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Joseph Fink is one of the creators of the popular Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead podcasts. Now Alice Isn’t Dead is a suspenseful novel filled with misshapen serial killers, an exhausted long haul trucker who believes her wife isn’t deceased even though there was a funeral for her, and a bunch of missing people. Megan and Clay ask Fink about the inspirations for Alice Isn’t Dead and our editors pipe up with their fave picks!

Glory Edim is the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, which has blossomed from an online sensation to a book club to a fascinating anthology of essays by well-known and debut writers discussing their lives as readers and thinkers. We ask Edim about the anthology in this week’s episode. And our editors reveal which bestsellers are worth your reading time!

In late April 1986, as the world was learning about the Chernobyl disaster, the beautiful central library of Los Angeles Public Library system was burning. A troubled actor named Harry Peak was arrested for starting the fire. The Library Book is Susan Orlean’s fascinating story of the attack; in typical Orlean fashion, the story gets deeper and weirder than its ostensible subject. And we also bring our editors on the line to talk about which bestsellers they think you ought to be reading this week!

Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera are two of the most popular young adult writers publishing today; Albertalli’s novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda became the hit movie Love, Simon. The two writers collaborated to write What If It’s Us, a sweet novel about a summer romance between Ben and Arthur. The editors talk about Banned Books Week and reveal which bestsellers are worth your time!

Bestselling thriller writer Lisa Unger’s new novel, Under My Skin, is about a young woman struggling with the aftermath of her husband’s murder finds herself in escalating danger in this novel of psychological suspense. Unger brings the reader along as her narrator's grip on reality is tested and keeps the twists coming in this standout thriller. Megan and Clay and our children’s and YA book editors Vicky Smith and Laura Simeon talk about the finalists for the 2018 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature and they also talk about some great new books!

This week, we talk to Gary Shteyngart about his new novel, Lake Success, about a hedge fund manager on the skids who takes a cross-country Greyhound bus trip to reconnect with his college girlfriend, leaving his wife to deal with their autistic 3-year-old. The novel is smart, relevant, fundamentally warm-hearted, and hilarious. Megan and Clay talk about the finalists of the 2018 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction and our editors reveal which new bestsellers are worth your time!

This week, we’re asking New Yorker staff writer and Harvard historian Jill Lepore about her great new book of the entire history of the U.S., These Truths, which our reviewer calls “a splendid rendering—filled with triumph, tragedy, and hope—that will please Lepore’s readers immensely and win her many new ones.” Megan and Clay also talk about the new Bob Woodward book, Fear: Trump in the White House, and our editors reveal their picks for the best reads this week!

This week, we talk to the author of one of the most-anticipated nonfiction books of the fall: Sarah Weinman, whose The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Kidnapping That Scandalized the World is a tantalizing, entertaining true-life detective and literary story whose roots were hidden deep in a novel that has perplexed and challenged readers for decades. This episode is sponsored by Baker & Taylor, a leading distributor of books, video and music to libraries, institutions, and retailers. To learn more about how Baker and Taylor can help your library visit www.baker-taylor.com.

This week, Megan and Clay talk to civil rights activist and Pod Save the People host DeRay McKesson. His new book, On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope, is a compelling account of technology-powered protest. And it’s a fascinating read, full of his personal stories in addition to his ideas about activism. We also preview some of the great interviews on our site right now from our recent Legends Issue and our editors pipe up with their favorite new reads!

In Randy Kennedy's debut novel, PRESIDIO, two estranged brothers and an unexpected passenger embark on a road trip through Texas to recover stolen money. What starts out as a literary meditation on all that space in West Texas becomes a propulsive literary thriller. Megan and Clay talk about Keanu Reeves' publishing imprint and our editors speak up with their favorite picks for this week!