Jeff and Rebecca talk about the National Book Award for Fiction longlist, a bunch of red states leaving the American Library Association, a teacher getting fired for teaching The Diary of Anne Frank, and Oprah's next surprising book club pick.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Book Riot’s editorial team is writing for casual and power readers alike over at The Deep Dive! During the month of September, all new free subscribers will be entered to win Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, plus 5 mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription to The Deep Dive. No payment method required!

Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Deep Dive shout-out: The Bestseller List is Broken
Texas teacher fired after reading aloud from graphic novel of Anne Frank’s diary
Red states cut ties with ALA
Reading IT’S PERFECTLY NORMAL
Project Gutenberg releases 5,000 public domain audiobooks w/ AI narration
Bidding opens Tues 9/26, in the Authors for Voices of Color auction to support WNDB
Oprah’s next pick is also 600+ pages long, and she’s only giving it a month
National Book Award Longlist
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Homer Was On One

Jeff and Rebecca talk about a bunch of recent reading, Drew Barrymore getting booted from the National Book Awards, and I guess that pretty much covers it.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Book Riot's editorial team is writing for casual and power readers alike over at The Deep Dive! During the month of September, all new free subscribers will be entered to win Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, plus 5 mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription to The Deep Dive. No payment method required!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Update: Pulitzer board amends citizenship requirements
Ongoing: More authors sue OpenAI
National Book Awards drops Drew Barrymore as host
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time For Bed

Jenn Northington joins Jeff to talk about book blurbs, book sales, and the fundamental tension of Goodreads.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Book Riot's editorial team is writing for casual and power readers alike over at The Deep Dive! During the month of September, all new free subscribers will be entered to win Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, plus 5 mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription to The Deep Dive. No payment method required!
Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
The Conundrum of Blurbs
Goodreads is Terrible for Books: Why Can’t We All Quit It?
Wait, how many copies do most books sell?
Dictionary.com adds 566 New Words for 2023 
Texas Judge Blocks Book Ban Law
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nexuses of Attention

Jeff and Rebecca talk early 2023 prize lists, Jeff's trip to the UK, recent reading, and more.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Book Riot's editorial team is writing for casual and power readers alike over at The Deep Dive! During the month of September, all new free subscribers will be entered to win Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, plus 5 mystery books from The Deep Dive. To enter, simply start a free subscription to The Deep Dive. No payment method required!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Discussed in this Episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Listener feedback re: The Book of Hov.
Kirkus Prize finalists
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
The Great White Bard by Farah Karim-Cooper
The Guest by Emma Cline
The Fraud by Zadie Smith
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do You Think the Books are Fine?

Jeff and Rebecca are out this week, wrapping up the last bits of summer vacation, so we are dropping Jeff's recent interview on First Edition with Josh Cook into the feed.
On the occasion of his new book, The Art of Libromancy: Selling Books and Reading Books in the 21st Century, Josh Cook of Porter Square books joins Jeff for a conversation about modern indie bookselling.
Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack.
Wanna escape the Dog Days of summer with purrfect book recommendations? Let Tailored Book Recommendations pick awesome books to keep you entertained. Touch grass, grab some lemonade, and enjoy TBR's picks.
Discussed in this episode:
Check out First Edition on Twitter, on Substack, and on Instagram.
And if you have a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, please and thank you!
Email First Edition at firstedition@bookriot.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Post: Modern Indie Bookselling with Josh Cook

Kelly Jensen joins Rebecca to discuss a bummer-fest of book banning news, some truly absurd behavior in Texas, and Jay-Z's partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Wanna escape the Dog Days of summer with purrfect book recommendations? Let Tailored Book Recommendations pick awesome books to keep you entertained. Touch grass, grab some lemonade, and enjoy TBR's picks.
Discussed in this Episode:
EveryLibrary and Book Riot Partner on Survey About Parent Perceptions of Public Libraries
Iowa School District Using ChatGPT to Identify Titles to Be Removed from Libraries
Anti-LGBTQ Texas School Board Member Caught Illegally Entering School Library
Kansas Newspaper Illegally Raided by Police
Jay-Z Partners with Brooklyn Public Library
Watch the trailer for Hulu's adaptation of The Other Black Girl
Subscribe to Kelly's Literary Activism newsletter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's All Connected

Rebecca and Vanessa talk about a trio of AI-related publishing shenanigans, the private equity firm that bought Simon & Schuster, and a cringey moment for the hockey romance community.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more drawn from our collective experience as power readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and bookish professionals? Subscribe to The Deep Dive, a biweekly newsletter featuring stories to inform and inspire readers, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox!
Links Discussed in the Episode
Big congrats to Kelly on a well-deserved commendation
Literary Activism Newsletter
Paramount agrees to sell S & S to private equity firm KKR
AI-generated travel books are the latest Amazon scam
Author fights Amazon to have AI books listed under name removed
AI fiction analytics site Prosecraft shut down after author backlash
This hockey romance BookTok stuff is wild
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Internet's Disappointed Mom

Jeff and Rebecca end up spending most of this episode talking about a new publishing company that is cutting influencers in on the action.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more drawn from our collective experience as power readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and bookish professionals? Subscribe to The Deep Dive, a biweekly newsletter featuring stories to inform and inspire readers, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission
Discussed in this episode:
A New Start-Up Proposes Influencer-Driven Publishing
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pass the Grudge Around

Jeff and Rebecca spend a long time talking about how the sheer quantity of books published is the central issue in book publishing. Plus, they hit a couple of quick news items and talk about recent reading.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more drawn from our collective experience as power readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and bookish professionals? Subscribe to The Deep Dive, a biweekly newsletter featuring stories to inform and inspire readers, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Shout-out to PW’s Disability Representation in Publishing features
Booksellers sue over Texas law requiring them to rate books for appropriateness 
Javier Zamora on why literary prizes should stop excluding non-citizens
Congrats to Libro.fm on their international launch!
BINC launches incubator for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ booksellers
GRRM says HBO deal is “suspended” and Winds of Winter is still in progress
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead
Strip Tees by Kate Flannery
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ninth in the Line of Cultural Currency

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the best-selling books of 2023, Obama's summer reading list, The Covenant of Water, and much more.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more drawn from our collective experience as power readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and bookish professionals? Subscribe to The Deep Dive, a biweekly newsletter featuring stories to inform and inspire readers, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Thanks to Charley Burlock for featuring us in this! 
Obama summer reading, babyyyyyyy
PW: Best-selling books of 2023 so far
Generational shift at PRH as iconic editors take buyout
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UPDATED: The Ladder of Pockets

Jeff and Rebecca talk recent book banning developments, why book awards need to change their calendars, recent reading, and more.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more drawn from our collective experience as power readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and bookish professionals? Subscribe to The Deep Dive, a biweekly newsletter featuring stories to inform and inspire readers, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox!

Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Sarah Silverman suing Meta & OpenAI over copyright infringement related to AI
Libby/Overdrive banned for users under 18 in Mississippi
Judge sides w/ Florida in challenge to rules about books in schools
Pennsylvania senator to propose banning book bans
Britney Spears memoir will be released 10/24
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beneficent Ben

Jeff and Rebecca talk about #booktwitter, do a little "book of the year" talk, wonder about how all-in Oprah is on THE COVENANT OF WATER, novelists suing OpenAI for copyright infringement, whether TikTok is really going to do this publishing thing in a serious way, and much more.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more drawn from our collective experience as power readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and bookish professionals? Subscribe to The Deep Dive, a biweekly newsletter featuring stories to inform and inspire readers, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
ByteDance prepares to launch publishing operation
Authors sue OpenAI for unlawfully “ingesting” their books
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Both Eyebrows Raised, But in Different Directions

Jeff and Rebecca talk Obama declaring once and for all (?) that he does read the books he says he does. Also, a discussion of the realities of author finances along with structural problems with Goodreads.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more drawn from our collective experience as power readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and bookish professionals? Subscribe to The Deep Dive, a biweekly newsletter featuring stories to inform and inspire readers, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Hasan Minhaj Asks Barack Obama Who Really Curates His End-of-Year Lists: ‘Look Me in the Eyes and Be Honest’ 
How to Lose a Third of a Million Dollars Without Really Trying
How Review-Bombing Can Tank a Book Before It’s Published
The Guest by Emma Cline
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You Are Your Own Lottery Ticket

