Announcing the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge

Summary

All Of It Podcast Summary: Announcing the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge

Podcast Information:

• Title: All Of It
• Host: Alison Stewart
• Producer: Jordan Loft
• Description: ALL OF IT is a show about culture and its consumers, aiming to engage thinkers, doers, makers, and creators in discussions about the what and why of their work. Hosted by Alison Stewart and produced by Jordan Loft, the show fosters a community that values diverse perspectives and experiences, reflecting the vibrant culture of New York City.

Episode Overview:

• Title: Announcing the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge
• Release Date: June 23, 2025
• Duration: 22 minutes

---

Introduction to the Summer Reading Challenge

[00:28] Alison Stewart: Alison kicks off the episode by celebrating the arrival of summer and announcing the launch of the second annual Summer Reading Challenge. Reflecting on the previous year's success, she shares impressive statistics:

• 780+ listeners signed up globally.
• 222 readers completed the challenge and received special prizes.

She highlights a growing trend, referencing a New York Times article titled "Summer Reading Challenges aren't just for Kids," emphasizing that the challenge is inclusive for all ages.

Key Quote:

“[00:28] Alison Stewart: ...more than 780 listeners signed up from all over the country, even all over the globe.”

Reflections on Last Year's Challenge

[01:26] Jordan Loft: Jordan expresses excitement about returning for the challenge, sharing insights from the previous year:

• High Engagement: Listeners' enthusiasm exceeded expectations.
• Popular Categories: Classics were a favorite, with many choosing to revisit timeless literature.
• Demand for Nonfiction: Significant interest led to the introduction of a dedicated nonfiction category.

Key Quote:

“[01:39] Jordan Loft: ...people were looking for an excuse to pick up an old classic. So we're spoiler alert. We're keeping that category in.”

Changes and Enhancements for 2025

[02:44] Jordan Loft: This year’s challenge introduces several modifications based on listener feedback and past experiences:

• Extended Duration: Beginning earlier, running until the end of Labor Day weekend, providing additional time.
• Increased Book Count: Participants are now challenged to read five books instead of four.
• Streamlined Categories: Five focused categories, requiring one book from each, ensuring varied and comprehensive reading experiences.

New Categories:

1. A Classic You've Been Meaning to Get To
2. A Book About or Set in New York City
3. A Memoir or Biography (Nonfiction)
4. A Recent Debut Novel
5. A Book Published in 2025

Key Quote:

“[02:44] Jordan Loft: ...instead of four books, we are challenging you to read five. And we've slimmed down the categories so there are no extraneous categories.”

Deep Dive into New Categories

1. Classic Literature

[13:23] Jordan Loft: Celebrates anniversaries of iconic classics:

• The Great Gatsby and Mrs. Dalloway both hit their 100th anniversaries, making it an opportune time to revisit or explore these works.
• Additional Recommendations: John Steinbeck's East of Eden, celebrating its adaptation into a TV series.

Key Quote:

“[13:23] Jordan Loft: ...the 100th anniversary of both of those books. There are tons of events happening in the city around the Great Gatsby and Mrs. Dalloway.”

2. Books About or Set in New York City

[14:54] Alison Stewart & [15:06] Jordan Loft: Recommendations include:

• Play World by Adam Ross: An autofiction novel set in 1980s New York, exploring themes like child acting and Dungeons & Dragons.
• The Doorman by Chris Pavone: A deep dive into the significance of doormen in NYC, intertwined with a murder mystery.
• Mutual Interest by Olivia Wolfgang Smith: A queer business drama set in Victorian high society, perfect for fans of The Gilded Age.

Key Quote:

“[15:06] Jordan Loft: ...Play World by Adam Ross, and it's really a time capsule of New York city in the 80s.”

3. Memoir or Biography

[03:44] Jordan Loft: Introduces this category as an ode to the show's monthly biography series, Full Bio. Emphasizes the breadth within memoirs and biographies, allowing diverse interests:

• Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser
• Mary, Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser
• Charles Sumner: Explores his life and legacy beyond the famous Senate caning incident.

Discussion on What Makes a Good Memoir:

• Well-Written Narrative: Should read like a compelling story.
• Unique Experiences or Perspectives: Provides a universal story through a specific lens.
• Strong Voice: Exemplified by authors like James McBride.

Key Quote:

“[07:21] Jordan Loft: ...the best memoirs read sort of like a story, like, almost like a work of fiction, but aren't.”

