Summer's closing days are upon us. As temperatures cool and the days grow shorter, it's also the best time to hit the beach (or a nice shady grove) with a stack of books.

In this episode, Commonweal editors and writers discuss what they've been reading this summer, touching on everything from David Hockney and Robert Caro to Jia Tolentino and Rick Steves.

Plus, we speak with Mexican actress Gabriela Cartol, the star of one of this summer's best films, "The Chambermaid." It’s set entirely in a sleek high-rise hotel, and Cartol’s performance is a revelation, lending emotional poignancy and spiritual warmth to the cold world of capitalist exploitation in modern-day Mexico City.