
Stephen King Isn't Always Scary (with Sean Fennessey)
17 October - 53 minsIt's October, which means it's time for scary books and scary movies. There's one person who is well known for both: Stephen King. Since his first novel, "Carrie," was published in 1974 and adapted into a hit film two years later, his novels and short stories have been a reliable source of material for film and TV adaptations. And while he's known as a master of horror, some of the more popular films based on his work are drawn from non-horror material. On this week's episode, Sean Fennessey, co-host of the Ringer podcast "The Big Picture," joins Gilbert Cruz to talk about "Stand By Me," "The Shawshank Redemption" and more.
Books and movies discussed in this episode:
"Stand by Me," based o...

Brandon Taylor On His New Novel, 'Minor Black Figures'
Brandon Taylor's debut novel, “Real Life,” was a finalist for the Booker Prize in 2020, and he quickly followed that up with the story collection “Filthy Animals” and another novel, “The Late Americans." On this week's episode, MJ Franklin speaks with Taylor about his latest work, “Minor Black Figures.”
40 mins
10 October Finished

The Sunday Special: The Books We Read in School
This week, the Book Review podcast presents an episode of The Sunday Special from early September featuring Louis Sachar, the author of beloved children's books like the "Wayside School" series and "Holes" as well as his new novel for adults "The Magician of Tiger Castle."
39 mins
3 October Finished

Book Club: Let's Talk About 'Pride and Prejudice'
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” So opens Jane Austen’s Regency-era romantic comedy “Pride and Prejudice,” which for centuries has delighted readers with its story of the five Bennet sisters and their efforts to marry well. On this week’s episode, Book Club host MJ Franklin discusses the novel with fellow Book Review editors Jennifer Harlan, Emily Eakin and Gregory Cowles.
1 hour 5 mins
26 September Finished

Mary Roach Loves Writing About Weird Science
The best-selling science journalist Mary Roach has written about sex and death and the digestive system — basically, all of the topics that children are taught to avoid in polite company. In her latest, “Replaceable You,” she examines prosthetics, robotics and other ways that technology can interact with human anatomy. On this week’s episode, Roach tells host Gilbert Cruz how she comes up with her ideas and what keeps drawing her back to the bizarre bits of trivia that the human body offers up.
37 mins
19 September Finished

17 Nonfiction Books We’re Looking Forward to This Fall
In last week’s episode of the Book Review podcast, host Gilbert Cruz and his fellow editor Joumana Khatib offered a preview of some of the fall’s most anticipated works of fiction. This week they return to talk about upcoming nonfiction, from memoirs to literary biographies to the latest pop science offering from the incomparable Mary Roach.
39 mins
12 September Finished