4. Recent Debut Novel

[08:08] Jordan Loft: Clarifies the focus on recent debuts to support emerging writers:

• Definitions: Debut novels are those published in the last couple of years, ideally by authors who haven’t yet released a second novel.
• Examples:
  • The Names by Florence Knapp: Explores themes of domestic violence and the power of naming through multiple narrative tangents.
  • Blob by Alison Stewart: Blends romance and speculative fiction with a girl finding a transforming blob.
  • Big Chief by John Hickey: A crime thriller set on a reservation, delving into tribal politics.

Key Quote:

“[08:27] Jordan Loft: ...we're hoping for a debut novel that is published in the last couple of years. And ideally, they haven't published their second novel yet.”

5. Books Published in 2025

[18:54] Jordan Loft: Highlights anticipated releases:

• King of Ashes by SA Cosby: A Southern atmospheric noir crime thriller.
• Untitled by Maggie Stiefvater: Her first adult novel, a historical fiction set during World War II.
• Katabasis by RF Kuang: A fantasy novel about grad students traveling to hell to retrieve a magical advisor, drawing comparisons to Harry Potter for adults.

Key Quote:

“[20:31] Alison Stewart: And you've got one by a huge author.”

How to Participate

[21:17] Jordan Loft: Provides instructions for signing up:

• Website: Visit wnyc.org/summerreading to download the PDF and sign up.
• Process: Fill out the form electronically or print and complete by hand for a personal touch.
• Support: Alison and Jordan will provide ongoing support, recommendations, and check-ins throughout the summer.

Key Quote:

“[21:17] Jordan Loft: ...head to wnyc.org/summerreading and Jordan will be back throughout the summer to check up on you, to take your calls, and to give you more recommendations.”

Conclusion

Alison and Jordan wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to join the Summer Reading Challenge, participate actively, and immerse themselves in a diverse array of literature. With thoughtfully curated categories and exciting book recommendations, this year's challenge promises to enrich participants' summer with meaningful and engaging reads.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Alison Stewart: “[00:28] ...more than 780 listeners signed up from all over the country, even all over the globe.”
• Jordan Loft: “[01:39] ...people were looking for an excuse to pick up an old classic.”
• Jordan Loft: “[07:21] ...the best memoirs read sort of like a story, like, almost like a work of fiction, but aren't.”
• Jordan Loft: “[08:27] ...we're hoping for a debut novel that is published in the last couple of years.”
• Alison Stewart: “[20:31] And you've got one by a huge author.”

Final Note: Listeners interested in cultural discussions and literary engagement will find the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge a valuable opportunity to explore diverse genres and support both classic and emerging authors. For more information and to participate, visit wnyc.org/summerreading.

Transcript

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[Alison Stewart]

You are listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. This weekend marked the first weekend of summer, which means it's time for our second annual Summer Reading Challenge. Our challenge last year was a great success. More than 780 listeners signed up from all over the country, even all over the globe. And in the end, 222 readers finished the challenge and received a special prize. And it seems like we're part of a growing trend. Just recently, the New York Times published a piece titled Summer Reading Challenges aren't just for Kids. And we couldn't agree more. So we're launching our summer Reading Challenge with some new categories and a new time frame. To sign up and to download the Summer Reading Challenge PDF, head to wnyc.org summerreading that's wnyc.org summerreading and joining me now to announce the new categories and to give some of her recommendations for each is all of it. And get lit producer Jordan Loft. Hi, Jordan.

[Jordan Loft]

Hi, Alison. I'm so excited to be doing this again.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm so excited that we're doing our reading challenge again. But. But first of all, what did you learn from last summer's reading challenge that has gone into your decisions in switching things up this year?

[Jordan Loft]

Yeah, So I. I guess first and foremost was that our listeners were so eager to participate in this. I couldn't believe the amount of signups we got. Um, I grossly underestimated the amount of tote bags we were gonna have to send out because I thought, like, surely not that many people will finish. 222 people. That was a lot of people. So we're really excited to be engaging you again with the Summer Reading Challenge this year. I also learned that people really enjoyed reading classics. So of all the categories, last year we had seven categories. You could pick four to do the challenge. Almost everyone picked the category A classic I've been meaning to get to. So that told me that people were looking for an excuse to pick up an old classic. So we're spoiler alert. We're keeping that category in. And the other thing I took away from last year was that people were really hungry for a nonfiction category. A lot of people wrote to me to ask next Year. If we do this again, can there be something specifically for nonfiction? So that is definitely something we kept in mind this year.

[Alison Stewart]

Okay, so this year we're starting things a little bit earlier, the beginning of summer, but changing the parameters of the challenge. Tell us about the new categories and the requirements.

[Jordan Loft]

Okay, so the challenge this year is a little different. As you said, we're starting earlier. Same thing. You have until the end of Labor Day weekend, so you've got a couple extra weeks here. But instead of four books, we are challenging you to read five. And we've slimmed down the categories so there are no extraneous categories. You'll have to hit one in each. So one in each of the five categories. But again, you have a couple extra weeks to hopefully do it. So here are the five categories. There's a classic you've been meaning to get to, a book about or set in New York City, a memoir or biography. That's our nonfiction category. A recent debut novel, and a book published in 2025. So those are the five categories. Again, you have to read one book in each of those five categories in order to complete the challenge. But this also gives you some time to tackle a longer book if you want to read a longer biography. And last year, you were so worried about cramming in in those two months. Now you've got a couple extra days to, you know, read the Power Broker, I guess, if you really want to go for it.

[Guest]

All right, we removed some categories, added some new ones. We added memoir and biography. Why did you want to add that one?

[Jordan Loft]

So, first of all, I actually thought about it as an ode to our full bio series. If people don't know. One of the things we do here on this show that Alison really spearheads is monthly biography series called Full Bio, where we spotlight one biographer. In the last, most recent one, we did Mark Twain with Ron Chernow. And those are long, extended conversations with biographers. And they're so great, and our listeners seem to really like them. So I thought, wow, I guess there must be an appetite from our listeners for biographies. So let's put that in again. We wanted to encourage nonfiction, since people seem to really be hungry for that category. But I also didn't want to narrow down choices too much. So with something like a biography or a memoir, you're really open to what interests you. You could do an actor's memoir about their time on the stage. You could do a designer's memoir. You could do a biography of Steve Jobs. If you're interested in technology, there are so many different ways you could spin that out into what you're interested in. So it doesn't have to just be like a historical biography when you think of what a biography is.

[Guest]

All right, tell us some of the biographies you've been thinking about. Might be good for this.

[Jordan Loft]

Yeah, so I'll start with one I'm actually reading right this very minute. I am reading Marie Antoinette the Journey by Antonia Fraser. I am. Spoiler alert. When you hear this. I will actually not be here. I'll be in Paris. But I'm reading it to prepare for that trip to Paris. It is so well written. It is so humanizing. It really feels like you're almost living a historical drama when you read it. I also really enjoyed her biography of Mary, Queen of Scots. I read that when I studied abroad in Edinburgh. And it's such a good way to immerse yourself in local history through one person's story. So it feels personal. It doesn't feel too overwhelming, but, like, oh, yeah, I am gonna learn about the French Revolution. Alison, I'm curious for you. Have you started on our next full bio assignment?

[Alison Stewart]

I did. I started on Sunday. We're reading about Charles Sumner. People might remember him when Preston Brooks from South Carolina beat him senseless on the Senate floor. It's a story about his life. It's a story about how he grew up in the black area of Boston, which is what led to him becoming an abolitionist. I love it. I love it, love it, love it.

[Jordan Loft]

I'm so excited for that one. Again, like you mentioned, I think the only thing I know about Sumner is the caning incident. That was definitely on, like, some AP History test that I had to memorize. But I'm so excited to learn more about him. So that's another one that's newly out this summer that you could definitely check out.

[Alison Stewart]

We've had a conversation you and I have had as two people who read a lot on this show. Not everybody should write a memoir. We're just gonna say it.

[Jordan Loft]

It's true.

[Alison Stewart]

What do you think makes a good memoir?

[Jordan Loft]

Okay, this is a good question. Cause, yes, we've had this conversation where, like, sometimes it's like, oh, did they just get a book deal? And they had to fill it? This should be a given. But I think a great memoir should be well written. I think the best memoirs read sort of like a story, like, almost like a work of fiction, but aren't. Obviously. It always helps if something unique has happened to you. I know that also sounds like maybe a. But I think sometimes the memoirs that are the best either are about something unique that's happened or come from a unique perspective to make a universal story feel more specific and grounded to them. And having a strong voice always helps someone, like, I think I'm gonna mention a bit James McBride, like, he's got such a strong voice. So his memoir is one that sort of stands apart for that, and I'm really excited to hopefully read it, the Color of Water this year.

[Guest]

What's another memoir you're recommending? I see. How to say Babylon.

[Jordan Loft]

Yes. This is a memoir by Sophia Sinclair, and speaking of being about something memorable and unique, hers is about her upbringing and her father, who, as he got older, sort of subscribed to this very radical sect of Rastafarianism, which I didn't honestly know very much about that religion. I mean, obviously, I know Bob Marley and some of the tenets of the music, but not so much the actual religious basis of what he was practicing. And he used this religion as sort of a way to control especially the women in his family. And so Safiya writes very beautifully about that, and she's a poet, and often poets write really great memoirs because, you know, they've got that. That gift for lyricism. So that was a really excellent blend of a strong voice and also a compelling story.

[Guest]

My guest is Jordan Loft. She's our all of it and Get lit producer. We're talking about the summer reading challenge, which starts today. Talk about debut novels, our next category. I know you got a lot of questions about debuts last time. Would you clarify for our listeners what you were looking for?

[Jordan Loft]

Yes. So this time I think I wrote specifically a recent debut, because what I found last time was a lot of people were writing to me saying, like, oh, but I'm reading Toni Morrison's first novel, or I'm reading Hemingway's first novel. That counts as a debut. And I was like, well, I guess technically it was their debut. But the point and the spirit of this category is to hopefully support new emerging writers who are working right now and also help you discover some new people who are hopefully gonna be writing many books in the future. And I think it's a great way to expand your horizons and meet some new writers. So, yes, I'm hoping for a debut novel that is published in the last couple of years. And ideally, they haven't published their second novel yet.

[Guest]

All right, give us an example of someone we've had on the show who had a debut novel that you were, like, really bowled over by.

[Jordan Loft]

Yeah. Recently we just talked To Florence Knapp, who wrote the Names, which was this beautiful novel. Domestic violence and naming and the power of naming. And it tells the story of this mother, and she's deciding what to name her son. And the story goes on three different tangents. One where she names the son after her husband who's abusive. One where she names him what she wants to name him, and one where she names him what her daughter wants her to name him. And it goes on these, like, three sort of like, what if experiments. Like, what would happen to this boy's life if he was named Bear? What. What would happen if he was named Gordon? And I just thought that this debut, it didn't read like a debut at all. It was so self assured. It was plotted so beautifully. The prose was simple but stunning. And she's had a whole career, Florence Knapp, before writing her debut. She's one of these examples of a woman in the middle of her life who finally found the time to write a novel. And so I think that's really beautiful, too. So that's the other thing is a debut novelist doesn't always mean young writer. Sometimes it's someone who's coming to the page with a lot of life experience. So I just thought this was. This was a beautiful one to pick up. Allison, a debut I know you really liked was Blob. What did you like about that one?

[Alison Stewart]

I liked Blob because it's about this girl who finds a blob outside of a nightclub. She takes it home, and slowly it grows into the perfect male. I like that. It just takes that for granted. Like, oh, yeah, she brought a blob home from the nightclub and it turned into the perfect male. Like, it takes the leap. You just take the leap and you take it with her. And that made it very exciting for anything that could happen in the story, because you already have taken one giant leap. You're like, okay, I'll take another one and another one. And it was also really interesting, what we think makes the perfect partner, in her case, a male. But who makes a perfect partner? What makes a perfect partner? It's not what you think.

[Jordan Loft]

Yeah. And it's so interesting. I actually think both of those cases are, you know, often for debut novelists, I feel like they get the advice, write what you know. But when we spoke to Florence, she said I was sort of writing totally away from my own experience, and I had to do some research. And, you know, obviously a blob is not a thing that you're just finding in a bar. So that's those are cool examples of debut novels taking a leap and not just, you know, doing autofiction, which can be beautiful. But, you know, sometimes it's cool to.

[Guest]

Experiment and you can listen to both of those interviews by going to all of its website.

[Alison Stewart]

Another recent debut novel that you're excited to read.

[Guest]

What else?

[Jordan Loft]

Yeah. So Big Chief by John Hickey is a book I am thinking picking up for myself in this category. It's an election thriller and a drama and it is set on a reservation. It's actually about a tribal election and sort of the machinations going on behind the scenes in this election. And I'm really excited to learn more about the inner workings of tribal politics. It's not something I know very much about and I know that John Hickey based some of this on experiences his family had within tribal politics. So I think that will be a great book to pick up to learn something new.

[Guest]

Okay, this is a little bit of a cheat, but were there any debut novels from last year that showed up a lot that still might count towards this year?

