The Book Review Podcast — “17 Nonfiction Books We’re Looking Forward to This Fall”
Host: Gilbert Cruz
Guest: Jumana [Xumana] Khatib
Release Date: September 12, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, editors Gilbert Cruz and Jumana Khatib of The New York Times Book Review share an engaging preview of the most anticipated nonfiction releases for Fall 2025. This is “Part 2” of their fall preview, focusing on memoirs, biographies, history, and essays, bringing both their critical insights and personal tastes to each pick. Their lively banter and complementary perspectives make this episode a valuable roadmap for anyone looking to enrich their nonfiction reading list.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
I. The Year of the Memoir: Elizabeth Gilbert’s “All the Way to the River”
- Book: All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Discussion:
- Gilbert’s new memoir delves into her relationship with her late best friend-turned-lover, Rayya Elias, and grapples openly with love, addiction, loss, and recovery.
- Jumana appreciates the raw honesty and the exploration of addiction:
“Anybody who's approaching [addiction] with a fresh angle or something new to say, I perk up and take note.” — [03:34]
- Gilbert is lauded as a "memoir queen" (or "monarch"), and the emotional intensity of the narrative is highlighted.
II. Literary Biography: Stephen Greenblatt’s “Dark Renaissance”
- Book: Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival by Stephen Greenblatt
- Discussion:
- Greenblatt, famed for inventing “New Historicism,” explores the life of Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare’s mysterious, possibly nefarious, and murdered-at-29 rival.
- The hosts poke fun at long subtitles and academic “marketing,” but are enthusiastic about Greenblatt’s imaginative leaps in reconstructing Marlowe’s life.
- Jumana:
“He's writing around a cipher. And that's hard… If anybody's gonna make these intellectual and almost imaginative leaps, I trust him to do it.” — [06:40]
III. Reflections on Family and Loss: Arundhati Roy’s “Mother Mary Comes to Me”
- Book: Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
- Discussion:
- Roy, known for “The God of Small Things,” centers her new memoir on her mother, blending personal mourning with literary exploration.
- Memorable quote from Roy via Jumana:
“Perhaps a mother like mine deserved a writer like me as a daughter; equally, perhaps a writer like me deserved a mother like her… I mourn her as a writer who has lost her most enthralling subject.” — [07:27]
IV. Pop Culture Memoir: Matthew McConaughey’s “Poems and Prayers”
- Book: Poems and Prayers by Matthew McConaughey (out Sept 16)
- Discussion:
- Follows the massive success of “Greenlights,” described as “fortune cookie wisdom.”
- Quirky, faith-filled, and characterized by “rodeo” metaphors.
- Lighthearted moment:
“Life is a rodeo.” — Gilbert Cruz [09:50]
“Noted.” — Jumana Khatib [09:51]
V. True Crime & Justice: John J. Lennon’s “The Tragedy of True”
- Book: The Tragedy of True: Four Guilty Men and the Stories that Define Us by John J. Lennon
- Discussion:
- Lennon, an incarcerated journalist, profiles himself and three other inmates, exposing socioeconomic factors and media sensationalism in murder narratives.
- Unique perspective from within the prison, unsparing honesty, and critical examination of true crime’s cultural fixation.
- This book stands out for its authenticity:
“He has a remarkable level of access with the other men whose story he tells.” — Jumana Khatib [12:42]
VI. Constitutional Reflection: Jill Lepore’s “We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution”
- Book: We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution by Jill Lepore (out Sept 16)
- Discussion:
- Explores both the adaptability and the stagnation of the U.S. Constitution and amendment process.
- Notable fact: Over 11,000 amendments proposed since 1789, but little substantial change in recent decades.
- Engages with the approach of America’s upcoming semiquincentennial.
VII. Literary Biography: Francis Wilson’s “Electric Spark: The Enigma of Dame Muriel”
- Book: Electric Spark: The Enigma of Dame Muriel by Francis Wilson (out Sept 23)
- Discussion:
- A long-awaited biography of Muriel Spark, famed for her sharp novels like “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.”
- Jumana reveals her own reluctance/biases around literary biographies and the curse of being an editor:
“This is the curse of being an editor. Specifically. I don't think you can ever really take it off.” — [18:23]
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On addiction literature:
“Anybody who's approaching it with a fresh angle or with something new to say, I perk up and take note.”
