Book Riot - The Podcast
by Book Riot
News in the world of books and reading, including hot industry releases, adaptations, publishing industry events, and more with Book Riot’s CEO Jeff O’Neal and Chief of Staff Rebecca Schinsky. Book Riot is the largest independent editorial book site in North America and home to a host of media, from podcasts to newsletters to original content, all designed around diverse readers and across all genres.
Episodes
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Power Ranking the Books of 1996
Jeff and Rebecca go back thirty years to power rank the top 10 books of 1996 (with a quick look at 1976). 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…
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A Head-scratching GATBSY adaptation, the NYT fires their romance columnist, ACOTAR is a blockbuster, and more.
Jeff and Rebecca reflect on what Tuesday's election results means for book banning, ACOTAR first day sales, The NYT fires its romance columnist, 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...
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The It Books of 2026
Jeff and Rebecca find themselves in the last proper month of new book releases, and so they endeavor to pick the It Book of the Month. 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...
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Best Books List-Maxxing, Grok's AI-Generated ODYSSEY Film, and More
Rebecca and Jeff dive into one of the most interesting Best Books of the Year lists, the utter embarrassment that is Elon Musk's AI-generated adaptation of The Odyssey, Dictionary.com's word of the year, and more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast...
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Fall Media Catch-Up
Jeff and Rebecca talk about recent watches, listens, and yes a few reads from the last few months. 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...
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Fourth Wing Has a Cast, B&N's Best of 2026, The Most Important Copyright Question of All-Time, and more.
Jeff and Rebecca catch up on a whole bunch of news, from Fourth Wing casting to Supreme Court recusals, plus recent reading and a very cool study from a podcast listener. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free...
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AI is Already Everywhere in Publishing
Rebecca and Vanessa discuss a so-called exposé of the publishing industry's use of AI and yet another prize-winning story that seems to have been written by AI. They also react to the first trailer for Greta Gerwig's Narnia, news of a James Baldwin biopic, and break down their recent reading....
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The Hot List for October 2026
Rebecca and Vanessa talk about the books that are climbing the charts, picking up trophies, and powering the literary zeitgeist this month.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…
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Anne Carson Wins The Nobel Prize
Jeff and Vanessa talk about Anne Carson's Nobel win, the NBA shortlists, Kirkus winners, 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...
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15 Years of Book Riot
Jeff and Rebecca take the occasions of Book Riot's 15th anniversary to look back at some stories from podcasts back, reflect on some favorite things we've made, and thank you all for listening. Ask us questions for the 15th mailbag! Also vote for Zero to Well-Read in The Signal Awards, in both…
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Meat Manhole Cover
Jeff and Vanessa talk 15 years of Book Riot for a minute (and bring back the old episode naming for one episode), before going over some new awardees, AI book recs, and more pizza talk then they honestly thought would happen. Discussed in this episode: Ask us questions for the 15th mailbag! Also...
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The It Books of October 2026
Jeff and Rebecca return to take stock of the books of the month and crown an It Book of the month. 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...
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Obama's Books Podcast Is Here!
Jeff and Rebecca have listened to the first two episodes (chapters?) of Obama's book podcast (audiobook?) and are ready to talk about it. Plus, adaptation news, The Booker Prize shortlist, and more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for...
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The Gossipy Writer Who Spilled Too Much Tea
Vanessa Diaz joins Rebecca for another trip back into literary history. This time, they discuss a writer whose proximity to fame and wealth defined his career, for better and for (much, much) worse. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for...
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Obama's Podcast Guests, NBA Finalists, B&N Scoops Up Another Indie, and more.
So much book news! Our most anticipated book/guest pairings for Obama's imminent book podcast, NBA fiction longlist continues to be head-scratching, it is remarkable how unremarkable B&N buying another indie is, recent reading, and more. Jeff and Rebecca run down the books that are selling,...
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The Hot List for September 2026
Jeff and Rebecca run down the books that are selling, generating buzz, and otherwise making literary waves right now. Rebecca even impulse purchased something during the show. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free...
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Fall book news is popping
Jeff and Rebecca dive into a busy start to fall in books: 2026 book sales, Emily Wilson's new translation of The Odyssey, Lonesome Dove adaptation news, and much more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free...
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Power Ranking the Books of 2006
Jeff and Rebecca have gone through the lists, awards, and vibes to power rank the top 10 books of 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...
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The It Books of September 2026
Jeff and Rebecca tackle the most difficult It Books month yet. 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.…
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The Death of Men in Literature Has Been Greatly Exaggerated
Jeff and Rebecca note the passing of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry before talking about a data analysis of men in literature, bookstore etiquette, recent reading (including The Book of M by Rachel Cusk) and more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast...
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The Hot List for August 2026
Jeff and Rebecca do a temperature check on the books that are topping charts, winning awards, getting adaptations, stirring discussion, and otherwise in the mix this month. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free...
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What Counts as AI-Written, a THEO OF GOLDEN Adaptation, and More
Rebecca and Vanessa discuss news of a Theo of Golden adaptation, the results of our audience survey about what counts as AI-written, a new platform for finding local literary events, and more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus...
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Obama's a Book Podcaster, Libro.fm Raises the Stakes, 2025 Book Sales, and more.
Jeff and Rebecca open the show by discussing President Obama's forthcoming book podcast, before digging into the ramifications of Libro.fm selling ebooks, triaging 2025's book sales, talking some more about AI. And then in Frontlist Foyer, Jeff workshops his INSIDE OUT theory of reading...
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Bonus Preview: Deals Deals Deals for August 2026
A little bonus preview of our August edition of Deals, Deals, Deals, a format in which Jeff unleashes book deal announcements of notes on Rebecca. Listen to the full episode, and every bonus episode we have ever done, by becoming a member of The Book Riot Podcast Patreon. This content contains...
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The Best Thrillers of The Century So Far, The Continuing Saga of AI Accusations, Couch To 5K But for Reading, and More
Jeff and Rebecca check in the last gasp of Emily Wilson's The Odyssey discourse, The New York Times' list of the Best Thrillers of the Century so Far, on-going developments in AI accusations in publishing, recent reading, and much more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.…
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The It Books of August 2026
Jeff and Rebecca try to identify the It Book of August 2026. And are pretty sure they didn't succeed. 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…
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Emily Wilson's Pan of Nolan's THE ODYSSEY, Obama's Summer Reading List, AI Drama, and more.
Jeff and Rebecca talk about Emily Wilson's pan of Nolan's The Odyssey, before checking in on the Booker longlist, Obama's summer reading picks, and the most troubling AI/publishing story yet. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus...
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UPDATED The Latest Research on Gen Z's Reading Habits
Rebecca sits down with Portland State University researchers Kathi Inman Berens and Rachel Noorda to discuss the findings in their new book, How Gen Z Discover and Consume Books. You can download How Gen Z Discover and Consume Books free from Cambridge University Press through August 6. Follow…
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THE ODYSSEY Afterglow, Slop Biographies, Best Adaptations of the Century, and Much More.
Jeff and Rebecca enjoy The Odyssey afterglow, lament AI slop biographies, cover a bunch of adaptation news, recent reading, and much more. Jeff gets off some takes before the show gets going to talk about Amazon’s best-selling books of all-time, a formidable new AI lawsuit, sales of THE ODYSSEY...
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Amazon's 50 Best-Selling Books of All-Time, a New FOURTH WING (sorta), a Fierce AI Lawsuit, and much more.
Jeff gets off some takes before the show gets going to talk about Amazon's best-selling books of all-time, a formidable new AI lawsuit, sales of THE ODYSSEY editions, recent reading, and much more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for…
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The Hot List for July 2026
Jeff and Rebecca go over what books are selling, being talked about, and otherwise generating a little heat this month. 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...
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Book Sales Down so Far in 2026, THE ODYSSEY Hype is Peaking, and more.
Jeff and Rebecca note the fever-pitch buzz for Nolan's The Odyssey, before talking about the state of book sales, mention some new book announcements, discuss recent reading, and much more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus…
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THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER
Nolan's The Odyssey looms. Today we are sharing the episode we did on The Odyssey for Zero to Well-Read. Be careful out there on the wine-dark sea. 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...
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Big Time Book Announcements, PW's Fall Preview, the AI State of Play, and More.
