~ cueing up the show ~
~ pulling every episode ~
NPR's Book of the Day — Every episode — OmList
om
list
Swipe
Tournament
Lists
Friends
All
Movies
TV
Books
Games
Music
Podcasts
People
▾
Sign in
Every episode
NPR's Book of the Day
30 episodes
'This is Where the Serpent Lives' is a sprawling debut novel set in modern Pakistan
Aug 17, 2026 · 9 min
Author Daniyal Mueenuddin hit the ground running with his debut novel, This is Where the Serpent Lives. Set in modern Pakistan, the story spans generations and explores class, corruption, and crime — themes that Mueenuddin says he believes might resonate with American readers in particular. In today’s episode, Mueenuddin speaks with NPR’s Scott Simon about his novel-writing process for This is Where the Serpent Lives, and why he sprinkled subtle autobiographical details across its pages. Support…
'Cloudthief' and 'Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep' are novels that center tech
Aug 15, 2026 · 22 min
Today’s episode features two novels with tech at the center. Climate journalist Nathaniel Rich’s Cloudthief is the story of a hacker and a journalist who team up to rob a data center in Oklahoma. Rich spoke with Here & Now’s Indira Lakshmanan about how he came up with the idea for the heist. Then, horror writer Paul Tremblay is out with a new novel about a gamer who takes on an odd job involving a man in a vegetative state. Tremblay spoke with Here & Now’s Tiziana Dearing about Dead but Dreaming…
In 'Hinterlands,' Hannah Lucinda Smith warns not to overlook conflict at the fringes
Aug 13, 2026 · 9 min
Hannah Lucinda Smith is a veteran foreign correspondent. Her new book Hinterlands explores whether hidden conflicts unfolding in little-noticed border areas might be shaping a new world order. In today’s episode, she speaks with All Things Considered’s Mary Louise Kelly about “overlooked” places caught between the Russian and Turkish spheres of influence and the West. They also discuss Smith’s comparison between the political circumstances in Damascus in 2011 and Sarajevo in 1914 – and the dynam…
Authors Annie Hartnett and Kevin Wilson on writing road trip novels
Aug 12, 2026 · 9 min
By chance, authors Annie Hartnett and Kevin Wilson published road trip novels last year within just a few weeks of each other. The Road to Tender Hearts follows a 67-year-old man, his estranged daughter and his newly adopted grandniece and nephew on a road trip to reunite with the man’s high school crush. Run for the Hills is about four half-siblings who set off to track down the father who abandoned them. In today’s episode, Hartnett and Wilson join All Things Considered’s Juana Summers for a c…
Political strategist Ben Wikler on how Democrats can regain ground
Aug 11, 2026 · 9 min
As Democrats struggle to revive their party, democratic strategist Ben Wikler has advice to share. Wikler was chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin from 2019-2025. And the key, he says, is to focus on the whole system rather than one candidate. He makes this argument in a new book called This Is the Plan. He spoke with NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer about how he believes Democrats can “un-rig” the system and regain political power at the national level. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks…
'Etna' author Paul Yoon on narrating war through a dog's eyes
Aug 10, 2026 · 7 min
Etna is a dog living in a fictional, coastal country on a farm with his mom and siblings. Then, one day, he’s scooped up by a mysterious woman who enlists him for war. The new novel Etna is narrated through the dog’s eyes as he lives and fights alongside explosions, gunfire, crumbling buildings and his handler, Jason. In today’s episodes, author Paul Yoon speaks with Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon about what we learn about war by seeing it through Etna’s eyes. Support public media with NPR+ and e…
'Torched' and 'Wildfire Days' look at California's wildfires from the front lines
Aug 7, 2026 · 20 min
This summer, wildfires have swept across Europe, Northern Africa, Canada and the U.S. – and today’s episode features firsthand accounts of deadly fires in California. In Torched, CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti writes about political mismanagement of the 2025 Palisades Fire. He spoke with Morning Edition’s A Martínez about how the 2028 Summer Olympics are impacting L.A.’s efforts to rebuild. Then, Wildfire Days is a memoir by Kelly Ramsey, the only woman on her hotshot crew. She spoke…
Robinne Lee's 'Crash Into Me' portrays middle age as complicated – and sexy
Aug 6, 2026 · 9 min
Robinne Lee’s first novel, The Idea of You, was a big hit. It tells the story of a single mother who begins a romance with a much younger man, the lead singer of a fictional boy band. In Lee’s latest novel, Crash Into Me, a middle-aged couple moves from Paris to Los Angeles. And this time, the wife falls into a love affair with a much younger woman, bringing her marriage to a crossroads. In today’s episode, Lee joins All Things Considered’s Juana Summers for a discussion about writing a multi-ge…
'Sex Diaries' author says people are becoming more empowered in their relationships
Aug 5, 2026 · 9 min
Sex Diaries is a weekly column in New York Magazine, collected and edited by Alyssa Shelasky, that has featured headlines like “The Musician Ghosting His Dates” or “The Woman Cheating With Her Ex.” Now, Shelasky has compiled some of her favorite entries on non-monogamy into a new book with the same title. In today’s episode, the author speaks with All Things Considered’s Juana Summers about the mundane, non-sexual details in Sex Diaries entries and why Shelasky believes romantic relationships ar…
In 'I Made You Up Inside My Head,' the stories of three strangers become intertwined
Aug 4, 2026 · 8 min
I Made You Up Inside My Head is Marta Pérez-Carbonell’s debut novel. In the book, three strangers have a surprise encounter on an overnight train. A woman named Alicia meets Terence and Mick. One of them is a writer at the center of a literary scandal, having ripped off the life of a man who has since gone missing – and Alicia gets pulled into their story. In today’s episode, Pérez-Carbonell and Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon discuss the novel’s multilayered nature and how the author approached t…
Sen. Raphael Warnock argues that progressives should bring spirituality to politics
Aug 3, 2026 · 8 min
Before Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat, became the state's junior U.S. senator, he was selected to serve as senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. His new book, The Crooked Places Made Straight: Reflections on the Moral Meaning of America, argues that democracy is "the political enactment of a spiritual idea." In today’s episode, Warnock talks to Morning Edition host Michel Martin about the relationship between faith and politics. Support public media with NPR+ an…
Novels by Ben Reeves and Matt Haig look at life through the eyes of death (literally)
Jul 31, 2026 · 20 min
Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Two new novels use death to shed new light on life, but these aren’t depressing reads. In Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt, the Grim Reaper gets a little too attached to the people he meets along the way. In today’s episode, author Ben Reeves speaks with All Things Considered’s Scott Detrow about publishing his debut novel after…
'The Friend' author Sigrid Nunez is out with a new collection of short stories
Jul 30, 2026 · 10 min
Sigrid Nunez – author of novels like The Friend and What Are You Going Through – is out with a new collection of short stories. It Will Come Back to You features characters like a middle-age daughter coping with her mother’s memory loss, a Brad Pitt lookalike and a housekeeper working at a luxury hotel in Manhattan. In today’s episode, Nunez joins Here & Now’s Tiziana Dearing for a conversation about the familial relationships in the collection. The author also shares writing advice from Elizabe…
ESPN soccer correspondent Julien Laurens on why Kylian Mbappé is “wired differently”
Jul 29, 2026 · 7 min
French footballer Kylian Mbappé was one of the World Cup's biggest stars this summer, despite France's loss to Spain in the semifinals. ESPN soccer correspondent Julien Laurens has written a new book called Kylian Mbappé: The Definitive Biography, which details the soccer star’s upbringing and path to becoming a sports prodigy. In today's episode, Laurens speaks with Here & Now's Scott Tong about how Mbappé has grown over his career and how – like many of our greatest athletes – he's "wired diff…
Author Tana French on the best summer reading set in Ireland
Jul 28, 2026 · 9 min
In preparation for an upcoming trip to Ireland, All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly has been tearing through Tana French's books. French is the queen of Irish crime fiction and has authored the popular Dublin Murder Squad series, among other novels. In today’s episode, Kelly and French talk about traveling through fiction, how land ownership looms large in the Irish psyche and how French gives her fiction a sense of place. Then, the author shares her recommendations for summer reads set…
Colson Whitehead on 'Cool Machine,' the final in his Harlem Trilogy series
Jul 27, 2026 · 7 min
Ray Carney is a furniture salesman in Harlem with a long-running side hustle. Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Trilogy follows the character as he descends into crime across decades in a rapidly changing New York. Cool Machine is the third and final book in that series. In today’s episode, Whitehead speaks with Weekend Edition’s Ayesha Rascoe about Carney as a divided soul. They also chat about gentrification in 1980s Harlem and how Whitehead brought his own version of New York into the world of the bo…
In 'The Great Wherever' and 'Country People,' city dwellers try out rural life
Jul 24, 2026 · 21 min
In two new novels, city folk are thrown into life in the country. The Great Wherever is a multigenerational story told through ghosts. A woman living in Washington, D.C. learns she’s inherited her father’s share of a family property, a piece of farmland in Tennessee. In today’s episode, author Shannon Sanders chats with Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon about ancestral hauntings. Then, Country People is about two academics who move from the Bay Area to a small town in Vermont. Author Daniel Mason sp…
Deb Haaland on 'A Voice Like Mine' and her candidacy for governor of New Mexico
Jul 23, 2026 · 8 min
Deb Haaland’s ancestors, who were Pueblo Indians, were the first inhabitants of New Mexico – and she’s had a number of firsts herself. In 2018 she was one of the first two Native women elected to Congress, and then in 2021 she became the first Native American named as a cabinet secretary. Now, she’s running for governor of New Mexico. In today’s episode, she talks with Morning Edition’s A Martínez about her new memoir A Voice Like Mine, her candidacy for governor and how federal policy on natura…
'The Delivery' is a horror novella about a family's mysterious AI assistant
Jul 22, 2026 · 8 min
After a couple suffers a tragedy, they receive a mysterious and exclusive offer for a humanoid AI companion that knows everything about them. At first, Mr. Man is a godsend for their home, but then it begins to anticipate the family’s every need, even their unspoken desires. In today’s episode, author Gregg Hurwitz joins Weekend Edition’s Ayesha Rascoe for a conversation about his horror novella The Delivery. The author also shares his views on how to keep AI in check. To listen to Book of the D…
Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy on why he "stays up at night" worrying about politics
Jul 21, 2026 · 8 min
Dave Portnoy, the polarizing social media personality and founder of Barstool Sports, has published a memoir. In Cancel Me If You Can, he writes about building a media empire – but also about his role as a political lightning rod. Portnoy spoke with Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep about his fallout with Call Her Daddy's Alex Cooper, his popularity among young men, and why he "stay[s] up at night" worrying about antisemitism and democratic socialism. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and…
In Celeste Ng’s new novel 'Our Missing Hearts,' a boy searches for his missing mother
Jul 20, 2026 · 10 min
Celeste Ng – author of titles like Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere – says she begins her writing process by envisioning an image, then investigating something she doesn’t understand. Her new novel Our Missing Hearts is set in a dystopian near-future where xenophobia and state oppression are norms. She joined Here & Now’s Robin Young in May for a conversation at the WBUR festival in Boston. They spoke about Ng’s childhood in her hometown near Pittsburgh, Pa. and how she in…
'The Shampoo Effect,' 'The Revelation of Dionne Daphne' are marked by big surprises
Jul 17, 2026 · 17 min
In two new novels, characters with glamorous lives have their routines disrupted by shocking news. The Shampoo Effect is a story about an extremely close friend group living in a small seaside town. In today’s episode, author Jenny Jackson speaks with All Things Considered’s Juana Summers about how her characters’ tight-knit dynamic is disrupted by an outsider and a surprise pregnancy. Then, in The Revelation of Dionne Daphne, an ex-boyfriend pops up with news that stirs up past traumas. Author…
Mary Beard's 'Talking Classics' examines our obsession with the ancient world
Jul 16, 2026 · 8 min
Why are we obsessed with the ancient world, even the most ordinary parts of it? Mary Beard tackles that question in her new book Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old. Her personal interest in antiquity began with a 4,000 year-old piece of bread displayed at the British Museum. Now, she’s an academic who has spent her career studying ancient Greece and Rome. In today’s episode, Beard chats with NPR’s Scott Simon about how the Greeks and Romans were “brutal” but also "unfailingly interesting" –…
Artist and activist Ai Weiwei on political censorship in the West
Jul 15, 2026 · 12 min
In 2008, artist and activist Ai Weiwei clashed with the Chinese government over its response to the deadly Sichuan earthquake. The government had censored information about the death toll, so Ai Weiwei launched a citizen’s investigation, knocking on doors and visiting villages to learn the names of the thousands of children who died. More recently, the artist has also become critical of political censorship in the United States. In today’s episode, he joins Here & Now’s Scott Tong for a conversa…
Mike Pence's 'What Conservatives Believe' critiques the second Trump administration
Jul 14, 2026 · 7 min
Former Vice President Mike Pence is out with a new book that includes critiques of the second Trump administration and the populist right. What Conservatives Believe, Pence says, was inspired in part by Barry Goldwater’s 1960 manifesto The Conscience of a Conservative, which helped define modern conservatism. In today’s episode, Pence speaks with Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep about political favoritism of companies, civil rights, and returning to the country’s “first principles.” To listen to…
Jonathan Jakubowicz says he wanted to write a book Venezuelans couldn't resist
Jul 13, 2026 · 9 min
Filmmaker Jonathan Jakubowicz says he turned to fiction because he could no longer make movies in Venezuela after being exiled. In 2016, he published the blockbuster hit The Adventures of Juan Planchard, a novel about a deeply flawed anti-hero who gets involved with a corrupt government regime. Jakubowicz says he wanted to show the reality of life under the late Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez. In today’s episode, the author joins NPR’s Scott Detrow for a conversation about the book, which has…
'Kin' and 'When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky' fictionalize the Jim Crow South
Jul 10, 2026 · 19 min
As we continue to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U.S., we’re revisiting author interviews on important books about American history. Today’s episode features two novels that fictionalize the Jim Crow South. Author Tayari Jones spoke with Weekend Edition’s Ayesha Rascoe about Kin, which follows two friends growing up in Honeysuckle, La. who must navigate the constraints on Black women in the 1960s. And Margaret Verble chatted with All Things Considered’s Ari Shapiro about When Two Feathers F…
Eddie Glaude on the tension at the center of America's milestone birthdays
Jul 9, 2026 · 12 min
As we continue to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U.S., we’re revisiting author interviews on important books about American history. In Eddie Glaude’s new book, the Princeton professor says the United States has a “double consciousness.” Glaude expands on a concept from W.E.B. Du Bois, arguing the country imagines itself at once as a beacon of freedom and as a white republic. In today’s episode, Glaude joins Here & Now’s Scott Tong for a conversation about America, U.S.A., which traces that…
Revisiting the story of the American Revolution with Rick Atkinson
Jul 8, 2026 · 10 min
As we continue to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U.S., we’re revisiting author interviews on important books about American history. In today’s episode, author and journalist Rick Atkinson speaks with Weekend Edition's Scott Simon about his book The British Are Coming. They discuss Atkinson’s portrait of George Washington, whether the American Revolution was motivated by freedom or economic incentives and how “the nation was born disputatiously.” To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free an…
'America's Founding Son' documents John Quincy Adams' influential post-presidency
Jul 7, 2026 · 8 min
As we continue to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U.S., we’re revisiting author interviews on important books about American history. Bob Crawford of the Avett Brothers has a second career as a writer. In today’s episode, he talks with Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep about his book, America’s Founding Son, a biography of one of the less-distinguished presidents in U.S. history: John Quincy Adams. Adams was a Washington insider who was swept out of office by a populist wave in 1829. But Crawf…
← Back to the show
