
It Was A Book First is a weekly podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Hosted by culture reporters and former colleagues Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg, IWABF dissects the TV and film adaptations everyone is talking about, what you'll be reading and watching next, and the business behind what actually makes it off the page.
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 23 | Founded | 5 months ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | BooksArtsTV & Film | |||

This week, writer Ashley Reese (@offbeatorbit) joins Sophie and Rudi to discuss “Carrie,” Prime Video’s new streaming adaptation of Stephen King’s debut horror novel from 1974.
Created by writer-director Mike Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill House”),... more
In this special bonus episode, Sophie and Rudi discuss “You Can See Everything,” Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s mind-bending new documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes that follows her and fiancee Billy Evans in the days leading up... more
This week, Vulture TV critic Roxana Hadadi and Washington Post editor Thomas Floyd join Sophie and Rudi to discuss “East of Eden,” Netflix’s limited series adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic 1952 novel. The streaming show, created by Zoe Kazan, f... more
This week, Alison Sivitz, also known as Bald Ann Dowd, joins Sophie and Rudi to discuss “Other Mommy,” a new Jessica Chastain horror movie based on Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel “Incidents Around the House.” The film, which debuted at No. 1 at the box o... more
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Smart hosts who really breakdown the adaptations, I’m really enjoying each episode!!!
This is such a good idea and really well carried out. Sophie speaks as well and intelligently as she writes (very!) and she and Rudi are a great team. It's a fun and easy listen while also being full of interesting info and opinions. Highly recommend
I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’m enjoying the banter and discourse even for books I haven’t read or shows I haven’t seen!
Smart, funny hosts who really know their stuff. If you like books, movies, or both, this is the pod for you.
My favorite new podcast to listen to! The hosts know what they’re talking about and are not annoying about it. Even if an episode is about a book/movie I haven’t yet read/seen, I still listen to it because the hosts’ voices are soothing to me, and, I get to learn something!
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
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Apple Podcasts | #99 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
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A weekly look at new book-to-screen adaptations, this show analyzes what's trending in film and television, how books are translated to the screen, and the business behind adaptations. Hosts bring culture-press perspective to casting, production design, and narrative shifts, often weaving in industry context and pop-culture tangents. Noteworthy is the duo's knack for pairing sharp industry insight with insider anecdotes, plus a clear focus on the interplay between source material and cinematic or streaming choices. Listeners can expect thoughtful evaluation of adaptation fidelity, pacing, and how press tours or author involvement shape perception and success.
Overall, the show stands out for its in-depth, craft-focused conversations with g... more
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It Was A Book First launched 5 months ago and published 23 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on It Was A Book First include:
1. Roxana Hadadi
2. Thomas Floyd
3. Alison Sivitz
4. Linda Holmes
5. Tim Carman
6. Whitney Anne Adams
7. Sammy Burch
8. Kyle Gervais
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