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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 – we've got an author who will speak to you, all genres, mood and writing styles included. Catch today's great books in 15 minutes or less.
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New memoirs by Evan Gershkovich and Mahmoud Khalil chronicle political imprisonment
Today’s episode features memoirs by two men whose incarceration became international headlines. Evan Gershkovich is an American journalist who spent 16 months in a Russian prison. Two years after his release, his new memoir This Cursed Beau
Biography 'American Pope' follows Leo XIV's life from Chicago to Vatican City
In American Pope: Leo XIV’s Road from the South Side of Chicago to Vatican City, NPR host Scott Detrow and religion editor Daniel Burke chronicle Pope Leo XIV’s path to leading the Catholic Church as the first American to take the position
In 'Friends and Family,' a police encounter strains a friendship between two moms
Natalie Baszile’s new book, Friends and Family, follows the friendship of two mothers: Babs, a Black woman, and Nora, a white woman with an adopted Black son. When the police are called on their kids while they’re home alone, the two women
Kevin Roose on the quasi-religious pursuit of artificial general intelligence
Over the past few months, some industry insiders have warned that rogue AI could escape its human creators, resulting in dangerous – and perhaps existential – consequences. But in his new book, Kevin Roose reminds readers that billionaire t
'Lessons in Chemistry' author Bonnie Garmus on her new novel 'Peck & Peck'
Bonnie Garmus’ 2022 novel Lessons in Chemistry was a smash hit, selling more than 8 million copies worldwide. Her new novel Peck & Peck is set in the ‘80s and centers around Batter Gray, a young man who lands a job in the copy room of a pre
Two collections of horror stories modernize the genre
Spooky season is year-round, and so are our episodes about scary stories. First up, NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Jeanette Winterson about The Night Side of the River, a collection of ghost stories that weaves in the liminal spaces — Meta
Shirley Jackson's biographer on the writer's ability to find evil in the ordinary
With stories like “The Lottery” and The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson was one of the great horror authors of the 20th century. In 2012, Ruth Franklin wrote a biography of the writer called Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life. I
George Saunders' 'Vigil' is a ghostly novel about an oil tycoon in his final hours
In his latest novel, George Saunders continues to explore his interest in death and the afterlife. Vigil tells the story of an oil tycoon and climate change denier named K.J. Boone who’s visited by a series of ghosts in his final hours. In
Jordan Peele on his Black horror story collection 'Out There Screaming'
Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror is a collection of scary stories curated by horror filmmaker Jordan Peele. In today's episode, Peele speaks with NPR's Brittany Luse about the Black horror stories in this collection and
In 'The Eleventh Hour,' Salman Rushdie writes about morality, revenge and ghosts
Salman Rushdie lived for decades under a death sentence and survived a knife attack three years ago. His latest book The Eleventh Hour is his first work of fiction since that near-death experience. These short stories and novellas center ar
'Nickel and Dimed' and 'The Case for Quitting' reconsider our relationship to work
Today’s episode features two books – one classic and one new – that might lead you to reconsider your relationship to work. Nearly 25 years ago, journalist and activist Barbara Ehrenreich went undercover as a nursing aide, waitress, hotel m
Hernan Diaz on his new novel 'Ply' and understanding America through technology
Hernan Diaz’s new book, Ply, takes place in a future where institutions have fallen apart. It appears to be a book about systems and community, but turns out to be one about the self. Ply’s protagonist is a “pincher,” someone who steals ele
'Swan Song' sees Princess Diana through her brother’s eyes
Diana, Princess of Wales, died almost three decades ago, but her legacy and image persist in the public eye. Her brother, Charles Spencer, is out with a new book that paints a personal portrait of her. Swan Song is – in part – a deep dive i
Gov. Andy Beshear on how the midterms will help him weigh his presidential run
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is the author of a new book called Go And Do Likewise: How We Heal A Broken Country. Beshear is a rare Democratic leader in an otherwise majority Republican voting state – and has said he is weighing a preside
John Green on 'Hollywood, Ending,' his first novel for adults
John Green is known for his influential young adult fiction like Looking for Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down. His new book, Hollywood, Ending, is his first novel for adults. The story takes place during the ficti
Lois Lowry on 'Building 903,' 'The Giver' and relationships between the old and young
It’s been more than a decade since Lois Lowry has dealt with the end of the world. Her 1993 YA dystopian novel The Giver became a hugely popular middle school staple. She expanded that universe into a quartet of novels wrapping up with 2012
In 'Roll the Calls,' Hollywood's Ari Emanuel reflects on the art of agenting
Ari Emanuel is a powerful Hollywood agent who has represented clients including Oprah Winfrey, Martin Scorsese and Vince McMahon. Known for his brash approach to business, he was the model for the character Ari Gold on Entourage. In an inte
A conversation with Tomi Adeyemi on her new novel 'The Siren'
The author Tomi Adeyemi rose to fame with Children of Blood and Bone, the first novel in her popular young adult fantasy series based on the Yoruba religion. That book is the subject of a long-awaited Hollywood adaptation set to come out in
In 'History by a Hair,' DNA offers answers to an old question about Thomas Jefferson
For more than 200 years, one question about the nation's third president has lingered: Did Thomas Jefferson father children with Sally Hemings, a woman 30 years his junior whom he held in slavery? Richard Kurin, a scholar and ambassador-at-
'Pachinko' author Min Jin Lee says writing 'American Hagwon' transformed her
John and Helen Koh are a middle-class couple living in South Korea with. But when a financial crisis hits, they leave Seoul for Southern California and are faced with a new financial reality. There, they struggle to find a place for their c
A visit with Barbara Kingsolver: We talk 'Partita,' piano, aging and Appalachia
Before she won the Pulitzer for Demon Copperhead, Kingsolver wasn't sure her neighbors knew what she did for a living. Her new novel Partita, about a classical pianist, gets very personal. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for
'Profiles in Cowardice' argues leaders failed to push back against President Trump
John F. Kennedy once wrote a book called Profiles in Courage, which highlighted senators throughout history who made unpopular but politically brave decisions. Journalist Jacob Weisberg took inspiration from this premise, but his new book P
In 'Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel,' Lucy Foley continues Agatha Christie's legacy
The Grand Alpine Hotel is majestic, nestled high in the Swiss Alps with snow perfect for skiing. But one morning, a dead body is discovered in one of the gondolas on its first run – and before long, no one can get off the mountain. That's t
'Redwood' is a true tale of a KGB agent who offered to spy for Britain
Ben Macintyre is a master of espionage stories that are true. His latest project is based on a case study taught in MI6, the British foreign intelligence service. Redwood follows a KGB spy who offers valuable secrets to Britain while workin
'Taipei Story' is a more personal novel from 'Yellowface' author R.F. Kuang
R.F. Kuang, author of popular books like Yellowface and Babel, is out with a more personal novel. Taipei Story follows Lily Chin, a Chinese-American college student who travels to Taipei for a summer language intensive. While there, she str
'Tropesick' and 'Extracurricular' are romance novels that subvert genre expectations
Two new romance novels subvert expectations about the genre. In Tropesick, Katie and Tyler are old acquaintances who are reunited as writing partners. In today’s episode, author Lauren Okie chats with All Things Considered’s Juana Summers a
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on why he’s the 'worst possible spokesperson' for his own book
Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox is out with a new book – but he wants to clarify that he’s not running for president (often an assumption when politicians write books). Off Ramp: How To Be A Peacemaker In An Age Of Contempt is an extension
Emily St. John Mandel's 'Exit Party' opens in the wake of a second American Civil War
Emily St. John Mandel’s new novel opens in the first spring after the collapse of the United States – and her protagonist, Ari, is on her way to a party. Exit Party is set in a new world emerging out of the chaos of a second American Civil
'Grit' author Angela Duckworth on how changing your situation can lead to success
In her 2016 book Grit, University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth argued that willpower and determination were keys to success. A decade later, her new book signals a change of heart. In Situated, Duckworth says – while grit s
'Conclave' author Robert Harris is out with a fictional Roman Empire memoir
Conclave author Robert Harris has returned to Rome with a fictional memoir of Agrippa, a military genius and trusted ally of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus. In the memoir, the general doesn’t have much time left and is ready to divulge a
