NPR's Book of the Day

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• Katherine Rundell says it's a mistake for adults to discard children's literature

  Sep 16, 2026 · 11:39

  Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures series follows two kid heroes on their journey to save a group of islands filled with magical beasts. She’s the first children's author since J.K. Rowling to simultaneously top the U.K. and U.S. sales charts. Now, Rundell is out with The Neverfear, the third installment in the series. She’s also authored a book-length essay called Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise. In today’s episode, she talks with Here & Now’s Indira Lakshmanan about how children’s literature gets to “the meat of the human heart.” Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'Odyssey' translator Emily Wilson on her book of essays 'Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea'

  Sep 15, 2026 · 7:51

  Emily Wilson is a classicist whose translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey are popular and controversial. Recently, she was at the center of the discourse surrounding Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of The Odyssey. Her new book of essays reflects on translation and the role of classics in modern society. In it, she argues that "it is a waste of everyone's time if a retranslation takes more or less the same approach as one or more existing published translations." In today’s episode, she speaks with NPR’s Joel Rose about Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Marlon James' novel 'The Disappearers' chronicles the aftermath of a violent attack

  Sep 14, 2026 · 8:55

  In 1988, a group of gay men gathered in Kingston, Jamaica to put on a play. At the time, homophobia in the country was rampant and sex between men was outlawed. Marlon James’ new novel The Disappearers is about a hateful mob attack at one of the group’s rehearsals. In an interview with All Things Considered’s Juana Summers, James said “this attack in the book was based on an incident which I knew in my gut happened. I just couldn’t prove it.” In today’s episode, Summers and James discuss the untrustworthy quality of official records and the author’s views on writing about violence. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Marking 25 years since Sept. 11 with 'All the Presidents' Wars' and 'Scattered Steel'

  Sep 11, 2026 · 17:18

  On today’s show, we mark the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 with two books that historicize the attacks. First, All the Presidents’ Wars focuses on anti-terror campaigns waged around the world over the past quarter century. Author Peter Bergen spoke with Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep about the expansion of executive branch powers that have enabled these wars. Then, Scattered Steel investigates how material from the World Trade Center ended up in memorials across the country. All Things Considered’s Scott Detrow spoke with Sam Holleran – who co-authored the book with his brother, Max Holleran. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Sen. Ted Cruz's new book 'Going Further' praises Justice Clarence Thomas

  Sep 10, 2026 · 8:17

  Sen. Ted Cruz’s new book isn’t a political memoir but an exploration of the life and career of Justice Clarence Thomas. In Going Further, Cruz praises Thomas as an “independent thinker” who is willing to go against the grain. And he argues the Justice has been criticized by the political left because he did not conform to what liberals expected him to be. In today’s episode, Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep asks Cruz about his own aspirations for the Supreme Court and Thomas’ history of overturning precedent. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Author Jade Chang on the books she's reading to keep summer going

  Sep 9, 2026 · 8:41

  For author Jade Chang, the vibe of summer isn’t encapsulated at the pool or by the beach, but in time itself — “and how time kind of stops.” In today’s episode, she joins All Things Considered’s Ailsa Chang to discuss the books she recommends to help keep the summer season alive, even as fall approaches. Jade Chang recommends books like The Corn King and the Spring Queen by Naomi Mitchison and Stories of the Sahara by Taiwanese author Sanmao. Then, they discuss Jade Chang’s novel What a Time to Be Alive. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• To combat the 'Artificial State,' Jill Lepore says to look to science fiction

  Sep 8, 2026 · 7:32

  Jill Lepore says our liberal democracy has been replaced by corporations and technology. But what can we do about it? In today’s episode, the historian joins Morning Edition’s Michel Martin for a conversation about her new book The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State. Lepore says she wanted to put a name to a new kind of governance she’s observed in which functions of nation states are being taken over by private interests and run by machinery. She and Martin discuss the way technology has historically maligned representative democracy – and what we can do about it. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Author Liane Moriarty on her long-awaited sequel to 'Big Little Lies'

