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NPR's Book of the Day

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Memory
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Midlife Challenges
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In need of a good read? Or just want to keep up with the books everyone's talking about? NPR's Book of the Day gives you today's very best writing in a snackable, skimmable, pocket-sized podcast. Whether you're looking to engage with the big questions of our times – or temporarily escape from them – we've got an author who will speak to you, all genres, mood and writing styles included. Catch toda... more

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Artwork for NPR's Book of the Day

Latest Episodes

R.F. Kuang, author of popular books like Yellowface and Babel, is out with a more personal novel. Taipei Story follows Lily Chin, a Chinese-American college student who travels to Taipei for a summer language intensive. While there, she struggles wit... more

Two new romance novels subvert expectations about the genre. In Tropesick, Katie and Tyler are old acquaintances who are reunited as writing partners. In today’s episode, author Lauren Okie chats with All Things Considered’s Juana Summers about struc... more

Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox is out with a new book – but he wants to clarify that he’s not running for president (often an assumption when politicians write books). Off Ramp: How To Be A Peacemaker In An Age Of Contempt is an extension of a plea... more

Emily St. John Mandel’s new novel opens in the first spring after the collapse of the United States – and her protagonist, Ari, is on her way to a party. Exit Party is set in a new world emerging out of the chaos of a second American Civil War, one s... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Rachel Lynn Solomon
Author of Extracurricular
Simon & Schuster (implied by interview)
Episode: 'Tropesick' and 'Extracurricular' are romance novels that subvert genre expectations
Lauren Okie
Author of Tropesick
Two Penny Press (implied by interview)
Episode: 'Tropesick' and 'Extracurricular' are romance novels that subvert genre expectations
Spencer Cox
Governor of Utah, author of Off Ramp
Utah Governor's Office
Episode: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on why he’s the 'worst possible spokesperson' for his own book
Emily St. John Mandel
Author of Exit Party; discussed in interview
Author
Episode: Emily St. John Mandel's 'Exit Party' opens in the wake of a second American Civil War
Angela Duckworth
Author and psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Episode: 'Grit' author Angela Duckworth on how changing your situation can lead to success
Robert Harris
Author of Agrippa
Penguin Random House (publisher context through interview)
Episode: 'Conclave' author Robert Harris is out with a fictional Roman Empire memoir
Colin Kaepernick
Former NFL quarterback and author of The Perilous Fight
Author, The Perilous Fight
Episode: In new memoir, Colin Kaepernick reflects on his historic national anthem protest
Rozina Ali
Journalist and author of Seasons of Fury
New York Times Magazine
Episode: 'Seasons of Fury' traces the roots of Islamophobia in the United States
Katherine Rundell
Author of Impossible Creatures series and The Never Fear
Oxford University; Author
Episode: Katherine Rundell says it's a mistake for adults to discard children's literature

Host

Alyson Adworne
Host of NPR's Book of the Day

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 951 ratings
  • Nice 👍 Show

    I’m getting back into reading and love the daily book recommendations from this show. The diversity in authors and genres is exactly what I needed.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JO Robinson1
    United Statesa month ago
  • Love it.

    If you love reading, this is the perfect 10 minute daily dose to remind you of the variety of written work in the world. Short, sweet, well done, enough variety to make me wonder each time.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mmmwill
    United States3 months ago
  • I’m sorry

    But I will give you 3 stars I hope that’s enough 😉

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Badboy15👻
    United States9 months ago
  • Love the podcast!

    Thanks so much for a thoughtful podcast about a wide variety of quality books!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    tcfan18
    United States9 months ago
  • Good Stuff

    Some of these books are classics. Haven’t read them since high school and it has been a pleasure re-visiting them, the Zora Neale Hurston episode in particular. Some reviews here mention a “liberal bias.” A gentle reminder that this is a podcast about literature.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Inday_Mie
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Positive reception of diverse titles and concise author conversations; listeners value quick, thoughtful book recommendations.
Listeners appreciate the breadth of authors and genres, with many praising interview quality and guest variety.
Some critics accuse the show of perceived political bias in interviews or book selections.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#11
United States/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#38
United States/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#118
United Kingdom/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#123
Canada/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#220
United Kingdom/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#133
Australia/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

'Tropesick' and 'Extracurricular' are romance novels that subvert genre expectations
Q: What drew you to the twist and how did you ensure it served the characters rather than just shocking the reader?
The twist emerges from deep character work and the desire to push beyond conventional endings, making the readers reconsider what they expect from a romance while keeping the emotional stakes intact.
'Tropesick' and 'Extracurricular' are romance novels that subvert genre expectations
Q: How did you conceive the parallel stories—the romance and the book the duo is writing—so they inform each other without collapsing into one?
The frame allowed me to set up a structure where each trope is introduced in its own space, then returns to illuminate Katie and Tyler's real emotional journey, maintaining balance between narrative layers.
'Tropesick' and 'Extracurricular' are romance novels that subvert genre expectations
Q: Where did you decide to start with Tropesick and how did you approach balancing large tropes with the core romance?
I began with a meta-fiction concept and deliberately avoided letting the mechanics overwhelm the human story, using the frame as a lens to explore the tropes rather than letting them define the romance.
'Conclave' author Robert Harris is out with a fictional Roman Empire memoir
Q: What drew you to write about this man?
Harris explains he first encountered Agrippa in earlier works and found him to be a pivotal, often underappreciated figure in Roman history; his life offers rich material for examining power, loyalty, and the mechanics of statecraft, which led him to develop Agrippa as the focus of a novel.
Sen. Ted Cruz's new book 'Going Further' praises Justice Clarence Thomas
Q: Does this book tell us what kind of Supreme Court justice you would appoint if you ever had the opportunity?
Absolutely yes. It presents a view of Thomas as an independent thinker who would appoint justices aligned with the original understanding of the Constitution, rather than following party lines.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About NPR's Book of the Day

What is NPR's Book of the Day about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Across recent episodes, the show centers on contemporary books and authors, with tight, interview-style conversations that spotlight craft, themes, and the author's perspective. Guests range from debut novelists to established literary voices, plus occasional non-fiction figures and a few figures connected to politics or current events. Episodes are compact, often under 20 minutes, and aim to offer quick, thoughtful introductions to titles and ideas, sometimes touching on adaptation, place, and culture. A standout attribute is the breadth of genres and international authors, delivered in snappy, accessible exchanges that make complex topics approachable for a broad audience of avid readers and book buyers. This format is especially useful f... more

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Which podcasts are similar to NPR's Book of the Day?

These podcasts share a similar audience with NPR's Book of the Day:

1. The Book Review
2. Poured Over
3. Fresh Air
4. The New Yorker Radio Hour
5. The Book Case

How many episodes of NPR's Book of the Day are there?

NPR's Book of the Day launched 5 years ago and published 1328 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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Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on NPR's Book of the Day?

Recent guests on NPR's Book of the Day include:

1. Rachel Lynn Solomon
2. Lauren Okie
3. Spencer Cox
4. Emily St. John Mandel
5. Angela Duckworth
6. Robert Harris
7. Colin Kaepernick
8. Rozina Ali

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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