Family sagas, unexpected turns, and a revelatory reread

Listen to this episode from FictionMatters Podcast on Spotify. Welcome to This Month in Books! In these monthly chats, we’ll check in about what’s making news in the literary world and share a handful of books we need to discuss. These are often books we feel we have more to say about than we can typically fit in a regular review or books we had complicated feelings about that we need to address.This month Liz and I start our conversation discussing the Booker Prize 2025 and the National Book Awards Longlist for Fiction. We also chat about the books we’ve been reading (and rereading) in September, plus we’re testing out a new lightning-round segment where we each share a quick bonus list. It just might become a regular feature on the show!What’s new and noteworthy?00:59 Booker Shortlist8:08 National Book Awards Longlist for FictionBooks DiscussedFlesh by David Szalay The Land in Winter by Andrew Milelr The Rest of Our Lives by Ven Markovits Audition by Katie KitamuraThe Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai Flashlight by Susan Choi Seascraper by Benjamin Wood Universality by Natasha Brown The Pelican Child by Joy Williams Only Son by Kevin MoffettA Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar The Antidote by Karen RussellPalaver by Bryan Washington Family Meal by Bryan Washington Sad Tiger by Neige Sinno A Burning by Megha MajumdarThe Wilderness by Angela Flournoy11:13 The North Sun by Ethan Rutherford Poor Deer by Claire Oshetsky 14:33 Dept. of Speculation by Jenny OffillAll Things Are Too Small by Becca Rothfeld20:24 The Lack of Light by Nino Haratischvili The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili 25:26 A Reason to See You Again by Jami AttenbergA Thousand Words by Jami Attenberg34:42 Dominion by Addie Citchens39:03 The Book of Guilt by Catherine ChidgeyNever Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 39:51 Midnight Timetable by Bora Chung40:20 Pick a Color by Souvankham Thammavongsa 41:05 Endling by Maria Reva43:12 The Hounding by Kenobe Purvis 45:15 Heart the Lover by Lily King 48:09 All the Way to the River by Elizabeth GilbertMinor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor Wreck by Catherine NewmanSandwich by Catherine NewmanSister Creatures by Laura Venita GreenIntemperance by Sonora JhaThe Laughter by Sonora JhaShop the Books: Bookshop | Libro.fm | Blackwell’sConnect with Liz on Instagram*This post contains affiliate links. To hear more, visit fictionmatters.substack.com