  Sep 7, 2026 · 9:42

  After the big success of the 2014 novel Big Little Lies, which included an award-winning HBO adaptation, author Liane Moriarty says everyone kept asking her for a sequel. Now, that sequel has arrived. Big Little Truths picks up the drama between five women as their children navigate high school. Meanwhile, the school’s principal receives a troubling package. In today’s episode, Moriarty tells Here & Now’s Emiko Tamagawa about how performances by Laura Dern and Meryl Streep influenced the sequel, the author’s interest in aging, and how she still writes novels without adaptation in mind. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• New music books take on Paul Simon's 'Graceland' and the history of music and prison

  Sep 4, 2026 · 17:19

  In today’s episode, we chat about two new music histories. First, 1986’s Graceland is considered Paul Simon's signature album. It introduced South African music to a global audience and revitalized Simon's career. Author Ashley Kahn spoke with Morning Edition’s A Martínez about his new book Days of Miracle and Wonder, which goes behind the scenes of the album. Then, a book about how outlaws, gangers and criminals dot the history of American music. In today’s episode, Colin Asher talks with NPR’s Don Gonyea about The Midnight Special, a history of the relationship between music and prison. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• New book evaluates President Biden's legacy as midterm elections approach

  Sep 3, 2026 · 10:35

  As midterm elections approach, former President Joe Biden's legacy still plays a big role in the Democratic Party. Princeton historian Julian Zelizer has edited a new book called The Presidency of Joseph R. Biden, which evaluates Biden’s time in office from a historical perspective. In today’s episode, the editor talks with Here & Now’s Scott Tong about writing a first draft of history, the political polarization that surrounded the Biden years and what the lessons Democrats might have learned – and missed. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'Astronaut!' is a coming-of-age story set against the fall of the Iron Curtain

  Sep 2, 2026 · 8:38

  It’s 1989 in Romania and the country is living under a totalitarian regime. In the new novel Astronaut!, an 8-year-old girl craves bright colors among otherwise gray surroundings as she comes of age during the fall of the Iron Curtain. Simultaneously, a serial killer is on the loose, but the government denies any criminal activity. Instead, they blame a bear. In today’s episode, author Oana Aristide talks with Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon about communist humor and how her upbringing in Transylvania helped shape the novel. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'How We Disappear' is a Stanford historian's take on our personal archives

  Sep 1, 2026 · 11:58

  Thomas Mullaney is a historian at Stanford University. After his father died, Mullaney began to think about the archive he left behind: papers, documents, photos, objects and more. How We Disappear is a personal and academic history of information – and the role information plays in a naturally chaotic universe. In today’s episode, Mullaney joins Here & Now’s Peter O’Dowd for a conversation about the small pieces that form our identities, a concept historians called “original order” and why How We Disappear is really a book about entropy. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• In 'Man Overboard!,' Kathleen Rooney approaches a life-or-death story with humor

  Aug 31, 2026 · 8:10

  While on a cruise, a former college swimmer finds himself in the water, adrift alone, swimming for his life. But he isn’t sure how he got there. In Man Overboard!, 33-year-old Patrick “Kick” Kilpatrick navigates an existential reckoning while trying to stay afloat. Along the way, he reflects on his touchy relationship with his older girlfriend, grapples with darkness and finds a conversational partner in a sea turtle. In today’s episode, author Kathleen Rooney speaks with Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon about how the novel pairs a survival story with comedy. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Remembering Dolly Parton through her writing for children and adults

  Aug 28, 2026 · 17:06

  Over the past week, Dolly Parton has been remembered for her music, her star power, her advocacy and her philanthropic contributions. But she was also an author. In today’s episode, we remember the country star through two of her books. In 2022, Parton and co-author James Patterson spoke with Morning Edition’s Rachel Martin about their novel Run, Rose, Run, about an aspiring country musician who moves to Nashville. Then, we revisit a 2023 conversation between Parton and NPR’s Melissa Block about the author’s children's book, Billy the Kid Makes It Big. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Chang-Rae Lee on whether his new novel 'A Tender Age' is autobiographical

