Book Riot - The Podcast

"It Book" Knockout Round for May 2024

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca try to figure out what the "it book" of May 2024 will be. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more ind...

Parenting Books, CRAZY RICH ASIANS as a Musical, and We Want to Know the Fate of the Mouse

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sharifah joins Jeff to talk about parenting books, recent reading, adaptation news, and a scheme involving QR codes that it just might work. Subscrib...

Looking at Bookish Social Media With Fresh Eyes [Updated]

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff checks in with Rebecca about re-entering, to a degree, the world of bookish social media. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and ...

The Best-Selling Books of the Year So Far, UK Covers on Sale in the US, and More.

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the best-selling books of the year so far, a variety of bookstore related mysteries, recent reading, and more. Subscribe t...

Summer Adaptation Preview

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rebecca and Jeff look ahead to notable summer adaptations, including Bridgerton, Dark Matter, House of the Dragon, and more. Subscribe to the podcast ...

Selling UK Covers in the US? Plus: a PLA report, JAMES is legit, and more.

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about some recent book-related travel things, do some quick adulation of James, and much more. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS...

Shogun, 3 Body Problem, Masters of the Air, A Gentleman in Moscow, Ripley...and Dune 2

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca check in with a selection of recent streaming adaptations (Shogun, 3 Body Problem, Masters of the Air, A Gentleman in Moscow, Ripley)...

Book Design, Spotify Rate Rumors, a New Museum of Children's Literature, and more

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sharifah Williams joins Jeff to talk about fonts of all things, plus what's going on with Spotify, the tough media landscape, and more. Subscribe to ...

The "It" Books of April

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the "it" books of the month. And struggle to pronounce Amor Towles. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and ...

The Best TV Shows of the 21st Century [Teaser]

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca discuss the idea of prestige TV as the literary fiction of visual media, dissect The Hollywood Reporter's list of the 50 best shows o...

Notes from a Reconnaissance Mission Into the State of Publishing

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After noting the passing of Daniel Kahneman, Jeff debriefs Rebecca on his most recent round of discussions with the publishing world. Subscribe to the...

Underrated Authors

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about authors they think are underrated. Even if only a little. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. ...

Our Media Diets [Teaser]

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca walk through their non-book media diets. Join us on Patreon for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus episodes. patreon.com/bo...

The NICKEL BOYS Adaptation, DC to Honor the First Trans Superhero, and a Basket of Book Banning News

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Book Riot's managing editor Vanessa Diaz joins Rebecca to discuss an upcoming adaptation of Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys, the National Book Foun...

People Will Come, Ray

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff is away this week, so in honor of baseball season getting underway, we are rerunning our episode in which Jeff and Rebecca talk about Field of Dr...

Our Insta-Buy Authors [Teaser]

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca try to guess which authors appear on each other's "insta-buy" lists. Join us on Patreon for access to early, ad-free listening and b...

It's Time for Publishers to Tell the Truth About Posthumously Published Books

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about publishers misrepresenting posthumous books, Jeff's Q&A with Authors Equity CEO Madeline McIntosh, RuPaul's Allstora backt...

AMERICAN FICTION and Seeing The Book World On Screen and On the Page

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On the occasion of Cord Jefferson's Best Adapted Screenplay win, Jeff and Rebecca talk about their favorite books, movies, and TV shows set in the wor...

A New Store and a New Publisher Both Trying to Reslice The Bookselling Pie

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Book Riot editor Danika Ellis joins Jeff to talk about Allstore (a new online bookstore) and Authors Equity (a new publisher) coming at the same targe...

Who Will Win Best Adapted Screenplay?

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca try to predict the most literary Oscar. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign ...

Bookshop.org Is Audiobooks Curious, Ward Re-Ups, the State of Culture in 2024 & More

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca note a customer survey Bookshop.org sent to customers about their audiobook habits, decide no-new news is good news as Jesmyn Ward st...

Book Club: The Book of Love by Kelly Link [bonus]

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca discuss Kelly Link's debut novel, The Book of Love. Join us on Patreon for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus episodes: ht...

The "It" Books of March

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca pick the "it" book of March. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our T...

Deals, Deals Deals: February 2024 [teaser]

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca review some of the most interesting book deal announcements from the last few months. Join us on Patreon for access to early, ad-fre...

Simon & Schuster's Odyssey Isn't Over, National Book Awards Open Up, and More

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about LeVar Burton's book deal, opening up the National Book Awards, book banning news, and why no one should think this is the ...

Talking DUNE

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are re-running an episode from our short-run podcast series Adaptation Nation on Dune, covering Frank Herbert's novel and what turned out to be par...

Listener Mailbag & Personalized Recommendations [Teaser]

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca dive into general questions from listeners and offer personalized recommendations, including whether any F. Scott Fitzgerald books ar...

Coincidences, Adaptations, and Recent Reading

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca discuss some good listener feedback on coincidences before running through a bunch of adaptation news and then talking about recent m...

The Best Adaptations of Romances & Love Stories

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Vanessa Diaz joins Rebecca for a conversation about the best movies adapted from romances and love stories, the ones that are due for a remake, and a ...

Be Back Soon

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bookriotpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Checking in on the World of Romance

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Trisha Brown and Jess Pryde, hosts of When in Romance, join Jeff to talk about what's going on in the world of romance: what's changed over the last t...

A Clandestine Texas Bookshelf, Argylle Fizzles, Spotify's Audiobook Royalties, and a Farewell to N. Scott Momaday

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca take a moment to mark the death of N. Scott Momaday, do a post-mortem on the Argylle 'intrigue," pitch a movie based on a secret bann...

February "It Book" Knockout Round

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After a ho-hum January slate of new releases, Jeff and Rebecca are back to working their way through a much stronger slate of It Book candidates. Sub...

Adapted Screenplay Nominees, Big 5 Really Just as Big, NBCC Award Finalists, and more

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca helpfully wade into the Adapted Screenplay Discourse, question framing 2023 as anything other than dominance for the Big 5, peruse th...

THE INTUITIONIST at 25 [Teaser]

26 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of The Intuitionist, Jeff and Rebecca dive deep on Colson Whitehead's debut novel. Join us on Patreon for acce...

Winter/Spring 2024 Adaptation Preview

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about notable adaptations coming out over the next few months. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Fo...

Circuit Court Declares Texas Book Ban Law Unconstitutional, Barnes & Noble Opening New Stores, LA Public Library Buys a Publishing House, and more

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about some good legal news, B&N's announced plans to open 50 new stores, quashing (and starting?) some Argylle authorship rumors...

What Are the 50 Hottest Books of the Moment? [Teaser]

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca check in on the Hot 50, their running list of the biggest/buzziest/most acclaimed books in the zeitgeist. Join us on Patreon for ac...

Power Ranking the Books of 2019

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca try to power rank the top books of 2019. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign...

The Most Popular Books of the Last 10 years, a Keanu Reeves/China Mieville Team-Up, Banning Dictionaries, and Being Dumb about Oprah, and More

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca kick themselves for not seeing the obvious reason Oprah might be stumping extra-hard for The Covenant of Water, marvel at Keanu Reeve...

Our Most Anticipated Books of 2024 (The First Bit of It, At Least)

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca run through some of their personally most-anticipated books of the first-ish half of 2024. Plus, they have some other Book Riot edito...

Obama's Favorite Books of 2023, Iowa Book Banning Law Partially Stopped, Recent Reading, and more.

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff O'Neal and Rebecca Schinksy talk about Obama's favorite books of 2023, the best-selling books of 2023 in the U.S., some good news in Iowa, our wi...

The Winter 2024 New Release Draft [Teaser]

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff O'Neal and Rebecca Schinsky compete to draft the best selection of 10 new and upcoming releases. Join us on Patreon for ad-free listening and pre...

January 2024 "It Book" Knockout Round

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff O'Neal and Rebecca Schinsky choose the "it book" of January 2024 from a roster of 10 finalists. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts,...

The Best of the Rest 2023 [Teaser]

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca share the movies, TV, podcasts, and other non-book highlights of the year. Join us on Patreon for ad-free listening and premium con...

The Year in Review

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca look at the most important, memorable, strangest, and all and all most superlative stories from the year in books and reading. Subsc...

