Books

Mirror Books is a new podcast series from Book Public at Texas Public Radio about seeing ourselves — and discovering and knowing others — through books. Our inaugural guest is acclaimed author Sandra Cisneros, whose writing has become a mirror for countless readers. Listen as she discusses not just one mirror book, but many — and the ways these books she discovered from childhood through adulthood have remained important to her.

Dorothy West was just 17 years old when she wrote “The Typewriter,” a quietly devastating story about dreams, family and the painful cost of disillusionment. Peter Orner and Yvette Benavides discuss the story and the remarkable psychological insight of Dorothy West — and the worlds she went on to create for decades.

Ann M. Martin's beloved series has influenced generations of readers. We're still asking: Which babysitter are you?

The Guadalupe Latino Bookstore brings unique literary perspectives to the historic Westside. Cristina Ballí previews a reading by San Antonio native, Avelardo Valdez.

Stephanie Vaughn’s “Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog,” is a sharp, tender story about family, memory and the limits of understanding we experience in childhood — and that open up for us when we look back as adults. A daughter looks back on life with her father and tries to piece together the man he was, the man he wanted to be and the father she remembers.

What happens when admiration turns into envy — and envy takes hold of an entire life? Yvette Benavides and Peter Orner discuss José Emilio Pacheco’s haunting short story, “The Claw.”

Michael Cunningham, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Hours, discusses his new book, Unsayable: A Life in Writing, and the mysteries of memory, imagination and storytelling.

The 2026 list includes new works from household names Douglas Stuart, Marlon James and Elizabeth Strout as well as a few debut authors.

What does it mean to love a place — and still long to leave it? In Alistair MacLeod’s haunting short story “The Boat,” a son struggles between family, tradition and the pull of a different life. On this episode of The Lonely Voice, we explore a powerful story about the sea, sacrifice and the choices that shape who we become.

People are reading fewer and fewer books. The Atlantic's Rose Horowitch discusses what a post-literate world might look like.