Book Riot - The Podcast

Explore the stormy summer of 1816 at Lake Geneva that sparked a ghost-story contest among literary giants. Learn how Mary Shelley’s struggle with writer's block led her to envision Frankenstein after discussions on galvanism. Discover the captivating dynamics between Mary, Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and others that shaped this creation. Delve into the novel's anonymous beginnings and its profound impact, establishing it as a cornerstone of modern science fiction. A tale of ambition, romance, and literary legacy unfolds!

Prof. Laura McGrath joins Jeff and Rebecca to talk about what some studies can tell us about just how much readers care (and don't) about genre. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Laura's newsletter: TextCrunch English, James and J.D. Porter, "The Eclectic Reader." JCA: The Journal of Cultural Analytics. August 20, 2025 Peterson, Richard A. “Understanding Audience Segmentation: From Elite and Mass to Omnivore and Univore.” Poetics, vol. 21, no. 4, 1992, pp. 243–58 Check out Zero to Well-Read! Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sharifah Williams joins Jeff to talk about the 2025 Nobel for Literature, National Book Award finalists and more award season news. Then, Hachette CEO David Shelly talks to Jeff about book banning, inclusivity, and other issues facing the publishing world. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Check out Zero to Well-Read! Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature 2025 National Book Award Finalists Kirkus Prize Announced Baker & Taylor going away? The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson Audition by Katie Kitamura Near Flesh by Katherine Dunn This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A drop-in of the most recent episode of Zero to Well-Read, in which Jeff O'Neal and Rebecca Schinksy are joined by Book Riot editors Vanessa Diaz and Kelly Jensen to talk about Stephanie Meyer's cultural juggernaut: Twilight. This was a lot of fun. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Check out Zero to Well-Read! Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. Apply to write for Book Riot This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the opening of the portal to submit claims against the $1.5 Billion Anthropic settlement, Reading Rainbow's relaunch, One Battle After Another, and more of the week's book news. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Check out Zero to Well-Read! Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. Apply to write for Book Riot Authors can find out if they’re eligible for a settlement from Anthropic Reading Rainbow is coming back with a new host Publishing has a gambling problem Florida district judge rejects first amendment argument in book banning base Kamala Harris’s 107 Days on track to be best-selling memoir of the year 107 Days by Kamala Harris Midnight Timetable by Bora Chung Replaceable You by Mary Roach Enshittification by Cory Doctorow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca consider 10 candidates for the title, It Book of October 2025. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Check out Zero to Well-Read! Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers King Sorrow by Joe Hill The Land of Sweet Forever: Stories and Essays by Harper Lee A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar Enshittification by Cory Doctorow The Unveiling by Quan Barry Joyride by Susan Orlean Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon Dead and Alive: Essays by Zadie Smith Tom’s Crossing by Mark Danielewski This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca talk about The Booker Prize finalists, a judicial brow-beating, soft book sales, and more. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Ready for a cozy, bookish autumn? Let Tailored Book Recommendations help you find your next favorite read with handpicked suggestions from professional book nerds. Get started today from just $18! The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Check out Zero to Well-Read! Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. Booker Prize finalists Judge dismisses Trump’s lawsuit against NYT, PRH Book sales dropped in first half of 2025, romantasy losing steam The Fourth Wing adaptation has a showrunner Will There Ever Be Another You by Patricia Lockwood 107 Days by Kamala Harris Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we have for you an episode from the Brooklyn Public Library’s Borrowed & Returned podcast series, looking back on Ezra Jack Keats' trailblazing picture book and how it continues to resonate with readers. You can find Borrowed & Returned wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca talk about the week's book news, from Trump flimsy lawsuit against PRH and The New York Times (and why it matters, flimsy as it is), break down a couple of award lists, do some Jefftionary entries, and more. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Ready for a cozy, bookish autumn? Let Tailored Book Recommendations help you find your next favorite read with handpicked suggestions from professional book nerds. Get started today from just $18! The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Check out Zero to Well-Read! Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The National Book Awards fiction longlist is here Finalists for the 2025 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize Trump sues NYT and PRH  How “actual malice” works in defamation Scholastic launches streaming service Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arudhati Roy Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff, Rebecca, and Vanessa gather in a secret chamber to discuss the wonderfully absurd mysteries of Dan Brown's latest, The Secret of Secrets. Check out Zero to Well-Read! Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. Ready for a cozy, bookish autumn? Let Tailored Book Recommendations help you find your next favorite read with handpicked suggestions from professional book nerds. Get started today from just $18! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices