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 โ or temporarily escape from them โ 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.
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2025-02-21 |
New books from Reid Hoffman and Bill Gates look at tech revolutions past and future Reid Hoffman has invested in AI for years. The LinkedIn co-founder said he used AI to vet his new book, Superagency, written with Greg Beato, which makes an optimistic case for an AI-powered future. In today's episode, Hoffman joins NPR's Steve Inskeep... |
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2025-02-20 |
In 'Idle Grounds,' a pack of children searches the woods for their missing cousin When a young child goes missing at a family gathering, a pack of cousins sets out into the woods to find her. Idle Grounds follows this group of children as they search their late grandmother's property and wonder whether something sinister might lurk ... |
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2025-02-19 |
A new memoir from Ira Madison III is more than just 'Pure Innocent Fun' TV writer, culture critic and podcast host Ira Madison III was not just one of the only Black students at his high school, he was also one of the only gay kids. In his new memoir, Pure Innocent Fun, Madison writes about how cultural artifacts became mo... |
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2025-02-18 |
'Life Hacks for a Little Alien' follows a lonely girl's pursuit of an ancient tome In Life Hacks for a Little Alien, both the narrator and protagonist are unnamed. The debut novel from Alice Franklin is written from a second-person perspective and follows a little girl who experiences the world differently. Little Alien is neurodiver... |
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2025-02-17 |
A new book from Peter Beinart asks Jewish people to reimagine the Israeli state Peter Beinart, once a defender of the Israeli state, has become one of its sharpest critics. His new book, Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza, was born out of Beinart's personal struggle within the Jewish community in the wake of the war. In th... |
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2025-02-14 |
Two novels from Charmaine Wilkerson explore cultural inheritance in Black families Caribbean American journalist Charmaine Wilkerson began her professional life in TV news. She recalls meeting people on the worst day of their life, when their personal pain was bared to the public eye. Her debut novel, Black Cake, and her new book, Go... |
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2025-02-13 |
Indie-rock artist Neko Case opens up about her childhood in a new memoir Singer-songwriter Neko Case of The New Pornographers band has just released a memoir titled The Harder I Fight the More I Love You. While the book touches on her time with the Canadian indie-rock group, Case's memoir focuses more on her upbringing โ sh... |
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2025-02-12 |
'Bronshtein in the Bronx' is a fictional account of Leon Trotsky's New York exile In 1917, Lev Bronshtein โ also known as Leon Trotsky โ spent 10 weeks in exile in New York City. The Russian revolutionary hoped to spark a socialist revolution in the United States, but found disappointment when American workers didn't respond the way... |
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2025-02-11 |
In Ali Smith's 'Gliff,' two children flee capture in an authoritarian near-future In Ali Smith's Gliff, two children wake up to find that someone has painted a red line around their home. They've been marked "unverifiable" and they're at risk of being captured. The dystopian near-future in which they live is a world of government su... |
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2025-02-10 |
In a new book, Chris Hayes argues that attention is our most endangered resource As a cable news host, MSNBC's Chris Hayes is in the attention business. But in today's interview, he says that he often feels like he's chasing rather than directing his audience's focus. In his new book, The Sirens' Call, Hayes argues that attention h... |