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 review two new books that provide windows into the real lives of two very different women: Golem Girl by Riva… -
American identity is often complex, and sometimes, hyphenated. On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review Chinese-American author Susie Yang's White… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews three books by one of her favorite authors, Curtis Sittenfeld: Rodham,… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two novels about the characters and secrets of small towns with big stories: The Cold Millions by Jess… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we travel from Southern California to the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and small town Texas with two new collections… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews two new books that seek to illuminate the uncommon lives of American women who… -
As much as we’d like to believe otherwise, death is an inescapable part of life. On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews two new novels about navigating the sometimes complicated waters of modern… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, debuts from two authors you will want to get to know: Marion Winik reviews Raven Leilani 's Luster, and Deesha… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews two new novels from different corners of the world that illustrate our common…
