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, two new books about climate change and its implications for life on earth: Owls of the Eastern Ice by Jonathan… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, fact and fiction about life in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. We review Michelle Gallen's Big Girl Small Town… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two short books by a favorite author, Jenny Offill. Marion Winik shares her thoughts on The Department of… -
Short Stories: Great Collections From Danielle Evans and Souvankham ThammavongsaOn this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two of Marion Winik's favorite short story collections of the year: Danielle Evans' The Office of… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, two very different takes on growing up in America: Natasha Trethewey's memoir Memorial Drive and Gabriel Bump's… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new books that search for meaning by reflecting on the past: Cold Moon: On Love, Life and… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new memoirs that showcase the special bond between dogs and their human companions: Good Boy: A Life… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, may we suggest an audio book or two? Our book critic Marion Winik makes the case for listening to Sarah Blake's The… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels that bring New York City to life: Debra Jo Immergut's You Again, and Caroline Leavitt's… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels that manage to capture the current cultural zeitgeist: Memorial by Bryan Washington, and…
