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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.
NPR's Book of the Day

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NPR's Book of the Day

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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.

Most Recent Episodes

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

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

Patti Smith and Kevin Nealon are both stars for very different reasons; one is a punk legend, the other a standup comedian and SNL alum. But they have something important in common – they both find inspiration in creating visual projects. In today's episode, NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Smith about her new photography collection, A Book of Days, and what she describes as the "sacred atmosphere of the polaroid." Then, Here & Now's Celeste Headlee sits down with Nealon to discuss his book of celebrity caricatures, I Exaggerate, and what it takes to perfectly capture a beloved character.

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

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'We Deserve Monuments' highlights a queer, Black love story amidst a family mystery
Roaring Brook Press

'We Deserve Monuments' highlights a queer, Black love story amidst a family mystery

In Jas Hammonds' YA novel, We Deserve Monuments, high school senior Avery is faced with moving from Washington, D.C. to her mom's small hometown in Georgia to be closer to Mama Letty, her aging grandma. But as she grapples with her new surroundings and with a dark, family secret, she also falls in love with the girl next door. In this episode, Hammonds talks to NPR's Juana Summers about the themes of family and identity in their debut book – and why they kind of think of it as "Gilmore Girls, but make it Black and gay."

'We Deserve Monuments' highlights a queer, Black love story amidst a family mystery

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'The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions' traces the path to higher education

Timothy Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown are college admissions experts, so they know how confusing and overwhelming the higher education system can be. That's especially true for Black students, which is why their new book offers a guide for how to think about application timelines, exposure to schools, and financial aid opportunities. In this episode, they explain to Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd why there are specific challenges pertaining to Black students, and why it's important for everyone – parents, guidance counselors, high schoolers – to be better informed about the process.

'The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions' traces the path to higher education

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'The Light Pirate' depicts a dystopian Florida amidst climate catastrophes
Grand Central Publishing

'The Light Pirate' depicts a dystopian Florida amidst climate catastrophes

Climate displacement is already a reality. In Lily Brooks-Dalton's new novel The Light Pirate, which takes place in a near future, a family chooses to stay in a Florida town hit by a severe hurricane. As the state collapses, the people who live there must forge their own path forward. In today's episode, Brooks-Dalton speaks with NPR's Sarah McCammon about the compromises made between nature and civilization, and how the decision to rebuild weighs on those left behind.

'The Light Pirate' depicts a dystopian Florida amidst climate catastrophes

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'Three Girls From Bronzeville' is a memoir about identity, opportunity and solidarity
Simon & Schuster

'Three Girls From Bronzeville' is a memoir about identity, opportunity and solidarity

Journalist Dawn Turner grew up in Chicago's historic Bronzeville neighborhood in the '70s. Her memoir chronicles the dreams shared between her younger sister, her best friend and herself – and the disparities that Black girls experience in the quest for their own American Dream. In today's episode, Turner opens up to Here & Now's Celeste Headlee about where her path diverged from those of her friend and sister, and how transcendence looks different for everyone.

'Three Girls From Bronzeville' is a memoir about identity, opportunity and solidarity

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

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Simon & Schuster

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

It's the most wonderful time of the year – NPR's annual Books We Love! On today's episode, our host Andrew Limbong sits down with All Things Considered host Juana Summers to discuss some of the titles on this year's roundup, which includes more than 400 recommendations. Then, Here & Now's Robin Young speaks with the author of one of the most popular books on the list: Jennette McCurdy. She opens up about her memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, which reckons with her childhood as a Nickelodeon star in an abusive household.

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

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'All This Could Be Different' grapples with the beautiful chaos of post-college life
Viking

'All This Could Be Different' grapples with the beautiful chaos of post-college life

Sarah Thankam Mathews' debut novel takes place after the 2009 recession. The lead character, Sneha, just graduated college. Alone in the U.S. after her parents' unfair deportation back to India, she builds community through the friendships and lesbian relationships of her early 20s. In this episode, Mathews explains to Here & Now's Robin Young how her own experience with mutual aid work led her to write about seeking support and solidarity, and why she wanted to break out of the stereotypical narratives around Indian-American identity.

'All This Could Be Different' grapples with the beautiful chaos of post-college life

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In 'So Help Me God,' Mike Pence considers how his faith shapes his politics
Simon & Schuster

In 'So Help Me God,' Mike Pence considers how his faith shapes his politics

Former Vice President Mike Pence says he's been demeaned and misunderstood for his evangelical Christian values. In his new book, So Help Me God, he dives into how his religious views impact his personal life and his political ambitions, and why he feels he's experienced judgment as a result of both. In this episode, NPR's Steve Inskeep asks Pence about how the religious freedom legislation he championed can be seen as discriminatory towards LGBTQ communities, and how hostility and intolerance can be felt from different perspectives.

In 'So Help Me God,' Mike Pence considers how his faith shapes his politics

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In 'They're Going to Love You,' a dancer's secret unravels lessons about forgiveness
Doubleday

In 'They're Going to Love You,' a dancer's secret unravels lessons about forgiveness

Author and former dancer Meg Howrey knows about the world of ballet. It's at the center of her new novel, They're Going to Love You, which finds an adult choreographer reflecting on her childhood relationship with her estranged father and her father's partner. In this episode, Howrey talks to NPR's Scott Simon about becoming a writer and honing in on the power that ambition, forgiveness and the passing of time can hold.

In 'They're Going to Love You,' a dancer's secret unravels lessons about forgiveness

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'How to Stand Up to a Dictator' dissects how disinformation can kill democracies
Harper

'How to Stand Up to a Dictator' dissects how disinformation can kill democracies

Journalist and Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa thinks the world is facing a sort of World War III – especially as it relates to information. Her new book, How to Stand Up to a Dictator, details the relationship between trust, truth and democracy, and how social media's pull to inflammatory falsehoods can threaten that delicate balance. In this episode, she tells NPR's Scott Simon how the Philippines have become "a testing ground for attacks against America," and how investigative reporting on the matter is worth the risks it poses.

'How to Stand Up to a Dictator' dissects how disinformation can kill democracies

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