Bonus: The Books We Missed This Year [Teaser]

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca run through the books they had their eyes on but didn't quite get to this year. Subscribe to premium content on Patreon to hear the...

Wrapping Up Holiday Recommendation Requests & Our Most Giftable Books of the Year

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca handle a few last recommendation requests and then give some ideas for generally giftable books for 2023. Subscribe to the podcast v...

Bonus: Our Favorite Books of 2023 [Teaser]

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rebecca and Jeff run down their favorite books of 2023 and a few highlights from backlist reading. Listen to the full episode and see our full list o...

Holiday Recommendation Show, Part 2

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca wrap up their annual holiday recommendation extravaganza. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more in...

2023 Holiday Recommendation Show, Part 1

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca respond to listener book recommendation requests. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry ne...

The Prepositional Phrase After Trickle

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk Amazon's best books of the year, The National Book Award winners, Goodreads Choice Award nominees, and much more. Subscribe to t...

Inclusive Insider Baseball

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about Barnes & Noble's finalists for Book of the Year, a treasure trove of literary awards data, the stunning catalog of audiobo...

Pop Diva Rumspringa

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the sales numbers for The Woman in Me, PW's best books of the year list, the Fourth Wing adaptation announcement, and more...

Speaking of Therapy

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rebecca and Jenn Northington discuss Scholastic's decision to walk back the plan to silo diverse books, BookTok's takedown of a Taylor-Travis fanfic, ...

The Starving Caterpillar

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the celebrity memoir boomlet, Levar Burton hosting the National Book Awards, renovating Barnes & Noble, Scholastic separat...

Mental Tattoos. They're Called Memories.

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca discuss listener feedback about Spotify audiobooks & the mystery Nov 7th Red Tower release, several interesting book announcements, r...

Saying Goodbye to Louise Glück

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

American poet and 2020 Nobel Laureate Louise Glück has passed away. She was something of a house favorite here, so we thought we'd share a rebroadcas...

The Most Impossible Single Task of Literary Discernment

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the honoree of the 2023 Nobel Prize in literature, the National Book Award finalists, free audiobooks coming to Spotify su...

A New Thing Under the Sun

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about Book3 (and reactions to it), a survey about what libraries think of book bans, the U.S. suing Amazon, and more. Subscribe ...

Borrowed and Banned

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As an extra for you this week, we are delighted to share the first episode of Borrowed and Banned, a new podcast made by our friends at the Brooklyn P...

Homer Was On One

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the National Book Award for Fiction longlist, a bunch of red states leaving the American Library Association, a teacher ge...

Time For Bed

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about a bunch of recent reading, Drew Barrymore getting booted from the National Book Awards, and I guess that pretty much cover...

Nexuses of Attention

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jenn Northington joins Jeff to talk about book blurbs, book sales, and the fundamental tension of Goodreads. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple P...

Do You Think the Books are Fine?

03 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk early 2023 prize lists, Jeff's trip to the UK, recent reading, and more. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and S...

Guest Post: Modern Indie Bookselling with Josh Cook

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca are out this week, wrapping up the last bits of summer vacation, so we are dropping Jeff's recent interview on First Edition with Jos...

It's All Connected

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly Jensen joins Rebecca to discuss a bummer-fest of book banning news, some truly absurd behavior in Texas, and Jay-Z's partnership with the Brookl...

The Internet's Disappointed Mom

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rebecca and Vanessa talk about a trio of AI-related publishing shenanigans, the private equity firm that bought Simon & Schuster, and a cringey moment...

Pass the Grudge Around

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca end up spending most of this episode talking about a new publishing company that is cutting influencers in on the action. For more in...

Ninth in the Line of Cultural Currency

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca spend a long time talking about how the sheer quantity of books published is the central issue in book publishing. Plus, they hit a c...

UPDATED: The Ladder of Pockets

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the best-selling books of 2023, Obama's summer reading list, The Covenant of Water, and much more. Follow the podcast via ...

Beneficent Ben

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk recent book banning developments, why book awards need to change their calendars, recent reading, and more. Follow the podcast v...

Both Eyebrows Raised, But in Different Directions

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about #booktwitter, do a little "book of the year" talk, wonder about how all-in Oprah is on THE COVENANT OF WATER, novelists su...