  Aug 27, 2026 · 10:52

  Chang-Rae Lee’s new novel is filled with some of his own memories, like worrying about being picked last for dodgeball and sizing up his fellow Asian American classmates to determine who was most “foreign.” Lee says, unlike some of his other novels, these autobiographical elements populate A Tender Age. In today’s episode, the author speaks with Here & Now’s Scott Tong about growing up Korean American in suburban New York in the 1970s, attending church camp in the Hudson Valley and the fragility of being a pre-teen. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'New York Times' obituarist Sam Roberts says he writes about life – not death

  Aug 26, 2026 · 9:11

  Sam Roberts says when people find out what he does for work, they tend to shrink away. Roberts is a veteran obituarist for The New York Times. But the writer says he writes about life – not death. His new memoir Are They Dead Yet? is a behind-the-scenes look at the craft of writing obituaries. In today’s episode, he tells NPR’s Eyder Peralta about how the Times determines who gets an obituary, how Roberts weighs the unsavory parts of his subjects’ pasts and why he decided to publish an obituary for Jesus. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• In 'Daytona Teddy Riggs,' a former high school football star enters a downward spiral

  Aug 25, 2026 · 8:56

  Daytona Teddy Riggs is a former high school football star from a wealthy oil and gas family. But in his 20s, he enters a downward spiral as he seeks to become the World’s Strongest Man. Daytona Teddy Riggs follows this single-minded quest, one marked by steroids, behavioral issues and new consequences for his actions. In today’s episode, debut author Drew Buxton joins NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben for a conversation about the novel, masculinity, and his protagonist’s future. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Former U.S. Mexico ambassador Ken Salazar on new memoir and "crisis" at the border

  Aug 24, 2026 · 9:41

  Ken Salazar's personal and political life have been defined by the U.S.-Mexico border. The fifth-generation Mexican American has served as a U.S. senator, secretary of the interior and ambassador to Mexico. His new memoir Borderlands focuses on the long history between the U.S. and Mexico. In today’s episode, he speaks with NPR’s Eyder Peralta about his work on migration under the Biden administration. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Journalist Jodi Kantor and happiness expert Arthur Brooks on how to find purpose

  Aug 21, 2026 · 20:19

  Journalist Jodi Kantor and Harvard happiness expert Arthur Brooks are both out with new books about identifying and cultivating meaning in one’s life. Brooks says he wanted to write The Meaning of Your Life after observing an explosion in depression and anxiety among young people beginning around 2008. In today’s episode, he chats with Here & Now’s Indira Lakshmanan about how neglecting right-brain activity has led us astray. Then, Kantor tells NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly about the daunting commencement speech invitation that led to her book How to Start, which focuses on cultivating one’s life work through ideas like “craft” and “need.” Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• In 'The Foursome,' conjoined twins marry two sisters — and that's just the beginning

  Aug 20, 2026 · 9:19

  In 1839, conjoined twins and famous showmen Chang and Eng Bunker — native to Thailand, then called Siam — took a break from touring, settled in North Carolina, bought a slave plantation, and married two American sisters. The interracial union caused a public scandal for more reasons than one, and their story is the inspiration for Christina Baker Kline’s novel The Foursome. In today’s episode, Baker Kline, who is a distant cousin of the twins’ wives, speaks with NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe about exploring the complexity of the foursome’s place in a society that both feared and fetishized them.  Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Andy Weir reveals his fun and frantic creative process behind 'Project Hail Mary'

  Aug 19, 2026 · 11:48

  In Project Hail Mary, amateur astronaut Ryland Grace must travel light years from Earth to save humanity from a dying Sun. The stakes are high, to say the least. But author Andy Weir was intentional about centering hope in his bestselling novel, which inspired the recent blockbuster film starring Ryan Gosling. In today’s episode, Andy Weir joins Here and Now’s Indira Lakshmanan to discuss his creative world-building process, and why he remains optimistic about our ability to collaborate in the face of existential threats. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'The Correspondent' is an epistolary novel, but can letters tell the whole story?

