Book Riot - The Podcast

An encouraging court win, thoughts on book reviews, direct to Kanopy films, and more of the week's book news.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Book Riot is hiring a digital content specialist! If you love books and know the ins and outs of social media strategy, and especially social video, consider joining the team. Find details and apply by...

Jeff and Rebecca process some public comments about the idea of being "well-read," a big influencer book club, a study on the gender of animals in kids books, and more book news of the week.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Book Riot is hiring a digital content specialist! If you love books and know the ins and outs of...

Jeff and Rebecca break down the 2025 longlist for the Booker Prize, digest the news of a new book from Kamala Harris, lament the demise of class (behavior, not socio-economic status), and much more.

Jeff and Rebecca decide what the It Book of August will be.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Book Riot is hiring a digital content...

Jeff and Rebecca decide what the It Book of August will be.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!

Discussed in this episode:

We are hiring.

Learn more...

Vanessa Diaz joins Jeff as he workshops a couple of takes, before they dive into IMAX scalping, way early award longlists, and more of the week's book news.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!

It's as far back as we go with these historical rankings--30 years to 1995. Strange year, that sees Jeff pick a single copy of an individual book in his top 10. Christian dystopias, fairy tale retellings, genre-changing memoirs: there are spots for all of them in our top 10s.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored...

Jeff and Rebecca talk about a bunch of mid-year lists: best-ofs, best-selllers, and more. Then Erica Ezeifedi talks to Rodney Freeman, former librarian and producer of the documentary Are You a Librarian, about the rich & overlooked history of Black librarianship in the US.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading...

Jeff and Rebecca try to answer the fun but impossible question of what are the top 10 books someone might read first on their path to becoming well-read. This was originally a Patreon-only members post. To get more like this, subscribe to the Book Riot podcast Patreon.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book...

Jeff and Rebecca are joined by Book Riot's Managing Editor Vanessa Diaz and Powell's Book Buyer Keith Mosman to talk about their favorite books of the year so far.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!<...

Jeff and Rebecca answer listener questions.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!

The

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca talk about several notable adaptations news items, legal rulings in AI and LBGTQ titles, recent reading, and more.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!

The Book Riot Podcast is a...

Jeff and Rebecca try to figure out what the It Books of July will be.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast...

Danika Ellis joins Rebecca to talk about NetGalley's new consumer marketing platform, the latest decision in an AI copyright lawsuit, BookTok's obsession with marginalia, and more.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!

The...

Jeff and Rebecca compare their lists of the biggest, buzziest, most newsworthy books of 2025 so far. Looking for the best books of the year so far? Join us Powell's on July 9th.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans...

Jeff and Rebecca talk about their shared love for Richard Linklater's Before Trilogy (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight).

This is a bonus preview of a Patreon-only episode of the Book Riot Podcast. To get the whole episode and every single other Patreon-exclusive thing ever posted by the BR Pod, go here to sign up.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vanessa Diaz joins Rebecca to discuss the demise of 8th Note Press, the resurrection of BookCon, a recent win in the fight against book bans, and more.

Get your tickets to join us at Powell's on July 9th for a conversation about the best books of the year so far.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

We are bringing our special live recording of The Most Recommendable Books of the Century So Far out from behind the Patreon wall for all listeners to try to entice you to come to our next live recording at Powell's on July 9th: The Best Books of the Year (so far).

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Tailored Book Recommendations has the chops to find the right read for your loved one...

It's a Book Riot podiverse crossover event! The adaptation of E. Lockhart's YA sensation We Were Liars debuts later this week. Kelly Jensen sat down with Lockhart for a recent episode of the Hey YA! podcast. Enjoy!

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by...

Jeff and Rebecca talk about recent reading, why late night talk shows might be interested in doing book clubs, a victory in court against book bans, and more book news. Then, Jeff talks to Al Woodworth, Managing Editor of the Amazon Books team, about their picks for the Best Books of 2025 so far and how their team makes those selections.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today...

Rebecca Schinksy, Vanessa Diaz, and Danika Ellis go deep on V.E. Schwab's highly anticipated new book to answer the question: So, is it good?

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Tailored Book Recommendations has the chops to find the right read for your loved one this Father’s Day. Gift TBR today starting at just $18!

Check out St...

Danika Ellis joins Jeff to talk about a spate of book-related AI disasters, Amazon's list of the best books of the year, Michelle Obama's recently-announced book, and much more.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Tailored Book Recommendations has the chops to find the right read for your loved one this Father’s Day. Gift TBR today starting at just $18!

This episode comes over from the First Edition feed: Jeff solos his way through listing a bunch of books coming in June that, were time and space no object, would go on the TBR for sure.

Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack.

Tailored Book Recommendations has the chops to find the right read for your loved one this Father’s Day. Gift TBR today starting at just $18!

Discussed in this episode:

The Book Riot Podcast

...

Jeff is joined by Book Riot editors Danika Ellis and Erica Ezeifedi to talk about what makes a beach read, beach reads picks, and memorable beach reading moments.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Tailored Book Recommendations has the chops to find the right read for your loved one this Father’s Day. Gift TBR today starting at just $18!

...

This is a bonus preview of the Book Riot Podcast's most recent Patreon-only episode. Jeff and Rebecca catch up with each other's recent reading and give some non-book media takes. For example: Fountain of Youth. Woof.

To listen to the full episode and get access to literally every Patreon-only thing we have done over the last three years, go to Patreon to sign up.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca talk to Spotify's Associate Director for Audiobooks Editorial Katie del Rosario about curating audiobooks for Spotify, getting people to try audiobooks, spotlighting special titles, and more. Then, Jeff and Sharifah talk about Flashlight by Susan Choi, one of the most anticipated releases of the summer.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Tailored Book Recommendations has the chops...

Jeff and Rebecca consider a loaded roster of June books to pick the It Book of the month.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Trust your reading list to the experts at Tailored Book Recommendations who have recommended over 160,000 books to readers of all kinds. Let TBR match you with your next favorite read! Get started for only $18 at mytbr...

Time again to look at interesting, lucrative, exciting, strange, or otherwise notable book deal announcements. Always a good time.

This is a bonus preview of our most recent Patreon-only episode. To listen to the full episode and our entire back catalog of bonus content, sign-up for the Book Riot podcast Patreon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca look back a couple of decades to power-rank the books of 2005.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Trust your reading list to the experts at Tailored Book Recommendations who have recommended over 160,000 books to readers of all kinds. Let TBR match you with your next favorite read! Get started for only $18 at mytbr.co!

The...

Book Riot's managing editor Vanessa Diaz joins Rebecca for a conversation about the latest romantasy BookTok conspiracy, what's going on with the Trump administration firing the Librarian of Congress, the NYT's best books of the year so far, recent reading, and more.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Become a Book Riot All Access member and explore our full library...

Jeff and Rebecca are joined by Sharifah Williams and Prof. Laura McGrath to conduct the first ever Book Riot fantasy book draft. We explain the rules, talk about strategy, and then engage in some fairly chaotic literary team building.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Trust your reading list to the experts at Tailored Book Recommendations who have recommended over 160,000...

This is a bonus preview of the our most recent Patreon-only episode, The JeffCore Books of May 2025.

To listen to the full episode and get access to the complete back catalog of bonus content, sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Patreon here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca continue to lap up with extreme interest scuttlebutt about James's Pulitzer win before talking about Lithgow's underwhelming reaction to Rowling's transphobia, a new publisher focused on dudes (initially. they swear) and more book news. Then Sharifah Williams hops on to talk about Kevin Wilson's new novel, Run for the Hills.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with...

Jeff and Rebecca each select 10 books to win your vote in our Summer Preview draft.

To listen to the full episode and all of the bonus content from The Book Riot podcast, join the Patreon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First, Jeff and Rebecca digest Percival Everett's Pulitzer win (including a little palace intrigue of the literary variety). Then, they conclude this go-round of reader recommendation requests.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Trust your reading list to the experts at Tailored Book Recommendations who have recommended over 160,000 books to readers of all kinds. Let TBR match you with your...

Jeff and Rebecca respond to a range of listener recommendation requests, including, but not exclusively, for moms, dads, and grads.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Trust your reading list to the experts at Tailored Book Recommendations who have recommended over 160,000 books to readers of all kinds. Let TBR match you with your next favorite read! Get started for only $18...

Jeff and Rebecca try to determine what the It Book of May 2025 will be.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Trust your reading list to the experts at Tailored Book Recommendations who have recommended over 160,000 books to readers of all kinds. Let TBR match you with your next favorite read! Get started for only $18 at mytbr.co!

This is a preview of the Patreon-only episode in which Jeff and Rebecca talk about Bertino's new short story collection by ranking the stories in Exit Zero by Marie-Helene Bertino. This is for the real ones out there.

Go here to check out The Book Riot Podcast Patreon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca talk about still being pissed off about the 2012 non-pulitzer, Gaiman seemingly throwing in the image rehab towel, legal challenges and defenses, and more before talking about their recent reading.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Trust your reading list to the experts at Tailored Book Recommendations who have recommended over 160,000 books to readers of all kinds. Let...

Jeff and Rebecca continue to get mileage out of the "Of the Century so Far" framing, this time by ranking the fiction winners of the Pulitzer prize. Tough.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.

Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.

Trust your reading list to the experts at Tailored Book Recommendations who have recommended...

It's the 20th anniversary of the publication of Kazuo Ishiguro's modern classic, Never Let Me Go. Jeff and Rebecca recorded this episode diving into the book and movie in 2022.

To listen to the whole episode, sign up to become a member of The Book Riot podcast Patreon. You'll get new bonus episodes as they publish, as well as access to all the bonus stuff we've done so far.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

...