Books Update: Woman Kind

Elena Ferrante's "The Lying Life of Adults" and more

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story September 4, 2020 OHGIGUE Dear Reader, Our cover this week features “The Lying Life of Adults,” one of the most highly anticipated novels of the fall, the latest book by Elena Ferrante, author of the celebrated best-selling Neapolitan quartet. This new novel, reviewed here by Dayna Tortorici, is a stand-alone story, though also set in Naples. Tortorici begins her review: “What a relief it is when an author who has written a masterpiece returns to prove the gift intact.” What a relief — and a pleasure — indeed for readers, who have eagerly awaited Ferrante’s first work of fiction for adults since 2015, when “The Story of the Lost Child” was published. Three books in this issue take us into outer space. Anthony Doerr, author of “All the Light We Cannot See,” reviews two of them: “The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World,” by Sarah Stewart Johnson, and “The Smallest Lights in the Universe,” by Sara Seager. And James Gleick reviews “The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking),” by Katie Mack. There’s a lot more, from Natasha Trethewey’s memoir to the latest Long View essay by Jon Meacham to poetry from Heather McHugh. 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 Jeffrey Toobin on Writing About Trump Toobin talks about “True Crimes and Misdemeanors,” and Dayna Tortorici discusses Elena Ferrante’s “The Lying Life of Adults.” FICTION fiction Elena Ferrante Returns With ‘The Lying Life of Adults’ In her first novel in five years, the author of “My Brilliant Friend” revisits old themes. By Dayna Tortorici crime The Impossible Case of a Japanese Locked-Room Mystery Marilyn Stasio recommends two recently reissued novels by Seishi Yokomizo, as well as the latest books from Denise Mina and T. Jefferson Parker. By Marilyn Stasio fiction This Movie Star’s Only Hope Is Help From Her Personal Assistant Byron Lane’s novel, “A Star Is Bored,” is influenced by his experience working for Carrie Fisher. By Margo Rabb A Poet Whose Calling Is Doubt Celebrates Language’s Uncertainty In “Muddy Matterhorn,” Heather McHugh embraces puns, anagrams and other wordplay in the service of philosophical inquiry. By Sandra Simonds fiction Confessions of an Internet Addict Emma Jane Unsworth’s novel, “Grown Ups,” will force you to rethink your own unhealthy obsession with social media. By Kelly Conaboy fiction Hit Hard by Recession, an Irish Family Faces a Bitter Struggle Caoilinn Hughes’s novel “The Wild Laughter” considers the catastrophic effects of the fall of the Celtic Tiger. By John Boyne Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NONFICTION nonfiction ‘Life of a Klansman’ Tells Ugly Truths About America, Past and Present In his latest book, Edward Ball retraces an ancestor’s involvement with the Ku Klux Klan in order to shed light on the country’s legacy of white supremacy. By Walter Isaacson nonfiction ‘Sisters in Hate’ Offers a Window Into Women in the White Nationalist Movement The new book, by the journalist Seyward Darby, follows three American women who have little in common but racial hatred. By Susan Neiman nonfiction These Books Transport You to a Galaxy Far, Far Away The planetary scientist Sarah Stewart Johnson and the astrophysicist Sara Seager write about the allure of studying space. By Anthony Doerr nonfiction This Is How It All Ends In “The End of Everything,” the theoretical cosmologist Katie Mack takes a look at the ultimate doom and destruction of our universe. It’s not pretty. By James Gleick nonfiction In ‘Memorial Drive’ a Poet Evokes Her Childhood and Confronts Her Mother’s Murder The new memoir by the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Natasha Trethewey is an aching investigation of trauma and art. By Kiese Makeba Laymon the shortlist The Dangerous North Korea Three new books examine one of the world’s most mysterious countries. By Gordon G. Chang CHILDREN’S BOOKS From Iran to America, One Epic Tale at a Time A modern-day Scheherazade uses storytelling to survive the fifth grade. By Arvin Ahmadi children’s books Catching the Buzz: A Young C.E.O. on Her Lemonade Business, Which Was Inspired by Bees Mikaila Ulmer’s “Bee Fearless” is that rarest of book breeds: the middle grade memoir. By Ron Lieber Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT FEATURES by the book John Cleese Intends to Have His Unread Books Buried With Him “My grave will be called ‘Mount Cleese.’” the long view The South’s Fight for White Supremacy Immediately after the Civil War ended, the South began a campaign to deny the true meaning of the conflict. By Jon Meacham group text You’re Going to Want to Join this Odyssey Through Postwar Japan Asha Lemmie’s sprawling, thought-provoking debut novel, “Fifty Words for Rain” will give you 50 reasons to cancel the rest of your day. By Elisabeth Egan sketchbook What’s In a Title? It depends on where the author is in the creative process. By Grant Snider New & Noteworthy, From Netflix to Writers’ Writers A selection of recent titles of interest; 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. Revisiting Carol Shields and the Everywoman In 1994, Jay Parini wrote for the Book Review about Carol Shields’s novel “The Stone Diaries,” the fictional autobiography of Daisy Goodwill Flett as she navigates marriage and motherhood. 10 New Books We Recommend This Week Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times. inside the list Happy 100th Best-Seller Week to ‘Between the World and Me’ Ta-Nehisi Coates wasn’t thinking about how many books he was going to sell. He was focused on saying what he needed to say. By Elisabeth Egan New in Paperback: ‘The Travelers’ and ‘On Fire’ 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 TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018