Weekend picks for book lovers
What should you read this weekend? Paste BN’s picks for book lovers include a critical new biography of Donald Trump, and Caleb Carr's new mystery.
Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power by Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher; Scribner, 347 pp.; non-fiction
For Donald Trump, real estate magnate, casino mogul and reality TV star, it’s clear there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Even so, it’s hard to imagine he will embrace Trump Revealed, The Washington Post’s dive into the Republican presidential nominee’s life and business record.
Any voter who is not already devoted to Trump’s cause will find plenty of reason to think long and hard about whether to support him after reading this book. It’s crammed with court records, financial data, anecdotes and interviews about Trump’s unscrupulous business practices, his liberal use of “truthful hyperbole” and false promises to make himself rich, usually at the expense of others.
Many of the revelations here are not new. But Trump Revealed delivers enough devastating details to disqualify virtually any other candidate.
Paste BN says ***½ out of four stars. “Talented writers Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher have taken the work of dozens of Post journalists and woven it into a compelling narrative.”
Surrender, New York by Caleb Carr; Random House, 592 pp.; fiction
In this contemporary tale by the author of The Alienist, psychologist Dr. Trajan Jones is tracking the murders of a series of “throwaway children.”
Paste BN says *** stars. “Carr is nuanced and engaging.”
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race, edited by Jesmyn Ward; Scribner, 240 pp.; non-fiction
A collection of essays chronicling the outrage, hurt and fear felt by so many African-Americans, written by literary luminaries such as Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson and Edwidge Danticat.
Paste BN says ***½ stars. “Illuminating and even cathartic.”
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch; Crown, 352 pp.; fiction
In this sci-fi thriller, a physics professor Jason questions his own personal trajectory and where it would have headed had he focused on work instead of building a family.
Paste BN says *** stars. An “intriguing book that makes its characters — and readers — wonder what life would have been like had they made different decisions.”
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne; Arthur A. Levine Books, 320 pp.; fiction
Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy are two young wizards trying to find their place in the world the way their fathers, Harry and Draco, did before them; script version of the play.
Paste BN says *** stars. “May capture just enough of the old Potter magic to please even the most skeptical fans.”
Contributing reviewers: Ray Locker, Charles Finch, Charisse Jones, Brian Truitt, Kelly Lawler