Summer is the season for road trips, and also for road trip stories. Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” may be the most famous example in American literature — but there are lots of other great road trip books, so this week the Book Review’s staff critics Dwight Garner, Alexandra Jacobs and Jennifer Szalai presented readers with a list of 18 of their favorites. On this episode of the podcast they chat with host Gilbert Cruz about the project, their picks and the top-down, wind blown, carefree appeal of the road trip narrative as a genre.
Books discussed in this episode:
“On the Road,” by Jack Kerouac
“Sing, Unburied, Sing,” by Jesmyn Ward
“Lost Children Archive,” by Valeria Luiselli
“I Am Homeless if This Is Not My Home,” by Lorrie Moore
“Tramps Like Us," by Joe Westmoreland
“Driving Mr. Albert,” by Michael Paterniti
“Gypsy: A Memoir," by Gypsy Rose Lee
“The Dog of the South,” by Charles Portis
“All Fours,” by Miranda July
“Hearts,” by Hilma Wolitzer
“The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories From My Life,” by John le Carré
“Machine Dreams,” by Jayne Anne Phillips
“Lonesome Dove,” by Larry McMurtry
“Lolita,” by Vladimir Nabokov
“The Grapes of Wrath,” by John Steinbeck
“The Price of Salt,” by Patricia Highsmith
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Popular Podcasts
Fudd Around And Find Out
UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd brings her championship swag to iHeart Women’s Sports with Fudd Around and Find Out, a weekly podcast that takes fans along for the ride as Azzi spends her final year of college trying to reclaim the National Championship and prepare to be a first round WNBA draft pick. Ever wonder what it’s like to be a world-class athlete in the public spotlight while still managing schoolwork, friendships and family time? It’s time to Fudd Around and Find Out!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.