So much book news! Our most anticipated book/guest pairings for Obama's imminent book podcast, NBA fiction longlist continues to be head-scratching, it is remarkable how unremarkable B&N buying another indie is, recent reading, and more.

Jeff and Rebecca run down the books that are selling, generating buzz, and otherwise making literary waves right now. Rebecca even impulse purchased something during the show.

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Discussed in this episode:

RIP Annie Dillard

Guests announced for Obama’s book podcast

National Book Award longlists

Winners of the 2026 Dayton Literary Peace Prize

New Tara Westover memoir next spring

Singapore launches 5-year campaign to nurture reading habits

Barnes & Noble acquires Joseph-Beth Booksellers

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Jeff and Rebecca run down the books that are selling, generating buzz, and otherwise making literary waves right now. Rebecca even impulse purchased something during the show.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to quince.com/bookriot. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.

For a limited time our listeners are getting a FREE full sized Mascara on their first purchase. Just head to Jonesroadbeauty.com and use code BOOKRIOT at checkout.

Thanks to our sponsor Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca dive into a busy start to fall in books: 2026 book sales, Emily Wilson's new translation of The Odyssey, Lonesome Dove adaptation news, and much more.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

Discussed in this episode:

the queer community is having fun with “performative males”  (s/o to Danika)

Publishing industry sales up in the first half of 2026

LONESOME DOVE ADAPTATIONNNNNNN

Lincoln in the Bardo casting news and more casting news

Emily Wilson is writing a whole new translation of The Odyssey

Study shows library ebook lending damages industry sales

Ron Charles’s response: Libraries Are Not the Problem

Google has launched an AI tool for ebook interactivity

Nonfiction sales have transformed radically this decade

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Go to quince.com/bookriot for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

For a limited time our listeners are getting a FREE full sized Mascara on their first purchase. Just head to Jonesroadbeauty.com and use code BOOKRIOT at checkout.

Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca have gone through the lists, awards, and vibes to power rank the top 10 books of 2026.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.

Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to quince.com/bookriot. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

For a limited time our listeners are getting a FREE full sized Mascara on their first purchase.Just head to Jonesroadbeauty.com and use code BOOKRIOT at checkout.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca tackle the most difficult It Books month yet.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca note the passing of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry before talking about a data analysis of men in literature, bookstore etiquette, recent reading (including The Book of M by Rachel Cusk) and more.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

Discussed in this episode:

Last call for 25% off annual memberships. Join today (8/31) for access to the 60+ book fall preview episode.

The OG Book Riot hoodie is back for a limited time

Dan Sinykin puts data to the fears that men are disappearing from the literary landscape

Kirkus Prize finalists

RJS PSA: “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World” is on PBS now

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.

Go to quince.com/bookriot for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

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Jeff and Rebecca do a temperature check on the books that are topping charts, winning awards, getting adaptations, stirring discussion, and otherwise in the mix this month.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

Discussed in this episode:

The Book Riot Podcast Patreon

Book Riot Hoodies are Back

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.

Go to quince.com/bookriot for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

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Rebecca and Vanessa discuss news of a Theo of Golden adaptation, the results of our audience survey about what counts as AI-written, a new platform for finding local literary events, and more.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

Discussed in this episode:

Tom Hanks in talks to star in Theo of Golden adaptation

Titles & covers for ACOTAR 6 and 7 revealed

Former bookseller launches book event platform

How one professor re-engaged students in an age of AI

Results of our survey about what counts as AI-written

Amazon is buying and destroying used books to train AI

Life of M looks to be all sizzle, no steak

The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Go Gentle by Maria Semple

The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.

Go to quince.com/bookriot for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

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Jeff and Rebecca open the show by discussing President Obama's forthcoming book podcast, before digging into the ramifications of Libro.fm selling ebooks, triaging 2025's book sales, talking some more about AI. And then in Frontlist Foyer, Jeff workshops his INSIDE OUT theory of reading personalities.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

Discussed in this episode:

Final number: publishing sales increased 2.5% in 2025

Libro.fm to introduce ebooks

Barack Obama is releasing a books podcast

An interesting data point: AI use is not disqualifying for the Pulitzer, provided it is disclosed and assistive -- and 5 of the 2026 winners disclosed it

And Hank Green has rolled out a personal AI policy that is very reasonable

Study shows AI-generated stories have bias to male characters

Claude is rolling out watermarks on AI-generated text

Certified human writing panopticon gymnastics

A 30-day protocol/bootcamp for reading more

NYT tests Pangram in a serious way

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Go to quince.com/bookriot for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A little bonus preview of our August edition of Deals, Deals, Deals, a format in which Jeff unleashes book deal announcements of notes on Rebecca. Listen to the full episode, and every bonus episode we have ever done, by becoming a member of The Book Riot Podcast Patreon.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Go to quince.com/bookriot for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices