Here is the introduction to an online article written by Lynn Neary for National Public Radio (NPR). Each of three prominent critics — Ron Charles, Washington Post Book Critic; Marcela Valdes, Freelance Reviewer; and Laura Miller, Salon.com Book Critic — provides a mini-review of two books. They are acommpanied by “More from Critics’ Lists: Summer 2013.”

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Illustration: Andrew Bannecker

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There is no one definition of a summer book. It can be a 1,000-page biography, a critically acclaimed literary novel, a memoir everyone is talking about — or it might be your favorite guilty pleasure: romance, crime, science fiction. Whatever you choose, it should be able to sweep you away to another world, because there is nothing like getting totally lost in a book on summer day. Here are a few books that swept away some of our favorite critics.

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