This episode explores upcoming books for the summer, focusing on those that editors Gilbert Cruz and Joumana Khatib are anticipating. Against the backdrop of their shared dislike for summer, they highlight books that offer an escape, beginning with "The Beast in the Clouds" by Natalia Holt, which details the Roosevelt brothers' quest for the giant panda. As the discussion pivots to fiction, Joumana introduces "Atmosphere" by Taylor Jenkins Reid, a novel about a female astronaut facing a crisis during a space mission, intertwined with a love story and family drama. In contrast, Gilbert discusses "The Gunfighters" by Brian Burrow, which delves into the myth of the Wild West gunfighter era in Texas, while Joumana presents "Next to Heaven" by James Frey, a lurid tale of wealthy couples staging a swingers party that devolves into murder and deceit. More significantly, they explore themes of marriage under pressure with "A Marriage at Sea" by Sophie Elmhurst, and family dynamics in "The Sisters" by Jonas Hessen-Hemiri, a novel blending fiction and autobiography. The episode also touches on thrillers, fantasy, and biographies, including James Patterson and Bill Clinton's "The First Gentleman," V.E. Schwab's "Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil," and Nicholas Boggs' biography of James Baldwin, reflecting diverse literary interests for the summer season.
