Alice McDermott has written one of THE great novels of 2023. Absolution is so many things…a portrait of diplomatic wives carving out lives for themselves in Saigon before the start of the war, a moralistic novel about the dangers of colonialism and good intentions, the story of the complex relationships women have with motherhood, and with each other. Why di ... Show More
Nov 5
Nathaniel Philbrick Brings Us The Rush
Nathaniel Philbrick has written a lot of books putting American History into perspective. His latest, The Rush, is about the CA gold rush, which, much to our surprise, was a determining factor in jump starting the Civil War. How was the Gold Rush a reflection of America’s struggl ... Show More
36m 40s
Oct 22
Bonnie Garmus and the Unique World of Peck & Peck
Bonnie Garmus’ follow up to GMA Book Club Pick Lessons in Chemistry, called Peck & Peck, is a wild and funny foray into the world of poetry. Compulsively readable with unforgettable characters, the novel centers around Batter, a poetry editor who ends up at a world renown poetry ... Show More
42m 58s
Oct 2023
What Big Books Have Yet to Come Out in 2023?
<p>On this week’s episode, a look at the rest of the year in books — new fiction from Alice McDermott and this year’s Nobel laureate, Jon Fosse, a journalist’s investigation of state-sanctioned killings in the Philippines, and a trio of celebrity memoirs. </p><p>Discussed in this ... Show More
24m 41s
Dec 2022
New Books By the End of the Year
This week Alice and Kim talk about new nonfiction out in November and December, including memoirs, cold cases, orchid obsession, and more. Gift Tailored Book Recommendations this holiday season! Follow For Real using RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. For more nonfiction ... Show More
48m 17s
Jul 2021
A Heartbreaking Novel About Mothers, Daughters and Secrets
<p>The latest pick for Group Text, our monthly column for readers and book clubs, is Esther Freud's <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/13/books/i-couldnt-love-you-more-esther-freud-group-text.html" target="_blank">“I Couldn’t Love You More,”</a> a novel about three generati ... Show More
56m 44s