Danika Ellis joins Jeff to talk about the last decade in LGBTQ+ books, Amazon's best books of the year so far, a recent essay about black women in publishing, and more.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more drawn from our collective experience as power readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and bookish professionals? Subscribe to The Deep Dive, a biweekly newsletter featuring stories to inform and inspire readers, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
The Lesbrary
Our Queerest Shelves
Despite Book Bans, LGBTQ+ Fiction Sales Soar
Amazon’s Best Books of the Year (So Far)
Shakeup at Indigo as almost half of company's board exits and chair Heather Reisman will also leave soon
Black Women Are Being Erased in Book Publishing
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unsocial Situations

Jeff and Kelly Jensen note the passing of two literary legends, ponder a strange pulling of a major novel, go deep on book banning legislation, and note the difficulty of paying bookstore workers a living wage, and more.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more drawn from our collective experience as power readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and bookish professionals? Subscribe to The Deep Dive, a biweekly newsletter featuring stories to inform and inspire readers, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Cormac McCarthy 
Robert Gottlieb
Liz Gilbert Pulls The Snow Forest
New Library Legislation in Texas and Illinois
Bookstore Pay Survey
Changes at The New York Times Book Review
Norton Celebrates 100 Years
Reuters Digital News Report
Burn It Down by Maureen Ryan
Conspirituality by Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, and Julian Walker
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We Used to Have Fun

Jeff and Rebecca talk about a school in Utah banning the Bible, a book-banning organization officially being labeled an extremist group by the SPLC, a new federal position addressing book banning, B&N's Books of the Year (so far), and report in on recent reading.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more drawn from our collective experience as power readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and bookish professionals? Subscribe to The Deep Dive, a biweekly newsletter featuring stories to inform and inspire readers, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Barnes & Noble’s best books of the year so far
Utah school district removes the Bible from elementary & middle schools
SPLC labels Moms for Liberty extremist, anti-government
Biden to name Dept of Ed coordinator to address book bans
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
The Good Enough Job by Simone Stolzoff
Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shorten That Funnel, Baby

Jeff and Rebecca talk about 2022's book sales, The Ripped Bodice branching out, audiobooks keep growing, an interesting new trailer, recent reading, and much more.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
Looking for fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more drawn from our collective experience as power readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and bookish professionals? Subscribe to The Deep Dive, a biweekly newsletter featuring stories to inform and inspire readers, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
2022 book sales down 2.6% from 2021 
But the audiobook market keeps growing
Librarians sue Arkansas state over book banning law
The Color Purple trailer
The Ripped Bodice is opening a Brooklyn location
Wonder Boy
The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor
A Guide to Midwestern Conversation by Taylor Kay Phillips
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Little High Falutin'

Jeff and Rebecca are off for the Memorial Day weekend, but Jeff offers something to hold you over in the meantime, and something to check out on May 31.

Discussed in this episode:
First Edition
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May I Suggest?

Jeff and Rebecca follow up on THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR and the mystery non-fiction title, get into an LLM marketing to help write novels, PRH and PEN sue Florida, and unexpected adaptation news.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!

Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Sudowrite
PEN American & PRH sue Florida school district over book bans
Taika Waititi to direct Klara and the Sun adaptation
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It All Sounds Dirty

Kelly Jensen joins Jeff to talk about two very weird publishing stories and then a long discussion about book banning and new legislation attempting to combat it.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher.
For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Discussed in this episode:
First Edition!
First Edition on Twitter. First Edition on Instagram. The First Edition (free) Substack.
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
An Interview With the Author Whose Novel Is Rocketing up the Amazon Charts Thanks to a Tweet From Someone Called “Bigolas Dickolas”
Right To Read Bills
Taylor Swift Rumor Fuels Pre-Orders of Untitled Non-Fiction Book
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get Started

Download the App