Spring Preview: A Few Books We're Excited For

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Book Review – "Spring Preview: A Few Books We're Excited For"

Episode Overview Released on March 7, 2025, The Book Review podcast hosted by Gilbert Cruz, editor of the New York Times Book Review, dives into an exciting array of upcoming books slated for release in the spring and early summer. Joined by fellow editor Jumana Khatib, the episode explores diverse genres, including fiction, nonfiction, romance, and historical biographies, providing listeners with insightful previews and enthusiastic recommendations.

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1. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

[01:37] Jumana Khatib:
Jumana introduces Dream Count as Adichie’s return to fiction after a decade. The novel centers on four African women during the pandemic, exploring themes of motherhood, romantic and familial love, and female connections. Jumana highlights the personal backdrop of Adichie's loss of her parents during the pandemic, which profoundly influenced her writing process.

[03:45] Jumana Khatib:
She references the Dominique Strauss-Kahn sexual assault case, noting how Adichie weaves elements of real historical events into the narrative, enriching the character development and thematic depth.

Notable Quote:
"When she was grieving her mother, Adichie was really just bowled over and started writing fiction as a way to tap into how much she wanted her mother to still be around." – Jumana Khatib [03:30]

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2. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

[04:49] Jumana Khatib:
This prequel to The Hunger Games series delves into the backstory of Haymitch Abernathy, set nearly a quarter-century before the original trilogy. Jumana expresses excitement about the franchise's expansion, mentioning the upcoming stage adaptation in London and comparing its potential spectacle to that of Cirque du Soleil.

Notable Quote:
"You're gonna say it and, like, people are gonna throw tridents by your head. I'm not sure exactly what's gonna go." – Gilbert Cruz [06:16]

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3. The Buffalo Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

[07:00] Jumana Khatib:
Jones’ latest work is a vampire story intertwined with historical elements from the Blackfeet community. The narrative follows Good Stab, a Blackfeet warrior who becomes a vampire after being bitten by a creature introduced by European settlers. The book examines racial politics and historical trauma, blending myth with reality.

Notable Quote:
"And as drug-fueled and sexually frank and, like, a little disturbing, it's also very tender in equal measure." – Jumana Khatib [31:58]

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4. Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools by Marie Annette Pember

[10:23] Jumana Khatib:
Pember’s nonfiction work interlaces personal narrative with the harrowing history of Indian boarding schools in America. Drawing parallels to Tommy Orange’s exploration of similar themes, the book delves into the enduring impact of these institutions on Indigenous communities and individual identities.

Notable Quote:
"It's like the Internet is just like all the microplastics that we've integrated into our body." – Jumana Khatib [17:00]

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5. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

[10:25] Jumana Khatib:
A standout in the romance genre, Henry’s sixth novel offers a tale of rivalry and budding romance between two writers competing to write a biography of a reclusive former tabloid princess. Jumana praises Henry’s characteristic intelligent and sensitive characters, noting the emotional depth and engaging plot.

Notable Quote:
"These are sort of toothsome romances." – Jumana Khatib [10:25]

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6. John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs by Ian Leslie

[12:29] Jumana Khatib:
Leslie’s book explores the intricate songwriting partnership between John Lennon and Paul McCartney, highlighting their collaborative genius. Jumana muses on the book’s potential to shed light on their profound creative relationship, while also addressing the simultaneous release of a comprehensive biography of Yoko Ono by David Sheff.

Notable Quote:
"They both shared credit on almost 200 songs, some of which I would argue are some of the best songs ever written." – Jumana Khatib [12:36]

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7. Strangers in the Exclusion Belonging and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America by Michael Luo

[15:00] Jumana Khatib:
Luo’s sweeping history traces the Chinese American experience from the mid-1800s Gold Rush to the present day, highlighting periods of anti-Chinese sentiment and resilience. Jumana expresses anticipation for this comprehensive exploration of cultural and historical dynamics.

Notable Quote:
"I love a sweeping history. I love learning about America. And I'm definitely going to read this one." – Jumana Khatib [20:53]

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8. Rabbit Moon by Jennifer Hay

[21:06] Jumana Khatib:
Set in Shanghai, Rabbit Moon is a complex family drama about an injured American woman and her estranged, divorced parents. The novel delves into themes of belonging and racial identity, with the city of Shanghai playing a pivotal role as a vibrant backdrop. Jumana appreciates Hay’s psychological insight and the autobiographical elements drawn from the author’s own experiences in Shanghai.

