Five books worth checking out from CapRadio Reads 2021
CapRadio Reads Host Donna Apidone reflects on some of the books she read and authors she spoke with in 2021, including Kate Washington, Hank Shaw and Tamara Payne.
Over the last nine years, your participation in CapRadio Reads interviews has helped support lively and insightful conversations with authors sharing their wealth of experiences and inspiration.
In 2020, like all organizations, we had to adapt to the changes brought on by the pandemic. For Reads, that meant a switch from in-person author events to live streamed events. As the pandemic lingers on, we have seen a decline in interest for these offerings, and we have unfortunately decided that it's time for the CapRadio Reads program, including the podcast, to end.
However, we still recognize that books play a significant role in our lives. We will continue sharing author interviews with Donna Apidone on Morning Edition, Insight, All Things Considered and on our website. And we will still keep the previous author interviews available for listening on this page. We hope you’ll enjoy the new format, and thank you for making the CapRadio Reads journey so meaningful.
If you’d like to receive notifications about any future author interview events from CapRadio, you can subscribe to our email list below.
LATEST SHOW | Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Friday, January 15, 2021
The Lager Queen of Minnesota – J. Ryan Stradal
Nothing says Minnesota like beer. And pie. Both play prominently in J. Ryan Stradal’s latest novel, “The Lager Queen of Minnesota.” Two sisters and a granddaughter find their way through the brewing industry with equal parts laughter and tragedy.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Celebrating The Gift Of Reading
CapRadio Reads authors and CapRadio staff members take a tip from Iceland’s Jolabokaflod to start a new tradition that celebrates books this stay-at-home holiday season.
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Friday, November 13, 2020
The Shame Game – Mary O’Hara
Can you change a situation just by changing the narrative? Even if it is an age-old societal concern? Journalist Mary O'Hara says you can. In “The Shame Game” she urges us to change the way we talk to – and about – people who experience poverty.
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Monday, October 26, 2020
Gretchen Sorin - Driving While Black
From slave ships and shackles to freedom of travel, Black Americans have measured their independence by the distance they could safely travel. Dr. Gretchen Sorin’s new book “Driving While Black” explores this history.
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Friday, October 9, 2020
Ruchika Tomar – A Prayer for Travelers
When a friend disappears without a trace, you look for her, right? Ruchika Tomar’s award-winning novel, “A Prayer for Travelers,” explores the bonds of friendship and how far people will go in a coming-of-age tale set against the Nevada desert.
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Thursday, August 20, 2020
Alka Joshi - The Henna Artist
Lakshmi escapes her abusive marriage and builds a career. It’s India, 1955. Alka Joshi’s novel, “The Henna Artist,” captures the scenery of urban and country life, the privilege of the aristocracy and the challenges of a self-employed woman.
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Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Devi Laskar - The Atlas of Reds and Blues
Devi Laskar’s debut novel, “The Atlas of Reds and Blues,” is an account of systemic racism told through a series of random memories and observations. They are the final thoughts of a woman of color who is shot in her driveway in suburban Atlanta.
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Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Irene Butter - Shores Beyond Shores
Irene Butter was just three years old when the Nazis came into power in her hometown of Berlin. She was in her early teens when the Nazis were defeated. Her memoir is filled with childhood hope and the sense of purpose that comes with age.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Virtual Author Interview With Irene Butter
Watch CapRadio Reads Host Donna Apidone in an intimate author interview with humanitarian and Holocaust survivor Irene Butter about her memoir, "Shores Beyond Shores."
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Julia Flynn Siler - The White Devil's Daughters
A handful of San Francisco missionaries gave sanctuary to Chinatown’s prostitutes and their children starting in the Gold Rush. Julia Flynn Siler delivers non-fiction accounts of the women who escaped prostitution and the women who helped them.
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NPR Books
Kids want to know: 'Will It Be Okay?' — this book answers that question
December 4, 2022
Crescent Dragonwagon was in her 20s when she wrote a story told entirely in dialogue between a mother and her child. Now, she's updating her 1977 text with new illustrations by Jessica Love.
Lily Brooks-Dalton on her new novel 'The Light Pirate'
December 3, 2022
Intense storms ravage Florida. Heat makes it deadly during the day, but a few people stay. NPR's Sarah McCammon talks with Lily Brooks-Dalton about her new novel, "The Light Pirate."
Shaun Tan's new book 'Creature' collects his drawings, paintings and reflections
December 3, 2022
Artist and writer Shaun Tan makes creatures that have a wild mix of mechanical and animal-like features. His new book, "Creature," is a collection of his drawings, paintings, and reflections.
Mac Barnett and Marla Frazee on their children's book 'The Great Zapfino'
December 3, 2022
An acrobat loses his nerve and gets a regular job, but a moment comes when he must perform. Mac Barnett and illustrator Marla Frazee talk about their children's book "The Great Zapfino."
14 celebrity memoirs spilling all the tea
December 3, 2022
It's been a busy season for celebrity memoirs. A-listers from the worlds of Hollywood, music, journalism and royalty dish their own stories in these recent and upcoming books.