Cusk's radical approach to the novel makes OUTLINE the perfect text for serious exploration. Its innovative approach to narrative, structure and even basic description meant plenty of grist for Kimberly's mill. Whether you loved OUTLINE or were left wondering what the hell just happened--prepare for some serious edification.

Listen in to Kimberly explaining why Hilderbrand's dialogue, structuring, subplots and sense of place will make this show SO GOOD. With juicy details gleaned from lots of sleuthing, Kimberly will get you ready to watch on SEPTEMBER 5!

NO PRE-READING REQUIRED! Allow Kimberly to help you revel in this gem--all while increasing your appreciation by pointing out the echoes of Dickens's David Copperfield.

This very brief novel is a STUNNER. It's moving, unique and absolutely fascinating. It's worth reading for the amazing structure alone! Join Kimberly to understand the masterful way that Haien aligns the reader with certain characters--and why that literary sleight of hand becomes so powerful. This is the juicy kind of lecture that will have you heading right back to re-read The All of It as soon as Kimberly's done.

Kimberly has read a number of covid novels. She loved how Erdrich sets super-lovable characters and plenty of tension not only during the pandemic but in a Minneapolis that is rocked by the murder of George Floyd. Join Kimberly to see why Erdrich’s excellent prose makes this much more than a novel about a moment in time.

Did you love this when it came out in 2020? Are you picking it up now because Reid seems even smarter after being named as a Booker judge? Either way, listen in to hear why I loved the prose, character development and general vibe of this work. She tackles BIG questions, all in a highly familiar, fraught and delicious domestic world that provides all kinds of grist for my mill.

The Vanishing Half is a bestseller for all the right reasons. Kimberly explores Bennett’s rich and wide-reaching portrayal of race, family, homecoming and legacy–all while examining prose in ways that will make you a better reader.

One of the more rewarding books I've ever read, Milkman is dark, dense, funny and AMAZING. Join me for a more profound understanding of the novel’s political importance, its incredibly effective humor and other elements that make this book feel so IMPORTANT.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into The Pursuit of Love. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into The All of It. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Summer of 69. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Slow Days, Fast Company: The World, the Flesh, and L.A.. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

People. This collection is SO FUNNY and SO DARK. It's unlike any other writing. Whether you've read it or are considering diving in after the book was selected as one of the best of the century, listen in as Kimberly helps understand how this woman pulls it OFF.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Milkman. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Madame Bovary. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense of the work, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into The Years. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Frankisstein. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Foster. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Dubliners. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense of the work, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into Cassandra. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense of the work, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture!

Kimberly will share whether you should—or should not—dig into this memoir. She’ll treat you to a snippet of the prose to give you a sense, but for a deeper analysis, check out the lecture.

Kimberly zips through the 46 books she's read, giving a rating to every one. Check it OUT!

We wrap up SALINGER WEEK with a deep dive into "Zooey" (the story) along with a good hard look at FRANNY AND ZOOEY as a whole. This third and final lecture offers up all sorts of gems--from the source of Franny's crisis to a wider look at why Salinger's prose is so incredibly ENDURING.

We all read The Catcher in high school (when it was largely wasted on us) but too few of us explore Salinger's short fiction. His stories are SO GOOD. A deep dive into "Bananfish" will not only help you appreciate the inimitable dialogue, the spareness, the characterization and all that makes Salinger one of America's best writers--but you'll end up feeling a little smarter and a little more HUMAN as we kick off 2026.

This deep dive is SO deep that Kimberly needs a whole lecture just to discuss "Franny." The first 40 pages of FRANNY AND ZOOEY is not only amazing, but the perfect way to look at what makes all of Salinger's prose so unmistakably SALINGER. (A second Salinger lecture will tackle "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," then we'll dive all the way in to the hugely popular FRANNY AND ZOOEY.)

Allow Kimberly to point out the intricacies, the nuance, the FACTS of what Akbar is really saying at the end of his insanely great novel. Tune in to hear Kimberly argue a few sides of this coin. She follows Daniel Mendelsohn's advice to treat literature like a social science: look carefully at the DATA. If you're like all the folks on the internet who have real questions about this novel's close, you're in the right place.

People. This is one of the most intense reading experiences Kimberly has had in ages. The book is so smart, so warm and funny and complicated, that Kimberly realized it deserves two lectures! This first one focuses on the narrative stance, the inventiveness, the humor and complicated compendium-like structure (and a possible small debt to David Foster Wallace). The SECOND lecture (coming soon) tackles the novel's insanely great, ambiguous, enigmatic ENDING.

NO SPOILERS! What's summer without a good beach read? By the QUEEN of the beach read?? Kimberly was somewhat alarmed that Hilderbrand is "hanging up her bikini" but thank god we have 26 other Nantucket novels to choose from. People, Hilderbrand is SO GOOD at this stuff. Listen in to find out why her narrative stance, atmospheric elements and structure make these books so solid. (Also: Kimberly has just a few teeny quibbles). There's no such thing as "guilty pleasure" where Hilderbrand is concerned--she's just so good at this stuff!

NO READING REQUIRED! Fitzgerald's genius might very well be wasted on the youth. Even if you haven't re-read this classic since you were 16, delving into for an hour is a revelation. Kimberly breaks down the innovative narrative stance, the plot-heavy structure and some master-class motif building--all while reveling in (and also subtly criticizing) this modernist MASTERPIECE.

NO READING REQUIRED! Turns out that everyone's favorite picture book is a psychologically complex, highly psychoanalytic, controversial TREASURE TROVE of literary and visual mastery. Listen in! **If you've never watched a lecture on the foxed page YouTube channel, this is a particularly good one, given the plethora of images that help elucidate the visual side of Sendak's genius.**

ALL FOURS is changing how we think about sex, maternity, marriage--and towels. Touted by the New York Times as "the first great peri-menopause novel," it's July's most accessible, most hilarious and most "filthy" (in the best of ways) work. Listen in while Kimberly uses the lens of humor to appreciate the pathos, the sex, the iconoclasm and the tension in this IMPORTANT BOOK.

Who knew that Collins wrote his doctoral dissertation on the romantic poets?? Tune in to hear Kimberly break down the Romantic Movement and Byron's "She Walks in Beauty"--all in preparation to more fully appreciate our nation's "most popular poet"!

Kimberly does not love poetry. Which she considers a personal failure. But it turns out that she LOVES hearing Paul Chowder, narrator of this novel, teach her all about poetry. If you need a lift, and love hilarious, smart books--listen in!

LIVES OF GIRLS AND WOMEN is Munro's only novel AND it's the ideal way to really dig in to her genius. Listen in now!

NO READING NECESSARY! Think of this talk as a primer that will ensure you won't miss any of the ZILLION REASONS why North Woods was on all those best-of-2023 lists. This novel is so engrossing and wide reaching. It's smart and rich and just plain fun to read. Listen as Kimberly points out aspects you do not want to miss. Already read it? You'll love this even more!

Díaz's Pulitzer-prize-winning, Booker-nominated TRUST has the kind of complex structure Kimberly LOVES to dig into. With vastly differing narrative voices, each of the four texts informs the others, making for an insanely rich read. Also: this exploration of the American dream could not be more timely!

NO SPOILERS! NO RE-READING REQUIRED! Listen in to hear how Brookner's use of narrative voice, tons of figurative language and other plot elements make this novel--set in Switzerland--a must read.

This lecture--the first in a three-part exploration of Munro--gets nitty gritty in all the best ways. Delve with Kimberly into the elements that make her prose feel like nothing else on the planet. Whether you've read everything she wrote, or you're new to her work, you'll come away with a much richer appreciation of this absolute genius.

Tune in for close readings that illuminate why McCarthy's prose is so gorgeous, why his influences are key, and why Kimberly is so happy about him finally centering A WOMAN in these, his final texts. Plus! A literary PARLOR TRICK that definitively proves Kimberly's hot-take thesis about digression in The Passenger.

NO SPOILERS! NO READING NECESSARY! Kimberly comes to you from a wine cellar with a nervous dog to discuss autofiction and how the French are more relaxed about TRUTH than Americans. The Mystery Guest is intriguing, darkly funny and SO SHORT! If you're casting about for something to read and want something different--listen in!

If you love DIdion's inimitable prose and you're interested in any kind of history or intrigue or scandal--listen in. NO SPOILERS!

Sittenfeld is soooo good. Her latest delivers a fascinating, intimate look at life as a comedy writer on the world's foremost live, nighttime, sketch comedy show--all while promising that she'll work within the conventions of ROMANTIC comedy. Or will she?? Listen to Kimberly extol Sittenfeld's structure, the use of all five senses, the deft character development, excellent sex writing and, of course, the use of HUMOR. Get the most out of this novel whether you've finished it or want to see how to best approach the work. (NO SPOILERS!)

NO RE-READING NECESSARY! Kimberly only sought out Aciman because she loved the movie Call Me by Your Name--but she loved the fiction enough to seek out more. Tune in to hear about the use of figurative language, the structure, the pacing and the choice of details that make this work so ATMOSPHERIC.

Baker's hilarious, inventive prose melds with incredibly well curated images to produce something only Baker could produce. Kimberly LOVED diving in to the many ways in which the guy is creating literary (and visual) magic.

NO RE-READING REQUIRED! PLUS!! SPECIAL GUEST STAR: JOHN STEINBECK!! Tune in to hear all the ways in which this 1952 classic surprised Kimberly. Its insanely great sense of place, its lessons in history, its denigration/elevation of women, its biblical underpinnings...Kimberly's list of its attributes could go on and on. Whether EAST OF EDEN is your favorite of all time, or whether you have only hazy ninth-grade memories of Lenny squeezing that bunny in OF MICE AND MEN--tune in to hear why Steinbeck really deserved that Nobel Prize.

This publishing industry thriller was SUCH GOOD grist for Kimberly's mill. Listen in to appreciate all the elements that made the novel an "instant" best seller. Its literary merit is almost as great as the important philosophical questions is raises. This book is sooooo good.

You might think of CARRIE is just SCARY , but narrative stance, sophisticated structure, use of motif and "scientific evidence" are all integral in making it so good. Treat yourself .

Join Kimberly to hear how this behind-the-scenes immersion in British tabloid journalism hits all the right notes. You'll come away with a deeper understanding of why Nolan's masterful narrative stance, pacing, character development and structure make this so much more than an excellent thriller.

Didion is never afraid to stare down the most troubling parts of our country--incisively and boldly. Which somehow always makes me feel better?? Herein I argue for the importance of this seminal work, I touch on Didion’s biography ,then dig into why her engaging, dark, entirely inimitable prose deserves its iconic status. (parts 2 and 3 below)