[Jordan Loft]

Yes. So there was one in particular. I couldn't believe how many of our readers chose to pick this one up. I recommended it and then when the challenge ended and everyone sent me what they read, this one came up again and again. I think it was our most read book. And that is the Ministry of Time by Kellyanne Bradley. I believe she has not yet published her second novel, so I'm gonna count it. It was her debut last year. That's totally fair. This is a time travel, romance, comedy, drama. It's short. Ish. I think it's under 300 pages. I believe it's being adapted into a series by a 24. I have yet to recommend this book to someone who really didn't like it. There's something for everyone. If you like science fiction, you've got it. You like historical fiction, you got it. You want romance, it's in there. It was hot with our readers last year and so if you didn't pick it up last time, maybe you'll love it.

[Guest]

We're talking about all of its summer reading challenge. My guest is Jordan Loft. She is all of its producer and get Litz producer giving you some recommendations for this year's summer reading challenge. Let's move to the classics category. This is a big anniversary for classics.

[Jordan Loft]

Yes. This is a great year actually to be tackling this category if you are someone who likes anniversaries. So if you're looking for an excuse to read the Great Gatsby also Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. It is the 100th anniversary of both of those books. There are tons of events happening in the city around the Great Gatsby and Mrs. Dalloway. I personally have read the Great Gatsby probably too many times, but maybe I'll read it again. Who knows? I've never actually read Mrs. Dalloway, so maybe now is a good time to pick it up. It could also inspire you to read the Hours by Michael Cunningham, which is very much based on Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. You could do a little companion piece. Sadly, it would not count in any.

[Guest]

Of the categories, but I've been meaning to read something maybe.

[Jordan Loft]

There you go. Actually, you know what? I believe part of it is set in New York City.

[Guest]

There you go.

[Jordan Loft]

There you go. It would count in that category. So there. There's my official recommendation. You could do a little pairing of Mrs. Dalloway in Classics and the Hours by Michael Cunningham and a book set in New York City. There you go. Two for one.

[Guest]

Perfect. Any other classics that you're considering for this category?

[Jordan Loft]

Yeah, last year was also the Baldwin centennial, so that's another big anniversary. I have read a couple Baldwin novels, but I have not read Go Tell it on the Mountain. So that's what I'm definitely considering. Another one that could be interesting for people to pick up. John Steinbeck's east of Eden is being adapted into, I believe, a television series starring Florence Pugh. And I know people are really excited about that. And that's another Steinbeck I've never read. And people seem to really love maybe even more than the Grapes of Wrath. So that's another one that could be on your list.

[Alison Stewart]

Okay, the next category is a book about or set in New York City. We did this category last year, but of course there's been new books published since then. What books about New York are you really enjoying?

[Jordan Loft]

Yeah, so there was a new novel that came out at the beginning of this year that I think, Allison, you and I both agreed was one of the best books we've read doing this show. It is called Play World by Adam Ross, and it's autofiction. It's based sort of on his life, but it's about a child actor struggling to find himself in the midst of an inappropriate relationship, let's say with a much older woman, a friend of the family, who takes an inappropriate interest in him. But it's also really a time capsule of New York city in the 80s. He's a big wrestler, so it's a lot about wrestling. He gets into Dungeons and Dragons with his friends. He's on a movie set for part of it. So there's like so much that's about life here for a particular kind of kid growing up in the city in the 80s. So it feels transportative in that sense. But it was just an excellent, excellent novel.

[Alison Stewart]

I really liked the Doorman by Chris Pavone.

[Jordan Loft]

That's right.

[Guest]

That's another great novel about New York.

[Alison Stewart]

It's supposed to be about the Dakota.

[Guest]

They give it a different name, but it's the Dakota and the doorman.

[Jordan Loft]

They couldn't fool you, Alison.

[Alison Stewart]

Not at all.

[Guest]

It was a really beautiful study of what doorman mean to people in New York City, aside from like, sort of.

[Alison Stewart]

The murder aspect of it, but just.

[Guest]

About, like, what the doorman means and how important it is to people. And it had a real sort of personal connection for the author. So I would recommend that one.

[Jordan Loft]

Totally. And that one sounds like it'd be good to read on the beach.

[Guest]

Oh, it does sound good to read on the beach.

[Alison Stewart]

This is for fans of the Gilded.

[Guest]

Age coming back to hbo.

