

Book Riot - The Podcast
Book Riot
News in the world of books and reading, including hot industry releases, adaptations, publishing industry events, and more with Book Riot’s Jeff O’Neal and 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
Mentioned books

Aug 4, 2025 • 1h 10min
The 2025 Booker Longlist Is Here
Jeff and Rebecca break down the 2025 longlist for the Booker Prize, digest the news of a new book from Kamala Harris, lament the demise of class (behavior, not socio-economic status), and much more.
Jeff and Rebecca decide what the It Book of August will be.
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Book Riot is hiring a digital content specialist! If you love books and know the ins and outs of social media strategy, and especially social video, consider joining the team. Find details and apply by August 22, 2025, at riotnewmedia.com/careers.
Use code BOOKRIOT to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan at https://incogni.com/bookriot
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Discussed in this episode:
Kamala Harris to publish memoir about presidential race in September
The 2025 Booker Prize longlist
And a possible conflict of interest on the Booker panel
We’re getting a new George Saunders novel in January
Maggie by Katie Yee
The Carpool Detectives by Chuck Hogan
Everyone is Lying to You by Jo Piazza
The Feather Detective by Chris Sweeney
The Brain at Rest by Joseph Jebelli Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 30, 2025 • 51min
The It Books of August
Jeff and Rebecca decide what the It Book of August will be.
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Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
Discussed in this episode:
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Jul 28, 2025 • 1h 9min
Making a Case for Supporting Independent Media, Way Early Award Nominations, and More
Vanessa Diaz joins Jeff as he workshops a couple of takes, before they dive into IMAX scalping, way early award longlists, and more of the week's book news.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
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.
Discussed in this Episode:
The Odyssey IMAX Showtimes Sell Out Instantly as Scalpers List Resales Higher Than $200
The Center For Fiction Releases the Longlist for 2025 First Fiction Prize in July, because sure
The Book Industry Study Group conducting survey on how AI is changing publishing
Spotify expanding audiobooks plans, language is confusing
Audiobook walking clubs?
Deep Historical Survey on Gender Split of Who Writes Fiction
The Bewitching by Silvia Morreno-Garcia
Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan
Algospeak by Adam Aleksic
Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 23, 2025 • 1h 8min
Power Ranking the Books of 1995
It's as far back as we go with these historical rankings--30 years to 1995. Strange year, that sees Jeff pick a single copy of an individual book in his top 10. Christian dystopias, fairy tale retellings, genre-changing memoirs: there are spots for all of them in our top 10s.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 21, 2025 • 1h 9min
Mid-Year Check-in Time. PLUS: Rodney Freeman on ARE YOU A LIBRARIAN?
Jeff and Rebecca talk about a bunch of mid-year lists: best-ofs, best-selllers, and more. Then Erica Ezeifedi talks to Rodney Freeman, former librarian and producer of the documentary Are You a Librarian, about the rich & overlooked history of Black librarianship in the US.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.
Discussed in this episode:
Book Riot’s best books of 2025 so far
The top 10 bestselling books of the year so far
Bookshop’s bestsellers of the year so far
Constance Grady explores whether there actually is a crisis with kids’ reading
Sarah J. Maas has completed the first draft of the 6th ACOTAR book Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 16, 2025 • 56min
The Top Ten Books to Read to Be Well-Read
Jeff and Rebecca try to answer the fun but impossible question of what are the top 10 books someone might read first on their path to becoming well-read. This was originally a Patreon-only members post. To get more like this, subscribe to the Book Riot podcast Patreon.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 14, 2025 • 1h 15min
The Best Books of the Year So Far: Live at Powell's!
Jeff and Rebecca are joined by Book Riot's Managing Editor Vanessa Diaz and Powell's Book Buyer Keith Mosman to talk about their favorite books of the year so far.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 9, 2025 • 1h 13min
Summer 2025 Mailbag
Jeff and Rebecca answer listener questions.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
The Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 7, 2025 • 1h
Project Hail Mary Gets a Trailer, AI Is Fair Use (for now), and more book news of the week
Jeff and Rebecca talk about several notable adaptations news items, legal rulings in AI and LBGTQ titles, recent reading, and more.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
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.
Discussed in this episode:
The Book Riot Podcast Live at Powell’s on July 9th!
Judge rejects authors’ claims that Meta violated copyright law by using their books to train AI
SCOTUS says parents can opt students out of positive-affirming lessons about LGBTQ+ issues
Project Hail Mary trailer!
Trailer for Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey leaks online
Jennifer Aston to star in Apple+ adaptation of I’m Glad My Mom Died
The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey
Six Frigates by Ian W. Toll
The Doorman by Chris Pavone
The Summer of 1787 by David O. Stewart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 2, 2025 • 47min
The It Books of July 2025
Jeff and Rebecca try to figure out what the It Books of July will be.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.
The Book Riot Podcast Live at Powell's on July 9th!
Discussed in this episode: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices