Show & Tell: The President Has a Crush!
Unstacked Digest for the week of November 17-23
This is Show & Tell where I tell you some things I loved from the week and the one thing I hated, plus round up everything else going on around these parts. The first half of Show & Tell is free to all. The adoration and hateration are for paid subscribers only.
This week I was reading! I finished four books. I liked all of them. Quite a bit. At this point, it really is a treat when I like everything I read in week (for the most part). You can read mini-reviews for all the books below.
Quick note: Since its a holiday and I am in charge around here1 I will be taking Friday off. More housekeeping stuff below.
This Week in The Stacks
Last week the book lists started dropping, which is in fact the most wonderful time of the year.
I spoke with
this week about her first foray into fiction, The White Hot, and how writing the book compared to her playwriting life.
If you’ve ever wanted BTS of The Stacks, this month’s bonus episode is for you. I brought on all three of my team members — Sahara, Cherie, and Christian — to talk about what they do, how I annoy them, and a lot more.
Books I Read This Week
Woodworking by Emily St. James
A novel about a teacher at a rural school in South Dakota who comes out as trans and befriends the only other trans person in town, her student. This book is charming and enjoyable. There are some great characters and a few twists that kept me on my feet. I couldn’t help but think with the heart and humor in the novel it would be a perfect sit-com. The book is a debut and that shows in that Woodworking is way too long, full of false starts and endings. But overall, a heartwarming comedy that hits most of its marks.
If you missed it, the author, Emily St. James did a bonus episode with me2 about trans representation in pop culture and the literary canon.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume
Yes, I am the last person over the age of 12 on the planet to have never read this book. But, I’m here now. The book is about Margaret a sixth grader in a new town who is making friends, coming into her body, and thinking about her faith. I get the fuss. I laughed out loud a few times. Margaret is as sweet girl you can’t help but root for. But more than anything, Judy Blume taps into something so basic about growing up that I felt nostalgic for that time instead of feeling like I was a puberty voyeur.
The Story of a Heart: Two Families, One Heart, and the Medical Miracle that Saved a Child’s Life by Dr. Rachel Clarke
Two nine-year-olds are inextricably linked when one is in a fatal car crash and the other is in need of a heart for survive. This book is super engaging, informative, and well crafted. It has an emotional resonance without sacrificing the medical and historical analysis. It’s one of those books where I felt grateful to have been allowed to know this story.
Fave of the week!
Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love by Samin Nosrat
Beloved chef behind Salt, Fat, Acid Heat3, Samin Nosrat is back with another cookbook and it is a delight. As a person who loves to cook and loves to read cookbooks almost as much, it check my boxes: good storytelling without being a novel (though maybe this one pushes that boundary), a mix of simple and challenging recipes, gorgeous images, a strong perspective, and a variety that compels me to want to cook. The one thing that is a little confusing here is the organization of the book itself — the first section is sauces and there are parts that mix breakfast with pastas. It is a a bit chaotic for my sensibilities, but maybe I could be convinced this is the way all cookbooks should be. I’ve only made one recipe so far (French Onion Labne dip) and it was extremely delish.
Housekeeping
Last chance to nominate books for The 2025 Stackies! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to shout out your favorite books of 2025.
I dropped a gift guide of only things I love to give or get. It’s simple and good (if I do say so myself).
And since I’m talking about gifts, You can give the gift of Unstacked to all the haters and book lovers in your life. I have this little gift card to print if you want to be able to hand them a physical item.
Things I Love…
Books
The National Book Award announced their winners this week. It was pretty good night with some amazing speeches. Friend of the pod,
won for One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. The book has been a favorite of mine since I read it in January and I am thrilled to see him win. It is urgent and unflinching and you should read it. On another much more braggadocios note, Omar’s win means that three of the last four NBA winners in nonfiction have been guests on the podcast4. I’m not saying I can take credit, but I am saying I have taste.We also good a few more end of year lists.
Kirkus’ Best Nonfiction Books. I’ve read 11 (DNF’d 7)
50 notable works of fiction from 2025 (Washington Post). I read 1.5
50 notable works of nonfiction from 2025 (Washington Post). I’ve read 6 (DNF’d 4).6
10 best books of 2025 (Washington Post). I’ve read 2 (DNF’d 1).
Best books for adults 2025 (New York Public Library). I’ve read 6.
What is really striking to me this year is the lack of consensus on the best books of the year. So few titles are showing up consistently across lists. To be clear last year’s lists that almost all included James, Martyr!, and All Fours was certainly an anomaly, but this year’s parity feels unlike anything I have seen in the eight years I’ve been doing this. I’m sure lots of people will say they like it, it means more books get attention in the end, but I really don’t like this at all. I feel unsettled. There is just not clear story about the year in books, and isn’t that what we’re here for? A good story?
I am ready for 2026. There are so many big names7 dropping big books, and I can’t wait to see whose got it and who falls flat. There will be snubs and shoe-ins, and drama. Sign me up.
Politics
Not Trump out here looking at Mamdani the way I look at Patrick Radden Keefe. I’m glad I’m not the only one with a crush these days.