Books Update: Forever War

Phil Klay's "Missionaries" and more

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story October 16, 2020 Alexander Harrison Dear Reader, Phil Klay’s debut story collection, “Redeployment,” about American soldiers in Iraq, was an eye-opener for many readers and also a critical success, winning the National Book Award in 2014 and named as one of our 10 Best Books that year. Klay, a former Marine, became known as one of a group of talented writers taking on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq through fiction and memoir. Anticipation has built since then for his next book — which turns out to be a novel, “Missionaries,” casting its eye on the conflict in Colombia. The book is reviewed on our cover this week by Juan Gabriel Vásquez, the Colombian author of “The Sound of Things Falling” and, most recently, “The Shape of the Ruins.” In nonfiction, Khalil Gibran Muhammad, a professor of history, race and public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and former director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, reviews the timely book “A Peculiar Indifference: The Neglected Toll of Violence on Black America,” by Elliott Currie. Also timely: “Republic of Wrath: How American Politics Turned Tribal, From George Washington to Donald Trump,” by James Morone, and “The Folly and the Glory: America, Russia, and Political Warfare: 1945-2020,” by Tim Weiner. If your reading tastes lean toward an entirely different era, we’ve also got “God’s Shadow,” by Alan Mikhail, which offers a new take on the Ottoman Empire. Mikhail is a guest on this week’s podcast. 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 The Ottoman Empire’s Influence on the Present Day Alan Mikhail talks about “God’s Shadow,” and Benjamin Lorr discusses “The Secret Life of Groceries.” FICTION fiction The Intricacies of Colombia’s War, Stitched Together in a Novel Phil Klay’s “Missionaries” follows the lives of four characters involved in the violent, decades-long conflict. By Juan Gabriel Vásquez fiction Aimee Bender’s Latest Is a Proustian Reverie In “The Butterfly Lampshade,” objects are as alive as human beings. By Kevin Brockmeier Sauce Makers and Scoundrels: Four Hot Romance Novels New releases take you inside a Tang Dynasty palace, behind the scenes at a reality-TV set and into the fields of a 1970s British farm. By Olivia Waite shortlist Teenagers in Turmoil Whether undead, unloved or unjustly incarcerated, these star-crossed young-adult protagonists face their demons. By Jennifer Harlan Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NONFICTION nonfiction The Rivalry That Forged the Cold War Tim Weiner’s “The Folly and the Glory” traces hostilities between Russia and the United States across 75 years. By Rajan Menon nonfiction America’s Refusal to Address the Roots of Violence Elliott Currie’s “A Peculiar Indifference” traces the history of violence in Black communities and the reasons for it. By Khalil Gibran Muhammad nonfiction Are We More Divided Now Than Ever Before? James A. Morone’s “Republic of Wrath” looks at political divisions throughout American history. By Jia Lynn Yang nonfiction From George Eliot to Neo-Nazi Skinheads: The Chaotic Cult of Richard Wagner Alex Ross’s “Wagnerism” is “a book about a musician’s influence on non-musicians — resonances and reverberations of one art form into others.” Reviewed by John Adams. By John Adams nonfiction From Concerts to Cartoons: Chopin’s Most Famous Composition A combination of biography, cultural commentary and personal reflection, Annik LaFarge’s “Chasing Chopin” radiates out from the “Funeral March.” By Jeremy Denk nonfiction In Capitalism’s Clutch, and Exploring Its Contradictions With her new book, “Having and Being Had,” the essayist Eula Biss meditates on the lived experience of class and money in American culture. By Lauren Oyler nonfiction Matthew Yglesias Thinks There Should Be ‘One Billion Americans’ In his new book, the journalist and co-founder of Vox argues that dramatic population growth could revitalize the nation. By Felix Salmon Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT nonfiction The Sweat, Stench and Staggering Logistics of the American Supermarket “The Secret Life of Groceries,” by Benjamin Lorr, lifts the veil on the human labor, industrial agriculture and transportation challenges that go into stocking upscale food stores. By Nick Summers nonfiction The City of Angels, Viewed Through a Prism In “City at the Edge of Forever,” Peter Lunenfeld explores Los Angeles in a series of essays about the idiosyncrasies of a place that defies categories. By David Kipen nonfiction Her Town Depended on the Mill. Was It Also Making the Residents Sick? In “Mill Town,” Kerri Arsenault uncovers her family’s long history in northern Maine and an epidemic of cancer that may be intimately connected to the community’s main employer. By Emily Cooke nonfiction When the Ottoman Empire Threatened Europe — and the World “God’s Shadow,” by Alan Mikhail, argues that world history was shaped by the West’s fears of Turkish domination. By Ian Morris CHILDREN’S BOOKS children’s books Training Tomorrow’s Newshounds Two new books about the press urge young people to leave their social media feeds and read reliable news and information from many different sources. By Marc Tracy Black and White and Living Color “The Talk” and “This Is Your Brain on Stereotypes” offer two very different approaches to helping children understand and confront bias. By Abby McGanney Nolan FEATURES by the book Just Like You, Claire Messud Never Read ‘A Brief History of Time’ “I bought it because everyone else did, I guess.” the literati Coffee Time for Zora and Fannie, Before the Harlem Renaissance Early in her career, Zora Neale Hurston made a connection with the best-selling novelist Fannie Hurst — an alliance that would shape her own writing life. By Edward Sorel New & Noteworthy Audiobooks, From Jack Kerouac to Black Lives Matter A selection of recent audiobooks 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. editors’ choice 9 New Books We Recommend This Week Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times. inside the list Marie Lu’s Audience Is the Wind Beneath Her Best-Selling Wings In a world ripped from one of her novels, the young adult author draws strength from activist fans. By Elisabeth Egan New in Paperback: ‘Ninth House’ and ‘Birth of a Dream Weaver’ 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