Martin's Must-Reads

Martin's Must-Reads

Betty Martin, Mark Martin

Episodes 20
Avg. Duration -
Activity Highly Active
Since Nov 2025
Latest Episode Mar 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
86%
Hosting
www.krcu.org

About This Podcast

There are one million new books published each year. With so many books and so little time, where do you begin to find your next must-read? There’s the New York Times Bestseller list, the Goodreads app, the Cape Library’s Staff picks shelf and now Martin’s Must-Reads.Every Wednesday at 7:42 a.m. and 5:18 p.m., and Sunday at 8:18 a.m., Betty Martin recommends a must read based on her own personal biases for historical fiction, quirky characters and overall well-turned phrases. Her list includes WWII novels, biographies of trailblazers, novels with truly unique individuals and lots more. Reading close to 100 titles a year, Betty has plenty of titles to share. Tune in each Wednesday and visit KRCU.org for previous must-reads.Local support for "Martin's Must Reads" comes from the Cape Girardeau Public Library and the Sikeston Public Library.

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Recent Episodes

Martin's Must-Reads: 'The Impossible Fortune'

Mar 31, 2026 1m

“They show you how to make bombs on the internet. If you know where to look. What to buy, where to buy it from. How to fit the whole thing together. There are even videos…They don’t really tell you…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'Widow's Walk'

Mar 24, 2026 1m

“And whose nitwit idea was this?’ Betty Hardacre snapped, her orthopedic shoes sinking into sand. Betty was the chair of the Episcopal Church Women. She prided herself on upholding the parish’s…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'Circle of Days'

Mar 17, 2026 1m

“The story begins around the year 2500 B.C.E. Seth trudged across the Great Plain, carrying on his back a wickerwork basket containing flints to be traded. He was with his father and two older…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'The View from Lake Como'

Mar 10, 2026 1m

“Dear Dr. Sharon, The self-portrait you requested is attached. I make my living drawing marble installations to scale. I’m a draftsman who also provides designs for customers. Forgive the lack of…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'My Beloved'

Mar 03, 2026 1m

“Father Kavanagh. Pen in hand and his notebook open before him, he was ready to do what he did every November: Get started on his Christmas list. By seven thirty a.m., he had prayed with his wife,…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'Good Intentions'

Feb 24, 2026 1m

“The sun is leaving for the day, and I probably should too. I shouldn’t be here at all. This has to stop, everyone says so. It’s not healthy, Cady. It’s not right. Not normal, not legal.”

Martin's Must-Reads: 'Amity'

Feb 17, 2026 1m

“New Orleans - 1866. I had few pleasures to call my own. There was the peace found in the attic where I was made to board, the transporting comfort of the books in Mrs. Harper’s library, the…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'The Last Devil to Die'

Feb 10, 2026 1m

“Thursday, December 27th, eleven p.m. Kuldesh Sharma hopes he’s in the right place. He parks up at the end of the dirt track, hemmed in on all sides by trees, ghoulish in the darkness. He had finally…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'The Jackal's Mistress'

Feb 03, 2026 1m

On a recent trip, I listened to the audiobook of Chris Bohjalian’s civil war novel The Jackal’s Mistress. Based on a real-life story, it presents an interesting dilemma... How much would you risk to…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'The Correspondent'

Jan 27, 2026 1m

“Sybil is a mother and grandmother, divorced, retired from a distinguished career in law, these things are all there around her. On Monday around ten or half past Sybil Van Antwerp sits down at her…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'The Book Club for Troublesome Women'

Jan 20, 2026 1m

“On February 19, 1963, a troublesome, imperfect, controversial woman named Betty Friedan published a troublesome, imperfect, controversial book titled “The Feminine Mystique.” The book didn’t solve…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'Christine Falls'

Jan 13, 2026 1m

“A sleek black motorcar was edging its way through the crowds of passengers going toward the boat. It stopped when it was still a good ten yards away from her, and a woman got out at the passenger…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'The Bullet That Missed'

Jan 06, 2026 1m

“Bethany Waites understands there is no going back now. Time to be brave, and to see how this all plays out. She weighs the bullet in her hand. Life is about understanding opportunities.…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'This Dog Will Change Your Life'

Dec 23, 2025 1m

“A human life improved by a dog isn’t just a theoretical concept. It’s a real life event that happens a million times a day, all over the world.”

Martin's Must-Reads: 'Great Big Beautiful Life'

Dec 23, 2025 1m

“There’s an old saying about stories, and how there are always three versions of them: yours, mine and the truth. The guy who first said it worked in the film business, but it holds true for…

Martin's Must-Reads: 'Graceless Heart'

Dec 16, 2025 1m

“Volterra. The ninth of April, 1478. They put her little brother in a cage. Her brother, who wasn’t so little anymore, but because Ravenna Maffei was older, she would always think of him that way."

Martin's Must-Reads: 'About Grace'

Dec 09, 2025 1m

“His name was David Winkler and he was fifty-nine years old. This would be his first trip home in twenty-five years - if home was what he could still call it."

Martin's Must Reads: 'The Bookish Life of Nina Hill'

Dec 02, 2025 1m

It’s hard to find a truly funny book ...but this is one. If you love books, trivia contests and witty repartee, then you must read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman.

Martin's Must Reads: 'Year of Wonders'

Nov 25, 2025 1m

In 2001, Geraldine Brooks, one of my favorite authors, published her first novel Year of Wonders. She wrote it after coming across an intriguing finger post in England pointing to the Plague Village.

Martin's Must Reads: 'The Ragged Edge of Night'

Nov 18, 2025 1m

If you’re looking for a well written, World War II story, more fact than fiction, that illustrates the power of human goodness, then you must read The Ragged Edge of Night by Olivia Hawker.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Martin's Must-Reads have?

Martin's Must-Reads has published 20 episodes since November 2025, covering topics in Arts, Books.

Is Martin's Must-Reads still active?

Martin's Must-Reads is currently highly active with new episodes weekly.

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