The Foxed Page
Episodes
NEAR TO THE WILD HEART by Clarice Lispector >> It is ABOUT TIME we took a close look at this Brazilian genius.
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Wow was this rewarding. Lispector's cult following knows what it's talking about! her body of work is globally, universally acclaimed for an approach ...
VIGIL >> Whether you loved this--or wish you loved it a little more--this talk is for you.
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Saunders fans came to this with very high expectations. Rightly! This MacArthur-winning genius won the Booker for the insanely great Lincoln in the Ba...
VIGIL by George Saunders >> Whether you loved Vigil--or wish you loved it a little more--this talk is for you.
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Saunders lovers came to VIGIL with high expectations. Rightly! The man is a MacArthur-Prize winning genius who wrote the Booker Prize-winning LINCOLN ...
NOW I SURRENDER by Álvaro Enrigue >> Even if "alt-western" doesn't pull you right in, this one is seriously worth your while..
21 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Even *I*--longtime Enrigue superfan--was a little suspicious of this one. Turns out a "multifaceted war story," a "Western that Goes Where McCarthy Wo...
"DANCE IN AMERICA" by Lorrie Moore >> How on EARTH did it take this long for us to do a Moore episode??
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There are dozens of reasons why Moore is one of my favorite writers of all time. Indulge yourself in the 20 minutes it takes to read (or listen to!) t...
STONE YARD DEVOTIONAL by Charlotte Wood >> Wow does this novel reward some close reading. Wood is a genius!
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This Booker Prize shortlister SEEMS quiet, spacious and spare but wow is it rich. The closer you look (allow me to guide you), the better it gets. Don...
STONE YARD DEVOTIONAL by Charlotte Wood >> Wow does this one reward the serious reader.
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This Booker Prize shortlister SEEMS quiet, spacious and spare but wow is it rich. The closer you look (allow me to guide you) the better it gets. Don'...
OFFSHORE by Penelope Fitzgerald >> This book makes you wonder why we ever read anyone else. Ever.
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Much is made of this insanely great novel(la)'s economy but it's the RICHNESS that draws me back again and again and again. Everything is so perfectl...
DON'T BUY IT!!
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Prepare to be liberated.
AUNT JULIA AND THE SCRIPTWRITER by Mario Vargas Llosa
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Leave it to a Nobel Prize winner to turn out a book that is so charming, rich, funny, complex and sophisticated. I love this book so much. Listen in t...
"THE ALEPH" by Jorge Luis Borges >> Why has it taken so long for us to dive (back) into Borges? Listen in to find out!
15 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Finally, we tackle this GIANT of South American Literature. "The Aleph" is smart (obviously) but also self-deprecating, ultra-rich and HILARIOUS. The ...
WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Brontë >> I have something to confess about this one. Listen in.
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Emerald Fennel's new movie version of Wuthering Heights (and my SON'S OFF-BROADWAY DEBUT) sent me right back to the novel and WOW is there a lot to sa...
WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Brontë >> I have something to confess. Listen in to hear what it is.
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Emerald Fennel's new movie version of Wuthering Heights (and my SON'S OFF-BROADWAY DEBUT) sent me right back to the novel and WOW is there a lot to sa...
THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans >> This gem of a runaway best seller seems straightforward but I'll tell you what: Evans is pulling off a FEAT.
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
I have never loved an epistolary novel (a novel in letters). But at every turn Evans avoided the pitfalls. Not only that, but The Correspondent ends u...
DISCONTENT by Beatriz Serrano >> If you loved this book, maybe don't listen to the last twenty minutes of this.
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
DISCONTENT started with such potential that my very high expectations were somewhat dashed. Serrano starts so strong: she paints the work place, inter...
HANGSAMAN by Shirley Jackson >> HOW HAD I NEVER READ THIS BOOK??
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Actually, probably, I'd never read it because I was scarred by "The Lottery" in grade school and was afraid of her novels. I should NOT have been. Th...
"ARGOS" by Joy Williams (from The Pelican Child) >> People, there's a REASON that some think this collection will earn Williams the Nobel!
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING NECESSARY! Once again we dive into a single short story. I promise we'll get back to novels very soon but this is just too good! Somehow, i...
"GIRL" by Jamaica Kincaid >> NEW EXPERIENCE! Don't know this incredible short story? I'll read it to you! Complete with thoughts as to why it's soooo good.
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING REQUIRED! Kick off 2026 with a new foxed page experience: an entire short story read to you--with my analysis--in one brief(ish) lecture! C...
FLESH by David Szalay >> Just after this won the Booker NO BOOKSTORES had a copy. I got my hands on one. And I might have some VERY HOT TAKES.
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I fully agree with the Booker Prize judges that FLESH is "singular" and "extraordinary." I can see why it won! I do, though, have a few arguments to ...
Knick knack, tchotchke, objet d'art?? >>Ever wondered why you prize that seashell on your windowsill? Listen in!
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The importance of our everyday objects--together with compelling reason why we homebodies love home--was such an eye-opener! Listen in to hear how our...
TRAIN DREAMS by Denis Johnson >> The movie's supposed to be the most gorgeous of the year, but what are we to make of this haunting, uncanny, beautiful novella?
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This work might only be 116 pages, but wow is it a LOT. You could study it for years and not fully comprehend its unique structure, its strange atmos...
HAND TO HAND >> Have you ever REALLY thought about gesturing? Tune in to see why it's my recent fascination!
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From gladiators to babies to dogs to basketball--this quick talk touches on a LOT. All in the context of everyday gestures! Listen in to find out the ...
A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens >> Sure we all know it. But do we KNOW it?? Listen in to see why it's so STRANGE but so enduring. And find out who wins SCROOGE v. GRINCH!
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Few stories are so ingrained in our collective unconscious. But do you know how it was published? the many ways it has shaped the way we celebrate? wh...
DOUBLE THE WHAT?! (an entirely new foxed page experience!)
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a whole new thing! It's only 13 minutes! Thirteen being plenty of minutes for a deep dive into the MOST INSANE EXPERIENCE I had recently with ...
SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE by Claire Keegan >> Did you read this years ago and love it? Indulge in a re-immersion into this brief, wintery masterpiece!
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I keep wanting wintery books/shows/crafts/projects that aren't too silly or saccharine. This absolutely fits that bill. And it's a complete MASTERPIEC...
MIDWINTER MURDER by Agatha Christie (NO READING REQUIRED!) >> Tune in to hear how detective novels are inherently conservative but why I LOVE CHRISTIE ANYWAY.
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you've never read her or Christie is your favorite, I like to think this'll be eye opening. You'll learn why the "queen of crime" is exception...
CLEAR by Carys Davies >> You won't believe the way this brief novel expands in depth, in breadth and in beauty when you look at it closely. Listen in now!
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I do not know why, but I picked up this beauty of a book a couple of times and put it down. WOW am I glad I finally read it. This novel is feels subtl...
ULTRAMARINE by Mariette Navarro >> If you finished this eerie, gorgeous novella and didn't have questions, I'm not sure you dug in deep enough! Join me to hash through the best of it!
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When a novella tells you in the jacket copy that twenty sailors went swimming and twenty-one came back, you know you're in for some mystery. But that'...
HAMNET by Maggie O'Farrell >> I was WRECKED--in the very best of ways--by my re-reading of this masterpiece. Listen in to be sure you get the most out of this insanely great novel
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I re-read Hamnet because of the MOVIE adaptation, but was SHOOK by how deftly O'Farrell surmounts the MANY pitfalls of historical fiction. We dive d...
FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley >> Get this: FRANKENSTEIN is one of 10 books that have been taught in high schools basically forever. It's still taught--for very good reason.
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING REQUIRED! Kimberly explains why FRANKENSTEIN is more relevant than ever. Treat yourself to discussion of: Mary Shelley's insanely colorful ...
CARRIE by Stephen King >> Find out why King deserves serious literary respect. Plus, obviously: halloween!
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You might think of CARRIE is just SCARY , but narrative stance, sophisticated structure, use of motif and "scientific evidence" are all integral in m...
THE COPENHAGEN TRILOGY (and "The Umbrella"!!) by Tove Ditlevsen >> You'll appreciate the trilogy all the more with a little FICTION under your belt.
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ditlevsen's three-volume memoir has made a huge impression on American readers. When I found it slightly underwhelming, I wondered if I would apprecia...
LET US DESCEND by Jesmyn Ward > > Readers, I LOVED this rewriting of Dante's Divine Comedy. Listen to why this best seller DESERVES its place on all those BEST OF 2023 lists!
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I was really moved by Salvage the Bones. Tune in to find out why Ward's work just keeps getting better and better.
SMALL MERCIES by Dennis Lehane >> Lehane has hinted this might be his last novel--tune in to hear why the crime thriller works so well in his hands.
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Weirdly, amazon added the subtitle "A Detective Mystery" to Small Mercies. When one of the best things about this book is that it's NOT a detective at...
THE WHITE ALBUM by Joan Didion (part 1 of 3) > Maybe Didion is just what we need in these dark days?
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Didion is never afraid to stare down the most troubling parts of our country--incisively and boldly. Which somehow always makes me feel better?? Here...
THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS and ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE >> Ever thought about these two classics in dialogue with one another? Want to know more about magic realism? Tune in!
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Allende's THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS didn't just build upon the magic realism established by García Márquez's ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE. Al...
MRS. DALLOWAY by Virginia Woolf >> The novel might be 100 years old but wow do we need it today.
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you've loved Mrs. Dalloway forever or Woolf is new to you, there's nothing more satisfying than thinking about this book for 45 minutes. We d...
FROG AND TOAD by Arthur Lobel >> I hate to self-aggrandize, but this might be some of my finest work.
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What an honor to add my voice to the important chorus extolling everyone's favorite kid book, Frog and Toad. Allow me to explain how structure, monosy...
WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LOVE by Raymond Carver >> If you've never read Carver, tuck in to just ONE of his insanely great stories then skedaddle back here.
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
People. Raymond Carver's short fiction is so good that it's essentially responsible for the American short fiction heyday in the 1980s. Listen in to w...
JAMES by Percival Everett >> Dig in to all the ways Everett's re-imagining is a HUGE IMPROVEMENT on the source material.
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Even if HUCK FINN is your favorite ever, you have to admit that what Everett has done is amazing. Listen in for all the nuance you need about HUCK (w...
MOBY DICK by Herman Melville >> Whether this doorstop is your favorite of all time, or whether you don't quite get the hype--listen in to why it deserves its status as one of the very best.
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Melville's classic is always right at the top of BEST EVER novels lists. We really dig into what is so appealing about this masterpiece: its weird st...
HEARTBURN by Nora Ephron >> Rom-com tropes and history are waaay more interesting than you think. See how Ephron blazed a trail!
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and Julie andJulia, Nora Ephron wrote the BEST NOVEL. Heartburn is light and funny, but also complex...
THE BOOK OF BASKETBALL by Bill Simmons >> Sure, you might need to like basketball to love this lecture--but it's a good one!
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING REQUIRED! NO SPOILERS! (lol) Kimberly expected this to be some kind of sports encyclopedia--which, let's be honest, it is. But it's also a...
THE SUMMER BOOK by Tove Jansson >> Sad that summer’s ending? Quick! Treat yourself to this slim masterpiece and listen in!
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re even remotely sad that summer’s ending, if you have any feelings about the beauty of nature, if you have aging parents, if you think eve...
THE BUCCANEERS by Edith Wharton and APPLETV >> Did you even know that the excellent, frothy AppleTV series is based on a classic?? Allow Kimberly to fill in juicy parts that only Wharton can supply!
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING REQUIRED! Kimberly is actually really NOT suggesting you read The Buccaneers. You SHOULD, though, read Wharton's The Age of Innocence or T...
THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODY by Muriel Spark >> Whether you've always loved Spark's sassy, ridiculously inventive prose or whether you're new to her, Kimberly will show you why she's truly a GENIUS.
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ready to head back to school? DREADING back to school ? Allow Kimberly to make the most of this transition. Spark's masterpiece is brief but wow does ...
PEDRO PARAMO by Juan Rulfo >> Rulfo suggested you read his MASTERPIECE three times if you want to get it. Allow Kimberly to provide a short cut!
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This 1955 novella--it's slim, tricky and SO GOOD--is the bedrock of Mexican literature. Its complexities and virtuoso innovations make it particularl...
10:04 by Ben Lerner >> Can you even begin to recall the warmth, the complexity, the genius of this novel from 2014?? Listen in for a deep dive into all the ways that Lerner is SO GOOD.
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lerner says, "Art has to offer more than stylized despair." 10:04 offers so much more! (With, also, some excellent stylized despair.) Kimberly low-key...
THE MOBIUS BOOK by Catherine Lacey >> Whether you were wowed by this inventive fiction-memoir or a little disappointed, allow Kimberly to help you dig deeper into this original text.
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NO SPOILERS! Kimberly picked up this hybrid memoir-novel because she was intrigued by Lacey's inventiveness. Listen in to see which parts of the text ...
SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut >> Everyone, honestly, should (re)read this book. It's dark, hilarious, impactful, moving, urgent, inventive and more. Allow Kimberly to show you why the it's so important and so good.
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There are SO MANY REASONS why so many people love this book. Allow Kimberly to help you see how Vonnegut's deceptively simple prose does so much heavy...
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS by Shirley Hazzard >> People. This is one of Kimberly's very most favorite books. Her most recent trip through it felt like a GIFT. Indulge yourself now!
13 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hazzard's 1980 novel is one of the most gorgeous, most intricate, most rewarding, most RICH novels that Kimberly has ever read. Listen in to hear her ...
THE ANTIDOTE by Karen Russell >> Did this ambitious novel leave you with any questions? Allow Kimberly to maybe supply some answers! (Or—ha!—maybe more questions!)
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Magic realism is an excellent way to articulate the inarticulable, to assert dissent, and to question order. Historical fiction is an amazing vehicle ...
TEAR THIS HEART OUT (ARRANCAME LA VIDA) by Angeles Mastretta >> Looking for a summer read that doesn't feel like a trifle?? This dive into the history, glamour and drama of Mexico in the 1930s is your answer!
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mastretta's ultra-engaging, sex-forward, historical, feminist family romance from 1985 might be a touchstone of feminist literature, but it's also SO ...
ORBITAL by Samantha Harvey >> For whatever reason, Kimberly was reluctant to pick up this book. She is SO glad she did.
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Orbital is the kind of novel that could inspire hours and hours of conversation. Kimberly can't imagine a single person who feels like they apprehende...
I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by Dodie Smith >> Want to know why The Atlantic put this at the top of their summer reading list? Listen in!
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NO SPOILERS! Kimberly could not agree more with The Atlantic. This novel is the most crowd-pleasery of any book she ever recommends. It is SO GOOD. Ri...
TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf (part 2) >> No novel keeps giving like this one. Join me for a delicious hour digging in to this literature-changing masterpiece.
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
People. This is when things get fun. Kimberly breaks down a bunch of aspects of the work: figurative language, the unique structure, patriarchy v. mat...
TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf (part 1) >> Kimberly would argue that there’s no better way to usher in summer than reading this book.
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
THE SCARLET LETTER >> Honestly, did your fifteen-year-old self really appreciate this insanely great classic? Listen in--NO READING REQUIRED--to why this book is SO GOOD.
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING REQUIRED! Hawthorne's 1850 classic is the epitome of high school books that are wasted on high school students. This thing is a MASTERPIECE...
THE HUSBANDS by Holly Gramazio >> You've heard Kimberly talk about how hard it is to write humor. Gramazio shows us how it's done!
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NO SPOILERS! With humor as a lens, Kimberly dives in to all the ways this bestseller functions so well. You'll learn how to think about humor more gen...
THE AWAKENING by Kate Chopin >> Remember this absolute CORNERSTONE of feminist literature?? Turns out this classic is just as important and juicy as when it was published IN 1899!
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberly was honestly kind of shocked by how iconoclastic, gorgeous and important this novel feels. Whether it's a women's-studies-seminar favorite or...
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and the GENIUS of Cormac McCarthy >> Love McCarthy? Never read him? Tune in to see why he's just so incredibly good.
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING REQUIRED! As soon as Kimberly dove back in to No Country for Old Men, she knew she needed to parse what makes McCarthy SO GOOD. This explor...
ANNA KARENINA >> Intimidated??? DON'T be! Just let Kimberly tell you all the reasons these 1,000 pages are great.
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING REQUIRED! Whether this doorstop is an old favorite--or something you NEVER plan to read--treat yourself to Kimberly's take on why this clas...
THE GREAT GATSBY >> We all need to get back to the novel that was wasted on us in high school. No rereading required!
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING REQUIRED! Fitzgerald's genius might very well be wasted on the youth. Even if you haven't re-read this classic since you were 16, delving i...
THE YOUNG MAN by Annie Ernaux >> Leave it to a NOBEL PRIZE WINNER to dish up some seriously inspiring prose!
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING REQUIRED! Tune in as we unpack the many ways that Ernaux celebrates the age gap relationship. The French master offers philosophical explan...
PLAYWORLD by Adam Ross >> Another look at sex writing and the age-gap relationship!
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tune in for Kimberly's breakdown of how PLAYWORLD really succeeds--and the ways she sees it falling short. With its marketing materials really pushing...
INTERMEZZO by Sally Rooney (1 of 4 upcoming lectures on SEX and AGE-GAP RELATIONSHIPS!)
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With good sex writing, and TWO age-gap relationships, INTERMEZZO offers Kimberly all sorts of ways to think about female sexual desire. Listen in to h...
THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING by T. H. White >> NO READING REQUIRED! Lose yourself as Kimberly walks you through the genius of this CAMELOT CLASSIC. Need an escape? One that's smart, inventive and funny? Listen in!
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
White published the four-part volume in 1938 and 1958--all in the shadow of WWII. If he only knew how well the chaos of that historical moment would m...
"Carpe Diem" from A MANUAL FOR CLEANING WOMEN by Lucia Berlin>> Join Kimberly for a SPECIAL look at one story by the master of the form!
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special lecture honoring a story from one of the BEST BOOKS OF THE CENTURY (according to the New York Times), Kimberly proves that it's FASCIN...
BY ANY OTHER NAME by Jodi Picoult >> Missed a few of Picoult's Shakespeare references? Want to be sure you appreciated all the reasons why this novel is so effective?? Listen in now!
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join Kimberly as she discusses historical fiction as a genre--before digging in to how the structure, the pacing, the figurative language and the pros...
I COULD READ THE SKY by Timothy O'Grady and Steve Pike >> Need a literary escape?? This gorgeous, elegiac novel-with-photos will transport you to Ireland and the experience of emigration. Listen in now!
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING REQUIRED! Kimberly's deep dive works well before or after reading this gem. The novel's unique reading experience derives in part from the ...
DON QUIJOTE de la MANCHA >> The most important book YOU DO NOT NEED TO READ
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberly LOVES this classic of all classics--largely held as the first modern novel. Cervantes's 1605 masterpiece is not only colorful, hilarious, sma...
THE ANTHROPOLOGISTS by Aysegul Savas's >> Need an escape?? Immerse yourself in an hour of me parsing all the ways that this meditative, warm, escapist book--with its wholly unique premise--offers so much.
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Good books provide inspiration, compassion, consolation, edification...and ESCAPE. If you're a little weary of the world right now, dig into the very ...
GOOD MATERIAL by Dolly Alderton >> Witness my HOTTEST TAKE since starting the podcast. I loved Alderton's book so much I couldn't help but add some truly out-there conjecture.
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When The NY Times named Alderton's GOOD MATERIAL one of the best 10 books of 2024, Kimberly knew it was time to dig in. Listen as she deepens your und...
YOU DREAMED OF EMPIRES by Álvaro Enrigue >> Want an even deeper understanding of this complex, hilarious, dark, unique novel?? Tune in!
05 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As soon as she opened it, Kimberly knew she needed a deep dive into YOU DREAMED OF EMPIRES. Listen in for a deeper understanding of the title, the uni...
REPOST: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (and its SEQUEL??)
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING REQUIRED! Find out why we are SO DRAWN to this unlikely, enduring classic from 1957. Also: Kimberly grapples with the sequel.
BRAIDING SWEETGRASS by Robin Wall Kimmerer >> Did you love this when it came out? Did you mean to read it but didn't quite? Allow me to remind you of the CRUCIAL WISDOM Wall Kimmerer imparts!
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Braiding Sweetgrass is one of those books we should be going back to again and again. If you don't quite have the time to do that, Kimberly will give ...
REPOST: Five-Minute Recommendation of James Joyce’s DUBLINERS
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Dubliners. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense of the w...
DUBLINERS by James Joyce >> It's time: Ireland's literary giant, with what *I* believe is his masterpiece. This NO-READING-REQUIRED lecture will help you appreciate Joyce--while making you feel just a little bit smarter
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberly focuses on creepy, haunting “An Encounter” before her deep dive into the keystone work, the subtle, sad, masterful “The Dead.” Find o...
REPOST: Five-Minute Recommendation for Anna Burns’s MILKMAN >> SAY NOTHING devotees, here's another AMAZING novel.
23 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Milkman. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for d...
MILKMAN by Anna Burns >> Burns's novel about Northern Ireland is an absolute MASTERPIECE. Honestly, it's one of my favorite books.
23 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the more rewarding books I've ever read, Milkman is dark, dense, funny and AMAZING. Join me for a more profound understanding of the novel’s ...
REPOST: 5-Minute Recommendation for Claire Keegan’s FOSTER >> Loving the tv series SAY NOTHING?? This masterful (very short) novel might be even more engrossing!
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Foster. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for a ...
FOSTER by Claire Keegan (part 1 of 3) >> If you appreciate literature at all, you owe yourself the experience of this INCREDIBLE (very short) novella.
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This very brief book is a masterclass of the every aspect of fiction. In part one, I argue why you should read it, take a quick dip into Keegan’s bi...
LIE WITH ME by Philippe Besson >> translated by the one and only MOLLY RINGWALD!
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberly had never read Besson--and didn't know Ringwald was translating!--but she loved this brief, beautiful novel. Listen in as she touches on the ...
GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN by James Baldwin >> This masterpiece deserves the deepest of dives. Join me as we sink in to its genius!
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Often considered Baldwin's masterpiece, this slim, somewhat autobiographical novel is SO GOOD. Listen in now to hear how the structure, the narrative ...
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE by Gabriel García Márquez >> Whether you're one of the millions who say this book is their favorite ever--or maybe you didn't quite get all the hype--let me try to convince you why it's massively important.
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Garcia Marquez changed literature with the 1967 publication of this surreal, ultra-popular, deeply engaging novel. Kimberly LOVED diving in to the con...
NANCY DREW as Intriguing Cultural Phenomenon! >> Did you know that the Nancy Drew books were radically rewritten 20 years after publication? Listen in to this fascinating indication of cultural differences!
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
NO PRE-READING REQUIRED! Kimberly had no idea that the Nancy Drew we all read as kids was seriously different from the 1930 original. This kind of re-...
Enriched Read 8: Ann Patchett's TOM LAKE--and OUR TOWN! >> Whether you loved TOM LAKE or were underwhelmed, just wait till you see it in the light of Our Town!
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At the end of TOM LAKE, Ann Patchett exhorts readers to return to the work of Thornton Wilder--so Kimberly did! She LOVED her deep dive into the hugel...
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen >> NO READING REQUIRED >> Dive into Jane's historical period--while seeing her as a true SATIRIST--to more FULLY appreciate her genius!
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberly dips into the Regency Era--don't remember why it's called that? tune in!--then digs into Jane's use of irony and satire to appreciate why the...
OUTLINE by Rachel Cusk >> Maybe you have lingering questions about the insanely great, entirely original aspects of OUTLINE? Listen up!
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cusk's radical approach to the novel makes OUTLINE the perfect text for serious exploration. Its innovative approach to narrative, structure and even ...
Lecture 71: THE PERFECT COUPLE!! The novel AND TV ADAPTATION! >> On Sept 5, Netflix will air what looks like an AMAZING, star-studded, darkly comic HIT! Listen in to why the NOVEL will translate so well to the small screen!
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Listen in to Kimberly explaining why Hilderbrand's dialogue, structuring, subplots and sense of place will make this show SO GOOD. With juicy details ...
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak>> Let Kimberly reveal some very adult reasons why this "childhood" favorite has sold over 50M copies and remains a global household staple.
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
NO READING REQUIRED! Turns out that everyone's favorite picture book is a psychologically complex, highly psychoanalytic, controversial TREASURE TROVE...
THE MYSTERY GUEST by Gregoire Bouillier >> You asked for more international books! This short French riff on Mrs. Dalloway is a REALLY GOOD ONE!
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
NO SPOILERS! NO READING NECESSARY! Kimberly comes to you from a wine cellar with a nervous dog to discuss autofiction and how the French are more rela...
THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore >> Feel like you fully appreciated what makes this thriller so good? Kimberly wants to point out a few points when you might've been too engrossed to notice!
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
NO SPOILERS! (Obviously. It's s thriller.) This novel was so well done that Kimberly couldn't wait to analyze all the reasons it works so well. The mo...
GOODBYE, VITAMIN by Rachel Khong >> You've seen REAL AMERICANS on every bookstore front table lately? That's because Khong is SO GOOD. Listen in to hear what makes Khong's work so approachable, smart and deeply affecting.
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberly loved GOODBYE, VITAMIN so much that she's elated to see Khong's latest getting so much attention. Until Kimberly works through her stack and ...
LONG ISLAND COMPROMISE by Taffy Brodesser-Akner >> Is this really satire?? (also feat. Lorrie Moore, Paul Beatty and Andrew Sean Greer!)
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you got a pretty good sense of what satire's all about? But could maybe use a breakdown about WHY it works well? And WHEN it works well? Join Kim...
GIOVANNI'S ROOM by James Baldwin >> It's a crime that I JUST read this novel for the first time. Take a listen to more fully comprehend this masterpiece.
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are SO many reasons to read (or REREAD) this slim, gorgeous, Paris-based novel. One way to more fully understand the book is to view it through ...
Kimberly's TOP TEN books of the 21st century! >> The New York Times did NOT ask Kimberly for her top ten when they made their list, but here they are! Tune in to see how your favorites compare!
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was VERY hard for Kimberly to decide on a top ten. So there are five runners-up. She assumed it would be impossible to RANK the top ten, but in a s...
DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver >> Have you read the NYT best of the century title #61?? Were you a reader who voted it NUMBER ONE on the readers' list? Listen in if you want to better understand WHY it's so good!
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
NO PRE-READING REQUIRED! Allow Kimberly to help you revel in this gem--all while increasing your appreciation by pointing out the echoes of Dickens's ...
A MANUAL FOR CLEANING WOMEN by Lucia Berlin >> I would basically give this an ELEVEN. Listen in as she explains why this collection deserves to be read over and over and over again!
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
People. This collection is SO FUNNY and SO DARK. It's unlike any other writing. Whether you've read it or are considering diving in after the book was...
Lecture 65: FORTY-SIX of the New York Times's 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE CENTURY >> Have you read the same titles as Kimberly? Is she about to deeply offend you by panning your favorite?? Listen in to see!
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberly zips through the 46 books she's read, giving a rating to every one. Check it OUT!