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NPR's Book of the Day: Daily Summaries Delivered
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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.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 days ago20 min
Fantasy writers Madeline Miller and Susanna Clarke on their new short stories
Two big names in fantasy are out with new, long-ish short stories. Madeline Miller made waves for her feminist portrayal of the Greek goddess Circe. Now, her novella “Mestra” takes on the shape-shifting daughter of the King of Thessaly. In today’s episode, Miller speaks with Here & Now’s Robin Young about writing with long Covid and how the author sees metamorphosis as a form of escapism. Then, Susanna Clarke talks with Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon about The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City, an illustrated story that takes place in the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
- 3 days ago10 min
Journalist Emily Feng on how Uyghur militants took up arms in Syria's civil war
In Our Hearts Burned for Home: Uyghur Militants in Syria's Civil War, NPR’s Emily Feng traces the paths of Uyghur fighters’ from escaping the Chinese communist party to fighting the civil war in Syria against the Assad regime. At the heart of the book, and her reporting, Feng tries to answer how the Uyghur fighters became who they are and why they embraced this violent ideology. Here & Now's Scott Tong discussed the new book with Feng, who is an NPR White House reporter and former China correspondent.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
- 4 days ago7 min
English actress Judi Dench pulls back the curtain about life on stage
Dame Judi Dench made her debut as Ophelia in Hamlet with the Old Vic Company in 1957, and she’s since won an Oscar, BAFTA Awards, Olivier Awards and Golden Globes. She played Queen Victoria in Shakespeare in Love and M in the James Bond franchise. Now, along with co-author Brendan O'Hea, she’s added a memoir to her repertoire: Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It? Dench and O'Hea joined Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon to talk about her career, prankster reputation on set, and what makes theater so enduring. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
- 5 days ago8 min
'Who? Weekly' hosts Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger unpack modern fame in new book
Who? Weekly podcast hosts Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger assert in their new book I Want to Be Famous that classic celebrityhood – made up of A, B and C-listers – is over. In the wake of ever-changing definitions of fame, influencing and celebrity, they propose a who-versus-them binary, split into the people most of us have to ask “Who is that?” when they come up in conversation versus the ones where most people would say “Oh, I know them.” Weekend Edition’s Ayesha Rascoe talks with Weber and Finger about modern-day fame, celebrity scandals and the money that drives it all. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
- 6 days ago8 min
Author Deesha Philyaw says she's still 'obsessed' with the church in her fiction
Deesha Philyaw, who grew up going to church, says you can leave religion behind but “the pastor and your mama are still in your bedroom.” That premise informs her new novel The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman, which centers on Scharisse, a megachurch pastor’s wife who receives an invitation to compete in an exclusive pageant. But when a scandal breaks out, Schar’s carefully crafted image is challenged. In today’s episode, Philyaw joins All Things Considered’s Juana Summers for a conversation about womanhood, identity and freedom in the Black church.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
- 1 weeks ago27 min
A follow-up 15 years in the making: Chad Harbach on 'The Brightness'
It’s been 15 years since Chad Harbach published The Art of Fielding, a book about a star college baseball player at a fictional Wisconsin liberal arts college. His new book The Brightness isn’t quite a sequel, but a follow-up that returns to that same world. The novel focuses on a group of young women who execute a controversial prank on campus. NPR’s Andrew Limbong spoke with Harbach about writing a campus novel that predates Covid, Trump’s presidency and TikTok, the author’s experience being “scooped by reality” and why he chose to focus this project on female friendship.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
- 1 weeks ago7 min
'Redemption' is a story of sisterhood between nuns and women on Texas' death row
Lawrence Wright’s new book Redemption is a story about two groups of women who live surprisingly similar lives. One is on death row in Gatesville, Texas. The other group is a nearby Catholic order, the Sisters of Mary Morning Star. Redemption: Faith, Justice, and Sisterhood on Death Row is an account of their alliance. In today’s episode, Wright speaks with Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep about the idea of second chances, the likeness betwSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
- 1 weeks ago8 min
In 'Sophie, Standing There,' author Meg Mason explores finding connection in books
In Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason, Sophie Pattison’s life is falling apart. On paper, there shouldn’t be an issue: She works her dream job mic’ing up authors at a local book festival – and she has a robust support system. So why, when it all comes crashing down, does she feel so alone? Sophie turns to books for solace and develops a crush on her favorite author. In today’s episode, All Things Considered’s Mary Louise Kelly talks with Mason about starting over, a desire for human connection, and books as a means of coping with loneliness.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
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About 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.
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