Book Riot - The Podcast
925 episodes — Page 1 of 19
Obama's a Book Podcaster, Libro.fm Raises the Stakes, 2025 Book Sales, and more.
Bonus Preview: Deals Deals Deals for August 2026
The Best Thrillers of The Century So Far, The Continuing Saga of AI Accusations, Couch To 5K But for Reading, and More
The It Books of August 2026
Emily Wilson's Pan of Nolan's THE ODYSSEY, Obama's Summer Reading List, AI Drama, and more.
UPDATED The Latest Research on Gen Z's Reading Habits
THE ODYSSEY Afterglow, Slop Biographies, Best Adaptations of the Century, and Much More.
Amazon's 50 Best-Selling Books of All-Time, a New FOURTH WING (sorta), a Fierce AI Lawsuit, and much more.
The Hot List for July 2026
Book Sales Down so Far in 2026, THE ODYSSEY Hype is Peaking, and more.
THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER
Big Time Book Announcements, PW's Fall Preview, the AI State of Play, and More.
The It Books of July 2026
How Reading Became Sexy (but We're Doing Less of It)
The Best Books of 2026 So Far
What 20,000 AI-Generated Stories Have in Common
The Hot List for June 2026
The Publishing Pie is Getting Bigger, But Not Enough to Keep Up with The Slices
The Messy Power Couple of the Harlem Renaissance
Best Books of the Year So Far Lists Have Begun. PLUS: Dr. Maria McCauley of the ALA
The It Books of June 2026
The Summer Slowdown is Here
2026 Summer Adaptation Preview
AI is Making Reading Really Messy.
The Hot List for May 2026
A New Best Novels of All-Time List, PRH's "Strong Business Performance, and More.
2026 Moms, Dads, and Grads Recommendation Show, Part 2
The 2026 Pulitzer Prizes
The It Books of May 2026
Spring 2026 Moms, Dads, and Grads Recommendation Show, Part 1
Why Literary Agents Matter with Laura McGrath
People Know Reading is Good and Still Don't Do It.
Ranking the Fiction Pultizer Prize Winners of the Century So Far.
Surprising (Maybe) Data About American Reading Habits
The Hot List: April 2026
MCD Shutters, Audible's Story House, and More of the Week's Book News.
You Have Heard of Lord Byron. But You Have No Idea.
Book Sales Are Softening, NBCC Winners, and More Book News.
The It Books of April 2026
Jeff and Rebecca really get themselves tied up trying to pick the It Book of April. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Go to quince.com/bookriot for free shipping and 365-day returns. Use code THEBOOKS for 20% off at Cozy Earth This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Lambda Literary Awards, Messy Internet Discourse, the Latest A.I. Panic, and More
Managing Editor Vanessa Diaz is joined by Associate Editor Erica Ezeifedi to discuss the Lambda Literary Award finalists, the latest A.I. publishing freakout, messy internet discourse, and more. Moms, Dads, Grads season is coming up! Send your recommendation requests for gifts–or reads for yourself!—to [email protected] the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Don DeLillo’s hockey romance Amazons will return to stores Lambda Literary finalists Librarian Luanne James Fights Censorship Demands of Rutherford County Library System’s Board Lindy West’s How-Not-To Guide to Polyamory ICYMI Podcast: Why the Internet Is Arguing About Its Favorite Feminist Bridgerton Season 5 announcement trailer dropped AI is Writing Fiction. Publishers are Unprepared Use code THEBOOKS for 20% off at Cozy Earth. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Alien Jazz Hands for PROJECT HAIL MARY
Vanessa Diaz joins Rebecca for a conversation about the new adaptation of Project Hail Mary. They talk about what the filmmakers kept from the book and what they cut, how the science translated from page to screen, and the magic of an interstellar, interspecies bromance. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Use code THEBOOKS for 20% off at Cozy Earth. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wait, How Many Books Were Published in 2025? PLUS: Louise Erdrich!
Jeff and Rebecca talk about book-adjacent Oscar news, the staggering number of books published in 2025, adaptation news, and more. Then, they are joined by Louise Erdrich to talk about her new short story collection, Python's Kiss. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Here are books to read if you loved SINNERS Jane Fonda to star in adaptation of The Correspondent Lord of the Flies series coming to Netflix May 4 Judge in YA romantasy plagiarism case: “hot, sexy, dangerous boys…cannot be copyrighted” Book output topped four million 2025 This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Use code THEBOOKS for 20% off at Cozy Earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Hot List March 2026
We bring the Hot List out to the main feed to talk about what books are trending, selling, being talked about, being awarded, and in other ways have some heat. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Blume is a Big "No Comment" on her biography, ACOTAR adaptation takes a step backward, and more.
Jeff and Rebecca try to read the tea-leaves from Judy Blume's biography silence, ACOTAR rights reversion, and more of the week's book news. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Judy Blume is declining to comment on Mark Oppenheimer’s new biography of her That ACOTAR series is really never going to happen Sarah Polley is directing an adaptation of The Bell Jar starring Billie Eilish New CEO of S & S announced 10,000 authors publish empty book to protest AI This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Markus Zusak on THE BOOK THIEF at 20
Book Riot Senior Editor Kelly Jensen talks to author Markus Zusak on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of The Book Thief. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
UPDATED The Audiobook Wars Rage On, Big ACOTAR Announcement, and More
Jeff and Rebecca talk about the big ACOTAR update, Audible dropping the price on its standard product, market trends, recent reading, and much more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Shout-out to this Aeon piece about how we’re thinking about the decline of literacy wrong Sarah J. Maas announces next 2 ACOTAR books Market trends from Circana’s report to booksellers Audible has launched a Standard Membership Plan for $8.99/month 2026 Audie Award winners Utah has banned 4 more books from public schools Lee & Low pauses diversity baseline survey to focus on fighting book bans First comprehensive report on the state of America’s Black-owned bookstores This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The It Books of March 2026
Jeff and Rebecca dive in to uncover the It Book of March 2026. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Proposed Nationwide Book Ban, The NYPL's Most Checked Out Books of All-Time, and more
Jeff and Sharifah talk about a new sweeping federal book ban law that was introduced in Congress, The New York Public Library's 10 Most Checked-Out Books of All-Time, bookstores buying their buildings, recent reading, and more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: The New York Public Library's Most Checked Out Books of All-Time A Nationwide Book Ban Bill Has Been Introduced in the House of Representatives Netflix’s PRIDE & PREJUDICE Has A Trailer and Get Ready for Another JANE EYRE Spotify Launches Audiobooks Charts The Booker Prize released its longlist for the 2026 fiction prize today. UK Launches National Year of Reading Should indie bookstores all try to buy their buildings? This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Much Are You Like The Characters You Read About?
Prof. Laura McGrath returns to talk with Jeff and Rebecca about statistics that show just how much readers read what they are. Mostly. For some readers. Most readers. But not all. It's complicated. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
DNF Shelves Coming to Goodreads and The War For Your Ears Continues
Jeff and Rebecca talk about the news that Goodreads is rumored to be launching an official Did Not Finish category, Audible and Spotify innovations, recent reading, and more book news. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Spotify rolls out Page Match to sync print & audio reading Audible launches Read & Listen immersive reading Is Bindery’s influencer-led publishing startup working? Who can tell. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices