Ottessa Moshfegh is one of those authors. Her book My Year of Rest and Relaxation became a hit during the pandemic, particularly driven by the discourse on #BookTok. This week, she spoke to NPR’s Andrew Limbong about her latest novel, Lapvona, a novel set in Medieval Europe where violence is rampant and resources are scarce. “I don't wish fame on anyone," she told Limbong. "I'm sure there are people who are built for it. But those people, I don't understand them.”
Lapvona has already started amassing discussion on TikTok, both praise and criticism. Fresh Air’s book critic Maureen Corrigan was not a fan, calling it “gross” and saying “it couldn’t be short enough.” Check out her review here. |
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Meghan Collins Sullivan/NPR |
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My recommendation this week? Books in translation. Here’s a list of three books touching on French colonialism and the power that translation has to expose us to a wider range of world literature. And if you’re looking for ways to escape our current reality, check out Blake Crouch’s Upgrade, a book that explores gene editing and transformations in a way that our reviewer called “bloody, grim and occasionally pedantic, but still fun.”
Also notable this week is Why Didn't You Tell Me?, author Carmen Rita Wong’s memoir about assimilation, representation and identity. You can hear her talk about her book on NPR’s Book of the Day podcast. And as we go into the final month of summer, be sure to check out our book guide to the 50 states (plus D.C. and Puerto Rico!), where you'll find more than 100 recommendations to read and understand more about each state.
That’s it for today’s newsletter! Remember that you can always email us with feedback, coverage ideas, or just to share your most thrilling summer reads! Hope to hear from you soon.
Miranda Mazariegos
NPR Fellow
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