Walter Mosley Honored with the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters | Book Pulse

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Page to Screen

Sept. 13:

Van der Valk, based on the Nicolas Freeling crime novels. PBS. No reviews | Trailer

Sept. 16:

The Devil All the Time, based on the book by Donald Ray Pollock. Netflix. No reviews | Trailer

Sept. 17:

Mo Willems and The Storytime All-Stars Present: Don't Let The Pigeon Do Storytime!, a program featuring the children’s book author and others. HBO. No reviews | Trailer

Reviews

The Washington Post reviews Rage by Bob Woodward (S. & S.): "offers some fresh details and confirmation of old assumptions, but little that is likely to surprise anyone or change any minds … What makes the book noteworthy is Woodward’s sad and subtle documentation of the ego, cowardice and self-delusion that, over and over, lead intelligent people to remain silent in the face of Trumpian outrages." Also, Clutter: An Untidy History by Jennifer Howard (Belt): "[a] stern and wide-ranging new manifesto." Young Rembrandt: A Biography by Onno Blom (W.W. Norton): "If "Young Rembrandt" does not wholly succeed in its quest to reanimate the young man setting out on the path that would bring him fame, Blom's book does offer a tantalizing glimpse of the artist’s first steps."

NPR reviews On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist by Clarissa Ward (Penguin): "she combines grace, authority, and a humor so dry it evaporates on contact."

The NYT reviews Too Much Information: Understanding What You Don't Want to Know by Cass R. Sunstein (The MIT Press): "it does make it impossible to continue regarding information disclosure as an uncomplicated good." Also, a joint review titled: "Two Books Wonder: How Long Until You Fall in Love With a Robot?"

The Washington Post reviews The Pink Line: Journeys Across the World’s Queer Frontiers by Mark Gevisser (Farrar: Macmillan; LJ starred review): "extraordinary." Also, The Unreality of Memory: And Other Essays by Elisa Gabbert (FSG Original: Macmillan): "How did she so clearly see what was coming for us? One answer is that she has read and thought a lot about disaster and human perception, the themes that tie her essays together. Another is that she's good at finding angles readers might not otherwise see." The Greek Connection: The Life of Elias Demetracopoulos and the Untold Story of Watergate by James H. Barron (Melville House: Random House): "delivers a richly sourced work."

Book Marks picks "The Best Reviewed Books of the Week."

Briefly Noted

Walter Mosley will be presented with the 2020 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation.

The New York Public Library celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Young Lions Fiction Awards on September 13. Here is the shortlist.

The NYT recommends nine books this week.

Amazon runs the list of their bestselling mysteries and thrillers from 2020 thus far.

Parade has “In Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Here Are the 20 New Fall Books From Latinx Writers.”

Electric Lit suggests "15 Modern Indian Classics in Translation."

David Wright has "Masterful audiobook narrations by 5 actors and actresses, from Marisa Tomei to Benedict Cumberbatch" in The Seattle Times.

Time features Claudia Rankine, Just Us: An American Conversation by Claudia Rankine (Graywolf Press: Macmillan; LJ starred review).

People focuses on Jenna Bush Hager, Everything Beautiful in Its Time: Seasons of Love and Loss (William Morrow: Harper).

The L.A. Times features Bea Koch, Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency (Grand Central: Hachette).

BuzzFeed spotlights Mena Massoud, Evolving Vegan: Deliciously Diverse Recipes from North America's Best Plant-Based Eateries—for Anyone Who Loves Food (Tiller Press: S. & S.).

The Washington Post writes about Anti-Vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement by Jonathan M Berman (MIT).

CrimeReads has "Alexander McCall Smith: A Crime Reader’s Guide to the Classics."

Electric Lit interviews Sigrid Nunez, What Are You Going Through (Riverhead: Penguin; LJ starred review).

The Millions interviews Adam Wilson, Sensation Machines (Soho: Random House).

Nick Hornby answers The Guardian’s "Books that made me" questions.

Entertainment Weekly has an early look at Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli (Balzer + Bray).

Entertainment Weekly has a report on DC Comic’s forthcoming Batman/Catwoman #1, by writer Tom King and artist Clay Mann. It will span 12 issues and arrive on Dec. 1.

Jane Fonda, What Can I Do? My Path from Climate Despair to Action (Penguin) answers the NYT’s "By the Book” questions.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has an essay in The New Yorker entitled "Notes on Grief."

Sarah Perry has an essay in The Guardian about risk.

USA Today writes that "Lindsay Lohan [is] sued by HarperCollins for collecting $365K advance but never writing book."

The BBC reports that the house that inspired Wuthering Heights is for sale.

Shere Hite has died. The Guardian has an obituary.

Authors on Air

NPR’s All Things Considered interviews Jacqueline Woodson, Before the Ever After (Nancy Paulsen Books: Penguin; SLJ starred review).

NPR’s Fresh Air interviews David Nasaw, The Last Million: Europe's Displaced Persons from World War to Cold War (Penguin).

NPR’s Morning Edition interviews Ali Soufan, The Black Banners (Declassified): How Torture Derailed the War on Terror After 9/11 (W.W. Norton).

PBS NewsHour interviews Jane Fonda, What Can I Do? My Path from Climate Despair to Action (Penguin).

The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George by Georgette Jones is headed to TV, with Jessica Chastain to star as Tammy Wynette. The forthcoming novel Milk Fed by Melissa Broder is also set for TV, so is Marie Lu's Warcross. Deadline reports.

Monsterland gets a trailer. It is based on Nathan Ballingrud’s short story collection North American Lake Monsters and debuts on Hulu on Oct 2.

The Spanish Princess, part 2, gets a trailer. It is based on the books by Philippa Gregory and debuts on STARZ on Oct. 11.

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