Books Update: Slings and Arrows

Maggie O'Farrell's "Hamnet" and more

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story July 17, 2020 Leigh Guldig Dear Reader, The novel featured on this week’s cover, “Hamnet,” is named for Shakespeare’s son — but it takes Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, as its central character. Maggie O’Farrell, author of the novels “This Must Be the Place” and “Instructions for a Heatwave,” among others, as well as the recent memoir “I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes With Death,” shows her range in this inventive historical novel. Our reviewer, Geraldine Brooks (“Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague,” “People of the Book”), describes the book as “an exploration of marriage and grief written into the silent opacities of a life that is at once extremely famous and profoundly obscure.” Two new books consider historical episodes that shed light on the present. Julian E. Zelizer’s “Burning Down the House” explores the rise of Newt Gingrich in the 1980s and his successful campaign to bring down the House speaker Jim Wright. Zelizer discusses the book on this week’s episode of the podcast. And “The Hardhat Riot: Nixon, New York City, and the Dawn of the White Working-Class Revolution,” by David Paul Kuhn, revisits a largely forgotten incident in 1970 when a group of construction workers in New York City attacked a group of students protesting the Vietnam War. In fiction, Gabriel Bump (whose debut novel, “Everywhere You Don’t Belong,” came out earlier this year) reviews Ingrid Persaud’s “Love After Love,” and Veronica Roth (whose first novel for adults, “Chosen Ones,” also came out earlier this year) reviews Sophie Mackintosh’s “Blue Ticket.” Speaking of first fiction, Charlie Kaufman’s debut novel, “Antkind,” comes out soon. In the meantime, the screenwriter and director answers our By the Book questions. 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 Newt Gingrich and the Dawn of an Era Julian E. Zelizer talks about “Burning Down the House,” and Lacy Crawford talks about “Notes on a Silencing.” FICTION fiction Shakespeare Lost His Son to Plague. A Novel Asks How It Shaped His Art. The playwright’s son died at 11. “Hamnet,” by the novelist Maggie O’Farrell, considers the death’s reverberations on his family, and his work. By Geraldine Brooks fiction A Novel That Unfolds in a Day, and Other Historical Fiction In the midst of a tense time, these books will remind you of what humanity has survived. By Alida Becker fiction In Contemporary Trinidad, a Widow Rediscovers the Meaning of Home In Ingrid Persaud’s debut novel, “Love After Love,” a dark secret threatens to crumble a makeshift family. By Gabriel Bump fiction How Do You Tell Your Child He Is Undocumented? In Lysley Tenorio’s debut novel, “The Son of Good Fortune,” the Filipino-American journey is over before the story even begins. By Madeline Leung Coleman fiction In ‘Want,’ a Lost Friendship and the Anxieties of the Modern Family Lynn Steger Strong’s new novel follows a Brooklyn wife and mother through professional failure, bankruptcy and the legacy of her past traumas. By Helen Schulman fiction A Novel Asks: What if Women Were Forbidden From Doing It All? Sophie Mackintosh’s “Blue Ticket” imagines a dystopian world in which a girl’s fate is chosen for her. By Veronica Roth Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NONFICTION nonfiction Ben Ehrenreich’s Dispatches From the Beginning and End of the World In “Desert Notebooks,” a study of arid America reveals the roots of our present calamities. By William Atkins nonfiction The Day the White Working Class Turned Republican David Paul Kuhn’s “The Hardhat Riot” recounts a little-remembered event and traces its significance to the politics of the present day. By Clyde Haberman nonfiction When American Politics Turned Toxic Julian E. Zelizer’s “Burning Down the House” sees Newt Gingrich’s rise in Congress as a turning point in political history. By Geoffrey Kabaservice nonfiction A Survivor of Sexual Assault Speaks Out Lacy Crawford told her story when she was a student at St. Paul’s School. Few people listened. Now she’s telling it again. By Jessica Knoll nonfiction Are You Ready to Eat Meat Grown in a Lab? In “Billion Dollar Burger,” Chase Purdy explores the “edible space race” to grow cell-cultured meat. By Bee Wilson nonfiction Who Is Duchess Goldblatt? A memoir from a Twitter celebrity doesn’t name names, but it does provide an entertaining back story. By Julie Klam nonfiction On the Path to Recovery, One Step at a Time Is Easier Said Than Done Erica C. Barnett’s memoir, “Quitter,” chronicles her long and winding road to an alcohol-free life. By Beth Macy shortlist Dripping Slow and Sweet, Four New Books About Honey and Bees In books about the art and science of beekeeping, writers explore all that is sublime about the natural production of honey. By Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CHILDREN’S BOOKS children’s books 3 Picture Books: How to Hike, Camp, Relax in the Great Outdoors For families ready to roam free, these visually-driven stories celebrate the physical joys of wide-open spaces. By Pat Cummings FEATURES by the book Charlie Kaufman Is Sorry, He’s a Bit Distracted “I’m fairly certain I just swallowed a tooth.” graphic content New Work From Two Masters of the Graphic Novel In new books from Adrian Tomine and Joe Sacco, the range of the graphic novel is on display — from the highly intimate to the world-historical. By Ed Park sketchbook Pressed Between the Pages of a Book, Flora Becomes Art During a recent move, an illustrator makes some beautiful discoveries as she packs and unpacks her books. By Leanne Shapton New & Noteworthy, From French Pancakes to a Bipartisan Road Trip A selection of recent books of interest; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading. editors’ choice 10 New Books We Recommend This Week Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times. inside the list Silvia Moreno-Garcia Has Crafts Covered. Bring Your Own Scissors. The author of “Mexican Gothic” offers a downloadable book club kit including a paper doll inspired by her main character. By Elisabeth Egan New in Paperback: ‘Wildhood’ and ‘Beaten Down, Worked Up’ 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. 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