Book Riot - The Podcast

Ice Cream Divergent

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca assess the updates to the Game of Thrones spin-offverse, close-read the CEO of Macmillan's letter about their ebook embargo, wade bri...

BONUS: THE WATER DANCER by Ta-Nehisi Coates

30 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. This episode is sponsored by: The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal The Famil...

Ducks! Geese! Sheep!

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the ALA's report on anti-competitive practices in the digital library market, exciting adaptation casting news, additional...

BONUS: Half-Baked Ideas

24 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff throws half-baked ideas about things that should exist in the world of books and reading at Rebecca to see which, if any, aren't horrible. T...

Flailing, Floundering, and Sinking

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca lament the double Booker prize and, to be honest, are just sort of bummed out by it and other stories this week. This episode is spo...

BONUS: The Double Nobel

17 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca try to make sense of this year's double Nobel Prize in Literature. This episode is sponsored by: Tidelands by Philippa Gregory Whe...

Agent of Chaos

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca briefly discuss the double Nobel, wonder about a strange The Testaments deployment, consider the National Book Award longlist, and mo...

BONUS: Book Nerd Movie Club: THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca read and watch The Shawshank Redemption. This episode is sponsored by: Where to Begin by Cleo Wade The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jew...

Louder and with a Different Person

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Vanessa consider a list of the 100 Best Books of the 20th Century, do another round of Bookshop.org talk, get another perspective on throttli...

BONUS: WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

02 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. What is it about? Is it good? Why is selling faster than fresh-dug swamp mussels? ...

The Morality Tax

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca get to a bunch of listener follow-up, dive back into the Macmillan's new ebook policy for libraries, try to decide if Oprah's Book Cl...

BONUS: The Handmaid's Tale Phenomenon

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about how The Handmaid's Tale has become a cultural icon and also give their thoughts on the sequel, The Testaments. This episo...

Camp No Doy

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk a lot about audiobooks, VERY high expectations for The Testaments, a pestering move by the DOJ, and much more. This episode is ...

BONUS: Book Nerd Movie Club: THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER

18 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Amanda dive (!) into the book and let's face it, MOSTLY, the movie: THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. This episode is sponsored by: This Tender Lan...

The Book-Buying Version of the Zombie Apocalypse

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Jenn talk for a loonggg time about Bookshop.org, but also manage to squeeze in some consideration of audiobooks becoming more like...

BONUS: INTERPRETER OF MALADIES: 20 Years Later

11 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca have gone back and read a mutual favorite, Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of it's p...

Two Feet of Parchment About Moonstones

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about Amazon breaking the Atwood embargo, listener feedback, their fall preview picks already looking bad, get mad about bad ana...

2019 Fall Book Preview

05 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca go through 14 of the fall's buzziest books and declare whether or not they would buy, hold, or sell them. This episode is sponsored ...

The Uncanny Valley of Human Communication

02 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk audiobooks and copyright, podcasts and reading, a head-scratching Emily Dickinson trailer, and more. Jeff also talks ...

Knocking Out the Crawdads

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about people buying Toni Morrison books, a publishing #metoo injustice, Amazon choosing interesting neighbors, and mu...

Average Burgle Duration

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca follow up about The Da Vinci Code, consider the latest iteration of Obama's reading list, talk about increased pushback ag...

Post-Botox Barnes & Noble

12 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Rebecca and Sharifah pay tribute to Toni Morrison's life and work, discuss Barnes & Noble's post-acquisition future, speculate about Lisa-Marie Presle...

The Da Vinci Code

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca discuss the book, the movie, the phenomenon: The Da Vinci Code. This episode is sponsored by: One Good Dead by David Baldacci T...

Canary of Disruption

29 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about the Booker Prize long-list, a best-selling author going to Amazon, a shady event cancellation at a library, and...

Everything Is Going to Be OK

22 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about a fancy Song of Ice and Fire edition, Apple getting into original podcasts, a cool new bookstore in Chicago, and more. The...

