So anybody who's read George Saunders' 'Lincoln in the Bardo,' this kind of has that feel to it. One is a story set in the 19th century, and it has something to do with Abraham Lincoln. So, 'Good Night, Irene' is one of my recommendations.Īnd then Lorrie Moore's 'I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home.' Lorrie Moore, there's nobody like her, the way she plays with language, her kind of warm, but absurdist view of life. I mean, so we're kind of getting a Herman Wouk-type big history, but also with a lot of twists and turns, and very affecting. His mother followed Patton's Army behind the lines in Battle of the Bulge. I had no idea - my dad was in World War II, and I had no idea that these women did more than just meet soldiers at the railroad station. She and another woman rode around in a truck delivering coffee and donuts to servicemen. But here he's drawing on a story that derives from his mother's experiences during World War II. Usually, he's writing about issues of the U.S.-Mexican border. One novel that I think really is perfect for summer is Luis Alberto Urrea's novel 'Good Night, Irene.' So I'm looking forward to seeing how Colson Whitehead sort of tackles that time period. That novel was set in 1960s Harlem, and this one is set in 1970s Harlem.Īnd if you know anything about New York in the 1970s, it was a grimy place, a dangerous place, but it was also a very exciting place. And this is a sequel to that heist novel 'Harlem Shuffle,' which came out a couple of years ago. He's won for very serious books about the Black experience in America, 'Underground Railroad' and 'The Nickel Boys.'īut he's worked across many genres, and he has written a heist novel. Many of your viewers probably know Colson Whitehead's name. And I'm looking forward to reading this one very much on my vacation soon.Īnother book I'm looking forward to this summer is 'Crook Manifesto' by Colson Whitehead. I have read one a summer for the past many summers, and they all share similar themes and similar dynamics, and they're quite entertaining.

This one involves a recently widowed food blogger who brings a bunch of friends together on Nantucket to sort of help her heal. This is a woman, an author who has written almost 30 books, most of which are set on Nantucket Island. The first is called 'The Five-Star Weekend.' It's by an author named Elin Hilderbrand, and she's a summer staple. So there are two books I want to start off with. Gilbert Cruz, Books Editor, The New York Times:

Show me will mcbride tumblr