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NPR's Book of the Day

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.Copyright 2021 NPR - For Personal Use Only Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Revisiting Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’

    Revisiting Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’
    Dec 6 2025
    Frank Herbert’s 1965 epic Dune was once the domain of sci-fi diehards. But in recent years, the book has crossed over into the mainstream. In today’s Books We’ve Loved, Andrew Limbong and B.A. Parker are joined by Throughline’s Ramtin Arablouei, who makes a personal case for the story’s appeal – despite its density. Then, special guest, author Pierce Brown, shares whether he thinks Dune has reached Star Wars levels of cultural saturation.


    Ramtin’s Recommendation: ‘Rendezvous with Rama’ by Arthur C. Clarke

    Parker’s Recommendation: ‘The Left Hand of Darkness’ by Ursula K. Le Guin

    Andrew’s Recommendation: ‘Saga’ by Brian K. Vaughn


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    37 mins
  • In new novels, marriages are tested by a last request and a moment in the spotlight

    In new novels, marriages are tested by a last request and a moment in the spotlight
    Dec 5 2025
    In two new novels, marriages are tested by unusual circumstances. First, in Ann Packer’s Some Bright Nowhere, a woman dying of cancer makes a big ask of her husband. In today’s episode, Packer speaks with NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly about the uncertainty of illness and what writers do between books. Then, Craig Thomas, the co-creator of How I Met Your Mother, is out with a novel. In today’s episode, he tells NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer about That’s Not How It Happened, in which a feel-good movie threatens to destroy the family who inspired it.


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    18 mins
  • Abby Phillip’s 'A Dream Deferred' chronicles Jesse Jackson’s rise to political esteem

    Abby Phillip’s 'A Dream Deferred' chronicles Jesse Jackson’s rise to political esteem
    Dec 4 2025
    Rev. Jesse Jackson is well-known as an icon of the American Civil Rights Movement, a protégé of Martin Luther King Jr., and a steadfast activist — but he has quite a past in electoral politics, too. A Dream Deferred charts Jackson’s rise to political prominence during his 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns, as the first major Black candidate for U.S. president. In today’s episode, author and CNN anchor Abby Phillip talks with NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe about her debut biography, and how Jackson himself approached politics and activism with separate mindsets.

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    8 mins
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brilliant! beautifully written and narrated.
I was transported back to Italy in the exquisite descriptions of villages, pensions and characters.

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