[Jordan Loft]

Yes, exactly. If you're watching the Gilded Age this summer and you're feeling in the Gilded Age spirit, you might really enjoy Mutual Interest by Olivia Wolfgang Smith. We had her on the show as well. And I really loved this novel. I would describe it as a queer business drama. It is about a woman who is gay and a man who is gay who enter a sort of marriage of convenience. They, like, decide to get married so they can both cover up for Victorian high society. But they also found this, like, soap and perfume making business that's doing really well. And they bring in this third wealthy businessman and sort of a love triangle. Love duo forms, but it's also about business and competition and Victorian high society at this time. What I really loved about it is that the narration is written in the style of an omniscient, like, third person Victorian narrator. So it'll say things like, and now we must leave them here and travel east along the river, you know, to find our next set of characters. So I really liked the narration. It's great for Pride Month. It also includes an excellent Meet Cute that involves walruses. And I won't say any more than that.

[Guest]

Okay, let's talk about nonfiction. What books have people written to you about or have you seen on the website that have really popped?

[Jordan Loft]

Yeah. So one of our most recommended books. I think of all time on the show. Every time I come on to recommend books, someone calls in to recommend the island at the center of the World by Russell Shorto. That's a great book to pick for a book about or set in New York City. Another one that you could try is his latest book, the Taking of Manhattan. It's his new exploration of Dutch New York, but also how Dutch New York came to be handed over to the English, which was a story I knew very little about and was really fascinated by the politics of that situation. And he goes in depth about how New York is really a parent of both the Netherlands and England that we are really. We still see the sort of Dutch aspects of capitalism and slightly more tolerance of other people, though we caveat that obviously there was still a lot of problems, but sorts of religions were tolerated that weren't tolerated in New England. But then obviously England comes in and brings with it its whole other set of cultures and ideas. So I thought it was a really interesting portrait of the early history of our city and how we came to be.

[Guest]

All right. And finally, we've hit books published in 2025, so this can be any book published this year. What are some of the exciting books that you have that you're thinking about coming up?

[Jordan Loft]

Yeah, I'm personally really excited to read King of Ashes by SA Cosby. Yeah, he's the best. This is for people who want a great crime thriller. If you're looking for something that's really gonna turn the pages, he's got like a Southern atmospheric noir thing going on. Like, you can almost feel the humidity and like the Spanish moss. Like, you can just conjure it all in your mind. This new one is about one family's interaction with a group of gangsters and a brother named Roman who comes home to try to sort of bail the family out of trouble. And he is just so. I mean, he's such a delight personally to have on the show, but his writing is just so, as I said, atmospheric and will keep you turning the pages. So I'm really excited about that one. I'm also really excited by the listeners. By Maggie Stiefvater. That one is out. It was out already in early June, and I was a big fan of her young adult novels growing up. She wrote some fantasy called Shiver. This is her first book for adults. It's not fantasy. It's getting great reviews. It's historical fiction set during World War II, and it takes place in a hotel in West Virginia. And this hotel has made a secret deal with the State Department to house captured enemy diplomats during World War II.

[Guest]

Wow.

[Jordan Loft]

But an FBI agent catches Wind of this shows up, tries to spy on the diplomats, and there is romance, there's intrigue, there's spies. I think if you liked books like the Nightingale, you will really enjoy this new World War II fiction.

[Alison Stewart]

And you've got one by a huge author.

[Jordan Loft]

Yes. Probably the most anticipated book of the summer, I would say, is the latest from RF Kuang. You probably know her from Yellowface. That was one of our get lit picks. Her latest is katabasis. It's out August 26th. This is a return to fantasy and it is about two grad students in England who have to travel to hell to retrieve their magical advisor.

[Guest]

Oh wow.

[Jordan Loft]

It should be very similar to Babel, which was excellent. I honestly think of them as like Harry Potter books for adults. Like if you're an adult and you're like, oh, I missed the sort of magical school that was Hogwarts, she's really writing in that vein, but for adults.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, do you want to give people the information once again?

[Jordan Loft]

Yes. To sign up for the Summer Reading challenge, head to wnyc.org summerreading that's where you'll find a PDF that you can download and print out. If you want to, like, fill it out by hand, make yourself feel really accomplished. And that's also where you'll sign up. You'll give us your email and information and then we'll know you're doing the challenge. That is wnyc.org summerreading and Jordan will.

[Alison Stewart]

Be back throughout the summer to check up on you, to take your calls, and to give you more recommendations. Jordan Loff is all of its producer and Get Lit's producer. Thanks, Jordan.

[Jordan Loft]

Thanks so much, Alison and happy reading everyone.

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