We’re joined by two journalists and avid readers, Susie An and Arionne Nettles, both former colleagues of Jesse’s from WBEZ in Chicago. Susie and Ari both like the IDEA of a beach read, and both say they use summer as a time to catch up on books they WANT to read, as opposed to books they’re SUPPOSED to read. Susie recommends The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson, and Ari recommends You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi.

Micaiah Johnson’s protagonist is dead in many of the known worlds of the novel, which is what allows her to explore, and raises issues of race, class, and privilege. Akwaeke Emezi’s approach to the romance novel has plenty of steamy moments, but their novel ultimately explores what it’s like to be deeply attracted to somebody who is supposed to be “off limits”.