Episode #41: In Conversation with Sam Sacks About Our Most Anticipated Books of 2026
One Bright Book
Welcome to One Bright Book! Join our hosts Dorian, Rebecca, and Frances as they discuss their most anticipated books of 2026 with Sam Sacks, prominent book critic for The Wall Street Journal, writing the weekly "Fiction Chronicle," and a founding editor of Open Letters Monthly. For our next episode, we will discuss The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope. We would love to have you read along with us, and join us for our conversation coming to you in late January. Want to support the show? Visit us at or click on the links below and buy some books! Books mentioned: by...
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Episode #40: I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman
One Bright Book
Welcome to One Bright Book! Join our hosts Rebecca, Frances, and Dorian as they discuss I WHO HAVE NEVER KNOWN MEN by Jacqueline Harpman, translated from the French by Ros Schwartz, and chat about their current reading. For our next episode, we will be joined by book critic Sam Sacks for our fourth (!!!) annual most anticipated books episode. We will each come to the table with three books that we are excited to see published in 2026. Will we duplicate each other's choices? Will each of have enough choices in reserve to pivot if necessary? Will someone cheat and present more than three...
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Bonus Episode #4: Dorian Stuber and Rohan Maitzen Discuss Vanity Fair
One Bright Book
Welcome to One Bright Book! Rebecca and Frances move out of the picture for this bonus episode where Dorian gets a chance to finally discuss VANITY FAIR by William Makepeace Thackeray with his one time professor and always friend, Rohan Maitzen. A rare and special opportunity to revisit the book from the syllabus that he blew off reading. "You can never entirely escape your sins!" Ready for some time well-spent in the 19th century? Want to support the show? Visit us at or click on the links below and buy some books! Books Mentioned: by William Makepeace Thackeray by Charles Dickens ...
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Episode #39: The Stone Door, by Leonora Carrington
One Bright Book
Welcome to One Bright Book! Join our hosts Frances, Dorian, and Rebecca as they discuss THE STONE DOOR by Leonora Carrington, and chat about their current reading. For our next episode, we will discuss I WHO HAVE NEVER KNOWN MEN by Jacqueline Harpman, translated from the French by Ros Schwartz, with an afterword by Sophie Mackintosh. We would love to have you read along with us, and join us for our conversation coming to you sometime this fall. Yes, that time frame is vague but we like to be truthful. Want to support the show? Visit us at or click on the links below and buy some books!...
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Episode #38: Miaow, by Benito Pérez Galdós
One Bright Book
Welcome to One Bright Book! Join our hosts Dorian, Rebecca, and Frances as they discuss MIAOW by , translated from the Spanish by , and chat about their current reading. For our next episode, we will discuss The Stone Door by Leonora Carrington. We would love to have you read along with us, and join us for our conversation coming to you sometime in late September. Want to support the show? Visit us at or click on the links below and buy some books! Books mentioned: by Benito Pérez Galdós, translated from the Spanish by Margaret Jull Costa by Frederic Jameson ...
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Episode #37: There's Always This Year, by Hanif Abdurraqib
One Bright Book
Welcome to One Bright Book! Join our hosts Rebecca, Frances, and Dorian as they discuss THERE'S ALWAYS THIS YEAR: ON BASKETBALL AND ASCENSION by Hanif Abdurraqib, and chat about their current reading. For our next episode, we will discuss MIAOW by Benito Pérez Galdós, translated from the Spanish by Margaret Jull Costa. We would love to have you read along with us, and join us for our conversation coming to you sometime in August. Maybe. It's summer, people! Want to support the show? Visit us at or click on the links below and buy some books! Books Mentioned: by Hanif Abdurraqib ...
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Episode #36: The Country of the Pointed Firs, by Sarah Orne Jewett
One Bright Book
Welcome to One Bright Book! Join our hosts Frances, Dorian, and Rebecca as they discuss THE COUNTRY OF THE POINTED FIRS by Sarah Orne Jewett, and chat about their current reading. For our next episode, we will discuss There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib. We would love to have you read along with us, and join us for our conversation coming to you in early July. Want to support the show? Visit us at or click on the links below and buy some books! Books mentioned: by Sarah Orne Jewett by Sarah Orne Jewett by Sherwood Anderson by Willa...
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Episode #35: O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
One Bright Book
Welcome to One Bright Book! Join our hosts Dorian, Frances, and Rebecca as they discuss O PIONEERS! by Willa Cather, and chat about their current reading. For our next episode, we will discuss The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett. We would love to have you read along with us, and join us for our conversation coming to you in early June. Want to support the show? Visit us at or click on the links below and buy some books! Books mentioned: • by Willa Cather • by Willa Cather • by Willa Cather • by Willa Cather • by Walt Whitman • by Uzma...
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Episode #34: The Trees, by Percival Everett
One Bright Book
Welcome to One Bright Book! Join our hosts Rebecca, Dorian, and Frances as they discuss THE TREES by Percival Everett, and chat about their current reading. For our next episode, we will discuss O PIONEERS! by Willa Cather. We would love to have you read along with us, and join us for our conversation coming to you in late April. Books mentioned: by Percival Everett by Percival Everett by Percival Everett by Percival Everett by Percival Everett by Paul Beatty by Lauren Elkin by Solvej Balle, translated from the Dutch by Barbara J. Haveland by Mircea Cărtărescu,...
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Episode #33: We Do Not Part, by Han Kang
One Bright Book
Welcome to One Bright Book! Join our hosts Frances, Dorian, and Rebecca as they discuss WE DO NOT PART by Han Kang, translated from the Korean by e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris, and chat about their current reading. For our next episode, we will discuss The Trees by Percival Everett. We would love to have you read along with us, and join us for our conversation coming to you in early April. Books mentioned: by Han Kang, translated from the Korean by e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris by Han Kang, translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith by Han Kang, translated from the...
info_outlineThis second bonus episode of the podcast is a conversation that Rebecca and Frances recently had with writer and translator, Anton Hur. We are excited to share that Anton is the first guest we have had on One Bright Book! His insights into translation and the role of the translator were direct and honest, revealing both surprises and calls for action to improve the landscape of the craft.
Books mentioned:
- Toward Eternity by Anton Hur
- Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung, translated from the Korean by Anton Hur
- Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park, translated from the Korean by Anton Hur
- Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, translated from the Hindi by Daisy Rockwell
- Jennifer Croft original work and translations
- The Long Form by Kate Briggs
- Counterweight by Djuna, translated from the Korean by Anton Hur
- Beyond the Story: 10 Year Record of BTS by Kang Myeong, translated from the Korean by Anton Hur in collaboration with Claire Richards and Slin Jung
- Indeterminate Inflorescence by Lee Seong-bok, translated from the Korean by Anton Hur
- White Cat, Black Dog: Stories by Kelly Link
- Vengeance is Mine by Marie NDiaye, translated from the French by Jordan Stump
- That Time of Year by Marie NDiaye, translated from the French by Jordan Stump
- The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers’ Guild by Mathias Énard, translated from the French by Frank Wynne
Visit us online at onebrightbook.com.
Browse our bookshelves at Bookshop.org.
Comments? Write us at onebrightmail at gmail
Find us on Twitter at @pod_bright
Frances: @nonsuchbook
Dorian: @ds228
Rebecca: @ofbooksandbikes
Dorian's blog: https://eigermonchjungfrau.blog/
Rebecca's newsletter: https://readingindie.substack.com/
Our theme music was composed and performed by Owen Maitzen. You can find more of his music here: https://soundcloud.com/omaitzen.