Likely Stories

I don't know if there is a more perfect book. I've read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern five times (unheard of for someone like me who does not ever reread books), and each time I find myself utterly captivated by this beautiful, mystical story of love, magic, sweeping talents and mystery, and the ties that bind us to each other.

This is Guilherme Feitosa de Almeida, senior lecturer in music theater at Baylor University. I'm here with this week's edition of Likely Stories.

Have you contemplated spring cleaning? When this bug hit me, I turned to the grand-master cleaner, Marie Kondo, for inspiration. This best-selling author has sold 9 million copies of her classic book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up – the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Ok, add me, Maggie McCarthy, to the ranks of readers as I set out on my decluttering journey with this instructive read.

I'm Kevin Tankersley and this is likely stories on KWBU. I first learned about the book 'Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur' when I heard the author Jeff Pearlman on 'The Pete Sousa Show' podcast last year. I knew of Pearlman from his writings at Sports Illustrated and ESPN. He was a sports guy. Why would he be talking about Tupac?

I can remember a number of truly incredible meals in my life, whether cooked for me at home or in restaurants locally or while traveling. Some of the food stands out in my mind: a perfectly-cooked piece of meat, a well-crafted cocktail, a side dish that pairs perfectly with the entree, a dessert that caps off the wonderful meal. But in all those epicurean events, what I recall most are the people with me around the table, loved ones sharing a gustatory experience always seems more important than the food itself.

"Some books stay with you for decades. For me, that’s A Short History of a Small Place by T.R. Pearson. First published in 1985, it’s a funny, Southern tale of Neely, North Carolina, told through the eyes of young Louis Benfield, Jr. From quirky townsfolk to a chimpanzee companion, the story blends humor and heart in unforgettable ways. I first heard it on The Radio Reader in 1986—and I’ve never forgotten it."

Imagine being punched in the ovaries to bring on a fit.This is The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein, which was inspired by the dark history of the Salpêtrière asylum in the 1880s.

I am a huge James Bond fan, and never missed an episode of Charlie’s Angels as a pre-teen growing up. A story about women my age who could still fight, run, plan, take action, and do all the things they did in their early years really appealed to me.

The book that I'm reviewing today is challenging. It was an unsettling read, and I thought about it for weeks after I finished it. I hesitated to recommend it on Likely Stories. But these difficult books catch our attention for a reason, they are important to talk about and examine.

On this edition of Living It, host Meg Wallace talks to Dr. Candi Cann.

I’ve been reading a lot about Saturday Night Live lately, for a couple of reasons. First, I talk about the show when I cover the history of television in my Introduction to Mass Communication class at Baylor, and I like to keep up with what’s going on with SNL. Second, Saturday Night Live just celebrated its 50th anniversary, so there’s been plenty written about it in the last year or so.

In nineteen-ninety-five, five college friends, distraught over the suspected suicide of their friend and haunted by the question “would Alec have died had he known how much he was loved?” enter into a lifelong pact to hold living funerals.

Many times on public radio, you hear folks say, “Long-time listener, first-time caller.” Well, that’s me! I’m Maggie McCarthy—a long-time listener of KWBU—bringing you my, hopefully, first book review on Likely Stories.

A true story of a family’s deep love and incredibly difficult struggles in rural Virginia during the Great Depression becameone of the most beloved television shows of all time.Welcome to “Likely Stories.”I’m Diane Kemper.

‘The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley and the Partnership that Rocked the World’, sheds new light on the infamous Colonel Tom Parker and his sometimes questionable choices in managing Elvis Presley's career. I'm Kevin Tankersley, and this is likely stories on KWBU.

Welcome to this week’s installment of Likely Stories on KWBU. My name is Gia Chevis, and I confess that I watch what is probably an unhealthy number of cozy murder mystery shows, mainly British and British-adjacent. I am absolutely the target audience for A Case of Mice and Murder, the first novel in Sally Smith’s newish detective series.

With the momentum of the holiday season starting to pick up, this week's Likely Stories is dedicated to an always dependable gift option. Whether it's for loved ones, or as a treat for yourself, today we're picking out a few titles our eclectic team of reviewers highlighted in 2025. A collection of page turners that would make for great additions to any bookshelf.

When I chose a book to review for Likely Stories, I think back to those that have stuck with me, books that I've recommended to people over and over again. Today I want to tell you about one of my favorite books. My name is Heather White. I teach art history at Baylor and today I’m reviewing the historical crime novel Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters, written in 2002.

Welcome back to Likely Stories. I’m Paige Connell, and I teach English at Midway High School. Billed as “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone” meets “The Goonies”, I can confirm that this fun, winding story of buried treasure and buried secrets gives off strong vibes of that great book and the classic movie.

Hello, I am Rebecca Flavin, Director of Engaged Learning Curriculum and Senior Lecturer in Political Science at Baylor University. One of the best books I have read so far this year is Shelby Van Pelt’s, “Remarkably Bright Creatures.”

“Mr. Texas,” by Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright, is a novel about the making of a Texas state legislator.

Welcome to this weeks edition of Likely Stories, my name is Malcolm Foster, operations assistant at KWBU. The book I want to discuss today is a brutal, yet occasionally beautiful example of how some things, for better and worse, even in the most drastic of scenarios, never change.