Books are bringing people together this year in ways Sam has never seen before.

There have been a handful of times in the last few months alone when it felt like he was in one giant book club with his friends, reading the same books, and having deep conversations. It made Sam ask himself … are books actually hot this year? Or should we believe the headlines that Western society is moving toward a post literate society?

To figure it out, Sam turns to his favorite book people Traci Thomas (The Stacks) and Greta Johnsen (Happy to Be Here). Together they get into the books everybody is reading this year, discuss why reading literacy is in danger, and make a case that there’s a book out there for everyone.

Plus, Traci and Greta share a few book recommendations to add to your reading list.

Books mentioned in this episode:

'John of John' by Douglas Stewart

'Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage' by Belle Burden

'Yesteryear' by Caro Claire Burke

'Kin' by Tayari Jones

'The Disappearers' by Marlon James

'The Great Wherever' by Shannon Sanders

'Sunrise' by Téa Obreht

'Unreasonable Women' by Justine van der Leun

'American Hagwon' by Min Jin Lee

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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

David Archuleta shot to fame while competing on American Idol when he was just 17 years old.

During his time on the show he was a poster boy for his Mormon faith, but behind the scenes he was forced to hide his sexuality and queerness. He describes all of this in his memoir Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself. David talks to Sam about learning to accept himself, why his time on American Idol was terrifying, and the surprising ways he’s found community after leaving his religion.

David Archuleta’s new holiday album Warm Me Up is out this fall. Check out his website for tour dates.

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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

We gotta admit, this summer felt great for movies!

From all the monoculture surrounding The Odyssey, to the successful sleeper hits like Backrooms and Obsession, the past few months felt like a magical comeback for the industry.

Joining Sam to break it all down is Jacqueline Coley, awards editor at Rotten Tomatoes and host of the Seen On The Screen podcast. Together, they unpack the biggest lessons for Hollywood and also give some movie recommendations for your watchlist.

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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.