NPR's Book of the Day cover art

NPR's Book of the Day

NPR's Book of the Day

By: NPR
Listen for free

About this listen

 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.Copyright 2021 NPR - For Personal Use Only Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Cara Bastone's 'No Matter What' is a romance novel that begins with a separation

    Cara Bastone's 'No Matter What' is a romance novel that begins with a separation
    Mar 18 2026
    Cara Bastone says she wanted to write a book filled with miscommunications that couldn’t be solved with a quick conversation. In her novel No Matter What, Roz and Vin navigate a changing relationship after the couple endures a traumatic accident. In today’s episode, Bastone speaks with NPR’s Juana Summers about developing characters who look like “normal people,” writing her husband into her work, and why there are so many contemporary novels about separation and divorce.

    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

    To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy
    Show More Show Less
    9 mins
  • In 'The Mixed Marriage Project,' Dorothy Roberts works through her dad's archive

    In 'The Mixed Marriage Project,' Dorothy Roberts works through her dad's archive
    Mar 17 2026
    After the death of her father, sociologist and law professor Dorothy Roberts decided to sort through his boxes. What she found was an archive of notes related to his research on interracial marriage, which he saw as a means to dismantle white supremacy. Roberts’ new memoir The Mixed Marriage Project chronicles her confrontation with her father’s research – and her role in it; she herself was the product of her parents’ mixed marriage. In today’s episode, she speaks with NPR’s Michel Martin about this trove of interviews with interracial couples and Roberts’ questions about her own family history.

    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

    To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy
    Show More Show Less
    8 mins
  • 'The Correspondent' is an epistolary novel, but can letters tell the whole story?

    'The Correspondent' is an epistolary novel, but can letters tell the whole story?
    Mar 16 2026
    Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent became a runaway hit for its exploration of a life told through letters. When readers meet Sybil Van Antwerp she’s in her 70s, and she takes readers on a journey through her various correspondences — which include names as revered as Joan Didion and Ann Patchett. But Sybil isn’t telling us everything, and her clever prose might hide as much as it reveals. In today’s episode, author Virginia Evans joins Here and Now’s Robin Young to discuss the value of correspondence, and how the book’s success has changed the letter-writing industry itself.

    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

    To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy
    Show More Show Less
    12 mins
All stars
Most relevant
brilliant! beautifully written and narrated.
I was transported back to Italy in the exquisite descriptions of villages, pensions and characters.

Good

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.