I'm Gilbert Cruz, editor of the New York Times Book Review, and this is the Book Review

Podcast. It's August, which book review and this is the book review podcast.

It's August, which means we have just a few more weeks to get our summers in.

A few more weeks before school starts again,

before we're buried by the annual onslaught of fall books.

And it also means there's just a few more weeks to read the last of your summer books

and on this week's episode we're talking about what we've read the summer, what we are reading,

and maybe what we're hoping to read.

Joining me is fellow book review editor Jumanakatib. Hello Jumana,

Hi Gilbert, and Anna Dubenko, The Times' Newsroom head of audience who previously appeared on our book club episode

discussing Barbara King Solvers Demon Copperhead.

Welcome back Anna.

Thank you for having me back.

Were you surprised that New York Times readers voted Demon Copperhead the number one book of the

past 25 years?

No, I was not and I really hope that many of those readers did not listen to that episode of the podcast where I shared that I like the book but didn't love it.

We are here to talk about books that we've been reading this summer.

There are only three of us, we're not going to be comprehensive, so this is going to be

very idiosyncratic, but I'd love to start with Schumana, who is always incredibly

prepared for these episodes, to talk about one book that she's been reading and that she's been loving.

My reading this summer has been unbelievably chaotic, unsistemic.

Usually I go into the summer with a plan.

...