The Weekly Reader
Wednesdays at 2:33 p.m.
For lovers of literary fiction and memoir, The Weekly Reader is a four-minute round-up of the best new books on the national scene. University of Baltimore professor, author, and longtime All Things Considered commentator Marion Winik joins WYPR’s producer Lisa Morgan, former co-host of The Signal, in studio to share two picks each week.
They curate the best of the buzzy books you're hearing about elsewhere, and keeping an eye out for those of special interest to Baltimoreans. When Winik, who reviews for People, Kirkus Review, and the Washington Post, brings her trademark humor, thoughtful insights, and refreshing honesty to book criticism, it’s like having a new best friend with very good taste to guide you on your literary adventures.
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Europe in Wartime: "33 Place Brugmann" by Alice Austen and "Maya and Natasha" by Elyse DurhamWorld War II and its aftermath left an indelible mark on the world and inspired countless artists to try to make sense of such a calamity.
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Listening to Joan DidionJoan Didion died in 2021, but interest in her life and work has only increased since then.
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Inheritance: "The Magnificent Ruins" by Nayantara Roy and "Like Mother, Like Mother" by Susan RiegerWe can inherit so many things from our ancestors: physical traits, like hair and eye color, a quick temper, musical talent, a bunch of money, maybe even a big old house.
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I Dream of Joni MitchellJoni Mitchell gets the biographical treatment in a pair of books as unconventional as the artist herself.
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Short Stories: New Books From Curtis Sittenfeld, Erika Krouse, and by Amor TowlesWe love Short Stories, and we're going to make you love them, too.
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Career Opportunities: "Mona Acts Out" by Mischa Berlinski and "How to Sleep at Night" by Elizabeth HarrisWho hasn’t dreamed of running away, leaving it all behind, totally reinventing yourself?
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When Bad Things Happen to Good WritersGreat art is often created in the wake of terrible tragedy – think Guernica, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, The Vietnam Memorial.
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When Bad Things happen to Good WritersGreat art is often created in the wake of terrible tragedy – think Guernica, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, The Vietnam Memorial.
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Coming of Age: "Playworld" by Adam Ross and "The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus" by Emma KnightRemember the 1980s? Remember college? Even if you weren’t alive, or never attended university, you’ll feel like you’ve gone back in time with this week’s picks.
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Coming of Age: "Playworld" by Adam Ross and "The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus" by Emma KnightComing of age can be a challenge, no matter where, or when, you do it.