Troubling the Dan Brown Meridian

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the best-selling books of the year, follow up about THE STARLESS SEA, go over the ethics of ARCs, and much more. This ...

Value Over Replacement Barfing

08 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week's topics include the faintest rumblings of a Harry Potter television show, Book Riot's favorite books of 2019 so far, a ridiculously though ...

No Nuance Whatsoever

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about divergent solutions to the same indie bookstore problem, Scribd's new digest feature, joining libraries to other social se...

#318: The Will to Prequel

24 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the announced HUNGER GAMES prequel, Amazon's best books of the year so far list, and much more. This episode is spons...

#317: Chaotic Neutral

16 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Rebecca and Amanda discuss Barnes & Noble's buyout options, Goodreads's list of the hit books of 2019 so far, damning allegations against N...

#316: NCIS: Vatican

10 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Barnes & Noble gets sold! The Obamas join the podcasting revolution! Robert Langdon is coming to TV! This episode is sponsored by: All the Books!...

#315: Hold the Needle

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about Book Expo America, Mindy Kaling doing an Amazon exclusive, breaking the Scripps Spelling Bee, and more. This episode i...

#314: Business Class Elite Diamond Platinum Plus

27 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca follow-up about podcast platforms, worry about George RR Martin's new deadline, admire and critique Bill Gates' new book r...

#313: The Hierarchy of Socks is Real

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk music streaming services, the wider podcast landscape, and even some talk about books. This episode is sponsored ...

#312: 2019 Moms, Dads, and Grads Recommendation Show, Part 2

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The second part of our 2019 Moms, Dads, and Grads recommendation show. This episode is sponsored by: BookCon Again, but Better by Christine Ric...

#310: Filigreed Elvish

05 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Jenn talk about Baker & Taylor getting out of the retail distribution business (and why you might care), Audible's Alexa experiment, the Tolk...

#309: 2019 Moms, Dads, and Grads Recommendations, Part 1

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our annual Moms, Dads, and Grads recommendation show! This episode is sponsored by: Libro.fm William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Mean Girls by ...

#308: The Cargo Pants Pocket For Your Life

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about millennial audiobook habits, the 2019 Pulitzer Prizes, Penguin Random House's loyalty program, and much more. ...

#307: Justice for Bob

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca relay listener feedback about Scribd's original content move, the most banned books of 2018, a major audiobook publisher m...

#306: A Squirt of Something

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about more book bans in prisons, Scribd getting into original content, listener feedback, and more. This episode ...

#305: Selective Tree Hugging

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Rebecca and Jenn discuss the latest in Jay Asher's defamation suit, a Michigan bill that would make it easier to ban books, Harper Lee's g...

Quick Note: Shenanigans and Snafus

26 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Due to a series of scheduling shenanigans and technical snafus, there is no new episode this week. Have no fear, we'll be back next Monday, April 1, w...

#304: Narrative Fissure

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk a major change to Amazon's pricing policy, an obvious but nonetheless interesting comment from George RR Martin, a li...

#303: Durable Dirigibles

11 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca follow-up about AI and copyright, Barnes & Noble's #bookhaul, Amazon goings-on, a genuinely interesting adaptation news st...

#302: Scrolling is Fundamental

05 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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#301: Bibliographic Rigor

25 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the incredible legacy of Betty Ballantine, a few book-collecting related stories, listener feedback about listening to puc...

#300: Notional Confetti Cannon

18 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In episode 300, we talk a couple of knotty Amazon stories, a UK university decolonizing the canon, good news from Kansas, and much more. This epis...

#299: Vamp a Euphemism

11 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca follow-up on defamation, try to wrap their heads around the Dan Mallory/A.J. Finn story, eulogize the Ancient Lore Village...

#298: The Ideal Turkey-to-Hero Ratio

04 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about Jay Asher suing for defamation, the un-Manning of the Booker Prize, a couple of heroes of the week, and much mo...