  Aug 18, 2026 · 12:01

  Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent became a runaway hit for its exploration of a life told through letters. When readers meet Sybil Van Antwerp she’s in her 70s, and she takes readers on a journey through her various correspondences — which include names as revered as Joan Didion and Ann Patchett. But Sybil isn’t telling us everything, and her clever prose might hide as much as it reveals. In today’s episode, author Virginia Evans joins Here and Now’s Robin Young to discuss the value of correspondence, and how the book’s success has changed the letter-writing industry itself. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'This is Where the Serpent Lives' is a sprawling debut novel set in modern Pakistan

  Aug 17, 2026 · 8:55

  Author Daniyal Mueenuddin hit the ground running with his debut novel, This is Where the Serpent Lives. Set in modern Pakistan, the story spans generations and explores class, corruption, and crime — themes that  Mueenuddin says he believes might resonate with American readers in particular. In today’s episode, Mueenuddin speaks with NPR’s Scott Simon about his novel-writing process for This is Where the Serpent Lives, and why he sprinkled subtle autobiographical details across its pages. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'Cloudthief' and 'Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep' are novels that center tech

  Aug 15, 2026 · 21:55

  Today’s episode features two novels with tech at the center. Climate journalist Nathaniel Rich’s Cloudthief is the story of a hacker and a journalist who team up to rob a data center in Oklahoma. Rich spoke with Here & Now’s Indira Lakshmanan about how he came up with the idea for the heist. Then, horror writer Paul Tremblay is out with a new novel about a gamer who takes on an odd job involving a man in a vegetative state. Tremblay spoke with Here & Now’s Tiziana Dearing about Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• In 'Hinterlands,' Hannah Lucinda Smith warns not to overlook conflict at the fringes

  Aug 13, 2026 · 8:47

  Hannah Lucinda Smith is a veteran foreign correspondent. Her new book Hinterlands explores whether hidden conflicts unfolding in little-noticed border areas might be shaping a new world order. In today’s episode, she speaks with All Things Considered’s Mary Louise Kelly about “overlooked” places caught between the Russian and Turkish spheres of influence and the West. They also discuss Smith’s comparison between the political circumstances in Damascus in 2011 and Sarajevo in 1914 – and the dynamic nature of borders. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Authors Annie Hartnett and Kevin Wilson on writing road trip novels

  Aug 12, 2026 · 8:43

  By chance, authors Annie Hartnett and Kevin Wilson published road trip novels last year within just a few weeks of each other. The Road to Tender Hearts follows a 67-year-old man, his estranged daughter and his newly adopted grandniece and nephew on a road trip to reunite with the man’s high school crush. Run for the Hills is about four half-siblings who set off to track down the father who abandoned them. In today’s episode, Hartnett and Wilson join All Things Considered’s Juana Summers for a conversation about road trip stories and their favorites in the genre. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Political strategist Ben Wikler on how Democrats can regain ground

  Aug 11, 2026 · 8:45

  As Democrats struggle to revive their party, democratic strategist Ben Wikler has advice to share. Wikler was chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin from 2019-2025. And the key, he says, is to focus on the whole system rather than one candidate. He makes this argument in a new book called This Is the Plan. He spoke with NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer about how he believes Democrats can “un-rig” the system and regain political power at the national level. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'Etna' author Paul Yoon on narrating war through a dog's eyes

  Aug 10, 2026 · 6:45

  Etna is a dog living in a fictional, coastal country on a farm with his mom and siblings. Then, one day, he’s scooped up by a mysterious woman who enlists him for war. The new novel Etna is narrated through the dog’s eyes as he lives and fights alongside explosions, gunfire, crumbling buildings and his handler, Jason. In today’s episodes, author Paul Yoon speaks with Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon about what we learn about war by seeing it through Etna’s eyes. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'Torched' and 'Wildfire Days' look at California's wildfires from the front lines

