HeyJaredBaum on Books
With an eye on reviewing fiction and nonfiction that has regional resonance for Connecticut or Long Island, Joan Baum 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…
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 5
- Latest publication
- Sep 10, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 15, 2026
Latest episodes
Book Review: 'Cool Machine' (opens the original)
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Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead is out with Cool Machine - the final novel in his Harlem Trilogy. Our book critic Joan Baum says it features some of the most impressive writing Whitehead has ever done.
Book Review: 'Blunt Instrument' (opens the original)
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In author Amy Bloom's first murder mystery, Blunt Instrument, a former English professor turned PI must manage her emotional mess while tracking down a killer at an elite university in Connecticut. Check out Joan Baum's review right here.
Book Review: 'Regime Change' (opens the original)
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Regime Change, by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, is the result of 3 arduous years of meticulous investigation into the second Trump presidency. What they discover is an unmoored administration focused on retribution and profit. WSHU’s Book Critic Joan Baum says the book earned its top spot on the New York Times bestsellers list.
Book Review: 'Someone Else's Husband' (opens the original)
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A team of climbers journeys up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, but they don’t all make it back down. The fallout from their expedition follows the team back home with dreadful consequences. Kimberly McCreight’s new novel, Someone Else’s Husband, takes readers on a wild, suspenseful trip to discover what happened on the mountain and who is responsible for the murder. Here's Joan Baum's review.
Book Review: 'Aristotle - The First Teacher' (opens the original)
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What is happiness? Why do we need art? What is virtue? Aristotle had answers to these deep questions. Now a new book, Aristotle - The First Teacher by Philip Freeman, takes a closer look at the Greek philosopher and how his 2000-year old ideas still resonate today. WSHU’s Joan Baum has this review.
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