#297: The Most Whimsical Whatever

28 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about another case of harassment against LGBTQ titles in libraries, the rising sales of mental health books, a new E.L. James bo...

#296: Orcs, Leprechauns, and All That Stuff

20 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca offer their appreciation for Mary Oliver, wonder at the continued strength of BECOMING, hope for the failure of another attempt to ma...

#295: A Basket of Fraught

14 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca take much longer than they supposed talking about Publisher's Weekly acquiring The Millions and the state of book blogging. This...

#294: Rebecca is Not People

07 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about books coming into the public domain, Obama's 2018 reading list, Amazon's best-selling books of 2018 and much more. Th...

#293: Recommended

02 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

While Jeff and Rebecca take a week off, Jeff presents an episode of Book Riot's Recommended podcast series that he produced. This episode is spon...

#292: Our Favorite non-Bookish Things of 2018

24 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about their favorite non-bookish things of 2018. This episode is sponsored by: G.H. Mumm The Great Courses Plus Zola See...

#291: The Year in Review

16 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca review the most memorable stories from the year in books. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your...

#290: Outsource Your Legs

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca get back to the news with a bunch of listener feedback, B&N announces largest number of new store openings in years, Atwoo...

#289: 2018 Holiday Recommendation Show, Part 2

03 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca wrap up their 2018 holiday recommendations. This episode is sponsored by: Fight Like a Girl by Clementine Ford Wizard Pins Pen...

#288: 2018 Holiday Recommendation Show, Part 1

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca respond to listener recommendation requests. This episode is sponsored by: Book Riot's TBR Park Row Books and Evergreen Tidings...

#287: Shruggie Parade, Updated

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jeff and Rebecca talk about Publisher’s Weekly’s 2018 Salary Survey, the National Book Award winners, WH Smith’s new bookstore ...

#286: A Tinfoil Hat Built For Two

11 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca take a second look and Indigo's financial results, the news the WHSmith was the "book retailer" interested in buying Barne...

#285: Exaggeration for Effect

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca continue to follow the increasingly nasty Barnes & Noble lawsuit, look over the Goodreads Choice Awards nominees, give an ...

#284: You Are Your Own Nanny

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca spend most of the time on reader feedback, but then also finally get to the talk about the winner of the Great American Re...

#283: The Streisand Effect

22 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Amanda follow-up about the suit against Moire Donegan, talk about the Man Booker 2018 winner, give first reactions to the Indigo o...

#282: Big Mood

15 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Sharifah joins Jeff to talk the awarding of the New Academy Prize (aka, The Alternative Nobel), the meh-tastic finalists of The Great Ameri...

#281: Door Number Three

08 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Barnes & Noble lurches towards a sale, Amazon raises wages, a notable new poetry podcast, and much more. This episode is sponsore...

#280: The Quiver is a Forest

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca discuss the Kirkus prize finalists, yet another Amazon store format, ebooks in prisons, listener follow-up, and much more....

#279: Hierarchy of Eyebrows

24 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca find a Barnes & Noble experiment they like, express almost total ignorance about the National Book Award longlists, are du...

#278: Finally, Gravitas

17 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca mull Barnes & Noble's current "plan," show their ignorance of the bookselling landscape in the United Kingdom, marvel at t...

#277: Pondering the Quibbles

10 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk more about Barnes & Noble suitors, Barnes & Noble's eroding finances, a big new Book Riot project, and much more. ...

#276: Unexpectedly Juicy

03 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Rebecca talk about juicy drama at Barnes & Noble, The New Academy shortlist, and much more.   This episode is sponsored by: Google Play ...

#275: The Hope of a Mushroom

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#274: The Worm I Asked For

21 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Due to extraordinary circumstances, Jeff flies solo on this episode and monologues on ebook pricing for libraries, what a Netflix for books would now ...