Notable Quote:
"The city itself becomes a bit of a character in the novel." – Jumana Khatib [21:08]

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9. Mark Twain by Ron Chernow

[24:12] Jumana Khatib:
Chernow’s extensive 1,200-page biography offers an in-depth look at Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. Celebrated for his thorough research and engaging storytelling, Chernow provides a comprehensive portrait of Twain’s life, literary contributions, and enduring legacy.

Notable Quote:
"Ron Chernow is a master of the biographical form." – Gilbert Cruz [24:32]

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10. Authority by Andrea Long Chu

[25:58] Jumana Khatib:
Chu’s collection of essays challenges literary norms with its fearless and pugnacious critique of contemporary authors like Zadie Smith and Maggie Nelson. The book emphasizes the role of critics to inform and entertain, highlighting Chu’s unapologetic stance on literary discourse.

Notable Quote:
"Good criticism should be fun to read and engaging to read." – Jumana Khatib [28:35]

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11. Fun Home and Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel

[28:35] Jumana Khatib:
Bechdel’s ongoing exploration of her personal and creative life continues with her latest work, The Secret to Superhuman Strength. Building on the acclaim of her groundbreaking memoir Fun Home, this new graphic novel examines the complexities of fame, personal relationships, and self-discovery.

Notable Quote:
"What happens to someone after they become a success, after they make some money, after they become famous?" – Jumana Khatib [28:35]

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12. Fish Tales by Nettie Jones (Reprint)

[29:52] Jumana Khatib:
This reprint of Nettie Jones’ 1983 debut is highlighted for its vibrant portrayal of 1970s New York. The autofictional narrative follows Lewis, a woman navigating the city’s demimonde, balancing raw, drug-fueled experiences with tender moments. Toni Morrison’s role as the editor who championed this work underscores its literary significance.

Notable Quote:
"Nettie’s voice in this book is just astonishing. Like, it just leaps off the page like a panther." – Jumana Khatib [31:58]

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*13. Best Upcoming Book: Strangers in the Exclusion Belonging and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America by Michael Luo

[15:00] Jumana Khatib:
This comprehensive history book by Michael Luo is praised for its detailed examination of the Chinese American experience, from the Gold Rush era to contemporary times. Jumana expresses excitement about its insightful exploration of cultural integration and historical challenges.

Notable Quote:
"I love a sweeping history. I love learning about America. And I'm definitely going to read this one." – Jumana Khatib [20:53]

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Closing Thoughts

Throughout the episode, Gilbert Cruz and Jumana Khatib share their genuine enthusiasm for a diverse selection of upcoming books, ranging from profound historical analyses and gripping fiction to heartwarming romances and incisive critiques. Their dynamic dialogue, enriched with personal anecdotes and expert insights, provides listeners with a compelling roadmap of literary offerings to anticipate in the spring and early summer seasons.

Engage with Us:
Listeners are encouraged to share their reading plans and favorite upcoming releases by emailing [e-mail], fostering a community of passionate readers and literary enthusiasts.

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Note: Advertisements, promotional segments, and non-content sections from the transcript were omitted to maintain focus on the episode's core discussions.

Transcript

[Naomi Watts]

Don't miss the Friend, a new film from Bleecker street starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, based on the New York Times bestseller Iris. World is turned upside down when her late friend Walter leaves her his Great Dane, Apollo. Yet as Iris bonds with him, she begins to come to terms with her own life. Also starring Ann Dowd, Sarah Pidgeon, and introducing Bing, the Great Dane. Deadline calls the Friend a quintessential New York movie, moving, funny, humane and quite unforgettable. In select theaters starting March 21st nationwide. April 4th.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I'm Gilbert Cruz, editor of the New York Times Book Review, and this is the Book Review podcast. Earlier this year, I had on our regular guest, my fellow editor Zumana Khatib, to talk about some books coming out in the first couple months of 2025. She's back, she's here and we're going to do it again, talking about a few books we're interested in that are coming out between now and June and the summer. Xumana, welcome back to the podcast. Do I need to say this every time? No.

[Jumana Khatib]

I feel like. I feel. Well, I feel that the door is always open to this podcast studio, which I suppose should also make me somewhat nervous.

[Gilbert Cruz]

You walked right in.

[Jumana Khatib]

I waltzed right in.

[Gilbert Cruz]

There are so many books coming up between now and summertime. We cannot talk about all of them. We can't even talk about most of them. But we are going to talk about a few. And the first one, which you're going to mention is out now, essentially just came out. It's a book from a name that I think many of our listeners might be familiar with. Tell us about it.

[Jumana Khatib]

Okay. Yes. So this is Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It's been a long time since we've seen a work of fiction from her, at least a decade. And she really is like a. If they're to the extent that they're still literary, like rock stars. She is one, right? We got Beyonce quoting her. We got, you know, gift editions with her quotes like she's a big deal and it's a pleasure to re encounter her fiction and just see what she's up to. So this is the story of four African women set during the pandemic. It's centered on Chia, who is a Nigerian travel writer who's based in the States. And it also includes her cousin, her best friend, and this woman named Kadiyotu, who is her maid who's from Guinea. So she's Guinean and everybody else is Nigerian. And this is a Story about motherhood and romantic love and familial love, and it's and female connection. And it has an interesting backstory because Adichie wrote this. I mean, she had a really harrowing pandemic experience herself. Her father died fairly early on in the pandemic, and less than nine months later, she lost her mother. So when she was grieving her mother, it sounds like she was really just bowled over. Excavated, I think, is the word she used. She started writing fiction as a way to tap into how much she wanted her mother are still around her. And so this is a very beautiful and rich story. And the other thing that's pretty interesting about it is that I don't know if you remember from God. This is almost 15 years now, 2011, the Dominique Strauss Kahn sexual assault case. So that is a case that Adichie followed very closely, and she wove elements of that story. So this is a case where a maid, Nafisa Tu Diallo, accused, you know, this sort of big, seemingly impenetrable French politician of sexual assault. Very graphic sexual assault. And so Adichie wove some of the maid's story into Cadiotu's story and gave it a backstory and built out that character. So she was drawing on some heavy stuff. But it's a really interesting and toothsome book.

[Gilbert Cruz]

It sounds quite interesting. Liz Egan, an editor here who also writes features for the Book Review, just profiled Chimamanda, wrote a very wonderful profile. So you should definitely check that out, listeners, and then pick up this book.

[Jumana Khatib]

Which is out now.

[Gilbert Cruz]

It's out now. We mentioned that one earlier this year. We also mentioned the next one, the one I'm going to talk about earlier this year. That's fine. Sometimes you need reminders. This is called Sunrise on the Reaping. This is by Suzanne Collins, and it is another book set in the world of the Hunger Games. Jomana, have you ever read any of these books?

[Jumana Khatib]

I haven't read them, but I'm familiar enough. It suffused my consciousness. Okay, yes, Katniss, happy life. No problems ever.

[Gilbert Cruz]

We all want to live like Katniss lived, having to hunt for our own food. She probably got her own eggs, which is what we all should be doing now, given prices. No, she lived a miserable life. This is like a dystopian world in which she lives in. There was an initial trilogy of books in the Hunger Games series. And then Suzanne Collins, the author, wrote a prequel several years ago. And this is another prequel. This is a book that is set almost a quarter Century before the first Hunger Games novel. And it involves this character named Haymitch Abernathy. Haymitch.

[Jumana Khatib]

Sure know Haymitch.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Cool name.

[Jumana Khatib]

Great name.

[Gilbert Cruz]

He is a guy who we meet in the first book, and he's drunk and he's dissolute, and he's a former champion of the Hunger Games. And it's his job in that book, Shepherd Katniss through this world, and it's like young Haymitch. And it arrives at a moment the franchise seems to have restarted after many, many years in the dark. Not only do you have these prequels and film versions, there's a film version of this coming out next year. But also just announced a stage adaptation of the Hunger Games is going to open in London, I think, at the end of this year. And a theater is being built exclusively for this production.

[Jumana Khatib]

That is bonkers.

[Gilbert Cruz]

You're gonna say it and, like, people are gonna throw tridents by your head. I'm not sure exactly what's gonna go.

[Jumana Khatib]

On, but it sounds like Blue Man Group.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yeah, I think it's gonna be a big deal. These books are all big deals, and I sort of wanna see this stage adaptation.

[Jumana Khatib]

It seems like you would have to sign a waiver, right?

