The Weekly Reader
Episodes
Family Secrets: New Memoirs From Hunter Biden and Margaret Kimball
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, two new memoirs about skeletons in the family closet. Marion Winik reviews Hunter Biden's Beautiful Things&...
Boarding School Special
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we explore three novels that plumb the possibilities -- both good, and bad -- of prep school life. Mar...
On the Job: Life Lessons From Mateo Askaripour and Chang Rae Lee
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels about life lessons learned whilst on the job: Mateo Askaripour's Black Buck and Chang R...
Happy Birthday To Us! 'Detransition, Baby' and 'American Baby'
10 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today on The Weekly Reader, we are marking four years on the air! To celebrate, we are featuring two very different books about babies: Detransit...
Family Values: New Fiction From Liese O'Halloran Schwarz And Sarah Langan
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews two novels about two rather uncommon families: What Could Be Saved by Liese...
Smart Books For Thoughtful People
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 Responsi...
The Emerald Isle: Fact And Fiction From Northern Ireland
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, fact and fiction about life in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. We review Maggie Gallen's big Girl Small To...
New York Stories: Debra Jo Immergut's 'You Again' and Caroline Leavitt's 'With or Without You'
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Books with Big Buzz: Bryan Washington's 'Memorial' and Rumaan Alam's 'Leave the World Behind.'
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels that manage to capture the current cultural zeitgeist: Memorial by Bryan Washington, an...
New Fiction from Chinese-American author Susie Yang and Pakistani-American playwright Ayad Akhtar
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
American Identity is often complex, and sometimes, hyphenated! On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review Chinese-American author Susie Yang's Wh...
Curtis Sittenfeld Special
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews three books by one of her favorite authors, Curtis Sittenfeld.See omnystudi...
Big Stories from Small Towns: Jess Walter's 'The Cold Millions' and Max Gross's 'The Lost Shtetl.'
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Short and Sweet: New Story Collections from Emma Cline and Kelli Jo Ford.
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 collecti...
American Women: Seward Darby's 'Sisters in Hate' and Laila Lalami's 'Conditional Citizens' Examine the Lives of Uncommon American Women.
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
To Have and To Hold: New Fiction about Marriage from Sue Miller and Peace Adzo Medie
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews two new novels about navigated the sometimes complicated waters of modern m...
New Voices: Debut Work from Raven Leilani and Deesha Philyaw
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 P...
Champagne Dreams: New Books About Celebrity Life from Heidi Pitlor and Ben Widdicombe
25 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we go behind the scenes with ghost writers and gatecrashers to see how the other half lives. Marion Winik review...
Women of a Certain Age: New Fiction from Charlotte Wood and Larry Watson.
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels about the complex, full, and fascinating world of mature women's lives: Charlotte Wood'...
Panic in the Streets: New Memoirs from Wayetu Moore and Wes Moore.
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new memoirs that examine the effects and aftermath of civil war and civil unrest: Wayetu Moore's T...
Signs of the Times: New Memoirs from Andrea Lawlor and Anonymous
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new memoirs that are very "of the moment": Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl and Duchess Goldbl...
Everyman's Library: Lorrie Moore
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we celebrate the release of the Everyman's Library collection of 40 short stories by Lorrie Moore.See omnystudio...
Short Stories: Francesca Marciano's "Animal Spirit" and Stephen King's "If It Bleeds."
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, Marion Winik reviews two new collections of short stories from authors Francesca Marciano and Stephen King.See o...
Fitting In: New Fiction from Rufi Thorpe and Frances Cha
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, two new novels about the perils of trying to fit in: Marion Winik reviews Rufi Thorpe's The Knockout Queen, and ...
New Fiction from Anne Tyler and Julia Alverez
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews two new great novels by two great writers: Anne Tyler's Redhead by the Side...
The Scene of the Crime: New Fiction from Emily St. John Mandel and Elizabeth Wetmore
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews two new novels that might take you away from your everyday troubles, but al...
Memoirs with a Sense of Humor
24 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new memoirs that remind us how important a sense of humor can be to surviving both trauma and dram...
Helen Fremont and the Minefield of Family Memoir
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews Helen Fremont's acclaimed 1999 memoir "After Long Silence' and her newly re...
Douglas Stuart's "Shuggie Bain" - The Weekly Reader Book club Pick for April
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader we preview Douglas Stuart's debut novel Shuggie Bain, a profoundly affecting story about growing up amidst the po...
Armchair Travel: New novels from Isabel Allende and Christopher Bollen.
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Want to get away? On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels that take us to exotic locales, replete with intriguing characters an...
New Non-fiction from Peggy Orenstein and Susannah Cahalan
21 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new books that explore important topics that will appeal to inquisitive readers. Marion Winik shar...
Kiley Reid's "Such a Fun Age" - The Weekly Reader Book club pick for February
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review Kiley Reid's debut novel Such a Fun Age. The book is a clever, thoughtful examination of race and raci...
New Fiction from Jami Attenberg and Jacqueline Woodson
17 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels that might just make you appreciate your own family relationships a little bit more: Ja...
Booker Prize 2019: Bernardine Evaristo and Margaret Atwood
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader our book critic Marion Winik reviews the winners of this year's Booker Prize for Fiction, Bernadine Evaristo's Gi...
Short Stories from Zadie Smith and Etgar Keret.
06 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new collections of short stories that run the gamut from funny to sad, and everything in between. ...
On the Wild Side: New Memoirs from Adrienne Brodeur and Anthony Siegel.
23 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new memoirs about growing up in extraordinary circumstances. Marion Winik shares her thoughts on A...
Mansion Life: New fiction from Ann Patchett and a classic from Bill Roorbach.
25 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Who doesn't want to live in a mansion? On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review Ann Patchett's latest novel The Dutch House, and we remember Bi...
Bad Mothers: New fiction from Helen Phillips and Amelie Nothomb.
18 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we feature two new novels that explore the often complicated terrain of motherhood. Our book critic Marion Winik...
The Weekly Reader Book Club Pick for September: Rebecca Makkai's ----The Great Believers.----
13 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we are excited to re-introduce you to Rebecca Makkai's beautiful book, ----The Great Believers.---- It is our pi...
More Men with Problems: New Fiction from Richard Russo and Scott Johnston
07 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews Campusland, a satirical debut novel by Scott Johnston, and a new one from a...
Coming of Age: New Fiction from Jennifer Weiner and Elin Hilderbrand
17 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s fun to imagine the real lives of “coming-of-age---- book authors – how much do they draw from their own experiences? Ttoday on The Weekly R...
Men With Problems: New Fiction from Taffy Brodesser-Akner and James Lasdun
10 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels about men with complicated lives. Book critic Marion Winik shares her thoughts on Taffy...
Angie Kim - The Weekly Reader Book Club pick for July
11 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 fo...
Historical Drama from Lisa Gornick and Roxana Robinson.
29 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 hav...
THE GUEST BOOK: The Weekly Reader Book Club Pick for June!
14 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Trust Exercise and A Wonderful Stroke of Luck : Back to High School
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 Ex...
----The Other Americans---- and ----Oksana, Behave!---- - Multicultural America
01 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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....
National Book Critics Circle Award Winners: Biography, Criticism, and Poetry.
09 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we feature three winners of the National Book Critics Circle Awards. ----Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous,...
----A Light of Her Own,---- ----I Was Anastasia,---- and ----The Only Woman in the Room---- - Historical Fiction.
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we do a little time traveling through history to meet a trio of extraordinary women for the ages. Book critic Ma...
----Bowlaway---- - Elizabeth McCracken's new novel
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review Elizabeth McCracken's new novel ----Bowlaway.---- Yes, it's about bowling, but, according to our book ...
----Northern Lights---- and The Martin Chronicles---- - Coming of Age
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review tow new novels for those whose taste in Bildungsroman runs more toward Jim Carroll than Jane Eyre. Mar...
----Still in Love---- and ----My Education---- - Back to School
22 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Now that the holidays are over, it's time to get back to work - and, in some cases, that means back to school. On this edition of The Weekly Reader, w...
----The Museum of Modern Love---- and ----Severance---- - Manhattan Stories
31 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we feature two very different stories that take place in Manhattan. Our book critic Marion Winik reviews ----The...
East Coast, West Coast
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It’s said that reading can transport you to different worlds. I’m Lisa Morgan and on this episode of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Win...
Jailbirds
29 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of The Weekly Reader, we review a pair of novels about lives derailed by violence and how split second decisions sometimes have long l...
Lucia Berlin Special
06 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Lucia Berlin's posthumous debut, A MANUEL FOR CLEANING WOMEN, was a sensation back in 2015. On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review EVENING IN...
What's the Matter with Kids Today?
31 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Teenagers have always been fascinating, bewildering creatures - think Romeo and Juliet, or Jim ----You're tearing me apart!---- Stark in Rebel Without...
The Baltimore Book of the Dead
24 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this very special edition of The Weekly Reader, we turn the tables and talk to our very own book critic Marion Winik about THE BALTIMORE BOOK OF TH...
More Audio Books
16 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, book critic Marion Winik shares a pair of books that are as much fun to listen to as they are to read. We previe...
Dazzling Debuts
03 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we preview two debut novels from promising new writers, Rae Del Bianco and Tommy Orange.See omnystudio.com/liste...
Laughter is the Best Medicine
29 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, a new collection of essays from public radio fan favorite David Sedaris, plus a funny new novel about life in Lo...
Writing Their Lives
15 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new memoirs - one by the late Poet Laureate Donald Hall, and the other a debut by Glynnis MacNicol...
Book Club Suggestions
01 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of The Weekly Reader, Marion Winik has two new titles to recommend for your next book club selections.See omnystudio.com/listener for ...
Trouble Ahead
27 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, two books about scary nightmares that may or may not be in our future. Dystopia, ho!See omnystudio.com/listener ...
Asia Food
26 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we feature two new novels that both have a distinctly Asian flavor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...
More Summer Reading
26 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we bring you two additions to our growing list of summer reading recommendations.See omnystudio.com/listener for...
Unusual Female Characters
15 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two books that feature characters that break the mold of the typical leading lady, reminding us that i...
Money Changes Everything
01 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, a pair of books that look at the ways in which money, or a lack thereof, changes our lives and relationships in ...
There is Nothing Like a Good Novel
19 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of The Weekly Reader, two new coming of age stories that also happen to be great reads.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...
Business Matters
26 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, two books that take us behind the scenes at a pair of workplaces that might make you want to keep your day job.S...
First, The Funeral
20 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we feature two very different novels that start the same way: with a funeral.See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
The Late, Great, Denis Johnson
21 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A look back at Johnson's classic story collection Jesus' Son, and a preview of his posthumous release, The Largesse of the Sea Maiden.See omnystudio.c...
How to Live Forever
13 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review three new books that explore the idea of immortality. Who doesn't want to live forever?See omnystudio....
Non-fiction Update
10 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we take a break from reviewing the latest fiction releases and delve into the world of non-fiction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy ...
Gifts
13 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On this edition of The Weekly Reader, a selection of great gift books for everyone on your holiday list.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
Ingall
06 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
IngallSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
New York, New York
21 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
NY NYSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hoffman
14 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
HoffmanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Small Town Politics
07 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Small Town PoliticsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Women Who Write
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Women Who WriteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
James McBride
25 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
James McBrideSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Weekly Reader #38
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Weekly Reader #38See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Promised Land Special
04 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Forest Dark, by Nicole Krauss, BloomsburyDinner at the Center of the Earth, Nathan Englander, KnopfSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...