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 travel to "exotic" locales, and commune with the locals, with two new novels. Marion Winik reviews Garth Ginder's… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we feature two new books that explore the some of the hidden trauma of everyday life in the Middle East in the… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we kick off the summer reading season with two new, fun books: Sloane Tanen's There's A Word for That and Marcy… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews Angie Kim's fiction debut, Miracle Creek. The new novel is our selection for… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, book critic Marion Winik reviews two novels by the young Irish novelist Sally Rooney, Conversations with Friends and… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews a pair of novels that explore aspects of the American past that you may have… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader we preview two great new memoirs. Our book critic Marion Winik shares her thoughts on Megan Stack's Women's Work and… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik offers her take on Sarah Blake's The Guest Book, a gripping tale of family values,… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we preview two new novels that are set in high school. Marion Winik shares her thoughts on Susan Choi's Trust… -
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, book critic Marion Winik shares two novels about coming of age in the multicultural milieu of the United States. We…
