Book Riot - The Podcast - podcast cover

Book Riot - The Podcast

Book Riotbookriot.com
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.

Episodes

The Neil Gaiman Story Gets Worse, Best-Selling Books of 2024, and The Price of Books with Kathleen Schmidt

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the very, very ugly details emerging about Neil Gaiman, 2024's best-selling books, audio-first publishing, and more. Then, Kelly Jensen and Kathleen Schmidt talk about the price of books and what effects they have. 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. A new year means a new Read Harder Cha...

Jan 20, 20251 hr 16 min

Spring 2025 Adaptation Preview

Randy Winston of The Black List joins Rebecca and Jeff to preview the spring's most interesting literary adaptations. 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. A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. Sign up at bookriot.com/readharder....

Jan 15, 20251 hr

FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros [Teaser]

Jeff and Rebecca talk about their experience reading Fourth Wing. A word of caution: the book didn't work for them. If hearing honest, free-ranging discussions of the specifics of why is going to be unpleasant, this might be one for you to skip. If you are interested in the rest and are not already signed up for our Patreon, go here to subscribe and get the whole discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 14, 20259 min

Book Riot's Most Anticipated Books of 2025, The Unbearable Whiteness of the Goodreads Choice Awards and...Jeff read ALL FOURS. And Jeff and Rebecca Both Read FOURTH WING

We kick off the new year in book news by talking about Book Riot's own list of the most anticipated books of 2025, a look at the whiteout that was the 2024 Goodreads Choices Awards before talking about All Fours (Jeff read it). And then some very brief reactions to Fourth Wing (we both read it). Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! This cont...

Jan 13, 20251 hr 11 min

More of Our Most Anticipated Books of 2025

Jason Blitman of the Gays Reading podcast joins Jeff and Rebecca to talk about more books to watch for in 2025. Jeff and Rebecca also joined Jason on Gays Reading for more picks in this episode. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! Discussed in this episode: Book Riot’s TBR The Book Riot Podcast on Instagram The Book Riot Podcast Patreon Lea...

Jan 07, 202549 min

The It Books of January 2025

Jeff and Rebecca ring in the new year with another It Book knockout round. A storm gathers. Can anyone sail through it? Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in this episode: Book Riot’s TBR The Book Riot Podcast on Instagra...

Jan 06, 202538 min

The 2025 Winter Preview Draft [Teaser]

A preview of our 2025 Winter Preview Draft on our Patreon. Jeff and Rebecca draft 10 books each and then ask listeners to vote on which list they want to win, for whatever reason they like. Join us on Patreon for access to early, ad-free listening and all bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/bookriotpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 04, 20256 min

NIGHTBITCH is in the Wild. Is it Good?

Rebecca sits down with Book Riot's managing editor Vanessa Diaz to discuss Marielle Heller's adaptation of Nightbitch starring Amy Adams and Scoot McNairy. Nightbitch is streaming now on Hulu. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. 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: Marielle Heller Explores the Feral...

Jan 03, 202544 min

The Books To Watch for in 2025

Jeff and Rebecca preview the books of 2025 (that we know about) that will be on the reading world's radar in 2025. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! Discussed in this episode: Book Riot’s TBR The Book Riot Podcast on Instagram The Book Riot Podcast Patreon The 2025 Read Harder Challenge is live Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...

Dec 30, 202450 min

The Best of the Rest of 2024 [Teaser]

A little teaser for our Best of the Rest of 2024 episode over on the Book Riot podcast Patreon. Rebecca and Jeff talk about their favorite non-book things from 2024, a few of which might be of interest to other humans. Join us on Patreon for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/bookriotpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 27, 20247 min

Emergency Podcast: On Obama's Favorite Books of 2024 [Teaser]

A preview of the first-ever EMERGENCY bonus episode for Patreon subscribers. Obama released his favorite books of 2024. Let's just say there were surprises. Join us on Patreon for access to early, ad-free listening and all bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/bookriotpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 24, 20242 min

The Year in Review

Jeff and Rebecca look back at the books & stories that defined 2024. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in this episode: Book Riot’s TBR The Book Riot Podcast on Instagram The Book Riot Podcast Patreon The 2025 Read Harde...

Dec 23, 202454 min

The Books We Missed This Year [Teaser]

A preview of our most recent Patreon-only episode about the books we missed this year (though, maybe we will get to a few of them? maybe?). Join us on Patreon for access to early, ad-free listening and all bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/bookriotpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 18, 20246 min

Taking Stock of the Year in Adaptations

Jeff and Rebecca take a look at the hits, misses, and favorites from the year in literary adaptations. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! Discussed in this episode: Book Riot’s TBR The Book Riot Podcast on Instagram The Book Riot Podcast Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 18, 202451 min

The Books of the Year

Jeff and Rebecca settle in to figure what 10 books from 2024 defined the year. Not the best (necessarily), the most popular (though could be), or most interesting (in many cases not), but a list that comes closest to telling the story of 2024 in reading. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! Discussed in this episode: Book Riot's TBR The Book...

Dec 16, 202447 min

How THE NEW YORK TIMES Picks The 100 Notable, and 10 Best, Books of the Year

Gilbert Cruz, editor of The New York Times Book Review, joins Jeff to talk about the colossal undertaking that is making its 100 Notable Books List and its 10 Best Books of the Year List. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! Discussed in this episode: The Book Riot Podcast on Instagram The Book Riot Podcast Patreon Learn more about your ad c...

Dec 12, 202448 min

Our Favorite Books of the Year

Jeff and Rebecca reveal their favorite books of 2024. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! 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 on Instagram The Book Riot Podcast Patreon James by Percival Everett There's Always This Year...

Dec 11, 20241 hr 6 min

The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2024, Goodreads Choice Winners, Spotify's Most-Listened Audiobooks, and more.

Jeff and Rebecca get into the NYT's 100 Notable and 10 Best Books of the Year list, Goodreads Choice winners, Cormac McCarthy's distressing hidden relationship, and kidney stones. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in thi...

Dec 09, 20241 hr 17 min

Looking Back at Our It Book Picks of the Year, Interesting December Releases, and a Few More Holiday Recommendations

Jeff and Rebecca do a few more holiday recommendations before talking about nine interesting new books coming in December and then taking stock of their monthly It Book guesses. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in this ...

Dec 04, 202447 min

2024 Holiday Recommendation Show, Part the Second

Jeff and Rebecca return for the second half of our 2024 Recommendation Extravaganza. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! 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 on Instagram The Book Riot Podcast Patreon Nevada by Imogen Bi...

Dec 02, 20241 hr 13 min

The Best Gift Books of 2024

Jeff and Rebecca recommend books released in 2024 that would make great gifts — for a bunch of different kinds of readers. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! 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 on Instagram The Book Ri...

Nov 27, 202456 min

2024 Holiday Recommendation Show (Part 1) + the 2024 National Book Awards

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the winners of the 2024 National Book Awards a little before embarking on the first of two rounds of answering listener holiday recommendation requests. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in th...

Nov 25, 20241 hr 14 min

Power Ranking the Books of 1994

Jeff and Rebecca look back 30 years to 1994 and power-rank the year's most influential, important, and memorable titles. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! Discussed in this episode: The Book Riot Podcast on Instagram The Book Riot Podcast Patreon Send us your recommendation requests: podcast (at) bookriot (dot) co Learn more about your ad...

Nov 20, 20241 hr

Amazon's Best Books of the Year, Goodreads Choice Voting, and More

Jeff and Rebecca talk about Amazon's best books of the year list, the pros and cons of the Goodreads Choice Awards, PW's annual salary survey, recent reading, and much more. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in this epis...

Nov 18, 202454 min

The Books Most Likely to Be on THE NEW YORK TIMES 100 Notable Books of 2024 List

We consider The New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year list to be the book list of record. In this episode, we make our picks for locks, likelies, and would-like-to-sees ahead of the anticipated release of the list next week. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, w...

Nov 13, 202450 min

The Black List

Rebecca Schinksy talks to Franklin Leonard and Randy Winston about The Black List, a project to get exceptional, unproduced work into the world. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in this episode: The Black List The Book ...

Nov 11, 202448 min

The It Books of November 2024

Jeff and Rebecca decide the It Book of November. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! 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 Patreon Variation by Rebecca Yarros Didion & Babitz by Lili Anolik The Name of This Band is R.E.M ...

Nov 06, 202440 min

B&N's Book of the Year Finalists, PW's Books of the Year, Recent Reading, and What It's Like to Be a Newcomer in the World of Literary Agencies

Jeff and Rebecca talk about B&N's finalists for their book of the year, why PW's best books of the year lists are so great and recent reading before they are joined by Brooke Nagler of The Book Group to talk about what it's like breaking into the world of books as an assistant to a literary agent. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! This co...

Nov 04, 20241 hr 13 min

The Impossible Book Questions We Want Answered

Jeff offers Rebecca a list of questions about the world of books and reading that he would love to have answered but knows are impossible. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! The Book Riot Podcast Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 30, 202459 min

Barnes & Noble's Books of the Year, INTERIOR CHINATOWN and SAY NOTHING Look Promising, and More Book News

Sharifah Williams joins Jeff to talk about B&N's Best Books of the Year list, promising trailers, PRH's new boilerplate AI language, and more of the week's top book news. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Check out the Book Riot Podcast Book Page on Thriftbooks! The Book Riot Podcast Patreon This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commiss...

Oct 28, 20241 hr 4 min