Jeff and Rebecca rejoice over new Ishiguro and Everett announcements, have our concerns partially confirmed by the Klara & the Sun trailer, note PW's fall preview, and acknowledge the AI muck we are all going to have to deal with for the foreseeable future. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple...
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The It Books of July 2026
Jeff and Rebecca run through the candidates for the It Book of July 2026. Then, they take a quick look back at their other monthly picks from the first half of the year to see how they did. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus…
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How Reading Became Sexy (but We're Doing Less of It)
Vanessa and Sharifah discuss the latest in American reading habits, another exciting 2027 book release, a batch of buzzy trailers and adaptation news, and an update to an AI scandal linked to a literary prize. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast...
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The Best Books of 2026 So Far
Jeff and Rebecca do a mid-year check-in about their favorite books of 2026 so far. 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...
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What 20,000 AI-Generated Stories Have in Common
Rebecca and Vanessa discuss recent research that reveals surprising commonalities between 20,000 AI-generated stories, the winners of the Lambda Literary Awards and the Women's Prize for Fiction, and the most exciting 2027 book announcement so far. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and...
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The Hot List for June 2026
Rebecca and Vanessa break down the books topping the best-of and bestseller lists as we near the halfway point of the year. 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…
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The Publishing Pie is Getting Bigger, But Not Enough to Keep Up with The Slices
Jeff and Rebecca talk about the growth of the number of books (and authors) vying for reader dollars, continue to lament the long 2025 award season, wonder about the expansion of PRH's audio initiatives, talk about recent reading, and more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify....
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The Messy Power Couple of the Harlem Renaissance
Vanessa Diaz returns to regale Rebecca with the messy tale of the marriage between a well-known Harlem Renaissance poet and the daughter of a famous public thinker. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening....
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Best Books of the Year So Far Lists Have Begun. PLUS: Dr. Maria McCauley of the ALA
Jeff and Rebecca talk about some new best books of the year so far lists, adaptation news, recent reading, and more before talking with the new President of the American Library Association, Dr. Maria McCauley. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast...
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The It Books of June 2026
Jeff and Rebecca select the It Book of June 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. This content...
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The Summer Slowdown is Here
Jeff and Rebecca talk about a relatively sleepy week in book news, but James Daunt bails us out by not shutting up about AI books that don't exist. To show our appreciation for your time, everyone who completes the survey will be entered for a chance to win a $50 USD ThriftBooks Gift Card. Follow...
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2026 Summer Adaptation Preview
Jeff and Rebecca preview summer adaptations to check out this year. As we move through 2026, we want to make sure Book Riot remains your go-to destination for all things bookish. Whether you’re here for the curated recommendations, the latest industry news, or our deep dives into reading culture,...
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AI is Making Reading Really Messy.
Jeff and Rebecca talk about the full Guardian Best Novels of All-Time List, The International Book Prize Winner, a whole rat's nest of AI-related stories, recent reading, and more. To show our appreciation for your time, everyone who completes the survey will be entered for a chance to win a $50...
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The Hot List for May 2026
Jeff and Rebecca talk about what books are making waves as summer gets rolling. As we move through 2026, we want to make sure Book Riot remains your go-to destination for all things bookish. Whether you’re here for the curated recommendations, the latest industry news, or our deep dives into...
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A New Best Novels of All-Time List, PRH's "Strong Business Performance, and More.
Jeff and Rebecca note The Guardian's new collaborative list of the 100 greatest novels of all time, ponder PRH's delivery of "a strong business performance, updated our Fourth Wing Ever Gets Adapted odds, and more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot…
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2026 Moms, Dads, and Grads Recommendation Show, Part 2
Jeff and Rebecca wrap up recommendation season. Discussed in this episode: The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Julie Otsuka Susan Choi How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu The Hike by Drew Magary The Wilderness by Angela…
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The 2026 Pulitzer Prizes
Jeff and Rebecca talk about the 2026 Pulitzer prizes, best books of the year so far, summer book previews, 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...
About this show
News in the world of books and reading, including hot industry releases, adaptations, publishing industry events, and more with Book Riot’s CEO Jeff O’Neal and Chief of Staff Rebecca Schinsky.
Book Riot is the largest independent editorial book site in North America and home to a host of media, from podcasts to newsletters to original content, all designed around diverse readers and across all genres.
Hosted by
Book Riot