— Jumana Khatib [03:41] -
On Greenblatt’s founding of New Historicism:
“He was just desperate to publish [his essays] in a collection and just came up with it, and it stuck...Everything’s marketing.”
— Gilbert Cruz / Jumana Khatib [05:25] -
On memoir saturation:
“She is that refreshing counter to, like, all the 32 year olds putting out memoirs. She's 85…”
— Jumana Khatib on Margaret Atwood [29:37] -
On Muriel Spark’s life ingredients:
“Divorce, madness, murder, espionage, poverty, blackmail, affairs, revenge, and a major religious conversion…that sounds like the element of a Muriel Spark novel.”
— Jumana Khatib [17:34] -
On long subtitles in nonfiction:
“We love a long subtitle.” — Both, multiple times.
Additional Notable Books Mentioned (with Timestamps)
Memoir & Creative Nonfiction
- Joyride: A Memoir by Susan Orlean [21:04]
- Next of Kin by Gabrielle Hamilton (about reconnecting with her mother, after the acclaimed “Blood, Bones & Butter”) [22:41]
- Paper Girl by Beth Macy (“Dopesick” author’s personal memoir) [24:11]
Pop Culture & History
- Water Mirror: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America by Jeff Chang (late Sept) [27:36]
Literary Personalities
- A Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood (first memoir, age 85) [29:13]
U.S. & World History
- The Great, The Tragic Side of the American Founding by Joseph J. Ellis [31:51]
- History Matters by David McCullough (posthumous collection) [32:07]
- The Wounded: Generation Coming Home after WWII by David Nasaw [33:31]
- Family of Spies: A WWII Story of Nazi Espionage, Betrayal, and the Secret History Behind Pearl Harbor by Christine Kuhn (Nov 25) [34:32]
Science Writing
- Replaceable: Adventures in Human Anatomy by Mary Roach [36:17]
- Mary Roach Quiz Segment — Playful, rapid-fire questions about Roach’s quirky science books [37:12–40:34].
- Favorites like “Stiff,” “Gulp,” “Bonk,” and “Fuzz” highlighted.
Timestamp-Based Segment Guide
- 00:41–04:06: Introduction & Elizabeth Gilbert’s “All the Way to the River”
- 04:06–06:59: Stephen Greenblatt’s “Dark Renaissance”
- 07:05–08:25: Arundhati Roy’s “Mother Mary Comes to Me”
- 08:25–09:56: Matthew McConaughey’s “Poems and Prayers”
- 09:58–13:35: John J. Lennon’s “The Tragedy of True”
- 13:35–15:46: Jill Lepore’s “We the People”
- 15:46–18:49: Francis Wilson’s “Electric Spark”
- 21:02–25:37: Susan Orlean’s “Joyride” and Gabrielle Hamilton’s “Next of Kin”
- 25:37–27:36: Beth Macy’s “Paper Girl”
- 27:36–29:12: Jeff Chang’s “Water Mirror”
- 29:13–31:36: Margaret Atwood’s “A Book of Lives”
- 31:36–34:32: History Roundup: Ellis, McCullough, Nasaw
- 34:32–36:17: Christine Kuhn’s “Family of Spies”
- 36:17–40:34: Mary Roach’s “Replaceable” and the Mary Roach Quiz
- 40:34–41:02: Closing thoughts on the upcoming nonfiction season
Tone, Style, Memorable Moments
- The conversation is witty and friendly, filled with asides about editing and literary tastes.
- Playful moments include the debate over “memoir monarch,” word pronunciations (restaurateur, Carnegie/Carnegie), and the “Mary Roach Quiz,” which showcases their deep familiarity (and affection) for nonfiction quirks.
- Jumana’s honest takes about the overabundance of memoirs and what makes a literary biography worthwhile anchor the episode’s critical edge.
Conclusion
This episode is a lively, insightful overview of Fall 2025’s must-read nonfiction. Whether you love memoir, biography, pop culture, or history, Cruz and Khatib guide listeners with expertise and good humor, offering both broad recommendations and nuanced commentary.
For those building their fall reading lists, the books above represent the very best of upcoming nonfiction — with something for every curious mind.