#273: Puberty Care Package

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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Muppet Arm Confetti Cannon

05 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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#271: Pop a Squat Randomly

30 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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#270: Wildly Gesticulating

23 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Rebecca and Sharifah discuss Barack Obama's latest summer reading list, the nominees for the Alternative Nobel, a feminist response to the ...

#269: Charlatanism Quotient

16 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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#268: Original Recipe Jerkwad

08 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about the alternative Nobel, B&N fires its CEO, Bourdain bio in the works, South Caroline police challenge reading ch...

#267: Antepentultimate Caboose

02 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about the 2017 VIDA count, Diaz keeping his MIT job, Jimmy Fallon's book club, ALA removes Laura Ingalls Wilder's nam...

#266: Born in the Hot Seat

24 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Rebecca and special guest co-host Josh Christie discuss bookstores offering Airbnb rentals, Barack Obama's recent reading list, the ongoing...

#265: Rarefied Air

18 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca discuss Anthony Bourdain's legacy (literary and otherwise), the book Bill Gates is gifting to college graduates, the lates...

#264: A Guillotine Moment

12 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about The Boston Review's Junot Diaz decision, an unprecedented Amazon scam, Michael Lewis' Audible original, and muc...

#263: Lotta Feet, Lotta Shoes

04 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about a major embezzling scandal, The Golden Man Booker, listener follow-up, and much more. This episode is spon...

#262: Read the Room, BEA

28 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about the passing of Philip Roth, Sean Spicer coming to BEA, Watchmen's TV reboot, a hero of the week, and much more...

#261: Therapy for Immortals

21 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca stay on the #metoo in publishing trail, discuss the rumors about the direction of Amazon's LORD OF THE RINGS series, mark ...

#260: 12 Angry Meta-Men

14 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jeff and Rebecca follow-up about Junot Diaz and the TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD trial, go over 2017 publishing sales statistics, and blesse...

Catch Up With Recommended Season 1!

09 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Recommended is back! Season 2 will start on May 16, so there’s no time like the present to catch up with Season 1. Get more details and subscribe at...

#259: The Third Way

07 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca wrestle with #metoo accusations against Junot Diaz, process the news that there will be no 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature,...

#258: Something You Can Hold in Your Hands

30 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Sharifah talk about big Comey sales numbers, Circe tops the NYT list, The Great American Read, and much more. This episode is ...

#257: The Thin Edge of the Camel

23 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about this year's Pulitzer winners, Amazon Prime subscriber stats, and reading....IN SPACE. This episode is spons...

B for Billion

16 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca get Rebecca up to speed on Nobel nuttiness and Circe mysteries, try to digest huge adaptation news, puzzle out another Ama...

Sticking it to the Man

10 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Jenn talk about a strange snag in Circe pricing and #metoo related turmoil at the Nobel. This episode is sponsored by: Book R...

#254: Killing Goliath with the Tipping Point

02 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk season 2 of Annotated, the difficulty of doing personalized book recommendations at scale, the on-going concern about...

#253: Gay Bunnies and Ingenuity

26 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Rebecca and Jenn discuss the rescinding of awards, diversity in romance, books about Marlon Bundo, and more. This episode is sponsored by:...

A New Meridian

19 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca begrudgingly discuss the Harper Lee estate, imagine terrifying robot booksellers, express adaptation fatigue, and much mor...

Cathartic Muppet Arms

12 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca digest some new Barnes & Noble projects, get welcome good news in the form of a new Marilynne Robinson novel, and continue...

You Made It Worse

05 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Amanda follow-up about Scribd, try to figure out how to feel about Sherman Alexie’s statement, praise Dolly Parton, and much mor...

A Funereal Mood

26 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca talk about further #metoo fallout, relay some info about B&N from little birdies, ponder the hair-sharing economy of revol...

#248: No Heroes

19 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Jeff and Rebecca follow-up about some tangible repercussions of #metoo in children's publishing, consider a new rationale for taking To Kil...