
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

Oct 11, 2021 • 1h 14min
A Potato Chip in the Mouth Forever
This week, Jeff is joined by Book Riot editor Danika Ellis to talk book challenges, book blob cover designs, TikTok, and much more.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
Discussed in this episode:
Book Riot is hiring an Ad Sales Manager!
Librarians Charged for Stocking Books
The 2021 Nobel Prize
Behold, the Book Blurb
9 year-old sells lemonade to raise money to distribute diverse books
The Continuing Saga of the Publishing Supply Chain
Special Topics in Being a Human
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
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Oct 4, 2021 • 1h 1min
They’re All Bad Metrics
Jeff and Rebecca talk about MacArthur award winners, Netflix big adaptation winners, and Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead.
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Discussed in this episode:
Our Fall Preview Draft
Hanif Abdurraquib & Ibram X Kendi among MacArthur Genius Grant winners
Colson Whitehead interview with Ezra Klein
Netflix’s Most Popular Movies and Series
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Sep 27, 2021 • 1h 7min
Ascending Levels of Sauciness
Jeff and Amanda talk about Sally Rooney sales, author who want to be publishers who also want to be influencers, the National Book Award longlist, Amanda’s favorite books of the year so far, and the going price for The Constitution.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Discussed in this episode:
2021 Fall Preview Draft
Lena Waithe & Gillian Flynn launching imprints with independent publisher Zando
Sara Gran also launching a publishing project
National Book Award Long list
Rare First Edition of the US Constitution to go to auction
Cultish by Amanda Montell
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins
Matrix by Lauren Groff
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Sep 20, 2021 • 1h 18min
Book Nerd Movie Club: THE MARTIAN
Jeff and Rebecca talk about the book and movie, The Martian.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
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Sep 13, 2021 • 1h 12min
Spat Into the World
Jeff and Jenn talk interesting science fiction and fantasy releases, some of the best books of 2021, upcoming science-fiction and fantasy adaptations, and more. Then Jeff and Rebecca are joined by Cree Myles to talk about her project, All Ways Black.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Discussed in this episode:
Our 2021 Fall Preview Draft Special
Book Riot is hiring!
The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad
SFF Yeah! Fall New Release Episode
The New Yorker discovers there’s big money in ebooks
The Supply Chaaaiiiiiinnnnnnnnn
All Ways Black
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Sep 3, 2021 • 2min
Special Episode: 2021 Fall Preview Draft
As announced, we are trying something different for bonus content: a special, ad-free, pay-what-you-will 2021 Fall Preview Draft. Go here to get it: bookriot.com/falldraft. That URL will redirect you to our Gumroad page where you can get the episode. You can either play it there or download the mp3 file to play wherever. The episode will be available through Thanksgiving. Thanks for listening, and we would especially like feedback on this model, so email us at podcast@bookriot.com.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
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Aug 30, 2021 • 1h 3min
The Hamster Will Be Our Guinea Pig
Jeff and Rebecca talk about their plans and strategy for the Fall Preview Draft, a bookstore getting an imprint, PRH jacking up the price of Amanda Gorman’s book, what a wonderful era of Black literature it is, and much more.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
Discussed in this episode:
We’re hiring again! Web engineer & ad ops associate
New Oprah pick The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois
50 UK bookstores will open early for Sally Rooney release
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Aug 23, 2021 • 60min
Indiscriminate Scamming
Jenn Northington joins Rebecca to talk about the Hachette/Workman acquisition, the state of book tours, a truly mistifying publishing scam, and more.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Discussed in this episode:
Follow-up: Leander, TX school district pulls more books
Hachette is buying Workman
Did the pandemic kill the book tour?
The strangest scam in publishing
First look at Wheel of Time adaptation
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Aug 16, 2021 • 1h 8min
G-Level Property
Sharifah Williams joins Jeff to talk SF/F adaptations, how the adaptation boom may (or may not?) be affecting what is getting written, wild problems with GoodReads, and more.
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Discussed in this episode:
How adaptations are influencing contemporary fiction
Review extortion on GoodReads
Hello Sunshine to be sold for $900 million
Surprises with Scholastic succession
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Aug 9, 2021 • 53min
The Donkey Parade
Jeff and Rebecca talk about the coming end of big-time adaptations, the future of food memoirs, the dearth of popular on-going book series, and more.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
Discussed in this episode:
Amazon’s Lord of the Rings Series Gets Release Date
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