Books Update: The Accused

Susan Choi reviews Megha Majumdar's “A Burning”

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story June 12, 2020 Emiliano Ponzi Dear Reader, What gets us excited these days? An ambitious debut novel with well-founded buzz — in this case, Megha Majumdar’s “A Burning.” By day, Majumdar is an editor at Catapult, a small press. But on the side, she had been working on her first book, a political novel with the pace of a thriller (she cites really good Netflix series as her model). Susan Choi, winner of the National Book Award for her most recent novel, “Trust Exercise,” reviews. The South African novelist J.M. Coetzee has finished his Life of Jesus trilogy with “The Death of Jesus.” Our reviewer, Judith Shulevitz, assesses this most recent book while offering an insightful look at the full sweep of Coetzee’s latest project. We’ve got lots to offer comics fans in this issue: Raina Telgemeier, author of “Guts” and other wildly successful middle-grade graphic novels, answers our By the Book questions; our own stellar Book Review editor J.D. Biersdorfer reviews recent graphic nonfiction books. Please stay in touch and let us know what you think — whether it’s about this newsletter, our reviews, our podcast, our literary calendar, our Instagram or what you’re reading. We read and ponder all of it. I even write back, albeit belatedly. You can email me at books@nytimes.com. Pamela Paul Editor of The New York Times Book Review @PamelaPaulNYT Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Like this email? Sign-up here or forward it to your friends. Have a suggestion or two on how we can improve it? Let us know at newsletters@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. THE BOOK REVIEW PODCAST Stephen Fry on Reimagining the Greek Myths Fry discusses “Heroes,” and Lauren Christensen and Andrew LaVallee talk about books on the subject of race and racism. FICTION fiction A Facebook Post Lands an Innocent Woman in Jail in This Riveting Debut Novel A young woman’s reaction on social media to a terrorist act seals her fate in “A Burning,” by Megha Majumdar, a novel set in Kolkata that examines the effects of power on the powerless. By Susan Choi fiction What if a Shaman Could Solve All Your Problems, in Three Days? In Sam Lansky’s “Broken People,” the narrator tries to cure self-doubt through hallucinogens. By Claiborne Smith fiction J.M. Coetzee’s Jesus Sees the World as Don Quixote Does “The Death of Jesus,” the final novel in a trilogy, is a modern fable that challenges our limited understanding of reality. By Judith Shulevitz fiction The Pill That Makes Life Shine Brighter, Fallout Be Damned “Ornamental,” by the Colombian writer Juan Cárdenas, smashes together art, science and philosophy in a compact, fast-moving novel. By Nathan Scott McNamara Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NONFICTION nonfiction Eat. Sleep. Swim. Repeat. In her new book, “Why We Swim,” Bonnie Tsui considers the many benefits of submerging yourself in water. As her fellow swimmers say, why run when you can fly? By Mary Pols nonfiction The True Story of the Texas Rangers Doug J. Swanson’s “Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers” recounts tales of lynchings, massacres and ruthless white supremacy. By Douglas Brinkley nonfiction The Challenges of a Threatening World In “The World,” Richard Haass urges Americans to educate themselves about an increasingly dangerous planet. By Mark Atwood Lawrence nonfiction The Brilliant Astronomer Who Devised New Tactics to Fight Anti-Gay Bias In 1957, Franklin Kameny was fired from a government job for being gay. His bold fight against bias, Eric Cervini shows in “The Deviant’s War,” inspired a movement. By George Chauncey nonfiction The Spy Who Handed America’s Nuclear Secrets to the Soviets Nancy Thorndike Greenspan’s “Atomic Spy” offers new material on Klaus Fuchs, the notorious Manhattan Project physicist. By Ronald Radosh the shortlist Cartoonists Tackle the Big Stuff: O.C.D., Motherhood and Too Many Books New work by Jason Adam Katzenstein, Lucy Knisley and Grant Snider reveals their engagement with issues both difficult and fun. By J. D. Biersdorfer CHILDREN’S BOOKS children’s books ‘Seventh Grade! Now in WonkyVision!’ In Rob Harrell’s “Wink,” middle school social drama and an eyesight-threatening cancer are a lot for one kid to handle. Humor helps. By Michael Ian Black children’s books Girl Moves Mountains After Mountain Moves Her In Lauren Wolk’s “Echo Mountain,” 12-year-old Ellie experiences both the horrors and the healing powers of nature when hard times force her family to return to the land. By Kate Egan Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT FEATURES by the book Raina Telgemeier Can’t Wait to Break Bread With Her Friends Again “Quarantine is turning out to be about upping my sourdough game.” essay Melville’s Whale Was a Warning We Failed to Heed “Moby-Dick” contained the author’s diagnosis, prognosis and prescription for the human condition. We didn’t listen. By Carl Safina paper chase When Dickens Died, America Mourned. Our Archives Tell the Story. The outpouring of grief after the novelist’s death, The Times wrote, was no surprise, since his books — “more or less associated with the events of our lives” — had touched people so profoundly. By Tina Jordan New & Noteworthy Poetry, From ‘White Blood’ to the Book of Job A selection of books published this week; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading. Letters to the Editor Readers respond to recent issues of the Sunday Book Review. editors’ choice 12 New Books We Recommend This Week Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times. inside the list These Authors Are Glad You’re Buying Their Books. Now Do the Work. Layla F. Saad and Ibram X. Kendi have provided tools for building an antiracist society. Readers, it’s time to roll up our sleeves. By Elisabeth Egan New in Paperback: ‘The Pandemic Century’ and ‘Dad’s Maybe Book’ Six new paperbacks to check out this week. By Jennifer Krauss Best Sellers Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction Hardcover Fiction Hardcover Nonfiction Paperback Trade Fiction Paperback Nonfiction All Lists New International Books Illustration by Thoka Maer Your sneak preview of books coming out in 2020 from around the world. Get globetrotting. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Books from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The Times |Get The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your Email|Privacy Policy|Contact Us The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018