[Gilbert Cruz]

Are you saying you think you would be in danger?

[Jumana Khatib]

Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying.

[Gilbert Cruz]

At least for the previews once it officially opens. You think they work out all the kinks?

[Jumana Khatib]

I'm amazed at how deadly Cirque du Soleil is. So I can only imagine what the Hunger Games is.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Have you seen any Cirque du Soleil?

[Jumana Khatib]

I've seen almost the entire back catalog of Cirque du Soleil.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Really?

[Jumana Khatib]

I'm not even kidding.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I'm going to store this information.

[Jumana Khatib]

Yeah, we can use this later.

[Gilbert Cruz]

What's next?

[Jumana Khatib]

Okay, I'm excited to talk about the Buffalo Hunter.

[Gilbert Cruz]

This is a great name.

[Jumana Khatib]

Such a good title.

[Gilbert Cruz]

It's a good title.

[Jumana Khatib]

Such a good title. So this is by Stephen Graham Jones, who is, like, this kind of tremendously prolific horror writer. He tends to write a lot of stories that are set on native reservations about native characters. And this is a vampire story. So basically what happens? There's a manuscript that's discovered in 1912, and it contains transcribed confessions of a Blackfeet warrior whose name is Good Stab. And he was bitten by a mysterious creature that seems to have been imported by European settlers. And all of a sudden, Good Stab is just overcome with bloodthirst. And to sate his thirst, he really goes after the whites that are surrounding his community. There are all sorts of racial politics going on. Stephen Graham Jones actually weaves in some actual historical details from a true massacre of Blackfeet in Montana in the 1800s. And at the same time, he's sort of riffing on myth and lore and, like, historical horror fiction. There's a lot going on, a lot of fun.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Have you ever read Stephen Graham Jones?

[Jumana Khatib]

Yes, yes, Yes. I was a Teenage slasher.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That is a very good book.

[Jumana Khatib]

It's a good book. And, yeah, he's good. I just feel like he's doing not that. Actually, I probably shouldn't say that because I'm not somebody who reads a lot of horror. Famously. I don't love to be scared.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Famously.

[Jumana Khatib]

Famously. I've said that on many a hot mic. And, I mean, I'm intrigued by what he's doing here. I get it.

[Gilbert Cruz]

He was on the book review podcast last October.

[Jumana Khatib]

Bet he was a good guest.

[Gilbert Cruz]

He was very good. He was talking. He was making recommendations for scary books for people to read. And he knows just a ton. I'd love to talk to him again. I have a book that's coming out in April, and it has to deal with, in a nonfiction way, the indigenous experience here in America. This is a book called Medicine River A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools. This is by Marie Annette Pember. So last year, Tommy Orange, the novelist Tommy Orange, he joined this podcast to talk about Wandering Stars. Wandering Stars was his sequel to They're There, which was his incredibly received debut novel. And Wandering Stars was in part about these boarding schools that indigenous children were sent to in the mid-1800s. And Mary Annette Pember, who's an Ojibwe journalist, she is very intimately familiar with these schools because her mother had to attend one of these schools. She had to attend a seminary in Wisconsin. These children were sent to Christian boarding schools. They tried to force Christian culture into their lives and remove any sign of their own indigenous culture. So Mary's mother went to one of these. Had a great effect on her mother. It's had a great effect on her. So I haven't read the book yet, but as I understand it, she weaves her personal story in with the history of these terrible schools that lasted for.

[Jumana Khatib]

Decades and decades and that are still within living memory. I mean, that's the thing that's astonishing is how close this history really is, and it's horrifying. Okay, I'm gonna swerve.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Good.

[Jumana Khatib]

I'm gonna swerve away from.

[Gilbert Cruz]

We can't have all serious books.

[Jumana Khatib]

No, we Can't. We can't. I am personally ready to hot potato into a less depressing topic. So I am going to talk about Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry, who is somewhat of a. Actually, not somewhat. No qualifier needed romance superstar right now. This is her sixth romance. People go nuts for her books. Book lovers, beach read, the people we meet on vacation. People are very fiercely attached to her romances. And there are a couple things that are like the hallmark of an Emily Henry romance. Her love interests are all evolved, intelligent, sensitive men. And then her female leads are very intelligent, independent, and they usually have some dimension of grief. So, I mean, these are sort of toothsome romances. So this new one is about the rivalry turned. What else? Budding romance between two writers who are competing for the chance to land the opportunity to write the biography of this former tabloid princess who's now become somewhat of a recluse in coastal Georgia. She had this fabulous life story and then totally disappeared. So this is a good, juicy get for any competitive journalist, and it's a fun setup.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Emily Henry's books are always a hit every year. I read. I had mentioned previously on this podcast. I read one of hers last year on vacation. It was a total delight. We're coming out of an Oscar season in which Bob Dylan dominated. But let's not forget the Beatles. The Beatles. The Beatles. The Beatles. Do we need more Beatles books? I ask this question often because they come out a couple every year, it feels like. But there is another one and actually has an interesting conceit. So this is John and a Love Story in songs. This is by gentleman named Ian Leslie. And while Bob Dylan is a genius, an individual genius. Why did you just roll your eyes?

[Jumana Khatib]

I'm blinking.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Oh, you're okay. John Lennon and Paul McCartney are. They're like this.

[Jumana Khatib]

He's interlacing his fingers like he's doing Cat's Cradle.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I'm interlacing my fingers. They're an example of a true partnership, right? They both wrote lyrics. They both wrote music. Their names together were on all of their songs. They both shared Credit on almost 200 songs, some of which I would argue are some of the best songs ever written.

[Jumana Khatib]

I don't doubt that. I don't doubt that. I'm laughing because I just rewatched the Queen of Jordan episode of 30 Rock last night where Angie's sort of like, who are the Beatles? It's so good.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That's the look you're giving me right now.

[Jumana Khatib]

Okay, whatever.

[Gilbert Cruz]

So this book is about their friendship. It's about their Songwriting partnership. It's about their relationship as the two leads of this band. I might read it. I might actually read this one. One book I'm definitely going to read again because there are too many books about the Beatles and not enough books about this person. Is the biography by David Sheff. Of course. These two books are coming out within two weeks of each other. The John and Paul book in late March. The Yoko book in early April. And this is a big biography of Yoko Ono. We all know she entered the orbit of the Beatles in the mid to late 60s. She and John Lennon started dating. They got married. Many people have said many bad things about Yoko Ono over the years, but she is amazing. She just turned 92. I don't think she's been in public sight for a while. She was born in Tokyo. Her parents immigrated over to America. And she's an artist. She started as a conceptual artist. She continued to make art throughout her life and her life with John Lennon and her life post John Lennon's death in the early 80s. And while I think it might be impossible for some to extricate her from the idea of just being John Lennon's wife, hopefully a view that went the way of the Dota long ago, she is a person with fascinating life, an interesting and impressive career in her own right. She's been in the public eye for decades longer than she ever was with the Beatles at this point. I think there's so much to learn about her and to say about her.

[Jumana Khatib]

I'm excited. Yeah. And there's some sort of restorative justice that goes along with this, and that's intriguing. And I'm sure there is so much I do not know about Yoko Ono.

[Gilbert Cruz]

You know what I do know? Great New Yorker.

[Jumana Khatib]

Hey.

[Gilbert Cruz]

She's a great New Yorker.

[Jumana Khatib]

Hey. That's a high compliment coming from you.

[Gilbert Cruz]

What's next for you?

[Jumana Khatib]

I have been prattling on about fiction, and I promise I will come back to fiction, but let's quickly swerve to nonfiction. I am looking forward to searches by Wahine Hvara, who was a finalist for the Pulitzer for her novel the Immortal King. Rao. She was and has continued to be a tech journalist. And so this new book is a collection of essays. And they're experimental in form, but they're all centered on how I think for. Especially for those of us who I guess you would call digital natives, meaning, like you've had the Internet basically forever, has sort of influenced our consciousness and our understanding of ourselves. And just having access to all this information really shapes our place in the world. And there's a very personal framing to this because when the author was in high school, I think she was like even a freshman, her sister was diagnosed with cancer. And so she talks about how she was frantically googling questions like I think many of us do. And it had a really existential dimension because she was like, if I actually said it to another person, then it became real. But like having this sort of like omniscient resource that was more private, like helped me deal with it in a way that felt a little more manageable. Not that this is manageable. Anyway, so that's somewhat of the frame. And then as the book goes on, you know, she'll like annotate a list of her Amazon purchases or she'll collate all of her recent Google searches and make a point about what that says about her. And it's an intelligent argument about how having access to this kind of information can really teach us things about ourself or help us grieve or maybe impede our grief or, you know, it's just reshaping like our emotional landscape too.

[Gilbert Cruz]

How has the Internet reshaped your emotional landscape?

[Jumana Khatib]

That is a wonderful question. It means I let a lot of neopets die and so that.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

[Jumana Khatib]

I know. I think I'm probably wanted back in Neopetlandia. They probably have my face plastered up by the magic omelet because I just anyway, I was a blight upon them. There are so many things about the analog world that I miss. I've missed screamed at you about this. I hate pre reserving movie tickets. I want to walk up to a box office and buy them and then go sit down.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Huh?

[Jumana Khatib]

I hate it. I hate it.

[Gilbert Cruz]

You, you would be comfortable with sitting in the front row if you got there and all the tickets had been sold and there was one ticket.

[Jumana Khatib]

I deserve that. Yeah. But I also am aware of how much I just can't even separate it. Also, like, when I was a kid, my dad lived overseas and so like we would send emails back and forth to each other because we were in like weird time zone overlap when I was still trying to like sleep like a normal person. This is bound up in my. In myself. I'm excited. I think the framing of this book and the premise of it is really good at this point. It's like the Internet is just like all the microplastics that we've integrated into our body.

[Gilbert Cruz]

We'll be right back.

[Naomi Watts]

Don't miss the Friend, A new film from Bleecker street, starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray. Based on the New York Times bestseller Iris, World is turned upside down when her late friend Walter leaves her his Great Dane, Apollo. Yet as Iris bonds with him, she begins to come to terms with her own life. Also starring Ann Dowd, Sarah Pidgeon, and introducing Bing, the Great Dane. Deadline calls the Friend a quintessential New York movie. Moving, funny, humane and quite unforgettable. In select theaters starting March 21st nationwide. April 4th.

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[Gilbert Cruz]

Welcome back. This is the Book Review podcast and I'm Gilbert Cruz. I'm joined this week by my fellow editor, Jumana Khatib, and we are talking about some books that we're looking forward to between now and the beginning of summer. I feel like I'm talking about a lot of serious books, but this is a serious book and one that I'm oddly excited for given how serious it is and given the topic. It's called Strangers in the Exclusion Belonging and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America by Michael Luo. Michael is currently the editor of the New Yorker's website. He used to be a reporter here, though I certainly have never met him. And this is the of the Chinese in America right from the moment they started to arrive in increasing numbers on the west coast in the mid-1800s during the gold Rush, all the way up to the modern era and of course, sadly. But historically, along the way, in those 150, 60, 70 years, we see all these moments of anti Chinese backlash that the Chinese and Chinese Americans have experienced here in America. I love a sweeping history. I love learning about America. And I'm definitely going to read this one.

[Jumana Khatib]

Okay. I have a slightly different dimension and I swear this wasn't planned, but I do have a slightly different take on Chinese American relations and it's through the lens of fiction. So this is.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay, good. I was worried there.

[Jumana Khatib]

I know.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Are we talking about tariffs?

[Jumana Khatib]

Talking about my iPhone? Okay, so this is Rabbit Moon by Jennifer Hay. This is coming out in early April. This is a pretty tangled, knotty family story. It's set in Shanghai. Basically, the inciting incident is that the older daughter in the family, who she's a white American woman, is teaching in Shanghai. And I think it's her first year after college. She's a young woman. She's injured in a traffic accident and hospitalized, and it's a very serious injury. So her parents have to come from the States. And these are parents who are not only divorced, but they're estranged from their daughter. So adding to this is that the injured daughter, the only person that she's really confided her deepest feelings about her family and her parents is her sister, who was adopted as an infant from China. So there are all sorts of racial dimensions to this. Belonging, inclusion. And one of the things. So Jennifer Hayes last book is called Mercy street, and it took place basically like in and around an abortion clinic with opposing viewpoints from the characters. And she's a novelist who's really respected for her psychological insight and acuity. And I think that's where her real focus is as a writer. So this is actually a good setup for her. And I actually learned this when I was prepping for this podcast, that she wrote this when she herself was on some kind of writer's fellowship in Shanghai and so really drew on her own experiences of watching the city. And so the city itself becomes a bit of a character in the novel and fun little Easter egg for longtime listeners of the Book Review. I didn't choose this book for this reason, but this book does share a name with my astrologer, with whom I'm currently on the outs, Moon Rabbit. But I do respect her 80% of the time.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Is this real? You know, you have to say facts on this podcast. Is this real?

