Guests Ron Charles, Barbara Hoffert and Despina Kakoudaki shared their favorite reads this summer, including Nancy Gibbs' "The Presidents Club," which tells the inside story of the world's most exclusive fraternity, and "The Stories of Ray Bradbury," an author-selected anthology of 100 stories.

Bennie wrote:
Kojo, Just finished reading a new 2012 book A Land More Kind than Home by Wiley Cash..................I could not put it down until I finished.  Takes place in Western North Carolina community.  Each chapter is one person’s take on what happened in this small community of people that go to a specific church. Author’s first novel..........great read!

Patti from Olney wrote:
For a vacation to Europe or the Holy Land, there’s nothing better than Mark Twain’s “The Innocents Abroad.”  It’s laugh-out-loud funny (somewhat to my embarrassment) and is available for free for e-readers through Project Gutenberg. The technology may have changed, but human nature hasn’t changed since it was written. My young adult daughter and I were in Italy last month, and she was so amused by the parts I read aloud to her that she is now reading it on her Nook.

Ron Charles, fiction editor and weekly critic for The Washington Post Book World, joined Kojo in the studio to share his reading suggestions.

Barbara wrote:
Hi Kojo! I read a lot...more in the summer since I'm a teacher....but only have time to read great books! 2 Colson Whitehead novels are awesome and fit your discussion... Sag Harbor---for reading about the beach. Zone One---for connecting to the hot show, The Walking Dead, a wry look at the zombie apocalypse from one ordinary survivor's point of view. He's a fantastic writer!!

Sonja wrote:
Hi Kojo: I was just listening to your show and heard you discussing books about Iraq.  There is a great book called Jerusalem Spring that talks about the middle east in a fictional setting.  It has a good message and a surprising twist at the end.  It's an easy read with a lot of food for thought.