You Are Your Own Lottery Ticket

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk Obama declaring once and for all (?) that he does read the books he says he does. Also, a discussion of the realities of author ...

Unsocial Situations

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Danika Ellis joins Jeff to talk about the last decade in LGBTQ+ books, Amazon's best books of the year so far, a recent essay about black women in pub...

We Used to Have Fun

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Kelly Jensen note the passing of two literary legends, ponder a strange pulling of a major novel, go deep on book banning legislation, and no...

Shorten That Funnel, Baby

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about a school in Utah banning the Bible, a book-banning organization officially being labeled an extremist group by the SPLC, a...

A Little High Falutin'

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about 2022's book sales, The Ripped Bodice branching out, audiobooks keep growing, an interesting new trailer, recent reading, a...

May I Suggest?

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca are off for the Memorial Day weekend, but Jeff offers something to hold you over in the meantime, and something to check out on May 3...

It All Sounds Dirty

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca follow up on THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR and the mystery non-fiction title, get into an LLM marketing to help write novels, PRH...

People Have Lost Their Minds

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly Jensen joins Jeff to talk about two very weird publishing stories and then a long discussion about book banning and new legislation attempting t...

Moms, Dads, and Grads Recommendations: 2023

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca respond to listener requests for recommendations. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found...

The Gimmick is Life

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about good buzz for the adaptation of Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret coming out this weekend, the most banned books of ...

Submit for a recommendation for Moms, Dads, and Grads gifting season

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Moms, Dads and Grads gifting season is upon us! So here is just a quick reminder if you're looking for a recommendation of books to give to a mom, a d...

Searching for the “It” Book of April

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca are traveling for work this week, so we present the inaugural episode of First Edition to tide you over. We’ll be back next week wi...

Wandering into Bookstores Barefoot

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca note a coming 10 years of discourse, are unimpressed by the bestselling books of the year so far, and chew on a big nothingburger abo...

You Cannot Moonlight as David

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about audiobooks for quite a bit longer than they thought plus some other things. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, an...

MAD MEN, But for Publishing

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca tease First Edition a little bit more, wind up the case of the manuscript thief, continue to have more things to say about LLMs, are ...

Break This Coffee Mug and Eat It

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about a new podcast project (!), a record year for book bannings, more ChatGPT things (not all of them bad!), BookTok influencer...

Temporal Neophytes

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the Chat-GTP4's weak performance on AP English Exams, Leigh Bardugo getting that bag, why modern adults seem befuddled by ...

Give the People What They Want

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about Noam Chomsky on AI, women publishing more books than men, a celebrity bookstore acquisition, TikTok getting into publishin...

Rabbit-Deer Hybrid Thing

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca continue to mull ChatGPT’s potential to change reading, assess another change to “classic” texts, recount recent reading, and m...

Buttering the Bricks [Updated]

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Book Riot managing editor Vanessa Diaz joins Jeff to talk about the officially-ratified HarperCollins contract, ChatGPT and ebook “authorship,” bo...

A Tale as Old as the Medici

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the end of the HarperCollins strike, possible homes for Simon & Schuster, a real mess at Indigo, recent reading, and more....

Riding on a High of Wanting to Be Different

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff And Rebecca cover a range of interesting listener emails, catch up with publishing pay raises, look back at 10 years of data from the YA category...

Recreational Awe

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the Barnes & Noble renaissance, a new book from Jesmyn Ward, developments in the world of publishing pay, a couple of new ...

The Apocalypse is For Everybody

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca consider listener feedback, talk about Goodreads users’s most anticipated books of 2023, a wild use case for modern chatbots and bo...

No Country for Old Scuba Divers

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca follow up on reading goggles and scorched earth memoirs, look at other angles on unions in publishing, survey what recent-ish books a...

9 Billion NDAs

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk a little more union stuff, try to imagine e-reading with VR goggles, note with disinterest a blockbuster title, look at the best...

Top 10 Most Anticipated Adaptations Coming in 2023

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about 10 interesting new adaptations coming in 2023. Plus other less interesting but still interesting ones. Follow the podcast ...