It's as far back as we go with these historical rankings--30 years to 1995. Strange year, that sees Jeff pick a single copy of an individual book in his top 10. Christian dystopias, fairy tale retellings, genre-changing memoirs: there are spots for all of them in our top 10s.
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1:08:07
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1:08:07
Mid-Year Check-in Time. PLUS: Rodney Freeman on ARE YOU A LIBRARIAN?
Jeff and Rebecca talk about a bunch of mid-year lists: best-ofs, best-selllers, and more. Then Erica Ezeifedi talks to Rodney Freeman, former librarian and producer of the documentary Are You a Librarian, about the rich & overlooked history of Black librarianship in the US.
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Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.
Discussed in this episode:
Book Riot’s best books of 2025 so far
The top 10 bestselling books of the year so far
Bookshop’s bestsellers of the year so far
Constance Grady explores whether there actually is a crisis with kids’ reading
Sarah J. Maas has completed the first draft of the 6th ACOTAR book
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1:09:07
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1:09:07
The Top Ten Books to Read to Be Well-Read
Jeff and Rebecca try to answer the fun but impossible question of what are the top 10 books someone might read first on their path to becoming well-read. This was originally a Patreon-only members post. To get more like this, subscribe to the Book Riot podcast Patreon.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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55:53
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55:53
The Best Books of the Year So Far: Live at Powell's!
Jeff and Rebecca are joined by Book Riot's Managing Editor Vanessa Diaz and Powell's Book Buyer Keith Mosman to talk about their favorite books of the year so far.
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Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.
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1:15:29
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1:15:29
Summer 2025 Mailbag
Jeff and Rebecca answer listener questions.
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Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18!
The
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News in the world of books and reading, including hot industry releases, adaptations, publishing industry events, and more with Book Riot’s Jeff O’Neal and Rebecca Shinsky.
Book Riot is the largest independent editorial book site in North America and home to a host of media, from podcasts to newsletters to original content, all designed around diverse readers and across all genres.