The Book Review: ‘Fear of Flying’ at 50

Plus: The year's best illustrated children's books

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story November 10, 2023 Bernard Gotfryd, via Library of Congress Dear fellow readers, I absolutely love this whip-smart essay by Jane Kamensky on the legacy of "Fear of Flying" — "a book so sexually frank that you may have found it hidden in your mother's underwear drawer" — though I may have blanched a little when I came to this passage about its critical reception: "A whiff of misogyny hangs over the book's many reviews written by men, most pointedly in the British press. A young Martin Amis damned the book as mere autobiography and declared, 'I neither know nor care whether all the horrible and embarrassing things in this book have actually happened to Miss Jong.'" Those lines sent me scurrying to our own archives, where I discovered our reviewer — yes, a man — had enjoyed the novel's bawdiness but been unable to get past what he called "the whining" in it. Whining. Sheesh. I've just unearthed my own copy of "Fear of Flying," which may well be the one I found in my mom's closet (not her underwear drawer) all those years ago, and I'm going to reread it this weekend. If you. have time, tell us what you're reading! (We may publish your response on our Letters page, or feature it in an upcoming newsletter.) You can email us at books@nytimes.com. We read every letter sent. Tina Jordan Deputy Editor, The New York Times Book Review @TinaJordanNYT Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Like this email? Sign-up here or forward it to your friends. Have a suggestion or two on how we can improve it? Let us know at newsletters@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. FOR AUDIOBOOK LOVERS Audiobooks Listen to a Wellness-Culture Satire That Delves a Few Levels Deeper In Jessie Gaynor's debut novel, "The Glow," read by Gabra Zackman, a P.R. rep immerses herself in the woo-woo world of a cultlike "spiritual retreat," and its enigmatic leader. By Olivia Craighead Audiobooks An Ode to the Women of Hip-Hop That Plays Like a Mixtape On the genre's 50th anniversary, "The Motherlode" honors contributions by the women, like Salt-N-Pepa, Roxanne Shanté and Megan Thee Stallion, who've made it what it is today. By Evan Nicole Brown LOOKING FOR YOUR NEXT READ? If you like historical fiction, thrillers, crime novels, romance, horror, science fiction or fantasy, we've got ideas. And there's plenty more. Editors' choice 9 New Books We Recommend This Week Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times. Paperback Row 6 New Paperbacks to Read This Week Recommended reading from the Book Review, including titles by John Edgar Wideman, Yasunari Kawabata, Allegra Goodman and more. 16 New Books Coming in November Barbra Streisand's mammoth biography, Stephanie Land's follow-up to "Maid," Sigrid Nunez's new novel and more. By The New York Times Books Staff Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Gain unlimited access to The Times — with just one subscription. Independent reporting. Recipes. Games. Product reviews. Personalized sports journalism. Enjoy it all with an introductory offer. THIS WEEK IN THE BOOK REVIEW Michael Nagle for The New York Times nonfiction The Window Treatments to the Soul In her perceptive cultural history, "Eyeliner," Zahra Hankir shows that liquid versus pencil is only the beginning. By Cat Marnell Camille Deschiens Fiction Paul Auster Walks the Long Valley of Grief in a New Novel In "Baumgartner," a professor contends with mortality and the haunting memory of his wife. By Fiona Maazel Nonfiction 'What's Cooking in the Kremlin'? A Heady Mix of Propaganda and Paranoia. The new book by Witold Szablowski features the chefs who were expected to prepare sumptuous meals for Russian leaders — and keep them from being poisoned. By Jennifer Szalai THE BOOK REVIEW PODCAST Joanna Kulesza for The New York Times The Success of Rebecca Yarros and Barbra Streisand's Mammoth Memoir Alexandra Alter talks about her profile of the best-selling author behind "Fourth Wing" and Alexandra Jacobs discusses her review of "My Name is Barbra." Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ETC. Rebecca Clarke By the Book Annie Ernaux Can Read Anywhere, So Long as It's Quiet "The first condition is silence," says the 2022 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, whose most recent book is "The Young Man." "The when and where do not matter." Steve Schapiro/Corbis, via Getty Images What We Learned From Barbra Streisand's Memoir "My Name Is Barbra," her long-awaited (and rather enormous) autobiography, doesn't have an index. But here are the best bits. By The New York Times Books Staff CHILDREN'S BOOKS Picture Books The 2023 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Books Take a peek at this year's winners. Children's Books/Essay Innocence, Here and Abroad Taboos about what can't be shown in picture books vary around the world. By Daniel Hahn Picture Books Mac Barnett Has 'Nothing' to Talk About From mouse holes and doughnut holes to a world without night, these five picture books have it all. By Mac Barnett BEST SELLERS Inside the best-seller list Read all of our lists Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Books from The New York Times. To stop receiving Books, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018