Books Briefing: Mary Trump's Tell-All

July 7, 2020

President Trump has long been estranged from his niece, Mary L. Trump.Erin Schaff/The New York Times

Hi readers,

Here’s your weekly catch-up on everything you need to know going on in the book world.

The news:

Our reporters got an early copy of Mary Trump’s new memoir, “Too Much and Never Enough.” In it, the president’s niece details what she calls his “twisted behaviors,” and says he sees “cheating as a way of life,” among other revelations. Despite attempts to block its release, Simon & Schuster will publish the book next week.
Dana Canedy is the next publisher of Simon & Schuster. Ms. Canedy, a former journalist at The New York Times and the administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes, is the third woman and first Black person to hold the position, and will begin on July 27.
You might be familiar with Duchess Goldblatt, the fictional persona with a dedicated Twitter following. Her feed is one of the few places on the internet devoted to spreading unadulterated joy, and she’s gained thousands of followers, but the identity of her creator is still a mystery. We talked with the anonymous author of a new memoir, “Becoming Duchess Goldblatt.”
What is it like to be Black and work in publishing? We spoke to eight people — an author, literary agent, marketer, publicist, editors and booksellers — about how race affects their careers and the books you read.
Fiction out today: “Want,” by Lynn Steger Strong; “Cool for America,” by Andrew Martin; “22 Minutes of Unconditional Love,” by Daphne Merkin; “The Golden Cage,” by Camilla Lackberg; “Florence Adler Swims Forever,” by Rachel Beanland; “The Shadows,” by Alex North; “Bonnie,” by Christina Schwarz; “Mother Daughter Widow Wife,” by Robin Wasserman; “Lake Life,” by David James Poissant; “The Son of Good Fortune,” by Lysley Tenorio; “Until We Have Faces,” by Michael Nye; “Fraternity,” by Benjamin Nugent.
Nonfiction out today: “14 Miles,” by DW Gibson; “Desert Notebooks,” by Ben Ehrenreich; “The Vapors,” by David Hill; “Notes on a Silencing,” by Lacy Crawford; “Becoming Duchess Goldblatt,” by Anonymous; “Quitter,” by Erica C. Barnett; “Burning Down the House,” by Julian Zelizer; “The Beauty in Breaking,” by Michele Harper; “Raising a Rare Girl,” by Heather Lanier.

The critics:

Dwight Garner writes about Kelli Jo Ford’s “Crooked Hallelujah,” a “more than promising first novel” that focuses on a Cherokee mother and daughter aiming for a better life.
The historian Eddie S. Glaude Jr. revisits the work of James Baldwin in his new book, “Begin Again,” which brings together biography, criticism and memoir as it looks to Baldwin for instruction and guidance. As Jennifer Szalai writes, “Even if you don’t agree with Glaude’s interpretations, you’ll find yourself productively arguing with them.”
Szalai also reviews “Burning Down the House,” in which Julian Zelizer argues that Newt Gingrich exploited profound developments since Watergate to his lasting advantage. Szalai calls the book “briskly entertaining (if politically dispiriting).”

That’s all for now. Please stay in touch and let me 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 on the Books desk read all of it, and I’ll make every effort to write back. You can reach me at books@nytimes.com.

All my best,

Joumana Khatib

Books at The New York Times

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