  Aug 7, 2026 · 20:22

  This summer, wildfires have swept across Europe, Northern Africa, Canada and the U.S. – and today’s episode features firsthand accounts of deadly fires in California. In Torched, CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti writes about political mismanagement of the 2025 Palisades Fire. He spoke with Morning Edition’s A Martínez about how the 2028 Summer Olympics are impacting L.A.’s efforts to rebuild. Then, Wildfire Days is a memoir by Kelly Ramsey, the only woman on her hotshot crew. She spoke with Here & Now’s Peter O’Dowd about working on the “special forces” of wild land firefighters in 2020. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Robinne Lee's 'Crash Into Me' portrays middle age as complicated – and sexy

  Aug 6, 2026 · 9:06

  Robinne Lee’s first novel, The Idea of You, was a big hit. It tells the story of a single mother who begins a romance with a much younger man, the lead singer of a fictional boy band. In Lee’s latest novel, Crash Into Me, a middle-aged couple moves from Paris to Los Angeles. And this time, the wife falls into a love affair with a much younger woman, bringing her marriage to a crossroads. In today’s episode, Lee joins All Things Considered’s Juana Summers for a discussion about writing a multi-generational, multi-racial novel. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'Sex Diaries' author says people are becoming more empowered in their relationships

  Aug 5, 2026 · 8:48

  Sex Diaries is a weekly column in New York Magazine, collected and edited by Alyssa Shelasky, that has featured headlines like “The Musician Ghosting His Dates” or “The Woman Cheating With Her Ex.” Now, Shelasky has compiled some of her favorite entries on non-monogamy into a new book with the same title. In today’s episode, the author speaks with All Things Considered’s Juana Summers about the mundane, non-sexual details in Sex Diaries entries and why Shelasky believes romantic relationships are headed in a more empowered direction. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• In 'I Made You Up Inside My Head,' the stories of three strangers become intertwined

  Aug 4, 2026 · 8:25

  I Made You Up Inside My Head is Marta Pérez-Carbonell’s debut novel. In the book, three strangers have a surprise encounter on an overnight train. A woman named Alicia meets Terence and Mick. One of them is a writer at the center of a literary scandal, having ripped off the life of a man who has since gone missing – and Alicia gets pulled into their story. In today’s episode, Pérez-Carbonell and Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon discuss the novel’s multilayered nature and how the author approached the theme of isolation. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Sen. Raphael Warnock argues that progressives should bring spirituality to politics

  Aug 3, 2026 · 7:34

  Before Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat, became the state's junior U.S. senator, he was selected to serve as senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. His new book, The Crooked Places Made Straight: Reflections on the Moral Meaning of America, argues that democracy is "the political enactment of a spiritual idea." In today’s episode, Warnock talks to Morning Edition host Michel Martin about the relationship between faith and politics. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Novels by Ben Reeves and Matt Haig look at life through the eyes of death (literally)

  Jul 31, 2026 · 19:50

  Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Two new novels use death to shed new light on life, but these aren’t depressing reads. In Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt, the Grim Reaper gets a little too attached to the people he meets along the way. In today’s episode, author Ben Reeves speaks with All Things Considered’s Scott Detrow about publishing his debut novel after 20 years of writing. Then, Matt Haig, author of The Midnight Library, talks with Here & Now’s Indira Lakshmanan about his new book, The Midnight Train, about a man who boards a magical train that gives him a chance to review his past. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'The Friend' author Sigrid Nunez is out with a new collection of short stories

  Jul 30, 2026 · 10:20

  Sigrid Nunez – author of novels like The Friend and What Are You Going Through – is out with a new collection of short stories. It Will Come Back to You features characters like a middle-age daughter coping with her mother’s memory loss, a Brad Pitt lookalike and a housekeeper working at a luxury hotel in Manhattan. In today’s episode, Nunez joins Here & Now’s Tiziana Dearing for a conversation about the familial relationships in the collection. The author also shares writing advice from Elizabeth Hardwick and Kurt Vonnegut. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• ESPN soccer correspondent Julien Laurens on why Kylian Mbappé is “wired differently”

  Jul 29, 2026 · 6:38

  French footballer Kylian Mbappé was one of the World Cup's biggest stars this summer, despite France's loss to Spain in the semifinals. ESPN soccer correspondent Julien Laurens has written a new book called Kylian Mbappé: The Definitive Biography, which details the soccer star’s upbringing and path to becoming a sports prodigy. In today's episode, Laurens speaks with Here & Now's Scott Tong about how Mbappé has grown over his career and how – like many of our greatest athletes – he's "wired differently." To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Author Tana French on the best summer reading set in Ireland

  Jul 28, 2026 · 8:34

  In preparation for an upcoming trip to Ireland, All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly has been tearing through Tana French's books. French is the queen of Irish crime fiction and has authored the popular Dublin Murder Squad series, among other novels. In today’s episode, Kelly and French talk about traveling through fiction, how land ownership looms large in the Irish psyche and how French gives her fiction a sense of place. Then, the author shares her recommendations for summer reads set in Ireland. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Colson Whitehead on 'Cool Machine,' the final in his Harlem Trilogy series

  Jul 27, 2026 · 7:04

  Ray Carney is a furniture salesman in Harlem with a long-running side hustle. Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Trilogy follows the character as he descends into crime across decades in a rapidly changing New York. Cool Machine is the third and final book in that series. In today’s episode, Whitehead speaks with Weekend Edition’s Ayesha Rascoe about Carney as a divided soul. They also chat about gentrification in 1980s Harlem and how Whitehead brought his own version of New York into the world of the book. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• In 'The Great Wherever' and 'Country People,' city dwellers try out rural life

  Jul 24, 2026 · 20:40

  In two new novels, city folk are thrown into life in the country. The Great Wherever is a multigenerational story told through ghosts. A woman living in Washington, D.C. learns she’s inherited her father’s share of a family property, a piece of farmland in Tennessee. In today’s episode, author Shannon Sanders chats with Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon about ancestral hauntings. Then, Country People is about two academics who move from the Bay Area to a small town in Vermont. Author Daniel Mason spoke with Here & Now’s Robin Young about procrastination, Russian folktales and how we imagine rural America. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Deb Haaland on 'A Voice Like Mine' and her candidacy for governor of New Mexico

  Jul 23, 2026 · 7:40

  Deb Haaland’s ancestors, who were Pueblo Indians, were the first inhabitants of New Mexico – and she’s had a number of firsts herself. In 2018 she was one of the first two Native women elected to Congress, and then in 2021 she became the first Native American named as a cabinet secretary. Now, she’s running for governor of New Mexico. In today’s episode, she talks with Morning Edition’s A Martínez about her new memoir A Voice Like Mine, her candidacy for governor and how federal policy on natural resources has shifted under the Trump administration. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'The Delivery' is a horror novella about a family's mysterious AI assistant

  Jul 22, 2026 · 8:28

  After a couple suffers a tragedy, they receive a mysterious and exclusive offer for a humanoid AI companion that knows everything about them. At first, Mr. Man is a godsend for their home, but then it begins to anticipate the family’s every need, even their unspoken desires. In today’s episode, author Gregg Hurwitz joins Weekend Edition’s Ayesha Rascoe for a conversation about his horror novella The Delivery. The author also shares his views on how to keep AI in check. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy on why he "stays up at night" worrying about politics

  Jul 21, 2026 · 7:35

  Dave Portnoy, the polarizing social media personality and founder of Barstool Sports, has published a memoir. In Cancel Me If You Can, he writes about building a media empire – but also about his role as a political lightning rod. Portnoy spoke with Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep about his fallout with Call Her Daddy's Alex Cooper, his popularity among young men, and why he "stay[s] up at night" worrying about antisemitism and democratic socialism. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• In Celeste Ng’s new novel 'Our Missing Hearts,' a boy searches for his missing mother

  Jul 20, 2026 · 10:17

  Celeste Ng – author of titles like Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere – says she begins her writing process by envisioning an image, then investigating something she doesn’t understand. Her new novel Our Missing Hearts is set in a dystopian near-future where xenophobia and state oppression are norms. She joined Here & Now’s Robin Young in May for a conversation at the WBUR festival in Boston. They spoke about Ng’s childhood in her hometown near Pittsburgh, Pa. and how she incorporates real-life experiences of anti-Asian discrimination in her books. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'The Shampoo Effect,' 'The Revelation of Dionne Daphne' are marked by big surprises

