With an eye on reviewing fiction and nonfiction that has regional resonance for Connecticut or Long Island, Joan considers the timeliness and significance of recently published work: what these books have to say to a broad group of readers today and how they say it in a distinctive or unique manner, taking into account style and structure as well as subject matter.
91 Available Episodes (91 Total)Average duration: 00:04:15
Apr 21, 2023
Book Review: The Bucharest Legacy
00:03:49
In the latest installment of his nail-biting spy series, Dr. William Maz takes readers to Bucharest during the 1990s when the oligarchs seized power over a vulnerable Romania. Book critic Joan Baum has this review.
Apr 17, 2023
Book Review: Saving Freud
00:04:31
In his latest work journalist and author, Andrew Nagorski investigates the intricate plan to get the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud out of Nazi-occupied Vienna and safely to London. Book critic Joan Baum has this review.
Mar 31, 2023
Book Review: Oscar Hammerstein
00:03:58
He’s famous for the lyrics he wrote for iconic Broadway plays. But what is known about the man himself? A new biography offers a modern perspective on the life of Oscar Hammerstein and his work. Book critic Joan Baum has this review.
Mar 03, 2023
Book Review: The Candy House
00:04:33
Next Wednesday author Jennifer Egan will speak about her latest novel, "The Candy House" at the Greenwich Library in Connecticut. To whet your appetite, book critic Joan Baum has this review.
Feb 10, 2023
Book Review: The Lioness of Boston
00:04:51
She was once described by a Boston reporter as a “millionaire Bohemianne” who “leads where no one dares to follow.” A new novel based on the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner explores how she became an iconic maverick in the world of art. Book critic Joan Baum has this review.
Jan 27, 2023
Book Review: Blood and Ink
00:04:03
A new true crime book takes a closer look at a scandalous murder of the 1920s. The investigation and trial sparked a battle between two New York City tabloids to offer readers the most salacious details. Book critic Joan Baum has this review.
Jan 13, 2023
Book Review: Accusation
00:03:43
The #Me Too movement is at the center of a new legal thriller set in New York City. Book critic Joan Baum has this review.
Dec 30, 2022
100 Years of 'The Waste Land'
00:11:05
One hundred years ago this December, "The Waste Land" was first published. T.S. Eliot’s famous poem has been described as highly influential, irregular, and innovative. Its theme… the spiritual and cultural decay of…well just about everything.
Dec 23, 2022
Book Review: One Hundred Saturdays
00:04:34
One Hundred Saturdays, a collection of edited interviews the author Michael Frank did with Stella Levi, is in part a history lesson that goes back thousands of years, as well as a dark narrative of the mid-20th century.
Dec 09, 2022
Book Review: Cleopatra
00:04:24
So you think you know Cleopatra? A new biography of the ancient Egyptian leader challenges many of the myths that have defined her over the centuries. Book critic Joan Baum has this review.
Apr 21 | 00:03:49
Book Review: The Bucharest Legacy
Apr 17 | 00:04:31
Book Review: Saving Freud
Mar 31 | 00:03:58
Book Review: Oscar Hammerstein
Mar 03 | 00:04:33
Book Review: The Candy House
Feb 10 | 00:04:51
Book Review: The Lioness of Boston
Jan 27 | 00:04:03
Book Review: Blood and Ink
Jan 13 | 00:03:43
Book Review: Accusation
Dec 30 | 00:11:05
100 Years of 'The Waste Land'
Dec 23 | 00:04:34
Book Review: One Hundred Saturdays
Dec 09 | 00:04:24
Book Review: Cleopatra
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