It’s Time for a Big Ol’ Fall Book Preview

Name: It’s Time for a Big Ol’ Fall Book Preview
Uploaded: 2026-09-04T02:47:11-07:00
Duration: 49 min 11 s
Channel: New York Times Podcasts
Description: The hosts preview a massive fall book season characterized by large page counts and major returns from acclaimed authors like Marlon James, Min Jin Lee,…

New York Times Podcasts

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About this episode The hosts preview a massive fall book season characterized by large page counts and major returns from acclaim… AI summary

The hosts preview a massive fall book season characterized by large page counts and major returns from acclaimed authors like Marlon James, Min Jin Lee, and Barbara Kingsolver. The discussion highlights diverse genres including literary fiction, horror, and historical non-fiction, with specific recommendations for readers seeking immersive, multi-generational narratives or experimental forms.

Key takeaways 5

Fall 2023 book releases are notably larger in scope and length, with many titles exceeding 500 pages, such as Marlon James's 'The Disappearers' (approx. 600 pages).
There is a strong trend of 'heavy hitter' authors returning after long gaps, including Min Jin Lee's 'American Hagwan' (10 years since 'Pachinko') and Chad Harbach's 'The Brightness' (sequel to 'The Art of Fielding').
Horror and speculative fiction are prominent, featuring Tanana Reeved's 'Maisywood' (historical horror in 1920s Hollywood), Lee Child's 'Deadbeat' (final installment of the 9th House trilogy), and Jane Shonbrun's 'Public Access Afterworld' (pirate TV from another dimension).
Non-fiction includes significant historical works like Nathaniel Philbrick's 'The Rush' (California Gold Rush and Civil War) and Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark's 'American Scoundrel' (biography of Roy Cohn).
Experimental narrative structures are being used to explore serious themes, such as T. Geronimo Johnson's 'The Accidental Book of the Dead,' which uses film credits and script formats to examine race and trauma.

Notable quotes 4 AI-generated: wording and quote attribution may be wrong. Use the play link to verify.

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”

▶ 0:54 Gilbert Cruz quotes F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' to justify why fall is his favorite season and the best time for reading.
“It's a lot bigger both in terms of the number of huge returning authors and literally bigger. Every book seems giant. Every book seems above 500 pages.”

▶ 1:58 Howard Chumatana observes the physical and thematic scale of the current fall publishing season.
“I think that this is a a book that it's almost prismatic where it's like if you read it and you're in one frame of mind, something will stick out at you. If you come back to it again, something else will strike you.”

▶ 7:16 MJ Franklin describes Ayad Akar's 'The Radiance' as a complex, re-readable work despite its abstract autofictional nature.
“There's no excuse because she only has two published books so far. That's right. The back catalog is a catalog.”

▶ 18:40 Gilbert Cruz humorously notes that Min Jin Lee's limited bibliography makes her new release even more significant for fans.