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
-
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
-
What does it mean when a book is a “best seller?” This week, we look behind the scenes at just how a title makes the cut. "Manhattan Beach," Jennifer… -
Great stories take place in great cities. On today’s edition of The Weekly Reader, we have two novels set in New York, perhaps one of the greatest cities… -
Alice Hoffman’s "Practical Magic" is one of the most beloved depictions of modern-day witchcraft around. Fans will be delighted to learn about "The Rules… -
On this edition of "The Weekly Reader," book critic Marion Winik takes us inside the world of small town politics, with Jonathan Dee’s new novel "The… -
There are a lot of great quotes out there about “writing what you know.” On the edition of "The Weekly Reader," our book critic Marion Winik reviews three… -
James McBride won the 2013 National Book Award for his novel The Good Lord Bird about the abolitionist John Brown. On this edition of "The Weekly Reader,"… -
If you have ever been to New Orleans, you know that there is something special, almost magical, about the city. On this edition of "The Weekly Reader," we… -
Almost every Irish Catholic friend I can think of has a “crazy nun story.” On this edition of "The Weekly Reader," we feature books about nuns, including… -
Click on the image for the list.Forest Dark, by Nicole Krauss, BloomsburyDinner at the Center of the Earth, Nathan Englander, Knopf -
Click on the image for the list.My Absolute Darling, Gabriel Tallent, RiverheadA Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara
