Books Update: Our Pandemic Future

Nicholas Christakis's "Apollo's Arrow," about the profound and enduring impact of the coronavirus

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story November 13, 2020 Eddie Guy Dear Reader, We’ve all been faced with a deluge of information — and misinformation — about the coronavirus. One theory goes up online, and another comes down. Conjecture is read as fact; theory as confirmed truth. Meanwhile, every last opinion is debated endlessly on social media and around outdoor firepits across the country. Thankfully, books offer a little more depth, perspective and analysis than we can get even from 10 thoroughly researched scientific articles. So “Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live,” by Nicholas Christakis, is especially timely and welcome. Our review is by the science writer David Quammen, whose many books include 2012’s prophetic “Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic.” If this feels too real right now, turn to fiction. We review new works by Jess Walter, author of “Beautiful Ruins”; the debut writer K-Ming Chang; Nicole Krauss, author of “Great House” and “The History of Love”; and the latest in historical fiction. Our By the Book this week is from the musician Lenny Kravitz, author of the recent memoir “Let Love Rule.” 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 David Byrne on Turning ‘American Utopia’ Into a Book Byrne talks about his work with the artist Maira Kalman on his latest book, and Brittany K. Barnett discusses “A Knock at Midnight.” NONFICTION The Pandemic’s Future — and Ours “Apollo’s Arrow,” by Nicholas A. Christakis, looks at the coronavirus from several angles and suggests some possibilities in the months and years to come. By David Quammen Nonfiction Some Advice About Ghosts and Ghosting, From a Paranormal Investigator In “Life With the Afterlife,” Amy Bruni reveals the lessons she’s learned helping ghosts and the people they visit. By Allison P. Davis nonfiction Searching for the Real Abraham Lincoln David S. Reynolds’s “Abe” seeks to understand Lincoln by placing him in the context of his times. By Robert W. Merry Nonfiction Claire Messud Looks Back on Life, and the Art That Shaped Her In “Kant’s Little Prussian Head and Other Reasons Why I Write,” the longtime novelist explores her development as a writer. By Frank Bruni nonfiction The Secret Code That Threatened Nazi Fantasies of Racial Purity Martin Puchner’s “The Language of Thieves” recounts the history of Rotwelsch — a secret code used by vagabonds across Europe for centuries — and the efforts to stamp it out. By Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim nonfiction The Future of Energy Daniel Yergin’s “The New Map” is a comprehensive look at the world of energy, its past, present and future. By Adam Tooze nonfiction A New Life of Malcolm X Brimming With Detail, Insight and Feeling Thirty years in the making, “The Dead Are Arising,” by Les Payne and Tamara Payne, sharpens our understanding of the Black activist and thinker whose influence continues to reverberate. By Michael P. Jeffries Nonfiction A New Mother Chronicles Her Journey to Hell and Back In “Inferno,” Catherine Cho writes honestly of surviving postpartum psychosis. By Kim Brooks Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Nonfiction Coming of Age Amid the Troubles In “Inventory,” Darran Anderson sorts through the objects and memories of his 1980s Northern Ireland adolescence. By David Keenan FICTION Fiction Escape to Another Century! These Historical Novels Are Your Ticket First stop, Tudor England, then on to postwar Paris and turn-of-the-century Scotland. No passport required. By Alida Becker Fiction Nicole Krauss’s Stories Cross Boundaries of Geography and Convention In her first collection, “To Be a Man,” characters are caught between the forces of family, faith and personal freedom. By Molly Antopol Fiction Jess Walter’s New Novel Revisits a Turbulent Era Much Like Our Own In “The Cold Millions,” the author delves into the labor conflicts and street riots of the early 20th century. By Joshua Ferris Fiction The Plight of the Aggrieved, Rich Manhattan Liberal David Leavitt’s novel “Shelter in Place” dissects the complaints of pampered New Yorkers wringing their hands at a country they no longer recognize. By Michael Callahan Fiction A Novel Follows Lives Scattered in the California Desert In “The Beforeland,” Corinna Vallianatos gives space and dignity to those plagued by their failures to launch. By Karolina Waclawiak Fiction ‘Bestiary’ Offers a Compendium of Creatures, and Generations K-Ming Chang’s debut novel tells the stories of three generations of Taiwanese women through the beasts, both real and mythical, they encounter. By Amil Niazi Fiction The Problem of Wartime Guilt and Its Long Life Span In “The Wind Traveler,” by Alonso Cueto, a man haunted by a terrible act he committed as a soldier faces the fallout years later. By Jennifer Croft The Shortlist New Story Collections Reconsider History and Upend Tradition The authors of “The Office of Historical Corrections,” “Igifu,” “Where the Wild Ladies Are” and “A Sense of the Whole” would like to revise the record. By Jane Hu Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CHILDREN’S BOOKS Children’s Books Undreamed Waters, Unexpected Shores Two remarkable new picture books about ships that pass in the night. By Brian Selznick FEATURES By the Book How ‘Catcher in the Rye’ Influenced Lenny Kravitz’s Memoir “It helped me reshuffle things in my head and how I wanted to speak.” Spare a Thought for the Indies Independent bookstores have suffered in Covid times. Here’s a few of the more famous ones and how they're faring. By Bob Eckstein New & Noteworthy, From Fake News to American Essays A selection of recent books of interest; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading. Using the Bible in an Apocalypse and Other Letters to the Editor Readers respond to recent issues of the Sunday Book Review. Considering Malcolm X and the Perfect Black Man Michael P. Jeffries reviews Les Payne and Tamara Payne’s book, “The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X,” in this week’s issue. In 1992, Michael Eric Dyson wrote for the Book Review about a select group of books that examine Malcolm X’s life. 9 New Books We Recommend This Week Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times. Inside the List Christie Tate Wrote a Best Seller About Group Therapy. Fellow Members Approved. She tried her hand at fiction, to no avail. So she wrote a memoir about a circle of strangers instead. By Elisabeth Egan New in Paperback: ‘Busted in New York’ and ‘Little Darlings’ Six new paperbacks to check out this week. By Tina Jordan 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