The Weekly Reader

Great stories take place in great cities. On today’s edition of The Weekly Reader, we have two novels set in New York, perhaps one of the greatest cities of them all.

Alice Hoffman’s "Practical Magic" is one of the most beloved depictions of modern-day witchcraft around. Fans will be delighted to learn about "The Rules of Magic," the just-released prequel to the tale of sisters Sally and Gillian Owens.  

On this edition of "The Weekly Reader," book critic Marion Winik takes us inside the world of small town politics, with Jonathan Dee’s new novel "The Locals" and J.K. Rowling’s "The Casual Vacancy." 

There are a lot of great quotes out there about “writing what you know.” On the edition of "The Weekly Reader," our book critic Marion Winik reviews three novels about women writers. 

James McBride won the 2013 National Book Award for his novel The Good Lord Bird about the abolitionist John Brown. On this edition of "The Weekly Reader," we’ll talk about his latest release, Five Carat Soul, and we’ll revisit some of his earlier work, many of which are considered American classics.

If you have ever been to New Orleans, you know that there is something special, almost magical, about the city. On this edition of "The Weekly Reader," we feature two novels that capture the unique physical and emotional landscape of The Big Easy, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton’s "A Kind of Freedom" and C. Morgan's "The Floating World." 

Almost every Irish Catholic friend I can think of has a “crazy nun story.” On this edition of "The Weekly Reader," we feature books about nuns, including Alice McDermott’s latest, "The Ninth Hour" and "Saints for All Occasions," the fourth novel by J. Courtney Sullivan. 

Click on the image for the list.

Click on the image for the list.