EP71: Having a Laugh or Two on the Dock

Live from the Book Shop: John Updike's Ghost

Dock sitting for the July 4 extended weekend means we've got books to talk about! Hannah pulled Peter Heller's "The Guide" off the camp shelves and found herself thinking, "the writing is so insanely beautiful." Pretty high praise. Heller even makes fly-fishing enthralling — she read it in a day. Meanwhile, Sam was consumed for multiple days with Lev Grossman's brand-new "The Bright Sword," a new take on the Arthurian legend that runs a thousand pages or so, but still reads quick. If you're a "Magicians" fan, you'll love this — even if things are getting more and more earnest nowadays. Next up is "Trust Her," a follow up to Flynn Berry's "Northern Spy," a domestic story of the IRA in the 1980s. Hannah loved the first book; this one could have gotten started a little quicker. Sam had no such qualms about "Banal Nightmare," an early candidate for his favorite book of the year. Dang, it's funny. Halle Butler can bring it. Hannah is less enthused by "One of Our Kind," by Nicola Yoon, which just was too predictable and familiar to land, despite great sentence-level work. Hanif Abdurraqib's "There's Always This Year," on the other hand, is an important work you probably need to read right now if you're interested in explorations of Black culture. Sam loves it. So much to chew on this week!