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. —
   Edwidge Danticat

   In 'We're Alone,' Edwidge Danticat's essays extend an invitation to be together · Sep 2024

   0 votes

   Never again
2. —
   Eliza Reid

   We travel to Iceland with its first lady on International Women's Day · Mar 2022

   0 votes

   Never again
3. —
   Gene Luen Yang

   In a new graphic novel, romance flourishes during the Lunar New Year · Feb 2024

   0 votes

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4. —
   Glen Weldon

   Revisiting ‘Giovanni's Room’ · Nov 2025

   0 votes

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5. —
   Howard Bryant

   Two new books take on lesser-known chapters of WWII and Cold War-era Black history · Feb 2026

   0 votes

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6. —
   Joe Posnanski

   'Big Fan' investigates fandom from darts and football to Taylor Swift · Jun 2026

   0 votes

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7. —
   Jon Klassen

   Two children's books show the comfort kids can find in darkness · Jul 2023

   0 votes

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8. —
   Linda Holmes

   Books We’ve Loved: Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, a blueprint to the modern romance · 4 episodes

   0 votes

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9. —
   Mariko Tamaki
   0 votes

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10. —
    Nina Kraus

    From silence to cacophony, here's how your brain makes sense of the world · Oct 2021

    0 votes

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11. —
    Thomas Ricks

    'Waging a Good War' explains civil rights movement in military strategy terms · Oct 2022

    0 votes

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12. —
    Walter Mosley
    0 votes

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13. —
    Yasheng Huang

    'The Rise and Fall of the EAST' chronicles China's economic history · Mar 2024

    0 votes

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14. —
    Adam Rutherford

    'Control' chronicles the dark history of eugenics and its ongoing impact · Nov 2022

    0 votes

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15. —
    Camilla Pang

    NPR's Short Wave: 'An Outsider's Guide to Humans' · Dec 2021

    0 votes

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16. —
    Colette Shade

    A new book examines millennial nostalgia and the economic consequences of Y2K · Jan 2025

    0 votes

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17. —
    Elliot Ackerman

    '2054' is a political thriller about civil war, misinformation and AI · Mar 2024

    0 votes

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18. —
    Jonathan Eig

    'King: A Life' and 'A Day in the Life of Abed Salama' are Pulitzer Prize winners · 3 episodes

    0 votes

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19. —
    Jonathan Karl

    President Trump's final acts of 'Betrayal' · Jan 2022

    0 votes

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20. —
    Keyshawn Johnson

    'The Forgotten First' and 'Parcells: A Football Life' chronicle NFL history · 2 episodes

    0 votes

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21. —
    Matt Lewis

    'Filthy Rich Politicians' scrutinizes the wealth of elected officials · Aug 2023

    0 votes

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22. —
    Michael Cunningham
    0 votes

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23. —
    Michael Steinberger

    'The Philosopher in the Valley' paints an eccentric portrait of Palantir’s Alex Karp · Jan 2026

    0 votes

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24. —
    Paul Scharre

    Two books warn about the privacy implications of AI and neurotechnology · Mar 2023

    0 votes

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25. —
    Randall Munroe

    'What If? 2' is Randall Munroe's second round of answers to absurd questions · Oct 2022

    0 votes

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26. —
    Stacey Vanek Smith

    NPR's Wisdom From The Top: 'Machiavelli For Women' · Jan 2022

    0 votes

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27. —
    Stephen Greenblatt

    ‘Dark Renaissance’ historian on how Christopher Marlowe paved the way for Shakespeare · Sep 2025

    0 votes

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28. —
    Bob Crawford

    'America's Founding Son' documents John Quincy Adams' influential post-presidency · Jul 2026

    0 votes

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29. —
    Callan Wink

    In 'Beartooth,' brothers embark on an illicit journey into Yellowstone National Park · Mar 2025

    0 votes

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30. —
    Calvin Trillin
    0 votes

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31. —
    Claire Dederer

    'Monsters' examines fandom and how we consume art by morally compromised people · Aug 2023

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32. —
    Colin Kaepernick
    0 votes

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33. —
    Danyel Smith
    0 votes

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34. —
    Darryl McDaniels
    0 votes

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35. —
    De'Shawn Charles Winslow

    'Decent People' is a murder mystery grappling with race in the segregated South · 2 episodes

    0 votes

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36. —
    Deepti Kapoor

    Two novels take a closer look at class and gender in Indian society · Feb 2023

    0 votes

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37. —
    E.J. Koh

    'The Liberators' details the lives of Korean-Americans grappling with the war · Nov 2023

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38. —
    Emily Nemens

    'Clutch' follows a college friend group trying to maintain their bond in midlife · Feb 2026

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39. —
    Emma Cline

    In 'The Guest,' a sex worker wreaks havoc on the glitzy social scene at the Hamptons · May 2023

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40. —
    Garth Greenwell
    0 votes

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