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. —
   Roy Choi
   0 votes

   Never again
2. —
   Alexi Pappas

   Alexi Pappas and Glennon Doyle want you to know it's ok to not be ok · Dec 2021

   0 votes

   Never again
3. —
   George Saunders

   George Saunders' 'Vigil' is a ghostly novel about an oil tycoon in his final hours · Feb 2026

   0 votes

   Never again
4. —
   Sanjay Gupta

   Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks to a future living with COVID in 'World War C' · Nov 2021

   0 votes

   Never again
5. —
   Hillary Clinton

   Why Hillary Clinton wanted to write a political thriller about her greatest nightmare · Oct 2021

   0 votes

   Never again
6. —
   Isabel Wilkerson

   Isabel Wilkerson argues that 'Caste,' not racism caused The Great Migration · 2 episodes

   0 votes

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7. —
   Bob Woodward

   Bob Woodward's new book 'War' invites readers into a world of back-channel diplomacy · Nov 2024

   0 votes

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8. —
   Glennon Doyle
   0 votes

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9. —
   Rainn Wilson

   In 'Soul Boom,' Rainn Wilson calls for a spiritual revolution · 2 episodes

   0 votes

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10. —
    Kelsey McKinney

    'You Didn't Hear This From Me' is Kelsey McKinney's gossip bible · Mar 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
11. —
    Rachel Khong

    Rachel Khong's new novel explores who gets to be 'Real Americans' · May 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
12. —
    Alexis Okeowo

    Alexis Okeowo’s ‘Blessings and Disasters’ is an ode to Alabama’s complicated history · Aug 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
13. —
    Arsenio Hall
    0 votes

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14. —
    Clint Smith
    0 votes

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15. —
    David Wallace-Wells

    Author David Wallace-Wells outlines the biggest climate change misunderstandings · Dec 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
16. —
    Elif Batuman

    A quest for knowledge in Elif Batuman's sequel to 'The Idiot' · May 2022

    0 votes

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17. —
    Evan Osnos

    Evan Osnos' 'The Haves and Have-Yachts' is a book of essays about the new Gilded Age · Jun 2025

    0 votes

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18. —
    Geoff Bennett

    Geoff Bennett on the history of Black comedy from vaudeville to sitcoms · Mar 2026

    0 votes

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19. —
    Hanif Abdurraqib

    Hanif Abdurraqib's new book ponders LeBron James, growing up and going home · 2 episodes

    0 votes

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20. —
    Jamie Loftus

    Jamie Loftus' 'Raw Dog' investigates the social and culinary history of the hot dog · Nov 2023

    0 votes

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21. —
    Jeff Kinney

    Jeff Kinney on his iconic, now 20-book 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' series · Dec 2025

    0 votes

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22. —
    Jodi Kantor

    Journalist Jodi Kantor and happiness expert Arthur Brooks on how to find purpose · 2 episodes

    0 votes

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23. —
    John Grisham

    John Grisham brings a money-hungry lawyer to center stage in 'The Widow' · 2 episodes

    0 votes

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24. —
    John Seabrook
    0 votes

    Never again
25. —
    Michelle Obama

    Michelle Obama talks marriage, motherhood and 'going high' in 'The Light We Carry' · Nov 2022

    0 votes

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26. —
    Mitchell S. Jackson

    In 'Fly,' Mitchell S. Jackson looks back over the history of fashion in the NBA · Sep 2023

    0 votes

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27. —
    Nikole Hannah-Jones

    Nikole Hannah Jones and Adam Rubin work to make kids' books more approachable · 2 episodes

    0 votes

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28. —
    Patricia Lockwood

    For her latest novel, Patricia Lockwood says she wanted to write about confusion · Oct 2025

    0 votes

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29. —
    Peter Hessler

    In 'Other Rivers,' Peter Hessler chronicles his return to Chinese classrooms · Jul 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
30. —
    Reginald Dwayne Betts

    'Redaction' examines criminal justice via portraits, poems written from legal papers · Apr 2023

    0 votes

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31. —
    Sloane Crosley

    'Grief Is for People' is Sloane Crosley's memoir about losing a close friend · Apr 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
32. —
    Sudhir Venkatesh

    'The Tomorrow Game' is Sudhir Venkatesh's chronicle of violence in South Side Chicago · Jul 2022

    0 votes

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33. —
    Susan Casey

    For Earth Day, Susan Casey dives into 'The Underworld' of the deep ocean · Apr 2024

    0 votes

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34. —
    Tara Westover

    Author Tara Westover says we need to consider how people have been 'Educated' · Feb 2022

    0 votes

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35. —
    Werner Herzog

    Werner Herzog's 'The Twilight World' is inspired by a WWII Japanese holdout officer · Jul 2022

    0 votes

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36. —
    Abraham Verghese

    In 'The Covenant of Water,' Abraham Verghese traces an Indian family's drowning curse · 2 episodes

    0 votes

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37. —
    John Green

    In 'Everything Is Tuberculosis,' John Green turns his attention to a deadly disease · Apr 2025

    0 votes

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38. —
    Kate Marvel

    In ‘Human Nature,’ Kate Marvel bridges the gap between climate science and emotions · Aug 2025

    0 votes

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39. —
    Mark Lilla

    Mark Lilla's new book explores the psychology and consequences of willful ignorance · Jan 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
40. —
    Timothy Snyder

    Putin's use of Nazi rhetoric is not new according to historian Timothy Snyder · Mar 2022

    0 votes

    Never again