[Jumana Khatib]

Yeah. Moon Rabbit.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Moon Rabbit.

[Jumana Khatib]

Yeah. She's based in Minnesota.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Does she listen to this?

[Jumana Khatib]

That's a great question.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Are you trying to send a message?

[Jumana Khatib]

I suppose I'm getting desperate because she has increased her prices, so I haven't seen her in a while. Inflation, I know, but when it comes for the stars, you know, it's bad.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I was delighted to learn as you were talking about that book that you prepared for this podcast.

[Jumana Khatib]

That's one question answered.

[Gilbert Cruz]

It was great to see notes in.

[Jumana Khatib]

The dock instead of just doing this off the dome like I normally do.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Both different experiences, both exciting, just real tightrope.

[Jumana Khatib]

6 of 1, half a dozen of the other.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I'm going to talk about Mark Twain. Have you heard of Mark Twain?

[Jumana Khatib]

Got It. Yeah.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Have you heard of Mark Twain?

[Jumana Khatib]

Yeah.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Do you know what Mark Twain's real name is?

[Jumana Khatib]

No. I did at one point, but no, I don't know now.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay. Samuel Langhorne Clemens.

[Jumana Khatib]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay.

[Jumana Khatib]

I was an English major. I think they wouldn't have let me leave the campus if I hadn't said that three times and watched his ghost appear.

[Gilbert Cruz]

He is the subject of a new Just a giant biography that's coming out in May from Ron Chernow. Ron Chernow is a master of the biographical form. He is, of course, the author of the biography of Alexander Hamilton that was turned into the Just a massive stage musical. He also has written biographies of George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, John D. Rockefeller, other people with middle initials, Just all our favorite guys. Ron Chernow is on it. And this book is listed on the publisher's website as being 1200 pages long.

[Jumana Khatib]

That's a big biography.

[Gilbert Cruz]

It's a big biography. I assume that 100, 200 of those pages are endnotes or whatever, but that's still pretty big. I love biographies. I can't wait to learn about someone that it feels like we all know because we're forced to read his books in grade school and in high school, but I actually don't know that much about. I know, like, riverboats, he had a mustache, and then a couple books that he wrote, but I don't know that much about him. Do you have a favorite Mark Twain book or story?

[Jumana Khatib]

My mom is a big fan of the Innocents Abroad, so I think probably that one just because it was in the ether when I was growing up. I will tell you, I am not. Like, I did my requisite tour of Twain in high school. I did it for my sort of required American studies or, like, American lit class in college, but, like, not a big Twain head.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay.

[Jumana Khatib]

So, like, I have huge lapses in my knowledge. I'm definitely gonna read the. I'm definitely going to attempt to read this biography as well. I'm. In a way, my sense is that reading some of Mark Twain's books with the wisdom. I'm putting that in quotes of age gives you a very different experience of it. I'm sure there was a ton that I missed in Huck Finn when I read it the first time around.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I think a lot of people will read this without rereading any Mark Twain.

[Jumana Khatib]

Books or stories because they've already devoted a thousand pages of their life to Mark Twain.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I think so. I think so.

[Jumana Khatib]

Duly noted. Okay. I have another work of nonfiction that I would like to discuss. And this is a series of essays. This is by the Pulitzer Prize winning book critic named Andrea Long Chu. And I actually really love the title of this book. It's called Authority. Because that's something those of us in the criticism business always try to evoke is authority. It's funny. Tongue in cheek. Anyway, so this is a collection of some of her previous writing for New York Magazine and N1, which is where I think she really made her name as a Critic, was at N1. And this is a. This is an exciting book. It's nervy, very cerebral. I'm not sure, in case you don't read her regularly, she's fearless, which is important in a critic. And she's very pugnacious. Right. And she takes aim at some real literary darlings in here. Zadie Smith, Maggie Nelson. She mounts an argument. And one thing that's interesting when you breeze through these essays is she'll say, I know I'm being unfair. I know I'm being unfair here, but. And I appreciate the self recognition, but it is fun to be unfair. I try not to do it, but I can understand why she might enjoy doing it.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yeah, I know what you mean about her. As pugnacious is the right word, it harkens back to a time that really doesn't exist anymore at all, when critics were people that picked fights in public, that argued with other critics that maybe were a little meaner than they needed to be because they wanted to get a reaction from people or they were not interested in and necessarily being friends with people in the community that they cover.