  Jul 17, 2026 · 16:50

  In two new novels, characters with glamorous lives have their routines disrupted by shocking news. The Shampoo Effect is a story about an extremely close friend group living in a small seaside town. In today’s episode, author Jenny Jackson speaks with All Things Considered’s Juana Summers about how her characters’ tight-knit dynamic is disrupted by an outsider and a surprise pregnancy. Then, in The Revelation of Dionne Daphne, an ex-boyfriend pops up with news that stirs up past traumas. Author and TV producer Mara Brock Akil spoke with Morning Edition’s Michel Martin about writing her debut novel. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Mary Beard's 'Talking Classics' examines our obsession with the ancient world

  Jul 16, 2026 · 7:40

  Why are we obsessed with the ancient world, even the most ordinary parts of it? Mary Beard tackles that question in her new book Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old. Her personal interest in antiquity began with a 4,000 year-old piece of bread displayed at the British Museum. Now, she’s an academic who has spent her career studying ancient Greece and Rome. In today’s episode, Beard chats with NPR’s Scott Simon about how the Greeks and Romans were “brutal” but also "unfailingly interesting" – and how contemporary culture replicates aspects of the classical world. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Artist and activist Ai Weiwei on political censorship in the West

  Jul 15, 2026 · 11:47

  In 2008, artist and activist Ai Weiwei clashed with the Chinese government over its response to the deadly Sichuan earthquake. The government had censored information about the death toll, so Ai Weiwei launched a citizen’s investigation, knocking on doors and visiting villages to learn the names of the thousands of children who died. More recently, the artist has also become critical of political censorship in the United States. In today’s episode, he joins Here & Now’s Scott Tong for a conversation about his new book On Censorship, a critique of censorship under both democratic and authoritarian governments. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Mike Pence's 'What Conservatives Believe' critiques the second Trump administration

  Jul 14, 2026 · 7:26

  Former Vice President Mike Pence is out with a new book that includes critiques of the second Trump administration and the populist right. What Conservatives Believe, Pence says, was inspired in part by Barry Goldwater’s 1960 manifesto The Conscience of a Conservative, which helped define modern conservatism. In today’s episode, Pence speaks with Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep about political favoritism of companies, civil rights, and returning to the country’s “first principles.” To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Jonathan Jakubowicz says he wanted to write a book Venezuelans couldn't resist

  Jul 13, 2026 · 8:52

  Filmmaker Jonathan Jakubowicz says he turned to fiction because he could no longer make movies in Venezuela after being exiled. In 2016, he published the blockbuster hit The Adventures of Juan Planchard, a novel about a deeply flawed anti-hero who gets involved with a corrupt government regime. Jakubowicz says he wanted to show the reality of life under the late Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez. In today’s episode, the author joins NPR’s Scott Detrow for a conversation about the book, which has just been translated into English. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• 'Kin' and 'When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky' fictionalize the Jim Crow South

  Jul 10, 2026 · 18:58

  As we continue to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U.S., we’re revisiting author interviews on important books about American history. Today’s episode features two novels that fictionalize the Jim Crow South. Author Tayari Jones spoke with Weekend Edition’s Ayesha Rascoe about Kin, which follows two friends growing up in Honeysuckle, La. who must navigate the constraints on Black women in the 1960s. And Margaret Verble chatted with All Things Considered’s Ari Shapiro about When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky, the story of a Cherokee woman working as a horse-diver at a Nashville, Tenn. zoo. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

• Eddie Glaude on the tension at the center of America's milestone birthdays

  Jul 9, 2026 · 11:33

  As we continue to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U.S., we’re revisiting author interviews on important books about American history. In Eddie Glaude’s new book, the Princeton professor says the United States has a “double consciousness.” Glaude expands on a concept from W.E.B. Du Bois, arguing the country imagines itself at once as a beacon of freedom and as a white republic. In today’s episode, Glaude joins Here & Now’s Scott Tong for a conversation about America, U.S.A., which traces that contradiction as it has bubbled up across the country’s milestone birthdays. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy