The Weekly Reader

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two hot new, hotly anticipated gay comic novels:  The Guncle Abroad , by Stephen Rowley, and You Only Call When You're In Trouble , by Stephen McCauley.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes, you think you know a lot about a favorite author, and then, they write a memoir. On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new, revealing memoirs from a pair of famous writers: And Then? And Then? What Else? , by Daniel Handler and Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder , by Salman Rushdie.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The extreme lifestyles of the rich and famous can be somewhat fascinating.  On this edition of The Weekly Reader , we review two new books about the ultra wealthy and their unique challenges:  Wives Like Us , by Plum Sykes, and Lies and Weddings , by Kevin Kwan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels about taking a midlife crisis and unexpected adventures: The Lady Waiting , by Magdalena Zyzak, and All Fours , by Miranda July.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new extraordinary memoirs about the exquisite joy of true love and the nearly unbearable pain of losing one we love:  Fi, A Memoir of My Son , by Alexandra Fuller and My Beloved Monster , by Caleb Carr.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review new biographies about two women who led mysterious lives in the glamorous, gloriously seedy New York cultural scene in the 1960s and 70s:  Candy Darling , by Cynthia Carr, and To Anyone Who Ever Asks , by Howard Fishman.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

American author Sloane Crosley is best known for her humorous essays and stories, but her new book takes a different tack. On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review some of her earlier work, The Clasp and I was Told There Would be Cake,  and her latest, a memoir called Grief is for People.        See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader we review two new books that take us behind the scenes of two very different and oddly intriguing work environments: Help Wanted , by Adelle Waldman, and Burn Book: A Tech Love Story , by Kara Swisher. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are many good reasons to read a book: to study history, learn a new skill, practice our empathy, have a good cry, or, perhaps, a good laugh. On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new books about funny women doing some pretty crazy things:  Worry , by Alexandra Tanner, and Sylvia's Second Act , by Hillary Yablon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review a novel and a collection of short fiction from two important black American writers finally getting their due: James , by Percival Everett, and Neighbors and Other Stories , by Diane Oliver.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik recommends three books that just might help you make some sense of the crisis at our southern border and the increase in global migration:   The Prince of Los Cocuyos , by Richard Blanco, , Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here , by Jonathan Blitzer and A Map of Future Ruins , by Lauren Markham.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews two new fabulous books that blend folklore and family history into tantalizing tales:  The Bullet Swallower , by Elizabeth Gonzalez James and The Fox Wife , by Yangsee Choo.   All titles available at your favorite local bookstore and online at bookshop.org.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new memoirs about mental illness that are even more moving when you listen to them as audio books: "While You Were Out" by Meg Kissinger, and "The Best Minds" by Jonathan Rosen.  All titles available at your favorite local bookstore and online at bookshop.org    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new books about the people and forces that determine the ups and downs  international art market:  Get the Picture , by Bianca Bosker, and The Art Thief , by Michael Finkel.  All titles available at your favorite local bookstore or online at bookshop.org  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What motivates someone to get involved in a movement or devote themselves to a cause? On this edition of The Weekly Reader, our book critic Marion Winik reviews two new novels about art, activism, and the paths that sometimes lead to radicalism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels about the game of love and some of its greatest joys, surprises, and challenges: "Leaving" by Roxana Robinson and "Interesting Facts About Space" by Emily Austin.    All titles available at your favorite local bookstore or online at bookshop.org   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review tow new books, one novel, and a collection of stories, about life during Covid 19: Joan is Okay , by Weike Wang, and Fourteen Days , edited by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels about navigating life with mom as a grownup: Flores and Miss Paula , by Melissa Rivero, and The Underburn , by Bill Gaythwaite.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of TheWeekly Reader , our book critic Marion Winik reviews two new novels about messy families and their pursuit of happiness:" Mercury , by Amy Jo Burns, and Welcome Home, Stranger , by Kate Christensen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new novels that tackle taboos, fetishes, and other transgressive topics:  The Fetishist , by Katherine Min, and Alice Sadie Celine , by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright. All titles available at The Ivy Bookshop and other fine local retailers.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perhaps you are familiar with the charming Nordic custom of exchanging books on Christmas eve, to be read cozily by the fire with your best mates and your finest pajamas. On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we have a late holiday gift for you! Get comfy and get ready for Christmas in Nantucket with Elin Hilderbrand: Winter Street , Winter Stroll , Winter Storms , and Winter Solstice .  All title...

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new books about travel, exploration, and how where we come from often determines where we go, and how we get there: "Orbital" by Samantha Harvey, and "Airplane Mode" Shahnaz Habi. All titles available at The Ivy Bookshop and other fine local retailers.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader , we review two new historical novels that explore hard times in the American past: Chenneville , by Paulette Jiles and The Frozen River , by Ariel Lawhon. All titles available at The Ivy Bookshop and other fine local retailers.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Texas is a big land of legends and lore, heroes and villains unlike any other state in the nation. On this edition of  The Weekly Reader, we review two Texas-sized tales from The Lone Star State: The Madstone  by Elizabeth Crook, and Mr. Texas  by Lawrence Wright. All title available at The Ivy Bookshop and other fine local retailers.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we review two new examples of deeply researched journalism, proving once again that truth is often stranger than fiction:  The Times , by Adam Nagourney, and Gator Country , by Rebecca Renner. All titles available at The Ivy Bookshop and other fine local retailers.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.