[Jumana Khatib]

I go back and forth about this, but there is a very strong argument that a central point of good criticism is not only to inform but also to entertain. Good criticism should be fun to read and engaging to read.

[Gilbert Cruz]

So let's pop over to Alison Bechdel. She is a name that I think our listeners are familiar with. She's the author of Fun Home, the graphic novel memoir from 2006, and it was one of the New York Times 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, which of course is a project that I have to mention until the end of time. And that is a memoir that tells her story of coming out. It also presents a portrait of her father, who was a very quirky and odd man. He was a funeral director. He himself was a closeted gay man. A big book, that book, it was a Broadway musical adaptation, really rocketed her into a different kind of stratosphere. And even though she has written another sort of graphic novel memoir, in between a book called the Secret to Superhuman Strength. This, it feels like, is grappling with sort of the after effects of fun Home. What happens to someone after they become a success, after they make some money, after they become famous? How do the people around them react to them, respond to them, and how do they do so? In turn, she's beloved and I can't wait to read this one.

[Jumana Khatib]

Okay, I've been saving the best for last. The best in my totally unbiased opinion. So this is a very exciting reprint of a book called Fish Tales by Nettie Jones. So this was first published in 1983. It has an amazing backstory. So this was the last book that Toni Morrison acquired as an editor. And of course, Toni was before she turned to novel writing. She really nurtured a huge cohort of black talent and had such an eye for taste. And it turns out that when Nattie Jones, who I think this is her first book, she was just starting out. She was like, in Detroit. She was not plugged into the literary world at all. She got a list of editors to send her manuscript to from her friend Gail Jones, no relation. And Tony was like, third on the list. She had no idea who Toni Morrison was and, like, what a big deal she was. So she just sent this to her on a whim. And this story is bananas. It is set in 1970s New York. It is. It seems to be largely autofictional. It is this sort of. Gilbert, I know you have an affection for, like, old school New York.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Sure do.

[Jumana Khatib]

So this is like 70s demimonde, right? Or like back when you wouldn't walk through Washington Square park at night. So this follows a woman named Lewis who comes to New York. She smokes opium, she does coke, she drinks a lot of champagne, she has a lot of sex. It is very bawdy. I mean, I was looking to see if there was a single sentence I could possibly read on here. And the answer is no. But it's. I think her voice, Nettie's voice in this book is just astonishing. Like, it just like leaps off the page like a panther. And it ends in this sort of very strange relationship where the main character gets enthralled to this like, quadriplegic guy who, like, still controls her. And what's amazing about this story is that as drug fueled and sexually frank and, like, a little disturbing, it's also very tender in equal measure. It is unlike anything I've ever read. I love it. I am so excited to see what people have to say about it. Don't give it to your grandmother. I think my mom would like it.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay.

[Jumana Khatib]

Yeah.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Should we ask her?

[Jumana Khatib]

No. Yeah, let's call her up right now. Do I phone a friend on the book review podcast? Yeah. But this book, it's so good. It's so good.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That sounds great. You've been enthusiastic about this book for a while and now everyone other than me can hear it.

[Jumana Khatib]

He's so relieved.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I give this gift to you listeners. Fish Tales by Nettie Jones. So we just talked about 13 books, Lucky 13, that are coming out between now, early March and the end of May. There's so many other books coming out now, but this was never going to be a four hour podcast. You should check these out. We'd love to hear what you're reading over the next few months, what you're excited for that's coming out between now and summertime. Please email [e-mail] and we'll do our best to get back to you. Xumana, thank you for coming on. Thank you for being enthusiastic about all.

[Jumana Khatib]

These books and thank you for prepping.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Mostly thank you for prepping. Thank you for putting some bullet points here in our document. So important. It's always a delight to have you on.

[Jumana Khatib]

Oh, it's a pleasure. Thanks for having me, Gilbert.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That was my conversation with Zhumanna Khatib about several books that we're looking forward to coming up between now and the end of May. I'm Gilbert Cruz, editor of the New York Times Book Review. Thanks for listening.

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