George Saunders discusses 'A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russian Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life' (Random House, Jan. 12), in which "a master of contemporary fiction joyously assesses some of the best [short stories] of the 19th century" (starred review). Then our editors offer reading recommendations for the week, with books by Helen Yoon, Angie Thomas, Ram Dass, and Torrey Peters.
