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NPR's Book of the Day

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.

'Control' chronicles the dark history of eugenics and its ongoing impact

10 mins; November 21, 2022

In 'The Book of Jose,' Fat Joe remembers his rise in hip-hop

9 mins; November 20, 2022

Two books cover the Russia-Ukraine war from opposite perspectives

15 mins; November 17, 2022

'Gods of Soccer' celebrates 100 of the world's best players

9 mins; November 16, 2022

Michelle Obama talks marriage, motherhood and 'going high' in 'The Light We Carry'

9 mins; November 15, 2022

'Now Is Not the Time to Panic' captures a summer of teenage friendship and creativity

6 mins; November 14, 2022

'Fatty Fatty Boom Boom' details a lifelong relationship with food and body image

9 mins; November 13, 2022

Two writers on building new careers and self-fulfillment through food

22 mins; November 10, 2022

In 'Small Game,' a survival-challenge reality show takes a dark turn

9 mins; November 09, 2022

In 'Somewhere Sisters,' twins adopted by different families reunite

10 mins; November 08, 2022

Bono writes about the faith and ecstasy of U2's music in 'Surrender'

8 mins; November 07, 2022

'If I Survive You' navigates family and identity in the Jamaican diaspora

10 mins; November 06, 2022

Two books examine how we listen to music and why it resonates with us

20 mins; November 03, 2022

In 'The Last Chairlift,' John Irving revisits familiar themes with a new perspective

10 mins; November 02, 2022

'The Persuaders' finds power in bridging the political divide

7 mins; November 01, 2022

In 'Signal Fires,' a tragic accident stretches across time, memory and family secrets

7 mins; October 31, 2022

'And There Was Light' traces Abraham Lincoln's views on slavery and religion

7 mins; October 30, 2022

Two thrillers unfold in the shadows of Appalachia

15 mins; October 27, 2022

'Fen, Bog & Swamp' explains why the wetlands matter and why they're disappearing

8 mins; October 26, 2022

'When We Were Sisters' details the pain and perseverance of orphanhood

9 mins; October 25, 2022

In 'Dying of Politeness,' Geena Davis says Susan Sarandon taught her to speak up

8 mins; October 24, 2022

'Black Women Will Save the World' honors those on the frontlines of democracy

7 mins; October 23, 2022

Two books highlight the role of food in creating the comfort of home

17 mins; October 20, 2022

'Mika in Real Life' focuses on identity and the diversity of parental bonds

10 mins; October 19, 2022

'Less is Lost' is the sequel to Andrew Greer's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel 'Less'

11 mins; October 18, 2022

Constance Wu writes about her trauma and ensuing judgment in memoir 'Making a Scene'

12 mins; October 17, 2022

Celeste Ng's 'Our Missing Hearts' explores a new dystopia through a teenager's eyes

7 mins; October 16, 2022

Two novels by Namwali Serpell explore borders and the mixed-race family

16 mins; October 13, 2022

In 'You Gotta Be You,' Brandon Kyle Goodman says we should embrace who we are

8 mins; October 12, 2022

'WARHOLCAPOTE' is a window into the relationship between two great, tortured minds

8 mins; October 11, 2022

Gay sons of immigrants talk about the weight they carry in 'Brown and Gay in LA'

7 mins; October 10, 2022

'Waging a Good War' explains civil rights movement in military strategy terms

8 mins; October 09, 2022

Two writers on friendships and how they shape us

19 mins; October 06, 2022

Dick Ebersol's autobiography 'From Saturday Night to Sunday Night' spans his career

8 mins; October 05, 2022

'What If? 2' is Randall Munroe's second round of answers to absurd questions

8 mins; October 04, 2022

'The Door of No Return' is a story for children about slavery

7 mins; October 03, 2022

Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall' examines the reign of King Henry VIII through his advisor

9 mins; October 02, 2022

Two authors on writing unlikable characters and the power of storytelling

17 mins; September 29, 2022

A futuristic novel about the powerful escaping to space echoes today's world

8 mins; September 28, 2022

A family grows and changes in graphic memoir 'It Won't Always Be Like This'

8 mins; September 27, 2022

'The Marriage Portrait' is a renaissance story of marriage, survival, and murder

8 mins; September 26, 2022

'The Divider' looks at Trump's years in office through the eyes of his aides

9 mins; September 25, 2022

Two YA books spark conversation about race and racial justice activism in youth

13 mins; September 22, 2022

'Daughter of Auschwitz' tells the harrowing story of a child Holocaust survivor

9 mins; September 21, 2022

'The Unfolding' examines values of old, wealthy Republicans after Obama's election

8 mins; September 20, 2022

Ruby Bridges recounts civil rights history through kid's eyes in new children's book

8 mins; September 19, 2022

Zelenskyy aide gives insight on war in Ukraine in 'The Fight for Our Lives'

8 mins; September 18, 2022

Two authors explore ideals and stresses of Latino culture and immigration

19 mins; September 15, 2022

Ken Starr gives an inside look on Clinton investigation in his memoir, 'Contempt'

8 mins; September 14, 2022

'She's Nice Though' tackles the burdens of being nice

8 mins; September 13, 2022

'Dinners with Ruth' shows how friendship can flourish despite clashing careers

8 mins; September 12, 2022

'Nickel and Dimed' is a window into the lives of low-wage workers

10 mins; September 11, 2022

Two authors write about the importance of mental health and accessing feelings

18 mins; September 08, 2022

Gaia Vince details how migration will help billions survive in new book

7 mins; September 07, 2022

'Touch' is a love story with elements of mystery, time, and loneliness

8 mins; September 06, 2022

'Path Lit by Lightning' showcases Jim Thorpe's resilience until the end of his life

12 mins; September 05, 2022

'The Mamas' views parenting through the lenses of race, class, and gentrification

7 mins; September 04, 2022

Magical realism and identity explored in Salman Rushdie's books

16 mins; September 01, 2022

In 'Electable,' Ali Vitali explores the glass ceiling for women in politics

9 mins; August 31, 2022

Emma Donoghue revisits isolation and faith (with many birds) in new book 'Haven'

9 mins; August 30, 2022

'The Stolen Year' details how politics and pandemic magnified inequality in education

8 mins; August 29, 2022

Abdulrazak Gurnah's 'Afterlives' highlights nuances of colonization in East Africa

9 mins; August 29, 2022

Paula Hawkins and Amanda Jayatissa highlight class inequality via mystery

17 mins; August 25, 2022

Sidik Fofana addresses how complicated gentrification is in debut story collection

9 mins; August 24, 2022

Ellen Jovin travels across the U.S. in search of grammar questions and answers

6 mins; August 23, 2022

'The Scent of Burnt Flowers' uses fiction to explore a real, historical event

9 mins; August 22, 2022

Author weaves family history with fiction in debut novel

8 mins; August 21, 2022

Mohsin Hamid and Alora Young detail the impact of colorism in their stories

17 mins; August 18, 2022

Romance novelist pokes fun at genre while writing it, in 'Thank You for Listening'

8 mins; August 17, 2022

In new memoir, Sen. Tim Scott details the second chances he's gotten

8 mins; August 16, 2022

A daughter helps her mom finish her book 'Properties of Thirst'

9 mins; August 15, 2022

Criminal justice reform and resilience are central in Albert Woodfox's 'Solitary'

7 mins; August 14, 2022

Nikole Hannah Jones and Adam Rubin work to make kids' books more approachable

16 mins; August 11, 2022

'South To America' shows how southern history shaped our nation

8 mins; August 10, 2022

Chinese American culture, murder mystery, and Dostoyevsky in 'The Family Chao'

8 mins; August 09, 2022

Devon Price on self-acceptance and expression for people with autism

13 mins; August 08, 2022

Failure motivates Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn

8 mins; August 07, 2022

Family pets and complicated emotions in two children's books

16 mins; August 04, 2022

Journalist Alan Henry's new book is an invitation to get Seen, Heard, and Paid

13 mins; August 03, 2022

Candice Millard explores the complicated legacy of exploration in 'River of Gods'

8 mins; August 02, 2022

In 'Freewater' Amina Luqman-Dawson uses YA fiction to dive deep into Black history

11 mins; August 01, 2022

'The Inheritors' explores the lasting effects of Apartheid in South Africa

7 mins; July 31, 2022

Baseball at the center of personal narratives in two new memoirs

15 mins; July 28, 2022

Life's hardships lead to the trek of a lifetime in 'Soundings'

8 mins; July 27, 2022

Sci-fi elements help a family's story before and after warfare

8 mins; July 26, 2022

'X' portrays dystopian reality among the marginalized where they are exported

9 mins; July 25, 2022

'Why Didn't You Tell Me?' explores a false origin story for the price of assimilation

8 mins; July 24, 2022

Two books show life as seen through the eyes of the animal kingdom

18 mins; July 21, 2022

The history of control over women and their bodies is central in 'The Foundling'

10 mins; July 20, 2022

Blurred family history gets questioned in Joseph Han's debut novel, 'Nuclear Family'

7 mins; July 19, 2022

'The Pallbearers Club' shows how dangerous nostalgia can be

7 mins; July 18, 2022

Mark Leibovich details the price of blind loyalty under Donald Trump in new book

8 mins; July 17, 2022

Two Indigenous authors on the legacy of a shared, painful history

19 mins; July 14, 2022

'Covered in Night' compares colonial and Indigenous approaches to justice

10 mins; July 13, 2022

In 'Poet Warrior', Joy Harjo uses poetry to deal with pain and heal

8 mins; July 12, 2022

In 'Fresh Banana Leaves' an indigenous approach to fighting climate change

10 mins; July 11, 2022

Morgan Talty uses humor to tell the story of an indigenous tribe's struggles

7 mins; July 10, 2022

Two nonfiction books reminiscent of a bygone era in Hollywood

16 mins; July 07, 2022

Werner Herzog's 'The Twilight World' is inspired by a WWII Japanese holdout officer

8 mins; July 06, 2022

'Under the Skin' shows how COVID exposed racial disparities in healthcare

7 mins; July 05, 2022

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