recommendations, visit the All Of It website.

Transcript

[Tiffany Hansen]

Listener support WNYC Studios this is all of it. I'm Tiffany Hansen in for Alison Stewart. Thanks for spending part of your day with us. We are grateful you're here. On today's show, we'll talk about a new exhibit at the International center of photography celebrating its 50th anniversary. We'll talk with the filmmakers behind the documentary Raising Liberty Square and we'll speak with the co creators of the new reboot of Shogun. That's the plan. So let's get started with some book recommendations from our resident reading guru, Jordan Loff. Spring is one of the busiest times for publishing, which means there are tons of new and exciting books to check out in the coming weeks. Here's to talk about some of the books she's been reading lately and the upcoming releases she is most excited about is all of It Producer Jordan Lof, who is also the producer of Get Lit. Jordan, thanks for coming in.

[Jordan Loff]

Thanks for having me, Tiffany.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Listeners, we also, of course, want to hear from you. We know you have book recommendations. What's the best book you've read lately? What book would you likely recommend to our listeners? To your fellow listeners, we're looking for your recommendations, call us 212-433-9692. That's 212-433-WNYC. You can also text us at that number. You can find us on all of the social medias at all of it. Wnyc. Jordan. All right, we have get lit this week.

[Jordan Loff]

We do on Wednesday. We've got our get lit with all of it event. In case you haven't heard, our book this month has been the Reformatory by Tananarive Due. It is the story of a young boy who in 1950s Florida is sent to horrible segregated school for boys. It's a reformatory. I say school with lots of air quotes. It's really just an abusive, horrible place. And he learns that he can see ghosts there of boys who have died. And he gets sort of caught in this scheme of whether he is going to hunt the ghosts as the abusive superintendent of the school would like, or whether he's going to help the ghosts as one particular boy would like him to do. So it's a really engaging, it's a tough read. It's an engaging read. If you haven't had time to check it out, you've still got a couple days. We've got free copies available thanks to our partners at the New York Public Library. And if you haven't gotten your tickets yet to join us. That's happening on Wednesday at 6pm at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library. You can get your free tickets [e-mail] getlit and we've also got a great musical guest lined up. Jake Blunt will be performing as well.

[Tiffany Hansen]

All right, so tell us the title again.

[Jordan Loff]

It's the Reformatory by Tananarive Due.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Would you classify it as horror?

[Jordan Loff]

It is horror, but I would say if horror is not your thing, it's very rooted in historical fiction. So I would say it's more a historical fiction novel with some fantastical elements. So I wouldn't let the horror title sort of dissuade you if you think horror is not really for you. It still is a tough read, but it's not, you know, jump scare. You're not gonna be lying awake at night, I don't think, worried about what's in your closet.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Okay. And I should add, I know I asked you for the title again, but I should add, listeners, we will have the complete list of all of the books that we talk about today online for you at some point in a couple of days. You can look for it online at the, you know, all of it. Just look it up. We'll have all of the books from our listener recommendations as well. Which leads me to say, listeners, we want your recommendations. Call us 212-433-9692 or text us 212433, WNYC. Okay, Jordan, moving on. 3. Body problem. It's a sci Fi. You've read it recently? I think there's television coming out around this too. So let's talk about that.

[Jordan Loff]

Yes, I've become an evangelist for this book. I thought that sci fi was not for me. And then I read this book and I was like, okay, maybe. Maybe this is something I can get into. It is by a Chinese author, Susan Lu. It's translated to English by Ken Liu. And this is a book that is set in China's Cultural Revolution. And the idea is that we're living in a world in which humans have figured out how to communicate with aliens and they've sent a message and perhaps the aliens are coming. So what are we going to do with that information? Who is going to be communicating with the aliens? Are aliens coming for good? Are they coming for ill? Do certain factions of people actually want the aliens to come? Why might they want the aliens to come? So it's got these sort of big political and philosophical questions. It's also set mostly on Earth, which I found helpful as Someone who is not a sci fi expert. So you're grounded in our reality. It's just that aliens are coming. And the best part of it is that there is a Netflix show coming out March 21st. It's an adaptation of the novel and it's headed up by the creators of Game of Thrones. I was a big Game of Thrones fan, so I'm really excited for this one. And it's a trilogy, so if you get really into the first one, I hear that the next two are even better, I've been told. So I'm very excited to keep reading.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Do we know, does the series cover just the first of the trilogy?

[Jordan Loff]

I believe the series is just the first book.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Okay.

[Jordan Loff]

And then maybe if it gets renewed, we'll get book two and three.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Well, interesting that it's coming from Game of Thrones people. So that might have some influence on how it's shown, how that world is created.

[Jordan Loff]

I think so. And you know, they proved in that series that they're good at the world building aspect of creating a place that feels believable. But it's got some magical elements to it, so hopefully they'll be able to pull that off as well.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Okay, Jordan, we have a couple of recommendations. I've been reading the Fox Wife by Yang Si Chu. I quite like it, was drawn to the artwork on the COVID Also just finished a good book, the Personal Librarian. Another I recently read was under the Skin from the great Lena Viarosa. So three good recommendations, listeners, we need your recommendations. Let us know. We know you're out there reading. So call us 2124-3396-9221-2433 wnyc. You can also text us at that number. You can also find us on the socials. Sorry oflovnyc. All right, Jordan. Moving on. Foster by Claire Keegan. This sounds like a book that's right up my alley because you can read it in one day.

[Jordan Loff]

Yeah, it's under 100 pages. It's really more like a novella than a novel. The copy of it is very, very slim, but for how few words are it packs a really big emotional punch. It's about a young girl living in Ireland whose parents sort of drop her off family, friends or distant relatives. It's never exactly clear. This sort of older couple who don't have any kids, they drop her off with them for a summer and it's sort of about her experience there of experiencing love and care in a different way than she has before, sort of opening up and then you know, I won't spoil the ending. It's so short. You'll read it and you'll get there. But Claire Keegan writes so simply but also so poetically. And if you read it and you really love it, you might like the movie adaptation which came out a couple years ago. It's called the Quiet Girl. That's the film adaptation of Foster by Claire Keegan. And that did some pretty well on the circuit, the film circuit a couple years ago.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Did you see the adaptation?

[Jordan Loff]

I haven't seen the adaptation yet. I like to put some distance sometimes between reading the book and seeing the adaptation. I think if it comes too quickly, one after the other, I'm nitpicky.

[Tiffany Hansen]

So I'm going to give it a gonna say. You know, most book lovers are like, the first question is, how was it compared to the book?

[Jordan Loff]

Exactly.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Better? Worse. Yeah.

[Jordan Loff]

That's why I'm excited. I read Dune a couple years ago, so when I see Dune 2 on Thursday, I'll have forgotten all the details.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Yes. All right, another text here. Excited for the Moth's latest anthology called A Point of Beauty, True Stories of Holding on and Letting Go, which features stories from Elizabeth Gilbert, Lin manuel Miranda, etc, etc. And we have a call. Let's head to Jack in Long Branch. Good morning, Jack. You've got a recommendation.

[Jack]

Hey, good morning. How are you doing?

[Jordan Loff]

Great.

[Jack]

A year ago on this show, my partner Ann and I heard a recommendation from you for the Eyes and the Impossible by David Eggers. We have read it out loud to each other not once but twice. And it's an absolutely wonderful read for children of all ages.

[Tiffany Hansen]

All right, Dave Eggers. Sounds.

[Jack]

Yeah. The narrator of the story is Johannes, a dog and his merry band of furry friends throughout the park that they live in. And it's just an absolutely absolute joy to read.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Excellent. Thanks for the recommendation, Jack. I would like a merry band of furry friends.

[Jordan Loff]

I certainly would. And I also thought that, you know, reading aloud to each other was sort of a lost art. So I'm really glad to hear that you guys are doing that. That's warms my heart.

[Tiffany Hansen]

I do love that. All right, Davin Jackson Heights, you have a recommendation for us.

[Dave]

The Third Hotel by Laura Vandenberg.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Tell us about it.

[Dave]

Well, unreliable narrator, serious topics, talking about grief and magical realism. But fold it in so that it's psychologically interesting, not reaching out into fantasy. That's all I've got.

[Jordan Loff]

Yeah, sounds great.

[Tiffany Hansen]

All right, thank you so much, Dave in Jackson Heights. Some good recommendations coming in via text. Jordan The Other Eden. Also Cutting for Stone, the stationery shop. Have you read Cutting for Stone?

[Jordan Loff]

I haven't, but I read his most recent one, which the name is now escaping me.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Yeah, of course it is.

[Jordan Loff]

Yeah. That one was excellent. About a family who is struggling with a mysterious illness that seems to cause them to drown. Die by drowning in India. It's a beautiful book. It's long, though.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Oh, long. Okay. The opposite of that hundred pager you were just telling us about.

[Jordan Loff]

Exactly.

[Tiffany Hansen]

You just took a trip to the Natural History Museum.

[Jordan Loff]

I did. Okay. So I went to the Museum of Natural History and I looked at the dinosaurs as one does. And I was like, the dinosaurs are really cool. But the room that really blew me away was the room of all the extinct sort of giant mammals. Like, I didn't realize how big sloths used to be. They were. They were massive. So I was standing there looking at these giant sloths and I thought to myself, I have to learn more about this. I feel like I got some basic dinosaur education in kindergarten, but I got nothing about the extinct mammals. So I really recommend the Rise and Reign of the Mammals. A New History from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us. It's by Steve Brucet. He also wrote a really great book about dinosaurs, which I did read. So that one's great if you're into dinos. But if you are interested in the giant sloths, etc. This is a really cool history of mammals. There's some human stuff in there too. And I also really like that he gives a history of the paleontologists who are working on this stuff as well. So last night I was reading and I learned that this poor guy who was a German paleontologist, came to Britain during World War II to escape, got arrested and spent the rest of World War II in an internment camp because he was wandering around with maps. And they thought, oh, this guy looks suspicious. He's a German guy wandering around with maps. He was just looking for some molars. He was looking for some fossils. But, you know, he continued to assemble some skeletons while in the internment camp. So you get incredible historical details like that.

[Tiffany Hansen]

All right, that's a great recommendation. The Rise and Reign of the Mammals. All right, Wendy in Springfield, welcome to all of it. Hi, Wendy. You have a recommendation?

[Wendy]

Yes, I have two books. The first is Coleman Hill, a novel by Kim Coleman Foote. And it's what she's done is taken her actual family. Their pictures are actually on the COVID and also integrated fictional aspects, but it tells the story of the traumas that her family endured when they came to the so called promised land of the north in the 1920s. And what happened to these two interrelated families that become integrated by marriage? And the second one is another book by a black female author, Go Back and Get it by Diane Ford. Now, this is factual. She looks at the journey of her genealogy. She goes back to the original enslaver, which was the beginning of the branch of her family, and looks at the patterns that are also in her life. So she's trying to heal from traumas that she has by going back and looking at the family, her family tree. They're both very interesting in some ways similar, but very different and both very good.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Great. Thanks, Wendy. Jordan, just to validate you here a little bit, going back to the Quiet Girl that Foster, based on Foster by Claire Keegan. All right. A text says, I also usually put distance between adaptations, but the Quiet Girl is perfect. So nothing to nitpick. That's what we're hearing on that. We have a recommendation for Fledgling by Octavia Butler. Very interesting. Fresh take on vampires, if vampires are your thing. All right. Debbie in Brookville. Good morning, Debbie.

[Jordan Loff]

Good morning.

[Debbie]

I just got done reading John Boyne's. It's a sequel to the Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I don't know if you had heard of that. I know that he's also written the Hearts Invisible Furies. He's an Irish writer. And this was very compelling because it's, It's World War II. Well, it is present day, but the father was, he was in, he was a commander that, you know, that welcomed, if you will, the people from the trains into the camps. And this was one of his two children. And so the question is, when is a monster's child culpable? And how much guilt and complicity do you carry if you are 12 and this is your parents? So I thought it brought up a lot of, you know, we all say, oh, we would never do that, or how could that happen? So this brought up in present day quite a lot of interesting I've been mulling over. I finished it two days ago and I just can't stop thinking about the themes.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Thanks, Debbie. So the follow up to A Boy, the Boy in Striped Pajamas, which also has an adaptation, right?

[Jordan Loff]

It does have an adaptation. Yeah. That's, that's a book I read, I think in middle school and has really stuck with me. That sounds interesting, Jordan.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Let's turn to books that are coming up this spring. Jennifer Croft.

[Jordan Loff]

Yes. So Jennifer Croft actually came on our show a couple months ago because she is an award winning translator. She works primarily with the Polish writer Olga Tkarczyk, who won, I believe the Nobel a couple years ago for her collection of work. Jennifer is her translator into English. Really excited about this one because this is Jennifer's debut novel. It's titled the Extinction of Irina Rae and it draws on her experience as a translator for the plot. So the, the setup of this is that eight translators who are working with one famous Polish author, so very similar to Jennifer's life, are all coming together to work on translating this woman's latest masterpiece. They're all translators in different languages, but they're coming together for this sort of collaborative exercise and they find that she's gone missing. So it's got a mystery element to it where they're sort of trying to figure out what happened to this woman. But also it's got the translation aspect, which I find really interesting, just learning about translation as an art.

[Tiffany Hansen]

It's an art, totally.

[Jordan Loff]

Yeah. So I think this one's gonna be really interesting for people who are interested in learning more about translation.

[Tiffany Hansen]

All right, title again, that is the.

[Jordan Loff]

Extinction of Irena Rae by Jennifer Croft. I believe it is out March 5th.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Okay. And again, listeners, we will have a complete list of books that Jordan recommends and that all of our listeners you recommend and listeners, we do want your recommendations. Let us know what are what's exciting to you right now. What are you looking forward to? Call us 212-433-9692 or text us at 212-433-WNYC. We're going to take a break and come back with more book recommendations. Books coming out this spring. So stay with us. I'm Tiffany Hansen in for Alison Stewart. This is all of it. I'm Tiffany Hansen and for Alison Stewart. And today we are talking about books with all of it producer Jordan Loff. Jordan also produces get lit, which is coming up this week. Jordan, one more time, if you want info on get lit, what is it again?

[Jordan Loff]

The website, it's wnyc.org get lit.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Well, that makes sense.

[Jordan Loff]

Yeah.

[Tiffany Hansen]

All right, listeners, we're also looking for your recommendations, book recommendations, something coming out, something that is sitting on your nightstand right now that you're particularly excited about, some book that you read that has just stuck with you. Call us 212-433-9692. You can also text us at that number, 212-433-WNYC. Jordan, we have a text book recommendation, Demon, Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver's Modern day David Copperfield. First novel I've been able to focus on since my son was born almost two years ago. Says Nina. Nina. Nina. Also Jordan Looking across the pond, as they say. Lady Macbeth.

[Jordan Loff]

Yes. I want to also just second demon, Copperhead.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Oh, a little here, here for Barbara Kingsolver.

[Jordan Loff]

It's the best book I've read in years. And also to say that the book's title that I forgot. Yes. Was the Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. Oh, that's cutting for stone. Same author.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Got it.

[Jordan Loff]

Slipped my mind. I've got it now.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Noted.

[Jordan Loff]

Yes. Okay. So Lady Macbeth, if you're interested, if you ever thought, huh, I wonder a little more what was going on with her. There's a novel for you coming out. It's called all of Our Yesterdays by Joel H. Morris. It's giving backstory to one of drama's most infamous characters. It's a piece of historical fiction. It's set in Scotland. If anyone read Hamnet by Maggie o', Farrell, I really loved that take on Shakespeare and that story set in that historical time. So I think it'll be interesting to read a piece of historical fiction based on one of his characters.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Couple of things coming into the socials here. The Fraud by Zadie Smith was so excellent. And right now, really enjoying A Life of One's Own by Joanna Biggs. And with my kids, we're enjoying Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary. Oh, Beverly. I mean, look.

[Jordan Loff]

Right.

[Tiffany Hansen]

But your head was nodding with the Fraud.

[Jordan Loff]

The Fraud is great. It's actually. I can't believe I'm admitting this, but it's the first Sadie Smith book I've ever read. I haven't read White Teeth yet. I need to. But that one is also based on a real historical event, a trial in which. In sort of Victorian England in which a man claimed that he was the heir to a long lost fortune, except he so clearly was not. And this trial captivated Victorian England for. For years, and people just got really obsessed with it. It was sort of like one of those first, like, tabloid trial cases.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Jordan, let's go to the phones. Emma in Woodland Park, New Jersey. Good morning, Emma.

[Emma]

Good morning.

[Debbie]

Hi.

[Tiffany Hansen]

You have a recommendation?

[Debbie]

Yeah, I do.

[Emma]

My recommendation is it's an older title, but I recently revisited the works of Kurt Vonnegut, and I wanted to recommend Slapstick specifically. I found it really insightful for the current time with the message of loneliness and isolation, especially post pandemic. It has this sort of surreal overtone and kind of like science fiction overtone to it and I really enjoyed it. It really added some insight into my life.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Thank you so much, Emma. Earlier, Jordan, we were talking about sort of accessible sci fi. We have a recommendation for the Sea of tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. Sci fi, time travel done in a more realistic way. I find her to be very accessible.

[Jordan Loff]

I totally second that. I thought that that one was maybe her most accessible, actually, in terms of speculative fiction, sci fi. That I thought was really engaging, but you could completely wrap your head around.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Right. Oscar Buzzi Movie out American Fiction there's an author who has a book out.

[Jordan Loff]

Yes. So Percival Everett, who is the author behind the novel that American fiction is based on, has a new one coming out March 19th. This one is called James and sort of like the Lady Macbeth book that's coming out. This one explores a literary character who maybe needs a little more backstory. So this one is the story of Huckleberry Finn, but instead it's told through the eyes of the enslaved character Jim, who travels with them on their journey. So Percival's sort of taking the spotlight away from Huckleberry Finn and giving it to Jim and telling a little more of his story. And I think it's going to be an excellent piece of historical fiction.

[Tiffany Hansen]

All right, let's bring our listeners back in. Let's go to Edgardo in Williamsburg. Good morning, Edgardo. Welcome.

[Edgardo]

Thank you so much for having me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So I want to talk about my own book. It's actually called La Borinquena. It's our first hardcover collected edition, collecting our first four graphic novels that we've been publishing for the last eight years. The first issue is actually a part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C. and I actually have a talk coming up on Tuesday, March 5, at the Stavros Miarcho Foundation Library. It's called the Secret Origins of Creating a Superhero. And this hardcover book is actually part of our philanthropic work that we do in Puerto Rico. So far, we've awarded $200,000 in grants to nonprofits throughout the archipelago. And this superhero is an original project that I created eight years ago here in Nueva York. So it's an opportunity to promote but also to recognize an part of New York City's culture and heritage, the Puerto Rican community of which I am a part of.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Edgardo, thank you so much for the recommendation and the plug. We appreciate that. I heard a I saw a really funny thing on social media the other day, Jordan. This person asked their kid, you know, for a book recommendation of course. And she said, who's your favorite author? And she said, well, besides myself, I can appreciate that. All right, Reading Genesis. So let's talk about that one.

[Jordan Loff]

Yeah. So I think there is a big audience out there for trying to engage with the Bible, you know, one of our most famous texts, but historically pretty hard to get through and hard to navigate on your own. So Marilynne Robinson, who is a literary icon and if you're familiar with her work, she writes a lot about religion and faith and themes. Works like Gilead really are centered on that. Reading Genesis is a nonfiction book from her, which is Exploring Genesis, first book in the Bible. It's sort of her take, her analysis, her thoughts on this, this piece of Christian theology. And I think because it's coming from her, it'll be very accessible and literary and poetic and maybe a more philosophical engagement with, with that work. So if you're someone who's looking to engage with the Bible in a thoughtful way, and maybe you want to start right at the beginning, right with Genesis, this one comes out March 12 and could be a really interest place to begin.

[Tiffany Hansen]

So we heard from someone who's going back and reading Kurt Vonnegut, we have another text here. I'm about to start my third reading of Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I'm obsessed. It's descriptive in how it paints a lost and violent picture, but there is redemption. Every sentence transports me to the scene. I'm gonna put you on the spot. Is there anything that you have gone back to read recently that like, oh, I, you know, I don't know. It was published decades ago and you've kind of. Or are you really just forward looking at this point?

[Jordan Loff]

You know, because of my job, I tend to be a little more forward looking. I will say I read Anna Karenina for the first time a couple years ago and that felt like a part of my literary canon that was missing. It's long, it takes you a while to get through. But I'm really glad that I did it. It's a really good winter read. It's got, you know, it's in Russia, it's got the snowy scene, the, the train station, all that good stuff. So if you're looking for a classic to engage with, if you haven't tried Anna Karenina. Oh, actually, I'll say Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre is a favorite. That always holds up for me and I've reread that one a couple times.

[Tiffany Hansen]

All right, a couple more texts here. Chris Miller's Chip War provides excellent insight into the Memory chips that changed the world. I have a book recommendation, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry. Real authentic account of his life as an addict and helps readers understand just some of what they go through. Plus, addicts are so misunderstood. Whether or not you're a fan of Friends, this is a great read. Let's move on to something coming up in April. Jordan the familiar comes out April 9th. So tell us about that.

[Jordan Loff]

Yeah, this one's by Leigh Bardugo, who is really beloved by adult fantasy lovers. I was actually at a party a couple weeks ago, and a couple people asked me, like, hey, have you read the new Leigh Bardugo? Have you heard of it? So there's definitely excitement out there for this one. It's titled the Familiar, and it's set in the golden age of the Spanish Empire. So if you're picking up a theme on my recommendations, I do love a historical novel. And this one is centered on a woman who is involved in magic, has some magical abilities, and she finds herself caught up in the Spanish royal court and their sort of machinations of Empire. So I think for people who maybe liked R.F. kuang's book, they might find find this one to be a next good read.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Okay. And I want to make sure that we get to this. Salman Rushdie has a book coming out in April.

[Jordan Loff]

Yes, it's out April 16th. It's the knife or, sorry, just Knife. It's his memoir, which is talking about, if you're not familiar about the terrorist attack he experienced and his recovery. I think this is obviously a story that shook the literary world. It's incredibly important, and I'm glad that he has put pen to paper on it and will be sharing his side of the story in this way.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Okay. And last but not least, more history. Erik Larson has a new book coming out in April also.

[Jordan Loff]

Yeah. If you're like, huh, what should I get my dad for Father's Day? Try Erik Larson. Dad's everywhere. Love Erik Larson. It's a surefire hit. His new one is titled the Demon of A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the dawn of the Civil War. It takes you from Lincoln's election all the way to the lead up of the battle at Fort Sumter. So it's really those early days of conflict over north and south and the breakout of the Civil War, and he's just so readable and engaging. If you're looking for a new history.

[Tiffany Hansen]

Book to try out listeners, we've been talking book recommendations. What you're reading now. What's coming up in the spring. Fear not. We will have a list of everything that Jordan mentioned, everything that our listeners chimed in with. We'll have that on our website for you, so don't worry about that. Jordan, thanks so much for all the recommendations. We appreciate it. And get lit coming Wednesday.

[Jordan Loff]

Yes, thanks so much for having me. And thanks everyone for your rec.

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