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NPR's Book of the Day

NPR
NPR's Book of the Day
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1291 episodes

  • NPR's Book of the Day

    'Sex Diaries' author says people are becoming more empowered in their relationships

    05/08/2026 | 8 mins.
    Sex Diaries is a weekly column in New York Magazine, collected and edited by Alyssa Shelasky, that has featured headlines like “The Musician Ghosting His Dates” or “The Woman Cheating With Her Ex.” Now, Shelasky has compiled some of her favorite entries on non-monogamy into a new book with the same title. In today’s episode, the author speaks with All Things Considered’s Juana Summers about the mundane, non-sexual details in Sex Diaries entries and why Shelasky believes romantic relationships are headed in a more empowered direction.

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  • NPR's Book of the Day

    In 'I Made You Up Inside My Head,' the stories of three strangers become intertwined

    04/08/2026 | 8 mins.
    I Made You Up Inside My Head is Marta Pérez-Carbonell’s debut novel. In the book, three strangers have a surprise encounter on an overnight train. A woman named Alicia meets Terence and Mick. One of them is a writer at the center of a literary scandal, having ripped off the life of a man who has since gone missing – and Alicia gets pulled into their story. In today’s episode, Pérez-Carbonell and Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon discuss the novel’s multilayered nature and how the author approached the theme of isolation.

    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.

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  • NPR's Book of the Day

    Sen. Raphael Warnock argues that progressives should bring spirituality to politics

    03/08/2026 | 7 mins.
    Before Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat, became the state's junior U.S. senator, he was selected to serve as senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. His new book, The Crooked Places Made Straight: Reflections on the Moral Meaning of America, argues that democracy is "the political enactment of a spiritual idea." In today’s episode, Warnock talks to Morning Edition host Michel Martin about the relationship between faith and politics.

    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.

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  • NPR's Book of the Day

    Novels by Ben Reeves and Matt Haig look at life through the eyes of death (literally)

    31/07/2026 | 19 mins.
    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.

    Two new novels use death to shed new light on life, but these aren’t depressing reads. In Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt, the Grim Reaper gets a little too attached to the people he meets along the way. In today’s episode, author Ben Reeves speaks with All Things Considered’s Scott Detrow about publishing his debut novel after 20 years of writing. Then, Matt Haig, author of The Midnight Library, talks with Here & Now’s Indira Lakshmanan about his new book, The Midnight Train, about a man who boards a magical train that gives him a chance to review his past.

    To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday

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  • NPR's Book of the Day

    'The Friend' author Sigrid Nunez is out with a new collection of short stories

    30/07/2026 | 10 mins.
    Sigrid Nunez – author of novels like The Friend and What Are You Going Through – is out with a new collection of short stories. It Will Come Back to You features characters like a middle-age daughter coping with her mother’s memory loss, a Brad Pitt lookalike and a housekeeper working at a luxury hotel in Manhattan. In today’s episode, Nunez joins Here & Now’s Tiziana Dearing for a conversation about the familial relationships in the collection. The author also shares writing advice from Elizabeth Hardwick and Kurt Vonnegut.

    To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday

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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. 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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NPR's Book of the Day: Podcasts in Family
  • Podcast Throughline
    Throughline
    Documentary, History, Society & Culture
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    Fresh Air
    Arts, Books, Society & Culture, TV & Film