It’s August, which means that Labor Day and back-to-school are just around the corner. The vacation that seemed so leisurely a month ago suddenly feels a little more frantic. But there’s still time to squeeze in a last batch of summer reading. On this week’s episode, host Gilbert Cruz chats with his colleagues Joumana Khatib and Anna Dubenko about the books that have been occupying their attention this season.

Books mentioned on this episode:

"Talk," by Linda Rosencrantz

"Crossroads," by Jonathan Franzen

"You Like It Darker," by Stephen King

"Transactions in a Foreign Currency," by Deborah Eisenberg

"Veronica," by Mary Gaitskill

"The Bright Sword," by Lev Grossman

"Asymmetry," by Lisa Halliday

"Out," by Natsuo Kirino

"The God of the Woods," by Liz Moore

"The Devil's Grip," by Lina Wolff

"Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay," by Elena Ferrante

"Spy Hook," by Len Deighton

"All Fours," by Miranda July

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.