“I think it's actually good for discussion, because you want to see a range of variety of books on these top 10 lists.” 

It’s been a great year for books! With best-of-the-year lists rolling out, Gilbert Cruz, Books Editor at the New York Times, sat down with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over, to discuss some favorites of the year, how the top lists are compiled, the joys of recommending books and more.   

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Executive Producer Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.              

New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.    

Featured Books (Episode): 

Lone Women by Victor LaValle 

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton 

North Woods by Daniel Mason 

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride 

Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 

The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel 

Fire Weather by John Vaillant 

Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo 

The Wager by David Grann 

Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park 

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond 

A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung 

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray 

The Fraud by Zadie Smith 

The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis 

A Man of Two Faces by Viet Thanh Nguyen 

Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang 

Loot by Tania James 

Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead 

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus 

This Other Eden by Paul Harding