NPR's Book of the Day
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NPR's Book of the Day
In need of a good read? Or just want to keep up with the books everyone's talking about? NPR's Book of the Day gives you today's very best writing in a snackable, skimmable, pocket-sized podcast. Whether you're looking to engage with the big questions of our times – or temporarily escape from them –...
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Sarah Harman’s debut novel is a lighthearted take on the 'missing kid' mystery genre
Is there anything you wouldn’t do for your favorite person? That question is at the center of Sarah Harman’s debut novel All the Other Mothers Hate Me...
'Firestorm' tells journalistic – and personal – story of the LA wildfires
Jacob Soboroff was one of the reporters on the front lines of last year’s devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. For him, the story was also deeply per...
'This is Where the Serpent Lives' is a sprawling debut novel set in modern Pakistan
Author Daniyal Mueenuddin has hit the ground running with his debut novel, This is Where the Serpent Lives. Set in modern Pakistan, the story spans ge...
'Body Beautiful' and 'My One-of-a-Kind Body' aim to cultivate kids’ body positivity
Body image can be a tricky subject to navigate for those of all ages – including kids. In today’s episode, we’re highlighting two kids’ books that enc...
'Freedom on the Sea' is a biography of Robert Smalls – by his great-great-grandson
Robert Smalls’ dynamic life story – his daring escape from slavery, his pivotal role in the Civil War, and the political career that ensued – was almo...
The novel 'These Days' fictionalizes a lesser-known chapter in the history of Belfast
In the spring of 1941, Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, braced for incoming attacks from German bombers. Over April and May, four German air...
With her new book, Scottish author Val McDermid wants to “charm you into winter”
We are in the thick of winter in the U.S. Days are short, nights are long, and in much of the country, it’s crisp and cold outside. A new book by the...
'The Definitions' features dorm room conversation – with a dystopian twist
Matt Greene’s new novel The Definitions starts with new college dormmates getting to know each other. But there’s a dystopian twist: The students have...
Two debut novels, two murder mysteries set in the United Kingdom
Two debut novelists are out with murder mysteries set in the United Kingdom. First, Jennie Godfrey’s The List of Suspicious Things is a coming-of-age...
Amitav Ghosh’s 'Wild Fictions' gathers essays on empire and the environment
Indian Bengali writer Amitav Ghosh has been writing about empire, the environment, and other subjects for the past 25 years. Now, he has gathered some...
In 'Twice Born,' a daughter discovers her father through his biography of Mark Twain
Hester Kaplan, the daughter of Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Justin Kaplan, knew her father was an esteemed writer and researcher, but she didn’t...
'The Philosopher in the Valley' paints an eccentric portrait of Palantir’s Alex Karp
Palantir is one of the world’s most valuable companies, analyzing data for businesses, but also for U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies. The Philos...
'Russ & Daughters' cookbook documents a century-old New York City establishment
Russ & Daughters opened in 1914 and is one of the last remaining “appetizing stores” in New York City. The shop – which the owners say is not a deli –...
Susan Choi’s 'Flashlight' is about an alternate-universe version of her own family
As 2025 comes to a close, we're revisiting interviews with this year's nominees and winners of some of the biggest prizes in literature. Last up: A 10...
'Feeding Ghosts' is a graphic memoir grappling with generational trauma
As 2025 comes to a close, we're revisiting interviews with this year's nominees and winners of some of the biggest prizes in literature. Tessa Hulls’...
In ‘A Guardian and a Thief,’ a mother’s love for her family threatens her own morals
As 2025 comes to a close, we're revisiting interviews with this year's nominees and winners of some of the biggest prizes in literature. Megha Majumda...
A new novel from Karen Russell is a sprawling story set during the Dust Bowl
As 2025 comes to a close, we're revisiting interviews with this year's nominees and winners of some of the biggest prizes in literature. Karen Russell...
In Rabih Alameddine’s new novel, a mother and son share a tiny Beirut apartment
As 2025 comes to a close, we're revisiting interviews with this year's nominees and winners of some of the biggest prizes in literature. First up: Raj...
Dorie Greenspan and Paul Hollywood discuss their new and nourishing cake cookbooks
If you’re feeling burnt out from your annual holiday cookie-baking marathon, don’t fear. There’s hope on the other side… in the form of cake. In today...
'Unabridged' explores the history of the dictionary – and why it’s in trouble now
Dictionaries were once bestsellers, but between the internet and artificial intelligence, its role in our culture has changed. Stefan Fatsis is out wi...
'Hiddensee' is a 'Nutcracker'-inspired novel from the author of 'Wicked'
In 2017, Wicked author Gregory Maguire set out to tell the backstory of another classic fairytale. His novel Hiddensee focuses on Herr Drosselmeyer, t...
Jeff Kinney on his iconic, now 20-book 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' series
Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has sold more than 300 million books since the first installment was published in 2007. The star of the seri...
Mahmood Mamdani’s 'Slow Poison' centers politics of belonging in postcolonial Uganda
Mahmood Mamdani — a professor of government at Columbia University and the father of Zohran Mamdani, NYC’s next mayor — has spent decades researching...
Revisiting ‘Waiting to Exhale’
As the film adaptation of Waiting to Exhale celebrates its 30th anniversary, B.A. Parker and Andrew Limbong, along with It’s Been a Minute host, Britt...
Paul McCartney on his band 'Wings,' plus the story of indie label Bloodshot Records
Two new memoirs zoom in on important moments in music history. First, Paul McCartney’s new book Wings reflects on the life of his post-Beatles band, w...
In this novel, the residents of a Brussels apartment building brace for Nazi invasion
33 Place Brugmann opens with a list of the residents of a Brussels apartment building. The year is 1939 and Germany’s invasion of Belgium is on the ho...
William Boyd’s 'The Predicament' is a spy thriller with a conspiratorial edge
In William Boyd’s newest novel The Predicament, lead character and travel writer Gabriel Dax becomes a secret spy, scouring the globe on British order...
Rep. Jim Clyburn’s new book 'The First Eight' traces the history of his predecessors
Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn has spent more than three decades in Congress. But he’s not the first Black congressman to represent South Carolina; there...
'The Heir Apparent' asks existential questions about Britain and its beloved crown
Becoming the queen of England wasn’t in the plan for Lexi Villiers, the heroine of The Heir Apparent. But when tragedy strikes Lexi’s family and she d...
Revisiting ‘Kitchen Confidential’
Anthony Bourdain published his memoir Kitchen Confidential in 2000 as a little-known chef. In the 25 years since its publication, his writing – and su...
‘How a Game Lives,’ ‘How to Save the Internet’ show the best and worst of life online
Two new books delve into the best and worst corners of the internet. First, Jacob Geller creates YouTube essays about art, literature, film, video gam...
A new book of poems by Kate Baer wrestles with the realities of middle age
NPR’s Scott Detrow and poet Kate Baer share a favorite bookstore in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They recently met there to discuss Baer’s new poetry col...
In 'The Unveiling,' a disastrous cruise becomes an opportunity for cultural reckoning
Even if you’re scared of cruise ships, don’t turn away from Quan Barry’s The Unveiling. When film scout and photographer Striker boards an Antarctic c...
Deborah Willis on her seminal history of Black photography, reissued 25 years later
Deborah Willis is one of the foremost authorities on Black photography. The MacArthur “genius award” winner has dedicated her career to cataloging and...
In ‘Best Offer Wins,’ an ambitious millennial is driven mad by the homebuying process
Marisa Kashino used to report on the real estate industry in Washington, D.C. That experience inspired her debut novel, Best Offer Wins, which follows...
Revisiting Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’
Frank Herbert’s 1965 epic Dune was once the domain of sci-fi diehards. But in recent years, the book has crossed over into the mainstream. In today’s...
In new novels, marriages are tested by a last request and a moment in the spotlight
In two new novels, marriages are tested by unusual circumstances. First, in Ann Packer’s Some Bright Nowhere, a woman dying of cancer makes a big ask...
Abby Phillip’s 'A Dream Deferred' chronicles Jesse Jackson’s rise to political esteem
Rev. Jesse Jackson is well-known as an icon of the American Civil Rights Movement, a protégé of Martin Luther King Jr., and a steadfast activist — but...
'The Devil Is a Southpaw' is a story within a story — or so its narrator says
Are all unreliable narrators self-aware? The answer might depend on the novel, but in Brandon Hobson’s The Devil Is a Southpaw, our primary narrator,...
John Fetterman on his new memoir, his mental health, and disagreements with his party
When Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) won Pennsylvania’s Senate seat in 2022, Democrats saw him as a symbol of a new direction during the Trump era. Three...