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.
Latest Episodes
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Cats From Japan: "The Blanket Cats" by Kiyoshi Shigematsu and "Mornings Without Mii" by Mayumi InabaIn Japan they call it iyashakei – a term that can be applied to anything that is comforting and uplifting: a person, a meal, a walk in the park. These books fit the bill! -
Never trust the teller, trust the tale? Not when the "teller" is as compelling as the "tale!" -
The Weekly Reader's Marion Winik will be in conversation with four local writers who have been receiving raves for their new work in fiction and poetry. -
World 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. -
Joan Didion died in 2021, but interest in her life and work has only increased since then. -
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! -
Joni Mitchell gets the biographical treatment in a pair of books as unconventional as the artist herself. -
We love short stories, and we're going to make you love them, too. -
Who hasn’t dreamed of running away, leaving it all behind, totally reinventing yourself? -
Great art is often created in the wake of terrible tragedy – think Guernica, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, The Vietnam Memorial.
The Weekly Reader
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On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we feature two novels that examine the complexities of women's relationships. Our book critic Marion Winik reviews… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we preview our selection for the May meeting of the Weekly Reader Book Club, Sigrid Nunez's "The Friend." book club… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we feature three winners of the National Book Critics Circle Awards. "Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous," by… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we do a little time traveling through history to meet a trio of extraordinary women for the ages. Book critic Marion… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we feature two new novels from the UK. Our book critic Marion Winik reviews "Milkman" by Anna Burns, which is about… -
There's something about Australia...its ancient culture, its vast expanses, its rough terrain. The fact that it was a penal colony! On this edition of The… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader podcast, our book critic Marion Winik reviews "The Falconer" by Dana Czapnik. Not only is this debut novel a stunner,… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we feature two new novels that are short reads but pack a big punch. Book critic Marion Winik reviews "Binstead's… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review Elizabeth McCracken's new novel "Bowlaway." Yes, it's about bowling, but, according to our book critic… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels for those whose taste in Bildungsroman runs more toward Jim Carroll than Jane Eyre. Marion…
