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. —
   Priya Guns

   'Your Driver is Waiting' takes a modern spin on 'Taxi Driver' · Mar 2023

   0 votes

   Never again
2. —
   Quan Barry

   In 'The Unveiling,' a disastrous cruise becomes an opportunity for cultural reckoning · Dec 2025

   0 votes

   Never again
3. —
   R. Eric Thomas

   Revisiting ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ · Nov 2025

   0 votes

   Never again
4. —
   Rachel Eve Moulton
   0 votes

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5. —
   Rachel Harrison

   'Black Sheep' and 'This Wretched Valley' use horror to question morality · Jan 2024

   0 votes

   Never again
6. —
   Rachel Knox

   'Anywhere Else' is a book of essays about a love-hate relationship with Florida · Apr 2026

   0 votes

   Never again
7. —
   Rachel Zimmerman

   'Us, After' and 'A Haunted Girl' tackle mental health · Aug 2024

   0 votes

   Never again
8. —
   Rae Meadows

   In 'Winterland,' a Soviet Union gymnast navigates a grueling responsibility · Jan 2023

   0 votes

   Never again
9. —
   Rafael López
   0 votes

   Never again
10. —
    Rainbow Rowell

    'Cherry Baby' holds a mirror to its main character - and to the GLP-1 industry itself · May 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
11. —
    Ramtin Arablouei

    Revisiting Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ · Dec 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
12. —
    Raquel Willis

    Raquel Willis reflects on her journey in Black trans rights activism in new memoir · Dec 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
13. —
    Raul Palma

    In 'A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens,' debt takes on many meanings · Jan 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
14. —
    Rebecca Armitage

    'The Heir Apparent' asks existential questions about Britain and its beloved crown · Dec 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
15. —
    Rebecca Boggs Roberts

    A new biography of first lady Edith Wilson examines her political influence · Mar 2023

    0 votes

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16. —
    Rebecca Caprara
    0 votes

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17. —
    Rebecca Kunz
    0 votes

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18. —
    Regina Goodwin

    'Built from the Fire' traces the impact of the Tulsa Race Massacre · Jun 2023

    0 votes

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19. —
    Renee Dudley

    'The Ransomware Hunting Team' tracks the rise of cybercrime and the fight to solve it · Feb 2023

    0 votes

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20. —
    Rich Benjamin

    In 'Talk to Me,' the grandson of a former Haitian president uncovers family secrets · Feb 2025

    0 votes

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21. —
    Richard Bienstock

    A new oral history of Lollapalooza recalls the alt-rock music festival's wildest days · Apr 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
22. —
    Rob Roth

    'WARHOLCAPOTE' is a window into the relationship between two great, tortured minds · Oct 2022

    0 votes

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23. —
    Robert Littell

    'Bronshtein in the Bronx' is a fictional account of Leon Trotsky's New York exile · Feb 2025

    0 votes

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24. —
    Robin Givhan
    0 votes

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25. —
    Robyn Royle
    0 votes

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26. —
    Ron Shelton
    0 votes

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27. —
    Rose Previte

    Rose Previte, of Michelin star restaurant Maydān, releases her debut cookbook · Dec 2023

    0 votes

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28. —
    Rosie Storey

    A woman takes over her dead sister’s dating profile in 'Dandelion is Dead' · Feb 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
29. —
    Rossi Anastopoulo

    In 'Sweet Land of Liberty,' pie recipes show how American values transform over time · Nov 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
30. —
    Ruby Bridges

    Ruby Bridges recounts civil rights history through kid's eyes in new children's book · Sep 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
31. —
    Rufaro Faith Mazarura

    Rufaro Faith Mazarura's 'Let the Games Begin' is a rom-com set in the Olympic village · Aug 2024

    0 votes

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32. —
    Ruth Franklin

    Shirley Jackson’s biographer on the writer’s ability to find evil in the ordinary · Oct 2025

    0 votes

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33. —
    Ruthie Ackerman
    0 votes

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34. —
    Sadeqa Johnson

    Author was struck by story of mixed-race orphans behind 'Keeper of Lost Children' · 2 episodes

    0 votes

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35. —
    Sadie Dingfelder

    In 'Do I Know You?,' a science reporter tackles her own face blindness · Jul 2024

    0 votes

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36. —
    Sally Rooney

    Looking back at 'Normal People,' before Sally Rooney’s rise to fame · Jan 2026

    0 votes

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37. —
    Sam Holleran
    0 votes

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38. —
    Sam Wachman

    In ‘The Sunflower Boys,’ a 12-year-old boy comes of age during war in Ukraine · Sep 2025

    0 votes

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39. —
    Sami Tamimi

    Cookbooks 'House of Nanking' and 'Boustany' honor rich family legacies through food · Oct 2025

    0 votes

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40. —
    Sandra Newman

    'Julia' revisits George Orwell's '1984,' from a new point of view · Feb 2024

    0 votes

    Never again