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 – 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. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Book of the Day.

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Every guest on NPR's Book of the Day

1338 guests, ranked by how many people never want them back.

1. —
   Etymology Nerd

   ‘Algospeak’ looks at algorithms' transformative impact on how we speak on and offline · Aug 2025

   0 votes

   Never again
2. —
   JD Vance

   Revisiting J.D. Vance's memoir, 'Hillbilly Elegy' · Jul 2024

   0 votes

   Never again
3. —
   Gloria Steinem
   0 votes

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4. —
   Carson Ellis
   0 votes

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5. —
   Walter Isaacson

   What it's like to write the biographies of Elon Musk and Sam Bankman-Fried · Nov 2023

   0 votes

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6. —
   Jonathan Haidt

   'The Anxious Generation' analyzes the harmful effects of growing up online · Apr 2024

   0 votes

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7. —
   James Kimmel Jr

   In 'The Science of Revenge,' an expert explains why humans are hardwired for payback · Jun 2025

   0 votes

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8. —
   Nate Silver

   In 'On the Edge,' Nate Silver analyzes professional risk-takers · Aug 2024

   0 votes

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9. —
   Jamil Zaki

   'Hope for Cynics' and 'On Freedom' ask big-picture questions about how we live · Oct 2024

   0 votes

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10. —
    Hannah Ritchie

    'Not the End of the World' takes a solutions-based approach to climate change · Feb 2024

    0 votes

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11. —
    Valerie Fridland
    0 votes

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12. —
    Nina Jankowicz

    'How to Be a Woman Online' tackles online harassment against women · Apr 2022

    0 votes

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13. —
    Gillian Anderson

    In the new book 'Want,' Gillian Anderson collects other women's sexual fantasies · Sep 2024

    0 votes

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14. —
    Trevor Noah

    In new children's books from Trevor Noah and Travis Jonker, adventure is not far off · Oct 2024

    0 votes

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15. —
    Jordan Peele

    Jordan Peele curates a new Black horror story collection 'Out There Screaming' · Dec 2023

    0 votes

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16. —
    Michael Lewis
    0 votes

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17. —
    José Andrés

    In 'The World Central Kitchen Cookbook,' José Andrés collects recipes with impact · Dec 2023

    0 votes

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18. —
    Kamala Harris

    A look back at Vice President Kamala Harris' memoir, 'The Truths We Hold' · Jul 2024

    0 votes

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19. —
    Al Pacino

    Al Pacino's memoir 'Sonny Boy' is a story of adventure, starting in the South Bronx · Oct 2024

    0 votes

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20. —
    Moshe Kasher
    0 votes

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21. —
    Blitz Bazawule

    'The Scent of Burnt Flowers' uses fiction to explore a real, historical event · Aug 2022

    0 votes

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22. —
    Jennette McCurdy

    NPR recommends our favorite books of 2022, including Jennette McCurdy's memoir · Dec 2022

    0 votes

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23. —
    Sarah Polley

    Lights, camera, method acting! · Mar 2022

    0 votes

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24. —
    Simu Liu

    Exploring immigration through a common experience: feeling like an outsider · 2 episodes

    0 votes

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25. —
    Bob Spitz

    New biographies recount how The Rolling Stones and Soundgarden changed rock music · Jun 2026

    0 votes

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26. —
    Patti Smith

    Patti Smith's photography and Kevin Nealon's caricatures offer a new perspective · Dec 2022

    0 votes

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27. —
    Janelle Monáe

    A queer, Afrofuturistic world in 'The Memory Librarian' · Apr 2022

    0 votes

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28. —
    Rita Moreno

    We look at Hollywood legend Rita Moreno's career after the Oscars · Mar 2022

    0 votes

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29. —
    Kevin Nealon
    0 votes

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30. —
    Dan Pashman

    'Anything's Pastable' and 'My Life in Recipes' explore viral pasta and family history · Sep 2024

    0 votes

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31. —
    Chuck Klosterman

    'Football' and 'Everybody Loses' examine changes to America’s most popular sport · Feb 2026

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32. —
    Norman Lear

    Norman Lear's memoir recalls a life and career that shaped American television · Dec 2023

    0 votes

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33. —
    Celeste Ng

    In Celeste Ng’s new novel 'Our Missing Hearts,' a boy searches for his missing mother · 2 episodes

    0 votes

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34. —
    Suleika Jaouad

    Keeping yourself afloat in 'Between Two Kingdoms' · Dec 2021

    0 votes

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35. —
    A.M. Homes

    'The Unfolding' examines values of old, wealthy Republicans after Obama's election · Sep 2022

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36. —
    Jason Reynolds

    ‘Long Way Down’ and ‘The Hate U Give’ are modern classics about gun violence · 4 episodes

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37. —
    Anand Giridharadas

    'The Persuaders' finds power in bridging the political divide · Nov 2022

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38. —
    Peter Mendelsund

    In the new speculative novel 'Weepers,' mourning is outsourced to professionals · Jul 2025

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39. —
    Michael Eric Dyson

    'Represent' charts the United States' long struggle for the right to vote · Sep 2024

    0 votes

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40. —
    Bridget Read

    'Little Bosses Everywhere' looks into the Wild West of multilevel marketing · May 2025

    0 votes

    Never again