
Book Riot - The Podcast
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 Shinsky.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.
Latest episodes

Jul 4, 2022 • 54min
Mental Cellophane
Jeff and Rebecca talk about “the book of the year,” Barnes & Noble and TikTok collaborating, follow up on book censorship stories, and more.Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!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 PatreonOngoing: Lawyers say obscenity claims in VA case are ‘defective’ and should be tossed out Canadian librarian responds to threats over drag queen story hour by adding a second eventTikTok now has a dedicated #booktok hub, and Barnes & Noble is partnering to promote it with a challenge Authors are protesting Amazon policy that allows Kindle users to return ebooks within 7 days Wahala by Nikki MayMemphis by Tara StringfellowAn Immense World by Ed Yong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 27, 2022 • 1h
A Feather in the Trap
Jenn Northington joins Jeff to talk about a sweeping New York Times piece on diversity in publishing, the most popular GoodReads books of the moment, and how much Americans do and do not read books.Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!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 PatreonNYT looks at the state of diversity of the publishing industryFlorence Pugh to star in East of Eden Netflix seriesThe Obamas Head to Audible Over 50% of Americans have not finished a book in the last year 72 of the most popular books on GoodReads….right now The City Inside by Samit BasuAurora by David KoeppAn Immense World by Ed YongFlying Solo by Linda Holmes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 20, 2022 • 51min
The Implied Headline
Rebecca is joined by Book Riot’s managing editor, Vanessa Diaz, while Jeff is on vacation. They discuss the relaunch of MTV Books, James Patterson’s hot take on racism, and more.Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!Discussed in this episode:The Book Riot Podcast PatreonMTV Books Reveals 2023 Relaunch SlateSales of LGBTQ Books Are SoaringMom’s for Liberty’s Book Rating SystemJames Patterson says older white men experience “another form of racism”And then James Patterson apologizesNYPL to give away 500,000 free booksThe Margins writers’ conference Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 13, 2022 • 59min
Two Questions and a Comment
Jeff and Rebecca talk about Barnes & Noble’s picks for the best books of the year so far, Spotify coming for audiobooks, the quiet end of Oprah’s Book Club on AppleTV, Tiny Beautiful Things being adapted, and much more.Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!Discussed in this episode:The Book Riot Podcast PatreonObscenity suit is advancing in VA Barnes & Noble’s best books of 2022 so far Kathryn Hahn to appear in Hulu’s Tiny Beautiful Things adaptation Spotify is coming for audiobooks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 6, 2022 • 45min
I’ve Got No Animal Paraphernalia
Jeff and Rebecca discuss the results of their summer preview draft, go through a bunch of listener feedback, talk about a cookbook being adapted for the screen, a huge study of bookselling patterns on Amazon, and more.Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!Discussed in this episode:We hiring a Digital Marketing ManagerThe Book Riot Podcast PatreonAustralian Cookbook To Be Adapted Into Feature FilmIngram followed 150k books on Amazon for 3 yearsDog Eared Books in Ames, Iowa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 30, 2022 • 58min
Playing by the Ruled
Jeff and Rebecca talk about book sales, Amazon’s new book club, the bookstore of the year, recent reading, and more.Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!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 PatreonCongrats to The Raven! The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America by Carol AndersonAmazon starts monthly book club Post-Traumatic by Chantal JohnsonTranslating Myself & Other by Jhumpa LahiriTrillions by Robin Wigglesworth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 27, 2022 • 2min
From Talk Easy: Jennifer Egan on Writing Through Time
Today we're sharing a special preview of a podcast we've been enjoying, Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso, from Pushkin Industries. Talk Easy is a weekly interview podcast, where writer Sam Fragoso invites actors, writers, activists, and politicians to come to the table and speak from the heart in ways you probably haven't heard from them before. Driven by curiosity, he has revealing conversations with guests like Michael Lewis, Rupi Kaur, and Dave Eggers. In this preview, Sam talks to Jennifer Egan about the structural pulse of her new novel, The Candy House, why she’s drawn to nonlinear storytelling, and what the book reveals about authenticity in the digital age.You can hear the full episode, and more from Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso, at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/tebookriotegan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 23, 2022 • 1h 7min
Foley Artist on Mars
Jeff and Rebecca talk about a striking attempt to sue Barnes & Noble for obscenity and pornography, admit we were wrong but for dumb reasons, talk about a hero of the week, and more.Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.Discussed in this episode:The Book Riot Patreon!Klara & the Sun by Kazuo IshiguroVA Beach Barnes & Noble being sued over GenderQueer and A Court of Mist and Fury Now in book banning: conservative parents take aim at library apps If it sounds too good to be true…this company will pay you $200 for every book you finish Something you don’t see every day – expanded book coverage! The Dracula Daily newsletter is a fun thing Hero of the Week: teen upset about book bans starts forbidden book club The Book of Night by Holly BlackTrust by Hernan DiazFlying Solo by Linda HolmesTranslating Myself and Others by Jhumpa LahiriHow the World Really Works by Vaclav Smil Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 16, 2022 • 1h
Manga Eyes of Desire
Jeff and Rebecca talk about the 2022 Pulitzer Prizes, the reMarkable 2….tablet?, recent reading, and more.Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.Discussed in this episode:The Book Riot Patreon!Pulitzer winners Is this a thing? Post-Traumatic by Chantal JohnsonOur Missing Hearts by Celeste NgDinner for One by Sutanya Dacres Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 9, 2022 • 1h 16min
Exaggerate, Enhance, Create, and Reify
Jeff and Rebecca take listener feedback, spend a few moments talking about Julia on HBO, look at real, honest-to-goodness BookTok numbers, and talk with Florence Williams about her book, Heartbreak. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.Discussed in this episode:The Book Riot Patreon!Let’s talk about those BookTok numbers from publishers lunch — public link to the pod & infographic So get a copy of Heartbreak using riot20 for 20% at pushkin.fm/heartbreak Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices