
First Edition
BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O'Neal explores the wide bookish world. Interviews, lists, rankings, retrospectives, recommendations, and much more, featuring people who know and love books.
Latest episodes

Dec 26, 2024 • 58min
[Rerun] The Reading Life of Ada Limón
This was my favorite 2024 episode of First Edition, so I thought I'd repost it for you this holiday week. Join me to explore the reading life of U.S. National Poet Laureate Ada Limón.This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.Discussed in this episode:You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, edited by Ada LimónIn Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón, illustrated by Peter Sis.Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 5, 2024 • 34min
The Books Won't Save Us
Book Riot's Sharifah Williams joins Jeff to talk about her piece, "The Books Won't Save Us."Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack.Discussed in this episode:The Books Won't Save Us by Sharifah Williams Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 7, 2024 • 1h 16min
What It Is Like To Break Into Agenting & The Black List
A couple of segments here ported over from The Book Riot Podcast. First, Brooke Nagler tells us what it's like to break into the world of literary agenting. Then, Franklin Leonard and Randy Winston talk about their project, The Black List.Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack.Discussed in this episode:The Book GroupThe Black List Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2024 • 60min
Tracking Bestsellers, What You See (or Don't) When You Read, and Growing Up on the Internet Can Be Great
Book Riot editor Danika Ellis joins Jeff to talk about how she tracks bestsellers for Book Riot, how growing up online was sort of great, and what we see (or don't) when we read.Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack.Discussed in this episode:The Best-Selling Books of the WeekThe Most Read Books on Goodreads This WeekBooks Aren't Mental Movies: You're Missing the Best Part of ReadingI'm Glad I Grew Up OnlineAphantasia Self-TestEverything2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 3, 2024 • 15min
10 Burning Questions for the World of Books and Reading
An audio version of a post I wrote for Book Riot recently, The 10 Most Interesting Questions in the World of Books and Reading. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 23, 2024 • 23min
Democracy...the Book
This episode is from our old podcast series Annotated, and it seemed fitting to bring it out of the archive this election season. In this episode: A woman with no prior political experience decides to run for city commission in her small college town. So she goes to the library and checks out a book called How to Win a Local Election. And she wins. This is her story and the story of the book that helped her win.Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 1, 2024 • 59min
My Reading Life
While I am out on vacation, I am bringing something out from the vault. I have done a couple of "Reading Life" episodes here on First Edition with Adam Limon and James McBride, and that format got started as its own, sadly ended, podcast series: Reading Lives. While I was doing that show, I got a bunch of requests for my own episode, which I tried recording as a solo act. So here is that episode, about my own life as a reader. Back with new episodes starting at the end of August.Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 25, 2024 • 52min
What is Going On With Book Sales?
Jeff is joined by Brenna Connor, Director & Industry Analyst for U.S. books sales for Circana. She has the goods: what is selling, what is trending, how retailers are doing, and much more. I learned a TON, and I bet you will too.Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 27, 2024 • 54min
The Reading Life of Ada Limón
In this episode of First Edition, the reading life of U.S. National Poet Laureate Ada Limón.This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.Discussed in this episode:You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, edited by Ada LimónIn Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón, illustrated by Peter Sis. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 6, 2024 • 46min
Ayana Mathis and THE UNSETTLED
Jeff O'Neal talks with Ayana Mathis about her latest book, The Unsettled. The Unsettled was a 2023 New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and a Best Book of the Year selection by The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Oprah Daily, and others. The Unsettled is now available in paperback.This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack.Discussed in this episode:The Unsettled by Ayana MathisEmail in with questions, comments, and ideas: firstedition@bookriot.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices